TIME MANAGEMENT TIP from my Plate to Yours: EAT YOUR PEAS!

As a wife, mom, author, speaker, event coordinator (I set up and manage all my own events), volunteer for several organizations and more, I continually feel like I have a lot on my plate. Don’t get me wrong – I’m grateful for the plate set before me. I rejoice that I have the honor of receiving this plate so full of blessing and purpose. Still, managing everything on the plate sometimes feels like a lot. That’s why I’ve made a practice of beginning each day by lifting that plate up in prayer.

My prayer each morning is that each portion I’ve been given gets its proper amount of attention and that I don’t avoid the peas! Peas are my least favorite vegetable and on a real plate, especially as a kid, they were the portion that I always pushed aside. On my symbolic daily plate, the peas are those tasks and to-dos that, for whatever reason, I avoid. But, boy oh boy,  does it feel good when I actually eat those peas instead of mushing them under the potatoes or squeezing them off to one side.

Indeed, something wonderful happens when I eat those peas. First, I usually discover that they don’t taste as bad as I thought they would. Second, without the peas, my daily plate is suddenly less cluttered which means I have more room to tend to the other portions – including my writing.  And writing, for me, is portion of the plate that keeps everything else in balance. Third, removing those peas opens up space on the plate for the unexpected – like the surprise asparagus or spinach I spotted at the farmer’s market… i.e. the spur of the moment invitation to grab a cup of coffee with an old friend or opportunity help a neighbor (or stranger) in need.

So, what about you? What peas have you been pushing around on your plate? Wouldn’t it feel great if today you just ate them so that your plate could open up for the other good portions you’ve been given this day?  Try it… I think you’ll find it tastes good

Happy Monday, all!

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PICKING RASPBERRIES: Thoughts on Writing and Living

It’s almost raspberry picking time again and that has gotten me thinking about, of all things, life and how we choose to live it. Almost 10 summer ago, when this blog was still brand new, I posted a writing analogy about raspberries. In that post I described how my children and I were enjoying picking raspberries up the street in a wild raspberry patch we had discovered.  I observed that even in this culture where “more” is perceived as “better”, my kids understood that part of what made the berries in this patch special was their scarcity. Each day we ate only a few and we savored each one.

Summertime writing, I observed, was a lot like raspberry picking because, with my kids home from school, time to write would be at a premium. Each day, like raspberries, I would pick a few precious moments to write. These times, I explained, would be short, but intense, and I vowed to savor each and every one.

After that post went live, my mother, who many of you will recall was in the midst if fighting a valiant battle with ALS, sent me this email which I saved and now treasure.  She wrote:

Reading your latest blog, it struck me that what you say about savoring wild raspberries is a lot like living with ALS– I try to enjoy, get the most out of, each little thing that happens — our telephone calls, John’s sweet smile (that’s my dad), a cardinal flying by, sitting at Sunnyside…..It is having appreciation for small things that makes for a happy life.

Her wise words have stuck with me, for in the big picture, we are all like my mother. No, we don’t all have ALS, but we all live in an imperfect world where bad things happen. Our hearts get wrenched. We go through difficult times. We struggle. But, if in the midst of all that, we can find something good in each day, even if it’s just a little thing or a small moment, then like my mother, I think we too, will find the secret to a happy life.

What small moments will come your way today?  Take time today to recognize them and to give thanks.  Blessings, all!

Four FRUIT and VEGGIE-Themed Activities to Pair with GOODNIGHT ARK

Did you know that in addition to all sorts of extra pairs of animals (including two mice hidden on every spread) illustrator Jane Chapman has also added a yummy assortment of fruits and veggies to several of the illustrations in GOODNIGHT, ARK?  What a lovely opportunity to explore this delicious food group with your child! With that in mind, here a are FOUR fun food-themed activities to pair with GOODNIGHT, ARK.

Play “I Spy a Fruit (or Veggie)”. As you read the story with your child, be on the lookout for fruits and veggies. On the pages where you spot them, pause to play mini-rounds of “I Spy”.  Ex:  “I spy a carrot.” Take turns, seeing if the other person can find it.  For an extra challenge, instead of naming the fruit or veggie, describe it. Ex: “I spy a food that begins with B.”

Go on a fruit and veggie hunt. After reading the story, go on hunt in your kitchen (or better yet the produce section of the super market or a farmers’ market) and see if your child can spot any of the fruits and veggies they saw on the ark.

For even foodier fun, ask them what other fruits or veggies they think the animals on the ark might have liked and why? Then see if you can find them. (Make a mental note of these for reference in the next activity.)

Eat some fruits and veggies! After reading the story (and perhaps taking a trip down the produce aisle with your child), have fun brainstorming yummy snacks you could make together using the fruit and veggies depicted in the story (or the extra ones your child thought might also be enjoyed on the ark). Then prepare a fruit or veggie snack using those foods! Ex: Serve up sliced apples or bananas or carrot sticks.

For even more fun, use one of the fruits or veggies as inspiration for a simple cooking activity. Ex: Make apple pie with the apples or simmer up some carrot soup. Oven-roasted potatoes drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper might also be fun and tasty treat. Or something better that you and your child decide upon… together!

Create stamp art using fruit and veggies. Cut a couple of oranges, apples, or even potatoes in half, then dip them in paint and use them as stampers to create beautiful works of art. Here’s a link with instructions: https://www.scholastic.com/parents/school-success/learning-toolkit-blog/how-to-use-fruits-veggies-to-make-stamps.html Enjoy! 

FOR EVEN MORE IDEAS AND ACTIVITIES (including coloring pages) check here: https://laurasassitales.wordpress.com/books/goodnight-ark-extension-activities/

10 Book-Themed Crafts and Activities for LOVE IS KIND

TEACHERS! CAREGVIVERS! I’ve rounded up 10 activities created just for LOVE IS KIND, perfect for summer reading, which is just around the corner, or any time of year. Enjoy!

ONE: Bake and decorate Little Owl cookies inspired by the book at Celebrate Picture Books.

TWO: Read the story then spread a little kindness by making book-inspired kindness pots.

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THREE: Use the book to teach a kid-min object lesson on the theme “kindness is a choice”. Then make a hanging owl craft with children’s author Denette Fretz.

FOUR: After reading the story with your family, do the heart banner kindness project at Glitter On A Dime.

FIVE: Make character-themed puppets inspired by LOVE IS KIND.

SIX: Make a LOVE IS KIND Jelly Bean Jar using this ReadDiscussDo! Activity in English or Spanish!

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SEVEN: Make and send heart-shaped notes using the heart coloring page in the activity kit as your template.

EIGHT: Make Little Owl masks! Template can again be found in the activity kit.

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NINE: Bake muffins with toppers created by illustrator Lison Chaperon!

TEN: Put on a LOVE IS KIND Valentine’s Day party (any time of year!

NEED EVEN MORE IDEAS? Then check out this post featuring SIX more!

LITTLE EWE: Feasting on FIGS!

One of the sweet distractions Little Ewe encounters on her day of exploring in my book LITTLE EWE (Beaming Books, 2021) is figs! And I just love how illustrator Tommy Doyle has captured their green-purple hue and deliciousness in his illustration of Little Ewe rejoicing as figs tumble after seven sparrows land on twigs.

 
The inclusion of figs in the story was not by chance. As part of honoring the biblical retelling, I wanted every encounter Little Ewe made to be rooted in the Mediterranean terrain where the original parable, told by Jesus, took place. And if you look them up, you will discover that sparrows, figs, and yes, even badgers, all resided or grew in the countryside Jesus knew and loved.

 
I also picked figs because, as a child, I didn’t even know they existed, except in the form of a fig bar, a favorite childhood cookie of mine. It wasn’t until I was all grown up that I had my first taste of an actual fig. I remember the moment vividly. We had moved to New Jersey and my Italian-American neighbor, whose mother had a fig tree on her property, shared a bowlful with us. Oh, my goodness, one bite and I was in heaven!

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However, my picky-eater daughter who was about five at the time was sure she wouldn’t like them because they looked funny to her. Finally, after much joyful animated eating on my part, she agreed to nibble one. She loved it. In fact, just one fig wasn’t enough. She wanted more and more! It was a figgy feast!

Thus, it was also with picky-eaters in mind that decided to include figs in my story. 

At our house, we like to pair books that we read with treats made from foods mentioned in those books.  So, if you, like me, relish opportunities to broaden your picky-eaters palettes, may I suggest pairing LITTLE EWE with a bowl of figs? Or, if they are not in season, how about fig jam or dried figs or a fig cookie!

Happy Figgy Feasting!

Note: These figgy thoughts were first shared on the Beaming Books blog. Here’s the link. While you are there, you might also enjoy their other book-themed blog posts. Be sure also to check out their LITTLE EWE book page which includes a free downloadable activity kit, plus links to your favorite on-line vendors.