Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gifts. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Unbroken

Has anyone else read this book? Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand who also wrote Seabiscuit. It was seriously good. So, so good. It was a bit tough for me to read at times due to the graphic descriptions, but that's what brought the story to life. It's history. It's a true story. This stuff really happened. The story stirred up all of my emotions - sadness, anxiety, excitement, pride, sorrow, disgust, anger, awe, joy, frustration, love. The list could go on. The ending is what surprised me the most and was what made me love the book even more. I definitely recommend it and plan on reading it again one day.

Here's the book description from Amazon:

On a May afternoon in 1943, an Army Air Forces bomber crashed into the Pacific Ocean and disappeared, leaving only a spray of debris and a slick of oil, gasoline, and blood. Then, on the ocean surface, a face appeared. It was that of a young lieutenant, the plane’s bombardier, who was struggling to a life raft and pulling himself aboard. So began one of the most extraordinary odysseys of the Second World War.

The lieutenant’s name was Louis Zamperini. In boyhood, he’d been a cunning and incorrigible delinquent, breaking into houses, brawling, and fleeing his home to ride the rails. As a teenager, he had channeled his defiance into running, discovering a prodigious talent that had carried him to the Berlin Olympics and within sight of the four-minute mile. But when war had come, the athlete had become an airman, embarking on a journey that led to his doomed flight, a tiny raft, and a drift into the unknown.

Ahead of Zamperini lay thousands of miles of open ocean, leaping sharks, a foundering raft, thirst and starvation, enemy aircraft, and, beyond, a trial even greater. Driven to the limits of endurance, Zamperini would answer desperation with ingenuity; suffering with hope, resolve, and humor; brutality with rebellion. His fate, whether triumph or tragedy, would be suspended on the fraying wire of his will.

In her long-awaited new book, Laura Hillenbrand writes with the same rich and vivid narrative voice she displayed in Seabiscuit. Telling an unforgettable story of a man’s journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit.

If you're still trying to figure out a gift for your dad for Father's Day, this would be perfect. I bought a copy for both my dad and father-in-law.

Has anyone read Seabiscuit? Thoughts? I'm always looking for a good book to read, especially during the summer months when I have a little more time on my hands.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Father's Day Gift: "Dad, I love you to pieces!"

This sweet Father's Day project turned out so cute! I can't wait for the fathers of my students to get this gift. You still have time to make this with your class (if you're still in school like me) or with your kiddos for their dad. Here's what you need...

Supplies:
paper and markers for your kid(s) to make a sign
camera
plastic picture frame (The Dollar Store had a few different options, but if you're looking for 30 or so for a class, I ordered mine on Walmart.com)
a puzzle (got mine from The Dollar Store)
hot glue


How To:
I mean, this is pretty self explanatory, but just incase you're really sleepy or something here's what I did...

Have your kids make a fun sign that says, "Daddy, I love you to pieces!" Make sure that they write big enough so that you can see the sign when the picture is printed off. Take a picture. Once you've got your photo in hand, place it in the frame.

Carefully use the hot glue to place the pieces around the frame. Go back and add a couple more puzzle pieces to add dimension, texture, and fill in any gaps along the frame. One thing to make sure of - when you are gluing the puzzle pieces along the bottom part of the frame, make sure that they do not hang over. Otherwise, the frame will not stand up.






Let me know how yours turns out or if you have any other Father's Day ideas. I'm always looking for cute crafts to do with my students!