A special Hello Kitty breakfast I made Avery awhile ago: organic plain yogurt by Straus Family Creamery, Kashi Seven Whole Grain Cereal, blueberries, damson plum jam by Ayako and Family and elephant-shaped whole wheat tortilla chips (made with Munchkin Silly Sandwich Cutters). To make the chips, I followed this tutorial, and used the sandwich cutters to cut out tortillas in the shape of elephants.
Thanks to Munchkin for sending the items for this post.
"On the tenth day of Christmas, my cousin gave to me...10 Portland food carts." Damon is visiting his cousin Liz in Oregon and is loving all of its famous landmarks. Along with an Oregonian rendition of "The Twelve Days of Christmas" are letters he sends his family back home detailing the amazing experiences he's having all over The Beaver State--from collecting thunder eggs to riding snowmobiles in Crater Lake. This book is perfect for those wanting to learn a little about this state in a unique (and Christmas-y) format. It nothing, you realize how much varied terrain Oregon is blessed with--rainforest, desert, mountains and beaches.
The Twelve Days of Christmas in Oregon, written by Susan Blackaby and illustrated by Carolyn Digby Conahan, is part of the Twelve Days of Christmas in America series. We bought the California and Washington editions, too. Looking forward to reading them!
Doug Unplugs on the Farm is written and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino. Doug the robot and his family are driving through farm country en route to a visit with the grandbots, plugged in, of course, and learning all about farms. Their trip is derailed and suddenly everyone becomes unplugged when a flock of sheep run into the road and their car descends into a ditch. Doug meets a farm girl, starts to help her with her chores and learns firsthand about real farm life. In our electronic and digital age, this story is such a great reminder that sometimes the best kind of learning is experiential. Check out this video of Doug Unplugs on the Farm.
I know you still have Thanksgiving leftovers at your house and they would be perfect for making autumn campfire cones. They are a great way to savor the last bit of fall before we embark on the Christmas season. The how-to is on Honest To Nod today.
I feel so fortunate to have come across Christmas Is Here, a children’s book about Christ’s birth. Lauren Castillo's illustrations are so warm and beautiful and the text is taken from the King James Bible. It is a simple, yet powerful account of something that has impacted the world and changed so many people’s lives. I’m thrilled to be able to read it over and over again this Christmas season with Avery and Nate.