Kids' Car Activity: Audio Books

With Easter approaching, families all over the country are planning Spring Break activities. I've shared before about how much my girls loved my childhood storybooks on tape and how books on CD are their new favorite way to pass the time in the Swagger Wagon. Whether your family is planning a big trip or if you'll just be hanging around town (like us), Audio Books are a great way to occupy your kids' minds! I thought I'd share some of the titles we've enjoyed.

I've mentioned before that we keep the DVD player in the Swagger Wagon for trips as a special treat to make the time more enjoyable for everyone in the car. It's nice not to hear "are we there yet?" for an hour or so. But the downside of letting them watch movies the whole trip is that we arrive at our destination with two tiny zombies with glazed-over eyes.

The books on CD are such a nice way to combat the car zombies. I don't have to referee fights over crayons or Barbies, and they get to sit and use their imaginations. Don't tell them this, but I'm pretty sure they've learned some stuff too. Imagine that!

I get all of our audio books from our local library. We have an iPhone app that lets me request and renew books, as well as search the card catalog. We can pick up the books we want at our favorite library locations, and drop them in the drive-through book drop when we're finished...easy peasy, and FREE!

Obviously, a few of these are geared more for girls, but many of them are good for boys too! These are some of the titles and series my girls have enjoyed so far:

• The Henry Huggins series by Beverly Cleary (great for boys!)
• Beezus and Ramona and all of the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
• Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater
• The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne
• Books from the American Girl series
• Matilda by Roald Dahl
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
• The Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
• Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery
• The Piper Reed series by Kimberly Willis Holt
• A Little Princess by Francis Hodgson Burnett
• The Disney Fairies series

You will be surprised at how much your kids can comprehend! Michaela Byrd had just turned four when we listened to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. And Burnett's writing style in A Little Princess is very dated compared to many of the books children read today. By pausing the CD and asking questions or explaining things every so often, I was able to help my girls understand what was going on in the story. I love that they learned about how people lived in time periods different from them. The girls couldn't believe that Ramona was allowed to walk to school by herself or that Laura Ingalls had to sit quietly all day on Sundays.

And, let's be honest, they don't have much else to do except sit and listen when their movies aren't playing. Sitting quietly and using their imaginations is so good for them! And I really enjoy hearing my childhood favorites over again.

One more tip is to look at who the publishing company chose as a reader. Neil Patrick Harris read a few of the Henry Huggins books that we checked out, and he is excellent. He really captures the whimsy and fun energy of the stories. Stockard Channing read all of the Ramona books, and I thought the voices she used for Beezus and Ramona were too whiny. Some more of the audio books I'm on the lookout for at the library are The Secret Garden, Charlotte's Web, and Ralph S. Mouse.

Is your family a fan of audio books? What are some of your favorites you think your kids would love to hear?

*For more travel tips, you can check out our Car Activity Bag.

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments!

New Series: Birthday Party Planning 101 (on a Budget)

My good friend Mandy and I recently spoke at a local MOPS meeting with ideas for planning kids' birthday parties on a budget, and I thought it actually might make a really fun blog series! With the popularity of blogs and Pinterest, it's easy to find inspiration online. Combining those creative ideas with a budget can be tricky. In this tough economy, many of us find ourselves wanting to host special events, but lacking the resources to recreate some of the detailed themes we see online. I want to show you how to host a memorable birthday party without breaking the bank!

I also want to chat some about the pressure many parents can feel to "perform" when those birthdays roll around, and we'll start with that topic next week. This series will be full of creative ideas and tips...I hope you will use it as a resource for your own get-togethers! We'll be discussing venues, invitations, decorations, activities, favors, and more.

I'm not, nor do I claim to be a party-planning expert. I'm just a mom who enjoys putting together fun parties for her kids. I know what it feels like to see those beautifully styled events online and worry that you just don't measure up. We don't have a lot of extra money to spend on gatherings, so I plan ahead and get creative when it comes to decorations, food, and favors. I hope you'll join me for this series!

*This post would be a great one to Pin or bookmark for future use, as it will include a link to each of the series posts as they go live.

What do you struggle with when it comes to planning and hosting birthday parties?

Post 1: Who are We Impressing? 
Post 2: Choosing a Party Theme
Post 3: Where to Host?


If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+. And I always appreciate kind comments!

More Highlighted Links--Share Your Best Post!

Hello, hello! Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you! If you're here to link up to Weekend Bloggy Reading, it's open for new links until 10 pm (ET) tonight. Please share your best post of the week with us...crafts, recipes, home decor, book reviews--all kinds of posts are welcome.

*The Simplify 101 Organizing Giveaway is still open through tonight! Hop over to enter for a spot in their newest online Organizing Workshop and download a free home reference binder!

On Saturdays and Sundays, I like to share fabulous projects from the link party with my readers. I add many of these Features to my Pinterest page as well as Facebook, so be sure to link back in your post!

Here are a few links from Weekend Bloggy Reading that caught my eye:

~Spring Green Living Room Decor via Buhay at Bahay

~Spring Mantel via Texas Life

~Rosemary and Lemon Roast Chicken via Sand and Sisal

Share Your Best Post at Weekend Bloggy Reading!

Happy Saturday! What are you up to today? Please pop in to link up YOUR best post of the week at my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. Today's the day to link up because I'm busy rounding up more Features for tomorrow! I'd love to know which ones caught your eye.

*There's a great Giveaway for a spot in Simplify 101's new online Organizing Workshop this weekend! Plus, a download for a Free Home Reference Binder!*

All kinds of posts are welcome here: We have recipes, party ideas, room makeovers, crafts, printables, tips and tricks, home decor, DIY, fashion advice, and more! The code for the button is near the end of this post, or you can add a text link back to me within your post.

This is just a quick "sneak peek" snapshot of all the awesome projects that have been shared at the party this week. You can click the party link above to check them out and share your own project! I'd love to Feature you in tomorrow's post!

If you haven't linked up yet, hop on over! Be sure to browse some of the amazing projects that have been shared.

If you missed this week's posts at Serenity Now, here are some links for you:

• Organizing Workshop Giveaway
• IKEA Shopping Trip and Home Decor Inspiration 
• Ballard Designs Inspired Glazed Pears
• Celebrating "Pi" Day with Banana Cream Pie
• Rainbow Ice Cream (St. Patrick's Day Treat)

So, what did you have up your sleeve this week? Come by and share it with us here! Be sure to check out some of the other bloggers' work too. Here's the button in case you'd rather use that than a text link back.

<a href=" http://www.serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/ " target="_blank"><img src="http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae332/Amanda_SerenityNow/Blog%20Party%20Buttons/WeekendBloggyReading.png" border="0" alt="Weekend Bloggy Reading"></a>

More Features coming tomorrow!

* If you are a Pinterest user, Pin from the original source so that each blogger gets credit for his/her work.*

If I've featured you, feel free to snag a button for your blog here.

::Weekend Bloggy Reading:: Link Up!

Welcome to my Weekend Bloggy Reading link party. This is the day of the week where other bloggers stop by to link up their best post of the week, and readers get to browse tons of fun project ideas. If you're new here, don't forget to "Follow" or subscribe so you don't miss future parties and projects! Please be sure to read my guidelines before you add a link.

*Don't forget to enter this week's Giveaway for a spot in Simplify 101's new online Organizing Workshop! I also have a Free Home Reference Binder for you!

This party is a great place to showcase your very best post of the week (home decor, crafts, party ideas, recipes, DIY, tips and tricks, etc.) and to see what else is out there.

Here are a few of my faves I spotted around the web this week:

sources listed below

~Gradient Dot Art via Made 2 Style

~Wood Tabletop Makeover via Sweet Pickins

~Fairy Houses in Girl's Bedroom via jani Photography

~Sharpie Mirror Makeover via Cuckoo 4 Design

~And Me? I'd love it if you have a moment to click over. This week featured:

• Organizing Workshop Giveaway
• IKEA Shopping Trip and Home Decor Inspiration 
• Ballard Designs Inspired Glazed Pears
• Celebrating "Pi" Day with Banana Cream Pie
• Rainbow Ice Cream (St. Patrick's Day Treat)

Time to link up your best post of the week!

Get Organized with Simplify 101 (Online Workshop Giveaway)

There's something about the spring season that makes many of us want to declutter, spruce up, and live a simpler life at home. That's where my newest sponsor, Simplify 101, comes in. They're offering a free home reference binder to all my readers today, a workshop discount, and one lucky reader will also win a spot in a new Organizing Workshop in today's Giveaway!

If you’re ready for a fresh start and a fun approach to organizing your home, then don’t miss your chance to win this giveaway! The folks at simplify 101 have a brand new workshop, The FUNdamentals of Getting Organized, and they're going to let one winner join in. This online workshop gives you a complete system for organizing your home using simple yet effective principles. Woven throughout the lessons are 20 organizing FUNdamentals-- simple, sticky phrases designed to make the concepts sink-in and stick with you. Keep reading to enter:

Founded by Aby Garvey in 2004, Simplify 101 is now a team effort that aims to help you get organized and create meaningful changes in your life. How often do we waste time digging through that pile of papers or box of craft supplies searching for things? Imagine a clutter-free home--reducing your stress levels and freeing up time for what really matters. The simple life sounds pretty good, huh?

Sometimes taking those first steps towards getting organized can be scary and confusing. The Simplify 101 team makes it easy for us with:

• Free Organizing Printables (Spring Cleaning Checklists, Birthday Party Checklists, To-Do Lists, Wardrobe Inventory, Meals Printables, Freezer Inventory, and more) 
• A Blog with challenges, daily tips, Giveaways, recipes, etc. 
• The Organizing Tips tab has dozens of great inspirational ideas, laid out (of course!) by categories like Clutter Control, Organized Travel, Holiday Organization, Storage Solutions, and Setting Goals. 
• A Coaching Program specifically geared to fit your needs and budget
• Online Workshops and ebooks--learn and work at your own pace!

With encouragement, practical advice, and easy to follow steps, the team at Simplify 101 proves that organizing can be fast, simple, and fun.

1 Serenity Now reader will win a spot in the new FUNdamentals of Getting Organized online workshop, starting March 21, 2013:

Presented in bite-sized action steps over six lessons, making it simple to put ideas into practice without feeling overwhelmed. By the end of the program, you’ll have finished organizing projects checked off your to-do list. (Yeah, endorphin rush!) Plus, you’ll have everything you need to organize the rest of your home. Each step of the way, professional organizer Aby Garvey will be there to answer your questions, provide motivation and help you work your way around any obstacles that come up as you organize. This comprehensive program shows you how to organize your home so you can…

• Save time because your home is arranged efficiently. You’ll get your day-to-day tasks done more quickly and you’ll no longer have to hunt for things you can’t find.
• Have more time to spend with friends and family, relaxing and enjoying activities you love to do!
• Save money because you’ll no longer misplace items and have to buy duplicates or replacements.
• Eliminate stress and worry.
• Improve your relationships by alleviating the strain clutter can cause.
• Feel comfortable welcoming guests into your home.
• Enjoy your home, family and life even more!

To enter, please use the rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway
DISCOUNT ALERT: Simplify 101 is offering Serenity Now readers 15% off all off all expert-guided and self-paced workshops (and ebooks) in their shop. Enter coupon code SERENITY15 at checkout. This offer is good through March 21, 2013, and can't be combined with other offers.

*Don't forget to download your free home reference binder!

*Bring your party hats tomorrow. Bring your best post of the week...the weekly link party is scheduled to go live at 8 am (ET). Home Decor, Crafts, DIY, Recipes, Tips and Tricks, Party Ideas, Organizing...it's all welcome. I can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve. Features will be up on Saturday and Sunday, so link up early!

Here's the code for the button in case you'd prefer to use that instead of a text link back:

<a href=" http://www.serenitynowblog.com/ " target="_blank"><img src="http://i985.photobucket.com/albums/ae332/Amanda_SerenityNow/Blog%20Party%20Buttons/WeekendBloggyReading.png" border="0" alt="Weekend Bloggy Reading"></a>

Rainbow Ice Cream (St. Patrick's Day Treat)

My friend, Kelli, from Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM is an expert at fun treats for kids, and she agreed to stop by the blog this week with a cool St. Patrick's Day Dessert: Rainbow Colored and Flavored Ice Cream. I'm still catching up on the work I missed last week, and am most thankful for good friends who step in to help!

Take it away, Kelli!
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Hi! My name is Kelli, and most days you can find me blogging at Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM! I am so excited to be sharing this fun St. Patrick's Day recipe with all of you Serenity Now readers! 

St. Patrick's Day is a perfect excuse to make multicolored foods using all the colors of the rainbow! Two years ago we had Rainbow Cupcakes, and last year we had Rainbow Waffles. This year for St. Patty's Day, I decided to try something a little colder...ice cream! 

It's actually perfect  for this year because we have had an unseasonably warm winter, and this week the temps have been in the upper 70's and lower 80's! I would say a March that warm calls for ice cream. :) The really fun part about this ice cream is that it isn't just rainbow colored {like most of my other fun foods}, but it is rainbow flavored too...thanks to a little bit of jello!

Start with a small box of jello in each color {red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple} of the rainbow and a big tub of vanilla ice cream.

I tried to take step by step pics, but my ice cream was getting too melty every time I stopped to take pics {thank you warm March weather}. Luckily making Rainbow Ice Cream is an easy process. Simple scoop out a little {or a lot depending on how much you want to make} ice cream into a bowl. Add in a few teaspoons of the jello powder, and give it a good stir. I used about 3 big scoop of ice cream and 3 or 4 teaspoons of the jello mix for each of my colors. You can increase the jello to make the colors more vibrant, but just be aware that the jello does give the ice cream a bit of a grainy texture so don't add too much!

Layer the colored ice cream into a freezer safe container. I used a glass loaf pan because I thought it would be a great shape to cut off a slice of the rainbow:) Starting with the red, add each colored layer, then let it set up in the freezer for a while before adding the next layer. Or you can do it the quick way and add the layers one after the other...just be careful not to mix the layers if you do it this way!

Place the dish in the freezer to harden. I think the addition of the jello made the ice cream take longer to harden. Be patient or you may end up with a melty mess:) I was actually very patient and let mine set up for a few hours, but I was worried about it getting stuck in the dish so I dipped the glass into warm water to loosen it up...except I warmed mine just a little too long! I was kind of sad when this drippy, melty, red mess came out of my pan....

...and when I tried to slice into it, I made an even bigger {though very pretty} mess!

But a quick {okay a couple of hours} trip back into the freezer made things all better, and I was able to cut off a pretty slice of Rainbow Ice Cream! This was such a fun and {relatively} easy rainbow treat to make. The hardest part was all the waiting...and now my toughest challenge is going to be making the boys wait another two days to enjoy this yummy treat on St. Patrick's Day:)

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Thank you, Kelli! I know my girls would absolutely love to try this tasty dessert out.

If you haven't stopped by Random Thoughts of a SUPERMOM before, please do. Kelli's blog is full of delightful crafts, recipes, activities, and more.

If you enjoyed this post or found it helpful, I hope you'll click your "Pin It" button to add this post to Pinterest, or a +1 for Google+.