It’s Banned Book Week

September 24, 2014September 23, 2014 / Petite Stag / Leave a comment

It is banned book week, this is always a really fun time for teachers. Especially teachers who teach middle or high school. Great discussions can be had in classrooms about censorship and why some titles might be banned while others are not. Some of my favorite books are banned, some I read in high school, my catholic all girls high school, others I read in college. Some of them I have even taught to other people’s children.

The American Library Association promotes the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinions even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular, and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those viewpoints to all who wish to read them – the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association

The books on the list are classics, classics that offer something to everyone who reads them. Many of these books are old friends to me, some very dear. I cannot even begin to imagine a world without these books. As I write this looking at my bookshelf, I realize just how much I love these books. For the entire list of books that have either been banned or challenged check out the American Library Association for the complete list. I know I am always surprised when I read which titles make the list; others it makes a little more sense why someone out there would have an issue with it. Banned Book Week reminds me of just how thankful I am that I have access to books about a multitude of topics and am able to read what I want when I want without restrictions.

What are some of your favorite banned or challenged books? Tell me about some of them, I am always looking for another book to add to my collection of unread books.

Erin

My Feet are Happier Without Socks: Let’s Talk About Einstein

September 22, 2014March 14, 2016 / Petite Stag / Leave a comment

On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne; is a fascinating read for kids and parents alike. This story captures what it is to think, use your imagination and be filled with curiosity and wonder about the mysteries of the world that surrounds us. The book starts out describing the unconditional love of Albert’s parents. How they supported him and offered him a compass to discover all the mysteries of the world.

This story depicts a curious young Einstein so curious that he has endless questions that just need to be answered and solved. Vladimir Radunsky has created amazing illustrations that capture all we know and love about Einstein. One of my favorite parts of the story is when Einstein plays music and that music allows him to unlock secrets and mysteries – helping him to focus and think. Another fabulous illustration is when Einstein discovered that atoms are what the world is made of, Radunsky pixilates his illustrations for this page to make this connection all the more clear.

This book is geared toward 1st grade and up. I could really see this being useful for petites who are quiet and doing a lot of thinking. As well as students who have a lot of questions. This is a story that talks about a genius who was once a little boy who asked a lot of questions who grew into a man who still asked a lot of questions.

I think that this could be a great book to use with 4th and 5th graders who are writing biographies or researching our great thinkers. A fun follow-up activity could be to write Einstein a letter. Another way would be to have this book out along with other artifacts about Einstein, a compass, newspaper clippings, photographs, etc.

Another self to text connection could be to have students think about a place that they like to think and write about it giving as much detail as to why they like to think there, or if it is not a real place where they imagine the best place to think would be. I would use this page as a platform for this text to self connection writing/journal topic.

This book is fabulous from cover to cover. The illustrations are fantastic and really bring to life what the inside of Einstein’s mind might have been like. This books would be a great addition to any library and if you can get your hands on it and share it with your petites they will be all the better for having this wonderful story read to them.

Happy Reading,

Erin

My love affair with Jane Austen

September 19, 2014September 18, 2014 / Petite Stag / Leave a comment

Did you know that there is a 10 day Jane Austen Festival happening right now in Bath, UK? Oh my goodness, an addition has been made to my bucket list. I am now wondering if I could possibly get my hubby to dress up like Mr. Darcy? Okay, if not Darcy then Edmond Bertram? So this festival looks beyond awesome they have lectures, tours, talks, book readings and wait for it a costumed promenade! Need I say more? No, I didn’t think so. Just look how much fun these Janeites are having? The costume possibilities…oh my. Clearly if you are not an Austen fan, then this is not your cup of tea.

I don’t know what it is in particular that I love so much about Austen, or how I can read the books over and over again. I think it is her timeless characters that, although they are 200 years old now, still are valid in their pursuits and ideas. I love that there is wit and cynicism amongst some of my favorites. Fanny Price from Mansfield Park is my ultimate favorite Austen character. Some facts about Pride and Prejudice….soldiers coming home from WWI were given copies to read for its soothing qualities. Winston Churchill would read his copy during times of stress. I myself find her books to be quite calming, more so like old friends when I read them over and over again. I do have to say I like Winston Churchill all the more knowing he would turn to Ms. Austen in times of strife.

Well if you can’t get to Bath this weekend for the final days of the festival you might as well check out some of these fine Austen inspired items. Get ready to get your geek on.

Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice Play Set – I’ve made my love for all things BabyLit known. These little play set is just the cutest with little cutouts, what is not to love about it.

Keep Calm and Read Jane Austen Pillow – Can’t you just see this fabulous pillow in your book nook? I am lusting for the pillow and the nook right about now. The only real question to ask is which book to start reading first.

I Heart Darcy Tote – Darcy does get all the love, but it’s well worth it, don’t you think? Perfect bag to cart books to and from the library or to your Jane Austen book club perhaps?

Pride and Prejudice Quote Print – I don’t mean to swoon, but this print is just lovely.

Mr. Darcy Plush – Seriously cute, perfect for even the smallest of Austen fans.

Books – Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility – adorable primers for your petites. Start those babies off on the right foot to be the next generation of Janeites.

Darcy’s Proposal Onesie – How cute would it be to have your baby, reading Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibilities board books while wearing this?! I’m thinking my petite needs this immediately. Baby Janeite, yes please.

Jane Austen Anthology of Seven Novels – this anthology has been out there for a while now, but its lovely leather bound cover and over 1200 gilded pages make it quite the Austen fan collectable.

Darcy’s Proposal Scarf – You can feel the chill in the air and what better to keep you warm than this adorable scarf.

Lizzie Bennet’s Diary – This diary was just published in the spring and it is so cute, has little flaps you can lift and is filled will all sorts of cuteness. It gives a great introduction into the novel and does so in a way that looks like a scrapbook diary.

Pride and Prejudice T-shirt – I love this shirt, it is incredibly unique and everyone really should wear shirts, so why not wear a cool Pride and Prejudice one?

Hopefully this post will make you smile or find the perfect present for your favorite Austen fan.

Happy Weekend,
Erin

Baby Shower Gifts: What to get the expecting mommies and daddies

September 18, 2014September 18, 2014 / Petite Stag / 5 Comments

Recently a great many of my girlfriends have had babies…some their first and some second and thirds. I wanted to take a minute to share my favorite and most used gifts that I have been given. It can certainly be overwhelming when you look at baby registries and think of all of the items that are listed, what might be the most useful and the most fun to buy. The items that I have chosen are ones that my friends use regularly, I use regularly and ones that people have said were great gifts.

Aiden & Anais Swaddle Blankets – these are my favorite blankets; because they are thin and lightweight. They are long enough to tightly secure even the most efficient Houdini. My babes tend to sleep hot and these don’t make that situation worse. They are great! They can be found just about everywhere, there are tons of different patterns to choose from which makes them all the more lovable.

Sophie the Giraffe – this natural teether has been around for over 50 years, proving it’s usefulness among the petites. This teether is well worth the cost of what seemingly looks like a dogs chew toy. I have no idea what is so special but both my girls love Sophie, the worst part is if you happen to leave her behind somewhere.

Diapers – for the more practical gift givers and moms alike. Getting diapers is amazing…it may not seem fun, but you can always purchase these super cute Honest Company diapers to make it a little more personalized and cute. The reason I think giving and getting diapers make sense is that a baby goes through an immense amount of diapers in their first year. I read this article and just about fell over when I saw it written out like this. Size 1 – 840, Size 2 – 560, Size 3 – 1512 this is true, an insane amount of diapers…I can vouch for it too, I bought lots of diapers for my little one in advance in all sizes and these amounts are spot on.

Toys – there are so many different ones to choose from, I really like this caterpillar. It has lots of fun crunchy sounds, little bits to chew on, and tags to pull on. Of course it pairs really well with the Eric Carle Very Hungry Caterpillar book. Both my girls love it, we have given it as a gift many times as well.

Oobie (my daughter calls breasts “oobies”) Things – this I would say is a great gift. I have given oobie things to many of my friends, remember you need all those diapers because of all of those feedings. 🙂 The Madela Hydro Gel pads are so amazing when you first start nursing and really help to soothe sore oobies in-between feedings. The Tender Care Lanolin is great, it is thin enough to cover, and also doesn’t need to be washed off before nursing which is a huge pain if you ask me. Finally nursing pads, you can go through quite a few of these during those first weeks of nursing.

Books – there is no way you can wrong with books. “Ugh, I hate books, especially children’s books” ~ said no one ever. There are so many incredibly cute books out there for babies that you really have no limits of what you can buy. These Babylit books are a personal favorite of mine. The illustrations are fabulous and they cover the classics, really what’s not to love.

Soothing Sounds Sleep Sheep – this is one of those things that I thought, really do I need this? I had my screaming daughter in a store and she was a hot mess and we saw this (well, the bear version) and we jokingly laughed and turned it on thinking yeah right it will calm her down. Well, the magical powers of the sleep sheep/bear are still used to this day in our house. It’s also great for babes who are fussy in the car. Great use of white noise.

Of course, as things always go, I want to add other things that are my favorite gifts to give, so maybe this will be a series of best baby gifts ever.

Erin

Historic Charleston: In Search of a Map

September 14, 2014September 10, 2014 / Petite Stag / 1 Comment

I have a thing for maps, if you’ve read any of my previous posts you’ll notice a trend. Before we left for South Carolina, I called around to find out where you could get a print of an antique map in Charleston. I called the Charleston Historical Society and the Preservation Society of Charleston. Both of the lovely ladies I spoke with recommended the same place: Carolina Antique Maps & Prints.

Antique Map of Charleston SC, by C.N. Drie 1872 Print $25

When we planned our day trip to Charleston this was one of my main places I wanted to stop. So off we go with our two children in tow. Ironically enough, I cannot read a map to save my soul; truly ask my husband. This is silly on so many levels, mainly because while we were driving I kept saying we are close, just park here. Since my stellar map reading skills are so honed we ended up literally parking right in front of the store even though I couldn’t see it. Here is where silly turns to hilarious in a matter of seconds.

A Plan of the Attack of Fort Sulivan, near Charles Town in South Carolina. William Faden

A Plan of the Attack of Fort Sullivan, near Charles Town in South Carolina.
William Faden $13,000

We open the door to this cute little map shop and walk in. The woman running the place welcomes us, my husband, 5-year-old daughter and 14 month old who is covered in snacks from her car seat. My husband while holding tight to the 5-year-old looked at a map that was $13,500. While I flipped through a folio of maps that were ranging between $800-$1300. My husband and I glance at each other while flipping, doing that silent look of knowing that only spouses can do. Knowing that you have no business being in this place with these children. This is when things just got ridiculous. The lovely lady asked me if I was looking for anything special. To which I, with reddening cheeks, say yes, I was told that I could get a print of an antique Charleston map here. She says oh yes, what price point are you looking for? I respond under $100 and she almost laughs and says that nothing in the store is under $200. Then she lets me know of a linguistic, possibly regional error that I have made. The word “print” does not mean “reproduction” which is clearly what I am looking for.

I do want you to know that Carolina Antique Maps & Prints, has some of the most gorgeous maps I have ever seen. However, if you are looking for a “reproduction” of an antique map of Charleston, go to the market, I found one for $25, and we didn’t even have to break into the girls college fund.

If you like maps too, check out my etsy shop.

A Tangerine Dress and a Fabulous Story

September 13, 2014September 10, 2014 / Petite Stag / 1 Comment

A few months ago we were at our local independent bookstore. This bookstore is awesome…the type of place you could lose track of time. My husband found this book on the shelves and we were sold. Morris Micklewhite and the Tangerine Dress, by Christine Baldacchino with illustrations by Isabelle Malenfant is a touching story. It is about a young boy named Morris, his favorite activity at school is the dress up center, he loves the tangerine dress. His classmates tease him and exclude him from playing their games because they don’t understand. Morris retreats into his imagination and what a great one it is.

This story brought a tear to my eye, because I have known so many little kids who have loved to do things that are not “typically” in their gender role. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with this, and I love that this story gives trying new things and doing what you love a spot center stage. I want my girls to know that being different, or liking different things is okay. That doing what you love is okay. That doing the things that make you happy and make you smile is okay. Above all I want them to know that I love them for who they are. I love Morris Micklewhite and hope you will too. This book is a fabulous book that, in my opinion, should be in every school library and in the hands of all of our petites.

Happy Reading,
Erin

Realizations while reading recycled magazines

September 11, 2014September 11, 2014 / Petite Stag / Leave a comment

This is rather embarrassing, but I’m going to toss it out there into the blogosphere. I love reading magazines, but sadly enough I don’t subscribe to all of my guilty pleasures, for those I need to go to the dentist or some other doctor appointment. However, someone who lives near me has a fabulous subscription to InStyle magazine! I just happened to be recycling some of my diaper and fruit puree pouch boxes when I see a perfectly clean copy of the latest InStyle, right on top.

What would any other gal do? I took it and walked quickly back inside so that afore-mentioned neighbor wouldn’t see me.. What I realized after looking at the 400+ pages of style, is that I have no idea what is actually in style. I mean seriously, no idea. I will say I spotted a few pieces that I just loved, all of which were $300 and over.

What I found most shocking was not that I was reading a pilfered magazine from the garbage, but that this actually exists.

Wait, what? Books by the Foot, I don’t know if I am in love or just plain flabbergasted. Here in my style naivety I thought people simply read books, then removed the book jacket to discover pretty spines and then decorated accordingly. Nope! No they don’t, they buy them by the FOOT! This made me think of the scene in Good Will Hunting when Will asks “Do you buy all of these retail or do you send away for, like, a shrink kit that comes with all these volumes included?” – my guess is that he bought them here at Books by the Foot.

I do feel ever so slightly hypocritical for judging people who style these amazing bookshelves with beautiful books, when I choose my reading material from a recycle bin. Seriously, look how beautiful these are? I can’t decide which one I love the most.

Try not to judge, I swear I only take magazines from the recycle bin when they are clean and right on top…and most importantly when no one is looking.

Erin

It’s Back to School: Homework Station

September 10, 2014September 10, 2014 / Petite Stag / Leave a comment

Oh my goodness, as a teacher this is one of my favorite times of year. This year, like last year, I will be sitting it out. Being a stay at home mom is incredibly rewarding, but I will be honest, I miss seeing my “kids” and that first day of school, that feeling when all is new and possibilities are endless.

With that said, this is a big year for us. The Petite has started kindergarten! Words cannot even begin to describe how I felt sending her off that first day. She has been my co-pilot for the last year and it is a strange feeling to not have her around during the day. Good news is that she loves her new school, friends and teacher. Yay!

I don’t like kindergarten, I LOVE kindergarten!

These were the petite’s words on the first day of school. I am in love with her enthusiasm and joy for learning. One thing that as a mom, who happens to be a teacher, is that there are a few recommendations I would make on back to school night that now I actually get to do myself. The first one is setting up a homework station or area.

This is something that will save time, stress and headaches in the weeks to come. Having an area where all of the items you need to complete assignments helps students to be responsible and organized. It shows them that homework and learning are important and gives them an area or place where doing homework is the expectation. Can you tell I’ve talked about this to parents before?

A homework area varies greatly depending on the age of the student.

Pre-K through 2nd grade:

White computer paper, ruler, eraser, glue stick, pencils, crayons, highlighters, scissors, writing paper and a timer for tracking reading times (I just use my phone). Items that can be helpful but aren’t necessary: dry erase board and markers, and whiteout.

3rd grade – 5th grade

White computer paper, ruler, eraser, glue stick, pencils, pens, markers, crayons, highlighters, whiteout, scissors, binder paper, dictionary and a timer.

Middle School

Binder paper, pens, pencils, calculator, dictionary, highlighters, post its.

High School

Yikes, I’m guessing its been years since you’ve been able to convince your teen to do homework out in the open….and they’ve made it this far so…keep up the good work. 🙂

Now is a great time to get all of these items, because they are still on sale. The critical part to all of this is to have something to hold it in so that it is easy to access. One of my main goals for recommending these things is to make doing homework less of a scavenger hunt and more so a learning experience. Starting a routine around when homework is done, also where it is done is so helpful. If there is a routine it helps kids to be accountable even kindergarteners. After all, kids love routine, even if they tell you otherwise.

I hope this helps ease you back into the school year, start a homework routine and have stress free nights while helping the kids get homework assignments completed.

Erin

Bruschetta…what’s not to love about this amazing appetizer?

August 7, 2014August 13, 2014 / Petite Stag / 1 Comment

Growing up we ate a lot of Italian food, not because we have deep Italian roots -we don’t. We ate a lot of it, because my mom loved to get Italian cookbooks and she would try out new dishes, possibly because of her love of traveling to Italy. We ate Italian food, honestly, because it’s delicious! There was a restaurant that we would go to all the time when I was growing up, it became a reward when I got good grades and a place we could count on for a great meal every time. One of my all time favorite appetizers they made was bruschetta.

I love the vibrant fresh basil, the tang of the balsamic vinegar and the crunch of a well toasted baguette. Over the years it has become one of the recipes that I’ve made so many times that I just whip together simply by eyeballing it. The funny thing about this dish is that it is so incredibly simple. The ingredients are basic and it just blends together to make this amazing bite. Every time I’ve made this dish for a party, it is the first one devoured completely, even when I make more than I think we will need. People always ask for the recipe. So here goes…

Bruschetta

6-8 Roma or medium on the vine tomatoes, diced into small pieces

10 fresh basil leaves

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (although I leave this out often when I make it for my family)

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste, usually just a pinch of each

Sourdough Baguette

olive oil for drizzling

Additional toppings:

Shredded Parmesan cheese

Balsamic Glaze

Dice the tomatoes and try to leave out the majority of the seeds, this way the end result will not be too watery. Stack all of the leaves of basil together and roll it up like a little cigar and chop it finely. Finely chop the garlic. Add all of the ingredients to a medium-sized bowl and stir together. Add olive oil, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Remember to taste it along the way to get it to your personal liking. You can let it sit for a few hours, but it doesn’t taste as good after about 4 hours and starts to break down.

Slice the baguette into 1/4 inch rounds, use a pastry brush to lightly coat both sides of the bread with olive oil place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-20 minutes flipping them over half way, watch to make sure they don’t burn or get too browned. If you are a lover of garlic you can also take a peeled clove and rub it over the bread after it is toasted.

Place a good spoonful of the mixture onto each piece of bread. At this point you can either serve it as is, or you can add a drizzle of balsamic glaze to the top, or a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. If you opt for the cheese you will want to return to the oven and broil until the cheese melts.

Serve immediately. Makes about 2-3 dozen depending on how you slice the baguette.

Bon Appetit!

Let’s Go…Travel Themed Party

August 7, 2014August 13, 2014 / Petite Stag / 1 Comment

I realize its been almost a month since I have written anything and I am a little surprised by this…but that is how summer goes, it seems like it’s just started and then it’s August…

I’ve been busy working on my dear sweet Mom’s 70th birthday party, hip hip hooray! She was a flight attendant for 31 years, since her traveling days she hasn’t gone abroad and I wanted to make her a very special party filled with lots of little touches just for her. The first thing that I did was make sure that I had all of the amazing supplies I needed to make her party spectacular.

Décor

I started with a trip to the local used bookstore and found an amazing atlas. This was the main focus of inspiration for the party. The invitations and envelopes were the first project. I’ve never really made my own envelopes before, but it was super easy, of course the first one was a little wonky.

Next up table décor; I wanted to use globes from my petites’ nursery but I also wanted decorations that would add something interesting and unique. I wanted to make some vintage looking little vases that had subtle travel touches, these are just Starbucks coffee containers with Paris themed paper on them. I ended up making these amazing pendent lanterns that filled the space perfectly.

Another thing I wanted to do was remind my mom of all the amazing places she has been. So I had her dig up some of her old travel pictures and send them to me. I picked up some wooden frames at the craft store and selected map pages that matched the location of the pictures. Her friends loved seeing my Mom on all of her travels. My mom’s on the left in her awesome sunglasses and coat, just eating some fresh pretzels in Germany.

Food

As you may have noticed, from previous blog posts, I love party planning and I love food. When you combine the two planning party food – I’m game. Whether it’s a baby shower, or baby birthday…I just love it. For this party since it was a travel theme, I wanted to have foods from my mom’s three favorite places to travel: Greece, France and Italy. I had so much fun getting the food sorted out from these three amazing foodie locations. Since I have two small petites and was traveling a few hours away to my parents, I wanted to have less intensive foods to prep and make. So I opted to purchase pre-made deliciousness from Trader Joes. Spending my time making my tried and true favorites instead. It worked out fantastically, I was able to spend the time I wanted with my family and wasn’t making a huge mess in my mom’s kitchen.

Since my mom loved Greece so much we had spanakopita, carmelized onion & feta bites and a humus tray. France was another favorite location so we did a fantastic cheese tray with fruit and nuts. I am a sucker for a cheese plate, I love all cheeses…for this I used camembert, a swiss, a smoked gouda and a triple cream brie. Next on my moms ultimate favorite travel was Italy. For Italy, I did charcuterie of meats, tapenade and crostini, bruschetta, caprese salad and tomato pesto flatbread. Of course the bruschetta was the guests favorite, click here for my recipe.

For treats I made mini red velvet cupcakes, airplane shaped sugar cookies and assorted macaroons. I bought these adorable little gift kits from the local art store that had little bags, tags and stickers in a map and Paris theme. I used the stickers to make cupcake toppers, and it turned out even better than I had expected.

Little Touches

I wanted my moms party to have some really special things that would be a complete surprise. I emailed her friends and family from years past to present and asked them to help me wish her a happy 70th by sending along a birthday card to me so I could present them to her all at one time. Everyone was so excited, they sent cards and it was amazing. She loved it. After all, isn’t the best part of birthdays getting well wishes from old friends and family? Of course I needed the perfect way to display these amazing greetings. I picked up these super cute, cardboard suitcases at Land of Nod (three in the pack) and was able to use the others throughout the party, for favors and to hold napkins.

I am a firm believer that party favors are not just for kids, but are a great way to show guests how special it was that they came to the party. For these favors I used the cute little bags and tags and then filled them with airplane cookies or macaroons. So cute, if I do say so myself. Oh and of course made even more fabulous by the display in the suitcase.

Another fun touch, that was a complete surprise, I had an old friend who works for the same airline my mom did send me travel posters. We used those to decorate the house and they looked amazing!

It was so much fun to plan a party for my mom. In doing it she mentioned that she had not had a party since she was a little girl, so it really made it all the more special. The little touches and the overall theme of the party really helped me to stay focused and to have it look cohesive. I feel like it’s really easy to get overwhelmed with party planning and then it looks chaotic because there is too much, but if you stay within the theme and find a color or two to pull it all together then it works out fabulously.

If you want to check out my inspiration for this travel themed party check out my Pinterest Pin Board.

If you would like to purchase some of the decorations that I made for this party, or request custom made pieces, please stop by my Etsy Shop.

If you liked this post you also might enjoy my under the sea party as well.

The Petite Stag

a blog about raising readers who have a life long passion for literacy

Author: Petite Stag

It’s Banned Book Week

My Feet are Happier Without Socks: Let’s Talk About Einstein

My love affair with Jane Austen

Baby Shower Gifts: What to get the expecting mommies and daddies

Historic Charleston: In Search of a Map

A Tangerine Dress and a Fabulous Story

Realizations while reading recycled magazines

It’s Back to School: Homework Station

Bruschetta…what’s not to love about this amazing appetizer?

Let’s Go…Travel Themed Party

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