Building Character from the Start Giveaway and Review

Does your child act like a lion or a lamb? Does the answer to that question change from minute to minute? Right now it changes from minute to minute at my house. Sometimes JDaniel is a love. He loves to learn, explore, share hugs, and follow directions. Sometimes he can roar like a lion throwing a temper tantrum. I hope to help him learn and explore all aspects of his character. I hope to help him learn why he does things and how to hone the great assets of his character.

I was given the opportunity to preview a great tool for parents, teachers, and counselors called Building Character from the Start: 201 Activities to Foster Creativity, Literacy, and Play in K-3 by Susan Ragsdale and Ann Saylor. As someone who taught primary aged children for twenty years, I found a lot of reason to love this book. You can open this book and start on an activity with very little preparation. The books include almost everything you would need. There alternative ways listed to complete activities. There is a wide variety of activities described. Each activity works on a particular set of character traits or what the author’s call assets.

The book is divided into three sections. The first is Finish the Pieces and Masterpiece Creations. It contains worksheet like pages with a coloring area and Let’s Talk Section. The Let’s Talk section offers questions you can ask a child about the picture they have created to fit the theme at the top of the page. The second section is Experience Books. It is my favorite section. Why? It takes wonderful children’s books and applies their lessons to everyday life. This section also contains a Let’s Talk section as well as an Explore More section. The Explore More section asks children to create or participate in activities that helps further put feet on the character trait you are working on. The final section is called Play and Move. This section is filled with games and activities to do with a class or group of children that will help them work on an aspect of their character. There are word games, team building, scavenger hunts, Olympic events, and more. There is also a Let’s Talk section with each activity.

You don’t have to be a classroom teacher or counselor to use and enjoy this book. A mom who wants to help her children be the best they can be would love it too.

Would you like a copy?

Buy it? Amazon is selling this book for $22.76.

Win it?

Here’s how?

*Tell me why you would love this book.( 1 entry)

For extra entries do any or all of the following leaving a separate comment for each entry.

•Tell me something you learned from their website.(1 entry)

•Leave a comment on their newsletter. (1 entry)

•Write about this giveaway with a link back to it on Facebook or another social network site. (1 entry)

•Leave comment on non-giveaway blog post. (1 entry)

•Follow my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you now follow or that you already do. (1 entry)

•Twitter about this giveaway with a link back, you must also be following me on Twitter. Copy and paste: BuildingCharacterGiveaway@JDaniel4’sMom(1 entry per day)

•Subscribe to my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you have subscribed or that you already do. (1 entry)

•Add me to your blog roll. Please leave a link to your site.(2 entries)

•Add my button to your blog. Please leave a link to your site.(2 entries)

That is 12 ways to win. The winner will be chosen by using the random number generator at http://www.random.org/. )

This giveaway begins March 10th and ends March 18th.

Lee Bryan, That Puppet Guy- Greenville 4 Moms

Where: Hughes Main Library

When: Friday, March 12 at 7:00 p.m.

Two Giveaways End This Week

The Two Boxes of General Mills Cereal Giveaway ends on Thursday and the Rhythm and Blues CD Giveaway ends on Saturday. Please stop by and enter both of them.

Shearing or Plucking A Sheep

When I visit the other Muffin Tin Monday blogs, I get to see some of the crafts they do as a part of a group called Tot School. They always look great and fit a theme each mom has picked for the week. Since I am focusing on lions and lambs this week, I thought I would have JDaniel make a lamb with cotton balls and a paper plate on Sunday night.

JDaniel was excited about doing a project. He carefully placed each cotton ball on the plate after I put a dab of glue on it. JDaniel rushed in the kitchen to show my husband when he was done. They hung it on the refrigerator in a prominent spot that was easy for him to see.

Monday morning the lamb was brought into the living room and placed on the coffee table. Then the shearing or plucking of the lamb began. JDaniel slowly pulled off all the cotton balls and placed them on the table. When he was finished, he walked away.

I asked him if he wanted to glue the cotton back on the plate. JDaniel told me, “No.” It was a fun and cute craft while it lasted.

I learned two lessons. One enjoy the process of making the craft. Two hang craft projects up high on the refrigerator.

Muffin Tin Monday- Yellow Colored Foods

JDaniel really enjoys yellow foods. This tin was filled with his favorites and disappeared quickly. The fruits disappeared first.


He had chicken divan, bananas, pineapple, corn, and cornbread.

I tried to make cornbread in a star shaped silicon pan. The bread stuck in the tins and the pan ended up with permanent brown spots. I told my husband I will have to put stickers over the brown spots when we use it for a muffin tin meal.

Gaddy Nipper Crayon's Fun Shaped Crayon Giveaway

I don’t think you can ever have enough crayons. With all the fun shapes that Gaddy Nipper Crayons you could have crayons that match a theme you are working on with your children or a holiday you are going to celebrate. The animal crayons are my personal favorite. You may really like the Easter crayons or the Silly Swirls. Gaddy Nipper Crayons would make a great birthday gift or party favor. Whatever you decide they would be great for it will be hard to decide which ones to select for this giveaway. The owner on Gaddy Nipper has used all her experiences as a mother of two to know what children would love. Gaddy Nipper has offered a $10 gift credit to her shop. This generous gift credit could be used to get several small set or a larger set of her crayons.

Would you love a set or two?

Here’s how to win?

*Go to Gaddy Nipper Crayons and tell me which set you like best. Please leave your email address in your comment or have it visible on your profile.

For extra entries do any or all of the following leaving a separate comment for each entry.

*Follow Gaddy Nipper Crayons’ blog.(1 entry)

*Place one of her buttons on site. (1 entry)

*Follow Gaddy Nipper Crayons on Facebook. ( 1 entry)

*Follow Gaddy Nipper Crayons on Twitter. (1 entry)

*Write about this giveaway with a link back to it on Facebook or another social network site. (1 entry)

*Enter another giveaway that I am hosting. (1 entry for each giveaway your enter)

*Leave comment on non-giveaway blog post. (1 entry)

*Follow my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you now follow or that you already do. (1 entry)

*Twitter about this giveaway with a link back, you must also be following me on Twitter. Copy and paste: GaddyNipperCrayons@JDaniel4’sMom(1 entry per day)

*Subscribe to my blog. Leave me a comment saying that you have subscribed or that you already do. (1 entry)

*Add me to your blog roll. Please leave a link to your site.(2 entries)

*Add my button to your blog. Please leave a link to your site.(2 entries)

*Buy anything from Gaddy Nipper Crayons and come back and leave a comment saying you did. (10 entries)

That is 14 ways to win. The winner will be chosen by using the random number generator at http://www.random.org/. )

This giveaway begins March 7th and ends March 18th.

JDaniel's Birthday Was A Success!

JDaniel had a wonderful birthday. From having his Cozy Coupe waiting for him when he came down to breakfast, to getting to wear his special Curious George birthday shirt, time at the zoo, eating cupcakes, and opening gifts he loved it all. There was a melt down when mama won’t let him open the GeoTrax gift his friend Jake gave him until naptime was over and a really short nap so that he would get to play with his new toy. Dinner with my mom and two phone calls from sets relatives singing him Happy Birthday ended his day with a bang. By the time his head hit the mattress he will filled with wonderful memories of turning two.

Here is picture of his monkey cupcakes.

This is Jake and JDaniel looking for the alligator!

Walmart Has A Large Number Of Dr.Seuss at 47% Off

If you visit the Walmart website, you will find a large number of Dr. Seuss Books that are 47% off when shipped to your house.

Martina McBride Ticket Discount~Great Girl's Night Out

Do you need a fun night out with your girlfriends? Martina McBride is offering a great opportunity to get out with your friends and save $5 on your tickets. She is currently on her SunnyD Shine All Night Tour.

Just click here, find your closest show and when you are checking out, enter the code "MOMS" (without the quotation marks) to get your discount.

Disclosure: I was contacted by Mom Select about this opportunity