Book review: It's a Big World, Little Pig

In a bit of fabulous timing, a new book arrived at my home for my kids this week, and their Nana, who loves to read books, happens to be visiting! So after I opened the package, I passed off the new book, It's a Big World, Little Pig to my mom and story time began. And the book was a hit with everyone! Here's a bit about this book, from a press release that I received:

It’s a Big World, Little Pig! follows Poppy as she travels to Paris to compete in the World Games. At first, Poppy is nervous about meeting so many new people in a new place. But, ever courageous and supported by her family (and best friend Emma, too!), Poppy begins to realize that although these animals look different, act different, and are from different places, they are all the same at heart. They all smile in the same language!

It's a Big World, Little Pig is written by figure skating legend Kristi Yamaguchi and 100% of her profits from the book will benefit early childhood literacy programs supported by her Always Dream Foundation.

My mom is a librarian and used to focus on children's literature, so she's an expert on kids' books, and both she and my kids thought the book was great.  I read through it myself and wholeheartedly agreed with them. We all liked the great illustrations of Poppy the Pig and her new friends.  The illustrations and text work together nicely to bring Poppy's adventures to life.  We also really liked the multi-cultural aspect of the story and the fact that it introduces kids to a few new words in other languages.  This is definitely a book that we'll be happy to read again!

It's a Big World, Little Pig will be available on March 6, 2012 in hardcover.  Visit this link for more information.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book to review for myself. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions posted here are mine and mine alone.

Special issue magazine review: $10 Dinners or Less!

If you've been reading this blog for any period of time, you're probably familiar with the fact that I do not excel at cooking.  Actually, that's not entirely true. Once I start cooking, I'm fine, but remembering that dinner exists and then coming up with ideas of what to feed my family is a struggle. So when I heard about a new special issue of a magazine from Hearst Specials, called $10 Dinners or Less, I knew I wanted to review it!  Here's a bit about this issue, from a press release that I received.

Spend less, eat better!

Who isn’t looking to save money these days? Now you can feed your family without blowing your budget with these cost-conscious recipes from the editors of Good Housekeeping, Redbook, and Country Living. Enjoy all your favorites—pasta, beef stew, meatloaf, roast chicken, even homemade versions of Chinese take-out and pizza, all for just $2.50 or less per person.  Plus, you’ll find:

*Expert tips on dollar-smart supermarket shopping, department-by-department

*Strategies for getting the most out of coupons, including buying on sale and in bulk

*Surprising ways to make your food go further than you ever thought possible

Bottom line? With low-cost recipes and excellent advice, you can enjoy healthy, delicious dinners – and major savings - at the supermarket. 

GET THIS SPECIAL EDITION FOR ONLY $6.99

Available at your local supermarket or bookstore today, or as a digital version at Zinio.com or Nook.bn.com.

This is such a handy little magazine! It starts out with a section called "Dollar-Smart Shopping" which has all sorts of hints on how to save money in different departments of the grocery store, alternative places to buy food, and a handy time vs. money comparison chart that breaks down the costs of cheap food and convenient food. There's also a section on food storage- I really appreciated this section, as it seems like we are frequently throwing out food that's gone bad before we got to it.

The actual recipes are great too. They're presented in sections called "cheap-cheap chicken", "meat for less", "vegetarian values", "excellent eggs", penny-wise pasta", and "homemade takeout". The recipes are neatly laid out with detailed instructions on ingredients, preparation and nutrition information. All in all, this is a really handy and informative magazine, and I'm glad to have it in my kitchen! $10 Dinners or Less is available now, on newsstands and in bookstores near you.

Disclosure: I received this magazine to review for myself. I was not compensated in any other way and all opinions posted here are mine and mine alone.