As a parent, you've likely felt that feeling by now. That, "I turned around and my baby grew up faster than I ever imagined" feeling. We're having that feeling on a broad scale this year, as we celebrate our friendship with the amazing Baby Einstein brand as they celebrate their 20th Anniversary. … [Read more...]
DIY for Daddy – A Homemade Father’s Day Gift
Father's Day is just a few days away! We won't judge if you haven't yet squared away what you'll be doing to celebrate the dads in your life. Instead, we'd love to offer an idea for a sweet, sentimental homemade Father's Day gift that you can create with your little one for any dad (or … [Read more...]
All the books! Dr. Seuss and His Friends Printable Booklists
Kids have such fun collecting our beloved Dr. Seuss and His Friends titles as part of our book club, and we recently realized we tend to get the same questions over and over from customers: How many books can my child collect as part of the club? * Will we receive [a particular book] as part of … [Read more...]
Oh the Places You’ll Go DIY Keepsake
A while back we posted a sweet idea on Facebook, incorporating one of our absolute favorite Dr. Seuss titles, Oh the Places You'll Go. A super-sweet dad had the adorable idea to use this book as a sort of yearbook for collecting notes from his daughter's teachers throughout the years, and presented … [Read more...]
May Is Get Caught Reading Month
Did you know, May happens to be Get Caught Reading Month? Get Caught Reading is a campaign sponsored by The Association of American Publishers (AAP) to promote literacy nationwide, with a special focus on children's literacy: Because of research indicating that early language experience actually … [Read more...]
Letting Go is Good – A Reflection on My First Mother’s Day
Yesterday my husband sweetly mentioned he had a secret plan for Sunday, and that I was forbidden to check the mail today, as something special was due to arrive —and only then did I realize that this year, for the first time, I too, am the object of the mother (no pun intended) of all Hallmark … [Read more...]
Why Read to Kids: Emotional Rewards of Reading Aloud
Why read to kids? The reasons to read aloud to our children are so numerous that we decided to divide them up into different categories. In addition to helping kids' academic skills, there are a whole host of Social and Emotional benefits kids (and parents!) receive from reading together. While … [Read more...]
Reading Milestones: What to Expect at Different Ages
While every child is unique and develops at his or her own pace, there are specific reading milestones that can be helpful for parents to keep in mind as their child grows. And if you have a baby, you're not off the hook. A strong foundation of speech and language development in the early years can … [Read more...]
Choosy Children Choose Chapter Books
One of the keys to cultivating a strong and engaged reader is obvious but often overlooked: finding books your child will love. And the key to finding those books? Letting your child choose. I was six years old when I read my first chapter book. It was called Striped Ice Cream by Joan M. Lexau. … [Read more...]