Making Ma Ingalls Style Pancakes

Ma certainly knew had to make occasions extra special. Even though the Ingalls were poor, Ma's resourcefulness created lifelong memories for Laura.

Ma made pancake men for each child on Christmas. The girls all took their time and nibbled away at their pancakes. Greedy Peter gobbled up his pancake man.

I slowly poured a small circle and then added the torso and limbs into my cast iron skillet a la Caroline Ingalls' style.

You can also pour your pancake batter into metal cookie cutters. You will need to generously spray cooking spray on the cookie cutters and quickly flip your pancakes. The little pancakes will cook a lot more quickly than regular-sized pancakes.

Thank you for stopping by ViBella Inspirations! I will be working on Little House on the Prairie themed posts. Please check back soon.

Cheri

The Invisible String Book by Patrice Karst Review

I read The Invisible String to my daughter after my mom passed away and she was struggling with my mom's death.

The book focuses on separation anxiety-whether it's being sad about going to school, going to bed, moving away, military deployment, or dealing with death. The book is about 2 children who are scared of storms during their bedtime and want their mom. Their wise mom tells them that loved ones are connected by an invisible string made of love. She explains," People who love each other are always connected by a very special string made of love. Even though you can't see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart and know that you are always connected to the ones you love."

The string can travel as far as France, space, the jungle, and even Heaven. You are never alone because you are always connected to the ones you love.

To be honest, when I first read The Invisible String to my daughter I felt disappointed in her reaction. I guess I was expecting a hallelujah chorus to descend upon us with a dizzying array of inner light bulbs brightening up the neighborhood. Instead she just sat there quietly while I read the book and did not seem very interested. However, she recently took the book with her to her old granny's house and shared it with her. Yesterday, she, out of the blue, started talking about the invisible string and she told me how much she loves her grandma. 

I cannot speak highly enough of this invaluable book for giving us some peace in the saddest of times. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars for its comforting message and cute illustrations.  It retails for about $12.  

Thank you for stopping by ViBella Inspirations!

Cheri

How to Leave a Legacy to Your Daughter

It's been almost one year since my sweet mom passed away. She was such a kind and gentle soul and she loved being a mom and grandma. Even though she's gone, she left me a precious gift and an everlasting legacy. Love. I know without a doubt she loved me with every fiber of her being. She wrote kind cards to me throughout my life, which I take out and read several times and treasure those words since I can longer speak with her. I would not trade those cards for any amount of money.

If you're a mom, take time to write love letters to your child. Hug her often and tell her you love her single day. Read that extra book and play that extra game with her. Childhood is short but memories and mementos keep us going in the roughest of times.

Thank you for stopping by ViBella Inspirations!

Cheri

One of my favorite photos of my beautiful mom.

Have You Filled a Bucket Book Review

Kindness is a trait that I try to emphasize a lot to my daughter. Carol McCloud wrote Have You Filled A Bucket Today? and she emphasizes the importance of kindness and self-respect. You can fill a bucket by simply smiling at someone, saying thank you, and just being kind. On the other hand, you can empty someone's bucket by making fun of someone.  Carol writes that everyone has an invisible bucket and we should try to fill everyone's bucket.

Have You Filled a Bucket Today? is ideal for all ages and retails for approximately $18.

I would definitely recommend reading this book to your daughter and encouraging her to be a bucket filler. Girls have a tendency to be quite cruel and catty to one another and this book is a step in the right direction to curtail mean behavior.

Thank you for stopping by ViBella Inspirations!

Cheri

Sleeping Queens Game Review

A super cool 6-year-old girl invented this fun and imaginative card game.  You have 12 queens such as The Ladybug Queen, The Pancake Queen, and The Starfish Queen who are asleep and you have to wake them up with a king card.  Watch out for dragons, potions, and knights who want to steal the queens.

It is a simple but fun game.  The player with the most queens wins the game.  My 6-year-old daughter also enjoys just with playing the cards and making up stories.

The illustrations are very appealing and quaint.  It is for ages 8 and up and for 2-5 players.  It retails for approximately $10.

This whimsical game is a must have for your game collection.  I give this adorable game an A+ and a plethora of gold stars.

Thank you for stopping by ViBella Inspirations!

Cheri



Sleeping Queens

Cranium Hullabaloo Game Review

I use this game for my Girl Scout Troop and they love it.  I've also played it with just my daughter and we act silly and get some exercise in the process.

This giggle-inducing game encourages listening skills, creativity, and fast thinking.  You move from colorful shape to another by listening to instructions such as zooming to an animal, crawling to a food, etc.  Whenever Hullabaloo says freeze and if you're on the lucky square, you're the winner.

This game would be good for birthday parties, scout meetings, or just one-on-one time with your favorite girl!

This game is for ages 4 and up and does not require reading.

This game gets 5 stars in my book and I'm so glad we stumbled upon it.  I found it at Good Will for dirt cheap, but it usually retails between $20 and $30.

Thank you for stopping by ViBella Inspirations!

Cheri

Sleeping Beauty Ballet Theatre Book Review

What a fabulous find!  It is still exciting to open this amazing book, set up the stage,  pick out a background, and place enchanting twirling figures from Sleeping Beauty.  My 6-year-old enjoys creating scenes and making up stories.  This encourages creativity and wonder. 

"This beautiful ballet theatre is a joy for children. It evokes all the magic of the fairytale world, and the ray of sunshine I felt within me when I danced the part of Princess Aurora." Irina Boronova, Prima Ballerina" --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.


If your daughter likes fairy tales or ballet, she will adore this amazing find.  The kit includes an audio CD, a booklet with the story and stage instructions, a pull out cardboard draw for storage, 9 twirling characters and supporting characters, and backdrops.  You can purchase it from Amazon or Barnes & Noble website.  It retails for approximately $23.


I rate this book 5 stars out of 5.  It is worth every penny.