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Monday, June 30, 2014

The Cat Who Lost His Meow and $50 Giveaway!

The Cat Who Lost His Meow 
Book Blast & $50 Giveaway!

The Cat Who Lost His Meow by Angela Muse
The Cat Who Lost His Meow


About the Book

Title: The Cat Who Lost His Meow | Author: Angela Muse | Illustrator: Helen H. Wu | Publication Date: June 1, 2014 | Publisher: Independent | Pages: 32 | Recommended Ages: 3+


Summary: Chester the lazy calico cat has suddenly lost his meow. He’s looking everywhere, but can’t seem to find his voice. When Chester puts himself in a frightening situation he not only finds his voice return, but he also finds his courage. This experience makes Chester appreciate things a little bit more than he had before.

Amazon

My Review:

I enjoyed reading The Cat Who Lost His Meow to Amanda. The story/rhyme and the illustrations are adorable. We have two cats and Chester was illustrated in very cat-like poses. Amanda liked the pictures very much. When Chester finds his voice, she suggested to me that he just needed excercise. It showed me that she was following the story easily and had come up with a good conclusion. I would recommend this book to children ages 3 to 6.


About the Author:
Angela Muse

Angela Muse, Author
Angela Muse
Angela Muse was born in California to a military family. This meant that she got used to being the "new kid" in school every couple of years. It was hard trying to make new friends, but Angela discovered she had a knack for writing. In high school Angela began writing poetry and song lyrics. Expressing herself through writing seemed very natural. After becoming a Mom in 2003, Angela continued her storytelling to her own children. In 2009 she wrote and published her first rhyming children's book aimed at toddlers. Since then she has released several more children's picture books and released her first young adult romance series, The Alpha Girls, in 2012.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter


$50 Book Blast Giveaway
Amazon $50 Gift Card


Prize: $50 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: July 29, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Angela Muse and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.



MDBR Book Promotion Services

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book for my honest review.




Friday, June 27, 2014

Family and My Home with #Weekend #Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -
Make My Saturday Sweet #88!


It's my grandmother's birthday today!
We got to celebrate it with her last year.
She lives in the States and we live in
South Africa.

The Inside of My Home

If our house sells, then we will be
moving to the States and closer to
relatives on my side. However, they
are spread across the States and the
globe, so I probably won't see them
often, but maybe more often than now.

Amanda asked me a few days ago what
a cousin is. I feel so sorry for her, or
maybe for myself, because I grew
up with cousins and know what she
is missing even if she doesn't.


*********************

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

Amanda’s Books and More

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.
All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to
link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Here are the easy rules:
  • Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
  • Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
  • Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
  • Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
  • Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.
Blog Button Code:

Amanda’s Books and More

This is a blog hop!

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Amanda with Cats and #WW Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #96!


Amanda Playing with
Prince and Sheela







***************************

I have a delicious recipe to share with
Come check it out!


***************************

Here's Part 3 of the
Botanical Gardens near us.
Visit 1camera1mom for more!


***************************

Now on to my blog hop...

Amanda’s Books and More

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday
(with or without words) or any picture post
at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.
Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!


If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!


I would love for you to follow me on
and
Follow on Bloglovin

Here are the easy rules:
  • Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
  • Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
  • If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
  • Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

Amanda’s Books and More

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.



Friday, June 20, 2014

School isn't Everything and Weekend Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -
Make My Saturday Sweet #87!


School Isn't Everything



My three teenagers, Jeremiah (age 17), Jessica (age 16) and Samantha (age 13) all do well at school. They are also strong readers.

We usually don't have to push the two oldest kids to focus on school, especially not Jessica. In fact, when she was in grade 6, I told her teacher that I thought she was working too hard and sometimes my husband and I were having to tell her to go to bed and leave the homework or project unfinished. I don't think the teacher was impressed with my stance. But Jessica wasn't only spending her days at school and at home doing homework. She was also spending hours of training in rhythmic gymnastics. She made it to the South African finals twice. In grade 8, she switched to contemporary dance.

Jessica 2012

Jeremiah used to do a variety of sports and school wasn't his main focus. As long as he got decent grades and lived a balanced life, we were happy. He's been having grade A shoulder pain for about a year-and-a-half now and so the sports have fallen away. He's had X-rays and an MRI, but it was advised that operating might cause more trouble. Now he puts a lot of focus on his school work and his grades have improved considerably.

Jeremiah and Amanda 2011

Samantha is smart, but school work does not drive her like it does her big sister. She loves having fun. Sometimes she needs encouragement from us to buckle down. Her form of sport has been ballet. She's been doing it on-and-off for a few years. Jessica began last year taking ballet with her sister to increase her dance skills. It's been a good bonding point for them.

Jessica - Rhythmic Gymnastics
and Samantha - Ballet 2008

Amanda has the nicest life out of all of them. She is still in Kindergarten (we're in the middle of the school year here) and so there isn't copious amounts of homework for her. She is also taking tennis and introductory gymnastics. Sometimes we organize a play date at our house with one of her friends.

Amanda - Tennis 2014

Besides school and sports, the kids need to have fun and to socialize. It's all about leading a balanced life. With school demanding so much from kids, it's sometimes hard to find that balance. Sure, there will be days when the amount of school work far outweighs any other activity, but that must not be the norm. You see, school isn't everything.

Amanda's Art - Girl Playing Golf 2014

*********************

Check out my latest book review and kid's activity
on How Andrew Got His Spots and enter to win $25!


*********************

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

Amanda’s Books and More

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.
All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to
link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Here are the easy rules:
  • Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
  • Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
  • Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
  • Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
  • Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.
Blog Button Code:

Amanda’s Books and More

This is a blog hop!

Thursday, June 19, 2014

How Andrew Got His Spots with $25 #Giveaway!

How Andrew Got His Spots -
Blog Tour and $25 Giveaway!

How Andrew Got His Spots - Blog Tour Button FINAL
How Andrew Got His Spots - Blog Tour


Title: How Andrew Got His Spots | Author: Louise Lintvelt | Illustrator: Julie Sneeden | Publication Date: April 16, 2014 | Publisher: eBookPartnership.com | Number of pages: 15 | Recommended age: 3 to 8

Summary:

Poor Andrew is feeling very blue, all the other giraffes are very spotty but he is as white as can be. He does not have any spots, you see! He keeps seeing spots wherever he goes…

One spot,
two spots,
three spots,
Four!
And many, many, many more.

“Where did you get your spots?” he asks. Join Andrew as he discovers how the ladybug, the leopard and the owl came to have spots and discovers that spots often appear when you are least expecting them!

This is a wonderful rhyming picture book for children of all ages.


Narrated Video:
How Andrew Got His Spots



My Review

How Andrew Got His Spots is a fun rhyming book for children ages 2 to 6. Andrew is a young giraffe who doesn't have any spots. He goes on a quest to find out how the other animals got theirs. His search brings him to a number of spotted animals that live in Africa. Andrew doesn't feel like he fits in, because he doesn't have any spots. Children can identify with Andrew, because there might be times when they also feel like they don't fit in. After parents and teachers have read this story aloud, they could ask their little listeners if they ever feel this way and how do they cope when they do.

My only complaint about the book is that the rhyming meter changes often. This does not help with the flow of the rhyme.

The author, Louise Lintvelt, suggested a couple of different activities that those of us on the blog tour could do. Amanda and I chose the paper plate giraffe activity. It's a fun and easy project that you can do with your kids.

How to Make a
Paper Plate Giraffe


What you will need:
Paper plate
Yellow paint
Yellow card board paper
Cream colored card board paper
Brown Marker/Crayon
Brown Pipe Cleaners
Glue
Scissors

(I forgot the scissors
when I took the picture.)


We used items that we had at home. We didn't have any cool wiggly eyes, so I let Amanda choose if she wanted to go with buttons or draw her own. She chose to draw her own. I think it's important to improvise, if you don't want to run to the store. It took us about half and hour to make this cute giraffe head.


It's not often that I get to do a review for a South African author, but it's really neat when I do, because we live in South Africa. You can read more about her below.

Purchase:


About the Author:
Louise Lintvelt
Louise Lintvelt
Louise Lintvelt

I am from South Africa and I live in a city called Pretoria. I am a Chemical Engineer by day and a children’s book writer by night. I am married to a wonderful man and we have a beautiful two year old daughter called Allegra. I love writing stories for my daughter, who is a constant inspiration.

I have always loved reading. My childhood was filled with books and you would often find me crouched in the corner of my room devouring the pages of my favourite book. I lived for Tuesday mornings as this would bring with it the excitement of a trip to the local library for story hour and the opportunity to take home a new book. I was the local librarian’s worst nightmare. I would arrive a few minutes early to check that she had not mistakenly chosen a book that had already been read in story hour.

I was a very bossy three year old with an insatiable appetite for books! This has not really changed much in the last twenty seven years. Dr. Seuss was my absolute favourite and to say that my copy of One, Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish Blue Fish was well read would be an understatement.

When it comes to writing, my daughter is my biggest inspiration. I love seeing her face light up with excitement when we sit down to read a book before bedtime. My daughter was fascinated by giraffes after we went on a safari trip in late 2012. This planted the seed for my picture book called How Andrew Got His Spots, which is a rhyming adaptation of a story I originally wrote in the third grade. My daughter has since grown into a healthy two year old with a passion for aircraft, which was the inspiration for writing Goodnight, Sleep tight, What a Wonderful Flight.

I am sure that there are many parents in the world (myself included), who are quite decidedly sick and tired of reading the same favourite picture book night after night. I believe that the words of Oscar Wilde best describe how children should feel about picture books when he said, If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.

Happy Reading!



How Andrew Got His Spots Blog Tour Schedule (2014)

June 17
June 18
June 19
June 20
June 21
June 22
June 23
June 24
June 25
June 26
June 27
June 28
June 29
June 30

* Blog Tour Giveaway *

Amazon 25 gift card

Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash (winner’s choice)

Contest ends: July 15, 11:59 pm, 2014

Open: Internationally

How to enter: Please enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

Terms and Conditions: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. A winner will be randomly drawn through the Rafflecopter widget and will be contacted by email within 48 hours after the giveaway ends. The winner will then have 72 hours to respond. If the winner does not respond within 72 hours, a new draw will take place for a new winner. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible entries received. This contest is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook. This giveaway is sponsored by the author, Louise Lintvelt and is hosted and managed by Renee from Mother Daughter Book Reviews. If you have any additional questions – feel free to send and email to Renee(at)MotherDaughterBookReviews(dot)com.



MDBR Book Promotion Services

Disclaimer: I received a free digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Our Cat and More with #WW Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect
Party Linky #95!


Meet Prince, Samantha's handsome cat. She picked him out from the SPCA when he was kitten. There were lots of kittens to choose from, but she got the best one. That's our opinion anyway.

You can see the post of Prince's adoption here, if you missed it. She first named him, Tabitha, because we were told it was a female. However, once he was a few months older, it was plain that he was a male.

Next week I'll share photos of Amanda playing outside with both our cats.

By the way, it's winter-time here in South Africa. That's why Amanda is so warmly dressed.









***************************

I have a delicious recipe to share with
Come check it out!


***************************

I have a new series with pics of
the Botanical Gardens near us.
Visit 1camera1mom for more!


***************************

Now on to my blog hop...

Amanda’s Books and More

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday
(with or without words) or any picture post
at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.
Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!


If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!
By the way, I've updated it.


I would love for you to follow me on
and
Follow on Bloglovin

Here are the easy rules:
  • Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
  • Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
  • If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
  • Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

Amanda’s Books and More

This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.