Win a copy of a sewing book: Get Started and Learn Something New

In the beginning of 2013 everyone in our home made plans to do many things this year.  One of the top things in our New Year's resolution list was to learn a new skill.
DK books are helping us to start something new.  They have a wonderful collection of books for us to learn new skills such as

• Crafting, needlework, beading, sewing, crocheting and knitting
• Food based; baking, cooking, making cakes and bread
• Learning to dance
• Exercising, yoga etc...
• The list goes on, as there are many wonderful things to learn.  

Learning never really stops and these fabulous DK books encourage children and adults to learn.  I really like the formats on DK books and believe they are a worthy investment to have in any home or school.  
The step-by-step books are encouraging as it shows how to do things clearly.  The instructions and the type of language they use make it is easy to understand for beginners who are trying to learn the skills.  Even those who have expert knowledge about a certain skill, will like having these DK books to refer to after all we can't remember all the details :)
Here are more detailed reviews of DK books that I have done in the past such as the needlecraft and art book.  I refer to these books quite often to follow patterns and remember things when I am doing crafts.

This book Get Started: Sewing and Learn Something New is a fabulous book to learn how to sew by hand and machine.  It is separated into 3 parts; start simple, build on it and take it further.  I like the structure of this book as it helps us learn or improve our sewing skills.  The step-by-step pictures of the 30 projects and details about materials and tools in the book are useful.  
I am planning to do the projects from this book, and looking forward to share them with all of you :)

Giveaway: 
If you live in Canada you can win this fabulous sewing book.  Please enter through the rafflecopter below before January 30th.
Please let me know in the comments if you have made any resolutions to learn something new and why you want to win this book?  
2nd comment on any other craft related post.
Update: The winner is Sarah
To be eligible please make sure you are following all my social media networks and DK Facebook and twitter.  Winner will have 24 hours to respond from the time of contact. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Learning to take the Perfect Picture

It is always nice to learn from someone on how to operate the camera instead of reading the manual and books :)  I too have tried asking family/friends, reading the manual and going through many many photography books, which didn't work well for me.  

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns is a colourfully illustrated book for children.  The vibrant pictures and beautifully written rhyming sentences will keep children entertained as they learn about colours, culture and common words of objects used by Muslims.  This book will keep children inquisitive as they learn about familiar things they may have seen, heard or have i.e. hijab (head scarf worn by Muslim women), dates, henna etc...

The glossary in the end of the book elaborates and explains the terms used in the book, so it is easy for us to explain to our children.  
i.e.  Ramadan is a holy month where Muslims fast, give prescribed charity, do extra prayers.  
Eid is an Islamic holiday that comes after Ramadan or happens in the month of pilgrimage to Mecca.

This colourful book is a wonderful addition to the home, school or community library that all children from all faiths will enjoy.  It is available online, amazon and at bookstores.  Here is a preview of the book on google.

Children are more curious than adults and like learning about different things.  As parents, it is our duty to broaden our children's knowledge, give them educated answers so judgemental ideas aren't passed to future generations.

Although the world is full of different cultures, there are lots of stereotypes, ignorance and racial/cultural/religious discrimination.  Yes this still exists even in a place like Canada that has become a nation made mostly by immigrants.
Teaching our children about other cultures and making them aware is a social responsibility.

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Dinosaur coin bank and Pullover pajama set

This dinosaur coin bank from pajama shoppe is really cute.  My son being a dinosaur fan loved this right away.  It is light in weight compared to the coin banks we have at home.  I like that the children can easily move the coin bank without getting hurt because of its weight.  This coin bank is 7" wide, 3.75" tall and 3.25" deep, which is a good size for children.  The coin slot is big enough to easily fit any type of currency.

The coin bank is made with silver pewter.  I like that they used this type of material, which doesn't leave finger print stains and saves me the trouble of cleaning and polishing it.

Teaching children the concept of money by having a money bank such as this cute dinosaur is a good idea.  They will start learning the value of money at an early age, as they recognize the different types of coins.  As the children get older they will learn to save their gift money for a good purpose.

The slot on the back is comfortable to take out the money easily when needed.

We really like the detailed design on this dinosaur coin bank.  They also have a Noah's ark coin bank, which is a little smaller than this one.  If you have a dino fan they will like this as a money bank or as a collectible.

Pajama shoppe also has a wide selection of night wear for men and women.  I tried their cozy comfortable cotton winter print knit pullover pajama set.  This pajama is so comfy that I could wear it to lounge all day :)  I like the soft material they have used.  The bright red and navy blue is very cheerful.  The prints of snowmen and snowflakes remind me of the joyful season of winter and makes me just want to wear these PJs on cool nights and curl up.

The elastic around the pants are comfortable and doesn't leave marks.  The top is loose fitting, which adds to the coziness.

They have from S to XL.  All the ladies will enjoy this soft cotton pajama set.  It would be a perfect gift to buy for moms or young girls going off to campus.

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TIFF Kids digiPlaySpace

TIFF Kids International Film Festival is a fabulous experience targeted for children age 3 to 13, although I think everyone will love this.

This year TIFF is introducing a hands-on experience with their new digiPlaySpace, where children and adults can immerse themselves to learn and love new technology.

We spent a fabulous time going through all the cool stations at the digiPlaySpace. It is a wonderful learning opportunity; a good place for families, camps and schools to take children. We will learn new media skills that are playful and interactive, which will encourage creativity.

A little bit of information on some installations:

My children had lots of fun exploring the Vinci tablets. The sturdy handle makes it easy for young children to hold. As parents, we don't have to worry about accidental drops to the tablet. The tablet has a camera and easy to use touch screen and buttons, loaded with storybooks and fun activities.

The Funky Forest is a beautiful display with colourful images. Children learn about the eco-system as they create images of trees with their body, play with the moving virtual water flow and try to touch the bugs and butterflies on the screen.

Adventures in sound, by Aesthetec studio is pretty cool. We have to sing/talk into the can, record our voice and then use the light brush to make unique colourful canvas paint. It is unique because the colour and texture depends on the pitch of the voice.

Sandde 3D drawing is a lovely way to experience 3D drawing and have a feel for how 3D movies are made. There is no need for pencil and paper as children use a device to draw in the air and see designs floating through their 3D glasses. I took the Sandde image on the picture below through the 3D glasses.

The green screen will take us to so many places and experience through a virtual world. It will teach how images for movie animation scenes are made.

There are magic mirrors that will make our image twist, turn and blend.

Room racers up to 4 virtual cars can go around any item we find. We can make our own racetrack by placing real life objects and create obstacles for the cars to drive around. These obstacles can be changed while the race is on to trap the cars. The augmented reality race car game is operated with video game controllers.

TIFF Kids Appcade has lots of educational apps to play with using the new tablets and mobile devices.

Micro-Makers zone is in a separate room. In this station we can explore and learn how robots are made, 3D prints where we can see our 3D models come to life and change real objects to 3D models through 3D scanning.

They had some cool solar powered toys that moved with flashlights.

There were hands-on sections to learn about creative circuitry to make small projects. This area has small parts which are not suitable for young children. Children over the age of 9 and up will benefit from this section.

We like that everything at the digiPlaySpace is made sturdy and strong keeping children's use in mind, so we can play without worrying about things breaking or damaging. The staff at TIFF was friendly and helpful in answering questions. There are fabulous movies at the TIFF Film Festival until April 22nd. The Summer Camps sessions at TIFF is held from July 3rd to August 31st for campers aged 8 to 17.

digiPlaySpace is located at TIFF Bell Lightbox on 350 King street West, do check out this benefiting experience learn and have fun.

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Learning French

Language learner French published by DK publishing is all that is needed for a beginner to start learning and talking in French. It has activities, pictures, a wordbook, 200 word dictionary, basic grammar, useful phrases, CD and flashcards.

The table of content is in English and French. The activities are organized by themes and are linked to the CD which helps improve pronunciation. There are also listening activities and games on the CD.

The picture dictionary is colourful and has 26 topics. It is organized by place and similar things. The dictionary encourages to think and converse, which in turn will increase vocabulary.

It has examples of simple questions and sentence answers that relates to each topic. The french words have the translation in english and transliteration underneath each word.

There are 5 sets of 12 cards with vocabulary and pictures. Each section of the book has fun games and puzzles to practice which uses these flashcards and dice.

There is a tip section throughout the book, which explains useful grammar. There are photographed images with speech bubbles that introduces key words and sentences with english translation. This package also has a reference section with useful vocabulary, grammar and phrases.

The learning strategies in this book will be enjoyed by children and adults who are learning the language for the first time or refreshing their French. It is reasonably priced around $20 so do check it out.

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