All posts tagged: christmas

Warmth, friendship, quilting, & a darling manor home in Pennsylvania lend to a heartwarming tale by Jennifer Chiaverini this holiday season

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By Leslie Lindsay  SPOTLIGHT! Such a nostalgic, warm, and endearing story about women bound by one another, the craft of quilting, and shared stories, Jennifer Chiaverini is back with the next installment of the beloved Elm Creek Quilts series, THE CHRISTMAS BOUTIQUE (William Morrow, October 1, 2019). Just weeks before Christmas, severe wintry weather damages the church hall hosting the Christmas Boutique—an annual sale of handcrafted gifts and baked goods that supports the county food pantry. Determined to save the fundraiser, Sylvia Bergstrom Compson offers to hold the event at Elm Creek Manor, her ancestral family estate and summertime home to Elm Creek Quilt Camp. Devotees of the [Elm Creek] Quilts series will relish these new episodes, and new fans will delight to discover such a well-stocked back catalog. A warm portrait of women bound by craft—perfect for fireside reading.” —Kirkus In the spirit of the season, Sylvia and the Elm Creek Quilters begin setting up market booths in the ballroom and decking the halls with beautiful hand-made holiday quilts. Each of the quilters chooses …

Wednesdays with Writers: Elizabeth Berg on the busyness of the season, Christmas cards, exhaustion, and everything our mothers did to make the holidays great. Oh, and her newest book, ARTHUR TRULUV

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By Leslie Lindsay  I recently had the opportunity to read this very poignant story by veteran author, Elizabeth Berg. THE STORY OF ARTHUR TRULUV is thought-provoking, endearing, and oh-so-sweet. In fact, I woke up at 2:30 in the morning just to finish! Click here to read my review on GoodReads. Serioulsy, this is a book for anyone and everyone; I was so thrilled Random House sent me a copy. “Truluv is a novel for these contentious times. We could all use a bit of Arthur’s ego-free understanding and forgiveness of fellow human beings.” —USA Today Today, I have a lovely guest piece from Elizabeth, about the busyness of the holiday season, about holiday cards, and trying to out-do our mothers. I’m pretty sure you’ll find truth and humor and nostalgia all wrapped up in this one. Enjoy! THE YEAR I RUINED CHRISTMAS by Elizabeth Berg As a child, I saw my mother prepare for Christmas every year, and it never occurred to me that labor was involved. I thought it was my mother’s joy and …

The Teacher is Talking: The Galloping Greedy Gimmes

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By Leslie Lindsay (image source: amazon.com 12.11.12) The other night, my husband and I were reading our customary bedtime stories with our daughters, ages 5 and 7.  The story: Santa Bear by Stan and Jan Berenstian.  In it, young Brother and Sister Bear are totally completely bedazzeled by all of the holiday hype.  They have a list for Santa Bear a mile long and can’t stop talking about all of the great things they are going to get.  Until Brother Bear oh-so-mature reminds Sister Bear that if she scales her list back, she may actually get something on her list.  Santa Bear doesn’t like greedy cubs, after all.  Sounds familiar?  I have been victim of a couple of greedy little cubs, myself.  In fact, earlier today I scurried about the bustling ‘burbs of Chicagoland attempting to track down the latest and greatest Santa wish: a drum (?!?) and one of those animal hats with the long paw mittens.  I wasn’t going to succumb till I remembered just how magical it felt when I was a …

Special Guest Post & Give-a-Way: Author Jan Helson of “The Global Game Changers”

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By Leslie Lindsay Fun, fun week!  What a great way to extend”cyber week,” the continuation of Thanksgiving…and the start of the holidays.  I truly feel humbled to be able to offer some exciting guests and give-a-ways. Today, I share with you a guest post by Jan Helson, creator of The Global Game Changers children’s entertainment brand and author of the children’s book, The Global Game Changers. Developed by a mother-daughter team, Jan Helson and Rachel Annette Helson  (image source: http://theglobalgamechangers.com/ggc-headquarters/) to inspire children to “Ignite Good!” and use their superpowers to make the world a better place, the goal is to teach kids about the different ways they can give back and develop their philanthropic interests. ***Be sure to sake a look below for contest details!!*** 5 Easy Tips for Teaching Children about Philanthropy This Holiday Season (by author Jan Helson) The holiday season is a wonderful time to start teaching children about philanthropy and the joys of giving. The key to encouraging your child to become a life-long giver is a simple equation: Your …