Oh, friends. Let me tell you about my Tuesday night just over the river in Cincinnati. 

I was invited by Broadway in Cincinnati to opening night of The Band's Visit. This is a play I was not familiar with but when I saw photos and read a little synopsis, I thought I should invite my oldest son to come as my guest and enjoy a night at the theater with him. I'm SO glad I did.

My oldest boy is in Marching Band, is very interested in music and loves being exposed to different styles. This was an incredible opportunity for him to enjoy that and be wrapped up in a charming story at the same time.

So, a brief synopsis of this story is that this story is about a Police Band that ends up in Israel instead of Egypt. They encounter locals who open their homes to the band and in doing so, they share their stories with their visitors and the audience. 

I was spellbound at the overture and was completely enchanted by each turn of the page in this play's storytelling.  

A favorite story for me was from the scene in the photograph above. Avrum, the man standing at the table, is telling his story of finding love and does so with a song. His song and expression made my face light up and put happy tears in my eyes. I found myself remembering my own version of what he was sharing and wished I could get up on stage and dance around with him. 

Yes, each story will move you in a different way and you will be completely charmed off your seat as you're wrapped up in stories, and interlude, and foreign yet familiar prose.

I felt like I was fast friends with each character and I was rooting for all of them in unique ways. Isn't that the effect of beautiful storytelling? 

And when the curtain call comes, don't rush out the door! Stay and have a seat and listen to the amazing talent of the band as they perform a piece together for the audience. At one point, I leaned over to my son and said "This is insane! They're amazing!!". And my son smiled big and said "Yah. They are. Those people who left early are missing the best part."

And since we can all agree that teenagers are usually good for telling it like it they see it, (like it or not) you should probably just take his word for it and enjoy the "best part" of the play. ;) 

In all seriousness, I want to encourage you to go see this play while it's in town. On their Instagram feed, ( @broadwaycincy ) you will find information for rush tickets should you qualify for a discount.  It is worth your time. I already want to see it again. 

*As always, thanks to Broadway in Cincinnati for the complimentary tickets in exchange for a review and social media sharing*

~Amy

The Band's Visit In Cincinnati June 19 - 24 (Review)

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I am a Foster Mom.

Just typing those words makes me sit up a bit straighter and hold my head up. And is that because I'm so proud of myself? Ha! NO! It's because of the face I see in my mind when I say those words; the boy I have the privilege of caring for.

There was a time in my life when I complained about the loooooooong waiting process of becoming a foster mom. Twelve years ago, the hubster and I set it as a family mission - caring for a child from the foster care system. Twelve years ago, we thought we were ready. Twelve years ago, now almost 13, we had our first biological child and quickly learned we knew precious little about being parents.

The hubster and I spent time volunteering at summer camps for foster children. You all remember my posts about the things I was making for camp and my experiences there? Surely after all that exposure and training, we were ready. Right?

In the 12 years of waiting, we've been busy raising 3 beautiful kiddos of our own and made one giant leap from living in Michigan (where we were *this* close to being a licensed home) to living in Kentucky (where we had to begin the process again). We believed the entire time that WE WERE READY, ALREADY.

We received our foster care license in Kentucky and waited 7 months before we received a call for our first placement. This boy. This one we care for as if he were born to us. He came to us as a respite placement, meaning we were allowed to back out of the commitment after a weekend if we felt he was too much for us.




And I instantly fell in love.
And I instantly saw the amazing potential he had (if only he were encouraged).
And my heart has broken many, many times while learning who this boy is and what his life was before me.
And I dread the day I have to give him back but know I will send him back knowing he is loved.

This boy is proof that waiting is beneficial. Had we met him any sooner, we wouldn't have been ready. I can tell you, this boy deserves 12 years of waiting and growing on our part. He deserves the entire world if you can afford to give it.

I hope you all will welcome me back to this space of sharing my life and experiences with you. I hope you will all celebrate with me the new word I've added to my title of "Mom". Being a Foster parent has taught me so very, very much and I intend to share my heart and soul with you on that very topic.

Let's take this journey together, yes? We are not all meant to be Foster Parents but you are welcome to be a part of the village here. I welcome your questions, your advice, your encouragement, & your prayers.

~Amy

I Am A Foster Mom

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**thanks to the pr representative who sent complimentary items for review. I was not compensated for this post beyond those items. This is my experience and opinion. Others may have a different experience or view. 

Most kiddos have their favorite subject(s) in school. For my boy, it's history. He loves jumping into history books, visiting historical sites, and watching historical documentaries to learn more and more and more about what came before him. 

He's also going to start Middle School. (Someone hold me.) And would you know, the thing that made him excited about his class schedule was that his first hour is spent in history. My friends over at Workman Publishing heard about his love of history and sent us some books for him to enjoy.

Maybe you've seen the Big Fat Notebook series of books for Middle School students? They have books that cover history, science, math, and English. These books are crammed with facts and are also very captivating for the reader.

The style of the book is like one, big notebook. The font is large and the pages are colorful while also descriptive. It makes it a bit of an "easy read" but is also teaching a lot of information at the same time. These are wonderful references for Middle School students!

And if you're a parent who worries about bias, be it from a religious, political, or other world view, you can set those worries aside. The stories told in this book are strictly the facts of what happened. It's actually really refreshing. My son has enjoyed looking over World History and American History topics and sharing with us the things he's learning.

Now, let's chat a bit about Spy On History. My boy was also sent this book to enjoy. This got him excited in a different kind of way. This story invites him to participate and help crack the code to solve the mystery.

But he doesn't do this just by reading. No. He's armed with maps, tools, and hints along the way to help him out. And because he loves history, he takes this very seriously.

I love his love for history but I love finding helpful tools for him even more. Being able to get him books that will stimulate that love for all things history and add to his learning is a wonderful gift. And I'm picky, y'all. I want him to have books that are really geared toward his age and reading level without dumbing down the information or sharing it in a boring way. 

I guess my point is, there are A LOT of choices out there but I choose to stick with something I know will meet my kiddos where they are and encourage further learning. You'll find, like I did, Workman Publishing offers loads of books like this for all ages. 

Now to find a few things for my girls from Workman Publishing. What do you think you're kiddo(s) will enjoy? 

~Amy

A Few Book Picks For Middleschoolers From Workman Publishing (review)

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**thanks to the pr representative who sent complimentary items for review. I was not compensated for this post beyond those items. This is my experience and opinion. Others may have a different experience or view. 

I'm pretty sure it's fair to say that the least exciting part of "back to school" for the kiddos is homework.  Seriously. Sometimes I wish I could snap my fingers and have "homework hour" be over, already. But since I can't take it away (and I know it's beneficial for my kiddos' learning), I may as well add something to their working spaces that they will enjoy. 

Enter some adorable and fun pencil sharpeners. 

I have a boy and 2 girls. All 3 of my kiddos were so happy to see these Amazeko items show up on our doorstep. My girlies share a room and keep their ice cream truck sharpener on their desk and my son was really stoked to add the S.W.A.T. truck sharpener to his. 

These pencil sharpeners also feature lights and sounds. This makes pencil sharpening fun and makes the task of sitting down to get homework done a little less unpleasant. Check out the little clips below to see what I'm talking about. (PS: After we tried these out for the first time, my kiddos took to sharpening all their colored pencils and then sat down to color. Yep. I'll take in the sounds of sirens and ice cream trucks in exchange for having all 3 (not so) littles sitting down to color for an extended period of time. This is such a win!

The boxes come loaded with an Amazeko pencil and batteries for the sharpeners. You don't have to worry about any assembly. Just add batteries and send the kiddos on their way. 

There is a window on the back of each truck to make it easy to see when the sharpener should be emptied. Then when it's time to empty it, simply pull that back part off the truck and dump out the shavings.

My boy and 2 girls have been enjoying these sharpeners for a couple weeks now. They've since taken to doing more coloring and even writing out cards for friends and family. It's amazing how a small detail can inspire a lot more creativity, huh? We love these sharpeners and I'm sure your kiddos will too. 

Check out the link at the top of this post to go shopping and grab one for your back to school kiddo(s). 

~Amy

Amazeko Pencil Sharpeners Bring FUN To Homework Time (review)

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**thanks to the pr representative who sent complimentary items for review. I was not compensated for this post beyond those items. This is my experience and opinion. Others may have a different experience or view. 

Last school year was when I had finally decided to change up the way I was handling my family's schedule. My hubster and I share a calendar on our iPhones, but I needed somewhere I could tangibly see the day to day schedule. I bought a giant planner and filled it out as events, appointments, and all that jazz came up.

This year I was sent this oh, so adorable 17 month planner from PIPSTICKS+WORKMAN. When I say adorable, I'm not just talking about the cover (although that is especially cute). I'm also talking about the stickers (yes, stickers!) and sweet little details all throughout the planner.

Right after opening it, I saw this holographic bag that holds little sticky tabs and a blank card. It may also be able to hold a pen but I'm sure I'll be adding extra stickers to this soon. Also, did you see the tabs on the righthand side? I love the colors, making it easy to tell the difference between each section.

Before I got to the monthly calendar tabs, I found so many helpful detail pages. There is a list of popular holidays, places to write in your own notable dates, a page to write out goals for each month, blank note pages, and seasonal stickers to use all over the calendar and daily plans. There is just something about a planner made beautifully fun. I look forward to adding things to my planner (which makes my life a bit more organized).

Here's a peek at the monthly layout and my most favorite detail for ease of use. I already mentioned the colored tabs, making it easy to turn to the month needed. There is also a handy elastic cord that works as a marker for the month you would like to open up to. Following a view at the full month, there is a day to day break down with plenty of room to write in all the important details...or to add more stickers. :) 

Speaking of stickers, check out this amazing sticker book! 

OK. See? Rainbows, plants, AND alpacas? This sticker book speaks my love language, y'all. These will be so fun to add to postcards or notes or my planner. And you can call me childish if you want, but I think stickers are just fun. They really cheer me up. 

At the back of the sticker book, there are 6 postcards that will be fun to pop in the mail and surprise people with. Y'all, the colors and designs and details in all of this? They are soooo cute, and bright, and cheery. 

Finally, let's check out the most amazing little note pad. 

Yes, of course there are some stickers here, too. I love it!  This pad is something I'm going to use for my many (MANY) wandering thoughts. I get blog post ideas, or want to jot down my garden planting timeline, or have DIY projects I want to make sure I do, and so on. You get it, right? A creative mind is a terrible thing to waste and if I don't capture my ideas, I will have a hard time remembering them later. This pad is perfect to toss in my handbag for on-the-go or to set beside my planner at home so I can easily grab it and write things down there. 

Alright. It's your turn to find your perfect fit. Jump to the top of the post and click the link to start shopping. And, hey! If you're feeling generous, I wouldn't mind a few more stickers. ;) 

~Amy

Shop PIPSTICKS+WORKMAN For The Most Fun #BackToSchool Planners (review)

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