The Broken Circle: Yarns of The Knitting Witches (Potluck Yarn Trilogy, Book One) and Pattern Book Review

I at the Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival in Canby, Oregon

We received these books free to facilitate this review. There is also affiliate links in this post. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Sometimes I come across (or rather it finds me) a great book that combines a few things I love together. In this instance it is my love of yarn, knitting and fantasy that has been intertwined. I have recently been learning to knit because I love to make beautiful things and fiber art of all kinds fascinates me. I also love the fantasy world and find myself there a lot with a good book, movie, or fair/festival.

 KNITTING IS MAGIC...

The Broken Circle: Yarns of the Knitting Witches Book One of the Potluck Yarn Trilogy hit the stores June 3rd. This novel weaves together knitting and fiber arts with fantasy. It is about these knitting witches that are trying to save their world from evils. They are trying to bring their circle of 12 witches together again after 20 years of living their own lives scattered from the flock. Summoned by the Potluck Queen, Aubergine, their journey is a long, difficult one fraught with danger. The yarns they brew are fused with enchanted colored crystals and made into things that have different magical powers, but magic has been outlawed in their land. They need to stay on guard being aware of the possibility of being caught using their magics and thrown into Burnt Holes, the place where it is said there is no return from. They also have other things to contend with while trying to get their circle back together: a traitor (once one of their own) that has broken away and has her own plans for the other 11, a lost crystal, and a war between the men of the Northlands and Southlands. Some of the original 12 won't make it back to the fold, but there will also be newcomers that play their own parts in the plot as well.

This is a fantastical story with wonderful twists and turns. It is very well written and not at all boring. I love how the story unfolds and flows like the colored freshnet rivers, lakes, and streams of the Northland Glacier. On the cover and throughout the book are wonderful illustrations by artist Frank Riccio. At the end of each chapter a knitted item is briefly mentioned with a website to purchase the individual patterns for each. The author, Cheryl Potter, creates a complete new world of extraordinary characters and creatures that come to life through the grand pictures she paints with the words within the pages of the book. The main characters are women who each have their own complex backgrounds. They all have their own flaws and strengths. Some I could relate to better than others, but they all play a necessary part in the saga that develops. The ending I had foreseen before it happened, but because of a cliff hanger it leaves you wanting more.

In my opinion, this book is worthy of being compared to classics like Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia or to more recent tiles like Harry Potter. I am excited to read the second book of the series now that I have read the first, cover to cover. I would also love it if this series gets a large following and becomes epic movie trilogy as well. It is a very good read that both knitters and fantasy readers will love. You do not have to be a knitter to enjoy this book.

The Broken Circle: Knitting Patterns inspired by Book One of the Potluck Yarn Trilogy, is a companion book of featured patterns to knit that are mentioned in the chapter book. These patterns are similar to ones that the characters wear in the story, There are patterns for a: cowl, cloak, hat, socks, scarf, mitts, etc. I might have to learn how to read patterns better just so that I can make some of the gorgeous things in this booklet. This booklet has very lovely full color photographs and charts to help with the making of the garments. It also has a wonderful map of The Middlelands in the front with the Introduction. For each pattern a paragraph or so from the chapter book and detailed description with skill level, size, finished measurements, materials, and gauge accompanies the pattern.

I just was a little disappointed that it says there are 21 total patterns when there are really only 20. It mentions the last pattern on the back of the cover, but says you need to sign up for the Potluck Yarn newsletter and participate in a Knit Along (KAL) in order to receive the last pattern and I am fairly certain once you do the pattern still costs extra. When I went digging on the Potluck Yarn website I found this description they give of the missing pattern, "The Fire and Ice Shawl is the transition piece between Companion Pattern Book One and Companion Pattern Book Two."

Freebie!
Download a free Book 1 Student Workbook to go along with the book. This is especially awesome for teachers and homeschoolers!

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BUY IT
Purchase The Broken Circle: Yarns of The Knitting Witches (Potluck Yarn Trilogy, Book One) on Amazon for $15.99 and the Pattern Book for $16.99 (cheaper for Amazon Prime users).

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. There is also affiliate links in this post. Thank you for supporting my blog.

The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD Review and Giveaway

To celebrate Earth Day I received The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD for free to facilitate this review and the opportunity to also give one away.

I homeschool my kids and so I seek out educational programing on TV, Netflix, etc. for my children to watch and learn from. I grew up watching The Magic School Bus, a long-running Emmy® Award-winning animated science adventure series, on TV when I was younger and so I remember enjoying learning along with the show. When I got older and had children of my own I incorporated The Magic School Bus in my kids' education at home because they are so much fun. We have collected many of The Magic School Bus series of books that the series is based off of too over the years. All my kids love both the series and the books and so do I.

From Ms. Frizzle's outrageous wardrobe to her anthropomorphic school bus that takes her students on field trips to impossible locations, The Magic School Bus series takes you on great adventures all in the name of science. The classroom pet Liz, a lizard, that accompanies them on most of the excursions. These present scientific fact with situations where fantastic things happen with humor thrown in to make learning fun.

In The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD you get 3 all new, never before released episodes: The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed, The Magic School Bus Blows its Top, The Magic School Bus Goes on Air AND a bonus episode, The Magic School Bus All Dried Up. This DVD also has both Spanish and English language options. These are fabulous for getting inside the Earth like never before. Celebrate Earth Day with pizazz.

In The Magic School Bus Goes to Seed we get a bugs eye view of plants, flowers and bugs. In this episode we learn about plant nectar, pollen, and seeds. The class' garden is going to be featured on the cover of Plant It! Magazine, but Phoebe's garden plot is extremely empty...can they fill it in time for the magazine photo? We loved this episode and my daughters loved learning the parts of the flowers and about the bug's proboscis.

In The Magic School Bus Blows its Top we rock out with Ms. Frizzle and her class as we help them discover a new island. In this episode we learn a little about the formation of islands, Earth's crust, underwater volcanoes, magma, and lava. We loved this episode and my girls loved learning about heat buildup in volcanoes and what they form when they erupt.

In The Magic School Bus Goes on Air we see Ms. Frizzle and her class under a lot of pressure to get a class project done for the Walkerville Space Capsule. In this episode we learn about air pressure. We loved this episode and my girls loved learning about what air pressure can do.

In The Magic School Bus All Dried Up we try to beat the heat with Ms. Frizzle and her class as they go to the desert. In this episode we learn about how animals adapt for survival in such a hot seemingly arid place. We loved this episode and my girls loved learning about the desert and some of its flora and fauna.

We will definitely treasure this DVD and I know my kids will love watching these episodes again and again. I love the educational content. This is a great DVD for Earth Day or any day!

For more information on this title or any other Scholastic Storybook Treasures release, visit www.newkideo.com. Also, visit New Kideo, the online home for the DVD line, at their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/New-Kideo/169330949777241

BUY IT
Purchase The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD from New Kideo for $12.95

WIN IT
Prize: 1 winner will win a copy of The Magic School Bus All About Earth DVD free from Scholastic and New Kideo.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review and the opportunity to give another away to my readers. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review.

Hide 'em & Hatch 'em Eggs Easter Review and Giveaway

For Easter this year there is a new product that is great to add to Easter baskets and use for Easter egg hunts. These are also great for Spring. They are called Hide 'em Hatch 'em Eggs and I received some free to facilitate this review. These are eggs that actually hatch animals from their shells. They are also great to use in Easter egg hunts because they are so much more fun than plastic eggs and regular eggs. These come in packages of three eggs and hatch into three different animals: chick, duckling, and bunny.

We had a lot of fun with these eggs. Watching them hatch was the best part. I have seen a real chick hatch and the process was so realistic, although these are hatched from the egg into water. I admit that the bunny coming out the the egg was confusing for my youngest daughters. I had to re-educate them that a real bunny doesn't actually come out of an egg and is actually a non egg laying mammal like us. I made a whole homeschooling unit out of it. We talked about birth, the difference between mammals and birds and I even told them what a platypus is.

The Hide 'em Hatch 'em Eggs have a single hole in the top and two holes in the bottom to let the room temperature water inside the eggs once they are submerged. You need to hold them under the water briefly until all air bubbles stop coming to the surface so the water will go just over the top of the egg. Place them in a container that is clear so you can see all the action. We placed ours into glass canning jars and this worked very well.

The first day after about 6-12 hours you should see some breaking happening of the shell around the pet. We saw the first egg start to hatch after about 10 hours so you need to be patient with these. They will hatch at different rates and speeds for different people. Our first one that started hatching was the chick. It was really exciting for my kids. They were enjoying these a lot.

As the pets grow they will be slimy, because of the material the pets are made out of, and this also contributes to the water's murkiness. The shell will also crack and flake off. The water needs changed often to help solicit growth, keep the water at room temperature and keep the water clear. Slowly you will see more and more of the baby as it breaks out of its shell as it grows. If you are impatient you can help your little friend out by cracking the shell (just like a mamma might need to do for her hatchling) or you can change the water and let it continue to grow as we did.

The baby can be kept in the water so it can continue to grow a tad bit more out of the egg. Once removed from the water shrinkage will occur but the animal will dry and harden and then you can play with it. These are great for Easter or spring, but if you do get them just be aware that they take a while to hatch, so plan ahead. Ours took about 5 days to be fully out of their shells. Also these are recommended for children over 3 years old because of small part choking hazard.

BUY IT


WIN IT
Prize: Win Hide 'em & Hatch 'em Eggs.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: I received product for free to facilitate my review and the opportunity to give another away to my readers. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for doing this review. This post does contain referral links. Thank you for supporting my blog.

Melissa & Doug Magic Mine Train Tunnel Review and Giveaway

The Melissa & Doug Magic Mine Train Tunnel is a wonderful toy for kids this holiday season! This toy is so much fun and is recommended for ages 3 and up. It comes with a train engine, two magic mining cars, one 8" (203mm) ascending track piece, and wooden mine tunnel (5 total pieces). The mine cars enter the tunnel empty and reappear through the gate loaded with gold and gems. It features realistic train and mining sounds that are activated when the train enters the mine tunnel. Batteries are not included. Requires (2) AAA batteries. Additional track sold separately and this set is compatible with popular wooden railway sets.

My kids love trains and have quite a few wooden railway sets that go together well. This one caught my eye in the available free toys to pick to review from Melissa & Doug's Terrific Twenty Holiday Gift List. We installed the batteries and tried it out. The train has sounds that come from the tunnel as the train presses a large button down as it goes through. The sounds are a train whistle, the train going down the track and also mining sounds like pick axes hitting rock and the treasure being loaded. The sounds; however don't correspond well with the movements of the train through the tunnel and since the tunnel is on a hill the train goes through fairly quickly with the sounds still trailing behind it. In my opinion all toys that make noise should have an off switch...this one does not have one. In order to turn off the sound of this toy you have to take out the batteries completely. You also have to flip the gold and gems over manually and one of our mining cars was finicky and wouldn't stay empty unless you pressed it exactly in the right spot. Once flipped over to empty you can send the train through the tunnel and the levers on the bottom of the mining cars will flip them from empty to full automatically as soon as it passes through the tunnel. The tunnel is constructed mainly of wood and painted with a very nice mine in a mountain scene. The train cars are made of mostly plastic and the train engine of mostly wood. They hook together magnetically.

Here is my son, Jaedan, trying out the train:

My kids really enjoyed this train set and have added it to the sets they already have. It is a great addition to them. They love the tunnel and watching the cars go from empty to full. I also think this set is pretty ingenious. It would definitely be a great gift to buy for someone who loves trains.

BUY IT
Purchase the Melissa & Doug Magic Mine Train Tunnel for $29.99.

WIN IT
Prize: Win a Melissa & Doug Magic Mine Train Tunnel.

I am trying out Rafflecopter on my blog. Please click on this post link if you do not see the script for it below. Also, if there is anything that is wrong with it let me know by emailing me: finamoon AT gmail DOT com I will try my best at fixing it. Thanks for being awesome readers!

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DISCLOSURE/DISCLAIMER: For my participation in this Melissa & Doug Review I received the toy above and another one of the same to offer as a giveaway to my readers from their Terrific Twenty list. Thanks to Melissa & Doug for providing me this free product. My thoughts are mine and my family's own opinion and have not been altered by anyone else. I did not receive any other compensation for posting this review and giveaway.