Dinner. Dessert. Bath. Books. Bed.

That is Iris’ routine almost every night. Just like most kids her age, Iris is a big lover of books. I was also an avid (more like obsessed) reader as a kid. In elementary school you would usually find me reading in a corner instead of playing on the playground. When there was a reading competition to see who could read the most pages, I usually won it. As I grew up, I drifted away from my daily book escape and now that I’m a mom I rarely make time to do the thing that I once loved so much. As Iris gets older, I’m more aware of that than ever so I try to instill a routine of daily reading with her.

Last month was an especially kind book month for us. First, I finally received my big Christmas present from my mom. She found a book that I wrote back when I was in sixth or seventh grade (apparently I was an avid writer too), called Galigore and Humfree. My mom hired an illustrator and actually got my book printed!

The illustrations are by Elizabeth Arnold of Neon Glittery and the story is by yours truly. The characters that I created in Galigore and Humfree were drawn to life, as were their magical adventures. I had totally forgotten about their story, so when I got my bound copy it was like reading it for the first time. While I don’t expect this to be a New York Times best seller (sorry folks, only a few copies were made), I love that I have this lost treasure forever and can share it with Iris. By her request, we’ve already read it before bed a few times, even though includes a bit of scary dragon slaying.

Second, Iris was lucky enough to receive a copy of Mailbox Monster, which is a kids’ book available on Amazon. It’s as cute as it is sweet and, as a mom who is often tired in the evenings, the perfect length to add to our bedtime routine. It’s light-hearted and great for kids who are preschool age, like Iris. The author and illustrator, Cynthia Stuker, happens to live in Northwest Arkansas too and was nice enough to send two extra copies for me to give away. Check out my Instagram for details or, if you don’t win, visit Amazon to purchase your very own copy.

Here’s to making more time for reading!