We spend a lot of time reading books in this house. Some of our favorite stories are read over and over again throughout the day or even the week. We find that reading is a great way to explore our imaginations and build important skills for the little ones at the same time.

We were recently sent an adorable board book for review. The title of this book is God Gave Us You {by Lisa Tawn Bergren} and it really could not have come at a better time for Alex and Eliana. Since we've received it, Alex has asked to hear the story again and again.

You see, I'm currently pregnant with our third child and Alex has a lot of questions about the pregnancy itself and wants to be reassured of his importance in this family. Reading God Gave Us You to him answers a lot of those questions and concerns and gives us a great opportunity to talk about some of the topics covered in this book.

Here's the book's synopsis:

"When a young polar bear cub climbs into bed one night, she asks her mama a very important question: 'Where did I come from?' As Mama Bear tucks her little one under the quilts, she lovingly explains, 'We wanted you very, very much, and we are so very glad because...God Gave Us You.'"

This is such a beautiful book and I find that it really sends home the message to Alex that he's very wanted, loved, and special. He often asks to hear the story of his own time in mommy's tummy and how things went at the hospital. Following that, he will usually ask to hear about Eliana's story and wonder what's happening with the new baby in my tummy right now.

I love how this book shares how God answers prayer. I get to tell Alex and Eliana how much they are wanted and loved and how God chose them to be in our family. It's wonderful to have a book help me put some of those ideas into words that they can grasp and appreciate.

BUY IT: You can purchase God Gave Us You for $6.99.

THE GIVEAWAY!!{Now Closed!}

I have a board book copy of God Gave Us You for one lucky winner!!

To enter: Visit WaterBrook Multnomah and tell me one other, specific book you'd like to check out.

For additional entries:

• Blog about this giveaway with links back to this post/blog.
• *For 2 Extra Entries* *Like* Coffee with the Mrs. on Facebook. {Comment with 2 separate comments including yoru facebook name for credit}
• Grab my button for your sidebar. 
• Subscribe to my blog by e-mail through feedburner {the coffee cup at the top of the right sidebar with the orange rss symbol. comment with the e-mail address you subscribed with}
• Follow my blog *For 2 Extra Entries* {right beneath the Giveaways listing on sidebar. Comment with 2 separate comments for credit}
• Follow me on Twitter @TheMrsC (comment with your twitter name)
• Tweet about this giveaway.  If you want, you can say “CoffeeWithTheMrs.com is giving away the book God Gave Us You and I want to #win!” {Just make sure to link to my blog or the giveaway}.  {comment with a link to your tweet}
• **TWICE daily retweets are available for extra entries. Leave a comment with a link to your daily tweet{s}

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. This giveaway will run until August 18th at 11:59pm ET. The winner will be selected by using random.org and will be contacted and announced on or around August 19th. If the prize is not claimed within 48 hours of initial contact, I will randomly select another winner. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Open to US only.

**This is a "Buddy Picks" AND a "Peanut Prefers" review. It gets two thumbs up from both kiddos.

**Thanks to the company or pr agency, who supplied the items to facilitate this review & giveaway. I wasn't compensated in any way. In this post I share my thoughts and opinions of the item mentioned. Others may have a different experience or opinion.**

Children's Book ~ God Gave Us You {review & giveaway}

• book book review buddy picks giveaway God Gave Us You peanut prefers review waterbrook multnomah
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Every season, I look forward to seeing what Step2 will come out with next. Truth be told, I have a hard time finding a brand that can compare in how well it takes a beating and still looks and works like new. Step2 is a trusted brand in this home and we enjoy the toys they make for both the indoors and outdoors. 

For this event, they sent us the Sand And Water Fun Farm to review. 

I loved how organized everything is as I took it out of the box to assemble. The legs were on one side and the smaller pieces were taped in the other side of the table top. I wasted no time in getting things together either.

I appreciated how easily I could put the legs together on this table. One piece attached on the bottom and another attached on the top clicking into place. I was able to get the legs put on in no time at all and that freed me up to get to the "fun stuff". 

The Sand And Water Fun Farm comes with a barn tunnel, a farmer, a tracker, 2 cars for the tractor to pull, a horse, a cow, a rooster, a squirting fish, a squirting frog, a shovel/rake toy, a windmill, a sand funnel, removable tracks, 2 "pools" {for sand and/or water}, and a gate to close off or open the roadway. 

While most of the extra parts need to be assembled, I found it simple to do and the directions easy to follow. 

Here's how the Step2 website describes it:

• Two compartments for both sand and water
• Tractor with two carts runs around perimeter of table and through the middle separating sand and water compartments
• Barn acts as a tunnel and fits on track in multiple places
• Includes farm figurines, tractor, two pull carts, shovel, barn, and funnel (sand not included)
• Raised table helps keep feet dry
• Designed to hold a 40” Umbrella (sold separately)
• Minimal adult assembly required

Recommended Age: 2 and up
Product Number: 716500
Dimensions: 27.50 H 30.50 W 30.50 D
Weight: 12.00 lbs 

This table is very lightweight when it's empty but can be a bit bulky when trying to move it around. 

Since spring weather STILL has not arrived at our door, we play with rice in the table and keep it inside. I've also been told to try alphabet pasta and I think we'll be trying some of that next. We're really enjoying our new Step2 Sand and Water Fun Farm table and look forward to even more fun when the summer comes and we can play with it outside with a bit of water. 

BUY IT: You can purchase the Sand And Water Fun Farm table from Step2 for $59.99.

**This is a Peanut Prefers AND Buddy Picks review. Both Alex and Eliana give it two thumbs up!

**Thanks to Step2, who supplied the item to facilitate this review. I wasn't compensated in any way. In this post I share my thoughts and opinions of the item mentioned. Others may have a different experience or opinion.**

Step2 Sand And Water Fun Farm ~ Our Review

• buddy picks peanut prefers review sand and water fun farm Spring Celebration step2
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Toys that strengthen my daughter's mobile skills are so important at this stage in her life. She needs toys that she can manipulate in order to be able to feed herself a little neater and do other things like write, work buttons/snaps/zippers, and many other things.  That's where Playskool and her love of Weebles comes into play. 

New this season, is a toy called The Weebles On The Bus. Now, Eliana has a couple Weebles that she loves to play with on their own but this bus has become a fast favorite. Two more Weebles came in the package and she couldn't wait to get her hands on them when I opened it up.

The fun with this toy is how the Weebles ride on the bus. If Eliana is just pushing it back and forth, the Weebles inside wobble around. But, when she pushes down on the button on top of the bus, the Weebles spin around in a circle. And to make it even more fun, Eliana can open the bus door to spin her Weebles right off the bus.

Eliana loves to do this again and again.

She also likes to flip out the little stop sign on the side. Every time I see her do that, I say "Stop!" and when she puts it back I say "Go!". She thinks that game is just great and she smiles every time. {Games like that she plays non-stop for what seems like forever}.

The Weebles On The Bus by Playskool is an amazing addition to Eliana's toy box and I think it's great for any child over the age of 12 months old. {Even Alex, who's 4, likes to play with this.} As a mom, I love that it's a toy that she loves and it doesn't take any batteries to make it work. I also loved the "take it out and play" ease of the packaging. There was nothing for me to assemble or fight with.

BUY IT: You can buy The Weebles On The Bus from Playskool for only $9.99.

*This is a Peanut Prefers review. Eliana gives this item 2 thumbs up!*

**I received the Weebles On The Bus toy for this review from a PR firm in relation to Playskool. Beyond the review item, I received no compensation for this post. This is my opinion and other opinions may vary.

Eliana And The Weebles On The Bus {review}

• eliana peanut prefers PlaySkool review Spring Celebration
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When I first told you about the new Girl of the Year from American Girl, Kanani, I was so excited. You see, I had just discussed with the hubster how important it is for us to bring other cultures of dolls into our home for Eliana so she can see the beauty of every skin color and every place on the map. A beautiful doll from Hawaii created by American Girl is the perfect way to start. 

There was a buzz in the air the day Kanani arrived to our home. There's just something about getting a brand new doll from American Girl that is so exciting. It takes me back to when I was opening my very own doll, Kirsten, years ago. 

Here are some "first impression" shots of Kanani. I took these as she was still in the box. 

Did you see her sweet sandals and the pretty flower in her hair? There is no detail left undone when American Girl creates a doll.

I also love this necklace.

As with every American Girl, Kanani comes with a story. The book Aloha Kanani tells the story of when Kanani's cousin comes from New York City to the island of Kaua'i for a visit. During her cousin's stay, Kanani learns about the true Aloha spirit and also learns ho'opono {ho-oh-PO-no} or "to do the right thing".  

In her adventures, Kanani helps to save a Hawaiian monk seal cub and because of that, $1 for every plush monk seal sold from American Girl in 2011 {$18 in price} is donated to the National Wildlife Federation {up to $100,000}. This is a wonderful initiative and a great way to teach children to give back and help make a difference. 

Now, you don't have to own the doll to get the book. You can find Aloha Kanani and the second book, Good Job Kanani on the American Girl website. While you're there, you'll also find many outfits and accessories for Kanani as well as matching outfits for little girls. If I could choose anything to buy first, though, I would choose Kanani's Lu'au Set. I just love the headwreath, anklets, and lei that come with it. It's the perfect way to share some of the culture of Hawai'i with Eliana. 

Here are more detail shots for you. I hope you can see the beauty in detail {flowers, sequins, etc.} and how absolutely stunning Kanani is. Everything from her tan skin to her long hair impresses me and  makes me excited to share this with my daughter. 

By the way, Eliana is already saying "Aloha" {Hello, Goodbye, Love, Compassion} when she sees Kanani. We're working on "Mahalo" {thank you} as well. 

We love Kanani and know she's found a very good home with us here. 

**Please be sure to attend one of the Kanani Events at the American Girl Stores {ages 8 and up} if you get the chance! They all look like so much fun.

THE GIVEAWAY!! {NOW CLOSED}

American Girl has generously offered a Kanani doll like the one I received to one lucky winner! {A $100 value}

To enter: Visit the American Girl website and tell me just one specific thing that strikes your fancy {a doll, an accessory, an activity...} Please find something other than what was shared in this post {there's plenty to choose from} and include your email address for your entry to count.


For additional {and always optional} entries:

• Blog about this giveaway with links back to this post/blog.
• *For 2 Extra Entries* Become a fan of Coffee with the Mrs. on Facebook. {Comment with 2 separate comments for credit}
• Grab my button for your sidebar. 
• Subscribe to my blog by e-mail through feedburner {the coffee cup at the top of the right sidebar with the orange rss symbol. comment with the e-mail address you subscribed with}
• Follow my blog *For 2 Extra Entries* {right beneath the Giveaways listing on sidebar. Comment with 2 separate comments for credit}
• Follow me on Twitter @TheMrsC (comment with your twitter name)
• Tweet about this giveaway.  If you want, you can say “CoffeeWithTheMrs.com is giving away American Girl's Girl of the Year, Kanani {$100 value} and I want to win!” {Just make sure to link to my blog or the giveaway}.  {comment with a link to your tweet}
• TWICE daily retweets are available for extra entries. Leave a comment with a link to your daily tweet{s}

Please leave a separate comment for each entry. This giveaway will run until February 4th at 11:59pm ET. The winner will be selected by using random.org and will be contacted and announced on or around February 5th. If the prize is not claimed within 48 hours of initial contact, I will randomly select another winner. Void where prohibited. No purchase necessary. Open to US.

This is a "Peanut Prefers" review. {It gets the thumbs up from Eliana}

**Thanks to American Girl who supplied the complimentary, reviewed item to facilitate this review and giveaway. I wasn't compensated in any other way for this review. In this post I share my thoughts and opinions of the product being reviewed. Others may have a different experience or opinion.**

P.S. HAPPY 25TH BIRTHDAY, AMERICAN GIRL!!! I've been with you all 25 so far and plan on hanging in for at least 25 more. :)

*this giveaway and its comments are now closed*

Meet Kanani: American Girl's Girl Of The Year {review & giveaway}

• American Girl American Girl Doll eliana Girl Of The Year 2011 giveaway kanani peanut prefers review
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