Gretchen's Library: Recent Additions

Thanks to some incredibly generous friends, Gretchen's book collection definitely grew after Saturday's party. I am absolutely a lover of books & I swoon each time she picks one up to hug, kiss and flip through to her heart's content.

Here are her new acquisitions:

Where the Wild Things Are -- A classic, of course! I had been meaning to pick this book up for Gretchen for a while now, and thanks to a dear friend, it's now a part of our collection.


Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed -- I really dig books that I can sing to her. We have a copy of The Itsy Bitsy Spider which is full of new fun verses. Gretchen gets a kick out of me chanting along as she turns the pages.


Puppies, Farm, Kittens -- I love how simple these books are, and she loves turning the thick pages back and forth. They're also so perfect for tossing in my purse to have on hand when we're out and about.

Clumsy Crab -- An endearing little tale about a clumsy crab finding his way in the world. In the front cover, my dear friend Meagh (one of Gretchen's godparents) wrote: "For Gretchen, on your very first birthday - There's a place in the world for all of us, little friend."

My Little Noisy Book of Kittens -- It meows! It's full of kittens! It's adorable! This one came to us from Ezra's mother, Elena (also Gretchen's godparent). Little G spent quite a while reading this one tonight, pushing the red button over and over until both of our cats were sitting at my feet looking rather perplexed.


In My Nest -- If you haven't seen this series around, the little bird in the middle is finger puppet which Gretchen was totally amazed by. Her eyes went wide and she danced around and shrieked as she reached for the book. A big hit! There are several books in the series, including one with a little bear. So sweet.


Walter the Farting Dog Goes on a Cruise -- My friend Jacquie picked this book out in honour of my own rather flatulent canine. Completely silly & hilarious!

Not a Box -- All about inspiration & being a creative little bunny. I bought this book for a friend's kid a couple years back and always knew that when I had my own child I would give it to them. It's simple, with a strong message. Definitely a favourite.

Ten fabulous new titles!

Three cheers for new books! Hmm, after writing this post I'm really feeling an urge to share the rest of her library with you. I think that bit by bit, I will continue writing posts like this to show you some of the great reads on her shelves. Also, don't forget to check the blog's sidebar for the "Gretchen's Picks" section. I try to update it fairly regularly!

Please feel free to comment or email me about any books you think baby G and I would enjoy -- I'm always up for recommendations! Peace!

...

PS. As requested by a reader, I'm also working on a post about her other lovely presents -- including her handmade sock monkey, and the sweet cloth doll that I found for her.

For The Love Of Reading

Last night my neighbour Caren, Gretchen and I all went to the local La Leche League's spaghetti dinner fundraiser. We had a really fabulous time -- especially at the silent auction! I battled it out for a few items, and in the end walked away with this fabulous prize:

My $20 bid won this set of 31 brand new Franklin books!

Books are one of those things that I just can't and won't stop buying for Gretchen. You can never have enough, really, and she actually already loves to have stories read. She does get a little impatient, and would sometimes rather be chewing the pages than looking at them, but when she holds them and stares at the words it makes my heart sing.

I spent HOURS everyday during my childhood just sitting & read -- inside, outside, in the woods behind our house, in the hammock, under my bed, under the kitchen table, on the desk in the living room, in my tree house, by the pool -- anywhere & everywhere. I would grab a blanket or some pillows and curl up to devour some Judy Blume, The Baby-Sitters Club, Sweet Valley Twins, Chronicles of Narnia or Anne of Green Gables.

Every night I would read til I fell asleep. My mom would come in to turn off my light & place my book on my nightstand.

I truly hope to pass down my love of books to my daughter. It's such a fabulous world & I want her to explore it, page by page, just like her mama.

...

Note: I've added two new features to the right hand sidebar. Gretchen's Picks will showcase books that she's been enjoying lately, and under Currently Reading I'll be updating books in my own reading list. Feel free to email any suggestions for books you think we'd enjoy Merci!

Eco-Reads

Every time I come across something new to the eco-friendly world I get really excited. Lately, I've been thrilled to see more & more environmentally friendly children's books!

Here are a couple that we have in our own collection:


One Tree & Little Monkey.

One Tree is a very sweet little board book (made from 98% recycled materials) which a friend gave to Gretchen because of the sweet little fawn on the cover. Little Monkey is a cloth book that was given to us at the baby shower (and it also comes in a little recycled cardboard box). Both are so lovely & kind to the environment.




That little deer is just so sweet.


You can find both of these books on Amazon -- here & here.

I'd also like to point out a few eco-themed books, which though they are not made from recycled materials, all promote sustainability & caring for the environment:

01. The Lorax (one of my all time favourites!)
02. My Mom Hugs Trees
03. Don't Throw That Away!
04. A Hot Planet Needs Cool Kids
05. 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth

I hope to add many more eco-minded books to our collection & I hope you do to!
...

What are you favourite eco-friendly reads? Do you have many in your collection now? What do you do to promote being green in your home?