How to Encourage a Love of Reading by Nurturing an Interest in Storytelling.

A fantastic way to show your child the virtue of reading is by developing their love for a good story. Not only does an interest in storytelling encourage curiosity for what's between the pages of a book but nurturing that interest will also give kids some creative problem solving ideas as well.

Creativity is a skill. Use it often and it will grow, multiply and become stronger until creative approaches to challenges become almost instinctual. Ignored, this skill withers and becomes wrought with second guesses, dead end walls and the feeling of not knowing where to begin.

To me, beginning is the hardest part. Once I get rolling a story often takes on a life of it's own. So in helping your kids to come up with a story where do you begin? You begin with DreamStarters.

The DreamStarter Book: by Jennifer Karin Sidford is a collection of 50 story beginnings.

Here is what Jennifer has to say about her book:

In truth, DreamStarters began out of desperation and an inability to pull a creative thought from my brain at the end of a busy day. The day had come when my kids (three boys, ages seven to fifteen) had mastered reading, and they no longer needed me to read them chapters from their favorite books. Instead, they asked me to tell them a story. At bedtime I would begin the story, then (struggling to come up with something compelling and worthy of serious Harry Potter fans) I would ask my kids to tell me what happened next. What began as a solution to my creative drought turned into a favorite family tradition.

Soon DreamStarters made its way to the dinner table, as we found it was a great way to keep our kids engaged at the table a few precious minutes more. Even my teenager stayed to present his own plot twists!

Here's one of the DreamStarters from the book. This one is called "Ice Wind"

Justin and Nicole were hiking toward the top of their favorite mountain when the wind
began to blow. At first, the wind was light and warm, but it soon became fierce and bitter
cold. Even though it was summer, the wind turned everything around them to ice.
“There’s a cave,” Justin yelled to Nicole over the high-pitched scream of the wind.
They leaned into each other as they walked, bracing their weight against the powerful
gusts. The cave’s entrance was covered with icy vines that refused to move. Justin pulled out
his Swiss Army Knife and cut through the vines. From deep within the cave came a blast of
warm air. Justin pushed Nicole into the cave and followed next. It was very dark, and the
warm air smelled damp and…

Is this not a great idea? Engage with your kids. Spend time on something together. Encourage siblings to work towards a conclusion. Show them that daydreaming and being creative is something to indulge in. How could they not enjoy this activity and how could it not develop an interest in story and the written word?

Want a copy of the book? I have one to giveaway! And yes, it's signed :) To be eligible to win, visit the DreamStarters Website and read through this reader submitted DreamStarter. Come back here and tell us in comments what you see happening next. Make sure to leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner.

Bloggers, get an extra entry by posting about DreamStarters on your blog. Leave a separate comment with your url for it to be counted.

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An Open Plea to the Xbox people at Microsoft

Dear Microsoft Customer Service,

For the LOVE OF GOD please do whatever you are supposed to do, and said you'd do to fix my hubby's Xbox. You see, it's having this "red ring of death" problem and has gone to Xbox heaven. I don't really care about it's death, I was not attached to it. But what I do care about is listening to hubby's constant complaining that Gears of War 2
will be out soon and he will be the only hubby on the block who won't be able to play it.

He's called you four times. First we were told a magic box was coming. We were to put the broken Xbox inside and send it to you....in two weeks a fixed Xbox would magically appear at our doorstep - ready for all the Gears of War-ing that any sane person could handle.

But when the box didn't come, he called again. He was told there would be some kind of email coming with some kind of code that would also allow us to send the dead machine to you. The email didn't come either.

Then another email was supposed to come. It didn't.

Yet another email was promised, and to a different email address because obviously we were the ones to blame for not receiving the first (there is nothing wrong with our email, and yes, we checked our spam trap).

I know we are in Canada and and all but last I checked we speak the same language and items cross the border without issue. There is really no excuse for this terrible service. If you don't come through here, I'll be sending you the bill for our divorce because I cannot take one more minute of the "I should have my Xbox back by now, Gears of War is almost out, it's my most favoritest game Evar! and if I don't get my system fixed you know I'll have to buy another one."

Yeah, there isn't going to be another one...it's not in the budget. Seriously people, you gotta do something here. I'm a mom to a 17 month old - not a 30 year old...and by the way, moms to other 30 year olds...if you need something for your hubby for Christmas, Gears of War 2
is totally what the cool kids are getting from Santa this year. That is, if they can wait until the Holidays.

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1 Great Project - 3 Reasons to Do It

I've recently corresponded with Creative Mom Jenna McCarthy, Author of The Parent Trip
She was telling me about how as a writer, she walks around with a notebook to capture all the funny things her kids say. She says her children are "pure fodder" for her writing endeavors. She then told me how she takes those notebooks and turns them into a special project that allows her to do three important things:

1) Use and encourage her creative mind.
2) Include her children in that creative process and
3) Encourage her children to read and enjoy stories.

Here's what to do:

As your kids say funny things write them down. I know that many of you are bloggers and chose to journal these silly snippets in a digital format - that works too and in fact, might be a nice way to keep everything all in one place for later use.

Once you have a nice collection of quotes, start transferring them into a small journal or scrapbook. Here is where you can include your kids. Ask them to doodle on the pages or decorate with stickers. You can also have them choose photographs of themselves to be included in the book. Don't forget to add a title that includes their name.

When it's done, you'll have a storybook that your kids will want you to read over and over again. What child doesn't like being the main character in a story?! Especially a main character who is funny, silly and smart too! You'll have loads of fun reliving memories and your child will feel special and loved in a whole new way. Plus, they will be learning without even knowing it. These books will help them to recognize their name in print, as well as the names of any siblings or other 'characters' in the book such as pets. Older kids will learn to see why you thought what they said was humorous and laugh at themselves too. What could be better?


Here are a few gems from Jenna's collection -

At the park:
Sophie (4 years): Mom, why is there a hole in this bench?
Me: Well, what is the bench made from?
Sophie: Wood!
Me: That’s right! And where do we get wood?
Sophie: Home Depot!

In bed at night, singing songs:
Sophie: “This old man, he played seven, he played seven up in heaven…” Mom, what’s heaven again?
Me: That’s where grandpa lives, with God and all of the other people who have died.

Sophie: God DIED?

I know you have a funny quote from your own little one in your mind right now don't you? Go on now, start their book you can always come back later.

About Jenna McCarthy's book:

The Parent Trip: From High Heels and Parties to Highchairs and Potties is a must-read for expecting and new moms. Packed with wit and wisdom, The Parent Trip is "smart, hilarious, incredibly useful and so honest it almost hurts,” says Peg Moline, Editor-in-Chief of Fit Pregnancy magazine, adding “Every pregnant woman should read this book."

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Recognizing your influences - Part 1 of 2

Novelist and Blogger Charles Gramlich of Razored Zen (which I read religiously) has recently posted on how our influences can affect how we create. He writes

Being “unconscious” of one's sources has potential risks and potential benefits. On the risk side, it’s possible to stay so close to the original that you are simply writing pastiche. On the benefit side, being unconscious of influences allows a seamless mix and match of many influences into the blend that makes up true creativity.

It's got me thinking about how this carries over to other mediums besides the written word. Singer/Songwriters often speak about their influences and often those artists were the ones their parents listened to. I remember my Dad listening to Elvis, Alice Cooper and some other band with a song called "Chicken Train" on our 8 track stereo. And my mother had a large country music collection including Alabama, Kenny Rogers and Waylon Jennings. These influences have a large part in what I listen to today and I love that I can trace it all back to those memories.

We all know the rich history behind painters and the huge influence they had on visual artists. Many visual artists will rattle off their favorites -Mattise, Picasso, and Cezanne. If you look closely, you can see those influences in their work and they are happy to speak of them. Same goes for photographers.

What about scrapbookers, knitters and crocheters or sewers or jewelers? Where do they find their influences? I would imagine the mothers and grandmothers who taught them their craft had most of that influence when it comes to technique but what about style? Influence can come from many places. What has influenced you and how does that play out in your work? Take a moment to think back to your childhood. What was around you then? Who was around you then? What were your passions, your interests? It is important that we understand what influences us so that we can harness or ignore it - which is what I'll write about in part 2 of this series. Comment about your own work. I'd love to hear about who you see in your craft.

by H.E.Eigler of Maternal Spark

image via wikipedia

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Lock yourselves away - How the simple act of bathing is great for your creativity

You've heard me mention before that in order to capture your creativity it is important to take time out for yourself to think. Think about the project you're currently working on. Think about where you want to take it. What obstacles are you coming up against? What are you going to do to over come them? If you have something new floating in your mind, think about what options you have. How are you going to make this project different and unique?

If you're saying to me that you don't have time for all this thinking, that it's impossible to think with kids running rampant and eating three week old cheerios from behind the couch I'll say I agree. It is impossible to think creative thoughts, thoughts that can expand and grow and take you somewhere down your creative path with chaos happening. So here's what you do.

Lock yourself in the bathroom.

Of course you need to make sure the munchkins have adequate supervision, or are confined to their cages cribs for bedtime. A half an hour is all it takes to make this work. You owe it to yourself to find a half hour. It's not long.

Go into the bathroom, draw a bath, grab a notebook and pen and relax. Let you mind wander. Think about your creative works in progress and if inspiration strikes jot your thoughts down. Lock the door so hubby doesn't pop in, ignore the calls of 'hey Mom, mom, mom, mom, mom.' Don't worry if the phone rings, if it's important they will call back. Maybe you need some light music to mask the goings on beyond the door.

Does it sound luxurious? Well, let's make it even more so. Win one small, one medium, one large and one heart bath bomb from Beyond the Bomb!

Go to the Beyond the bomb site and have a browse, come back here and leave a comment telling us which specialty bomb you'd like to drop into your tub most. The draw runs from July 14th to July 28th and is open to US residents only. Between now and then I want you to take at least 1 time out for you bath! You deserve it!!

Oh and make sure you leave an email address so we can contact you if you're the winner!!

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List Writing - How a Good List can Help your Creativity

Image by judge_mental via FThere is only so much information we moms can keep around in our heads before we start dropping bits out our ears. Hoarding the family facts in our minds is bad for us for several reasons:

1) It puts the pressure of family obligations on us and us alone. There is no reason your hubby can't make it to his doctors appointment on time. While you may be a mother, you are not his mother. Also, a child over the age of 10 should be held responsible for remembering they need an empty egg carton for science class on Tuesday.

2) It stops our minds from having the ability to wander. Who can plot out a short story while taking a shower or design a new sewing pattern while getting dressed when we're too busy thinking about how we need to pick up milk.

3) Things will inevitably fall through the cracks. We're awesome and we know it but - one day, we'll have 21 things on our mental to do list instead of our usual 20 and something will get forgotten.

4) It's hard to prioritize our daily tasks when we are going on memory power alone. Often I'll think of something that needs to be done and abandon my current task in order to do it before the thought is lost. Then I wonder why I only cleaned half the kitchen or folded half a load of laundry. Anyone can see, this isn't the best way to be efficient.

So, we are all in agreement that getting clutter out of our minds and onto paper is beneficial not only for our mental health, but also for our creativity. What's the best way to go about putting this into practice? Jennifer, the Mom behind ListPlanIt.com has generously provided me with an amazing home organizer list. It will allow you to plan meals, appointments and to dos for today, tomorrow and the whole week. This list will be delivered to you via my first newsletter. If you're already an email subscriber there's nothing more to do, just watch for it to appear in your inbox. If you aren't subscribed but would like the free planner, just enter your email address below. I don't have a finite release date yet, but I expect to put the finishing touches on the newsletter sometime before this Monday. I'll also include instructions on how to put the listing into practice so it's something you actually use - instead of plan to use. Check out Jennifer's Blog too - it's another incredible planning resource.

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Who needs a babysitter now? A toilet incident.

I’m back at work now, the transition has gone pretty well to this point. On Thursday Little H will go to a sitter (whom she adores) so who knows what will happen then. I’m hoping she has so much fun playing with her friends that she won’t notice I’ve been gone all day. Here’s to hoping.

As it turns out, Little H isn’t the one who needs a sitter anyway. It seems that hubby is the one who requires around the clock supervision. You see, he was mowing the yard yesterday (this isn’t a lawn mower accident story so you can resume breathing) and decided he needed to use the facility. So inside the house he goes, down stairs to our bathroom. He proceeds to do his duty (#1) and as he is flushing, his sunglasses jump from their perch on the collar of his shirt and plummet into the toilet bowl which is forcefully swirling water down, down, down. They vanished instantly and I can only imagine the look of incredibility on hubby’s face as this occurred. I picture wide open eyes, his mouth agape, and a vulgar word (#2).

He went to the hardware store and got a snake to see if he could fish them out and got nothing. I’m hoping that they went all the way through and aren’t lodged there. Time will tell, for now I’m considering hanging a sign above reading ‘please pee only – no #2’s allowed’.

*Sigh*

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How to steal time for creativity - 5 tips

1) Next time you pull out a family favorite recipe for dinner, double the batch and put some in the freezer. Lasagna works really well for this. Then on the day you use the pre-made freezer surprise, create to your hearts content during the time you would normally make dinner.

2) Get your family in order. Use a white board to plan out your week. Gotta karate lesson on Tuesday, need cupcakes on Thursday and a Golf tournament for hubby on Saturday? Well, get the karate clothes packed, the cupcake supplies bought and the golf shirt picked up from the cleaners on the Sunday before. This avoids last minute running around and will save you oodles of time (and sanity).

3) Pre cut the cheese. Keep essential ingredients chopped, sliced and grated in your fridge. Then when it's time to cook, half the work is already done.

4) Get your hubby to cook by prepping a meal for the bbq. If all he has to do is stand over the grill with a beer and flip 'n' sauce, it's likely he'll do it without a fight. Put the kids in the backyard with him.

5) Unload your dishwasher right onto the table. Save yourself from moving stuff over and over and just put it on the table for the next meal. Then you only have half a load to put away in the cupboards and your table is set for dinner.

Now, promise me you'll use those saved minutes towards your creativity. Time saving tips only help if you do something productive with that extra time. Turn off the TV, don't answer the phone and get to work on something fun for yourself.

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Empathy - A truth

This is late for Mother's Day I know, but the words are for my mother nonetheless. This is part of a series of flash fiction pieces I'm working on. I hope you enjoy it Mom.

Empathy - A truth
by H.E.Eigler

I had no idea she could be struck down like any other person, any normal
person with susceptible flesh and organs apt to fail. I always thought she
was made of stone, strong, fearless and willing to stand no matter what.
When I was young there was no excuse for staying home from school. 'I
could make it through' she would say. She taught me that it was important
for me to make my own living, to be self-sufficient, to be tough.

I hardly ever saw her cry. Not when her good friend had
breast cancer. Not when she moved over and over and over away from her
homes. Not when her youngest daughter pokes herself half a dozen times a
day with insulin shots.

I cry though, I can’t help it. I feel
ashamed and weak and angry when it happens. Movies, literature, visiting
the SPCA even brings me to tears.

There was one time,
though, when I saw her cry. It was when we lived in the duplex on the dead
end road. It was that dusky time just after dinner and we had been calling
the cat in when the doorbell rang. She answered it and I knew what had
happened. Our neighbour was holding the cat in his arms.

“We heard you calling,” he said, “it came out of nowhere,” he
said, “I thought you would like to know, to bury it.”

We all cried
that day. He was such a nice cat, and comical with his cow print black and
white fur. My father and I wrapped him in his favourite blanket and buried
him in a shallow hole beside a road near the dump. I don’t think we buried
him deep enough, a dog could have gotten at him but we were both too upset to
dig any deeper and it had gotten dark.

When I visited her in
the hospital she was pale from her surgery. Her uterus was gone and she
didn’t look herself. Pale, tired and sad wasn’t who my Mom really
was. I knew she looked afraid but I wasn’t really sure what that
meant. I didn’t know what to do to make it better. I brought her
flowers, but I really wanted to stand her up, strong and fearless and willing
and as my mom should be. Once I was alone, in my car, I cried for her as
she wouldn’t for herself.

This piece is part of an exercise on emotion that I'm working on. While it does convey the love I have for my mom, it doesn't revolve around that emotion. So to be perfectly clear and because I'd imagine a mother can never hear it enough times - I love you Mom. Happy Mother's Day.

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