Fed Up with Frenzy: Review and Giveaway

We are taking a little break from the usual onslaught of adorable kid pictures to talk about something else: fun things to do with adorable kids!

Actually, I want to talk about a book that a friend of mine wrote called Fed Up with Frenzy .” Could there be a better title for me? I always feel frenetic.

Suz and I met online (it’s still weird for me to say that) and have kept in contact through blogs, the Children and Nature Network and Facebook . She blogs at Slow Family Online .

Susan Sachs Lipman

Suz has been living a “slow” life—one in which she and her family take the time to smell the metaphorical roses. From parking a couple blocks from her daughter’s school so they could walk in to kindergarten together, to saying no to some of the countless activities that fill most kids’ lives.

“By making choices to eliminate a couple of organized activities and commitments, we made time to take long family hikes, make televisions out of shoe boxes, and float origami boats down a local creek after the spring rains. By shifting away from the culture of hurriedness, we made time to open our lives to enhanced wonder, connection and joy.”

Did you hear that? Enhanced wonder, connection and joy.

Now she’s sharing some of that wisdom with us in her new book. There are 360 pages of:

Slow Activities
Slow Games
Slow Kitchen
Slow Garden
Slow Nature
Slow Seasons
Slow Celebrations
Everyday Slow
Slow Parenting

Reading through these activities and songs and games reminded me of YMCA summer camp that my brother and I attended. I’m sure it will remind a lot of people of their childhoods.

While there are tons of “slow” activities to help families bond, I am going to share only one. It’s just a little blog after all. It’s from the Slow Seasons chapter.

Spooky Ghosts

You’ll need: Old sheet or approx. 1 yard of white fabric; 3’-4’ wooden dowel or other sturdy stick; twine; markers or felt squares and craft glue; pencil; scissors; pillow stuffing; lace, hats, fabric ties, and other decorations are optional.

Place a ball of foam stuffing in the inside center of the fabric. Form into a round shape, for the head, and tie it at the neck with the twine, so that the rest of the fabric flows down.

Place the dowel up into the head until it is secure.

Personalize your ghost with or ghosts by adding other used or homemade items. Make a large bow tie by folding a felt square in half and gathering and tying it about its center before looping it around the ghost’s neck with twine. Or ad a top hat to one ghost and a veil of black lace to another to create a scary bride and groom!

Pulling one idea out of so many is tough because it doesn’t give you the full picture, but trust me, you’re going to want to check this book out.

And if you are lucky, you can have one for free! Suz sent me an extra copy to give away to one lucky reader, so leave a comment and I’ll draw a winner in a week or so. It’s a slow giveaway.

UPDATE: And we have a winner….Catherine!! Congratulations!