#Jenny Prater

[patheticbatman]

Part One

I’m very proud of these dolls, and I’m also leaving them at my parents’ house, so I did a little photoshoot with some books as background so I can have nice pictures of them.

Each book is one that is based on their fairy tale, they exist in some form in that universe, or I genuinely think that character would read it. It cannot be their origin book.

Also, they ALL have to be books I have read. If the other books are more like companion books though, then I disregard that rule. They cannot share series either.

First up is Snow White with Fairest, by Gail Carson Levine. Funnily enough, I read this book before Ella Enchanted. I love it though! I always remember the singing and weird-reading-to-make-the-audience-laugh game :).

Second is Cinderella with Cinderella is Dead, by Kaylynn Bayron, and a little toy dog, because the Disney version has a dog. It’s a wonderfully revolutionary and queer take on a world that supposedly worships Cinderella, but actually uses her memory as an oppressive tool. Like an unwilling martyr.

Third is Alice with After Alice by Gregory Maguire (the dude who wrote Wicked). I have other Alice in Wonderland adaptions, but I haven’t enjoyed the others like this one. If you like ratfics, you may enjoy After Alice.

Fourth is Wendy with Peter and the Sword of Mercy, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson. I debated on whether to do the first book of this series or not, but Wendy only appears in this book, so I leaned toward this one instead. Out of all my Peter Pan adaption books, I like my one about Hook as a boy in Eton best. But only Wendy’s dad appears in that, and I don’t think she would read it, so I went with this series instead. I wrote a book report about the story set in the desert Kingdom when I was like 9, I loved it a lot.

Fifth is Aurora with While Beauty Sleeps, by Elizabeth Blackwell. It’s an inventive take that I enjoyed quite a bit. Explores how expectations can be used in your favor, etc.

Sixth is Eilonwy, with The Princess, The Crone and the Dung-Cart Knight, by Gerald Morris. I know The Black Cauldron is based on a book series, but I’ve only read a snippet, and I don’t have a copy of any of the stories anyway. So she gets to have a late - Arthurian novel.

Seventh is Ariel (she has six sisters so this pleases me) with The Hothouse Princesses by S. A. Hemstock. The author wrote some of the best Steven Universe fanfic, so I bought her first published story when it came out. Idk how it isn’t a bigger hit - it’s about a princess who was raised by peasants, gets discovered, wants to go back, and instead gets shunted off to a misogynistic, colonialistic, colorist princess finishing school, where she finds out some serious conspiracy shit about fairy godmothers. Anyway, Ariel often felt oppressed by her dad and curious about the Human world, so I imagine it would catch her eye.

Eighth is Belle with Lindworm, by Jenny Prater. Coincidentally, this is another case of me reading a superb fanfic writer’s work (Batfam this time) and instantly snapping up their OG work. I have a book of short stories that had a more direct BATB parallel story, but I was trying to stick with Novels. In any case, this is the story of the maiden who married the Lindworm, and what the Royal family does once they have to reckon with the nations of the dead princesses.

Ninth is Jasmine with the School for Good and Evil, by Soman Chainini. Her character really only appears in the prequel, but I wanted to acknowledge this really great series properly. I read the entire thing this summer, and I love its thematic approaches. In any case, I feel like this series’ approach to beauty, freedom and other dichotomies would pique her interest.

Tenth, we have Gabriella (Ariel’s mermaid BFF) and her Sign Language interpreter Olly. I have her human form. Anyway, I decided she might enjoy Wonderstruck, by Brian Selznick. It has Deaf characters and lots to show about the Human World, which I supposed she might enjoy. I found it quite interesting as a kid, and like with all the other Selznick books I own, I used to color all the hair, clothes and eyes in, lol. Listen. I had a lot of time on my hand and consistent access to Sharpies XD.

I’ll link the other parts to here when I post them!

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

[konglindorm]

Shards with some copies of the source material.

“When Gerda's neighbor and childhood friend disappears into the Mississippi, she refuses to believe he's dead. A spontaneous rescue mission leads her to a strange new land, full of fairies, trolls, and talking flowers. To find her friend, she must travel through this land, to a palace at the top of the world. But reaching the palace is only the beginning-she has to get him home again, too.”

Shards of Glass will be released on September 26, with preorders opening in early August.

[iowriteswords]

So many projects going on right now, so I thought I’d do a quick update.

Shards of Glass: novel written under the name Jenny Prater, about a girl crossing fairyland in search of her missing friend. Based on The Snow Queen. Coming out September 26, preorders open now, working on lots of promo stuff.

When Pinioned Birds Take Flight: currently ongoing Batfic.

Who Shall Make the Clown Laugh?: upcoming fic, fully written, will be shared in a few weeks, 1ch, 11k, follows Earth 3 Talon!Dick and Duela Dent.

On that note, the Duela Dent blog series that’s sort of on hold for now, but will pick up again.

Bird and Bee: upcoming fic following Earth 3 Talon!Jason at his new home in Earth 11, currently working on chapter 4 out of an estimated 5.

Untitled Talon!Cass and Lady Shiva story, currently in very early planning stages.

The Shoemaker Prince: this short story collection came out 2 years ago, but I’m currently putting the finishing touches on a second edition. The plan was originally just to reformat and correct some errors in the text, but the reformatting dramatically decreased the page count, so I ended up adding 3 more stories.

When the War Ends: my current novel which I set aside at 65k to focus on Pinioned, but I’m definitely gonna get back to it soon.

Take Off Your Happy Face: fic following Harley and Tim in Joker Junior aftermath, was supposed to be my next fic project, after finishing When the War Ends, then Pinioned, then another novel, but somehow it’s happening now.

Silence: the aforementioned another novel, about a mermaid; I’m 12 chapters in but have set it aside until finishing at least When the War Ends and Pinioned.

Untitled Flightless Birds part 4: I’ve written a few scenes for this, but it’s mostly a project for later. However, I’ve had to do a lot of outlining for it already because it takes place in the main flightless birds world at the same time as Pinioned, so timelines have to match up since Tim is making phone calls into the Pinioned world. Currently brainstorming for titles including words flight, flown, flying, etc. Will feature new characters including Bart, Kara, and maybe Sin.

[batbcomic]

A link to Jenny Prater’s essay on transformation in Beauty and the Beast type tales, in six parts (In reverse chronological order, so start at the bottom and work your way back up!). Some lovely insight into Villeneuve as well as tales like East o’ the Sun West o’ the Moon and King Lindworm!

[ionalottabookmarks]

[janicecpitts]

Calvert County Maryland Early Voting Hollywood

Contents

Long-range planner jenny plummer-welker

County maryland property

Search saint marys city calvert

Travel channel blog.

Jobsource mobile career

County public library

QuickFacts UNITED STATES. QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.

These were among reports received by the Calvert County Sheriff … another vehicle theft from early February. St. Mary’s County These were among reports received by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s …

Bringing you breaking news, sports, entertainment, opinion, weather and more from Baltimore, Maryland. Light for all.

The Calvert County Planning Commission agreed to go forward … Members Richard Holler and Maria Buehler opposed the change. Kernan did not vote. County long-range planner jenny plummer-welker said …

Calvert County Maryland Elections Hollywood Calvert county maryland property search saint marys city calvert County Maryland Board Of Elections Lexington Park PRATER, Denzil F. Age, 48, of Crestline, Ohio, formerly

[—–], B. Letter, 20 April 1864. Accession 50594. 4 pages. Letter, 20 April 1864, from B. [—–], hospital, 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, in Louisa County, Virginia, to his wife, possibly in North Carolina, regarding his work in the 2nd Corps hospital in Louisa County, noting one patient with smallpox, and commenting that the overall number of sick in the hospital is down.

Calvert County Maryland Beaches California Find the world’s best beaches for hunting seashells with Roam, the travel channel blog. These were among reports received by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office

Even when tax revenue is scarce, lawmakers rarely ask a key question before they vote on education budgets … in school systems nationwide found a surprising result: Manassas Park and Calvert County …

Matt Bennett registered to vote as a Democrat when he got his driver … Bennett attributes his early activism to his parents’ involvement in the Calvert County Democratic Central Committee and …

Calvert County Maryland Schools Great Mills St. Mary’s County, MD public high schools and St. Mary’s County, MD private high schools are listed below with information to help you choose the

CACM Inside Risks Here is a collection of the recent Inside Risks columns articles from the Communications of the ACM, plus some selected earlier columns that are particularly important. Reuse for commercial purposes is subject to CACM and author copyright policy.. Following the clickable table of contents, these columns are given in REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

March 1, 2019. Based on a nationwide vote, the 2019 March Public Forum topic is, Resolved: The United Nations should grant India permanent membership on the Security Council. A total of 426 coaches and 982 students voted for the resolution.

Sponsored by the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contribution in partnership with St. Mary’s County Health Department, the session will include information about screenings and early … by the …

Calvert County Maryland Jobs Leonardtown jobsource mobile career Center Free help with employment and reemployment. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Charles county public library, P.D. Brown Branch, 50 village st., Waldorf. 301-645-2864.

which ranked No. 10 ($106,870); Montgomery County, Md., which ranked No. 17 ($103,178); Stafford County, Va., which ranked No. 18 ($103,105); Prince William County,Va., which ranked No. 19 ($101,059); …

via Check This Out More Resources

[skilltradecontractor]

Calvert County Maryland Early Voting Hollywood

Contents

Long-range planner jenny plummer-welker

County maryland property

Search saint marys city calvert

Travel channel blog.

Jobsource mobile career

County public library

QuickFacts UNITED STATES. QuickFacts provides statistics for all states and counties, and for cities and towns with a population of 5,000 or more.

These were among reports received by the Calvert County Sheriff … another vehicle theft from early February. St. Mary’s County These were among reports received by the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s …

Bringing you breaking news, sports, entertainment, opinion, weather and more from Baltimore, Maryland. Light for all.

The Calvert County Planning Commission agreed to go forward … Members Richard Holler and Maria Buehler opposed the change. Kernan did not vote. County long-range planner jenny plummer-welker said …

Calvert County Maryland Elections Hollywood Calvert county maryland property search saint marys city calvert County Maryland Board Of Elections Lexington Park PRATER, Denzil F. Age, 48, of Crestline, Ohio, formerly

[—–], B. Letter, 20 April 1864. Accession 50594. 4 pages. Letter, 20 April 1864, from B. [—–], hospital, 2nd Corps, Army of Northern Virginia, in Louisa County, Virginia, to his wife, possibly in North Carolina, regarding his work in the 2nd Corps hospital in Louisa County, noting one patient with smallpox, and commenting that the overall number of sick in the hospital is down.

Calvert County Maryland Beaches California Find the world’s best beaches for hunting seashells with Roam, the travel channel blog. These were among reports received by the Calvert County Sheriff’s Office

Even when tax revenue is scarce, lawmakers rarely ask a key question before they vote on education budgets … in school systems nationwide found a surprising result: Manassas Park and Calvert County …

Matt Bennett registered to vote as a Democrat when he got his driver … Bennett attributes his early activism to his parents’ involvement in the Calvert County Democratic Central Committee and …

Calvert County Maryland Schools Great Mills St. Mary’s County, MD public high schools and St. Mary’s County, MD private high schools are listed below with information to help you choose the

CACM Inside Risks Here is a collection of the recent Inside Risks columns articles from the Communications of the ACM, plus some selected earlier columns that are particularly important. Reuse for commercial purposes is subject to CACM and author copyright policy.. Following the clickable table of contents, these columns are given in REVERSE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER.

March 1, 2019. Based on a nationwide vote, the 2019 March Public Forum topic is, Resolved: The United Nations should grant India permanent membership on the Security Council. A total of 426 coaches and 982 students voted for the resolution.

Sponsored by the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contribution in partnership with St. Mary’s County Health Department, the session will include information about screenings and early … by the …

Calvert County Maryland Jobs Leonardtown jobsource mobile career Center Free help with employment and reemployment. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Charles county public library, P.D. Brown Branch, 50 village st., Waldorf. 301-645-2864.

which ranked No. 10 ($106,870); Montgomery County, Md., which ranked No. 17 ($103,178); Stafford County, Va., which ranked No. 18 ($103,105); Prince William County,Va., which ranked No. 19 ($101,059); …

via Check This Out

[her-culture]

Music Culture: 'THE MRS' Interview

Last month I sat down with The Mrs, a four woman strong band who describes their musical style as “modern pop meets retro rock with soulful vocal harmonies”. The Mrs is made up of lead vocalist and guitarist Mandy Prater, keytarist Larissa Ness, bassist Jenny Mason, and drummer Andra Liemandt.

In describing their inspirations and creative methods, Liemandt says “Our creative process really starts with believing that we’re all enough,” their first single is titled “Enough” came from the women thinking through “topics that we think other women like ourselves [would] want to listen to... and because we’re four realized women, we think we bring a lot to the table”.

Prater adds, “I think on the last album maybe we would write a sketch of the chorus, start feeling out the music, then add the verses and it just naturally starts growing out from there… we often write every word together”. 

Mason adds that they each have very different experiences so it’s fun to write together and come up with their music through such a variety of perspectives. Each of the band members came to making music at unique moments in their lives, Mason and Liemandt began playing bass and drums just under 10 years ago while Ness and Prater have been playing different instruments like piano and guitar as kids. 

When asked about their favorite songs from the new album, Liemandt says, “having to choose a favorite song is like having to pick a favorite child. But I know we’re all excited about our new music video that’s coming out, with our new song, “Blink of an Eye” on the new album”  The video came out on May 10th and was preceded by their newest lyric video, for the song, “Cravings” which was released a little bit ago.

 All of the women sing the praise of their bandmates throughout our interview and it is really easy to see that they are great friends. Liemandt says of the rest of the band, “everybody is pretty open to trying new things; if you don’t have a history of playing an instrument, playing a new one or picking it up and making it sound cool for the song. When Mandy started playing with the band she was like ‘oh you need that? Well I’m gonna play it and I’m gonna rock it’”

The overarching goals of their music are to “have positive lyrics and inspire other people at any age” and as Mason describes, “I get inspired by watching people connect to our music and by them saying ‘wow it’s amazing that you can do this’ and getting to say back to them, ‘well you know what, you can too’ and maybe that’s not music you’re playing but whatever it is that they are hesitating to do. It inspires me to do it again and do it better”.

 The Mrs not only have a talent for music, but also for philanthropy. Their song, “Draw the Line” was written for Austin non-profit SAFE and “came as a way to bring more awareness to” ending child abuse, sexual assault, and domestic violence. 100% of the proceeds from that single goes to SAFE as Ness and Liemandt describe “that’s why we did that. We work with many nonprofits or organizations that are helping or empowering women or children. We try to look for creative ways to bring positivity into the world” 

Another non-profit venture the women are deeply involved in is The Kindness Campaign (TKC), an organization focused on the emotional and relational challenges of school that are not able to be addressed within current curriculum. Liemandt is the founder of TKC and excitedly shares the growth and reach of their first year’s programs “it started off as a pilot program with four schools and now it’s grown to 50 schools. Right now it’s only in Austin but we would love to grow beyond that. 1 in 4 kids will go into the school system by the age of 3 having experienced some form of trauma. So we created a curriculum to help teachers have a tool to help teach these kids."

One of these tools is a character called “Enoughie buddy” who “takes kids on a journey, of normal school activities that helps kids learn while the character is by their side.” Liemandt and the rest of the band are excited for the many programs and partnerships in the works for TKC and Mason describes “we also have ambassadors for kids in middle and high school to spread the message of kindness to make it cool to be kind. They get to be influencers and leaders in their community.” The organization is trying to find a positive approach to combatting bullying and as Ness put it, “we’re trying to get in at a young age when this stuff really starts to help kids know how to handle it.”  

In what seems to be the heart of the organization and also the band, Liemandt closes our time together by saying “I believe that there is no end in sight for this campaign. I believe that if we teach our kids to be kind today, our future leaders will have kindness in their hearts. And a leader with kindness is a powerful leader” 

I look forward to all The Mrs have coming in the future and am inspired by their passion, kindness, and efficacy (not to mention their great music!). Thanks to Mandy, Larissa, Jenny, and Andra for a great interview.

[csenews]

DSCC Holds 47th Annual Commencement Ceremony

DSCC Holds 47th Annual Commencement Ceremony

 Dyersburg, Tennessee – Dyersburg State Community College (DSCC) held its 47th annual commencement exercises May 6 at the Dyer County High School Gymnasium. The graduating class consisted of 370 candidates for degrees and certificates with 171 of those candidates graduating with honors.

 A grand processional opened the ceremony with music provided by the Dyersburg Community Orchestra conducted by Dr. Carol Feather, retired DSCC professor of music and speech. Reverend Mario Hayslett, pastor of Community Fellowship and Worship Center, gave the invocation. The DSCC Choirs ‘Syncopation’ and ‘Singsation,” led by Director Desiree Dolan and accompanied by the Dyersburg Community Orchestra, directed by Floyd Speck, performed special musical selections including the DSCC alma mater.

 DSCC President Karen Bowyer gave a brief welcome to those in attendance and congratulated the graduates on their success. She then recognized 10 retiring DSCC employees: Diane Camper, vice president for technology; Ginger Dozier, lead testing technician; Theresa Dunn, secretary I; Dr. Carol Feather, professor of music and speech; Debora Gay, custodian; Lowell “Bud” Hoffmann, vice president for finance and administrative services; Dr. Teri Maddox, vice president for the College; Margaret Prater, vice president for workforce development; Stephen Son, associate professor of mathematics; and Vivia Kay Wall, associate professor of English.

 Graduates who were members of the Alpha Epsilon Alpha chapter of Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society, who had served in the Armed Forces, and who were Emergency Medical Technician graduates, were also recognized. Special recognition was given to John Caleb Ball, a senior at Dyer County High School, who received an associate degree from DSCC through the College’s dual enrollment program.  

Richard Keenan, Jr. of Drummonds, president of DSCC’s Student Government Association (SGA), introduced guest speaker Randy Boyd, former commissioner of economic and community development for Tennessee.

 “Every great success story begins with yes,” stated Boyd. “My challenge to all of you graduating is the next time an opportunity comes along, just say yes. That’s where all successes begin.”

 A native of South Knoxville, Boyd graduated from Doyle High School at age 16. He worked his way through The University of Tennessee at Knoxville by running plastic injection molding machines at night at his father’s business, and by age 19 he became the first in his family to graduate college. Following graduation, he sold electric fencing to small farm stores throughout the Southeast from the back of his van. At age 31, Boyd sank his entire savings into the design of a new product, the invisible fence. Now, Radio Systems Corporation (RSC) is known worldwide by the brand names Invisible Fence, PetSafe and SportDOG. Ranked as a top workplace by Forbes magazine, RSC employs more than 700 people who produce over 4,000 pet-related products.

 As a lifelong entrepreneur, Boyd is an advocate for expanding economic and educational opportunities in Tennessee, including serving in the administration of Governor Bill Haslam as an unpaid advisor on education in 2012. His work resulted in creating the Drive to 55 and the Tennessee Promise Scholarship Programs.

 Boyd and his wife, Jenny, reside in Knoxville and have two children, Harrison and Thomas, a daughter-in-law, Lindsey, and a beloved dog, Oskar.

 Following Boyd’s remarks, DSCC vice president for the College Dr. Teri Maddox presented the candidates for diplomas and certificates, and Dr. Bowyer conferred the degrees and certifications. The announcement of graduates by academic division was presented by Dr. Jimmy Barham, dean of arts and sciences; Julie Frazier, dean of business, technology and allied health; and Amy Johnson, dean of nursing.

 Closing remarks were made by Kristol Sentell, president of the DSCC Alumni Association. A reception honoring the graduates and their guests followed Commencement exercises.

 ###

 Photo captions:

   DSC0082 – Commencement speaker Randy Boyd addresses DSCC graduates during the College’s 47th commencement ceremony May 6.

 DSC0203 – DSCC graduate Tyler Reed of Halls poses following his graduation from DSCC May 6.

 DSC0222 – DSCC graduates Brooke Evans (left) of Dyersburg and Hannah Stroud (right) of Halls pose for a photo following their graduation from DSCC May 6.

 1P3A4468 – Evan Montgomery of Atoka graduated from DSCC during the College’s 47th commencement ceremony May 6.  

1P3A4538 – Brandon Bramlett of Union City graduated from DSCC during the College’s 47th commencement ceremony May 6.

 1P3A4584 – Kendall Lawler of Dyer received her nursing degree from DSCC during the College’s 47th commencement ceremony May 6.

 CE6B3317 – DSCC graduate and veteran Terence Brock of Drummonds stands to be recognized during the College’s 47th commencement ceremony May 6.  

CE6B3383 – Rachel Carroll Abbott of Dyer graduated from DSCC during the College’s 47th commencement ceremony May 6.

 CE6B3446 – Kathryn Higham of Kenton received her diploma from DSCC during the College’s 47th commencement ceremony May 6.

 CE6B3459 – Jaelyn Jones of Memphis received her diploma from DSCC during the College’s 47th commencement ceremony May 6.

[patheticbatman]

At the end of @iowriteswords’s book, Shards of Glass, Gerda takes a picture of all her Fairy friends as proof of her time spent there. I decided to draw it!

Left to right is The Newspaper Princess, Cecelia, The Prince, Kai* and Gerda.

*his eyes are closed because he can’t see very well without his glasses.

[konglindorm]

If your home contains a load-bearing torture victim, you need to disclose that to your husband.

[iowriteswords]

My new project, a not-yet-titled Beauty and the Beast retelling, starts on Patreon tomorrow afternoon! One chapter per week, posting Sundays at 2pm, one week early for members. Become a member for free at www.patreon.com/konglindorm!

[coolkidzcooltrips]

Tell me if this sounds familiar? We usually learn about great things we could’ve done or visited with our kids an hour or more too late. That’s why I decided to get organized and do my research on time.  I stumbled upon a so many amount activities that I can tell you April is going to be a fun month. Here are the top things to do with kids this April.

In search of cherry blossoms

You don’t have to travel all the way to Japan to marvel at the sakura tree – the Japanese word for cherry tree. April is perfect to enjoy the blooms anywhere you can find them and see what all the fuss is about.  Find the one closest to you and try Hanami – the centuries-old practice of picnicking under a blooming cherry tree.

  Odprta Kuhna – Open Kitchen

The season of the Open Kitchen officially started on the 24th of March. So,  for the next few months this is where we’ll be spending our Friday afternoons – indulging in delicious food – absolutely one of our favorite things to do with kids in April.

While our girls are picky eaters at home, the moment we come here, all bets are off, they will eat just about anything.

You can visit the Open Kitchen – food market offering stalls with yummy dishes from around the world. Every Friday from mid-March to October. In case of bad weather it might be canceled.

  FRida & freD Museum in Graz has a new exhibition

We visited the fun FRida & freD Museum in Graz, best suited for kids between the ages of 3 to 12 in January. And we all enjoyed the hands on approach.

They are opening a new exhibition on the 1st of April.  Circus FRidanella & freDissimo“ for children between the ages 3 to 7 & „My Familiy“ for children aged 8 and above.

Vienna celebrates 300th Birthday of Empress Maria Theresia

With many amazing sights: one of the oldest zoos in Europe, the aquarium located on several floors, to the fun rides in Prater, Vienna is always a great place to visit with kids.

Coolkidz share their top places to visit with kids in Vienna.

But this is the perfect year to visit the Austrian capital as it celebrates the 300th birthday of Empress Maria Theresia. She was an exceptional monarch who reigned for 40 years. Throughout the year there will be numerous exhibitions showcasing her life and work. You can find more info here.

  The Ferrari park opens in Barcelona

If you are searching for another reason to visit Barcelona…

Sorry for the interruption but I just remembered the tapas. Sigh. And the kids reminded me of the beaches and hubby loved the architecture. A collective sigh. Yeah, we seriously enjoyed Barcelona with kids. 

Ok, but if you might need another reason. I have one: Ferrariland.

Ferrariland part of the PortAventura theme park is an hour south of Barcelona and it opens on 7th of April. It will have Europe’s highest (112 meter) and Europe’s fastest (0 to180 kmph in five seconds) roller coaster.

Pazi Medo – zip line for the adrenaline junkies

From the 22nd of April onward the ride from Zagreb to Split will never be boring again.

We know the road from the Croatian capital to the most beautiful part of the Adriatic sea – Split and beyond by heart. And here are our other favorite pit stops.

We are adding a new stop over in the beautiful Lika region (where you can also enjoy the Plitvice Nationak Park): the longest and fastest zip line centers in Europe.

We love the name – Beware of the Bear. Check out more info and make the reservations if you dare.

  The best birthday party is in Amsterdam

You might believe you can throw one hell of a birthday party. But once you see how Amsterdam celebrates their kings’ birthday, you’ll learn you were wrong.

We visited the Dutch capital when they still celebrated the queen’s birthday and it was an amazing experience, but be aware it’s crowded and it’s a crazy time. So, don’t plan to do any real sightseeing on the 27th of April 2017. Leave that for another day. Just wear something orange and have fun.

Celebrate World Book Day with a good book

I love books. I think that needs to be said right at the start. It means everyday is a book day for me.

But the 23rd of April should still be celebrated. We are picking our books, finding a perfect spot and reading. (I wish. Sorry, but my girls will probably be able to do it for only a few measly minutes).

Even if I can find a book as fun as Pop-up London by Jennie Maizels. But I’ll take the few minutes.

Just for Mum and Dad – National beer day

What more can I say – 7th of April is National Beer Day. You probably don’t need any pointers, so I’ll finish with drink responsibly.

And here are 6 Slovenian craft beers to chose from.

Andersen’s Birthday or an excuse to visit denmark

The great Danish author Hans Christian Andersen was born on the 2nd of April.  His birthday has also been christened as World Children’s Book Day. Another great opportunity to read or visit Denmark if that sounds better.

  Abenteuer Affenberg – monkey time

OK, not a photo of the Monkey Mountain located in Landskron near Villach, Austria. But it’s monkeys – you get the picture.

If you want to be right there in the middle of the enclosure with 150 Japanese macaques and see how they live, Affenberg opens it’s doors again beginning of April.

  lEGOLAND nAGOYA opens its doors

I can give you 15 reasons why you should never take your kids to Japan. And in April when the Legoland in Nagoya opens I will be able to give you one more.

Think about it. Do you really want to take your kids to Legoland? They will have so much fun, you’ll end up having to buy them Legos for the rest of your life and you won’t come close to how cool Legoland in Japan was.

  Easter in spain

Easter is almost upon us and there are many great celebrations around the world taking place during the Easter week.

Most of them having to do with a lot eggs. In Scotland they do the egg rolling.

Spain has many fiestas, actually each and every villages prepares one. But they say that the most famous ones are in Sevilla, Malaga, Valladolid and Salamanca. So, Spain is definitely the place to be in April.

  It’s all about Chocolate in Radovljica

My former hometown hosts the sweetest festival from the 21st to 23rd of April – it’s all about chocolate. Chocolate makers from around Slovenia and the region will get together in Radovoljica and create some magic. Enjoy.

Pin this for later:

Top Things to do with Kids this April Tell me if this sounds familiar? We usually learn about great things we could've done or visited with our kids an hour or more too late.

[konglindorm]

Join me on Patreon for a free BATB story - Chapter 8 is up today!

Members of the page - including free members - get access one week early!

[konglindorm]

Apparently there’s a standard color palette for Snow Queen retellings. Which we did not follow. Oh well.

Books pictured are Jenny Prater’s Shards of Glass, T. Kingfisher’s The Raven and the Reindeer, Danielle Paige’s Stealing Snow, Anna Ursu’s Breadcrumbs, and Cameron Dokey’s Winter’s Child.

Shards of Glass is coming soon! More information at jennyprater.com

[konglindorm]

Chapter one of my beauty and the beast story is now publicly available!