Children's Books, Reviews

New Children’s Book | If You Come To Earth by Sophie Blackall

Comment: I was provided a copy for review

New Children's Book | If You Come To Earth by Sophie Blackall

If You Come To Earth is a new children’s book released today by Sophie Blackall who is a two-time Caldecott Winner, authgor-illustrator.

About the new children’s book

If You Came to Earth is a glorious guide to our home planet, and a call for us to take care of both Earth and each other.

Sophie Blackall has met amazing children in her travels around the world in support of UNICEF and Save the Children and these children have inspired this story. The curious and imaginative child in this story brings us the important message about the need to care for the earth and each other.

Our planet is so diverse and as I read this book that was very clear. We are all different but we share one important gift…our planet. It’s our differences that make us amazing together. A great story for families, classrooms and read-a-longs.

This new children’s book, If You Came To Earth is published by Chronicle Books and available on Amazon.

Toy Reviews

Johnny the Skull: Pirate’s Cove from Goliath Games Review

Comment: I was sent the game for review. Opinions are my own

Toy Review - Johnny the Skull: Pirates’ Cove from Goliath Games

What a week! This time last week we had no idea that our power flickering would lead to a long week of worsening fires on our hills and power, cell and internet outages for days. Some around us went on Level 3 evacuations while the rest sat in the dark with no services to stay updated. Smoke and embers all around and anxious kids with schools cancelled. Then I remembered about a new game I was just sent that is meant to play in the dark!

Johnny the Skull: Pirate’s Cove from Goliath Games is an electronic game that projects ghost images all around that you must blast away to get to the treasure.

As I had my son make his way to my office to retrieve the game I had him stop to capture this moment. As we could turn around to our window and view fire up in the hills from out valley, sitting in the dark was getting tense until we brought Johnny the Skull out.

To hear the fun spooky noises as images randomly appear all around the dark room on the walls and ceiling was so much fun. You have to be quick and accurate with your blaster that also makes noises so you know if you captured a ghost or not.

Johnny the Skull: Pirate’s Cove is now available at Target. It retails for $24.99 and well worth every penny. This WILL get played with and even since our lights are back on it has been played with again. That next boys (or girls) birthday party invite that comes in I know what gift I will pick up at Target because it is a blast (pardon the pun)!

Goliath Games has been dedicated to creating toys and games that inspire young minds and adults alike to reach beyond their imagination. Johnny the Skull: Pirate’s Cove is an example of the creativity and engagement that their toys bring for the entire family.

Buy Johnny the Skull: Pirate’s Cove at Target

Home, Life, Moving with Children

Living in Bellevue, Washington | Finding a Place to Live

Consider Living in Bellevue, Washington
Photo by Zac Gudakov on Unsplash

In March we celebrate my birthday and my favorite dinner spot is halfway between my home and my sister’s home. It is the 520 Bar & Grill in Bellevue, Washington. It is in downtown Bellevue near a few other great restaurants and just blocks from the shores of Lake Washington and Bellevue Downtown Park.

If you live near Seattle, Washington chances are you have driven into or through Bellevue. It is known for gorgeous homes on the lake, the Snowflake Lane parade at Christmas time, some of the best restaurants just outside of Seattle and soon to be a new home for Amazon. Amazon is just one of the well known companies that call Bellevue home. Other companies include Offer Up, Expedia, Coinstar, T-Mobile and more.

Snowflake Lane
Snowflake Lane Parade – Bellevue, Wa

Besides good food and great job opportunities Bellevue,Washington is very close to Seattle and right off several major highways so you have several ways of traveling in and out of the city. Spend a day shopping and eating near Bellevue Square Mall (make sure you visit the huge Amazon Bookstore there) or take a boat onto the lake. Lake Washington runs along Bellevue and is the largest lake in King County and the second largest natural lake in the state of Washington. Living in Bellevue is for the hard worker who loves adventure on their days off because the trails and waterways around here are gorgeous any time of the year.

Finding a Place to Live in Bellevue, Washington

If you are intrigued with Bellevue, Washington by now you are probably wondering the best resources to finding apartments to rent. There is so much beauty and many great neighborhoods so it is not uncommon for new residents to rent a year or so because it gives them a chance to get to know the area, school district lines so they can find that perfect neighborhood for a permanent home. I would start with a website called Zumper.

Bellevue, Wa water
Photo by Zac Gudakov on Unsplash

I recommend Zumper because not only is it real-time listings but I see that you can do the application process including background check from their platform. This means you stay on one site to apply for your place. Zumper is available for Bellevue, Washington rentals.

When searching for apartments to rent on Zumper you can sort by any of your immediate needs such as pets allowed, number of bedrooms, area close to your work, etc. The Pacific NW is unique because you can find a home surrounded by wildlife and heading into the mountains and just across town you can be a part of city life. Being able to get to know your town before committing to buying a home or knowing what area of a city will be best for your family will guarantee you live near the surroundings that are quiet or busy according to your preference. Zumper will help make sure you get into the part of town you desire.

Bellevue, Washington has about 150,000 residents. You can easily live in Bellevue and work in Seattle. As I mentioned you are near all major highways and public transportation is easily available throughout town. To rent in Bellevue, Wa the average monthly is about $2,340. If you are looking to relocate to or move within Bellevue, Wa make sure to browse Zumper to see what is available right now. Check back often as they update with real time availability!

Education

How to Invigorate Your Nursing Career

How to Invigorate Your Nursing Career

As a nurse, you have dedicated your life to helping and supporting others. This direct impact on the lives of others can be fulfilling and meaningful in a truly life-changing way; however, after years on the floor addressing the critical care and support of your patients, you may be looking to invigorate your nursing career by taking on new challenges. While directly overseeing the care of your patients can be incredibly rewarding, if you are looking for a change, here are a few ways that you can invigorate your career.

Advanced Degrees and Education

If you find that your brain could use a jumpstart, you may need an outlet for mental stimulation. Consider going back to school for additional education where you can stimulate your mind and love for learning. You can explore an advanced degree option that best suits you to take you to the next step of your nursing career. Whether you want to go back to school to refresh your brain or you want to use your degree to take your next step, education can be a great option.

Getting a higher level of education means that you expand your knowledge, learn additional techniques which help you to provide a higher quality of patient care. It can not only help you to make better healthcare decisions and optimize operational efficiency, but also advance your career at any level. You may want to explore a range of nursing job career options and find out the requirements that the position can offer.

Teaching and Learning

If you value education but don’t see yourself going back to school, you have other ways to infuse knowledge and education into your life. Instead of being the recipient of the knowledge, if you prefer to share what you have learned, educating others may be the right step for you. Exploring a professorship role and career profile can help you understand the responsibilities of the role, salary and expectations.

Leadership and Supervising

If you have a lot of guidance, expertise and experience to offer, you may be well suited to manage others. Providing overarching vision, supporting staff and offering your leadership to a team can be an exciting next step. If you are interested in exploring a supervisory role in nursing, talk with your manager and the leadership team to see what would be necessary to explore that path of your nursing career.

Mentorship and Coaching

Mentorship in nursing is a critical component of success in this sector of healthcare. While many skills are learned and experiences had during nursing school, nothing truly prepares you for the daily grind. Having a support system that can offer mentorship, coaching and sponsorship can prove critical and necessary for new staff. This may be a good outlet for you to embrace new challenges and energize your professional life without a formal step.

Future Paths and Possibilities for your Nursing Career

If you are a nurse who has significantly more experience, you may want to explore your executive career options. Whether you are ready to take on significantly more of a leadership role within your organization or you want to be a part of the strategic vision, you can take on more of a leadership role after pursuing executive career options. If you are someone who is a natural-born leader, this may be the perfect fit for you. You may also consider learning kore about traveling Nurse careers.

Nursing can be one of the most rewarding and enriching professions; however, that does not mean that you will want to stay in the same role forever. If you are someone who is searching for your next chapter, consider how these options can shake up your life and leave you with the results and next steps that you are searching for.