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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Ramblings by Nicole: Planetary Personalities *Review*

Ramblings by Nicole: Planetary Personalities *Review*: "'I'm an independent girl. No moon is in my life. He'd only follow me around..beg me to be his wife.' ~ Venus The entire Planetary Personali..."

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Characters Come to Life With Wikki Stix

Step by Step Instructions for the Planetary Personalities/Wikki Stix Project

Several people have requested that I post a more detailed description of the Planetary Personalities/Wikki Stix project that I originally posted on Sept. 3rd. So I decided to make a step-by-step video. Please feel free to share it with others!

Monday, October 4, 2010

Review of Planetary Personalities

Thank you so much to Louise Sattler for the kind words in her blog review of Planetary Personalities. Louis is a nationally certified school psychologist, owner of Signing Families, and host of The Louise Sattler Show - Where Learning Meets Laughter, (debuting this fall).

The following review can also be seen on Louise's blog at http://louisesattler.wordpress.com/reviews/.

"I know a lot of students who are not big fans of science. Astronomy can be fascinating and challenging at the same time! So many facts to remember. And what about all those revolutions around the sun! Well, author Jennifer Ulm is a fan of both children books and science which helped her to create a very clever introduction to astronomy to share with elementary students. Her use of poetry/prose to keep the attention span of children is very unique with a topic as difficult as science.

I must admit that I was engaged equally by the illustrations from Nata Metlukh as much as the story. Very bright pictures with the planets having faces that were so full of expression and matched the story perfectly.

This book also comes with a back story. Dedicated to the author’s eccentric and fun loving Uncle Jon who was both a friend and a role model for the written word. Also, it was a joy to read on their website www.ShoddyShirtBooks.com that a portion of the proceeds of this educational book goes back to the Reading is Fundamental Program!

This book is worth the price which is a very respectable $5.95 I would buy it in a heartbeat if I were an elementary school teacher who taught science. The activities and bonus information posted in the back of the book are features that makes the book well worth room on any school shelf!"

To order go to www.ShoddyShirtBooks.com

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Full Page Samples

Want to see more samples of Planetary Personalities? Click here to see a full page preview of the misunderstood and sometimes cranky Mars, and the clever, mysterious Uranus, (my personal favorite!).
Ordering is available through our main website at www.shoddyshirtbooks.com.

Friday, October 1, 2010

Tell a Gal Pal About Domestic Violence

The following is not related to children's books, but I felt compelled to post my story for this important cause. Please “like” the Facebook page and pledge to Tell a Gal Pal about domestic violence to help raise $20,000 to be donated to the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

I suppose I always thought of domestic violence as something that happens between spouses, or adult couples at least. It wasn't until I heard about this campaign, "Tell a Gal Pal" that I started thinking about my own experiences with domestic violence throughout a two-year relationship during my teens. I think domestic violence among teen couples is probably more prevalent than most of us would like to believe.

Think about the insecurity and self-doubt that runs rampant in those formidable years. I remember feeling crippled by my own lack of confidence. So when that one person came along, the one who was interested in me, I dove in head first. My own doubts about self worth, and the overwhelming desire to have someone love me, were the qualities that made me the perfect target for someone to exercise control.

Most of the happy moments from those two years have been conveniently blocked out of my memory. But I still remember plenty of the negative. I remember it starting with the typical jealousy syndrome. I began, at his urging, to cut out long time friends from my life. He wanted me to stop wearing makeup and dress in loose fitted clothing. If another boy looked at me, I was the one to blame. If I worked too late at the local grocery store, then obviously I was cheating. Once, while sitting in his car, waiting for him to finish rummaging through a junk yard for car parts, he came back to discover his car battery was dead. He accused me of draining the battery by turning on the radio, (which I had not done). Refusing to believe me, and becoming more enraged by the moment because I wouldn't confess, he threw a lug nut at my torso and wrapped his grease filled hands around my neck. Apparently I didn't wipe it off completely because later that day, my manager asked how I got grease stains on my neck, and of course I quickly came up with a cover story.

The worse things escalated, the better I got at hiding them from others. Trying to escape through the passenger car door, and being pulled back in by my hair. A slap across the face. Being picked up by my throat, pinned up against a wall, feet dangling. No one ever knew. Actually, I take that back. His parents knew. His mother caught him twice. But why didn't she do anything? Why didn't I do anything? As I'm writing this, I realize that I'm still angry after 20 years! Angry at him. Angry at his mom. Angry at myself!

So the million dollar question has always been: Why did you stay? There is no clear answer to that. Anyone who has been the victim of domestic violence will tell you that it's a difficult concept to verbalize. Mainly because there's no real logic behind it. Perhaps it's because one is focused on the other person's potential instead of their reality, imprisoned by the fleeting moments of charisma and tenderness that occur between the rage. Maybe it's the flawed logic that they do these things because they care for you so much that it drives them mad. When you're a person who is struggling with self worth issues, that is a powerful weapon in the abuser's arsenal; the thought that you're worth having so much that it makes another person crazy.

Luckily for me, I did get out. I'm not sure why or how. Somewhere at a fork in the road, I got a glimpse of two very different futures. One that was terrifying, and the other that was full of fun, friends and self respect. It wasn't easy to make the break. (The police had to be involved a couple of times.) But once I was free, I never looked back.

Years later, when I was newly engaged to my now husband, we were joking around and pushing each other playfully. At one point my feet were close together, so I didn't have a solid stance. He pushed me on the shoulder, and I lost my balance. As I crashed into the side table next to our couch, I simultaneously started laughing and crying. It was the weirdest sensation. It was funny because we were just teasing with each other. But something visceral welled up inside of me and brought me mentally back to age 16. It was a horrible feeling, and I felt terrible that it had crept it's way back into my happy adult life. I guess it goes to show you that those things are never truly wiped out of one's psyche.

So do I have any advice? I suppose the best defense against domestic violence is to try your best to raise your kids with awareness about the topic and try to arm them with as much self confidence and self worth as possible. Having said that, my parents tried their best to instill those things in me as well. Sometimes those insecurity characteristics are just an innate part of someone's personality, such as mine. Thankfully, I outgrew them. But there are a few signs you can look for: Is your child beginning to cut friends out of her life? Is she making changes to her appearance? Is the time she spends with her boyfriend affecting the quality of time spent with family? Do you hear a constant apologetic tone in her voice when she's talking on the phone? Those are just a few off the top of my head, and I'm sure there are plenty of other signs that are not coming to mind at the moment. Please feel free to respond to this post if you have other suggestions or comments.

I wrote this blog post while participating in The Allstate Foundation’s Tell a Gal Pal blogging program with TwitterMoms, making me eligible to get an interview with Cheryl Burke. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Social Media Schizophrenia

Six months ago I thought that Facebook was the the summit of social networking. And, although I still love FB, I've recently started expanding my social media horizons in effort to promote my book. Now those horizons are expanding at such a rapid pace that is difficult to keep up! Even now as I'm typing this blog post, I'm toggling between 7 open tabs that are constantly being updated with new information. I've been in front of the computer since I woke up this morning, (come to think of it, I haven't even brushed my teeth yet!). Yuck - I'll do that right after this post...


I'm finding that Twitter is both my nemesis and best friend. It is taking some time to get used to typing in text-style shorthand in order to fit my thoughts into the word limit. Even when I text on my phone I type "you" instead of "U". But the bigger challenge is trying to absorb all the great resources out there. It's a network in the truest sense of the word - a zillion branches connecting new people to each other every nano second. I'm constantly finding new people to follow, while also realizing that obtaining my own followers is going to be a much longer process than I anticipated. I'm learning to be more patient with that progression.


Then there's the reciprocity involved in social media. I'm more than happy to retweet, repost, and relink all the great content out there. Finding the time to do it is where I struggle. Hmmm.... I wonder if there is a time management class specifically for social networking? (Most likely there is!)


I'm in awe of the people who have successful Blogs/FB/Twitter/Etc. all linked together harmoniously, and still find the time to respond to and promote others. I am aspiring toward that level of mastery - but until then, please excuse my social media schizophrenia. :)

Friday, September 24, 2010

A Few Excerpts From Planetary Personalities

"I like being different from all the rest, it's just how I was made.
I like to rotate backwards, I call it retrograde.
I'm an independent girl. No moon is in my life.
He'd only follow me around...Beg me to be his wife."
                                                                               - Venus

"I'm the ONLY planet where things are known to live.
Want to know my secret? It's the water that I give.
More than HALF of me is water, in the liquid form.
And just a few clouds in the sky keep me nice and warm."
                                                                              - Earth

"I have two tiny little moons that look over my shoulder.
And I don't have those greenhouse clouds so I am much, much colder.
I may look mean and angry, but I'm really a nice guy.
Except when CRAZY METEORS come flying through the sky!"
                                                                               - Mars

"I THINK I have a rocky core. I really can't be certain.
It's hard to find a single thing under this gassy curtain.
I'm not quite sure if my red spot has been here since my birth.
All I know is it's a storm three times the size of Earth."
                                                                               - Jupiter

Visit http://www.shoddyshirtbooks.com/ to order your copy today!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Copy Cat Promo!

Okay, I'll admit it - I'm copying the 40% off Wikki Stix promotion. But they had such a great response, so I thought, what the heck! I received a notice that they are going to extend their 40% promotion through September 30th, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon!

Place your Wikki Stix order at http://www.wikkistix.com/, using coupon code BTS24, then send me an email at jen@shoddyshirtbooks.com to let me know you've placed your order. Then I'll send you a coupon code for 40% off Planetary Personalities!

40% off both products! And you'll have everything you need to complete the solar system project from my September 3rd blog post. (Scroll down for project pictures & instructions) Hurry! Offer ends September 30th!

Book Review

Are you a blogger on a parenting or educational site? Would you like to review my book? Send me a message at jen@shoddyshirtbooks.com if you're interested!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

See Jupiter Tonight!

Jupiter is the closest to the Earth since 1963. You can see it in tonight's sky by looking for the brightest object nearest to the moon. If you have a telescope or a good pair of binoculars, you can also see four of Jupiter's biggest moons! If you have a clear sky in your neck of the woods tonight, don't miss out this opportunity to see our biggest planet!

Did you know? Jupiter's red spot is a storm three times the size of Earth! Get your copy of Planetary Personalities and learn lots of other tidbits of trivia about all the planets!


Also, scroll down to see my post from Sept. 3rd for a fun family project, using Wikki Stix to create the planets!

Friday, September 17, 2010

Planetary Personalities is a Hit with Homeschoolers!

Thanks to The Homeschooler's Notebook for posting our Wikki Stix/Planetary Personalities project in their weekly newsletter. The response from homeschoolers around the U.S. was immediate! We shipped out copies of the book along with the educational standards it meets for each individual state within the subject of science. If you are a homeschooler and would like to subscribe to The Homeschooler's Notebook newsletter, visit their website at http://www.familyclassroom.net/!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Hurry! Offer Ends at Noon on Sept. 16th!

I just got word of a Wikki Stix promotion, offering 40% off online orders! Use it for the Planetary Personalities project or a million other things! They're reusable, non-toxic and promote endless creative opportunities. The offer is good through 12:00 noon PT on Thursday, Sept. 16th. Enter promo code BTS24 during checkout to receive your 40% off.

More Project Photos

Our friend's son, Mason, really got into the Wikki Stix/Planetary Personalities project. Here are a couple of his characters brought to life - Venus & Mars. He even added the meteors hurling toward Mars! (Scroll down to see Earth & Saturn from my Sept. 3rd post!)

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Class Favorite




This is a picture of Ms. Dickman's
2nd grade classroom at Luke Elementary
last school year.


They had a book review, and the students
picked Planetary Personalities as their favorite!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Ezine Article

Please click on the link below to check out my latest Ezine Article titled Kids Crave Structure.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Kids-Crave-Structure&id=4960994

Friday, September 3, 2010

Planetary Personalities Characters Come To Life!

My box of Wikki Stix just came in the mail yesterday, and I couldn't wait to start building some Planetary Personalities characters with them. I started with Earth. First I wrapped some blue Wikki Stix around a golf ball. Next I added some continents and facial features, but I didn't like the way it looked. It was too bulky, and everything was resting on top of the ocean instead of within it. So I disassembled it, leaving the pieces I liked together. (That's the best part about this project - since Wikki Stix are reusable, mistakes aren't final!) On my second try, I put the continents and facial features on first, then filled in the gaps with the blue ocean. Not too bad for a beginner's effort!

Next I created Saturn, but this time I used Glow-in-the-Dark Wikki Stix! Whenever I read the book to groups of kids, they all "oooh & aaahhh" over Saturn's beautiful colors. Learning from my first attempt, I put the facial features on first, then wound multiple colors around the golf ball until it was covered. For the rings, I attached one Wikki Stix to the back, then attached multiple colors end to end so that they spiraled around Saturn's body. All that was left to do was plug in a blacklight and watch Saturn shine!

If you would like to try this project, here's where you can get the materials:
Planetary Personalities, a fun rhyming story about the characteristics of the planets in our solar system: http://www.shoddyshirtbooks.com/
Wikki Stix, the One-of-a-Kind Creatables: http://www.wikkistix.com/ (Use coupon code MB24 during checkout, and receive 25% off your total order!)

Monday, August 30, 2010

Links

I've added a few website links in the right column. These are people, companies or organizations who have in some way supported or helped to promote Shoddy Shirt Books. Whether they partnered with me for a book signing event, or simply placed a link to my website on their page, I truly appreciate their participation in helping me spread the word about Planetary Personalities!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Online Store for Planetary Personalities

Our main web page with information about the first release, Planetary Personalities, and other upcoming books is a page that requires Flash. You can download flash directly from the intro page of our website at http://www.shoddyshirtbooks.com/. If you experience any difficulty with this, you can use this direct link to the ordering page: www.ShoddyShirtBooks.com/store.

Fabulous Product!

I can't believe I've just recently discovered this product when it's been around for years! I wish I would have known about it before I published the activity suggestions in Planetary Personalities. How cute would it be for students to make planets out of Wikki Stix?! The best part is that they can be reused.   


Teachers: they offer a Back to School Economy Pack for just $15.95. It includes 528 eight-inch Wikki Stix and idea sheets! I'm ordering mine! Oh, I almost forgot, they're also offering a 25% discount off your total order if you enter in the promotional code MB24 during checkout. This promotion is a word-of-mouth thing, so pass it around!


Here's the website: http://www.wikkistix.com/

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Back to School

Summer break is over, and although I had a blast hosting a summer camp for 10 kids, I'm happy to be back to a normal routine. I'm looking forward to a school year filled with guest reading events and new adventures in promoting my book!

Friday, May 14, 2010

I Saw Saturn!!!














There was a great turn-out for the Astronomy Night at Vistancia, which was hosted by local astronomy experts Tony & Carole LaConte. They were nice enough to lend me 15 minutes of presentation time to read Planetary Personalities to the crowd. After sunset, we all gathered around their multiple telescopes. I was able to see a clear view of Saturn - rings and all! It was amazing! They do many events and educational outreach programs throughout the Phoenix area.

Please check them out at http://www.stargazingforeveryone.com/.

More Upcoming Events for Story Time & Book Signings

Friday, May 14th - Astronomy Night @ Vistancia
Saturday, May 22nd - Science Saturday @ The Spot Museum in Prescott
Saturday, May 29th - Family Fun Day @ The Challenger Space Center in Glendale

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Astronomy Night @ Vistancia - Friday, May 14th

The Vistancia Community is hosting an Astronomy Night on Friday, May 14th from 7:30PM - 10:00PM. The event is FREE and open to the public. And who knows.... maybe there will be a story time for kids featuring Planetary Personalities! Check out the link below for more information about the event.
http://www.vistancia.com/news/20100514.1.shtml

Thursday, April 29, 2010

All our local marketing efforts have been pretty successful, and the response to Planetary Personalities has been really great. But in order to be seen on a larger literary stage, our small publishing company will need some help. We've submitted the book to a literary agent who specializes in children's books. We probably won't hear any news back for months because they get over 6,000 submissions each year. But we're crossing our fingers that they like it enough to take us on as a client. Wish us luck!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Coming Soon!

Shoddy Shirt Books would like to announce that the next release in our science series will be As a MATTER of Fact. Atom and his sister molecule demonstrate the different states of matter and give a brief introduction to the periodic table. Production will begin this summer!

"When you put us in the freezer, we're a solid block of ice.
And when we get so cold, cuddling is nice.
But if it gets much warmer, we don't like to be so tight.
We need to move apart before we start to fight."

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, April 28th:
Come out for Kid's Night at the Applebee's on Bell & Grand in Surprise. Kids eat free on Wednesdays with the purchase of an adult meal. I'll be doing book signings from 4:00PM - 7:00PM in the front lobby area.


Saturday, May 1st:
I'll be out at the Goodyear City Market from 8:00AM - Noon. This is the last city market of the season, so come out and see all the vendors. Located at the spring training facilities in Goodyear, SE corner of Estrella Pkwy. & Yuma.