Sparkle Stories Blog
A home for Sparkle audio stories, crafts, recipes, and kind words!
Fridyay's Kind Words: Community Minded Stories
It is so nice to have wholesome, socially-progressive, community minded stories to share with our children (and enjoy ourselves). ~Adam Murray
NINE Sparkle Crafts and Recipes for Advent
The holidays are a great time for crafting, with so many gifts to give and decorations to be put up. It's also a great time for making yummy homemade treats. We've picked nine of our favorite holiday recipes and crafts to inspire you.
Sparkle Kitchen: Mac and Cheese
If there was a poster child for comfort food, it would be homemade macaroni and cheese. It's not fancy, but I think, for may of us, it harkens back to the same feelings Dante has in this story—comfort and safety and a loving parent taking care of us.
Exploring the Dry Gables Series - "Something Greater Than Myself"
Nice of you to join us, Sparkle Grownups, for a Meet & Greet with Dry Gables’ very own town mayor, EB Herz.
The Junkyard Tales Audio Advent Calendar!
All about our collection for Advent: The Junkyard Tales Audio Advent Calendar!
Tutorial: the Junkyard Tales PRINTABLE Advent Calendar
Look everyone! It's a PRINTABLE Advent Calendar! Our very first. Each of the 25 little doors hides a clue to the matching story in the Junkyard Tales Audio Advent Calendar - so you can listen and open a door each day from December 1st to the 25th!
Storybox Playlist: Stories of Advent
Here are some stories that both celebrate the Christmas season, and the beauty of the simple, the slow and the steady.
Sparkle Kitchen: Pebbles and Mushrooms
This week's recipe is my take on something I imagine one might see at a fairy feast. While mushrooms and thyme would, I believe, be at home on both fairy and human tables, I've subbed out gnocchi — a potato-based pasta — for the stones and pebbles the mythical folk prefer.
SparkleCast Episode 6 – Inspiring a Love of Music with Andrew & Polly
In this episode, Andrew, Polly, David, and Rebecca talk about music and ways to introduce or boost music appreciation in your home. They use the Junkyard Tales story “The Band” as a model of how music can create community and be a mechanism for social inclusion. They also show how music can come naturally to children.
Storybox Playlist: Stories of Thanksgiving
When we feel gratitude, we cannot feel fear, anger or resentment. It is the elixer of happiness — and here are some stories about our national festival of gratitude — Thanksgiving.
Friday's Kind Words: Road Trip Life Saver
We listen to your stories during all of our road trips it's an absolute lifesaver. ~Kelly Kelley
Find Calm, Reach Out, and Then — Do Something Brave
Let us take a moment to find calm.
Sparkle Kitchen: Campfire Stew
This week's recipe comes from another chilly night when something equally magic happened by the light of an autumn fire. It was a good friend's birthday, and, to celebrate, she invited us all out to her teepee to have stew for dinner.
Post Election Support – Suggestions and Stories
I want to write some thoughts about how to support yourself and your children today — as emotions run high, as the media frenzy now feeds on “what if” stories, and we all recover from the outcome of the election.
Exploring the Dry Gables Series - "As I Truly Am"
Hello again, Sparkle Friends! Nice to be with you and our nurse and healer of Dry Gables, Liesl Herz.
Storybox Playlist: Stories for Taking Care of Yourself
It is a busy time of year — there are many expectations of ourselves and others and what we often forget is how to prioritize self care. Here are a few stories that encourage self care and then give practical ways on how to do it.
Friday's Kind Words: Stories as Inspiration
I am fairly certain I am inspired by these stories as much as my child is! ~ Melissa Teske
Nature School Project: Candle Luminaries
We are joined by Rachel Wolf, who shares with us her tutorial for candle luminaries that will help bring a bit of the magical in-between glow to your home.
"The Lantern Prince" – a Free Martinmas Story
Next week is Martinmas – a festival that may not be familiar to many of you – but one that is perfect for the mood of early November and in cultivating festival life. Days are shortening.
Peanut Butter and Banana Quesadillas
These peanut butter, banana, and chocolate chip quesadillas are perfect for letting even little kids make their own snack. Just lay out the ingredients (on a cutting board) and let the kiddos spread and chop and sprinkle to their heart's content.
