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Bellewood Cottage

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How to Sew French Seams with 5/8″ and 1/2″ Seam Allowances

How to Make Washi Tape Christmas Ornaments

How to Sew a Drawstring Bag with French Seams Tutorial

The Best Washi Tape Shops on Etsy

DIY Christmas Window Ornament Using Chalk-Style Paint

Simplicity 8538 | Or, The One Where I Sew a Toddler Dress That Actually Works Out

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More about Ellen

Hi there, I’m Ellen! Here you’ll find me reviewing books little ones love. I’ll do the searching, sifting, and summarizing for you. Simply follow Bellewood Cottage and when you see titles that sound perfect for you and your kids, just request them from your library or order online. Read More…

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Christian mama sharing:
🌷 Books little ones love + read aloud tips
🌷 Crafts & DIY for your home + little ones

Happy Thanksgiving friends! May you have a blessed

Happy Thanksgiving friends! May you have a blessed day.⁣ 💕
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#mybeautifulmess #chasinglight #nothingisordinary #livewholeheartedly #homemaking #lovelysquares #midwestblogger #calledtobecreative #makeithappen #seekthesimplicity #bellewoodcottage #homeblog #thehappynow #homemaker

✨My Favorite Color by Aaron Becker✨ (disclosur

✨My Favorite Color by Aaron Becker✨ (disclosure: Thank you to @candlewickpress for providing me with a copy of this book for review! All opinions are my own.)⁣
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✨Can YOU choose a favorite color? What a fantastic book for introducing color to littles (and for keeping parents engaged while we read). Kids can point out their favorite colored tiles and then watch them transform as the pages are turned. It’s impossible to read this book and not be entranced by the turning of pages and resulting changing colors.⁣
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✨The book works by way of using translucent inserts in various colors that change the colored tiles as you read through the book.⁣
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✨The back of the book says 4-8, but I think this would be a great baby shower pick or gift for a younger toddler too. The colorful sturdy pages are so engaging for any age really!⁣
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#bellewoodcottagebooks #kids #books #Christmasgifts #giftguide #booksforpreschoolers #booksfortoddlers #booksforkids #kidsbookreviews #picturebookreviews #abookaday #yestkidsbookstagram #reading #readingaloud #candlewick #boardbook

🌿Paper Peek Animals by Chihiro Takeuchi (Thank

🌿Paper Peek Animals by Chihiro Takeuchi (Thank you to @candlewickpress for giving me this copy to review! As always, all opinions are my own.)⁣
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🌿The combo of bright colors, animal shaped cut-outs, and the cute animal "search and find" pages make this a winner for toddlers (0-3). I appreciate how the book is so engaging regardless of a little one’s age. A younger baby will enjoy simply watching as you turn the high-contrast pages. Older babies will help you turn pages and engage with the cutouts. Toddlers will enjoy making animal sounds and helping you point out the tiny animals in the search pages.⁣
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🌿Featured animals include zebras, lions, giraffes (Africa), horses, bears, reindeer (Europe), moose, raccoons, beavers (North America), and LOTS more. Great book idea for a toddler for Christmas!⁣
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#bellewoodcottagebooks #toddlers #bookaday #bookreview #kidsbooks #giftguide #Christmasgift #readaloud #booksfortoddlers #giftsfortoddlers

New tutorial! Learn how to make these easy washi t

✨Have you seen Joanna Gaines' latest children's

✨Have you seen Joanna Gaines' latest children's book?! It's so sweet and inspirational. 😍 AND, I'm giving one away on my feed (one post back, just tag a friend to enter!)✨🎉⁣
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✨“We’re one of a kind, both you and me, and the world needs who we were made to be!” ⁣
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✨(Disclosure: Thank you to @tommynelsonbooks for providing me with a copy of this book to review and give away!)⁣
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✨The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be by Joanna Gaines and illustrated by Julianna Swaney ✨⁣
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#kidsbooks #reading #bookreview #readaloudrevival #yeskidsbookstagram #booksforkids #booksforbabies #readaloud #becauseofreading #booksofinstagram #homeschoollife #readtoyourkid #bellewoodcottagebooks #joannagaines⁣
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CLOSED! congrats @smilesaplenty I've sent you a DM

CLOSED! congrats @smilesaplenty I've sent you a DM! 💕 🎉 G I V E A W A Y 🎉 (disclosure: Thank you to @tommynelsonbooks for providing me with a copy of this new book to review and giveaway!)⁣
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✨Joanna Gaines has a NEW children’s book out—and it’s wonderful.⁣
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✨The World Needs Who You Were Made to Be by Joanna Gaines @joannagaines and illustrated by Julianna Swaney @julianna_swaney ✨⁣
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✨“We’re one of a kind, both you and me, and the world needs who we were made to be!”⁣
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🎉Enter the giveaway:⁣
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1 – follow @bellewoodcottage⁣
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2 – like this post⁣
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3 – comment & tag friends for entries!⁣
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✨As children gather together to build hot air balloons, we see that each one does things a little bit differently. Whether we work alone, together, take our time, or jump right in, we don’t all have to do things the same way to get amazing results. Through Joanna’s words and the beautiful illustrations of Julianna Swaney (which I absolutely love in this book—it’s like Fixer Upper for hot air balloons!) we see the possibilities and peace in coming together.✨⁣
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✨“We may not look or work or think the same, but we all have an important part to play.”⁣
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✨This book makes such a beautiful Christmas gift for the whole family. You’ll love reading it together! Suggested ages: 4-8. Follow @tommynelsonbooks for more great children's books!✨⁣
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🎉Giveaway open through Tuesday night 8 PM CST. See comments for fine print. ⁣
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#joannagaines #magnolia #tommynelson #theworldneedswhoyouweremadetobe #kidsbooks #bellewoodcottagebooks #childrensbook #readingisfun #kidlit #raiseareader #readaloudfamily #readalouds #readaloudbooks #picturebookaday #picturebooksaremyjam #picturebookblogger #kidsbookreviews #readwithyourkids #readaloud

I can't get enough of the cute little toddler dres

I can't get enough of the cute little toddler dresses this year. 😍 I'm limiting myself to a few key dresses we can use for daily wear (and not just family photos or the holidays), but I couldn't resist purchasing this adorable @oshkoshkids dress from @targetstyle. Now if only kids didn't grow so fast! 🤷

❄️A Better Than Anything Christmas: Explore Ho

❄️A Better Than Anything Christmas: Explore How Jesus Makes Christmas Better by Barbara Reaoch (Thanks to @thegoodbookcompanyusa for sharing this copy with me for review!) ⁣
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❄️It’s easy to be distracted during the season of Advent. This devotional is a great choice to focus our eyes back on Jesus. The publisher suggests the book for kids age 4-11, and I think that’s a good range, though if you have multiple kids, you could definitely bring along a 3 year old (or older kids too) as you read.⁣
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❄️The book is a black and white booklet you can engage with each day of Advent. Each day includes a four-part teaching, “Explore, Explain, Engage, and Enter In.” You’ll start with a Scripture reading, a few paragraphs of teaching, and then some questions. I like how there are two sets of questions included—one for the younger kids and one for the older kids. Finally, a time of prayer together. There’s also a family journaling space included after each entry so you could draw a picture, or write something, etc.⁣
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❄️A great devotional to engage together this Christmas! ⁣
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#advent #Christmas #devotional #familydevotions #family #Christmasbooks #booksforChristmas #reading #thegoodbookcompany #bellewoodcottagebooks #bookreview #kidsbooks

✨Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s Most Elu

✨Hoping for Happiness: Turning Life’s Most Elusive Feeling into Lasting Reality by Barnabas Piper (Thank you to The Good Book Company for providing me with a copy of this book for review!)⁣✨
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I always struggle to write book reviews for books that impacted me because I just want to share every sentence, paragraph, chapter…and well, for that, you can read the book. 😉⁣
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So, I’ll keep it short.⁣ Well, short-ish.
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First off, this book is easy to read. I appreciate a book that holds my attention and gets to the point quickly.⁣
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The book tackles a really important question. Is lasting happiness possible?⁣
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Barnabas talks through lots of important precursors (like chasing dreams, managing expectations, “evangeliguilt”, and the fall of man) that lead us towards answering the question. For the Christian, we not only have the chance to be happy because of our hope in Jesus, but also to find happiness in the good gifts God gives us on earth. This happiness for a Christian often does coexist with suffering or grief, which Barnabas covers, “In Jesus our happiness is deep and real, even as we face the troubles of life.”⁣
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I also love this following line and I think it sums up a good deal of what the book teaches: “The Bible reframes happiness for us by complexifying it. We tend to think of being happy or sad, but Scripture depicts a sort of happiness in the midst of sadness.”⁣
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Don’t miss the final four questions at the end! So good. ⁣
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#BarnabasPiper #thegoodbookcompany #Christianbooks #happiness #theology #Bible #reading #books #bellewoodcottagebooks

🦁 N E W 🦁 There’s a Lion in My Nativity! B

🦁 N E W 🦁 There’s a Lion in My Nativity! By Lizzie Laferton and Kim Barnes (Thank you to @thegoodbookcompanyusa for sharing this copy with me for review.)⁣
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🦁A creative rhyming spin on the familiar concept of a children’s Christmas play. A young girl (who is VERY pleased to be playing Mary!) is soon surprised by the appearance of confusing characters in *her* Christmas play.⁣
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🦁As different surprises appear (a tent, a phone, a lion, a nurse, and even a mop) we gain more understanding of who Jesus is and why He came. Soon enough, even the young girl playing Mary realizes that Jesus is truly the star of the show.⁣
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✨✨“I used to think I was the star—me alone.⁣
I never once asked why the manger’s a throne.⁣
But now I can see that it’s just the right thing.⁣
I’m not the star—it’s the Rescuing King.”✨✨⁣
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🦁I love the creativity and fun in this picture book. Most importantly, it places Jesus right where He belongs, at the center of Christmas.⁣
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🦁The end of the book includes a summary of each “surprise” that turns up in the manger and what it represents. Great conversation starter about what Christmas means. Kids 4-7.⁣
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#thegoodbookcompany #Christmasbooks #nativitybooks #LizzieLaferton ⁣#bellewoodcottagebooks #picturebookblogger #yeskidsbookstagram #kidsbooks #picturebooks #readingaloud #readtoyourkids #booksforpreschoolers

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