Tuesday, June 16, 2009

10 Week Book Giveaway!!


Yes, really. It's the 2nd annual 10 week book giveaway to COUNT DOWN to the release date of Alma the Elder.


Each Tuesday for the next 10 weeks (starting today), I'll ask a question on my blog. All you have to do it answer in the comments and on Friday of the same week, I'll announce the winner. It will either be the best answer, or if there are several, I'll do a drawing.


The winner each Friday can select one of my books! Any book except for Alma the Elder--since it's not out yet (see books on sidebar).


I realize with writing a series, not everyone will be caught up. So that's why this is open for any of my books that are published. But just so you know, Volume 1 & 3 are in softcover and I won't be able to get hard covers. They are out of print.


Okay, so the question for today is (I'm really looking for tips here, dear readers):


What are the top three inexpensive and fun things you do with your kids during the summer?
My kids range from 5-14, so it's a little tricky to get them all excited about the same thing. I guess mine so far includes:

1. Library trip

2. Slippy slide in the backyard

3. Dollar Movies



9 comments:

My Two Seasons said...

Thank you for the comment on my blog! I used to have roses in my front yard, but I couldn't keep them alive for some reason!! I love roses though!

My girls are younger, 3 and almost 6, so ours are geared more towards that age. Here are our top 3 summer activities:

Go for a bike ride. We usually take a picnic dinner and stop at a park in the middle of our ride. Our girls love it.

Star parties. We lay out a blanket in the back yard, bring some popcorn and treats, and lay down and watch the stars. The girls are getting a little older now, so we're going to start teaching them the constellations.

Go fishing. Daddy loves fishing, so we'll go down to the river or lake and fish. The girls like to play in the sand and throw rocks in the water.

Kami said...

I usually don't make cookie deliveries but I'd love a good excuse for a road trip! :) Tomorrow I'm posting a recipe I made for my daughter: Pumpkin Streusel muffins. They were so yummy! You might want to take a peek.

As for your question my kids favorite summer activities include:

1. Camping in - We've had nothing but rain here and my kids can't wait to go camping. We turn the bunk bed into a tent and read books by flashlight. Of course camping in wouldn't be camping without some kind of smores creation! I'm trying to perfect a smores cupcake that is allergy friendly for my baby. We don't mind eating the mistakes though!

2. We love late night flashlight explorations. Everything looks different at night and you never know what you'll find. Even just listening to the sounds of the night is fun as we try to guess what could be making a particular sound. (We try not to freak each other out by thinking they are monsters out to get us!)

3. Creative cooking - Throw a bunch of ingredients on the counter and let everyone make an exciting new concoction. It's great for older children. My three year old usually just ends up with a brown squished pile that looks like something she dragged in from outside but hey, we have fun!

Rebecca Irvine said...

My kids are 6, 9, and 11--swimming is their most favorite thing since it is too hot to do much else outside in AZ. They also love dollar movies and going to the library. This year is unique because the library in our county has provided free access to a number of museums, the zoo, botanical gardens, etc. So we will be having fun doing these free things as well.

Chantele Sedgwick said...

My kids are on the younger side... 4 and 2, but here are the things we have enjoyed going so far!

1. Getting out the slip and slide at grandma's house! They have so much fun!
2. Camping in the backyard with Daddy. We haven't done it yet, since it has been raining so much, but my son can't wait!!
3. Going to the park with a picnic lunch. My kids love playing on the toys, and I can read, or talk to my sister while our kids play.

I need to think of more to do this summer, so they don't get too bored!;)

Heather Moore said...

My only tip for roses is to prune in the spring. Although I did nothing this year and they are growing like crazy. It also takes a few years for a rose bush to really start to produce. This year is an awesome year for my red roses, which I planted about 6 years ago. At one time I cut it back to about 4 inches off the ground cause I thought it was dead. But it came back to life.

My two seasons--The star party sounds great--and camping in the back yard is always a winner. We've had rain off and on for a couple of weeks. Maybe when it goes away.

Kami--the creative cooking also sounds great! My 14 year old son is actually a pretty good cook and he loves to experiment.

Heather Moore said...

Becky--that's great your library is offering entrance to those museums, etc. We have one pretty close by and several others in our valley that we hit a couple of times a year.

Danyelle Ferguson said...

My kids are ages 2-9 years old. Here's what we love to do:

1- Bike Riding

2 - Board Games (especially Disney Trivial Pursuit and Balloon Lagoon!)

3- Picnics in the backyard. It doesn't have to be fancy, just plain old dinner out back on the picnic table. My kids LOVE eating outside!

* said...

A few of the fun and cheap things we do with our kids during the summer:

1. Face painting day: with washable pots of paint and paint brushes. Loads of fun and offers a way to get really creative.

2. Junk food day: where we all pick one naughty treat to make/buy/eat and then we do it. It's like a dessert buffet of sorts. The kids are in heaven.

3. Go trolling the aisles at our local Goodwill Thrift store. For .50 cents a kid, they can each pour over the huge bin of stuffed animals and pick whatever they want. And we all walk away feeling like royalty.

Heather Moore said...

Love those ideas, Danyelle & Terresa!