Spring Shopping Spree Suggestions from the Word Nerd
If you are anything like me, you use your Amazon cart as a wish list. If I see something I like on Instagram, I slide it into my shopping cart… so that when my birthday or Mother’s Day (both just around the corner!) pop up… I’ve got gift ideas ready to roll out! In case you are also in the mood for a spring shopping spree, here are a few items that have caught my eye.
Teacher-y Items
Mini LCD Writing Tablet
Use these for Brain Break Trivia instead of the paper answer sheets, for a review, to level up sentence diagramming, for mindfulness meditation drawing or a hundred other things.
Writing Dice
Shake up your writing prompts with these fun creative writing dice. In addition to inspiring stories they are also a great tool to use for reviewing story elements!
Word Yahtzee
Family Word Game Version of Yahtzee for 2 or More Players, Ages 8+
Perfect for indoor recess, fun stations, incentive day activities, and fast finishers Word Yahtzee is a fun word play game that will both challenge and stretch your students’ word prowess. ($15)
Books
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano
This one is purely for fun. It’s the fourth book in the Finlay Donovan series and I’m listening to it right now. If you love mom-humor, romantic comedies, cozy who-dun-it murder mysteries, and sassy female heroines, you are going to LOVE this series. I especially love it because the main character is an author and I can relate to her writing-world related struggles and triumphs. (Lots of laughs and tiny bits of steamy scenes, but nothing over the top.)
A quick blurb: Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help and no one else to ask except Finlay. Grab your copy here.
Wild Dark Shore
by Charlotte McConaghy
Thrillers aren’t usually on my to-read list, but something about this one keeps pulling me back to it saying… maybe?!?! If one of you try it, let me know what you think and then maybe I’l have the courage to dive in!
Here’s a bit from the Amazon description: Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore. Wild Dark Shore is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears. Head here to get yours and start reading!
There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift
by Kevin Evers
As both a Swifty and someone who geeks out about marketing and brand building, I can’t wait to get my hands on this book. :) The Amazon blurb has this to say about it: A smart, page-turning exploration of the business and creative decisions that transformed Taylor Swift into an unprecedented modern cultural phenomenon. Mixing business and art, analysis and narrative, and pulling from research in innovation, creativity, psychology, and strategy, There's Nothing Like This presents Swift as the modern and multidimensional superstar that she is—a songwriting savant and a strategic genius. Grab your copy here.
Olivetti
I’m about a third of the way into this one and am already in love with it. I mean, Tom Hanks blurbed it… and it’s touted that fans of Kate DiCamillo and Peter Brown will love it… so how could I not?!?!? A missing mom, a typewriter that talks back and a boy with a big (shame-inducing) mysterious event in his past are all pulling me along, one chapter at a time. I can’t wait to share this book as a First Chapter Friday on my YouTube channel later this month, along with an interview from the author! Get your copy now so you are ready to roll and then stay tuned! To get your copy today and start reading, just click here.
Home Decor
Basketball Bookends
This item could actually fit into several categories and I can see them working well in a classroom or a kiddo’s bedroom. That second reason is why I chose to saved them. My youngest is a ball playing book lover and these will be a great birthday present for him in August. (Hence, the SAVE TO CART action.) Click here to shop and get yours.
Clear Book Holders
The same can be said about these clear book holders. I’m actually going to get two sets… one for my house and one for my book display table when I’m selling at book and vendor events. Grab some for your classroom and home here.
Don’t Quit Sign
If I didn’t travel between classrooms I might have to get two of these as well… one for school and another for my home office. Some days we all need the reminder to hang in there and this neon visual might help both us and our students! (Size: 10” x 17”) Pick out your color preference and add it to your cart here.
Cold Plunge Tub
This item isn’t really home decor, but it’s the best category available at the moment. Last summer my husband and I got into cold plunging… but right at the end of the summer our $100 cloth-sided plunge pool got a hole. We haven’t replaced it yet, but I’d love to… with this upgraded hard-sided version. It’s a splurge… which is probably why we haven’t done it yet… but maybe with our tax refund!?!?! Summer is coming… and hopefully soon I’ll be ready to cold plunge again! Check it out and learn more here.
Fashion
Embroidered Daisy Cropped Bomber Jacket
This item might be more of a splurge, but it’s just SO pretty and it feels perfect for spring. There are tons different colors and patterns so you can pick the one that best fits your personality. Start shopping here. ($54)
Flowy Skirt
Women's Metallic Shiny Maxi Skirts Lightweight Silky Flowy Skirt for Summer Beach Holiday
I feel like I could dress this skirt up or down and no matter what, it would be fun for the summer. A wedding, a brunch, a date night … so many options. :) It comes in a bunch of different colors, but I thought this burgundy one could look good with black, white or tan… so I think it’s the one I’m going to get. I can’t wait for it to be warm enough to uncover my ankles and wear sandals again! ($20) Click here to see all the colors!
Hooded Vest
The vest I own I my husband actually bought for himself… but when it showed up in an accidentally ordered kids’ size, it became mine. It’s nice, but not exactly a women’s cut. I thought that this one looked both cute and comfy, so when I’m ready to hand-me-down my current vest to my youngest son, I’m going to order this one on purpose. :) Again, there are lots of color combos available! Shop here. ($32)
Trendy Jeans
BestGirl Women's Baggy Jeans Pull On Stretchy Loose High Waisted Wide Leg Denim Pants Y2K 90s
How do we even buy jeans anymore?!!? What is in style? What feels good? What won’t make me look old or feel like an overstuffed manicotti shell? I don’t know if these jeans are the answer, but I’m going to give them a try. They come in a variety of colors, so if they both look and feel good, I might go back for a second pair… or a third… ??? Click here to check out all of the options. ($33)
Okay! That’s it!
Happy Shopping my Friends!
~ Amanda