BTSeMag May 2013

BTSeMag May 2013 

Issue #10

New York Times bestselling author Angela Knight presents Unbound.  Take a peek inside this sizzling new wrap up to her phenomenal sci-fi fantasy adventure series.  This book also includes 3 new authors with stories aimed to fill that before bedtime reading attack.

Authors also featured inside:

Sandra Bunino

Jane Toombs

Lynn Hardy

Nora Weston

Jennifer Synder

Seraphina Donavan...and more

Columns

Read all about the newest book trends with Sandra's column:  Chic Trends in Romance

Answer all those techy questions with Lynn's Writing Types.

Discover Movie Flashbacks, the latest on the horror scene, and authors can see if their sites measure up!!

Join us!

http://issuu.com/btsemag/docs/may_2013

Creative Steps Giveaway (Ends 6/9) WW

We're taking part in the Bringing in Summer Giveaway Hop hosted by Karma Media.

Once you have entered our fantastic giveaway,  please take a look at all the other giveaways listed at the bottom of the post (after entering mind !!) 

WIN AN ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION OF 

A fantastic magazine packed with easy, fun projects and
activities … an excellent source of inspiration for primary school teachers,
classroom assistants, childminders & nannies, nursery teachers, playgroup
and pre-school organisers, home educators, Rainbow, Brownie, Guide and Scouting
leaders and, of course, parents and grandparents!

Visit their website

0 - 5 years 

Concentrating on texture and sensory
stimulation, projects in this group include:

USE YOUR LOAF! - Take some slices of white bread and transform them
into a colourful mobile.



 JEWELLED TREASURE - Make your own treasure trove using paper plates, sweet
wrappers and tin foil!

5 - 7 years

Fun crafting projects to make with children
in Key Stage 1, include:

HATS OFF FOR
ROLE-PLAY! - Six great hat ideas to give your role-play sessions       a headstart!



VANILLA CUPCAKES -
The prettiest cupcakes you’ve ever seen - perfect for a Mother’s Day tea. 

7 - 11 years

Great ideas for older kids to make and
do:

FIREBIRD BALLERINA - A beautiful, step-by-step art project
using a number of different techniques including drawing, painting and
collage.

MIRROR IMAGE -
Decorate a little mirror and turn it into a colourful gift for Mother’s
Day.

This amazing giveaway is open Internationally!!

Winners Choice of Online or Printed Annual Subscription!!

Ending on Saturday 2nd June at 12.01am Est

Enter Below and Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

YOU CAN NOW ENTER THE FOLLOWING GIVEAWAYS - GOOD LUCK !!

Creative Steps Magazine Review

I have an 8-year-old daughter (almost 9!) who absolutely loves making crafts.  It seems she is always working on something.  She is able to come up with a lot of ideas on her own, and I help her when I can.  But sometimes I don't feel so creative sometimes, and I always enjoy finding quality materials to help me with those ideas.

I am so glad I was able to review Creative Steps Magazine.  This is a magazine that has incredible ideas for kids ages 0-11.  With this magazine, you will never be stuck for ideas again.  The ideas in this magazine are equally good for daycares, homeschool, teachers, parents, grandparents, and so much more.

I was privileged to review two issues of Creative Steps:  Winter 2011 and Spring 2012.  The moment these came in the mail, my daughter "hijacked" these.  In fact, I had to ask her where the copies were tonight so I could refer to them for my review!  Although each issue is broken into sections by years, I have to admit I do not pay attention to that.  I find that projects geared for younger kids can often be adapted, and the same is true for projects geared for older kids. And this is true with this magazine.

I will admit that I have not had an opportunity to try any of these projects yet, but let me list some that sound intriguing to me.

In the winter issue, there is craft for decorating a rock.  My daughter is a rock collector.  She is the kind of child who will walk through the gravel and almost always pick up a rock that is "different" or "really neat."  What a perfect way to use these rocks as decor and/or gifts rather than just letting the rocks sit around.  I am really excited to notice that each activity says whether it would be work for a group activity, and it always says which "learning zone" it represents.  This one is "Art & Design," and this is definitely needed in this day and age since arts are slowly being taken away from our school system.

Following this page, I found the reading corner, and since my daughter and I both love to read, I enjoyed getting to see what the best new books for kids are out there.  What I would have loved to have seen (but didn't) was book reviews done by children.  But maybe they feature those sometimes.  I hope they do.

In the spring issue, I was instantly drawn to the section about Florence Nightingale.  (If you read my blog regularly, you know about my love of history.)  I love the fact that it gives history about her, and it shows two different crafts you can do.  And although this activity targets younger kids, I know that older kids would love this.  The idea of making a collection box is fantastic as is the nurse's hat and apron.  In a pinch, that craft would even make a good Halloween costume.

Over the course of the nearly nine years I have been a mother (I have been a teacher even longer than that), I have read a lot of magazines and websites.  I even taught art for a couple years.  It was always a challenge to find crafts that were not too hard but still grabbed kids' attention.  This magazine definitely does.  It strikes the perfect balance.  I am hooked!

Oh, I almost forgot!  Each magazine has templates for the projects (as does the website).  Imagine not having to go elsewhere to find templates.  When I have used other kids craft magazines or websites, sometimes that is what I must do, but not so with Creative Steps!  They give you everything you need--except the supplies.  You will have to provide those.  But the supplies they use are inexpensive and readily available.  You probably have most of the supplies on hand anyway.

Creative Steps magazine is available in printed form and online.  And for my blog readers, I have a very special deal to share with you. It is 25% of the printed or online version.

For annual subscription of online version -
With discount applied cost would be £13.50 (GBP) or $22.50 (USD)
Use the discount code KARDIG25 and use this email - info@creativesteps.co.uk

For annual subscription of printed version -
With discount applied cost would be £22.35 (GBP) or $63.75 (USD) (including postage)
Use the discount code KARMA25 and this link   https://creativesteps.subscribeonline.co.uk/all-titles/creative-steps?offer=KARMA25


As far as I am concerned, this is an outstanding magazine that I give my highest recommendation.  You will want to check it out, I am sure.  And watch out for a very special giveaway coming up by the end of the week!

Creative Steps Website     
Creative Steps on Facebook    
Creative Steps on Twitter

I received this product through Karma Media in exchange for my honest review.











For other reviews, check out the links below:

Meal Plan Monday (1/17-1/22) Delayed Due to the Holiday

Yes, I am indeed late.  Rarely will you ever see a "meal plan Monday," but this is one of those times.

This time, I planned out meals from my magazines (yes, I have gone through some).   I am also possibly recycling one meal from last week--that is if we make it to Costco.

Here goes.  I will leave links if I can.

Meal 1:
Shredded Barbecued Chicken Sandwiches (from Fitness Magazine February 2012)
Salad
Baked Beans

Meal 2:
Hopefully the ham meal from last week
I will add Cranberry-Pecan Quinoa Pilaf (from the same Fitness Magazine)

Meal 3:

Crispy Fish Sticks & Chili Dipping Sauce (not sure if you can access this without having an account with Family Circle)

Meal 4:

Pork Goulash
Some kind of veggie

So that should do it for this week!

Satisfied Saturday--Meals This Week and a Review

For almost as long as I have been on the internet, I have loved the Taste of Home website. The recipes were always fabulous, and I knew that any recipe I chose (practically) would be fantastic!  But even I noticed that since I was not a subscriber, I did not have full access to all the recipes on their site.  I had wanted to subscribe to their magazine for quite some  time, but I was  not sure I could afford it.  And I wasn't even sure it would be a  worthwhile investment.

I am very happy to say that I finally took the plunge, and I am now a subscriber.  And I somehow believe I will be a subscriber for life!  The first magazine came (June/July 2011 issue), and it was absolutely page after page of great recipes.  Everyone passed the magazine around, and all  the ladies in the family were impressed.  I think what I loved most was that everything in the magazine is attainable by the normal American adult with very basic culinary skills.  I also appreciate the variety of foods.  I am one who often does not cook the same thing twice.  I don't know why I don't repeat recipes very often, but it's just the way it works for me.  

I made the decision last weekend that I was going to make all my recipes for the week--at least the dinners--from this magazine.  I will tell you right now that I think I could easily plan all month from this magazine and not get tired.  And for those of you who follow my meal plans on this blog, you may realize that every week I change the recipe book or website I am using to plan out meals.  But I plan on using this same magazine next week to plan out my meals.  

On to this week:

(I will be posting applicable links to the recipes, but if you are not a subscriber, you may not be able to access them.)

Meal 1:  Ham It Up Primavera

(I plan to use bacon in the place of ham since we have it on hand.  I will also be adding sugar snap peas.)

Meal 2:  Classic Cashew Beef

We may be using pork if we find that we don't have beef.

Meal 3: Bravo Italian Chicken

Meal 4: Fresh as Summer Salad

I am using macademia nuts instead of pistachios.

I will also be making two recipes using the coconut flour Tropical Traditions sent me for review.  I will be making a pumpkin muffin with cream cheese frosting and a pineapple upside down cake.  I should be posting that review by next weekend.  I will post the recipes I used when I do the review.

By the way, I was not financially compensated for reviewing Taste of Home and their magazine.  All opinions are 100 percent mine.

Shape Magazine Giveaway (ends 5/31 U.S. only) (CLOSED)

I thought I would do another giveaway in light of my weight loss goals.  This is a fantastic magazine.  I have a subscription to it, and I absolutely love reading the articles and seeing the various workouts.  They often have simple, healthy recipes, and some great stories about famous people who have lost weight.  So I decided that  this would make a great giveaway.  I am afraid that this is only open to USA residents.  Please leave a separate comment for each entry, and please leave your e-mail address or make it visible in your profile.

To enter this giveaway:

1.  Visit Shape and tell me something you learned or one thing that caught your eye.

2.  Follow Shape on twitter.  Leave your user name.

3.  Like Shape on facebook.  Leave your user name.

4.  Subscribe to their youtube channel.  Leave your e-mail address or user name.

5.  Enter my Fitness/Weight Loss Jumpstart Giveaway.  (5 entries, 5 comments)

6.  Be/become a google friend connect follower.

7.  Subscribe via e-mail and/or RSS. (1 comment per method)

8.  Friend me on facebook.  Please leave your user name.

8.  Like my page on facebook.  Please leave your user name.  (2 entries, 2 comments)

9.  Post my button on your blog.  Please leave the link so I can verify it.  (3 entries, 3 comments)7.  Share my giveaway any way you like.  You may share once a day per method.  Please leave any applicable links.  (1entry/comment per share)

10.  Follow me on twitter:  Leave your user name. (3 entries, 3 comments) 

11.  Unlimited entry--complete the first entry as many times as you like.  Just make sure to share something new in each comment from the website.

Giveaway will end at 9 P.M.  on May 31 Pacific Time.