Peter Pauper Press Review and Giveaway

Let's just get one thing straight: I think paper is magical.  I love the freshness of a white, lined (or unlined) page, the smell of a new book, the moment before I set pen to paper in a new journal or planner.  My generation transitioned into computer technology (instead of being born with it) so while typing on a keyboard is faster than writing in longhand, the act of writing, of putting a piece of yourself down on paper, is still amazing to me.

And that's why I was a bit giddy when I got to review paper products from Peter Pauper Press.  I was sent several things (a few I'm saving for our Spoiling Dad gift guide for Father's Day) and all of the ones I'm featuring here make wonderful Mother's Day, birthday and graduation presents for the special people in your life.

First some info about Peter Pauper Press from the website: 


PETER PAUPER PRESS, founded in 1928, is one of America’s leading publishers of fine gift books, humor books, compact references, travel guides, unique journals, quality stationery, holiday cards, and innovative children’s activity books. We publish approximately 100 books and ancillary products per year.
Our product lines include:

• Little Black Books. Hip little reference books on popular topics, from Barbecue and Beer to Casino Games, Cocktails, and Coffee to Sex, Sushi, and Wine.
• Little Black Travel Books. Compact guides to top destinations with insider tips and foldout neighborhood maps. Available now: London, New York, Paris, Rome, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. Coming soon: Boston and Walt Disney World.
• Our Little Pink Books are sophisticated guides to Elegance, Entertaining, Weddings, and more.
• Charming Petites,™ our famous line of mini gift books with ribbon markers and 24K gold-plated charms.
• Gift Kits, lively little Petites Plus and Holiday Petites Plus books combined with bonus gifts. New Petites Plush titles combine some of our most popular books with endearing toy animals.
• BookNotes™ with Music CDs. Attractive gift books combined with set-the-mood music. For holidays and everyday.
• Illustrated Keepsakes gift books, whether heartwarming or humorous, are perfect to treasure or share.
• Pocket Gift Editions offer wisdom and wit on a variety of topics.
• Stationery, including our new Letter-Perfect boxed stationery and our bestselling thank you and blank note cards, feature contemporary designs and inviting prices.
• Personal Organizers. Perfect for brides, moms-to-be, new parents, new homeowners, creative cooks, and busy families.
• Our popular Scratch & Sketch™ and other Kids' Activity Books entertain (and educate) kids at home or on the go!
• Our Journals offer a variety of formats for inspired writing, including Artisan, Leather, Pocket, Locking, and Foldover.
• Engagement Calendars include a variety of appealing design options and formats, featuring the practical weekly planner our customers prefer.
• Holiday Cards. We’ve got lots of fresh, festive ways to say “Season’s Greetings!”

I looked at the opportunity to review some paper products from Peter Pauper as a badly-needed "organize me" opportunity just before the kids get out for summer break.  And so just like a new piece of paper represents the potential of a new beginning for me, the products I reviewed from Peter Pauper Press provide me with spaces for reminders, quick notes, to-do lists, even feelings.  For each product I received, I will include the basic info about it from the site as well as my take and evaluation of it. Ready?

Mom's Weekly Planner is an inspired 18-month planner that makes managing your family's activities and appointments a snap! (Well, almost.) View your weekly master plan on each two-page spread; there's a column for each family member. Monthly tabs, an elastic band place holder, address pages, and tear-out "To-Do" lists round out the package. It's indispensable! Concealed wire-o binding; 7" wide x 9" high.

I really love this organizer.  It comes in two solid colors and two designs.  I have the one pictured on the right and I love it.  Because of the binding, it lays flat when you're using it and there is plenty of room to keep track of everyone's schedule.  The one I have starts in July 2011 so for now I'm adding lots of info to the pre-schedule pages which keep track of importat contact info, etc.  It will be our Master Book for the hub and I as well as the kids.  I can leave it out and open to the current date to keep myself and everyone else up-to-date and on task (I love that!).

Compact Engagement Calendars: These tote-, backpack-, and purse-sized Compact Engagement Calendars come in a variety of appealing design options; all feature the practical weekly planner our customers tell us they prefer. Each engagement calendar covers 16 months (from September 2011 to December 2012) and provides space for notes and addresses. A handy elastic band marks your place, and binding lies flat for ease of use. Measures 5" wide x 7" high.

This compact calendar comes in several awesome designs (I received one that starts in January 2011).  I kind of wanted more than one even though I didn't need them because they're gorgeous.  I use this smaller calendar at work and take it to my classes I teach.  Yes, I have a smartphone and I add appts, meetings, etc to it to keep up with my life but it's hard to jam appts or notes into my phone when I have 6 students waiting for me after class (I am so not a txtr).  This is my teaching calendar.  In it, I put in student appts, handouts I have to Xerox for the next class, notes about student behavior or about something I need to teach, etc.  All the stuff that's easy to scribble down in a minute and that I'll forget if I don't write it all down. This small book helps me keep my head on at work and the design is beautifully calming.  It is a visual oasis in my work day and my veritable collection of Post-its on the go.

Oversized Journals: Take pen in hand and spin your tales with bold ingenuity in our handsome bookbound Oversized Journals! Each journal features a beautiful design and its own special features, such as foil accents, a ribbon marker, classic corner and spine treatments, or gilded page edges. Each has 192 lined pages of acid-free, archival-quality paper that takes ink or pencil beautifully. 7-1/4" wide x 9" high.

This is the kind of journal that makes me want to write!  First off, I love this design.  To me it acknowledges the colorful potential of women who join hands to work together.  I should be keeping a personal journal but I don't.  I'm crazy busy (isn't every woman?).  What I regret most about not keeping a journal is missing those moments with my family that are amazing and deserve to be retold over and over again but often fade with time.  Or those moments when I want to tell my daughter how proud I am of her or my hub that I appreciated that thing he did but I get so busy putting out the next fire in our lives that I never follow through and the opportunity is lost.  I'm making the unity journal my family slam book.  I have already started recording those moments when I'm having fond thoughts about my family members and I'm going to try to pose a question every Sunday that each of us can answer.  Maybe this is more of a family journal.  I love the idea of my kids having something like this when I'm not around any more and, for me, it will be easier to build over time in the unity journal.

My overall verdict is that Peter Pauper Press makes beautiful tools to help you put pen to paper as well as wonderful gifts for all sorts of occasions.  If I had a recommendation to make, it would be that Peter Pauper start a "green" line (if they don't already have one in development) where they offer journals and/or other gifts made from recycled materials.  I would love that!

SHOP: You can shop online for Peter Pauper Press products here where orders of $30 or more ship free.  Every day.  No exceptions.  No black-out dates.

WIN:  You can win a Mom's Weekly Planner of your choice by telling us what Peter Pauper product you would love to try (check out their selection here) and then leaving a comment below about it.  This is the mandatory entry for this giveaway and must be done before all of the additional entries.
   
To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Follow Peter Pauper Press on Twitter. 
5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #win a Mom's Weekly Planner from @peterpauperpres and @moanasaves ends 5/23 http://bit.ly/jud2OS

6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).

7. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

8. Like the Peter Pauper Press Facebook page.

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends on Monday, 5/23 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive free products to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

Loveable Labels: Book Worms, A Review and Giveaway!

I’m an organizin’ type of gal.

Or at least I was… until I had five kids…

I love to be organized, clean, and label things. Everything should have a place, don’t you think?

Well, since I’m unable to be my usually slightly OCD self with five little rascals to completely undo what I’ve done right behind me, I was stoked to get a pack of Book Worm Labels from Loveable Labels.

I am a bone-a-fide bookworm. I love books. (I was the one in fourth grade that sat on the sidewalk and read at recess instead of playing...) It’s hard for me to even get rid of duplicate books…it’s sad.  (Sorry Kindle, I’m taken.)

In turn, and thank goodness, my kids love books as well.  But, let’s face it. Kids lose stuff. We have a huge family (and I mean HUGE), so we are constantly getting a whole slough of toys and books that rotate houses, and who knows what belongs where, and when they got there, and oh my goodness. 

And with more than one set of cousins all receiving the same mail-order books, it’s hard to keep track.

Enter: Loveable Labels

These labels are fabulous. They are NOT made of paper. Halleluiah! Thank you to the mom who thought of that in 2003! The labels are made of plastic and are tough. And, they don't come off! Trust me, I tried. Hard. 

Loveable Labels are:

• waterproof
• dishwasher safe
• microwave safe
• washer and dryer safe
• sun safe
• bleach safe
• sunscreen safe
• temperature safe

Made to stand the test of time, and tiny hands that wonder what would happen if… you know what I mean.

The tags are personalized (you pick what name you want on them), and they come in an assortment of adorable patterns.

If I ever need to know if a stray book is ours, I just open the cover and check for our label.

Book Worm labels are just one of the lines they offer.  They have metal tags, iron ons, bag tags, wristbands, you name it. 

With Loveable Labels you can label ANYTHING- clothes, shoes, school supplies, lunchboxes, toys, books… anything. Really.

SHOP: Check out Loveable Labels here for all of your labeling needs.

WIN: One lucky Moana Saves reader will some Book Worm labels! To enter just tell us what you need to label in your life (or your kids') to get more organized. This is your mandatory entry which means you have to do it first before earning additional entries.

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Follow Lovable Labels on Twitter.

5. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following: #win Book Worm labels from @mylovablelabels and @moanasaves ends 5/9 http://bit.ly/f0qEOE

6. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
7. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.

8. Like the Lovable Labels Facebook page.

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. or Canada.  This giveaway ends on 5/9/11 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

 *I was not paid, but did recieve products to facilitate this review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

My Name Is Not Alexander- book review

My Name Is Not Alexander is about a boy named Alexander as he pretends to be some of the great men who shaped our world, which is the second book by Jennifer Fosberry after her bestseller- My Name Is Not Isabella which also discovers how big a little girl can dream.

We read this as a bedtime story and I was amazed- what a great book!  The back of the book talks about each of the men Alexander had pretended to be and some of their contributions in history.  Some of these men are Theodore Roosevelt, Chief Joseph and Jackie Robinson.  Each time he changes into someone else, the pages give hints as to what each man has done and gives kids an idea of great things they can be when they grow up.

This is one my kids wanted to read over and over again.  And we were able to talk more about these men and what made them great.  I focused on a different one each time, I have a history lover, so this book was perfect for him to inquire about new historical figures and time periods.  I like having positive male role models for my sons, and this was an easy way to introduce some to them.

This book was released last month and sells for $10.39 on Amazon (My Name Is Not Alexander).  Check out this trailer about the book:



I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a copy of the book to facilitate my review of it.  Any and all opinions here are mine.

Horrid Henry Rocks, a book review and giveaway

Horrid Henry is a familiar character in our household along with Perfect Peter and Moody Margaret.  My son even did a book report on another book in this series, so it was a fun chance to preview the new book Horrid Henry Rocks! written by Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross.

There are 4 short chapters in this book aimed at kids ages 7-10 years old.  The chapters lead up to Horrid Henry wanting tickets for his favorite rock band, but his family got tickets to see Daffy and her Dancing Daisies instead.  Daffy was for babies!  That wasn't at all what he wanted.  He tries to come up with ANYTHING he can think of to get those other tickets to the coolest concert of the year!  You'll have to read Horrid Henry Rocks! see what Horrid Henry is up to and if he gets to go!  In the meantime, check out this video where Francesca Simon reads an excerpt from Horrid Henry Rocks!:

This book was released April 1, 2011 and is sold for $4.99 through sites like Amazon.

Win a copy of Horrid Henry Rocks!  One entry for each item on the list, leave a separate comment:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Like Moana Saves on Facebook.
4. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.

5. Tweet about this giveaway with the following (once a day max): #Win Horrid Henry Rocks from @moanasaves Ends 4/30 http://bit.ly/h5kt7h @alohadeals  
6. Subscribe to Moana Saves in your favorite reader or via RSS (in the sidebar).
 
Only one person per email/household/IP address can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends Saturday 4/30 at noon HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winners via email and they must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a copy of the book to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Beautiful Blue Eyes Book Winner

Rubymoon (entry #30) wins the Beautiful Blue Eyes book. Hope your niece enjoys it as much as we do.

Don't Throw Those Coupons Away! a book review and giveaway

With all the hype of the new Extreme Couponing show (and even some drama) and the recent economy that has hit everyone, this is a great time to read

Don't Throw Those Coupons Away!: A Mom's Guide to Saving Money at the Grocery Store by Kristin L. Peoples.

I have been couponing about a year and a half through my own trial and error; this book would have been a great guide to have when I got started.  It talks about the history of American couponing and gives some coupon facts which were pretty interesting, and even explains the common coupon lingo like ONYO ("On Your Next Order"- which is on coupons you can use the next time you shop).

The book answers some of the most commonly asked questions (since I run a coupon blog) like "where do I get coupons" and "how do I organize them".  And the coupon user also needs to know the importance of a "Stockpile"- this book discusses that and even lists which months are best for buying certain items based on store's sales cycles.

The Drugstore game is also covered in this book- which is where I get most of my household items like toothpaste and shampoo/conditioner for FREE!

Some advice I have to share is to get to know one store at a time (drugstore or grocery)- know it's coupon policy and get familiar with how to shop smart there.  Then try to tackle another store.  There are sites all over that will tell you what sales are going on in stores near you and which coupons to use with them- knowing the basics of couponing from this book will really help you feel confident in your transactions and savings.  Coupons have helped my family afford to eat more healthy and spend less at the same time.

This book is a great way to get started couponing! Get your copy today!

WIN: One lucky Moana Saves reader will receive her own copy of Don't Throw Those Coupons Away! For your mandatory entry in this giveaway tell us what you would love to save some money on with coupons.

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Like Moana Saves on Facebook.
4. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
5. Tweet about this giveaway with the following (once a day max): #Win Don't Throw Those Coupons Away!  from author Kristin Peoples and @moanasaves ends 4/28  http://bit.ly/eIsri4

6. Subscribe to Moana Saves in your favorite reader or via RSS (in the sidebar).

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends Thursday, 4/28 HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winners via email and they must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

Congrats to Sourcebooks!

Congrats to our favorite independent book publisher, Sourcebooks!

For the first time in the company’s history, Sourcebooks has four titles on the New York Times Bestseller List AND a USA Today Bestseller! This isn’t what happens normally to indie presses.

The New York Times Bestseller List for Children’s Picture Books for the week ending March 26, 2011 will feature not one, not two, but THREE Sourcebooks Jabberwocky titles (http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2011-04-10/picture-books/list.html)! Olympic gold medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi’s debut children’s book, Dream Big, Little Pig!, remains on the list for the second consecutive week at the #3 spot after debuting at #2 for sales for the week ending March 19, 2011.

Author Jennifer Fosberry’s My Name Is Not Isabella returns to the New York Times Bestseller List at the #9 spot, after previously landing at the #10 spot for sales for the week ending December 26, 2010. Fosberry’s new book, My Name Is Not Alexander, debuts at #10 on the Children’s Picture Book list this week.

It’s kind of amazing for a Chicago-based independent to have 30% of the top picture books. One of their bookseller friends told the folks at Sourcebooks that "they really seem to have a feel for children’s books.” What a compliment!

And then...Bestselling UK author Jill Mansell has matched her success overseas with a double bestseller in the U.S.: Miranda’s Big Mistake has reached #12 on the New York Times eBook Bestseller List and is #86 on the USA Today Bestseller List for sales for the week ending March 26, 2011 (http://content.usatoday.com/life/books/booksdatabase/default.aspx?sortBy=&lastValue=60&date=latest). Miranda’s Big Mistake is Mansell’s first bestseller in the United States, the first New York Times eBook bestseller for Sourcebooks AND first Sourcebooks fiction title to land on the USA Today Bestseller List.

Some of the Sourcebooks titles we have reviewed are Beautiful Blue Eyes and 15 Minutes Outside: 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids and we look forward to reviewing many more of their great books in the future!  Congrats, again, to Sourcebooks!

Babes in Disneyland: a book review

In my travels to Disneyland, there have been lots of comments about how "brave" we are for taking our younger kids to Disney.  We love it because we get to be kids again with our own children.  But for someone who hasn't taken children to Disneyland before, it can seem overwhelming. 

This is where the Babes in Disneyland book by Lisa Robertson comes in- she is a former tour guide and writer for the Disneyland Resort and still works closely with the resort staff to provide up-to-date information. It is a great guide to how to plan your time at Disneyland and even some worksheets to make sure you work out on paper how you are going to do your trip.  As an Authorized Disney travel agent, I really like how she has given hints all over the park and shares what services and amenities are there to cater to the youngest Disney fans. The book also details information for guests with special needs including special accommodations, food allergies, first aid services, and so much more.

Babes in Disneyland is best for the following: for Disneyland guests visiting with their children for the first time, families who are infrequent Disneyland visitors, and Disneyland fans having to "switch modes" from sans kids to baby mode. It is the only Disneyland book written just for families with babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.

Get your copy of her 122-page book TODAY!

It is an extra 20% off through April 4 with the code "SPLISH" at checkout.

*I was given a copy of the book to review and not compensated in any way.  All opinions are my own.

 Shameless plug: If you are looking for a Disney travel agent, my services are free!

Beautiful Blue Eyes - a Children's Book Review and Giveaway

"I watched and waited 

as your eyes chose their hue.

Deciding in time

on their beautiful blue.

Blue as a butterfly

or the sparkling sea.

Blue as the bluebird who sings in her tree."

This was my daughter's favorite line of the book. When I read "sparkling sea" she looked up at me with such a big smile because living in Hawai'i she knows what a beautiful bright blue sea looks like.  I was so excited to review this book with my sweet girl because this same sweet girl is the only blue eyed person in our family, the only lefty, and the only person with food allergies. She has such a tender heart and sometimes feels so very different from the rest of us so I was very happy to share this adorable story with her as a special treat. We both loved this book. Sometimes children's books are just "sweet" or "cute" but this one is a new personal favorite of mine that touches my heart every time I read it with my daughter.

Beautiful Blue Eyes, by Marianne Richmond, touches the heart of every mom as it brings to memory those first few months after your baby is born as you wait to see what color your new little one's eyes will be. Then as you continue reading you're reminded of the silly eyes, the curious eyes, the sad and sick eyes that every young child experiences. I especially like that the poetic writing is easy enough for a beginning reader to read it by themselves. I actually presented my daughter with this book as a special reward for working so hard at learning to read.

We loved reading Marianne Richmond's newest book and recommend it as the perfect gift for that special blue-eyed child in your life.


BUY: You can purchase this book at Marianne's shop HERE or at Amazon.com

WIN: One of our fabulous Moana Saves readers will win a copy of this hardback book. Enter by telling me what blue-eyed sweetheart you would give or read this book to.

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Like Moana Saves on Facebook.
4. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
5. Tweet about this giveaway with the following (once a day max): #win kids book, beautiful blue eyes, from Marianne Richmond and @moanasaves ends 4/14 http://bit.ly/fWBiMP
 
Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends Thursday, 4/14 HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winners via email and they must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a product sample to facilitate my review.  Any and all opinions here are my own.

Doodlemark: A Review and Giveaway

Doodlemark is a bookmark and writing pad in one created by a dad (and Founder of ReMarkable Reading Concepts). After countless nights of re-reading the same book with his daughter who would lose her bookmark each time and, at the same time, turning to magnetic drawing boards to practice letters and words while they read, he came up with the idea of combining the two mediums and the DoodleMark was born!

Doodlemark can clip to any book and allows for endless drawing or writing with its little magnetic writing board. The Doodlemark has been used non-stop by all four of my kids (ages 1-7) since the day we got it. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to use it as a bookmark all that much because my one year old uses it daily to draw her pictures (I'm loving the absence of pen marks on her skin and crayon pieces in her mouth). 

The few times my oldest has been able to clip it in her reading book to keep her place, it's worked wonderfully. I've always encouraged her to write down words she doesn't know or has questions about, but the probability of her remembering that when I'm at work is not that great. Now, with the Doodlemark, she can write the word down right there as she is reading, without having to get up to get a notebook and pen. While the writing area is not big enough for a whole list of words, it does get her into the practice of writing down unfamiliar words -- and she can ask for help or definitions right then and there, with the word right in front of her. It's a great concept and I like how it encourages creative learning, all the while remaining fun for my kids. It's simple, portable, and my kids can't get enough of it... I'm sold!

SHOP: Check out the Doodlemark website to see how it works or visit the Doodleshop to purchase your very own for just $8.00.

WIN: Two lucky Moana Saves readers will WIN Doodlemarks of their very own. To enter to win become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

2. Follow Doodlemark on Twitter.

3. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
4. Tweet about this giveaway with the following (once a day max): #Win a DoodleMark (2 winners!) from @godoodlemark and @moanasaves ends 4/12 http://bit.ly/eECSJf

5. Like DoodleMark on Facebook.
6. Like Moana Saves on Facebook
Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends Tuesday, 4/12/11 HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winners via email and they must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a free product to facilitate this review. Any and all opinions here are mine.

48 Things To Know About Sustainable Living: A Review and Giveaway

Living on an island can shape our perspective about how our lives impact the planet and either positively or negatively affect sustainability.  We're not suggesting that we are green experts.  Rather, we are interested in highlighting how we think, shop and spend can evolve so that can sustain the earth's future for our kids.  Plus we're looking at some really cool stuff! Stay tuned!

Wait! Stop! MoanaSaves Green Week is over and I have yet to submit this review!

The book is called 48 Things To Know About Sustainable Living and the reason it wasn't reviewed earlier is because I've been reading it and taking in all the ideas and resources that Victoria Klein offers the reader.

She's informative, she's practical, and she's fun. Klein seems to understand and empathize with the reader who may not know where to start with the whole sustainable living thing and then she provides additional resources for those of us who may feel like we do our best to live as responsible stewards of the earth but feel that we could always do better.

"Use it up. Wear it out, Make it do. Or do without."

This is the introductory golden nugget Klein uses in this book and it's one that my friend with six kids has been using since she was pregnant with her first. To me, this is how we can live. Less stuff and more awareness about our impact on the earth. That's the message of this book and it's helpful for everyone at any stage of sustainable living.

SHOP: You can purchase 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living HERE.

WIN: The publisher of 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living by Victoria Klein is offering one lucky Moana Saves reader his/her own copy of the book!  For your mandatory entry in this giveaway, tell us one thing you'd like to work on to make your life more green and sustainable.

To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:

1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).

2. Become a Google Friends Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
3. Like Moana Saves on  Facebook

4. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.

5. Follow Victoria Klein on Twitter.  

6. Tweet about this giveaway with the following (once a day max): #Win 48 Things to Know About Sustainable Living from @VictoriaKlein and @moanasaves ends 4/11 http://bit.ly/gvtOix

Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway.  He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S.  This giveaway ends Monday, 4/11/11 HST (Hawaii Standard Time).  One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org.  I will notify the winners via email and they must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.

I was not compensated for this post although I did receive a free copy of the book to facilitate this review. Any and all opinions here are mine.

Book Review and Giveaway - 15 Minutes Outside (Moana Saves is Going Green)

Living on an island can shape our perspective about how our lives impact the planet and either positively or negatively affect sustainability.  We're not suggesting that we are green experts.  Rather, we are interested in highlighting how we think, shop and spend can evolve so that we can sustain the earth's future for our kids.  Plus we're looking at some really cool stuff! Stay tuned!

"What if I got outside every single day, and what if I could get my kids to come along? It would be easier to pull this off in the middle of summer, but what if we did it all year round, no matter what the weather was like?"

These are Rebecca Cohen's words in the introduction to her book 15 Minutes Outisde, 365 Ways to Get Out of the House and Connect with Your Kids. At the time when Rebecca had this outdoorsy idea she and her husband had demanding corporate jobs and it seemed the moments she was at home were spent indoors rushing from one demand to the next, leaving her at the end of the day feeling exhausted and unfulfilled in regards to time spent with her children. Well, I'm not a working mom but I can definitely relate with the life of running around without really spending time with my kids outside.

After reading this book I think I can honestly say that it's my new best friend. 365 ideas of how to spend meaningful time with my kids outside?  This translates to: 1) bonding time with my children 2) cleaner house because we're outside! 3) getting the wiggles out 4) great health benefits 5) increased appreciation of nature 6) low to no cost entertainment ... and the list goes on and on. This book's worth is priceless!

Last week was spring break and I took the opportunity to try a few of the book's ideas on my kids. Our first favorite was "get to know a tree"  where one person closes their eyes and another leads them to a tree where they use their sensory skills (excluding sight) to observe the tree. That person is then led to a central location where they open their eyes and try to guess what tree they touched. My kids loved trying to fool Mommy with this fun activity. Our second favorite activity, one that I'm sure we'll continue with for months to come, was creating a nature journal. My kids loved writing short stories of our adventures, journaling interesting seeds or leaves they found, describing and drawing pictures of new birds or bugs, etc.

15 Minutes Outside is filled with thought-provoking ideas on how you can spend time outdoors with your children. The book is broken into 12 chapters with month headings with an activity per day of the month. To keep things interesting the author includes random highlighted text boxes that help you reevaluate your time spent outdoors and make it better than it already is. There are ideas for all seasons, genders, ages, locations, etc. I highly recommend the purchase of this book to any mother, grandmother, aunt or even babysitter who is looking for new and innovative ways to enjoy time outdoors with children.


SHOP:You can purchase 15 Minutes Outside at Amazon or any other bookseller, online or otherwise.


WIN: One lucky Moana Saves reader will win his/her own copy of 15 Minutes Outside.  For your mandatory entry, leave a comment telling what your favorite outdoor activity is.


To earn an additional entry, do one (or all) of the following and leave a separate comment for each thing you do:


1. Become a Networked Blogs follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).
2. Follow Moana Saves on Twitter.
3. Tweet about this giveaway (limit one tweet per day) using the following:
#Win 15 Minutes Outside by Rebecca Cohen from @moanasaves #giveaway ends 4/5 http://bit.ly/h61PRU
4. Subscribe to the Moana Saves feed via RSS reader and/or email updates (in the sidebar).
5. Like the Moana Saves Facebook page.
6. Become a Google Friend Connect follower of Moana Saves (in the sidebar).


Only one person per email/household/IPaddress can enter this giveaway. He/she must be 18+ years old and reside in the U.S. This giveaway ends on Monday, 4/4/11 at 11:59 PM HST (Hawaii Standard Time). One winner will be chosen randomly via Random.org. I will notify the winner via email and he/she must respond to claim the prize within 48 hours or I will draw another winner.


I was not compensated for this blog post although I did receive a free copy of the book.  Any and all opinions here are my own.