Amanda's Books and More

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Make My Saturday Sweet - Blog Hop #9

Family Outing

Family outings don't have to be expensive to be memorable. Here are photos of a recent picnic at our local Botanical Gardens. If you want to read about my thoughts on doing things together as a family, then read my post Family Outings.

Our 4 kids and a bit of Hubby
Jessica, our teenage daughter, always
dresses up even if she stays at home.

A simple picnic

Samantha, our almost 12 year-old, took this
awesome shot of us with the sun setting.

Big brother, Jeremiah, and little sister, Amanda

Now, on to the blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet (M.M.S.S.) blog hop! Join Tina (your host) for this fun and easy hop. All family friendly blogs are welcome!

I'm looking for bloggers who would like to co-host my Saturday hop and my Wednesday hop from this coming week and onward. If you're interested, then please send an email to morleychristina[at]gmail[dot]com.

Here are my easy rules:

Follow me (Tina) on link 1. I will be linking my other blogs too, but I don't expect you to follow all my blogs unless you want to. If you leave a comment and your URL, I'll be sure to follow back.
Link up your family friendly blog.
Grab the button below and add it to your most recent post or on your side-bar.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
Follow at least three new blogs and tell them you found them through this hop. And, they should follow back!

Blog Button Code:

This is a blog hop!

Thursday, October 4, 2012

One Lovely Blog Award Times 2

In this past week I have received the same award twice from two different ladies for Amanda’s Books and More. It’s the One Lovely Blog Award with the sweetest picture and easy rules to follow. I like to keep things simple, so I’m glad about that. The rules were a little different on both blogs, so I’m going with the easiest version.

Amanda at McDonalds

The One Lovely Blog Award Rules:

Include the blog award in your post.
Thank the person who nominated you.
Nominate 5 (the other one said 7) people and let them know you have done so.
Tell 7 random things about yourself.

Check out the lovely ladies who passed this award on to me. The first lady is Michelle and she blogs at VINTAGECOBWEB. She loves collecting things and giving them a “Michelle makeover.” She also loves craft projects, scrapbooking, decoupage, sewing, crochet and just about anything.

The second lady is Tricia and she blogs at Today with the Tennerys. Tricia is a stay-at-home mom who loves spending time with her family and blogging. She also loves writing about her family and loves reading blogs about other families.

My eldest daughter, Jessica

7 Random Things about Me:

1. I stress easily and I admire those who are laid-back. If they are too laid-back (meaning they don’t have a passion for anything), then I don’t admire them, because I’m a person of action.

2. I love taking my coffee with lots of milk and two flat sugars. I often drink two decadent cups of this stuff a day.

3. If I’m feeling bored, which is not often, I usually bake. It’s a very satisfying hobby and I have a sweet tooth (which you probably noted in point 2).

4. It took me a while not to feel the strain when I had to cook every day of the week. Now I prefer my home cooked food to eating out. (We do still go out for a treat or meal, just not that often).

5. My eldest daughter dresses better than me. She has really good taste in clothes and is willing to spend her own money to get what she wants. (I guess that’s more about her than me, but I’m a mom. What can I say?)

6. I would love to be in the cast of a family TV sitcom.

7. I smile a lot (like a permanently big goofy grin) when I’m reading a good book or watching a feel-good movie or TV show.

Here are the 5 bloggers that I am passing this award on to:

Linking with Coffee Friday at The Coffee Shop

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Picture Perfect Party Linky #10

Here's your chance to link up your Wordless Wednesday (with or without words) or any picture post at our 10th Picture Perfect Party Linky (P.P.P.L.)! Come and join me (Tina), your host, and Tricia, your co-host, every Wednesday and make new friends and find new followers at this fun blog hop!

Here are our easy rules:

Follow Tina and Tricia on links 1 and 2. Please leave a comment with your blog URL so that we can follow back (as long as your blog is family friendly).
Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like. Make sure you let them know that you’re following through this P.P.P.L. hop, tell them how you are following them and add your URL to the message so that, if they want to, they can follow back.
Grab the button below and add it on your post or on your side-bar, so that we can spread the word and get more people to the party.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

This is a blog hop.

Learning Lessons from Hermie a Common Caterpillar

Last night I read Hermie a Common Caterpillar by Max Lucado to my daughter, Amanda, who is 4 years old. This is a board book and recommended for ages 1 – 4, however, the message is suitable for older children too. Hermie is a common caterpillar who wishes that he could be like the ant, snail or ladybug; because he sees and admires their special qualities. God keeps reminding him and his friend, Wormie, that He isn’t finished with them yet. The message of the story is that God has made everyone unique with a special purpose.

I have read this story to Amanda before, so it isn’t new to her. In fact, she remembers seeing it on video too. This time, she interrupted the story to ask why God had given her two toes that are stuck together. I wasn’t expecting the question, but it was a good opportunity to explain that God had made her unique. It showed me that she was processing how Hermie felt and that she could identify with his feelings. It just goes to show that this story would be excellent as a tool for discussion with children.

The part of the story that made her giggle was when Hermie had a dream. He dreamt that he was special like the ant, the snail and the ladybug. (Our book says “ladybird” as it is a South African publication and they use British English here.) The funny illustrations are what made her laugh. Her favorite part of the story was when Hermie turns into a beautiful butterfly. She exclaimed, “Wow! He’s so beautiful.”

I think it’s a wonderful story with a meaningful message and beautifully illustrated. I even like how the book is cut out along the picture on the cover. I recommend this book for parents, grandparents and Sunday school teachers to read it to younger children and discuss its relevant message.

I'm linking with the Kid Lit Blog Hop #2 at Mother Daughter Book Reviews.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Make My Saturday Sweet - Blog Hop #8

Amanda Says the Funniest Things

Daddy drops the kids off at school in the mornings. Amanda is always last, because she’s not big enough to jump out of the car and go inside on her own like her brother and sisters. After dropping off the eldest siblings at the high school, he asked her, “Are you going to go to this school one day?”

She asked, “How old is Jeremiah and Jessica?”

Daddy replied, “Jessica is 13 (she’s 14, but he forgot) and Jeremiah is 15.”

She thought for a moment and, taking her daddy by surprise, she said, “Actually… 15 is not a lot.” Then, to demonstrate what she meant, she proceeded to count out loud, “1, 2, 3…” to 15.

Thursday, I brought Amanda home with a little friend from school. I normally ask her to wash her hands, but a couple of times now she’s done it without me even asking. Before I gave the usual reminder, she told her friend, “We have to wash hands, ‘cause Adam and Eve ate the wrong apple.”

I wondered where she had gotten that from, until Hubby filled me in on a conversation that he had had earlier with her. She had asked him why we must wash hands all the time. Daddy told her that it was because Adam and Eve had eaten the wrong fruit.

When I brought her home from school on Friday, she asked, “Who sprinkled on our car?” Sometimes I give the shortest answers, because I can’t be bothered, so I replied, “God did.” And then, not wanting her to think that God was misbehaving, I added, “With the rain.”

Amanda adores her big brother. The other day she said, “When you grow up, can I be your daughter, so I’m not all alone.”

You can easily see why she’s the star of this blog.

Now, on to the blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet (M.M.S.S.) blog hop! Join Tina (your host) and Tricia (your co-host) for this fun and easy hop. All family friendly blogs are welcome!

Here are our easy rules:

Follow me (Tina) and Tricia on links 1 and 2. If you leave a comment and your URL, we'll be sure to follow back.
Link up your family friendly blog.
Grab the button below and add it to your most recent post or on your side-bar.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
Follow at least three new blogs and tell them you found them through this hop. And, they should follow back!

Blog Button Code:

This is a blog hop!

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Picture Perfect Party Linky #9

Amanda at the Local Library

She put on her own eye-shadow (it's a little messy)

and she's wearing sticker earrings.

Here's your chance to link up your Wordless Wednesday (with or without words) or any picture post at the all new Picture Perfect Party Linky (P.P.P.L.)! Come and join me (Tina), your host, and Tricia, your co-host, every Wednesday and make new friends and find new followers at this fun blog hop!

Here are our easy rules:

Follow Tina and Tricia on links 1 and 2. Please leave a comment with your blog URL so that we can follow back (as long as your blog is family friendly).
Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like. Make sure you let them know that you’re following through this P.P.P.L. hop, tell them how you are following them and add your URL to the message so that, if they want to, they can follow back.
Grab the button below and add it on your post or on your side-bar, so that we can spread the word and get more people to the party.
Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

This is a blog hop.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Inspirational Quotes on Joyful Poetry

Today I have 3 more images with inspirational quotes written by me. The photos were also taken by me earlier this year of flowers from my garden. If you enjoy my photography, then you might like to follow my hobby blog 1camera1mom. Many of my posts explain how to edit your photos for free. Below each of today's image, I've added a link to the original poem where this quote was inspired from. I also have a "Pin It" button on my right-hand side bar. I would be thrilled for you to pin any of these to your Pinterest board. If you enjoy my poetry, then please consider following my blog Consider the Lilies where I post a new poem about once a week.