Beautiful Holiday Bows - A gift for you!

Click on the image to access the link and have some bodacious bow-making fun!

We've been working hard on those Core Standards, haven't we? The kids are out school on holiday break. We should do the same today, right? Let's make some bows. Want to?

The initial Simple Saturday premise was founded in 2009 as a website reference for simple, entertaining and inexpensive crafts and amusements for kids of all ages. This premise seemed like a natural way to jump into the blogging scene. One thing is for certain, it’s been a ton of fun posting about things that I enjoy doing!

In a post launched back in 2010, I explained how to make holiday bows. Friends, do not buy those expensive ones when you can create your own for a fraction of the price! Click on this link and find out how easy it is to do so.

If you have any trouble, just shoot me a comment and I’ll see what I can do help make your holiday bright!

Update! Chained Wins SCBWI Crystal Kite Award!

The guide I made for Lynne Kelly's amazing CHAINED  was such fun to make - as they all are in their own special way. Being that this book was extraordinarily rich with theme and culture, the ideas for this guide can spilling out of me. I wanted to create something that could easily be adapted into a classroom setting, something that met CCSS standards in a creative way. By George, I think I nailed it!

The guide includes academic activities in the study of point of view, summary, journaling, and group discussion. And, for a little of fun and flair, I added several arts and crafts activities, all of which are super inexpensive and easy to incorporate as a part of busy day at school. 

 For your viewing pleasure, I have moderately wrapped my brain around the basics of making a YouTube video featuring the crafts included in the guide. Folks, with the book CHAINED in hand, these projects will make perfect sense. 

So, buy the book. Read it. Then go and grab some scissors and glue and have some Simple Saturday-like fun!

I hope you enjoy yourselves with the projects half as much as I did making them. 

Update on 2013-09-06 14:28 by Debbie Gonzales

UPDATE! UPDATE1 UPDATE!

I am thrilled to announce that Chained has won the coveted SCBWI Crystal Kite Members' Choice Award! Hip! Hip! Hooray for awesome author Lynne Kelly!

The SCBWI Crystal Kite Awards recognize great books from the 70 SCBWI regions around the world. Each regional chapter was assigned to one of 15 divisions and the membership in each division voted for their favorite book published by an SCBWI member that year. 

“The SCBWI is pleased to reward excellence in children’s books,” President Stephen Mooser stated.  “These awards honor authors from our many regions and help bring worthy books into the spotlight.”   

“Like the Golden Kite Awards, the Crystal Kites are selected by peers---authors and artists working in the children’s book field,” SCBWI Executive Director Lin Oliver commented.  “That makes them unique and especially satisfying to receive.” 

This book is incredible. I am not the least bit surpised that it has become an award-winner.

Congratulations, Lynne. You have much to be proud of!

Call Me Oklahoma! - Simple Saturday Style

One of my all-time favorite cheesy musicals is Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! You see, when John and I were first dating, he took me to see it at the Dallas Summer Musicals. I'll never forget how I felt when the cast joined together and sang Oooooooo-klahoma. My heart raced. Tears puddled in my eyes. I wanted to be down there with them clapping and stomping and yee-hawing all around the stage. 

And, when I read the following quote, Miriam Glassman's  delightful story roped me in immediately. 

The show was called Oklahoma! and it was full of cowboys and spunky women twirling around. The musical had Paige bouncing in her seat, and at the end of the show, when all the people onstage waved their hats and yelled, “Yeehaw!” Paige felt so full of joy, tears sprang to her eyes. She longed to be the kind of person who yelled “Yeehaw! (4)"

Paige Turner, the protagonist in Call Me Oklahoma! , and I are soul mates. She and I share the same emotional connection to the musical. I've been in that moment, Paige. I was hypnotized by the surrey with the fringe on top, too. I know how you feel, Little Sister. I do.

As with all of the guides I make, along with being academically sound, I wanted to do something extra - O.K. - special with this one. I strive to add components that keep the child engaged in the story long after they've finished reading the book. In this one, I made a game cube that corresponds to key plot points in the story. It's super fun. Check it out. A Simple Saturday project at it's best! Yee haw!!!!

CCSSI and Me

The rule seems to be that each guide I make offers new and interesting opportuntites for me to stretch and grow. My latest project was no exception the guide creating rule. I had a ball with it!

Poet and Author Eileen Meyer presents the coolest school visits, ever. For a wide range of ages, too. When she asked me to correlate the content of her presentations with the Common Core State Standards, I said sure, why not? 

I have to say that I really got into creating this document for her. She's got four great presentations involving writing, reading, public speaking, and craft-making. The lessons are vivid and lively. I wanted her CCSSI annotation documentation to reflect the energy she puts into her visits. So, I colored-coded those puppies. There is nothing boring about the school visits Eileen Meyer presents. Hopefully the CCSSI Annotation Documentation booklet I created for her reflects that.

Check out Eileen's school visit document by clicking here. Cool, isn't it?

You'll let me know if I can make one of these for you, won't you? We'll make yours rainbow bright, too!