My Favorite Children's Books (right now)

Hello friends- long time, no see. I swear I'm still alive. Blogtober took a lot out of me and then one of my cats had to have surgery and I now have the lovely task of medicating her with 6 different things up to three times a day. The joy. Needless to say I've been a little stressed and this space has been pushed aside for a day or two. I'm coming back, like right now.

I originally wrote this post for Ashley over at That Southern Mama, but thought I'd bring it back because November is here which means SHOPPING!! These are some great picks for all those little ones in your life- and some wonderful stories.

As a reminder for my day job I am a house manager for a family- this means I take care of their two children, do all the errands, cooking, scheduling and just about anything else they can think of.

Thankfully both children adore reading just as much as I do- here are some of my favorite to read with them (for now, at least!)

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon and Marla Frazee: This is such a sweet book with beautiful illustrations- almost like a day in the life of a family vacation or weekend, it describes the wonderful world we live in and how at the end of the day it's about you and your family.

Birdy's Smile Book by Laurie Keller: I'm not sure exactly when I discover this book but it is adorable as books get. Birdy loves her smile- and wants you to love yours too! Written as if a 4-year old is truly talking to you, full of fun tidbits and a happy message. Smile more!

The Snail and The Whale by Julia Donaldson: A little snail wants to go on an adventure! After being picked up by a whale and sailed around the world- the whale becomes beached! Although tiny, the snail uses his might and mind to help bring the whale back to safety. A great message for all ages and a fun ride around the world!

Everywhere Babies by Susan Meyers: This book is great for infants and toddlers- a fun board book about babies, what they eat, play, how they learn to move. The youngest I look after started talking about animals from this book. Same illustrator as All the World- beautiful pictures.

Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown: An absolute classic and should be in every home! Goodnight Moon is the ultimate bedtime story. The pictures, words, and colors urge you to speak slowly, softly and tuck your little one in, in the most comfortable way. And as a perk the author is an alumnae of the same university I attended, Hollins University in Virgina!

Feel free to check out some of my previous book reviews: 

Look Look, It's a Book/Travel to Your Imagination/you should all read more/ 

I love me some books/big B, little B, what begins with b?/

Liebster Award!

woo-hoo! I'm so super excited because Kelly,from Into the Labryinth, nominated me for the Liebster award. Thank you so much Kelly! I'm thrilled to be participating in this fantastic award- it's a great way to learn about new blogs and the bloggers behind them.

Liebster Award Rules:
1-If you are tagged/nominated, you have to post 11 facts about yourself.
2-Answer the 11 questions the tagger has given you and make 11 questions for the people are are going to tag
3-Tag 5-11 more bloggers
4-Tell the people you tagged that you did (through comment, personal message, etc.)
5-No tagging back.

11 Facts About Moi:
1)I really really hate snakes!
2)I love to sing- especially show tunes and country
3)Winter is my favorite season- bring on the snow!
4)I was a crazy child- I drank perfume, ate diaper cream and tried to stick a pen in the VCR (those old school things before DVD players)
5)Besides most of it being mumbojumbo I actually really like astrology and learning about your sign. I have a huge birthday book at home and it's super creepy to read!
6) I hate running and love it at the same time
7) I've never been to Disneyland
8) I kind of wish I was one of those doomsday preppers- those people are ready
9) My go-to milkshake flavor is vanilla besides my love for chocolate
10) I hope to one day fill an entire passport with stamps from different places!
11) I really dislike wearing high heels- they make my feet hurt!

Here are Kelly's questions for me to answer..
1- What kind of music do you listen to?  (name the top 3 songs on your ipod/iphone) I love pop music, country and musical showtunes. Top 3 songs right now are Love Never Felt so Good by Michael Jackson feat. Justin Timberlake, All of Me by John Legend, and Do My Thang by Miley Cyrus

2- If you could have a free vacation anywhere, where would it be and who would you bring? Ah this is tough! At this point I would prob pick some swanky hotel in the tropics/Caribbean and bring my sisters.

3- Who is your celebrity crush? Huge fan of JC from NSync- might faint if he ever knew my name

4- Have you ever seen the movie The Labyrinth?Of course!

5- What is your favorite TV series? This one is hard too! I love the walking dead (can't wait for October), PLL, and Orange is the New Black.

6- Where is your favorite place to visit? London, England

7-What’s the most unusual thing you’ve eaten? I not sure if there is anything super unusual I've eaten- I love sushi, so I've definitely had raw fish. I'm a big fan of Ethiopian food which is definitely different. I'm not picky so I'm up for trying anything!

8-What is your favorite Movie? These questions! Too hard to answer- I find myself re-watching several films, I love any Disney Pixar, Pitch Perfect, almost all of the natural disaster/end of the world ones like independence day, day after tomorrow.

9- Do you have a special talent or something unique about yourself? Not really- maybe that makes me sound lame but my special talents are reading all day and my fantastic sense of direction.

10- How did you come up with your blog name? My favorite color is blue, my favorite animals are giraffes and I live in the concrete jungle of NYC!

11-What type of drink do you order at a bar? My go to drink these days is Captain Morgan and Ginger Ale. Yum!

I nominate:
1) Jules from If I had 100 Dollars
2) Lindsey from Lindsey Living Vegan
3) Courtney at Southern Class, Carolina Sass
4) Jillian from A baJillian Recipes
5) Emily from The Rant
6) Yalanda from Laugh Anyway
7) Erica from Looking to The Stars

My Questions for them...
1) What are your top 3 favorite books?
2) What has been the best place you have ever traveled too?
3) If you could only wear one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?
4) Pizza or French Fries?
5) Favorite animal?
6) What house would you be in if you went to Hogwarts?
7) What is your biggest guilty pleasure?
8) Have you ever done a double/triple feature at the movies (meaning you paid for one film, but then snuck into a different theater to watch another show)?
9) What is your favorite part about blogging so far?
10) If you had three wishes, what would they be?
11) If you blog was a cocktail, what kind would it be?

Have Fun!

Please fill out my awesome survey ! I would love to get a better understanding of what you want as readers! Thanks!!

ya'll are my favorites

Everyday I get on this blog and am absolutely amazed by how many people are actually reading it. Not that it's a crazy amount or anywhere near the best of the best, but the fact is you are out there and you are enjoying (hopefully!) the things I am writing. Thank you, thank you!

I came into this whole blogging world to just find a spot to get into the habit of writing, for my hiking trip in a few years. Never in my wildest dreams did I think it would actually gain readers (besides my family), and readers that come on a consistent basis- some of whom I've now met, or emailed with or started a conversation on twitter with.

Today - I want to know more about you, where you're from- what keeps you coming back to this little space on the web. If you could oh so kindly fill out this beautiful form I created (gotta love google docs!) I would be very appreciative.

Thank you! And I hope everyone is having a fantastic week!