Thanksgiving with Kids: Two Great Holiday Books

It's almost Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays. I also like to think of it as a holiday with a feminist bent, even if that seems a bit of a stretch. However, it's not that far-fetched.

In fact, it was thanks to Sarah Hale that Thanksgiving ever became a national holiday to begin with. It took her 38 years to make this happen, with the first "official" Thanksgiving taking place in 1863. To share this fascinating story with your kids, read Thank You, Sarah: The Woman Who Saved Thanksgiving written by Laurie Halse Anderson and illustrated by Matt Faulkner (Simon & Schuster, 2002). The book is $17.99 hardcover and $6.00 paperback, and is recommended for ages 5 to 10.

I'm also a big fan of  the classic Thanksgiving children's book Over the River and Through the Wood: The New England Boy's Song About Thanksgiving Day.

It's a great read for kids ages 4-9 who will enjoy seeing how things once were - they're taking a horse and carriage ride to Thanksgiving dinner, that's so cool!  Even better given for our feminist theme, there are historical notes at the end of the book that tell more about the author's commitment to issues surrounding women's rights. You can also read a biography of Lydia Maria Child here, which goes into more detail about her life, and her activism on issues related both to women and Native Americans.

For even more about the fascinating connection between the suffragette movement and Thanksgiving, read this post from last year.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Photos from the Archives

I came across these oldies but goodies.

When my daughters still were willing to wear matching outfits - not to mention dresses and tights.

And when dinner on the table instead of at the table was all the rage.

Oh yeah, and we still lived in Manhattan.

Dad - still #1, some things never change.

Another favorite pic, when the girls were still doing dress-up, and little bro was just a tiny little thing.

Laundry on the sofa - yeah, that part of daily life hasn't changed much at all.



And last but not least, video from a time when I was a mom to three-under-five. Good times, I tell you. Not quiet times, but good times.

Pine for You

A video from my immensely talented friend Liz.

Seen in NYC

How cool is this?

Spotted at Metropolitan Locksmiths, 165 7th Ave in the West Village.

Tons of Fun: Review of the Wubble Bubble Ball

Thanks to Georgette Gilmore for sharing this review of the Wubble Bubble Ball!

Chances are your kids have seen the Wubble Bubble Ball on TV. The commercial says it "looks like a bubble, plays like a ball" and is made of “top-secret super-thermo-stretch-tacular stuff that makes it squishy, squashy, super soft and lightweight and allows it to be inflated to a gigantic THREE FEET TALL." It also says it's tons of fun. After receiving one to review, I can say the hype is true.

Wubble Bubble Ball has won numerous toy awards, including an Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Toy Award, a National Parenting Center Seal of Approval, a Family Fun Magazine Toy Of The Year Award Winner, and was selected as a 2014 Top Toy for the Holiday Season by Target.

The minute our Wubble Bubble Ball arrived, my girls (ages 10 and 7) were bouncing up and down excited to inflate it and get to, well...bouncing.  After a quick trip to the store to buy the required 4 D batteries (not included) for the pump (included), we followed the simple directions and had a huge bubble-like ball in minutes.

The girls took their new toy outside and it didn't take long for the other kids in the neighborhood to come out to play. For the next hour, 7 kids had some good old fashioned fun making up various games to play using the Wubble Bubble Ball. That thing was bounced, thrown, and pounced on! The best part? It didn't break — at least not yet.

Wubble Balls are not indestructible and they come with a warning that many things can tear or pop it, things like branches, pets, or any sharp object it comes into contact with. However, the company says they do have a lifetime replacement guarantee, which will cost you $6.99 for processing and handling.

Wubble Ball is available at Target, Toys R Us and online at www.wubbleball.com for $19.99.  Stay connected with Wubble Ball on both Twitter and Facebook!

Georgette received a Wubble Bubble Ball in exchange for an honest review, which this is.