Tag Archives: bed
Bedtime Stories: The Search for Wondla
Post by Mark T. Locker.
The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi.
I have seen this middle reader-level book floating around for a few years but hadn’t picked it up until recently. I had thought that it was going to be some kind of fantasy novel. I made this judgment based on the fact that the author co-wrote the Spiderwick Chronicles with Holly Black. Now I know more about Holly Black, I think she is the one behind the fantastical elements of those books. So I was a little surprised when I began reading and it was readily apparent that I was reading more of a sci-fi/fantasy novel. That didn’t really put me off, however. It’s a fun and engaging read nonetheless.
Eva Nine is twelve years old and has never seen the outside world, not to mention another human being. She has been raised and trained in an underground facility by a caretaker robot named, somewhat ridiculously, Muthr, which stands for Multi-utility task help robot. You can imagine, she also takes on a maternal persona. But one day, blasts from above alert them to someone-or something-is attacking and breaching the entrance. Eva Nine is forced to flee, finally putting all her training to use. Only, there’s a problem. She has been trained to survive on Earth and as far as all her fancy gadgets can tell her, nothing she encounters is Earthling. The trees are carnivorous, the birds have too many wings. Some thing are similar to Earth creatures, but on a vastly different scale. One of her first companions she meets appears to be what is known as a tardigrade, which is a microscopic water creature, but this one is enormous and communicates with her through psychic wavelengths. With her giant friend (she nicknames him “Otto”) and a fishlike humanoid named Rovander Kitt, Eva Nine and Muthr head overland to try and find out what happened to Earth, and to all the Earthlings.
Filled with action, mystery, and a bright but stubborn heroine, The Search for Wondla is a great choice for older elementary age kids. And even better, there are two more books in the series!
Tips and Tricks: 8 Tips to Get Your Best Night’s Sleep
Post by Tracy Kaler.
Everyone has trouble sleeping now and then, but if you find yourself battling insomnia regularly, try these tips to ensure you snooze for a full night.
1. Stick to a schedule.
Don’t be tempted to change your sleep schedule drastically. Try and get to bed at about the same time each night and awake about the same time each morning. You’ll thank yourself later.
2. Sleep in a dark room.
Bright lights can disrupt sleep, so be sure city lights or street lamps don’t shine in your windows. Install room-darkening shades or curtains if needed.
3. Keep the temperature comfortable.
That means not too hot and not too cold. A ceiling fan may be just the perfect accessory if your room tends to run warm. If you wake up cold, add an extra blanket or sleep in down.
4. Watch what you eat.
Try to avoid eating too late –– this means make your last meal at least three hours before bedtime. Avoid greasy, fatty meals, which take longer to digest and could make falling asleep more difficult.
5. Cut back on alcohol.
Alcohol will relax you, but too many cocktails will interrupt sleep. Have a glass or two of wine with your dinner and say no to after-dinner drinks.
6. Skip the caffeine.
A cup of coffee in the morning shouldn’t affect your ability to fall asleep in the evening, but any caffeine past noon could be keeping you awake at night. Try decaf.
7. Exercise.
Exercise at least 20 minutes per day. Even a walk or light jog can make a difference in relaxing you when it’s time to turn in. Avoid exercise late at night.
8. Have a bedtime ritual.
Take a warm shower. Read. Listen to soothing music. Wash your face and brush your teeth. Find whatever works for you, and do it each and every evening before you hit the hay.
Bedtime Stories: Sam and Dave Dig a Hole
Post by Mark T. Locker
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole by Mac Barnett. Illustrated by Jon Klassen.
My son, at six point three years old, is almost too old for picture books now. While it’s a shame that we won’t have this format to enjoy together forever, it certainly won’t stop me from seeking out new and wonderful picture-heavy reading material for my own enjoyment and for the enrichment of you, the readers. Especially now that Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett have found each other, why would anyone move away from picture books? There can be nothing but great things coming from these two for a long time to come. And any time Adam Rex wants to fill in for Jon Klassen, that’s okay too.
Sam and Dave Dig a Hole is a charming and painful story. Two boys decide to dig down in the yard to see what kinds of treasures they can find. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that the cross-sections of the deep, winding hole they dig show us just how close they come to finding some remarkable treasures. The drawings are wonderful and make the story what it it. Mac Barnett’s touch for subtle humor definitely helps drive this story too. Truly a great collaborative work between some of children’s literature’s great new voices.
Bedroom Design: All About Bedskirts
Post by Tracy Kaler.
Bed skirts or dust ruffles, as we often call them, are decorative treatments that hide box springs and keep dirt and dust from collecting underneath the bed. Let’s get the lowdown on bed skirts.
Pleated vs. Gathered
Box-pleated bed skirts offer a cleaner, more modern or eclectic look, while ruffled or gathered skirts tend to appear more feminine or traditional. Pleated options are geometric, while gathered styles are less structured and require more fabric.
Construction
The most secure bed skirt is one with decking attached. This piece of material, which goes on top of the box spring and is never seen, keeps the dust ruffle secure and unable to move around. Removing a deck bed skirt isn’t easy, however. You have to take off the bedding and the mattress to remove this type of dust ruffle.
Other bed skirts come in panels: one for each side of the bed and one along the foot. Most often, these dust ruffles are safety pinned and much less secure than those with decking. These can shift easily, but also be removed without a hitch. No lifting of the mattress is required.
Design
You can make a dust ruffle from almost any fabric –– try a cotton chintz or a matelasse, a suede, or even a silk –– a bed skirt’s possibilities are endless. Match your bedding, or select a contrasting color. Line your bed skirt with a coordinating material.
Some even have added embellishments like gimp, cord or tape. Trimmed or not, a bed skirt can tie in bed coverings and linens with the remainder of the decorative scheme in a bedroom for not a lot of yardage or money. A new bed skirt and coordinated shams are a simple way to freshen the look of your bedroom, and can be changed every few years as you see fit.
Breakfast in Bed – Date Nut Bread
Post by Alison Hein.
My grandma used to bake Date Nut Bread in an old coffee can. It was common practice to clean and generously grease a coffee tin with shortening, then fill it with batter, place it in a hot oven, and bake a dense, round loaf. As kids, we would anxiously gather around the stove, inhaling the baking bread’s sweet aroma, eagerly awaiting its completion.
While you still see many round bread loaves (Boston Brown Bread as well as Date Nut and Raisin Nut), it is becoming ever more difficult to locate tin, oven-proof coffee containers. Check carefully in the grocery store before purchasing, as many modern containers are made of paper, plastic or cardboard – none of which work well in the oven!
My ongoing frustration with food history compelled me to skip it for this post (so many claim to be the originators of Date Nut Bread!), with one important exception. In the 1950s and ‘60s, when Chock Full o’Nuts lunch counters were wildly prolific, Date Nut Sandwiches – two thick slices of Date Nut Bread slathered with cream cheese – were a star of the menu.
Chock Full o’Nuts tried to make a recent comeback with mixed results. The company still makes and sells its popular coffee (anyone remember the famous “heavenly coffee” jingle?). Why not go buy some? Make a giant pot of coffee, then use the canister to whip up a loaf of Date Nut Bread. Bake. Cool. Slice. Slather with cream cheese. Pour yourself a steaming cup and reminisce over a heavenly breakfast in bed.
Equipment
1 tin coffee can, with top removed
Ingredients
½ cup butter
½ cup light brown sugar
1 cup white flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped dates
1 cup chopped walnuts
Cooking spray, or other shortening, for greasing coffee can
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy. In a separate bowl, mix together white flour, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add dry ingredients all at once to butter mixture, stirring to combine. Add eggs, honey and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in dates and walnuts. Spoon batter into a well-greased coffee can. Bake at 350° for about 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on rack at least 20 minutes. Remove from coffee can and slice.
Makes one loaf.
