Uncategorized – My Mom is the Worst

How to Raise Financially Fearless Kids

Growing up we talked a lot about money in my house.

I promise it wasn’t because we had a lot, or because my parents were financial experts.

But my parents were open to having the conversations even if they didn’t get every money detail perfect in their own life. They were willing to share what they learned. And they understood that money was a topic that would come up again and again in my life (for better or for worse), which made it a topic worth spending some time on.

I recall . . .

opening my first bank account,

learning to save for big things that I wanted but didn’t need,

looking at a compound interest table with my Dad,

chatting about why we give money to those in need,

getting a car loan for my first vehicle (even though I had the cash) so that I could build credit,

paying off student loans,

getting a mortgage and buying my first house,

and later in life asking for a raise at work, opening investments, and managing a budget.

My parents were right. No matter what lifestyle you desire, money is a part of your world.

I am grateful my family had basic money conversations when I was young, so that I when I grew up and it really mattered, I felt comfortable around money discussions.

Do I understand it all to this day? Nope.

But I’m also comfortable asking questions about money, and that’s a pretty good starting point.

But parents, I get it.

It’s hard to know where to start with money conversations. Especially if you didn’t have many growing up.

I didn’t want that to be a barrier for the next generation,

so I used my background in Business and Childhood Education to write the Money Smart Kids series.

The first book (How to Sell a Rock) is all about a creative kid named Sebastian. Sebastian really wants a skate board, but his parents challenge HIM to earn the money instead of buying it for him. This leads Sebastian to learning some important lessons about money and starting a business.

(Fun Fact: this book has over 170 reviews on Amazon. See what other parents are saying)

The second book called How to Sell a Can just came out this month. Sebastian is back for more money adventures when he thinks he has a great business idea but it ends up being a total flop!

Fortunately Sebastian’s not one to quit. Once he faces his money challenges and learns how to calculate profit, he’s unstoppable $$$.

I promise, both these books will lead to great money and creative problem solving conversations with your kids (even if money isn’t something you grew up talking about).

Consider this your easy button to introduce money topics with your kids.

Remember, these are the lessons that they will carry in to adulthood.

It’s worth starting the money conversations now!

Money Smart Kids, recommended for Kids 5-12 yrs.

Available on Amazon

Write 30 Children’s Books in 30 Days, Here’s How (Free Writing Prompts)

Think of this as your permission from the universe to write.

Each November I participate in a challenge with a daily goal of writing one children’s book a day. Yes, some of the stories stink, most really. But there are always a few bits of magic in there. And those little gems are the ones I try to massage later in to stories worth publis hing.

The key is to do the massaging once the month is over. Having a perfect story by month end is not the goal. Creating thirty totally new stories is.

Here’s how the challenge works:

Set aside thirty minutes a day, for 30 days straight
Use one writing prompt, found below, per day
You can go in order, or skip around, but finish every one – even the ones that don’t inspire you at first glance, because you want to stretch yourself to take on new subjects, perspectives, and ideas
Use the hashtag #chibowrimo on social media to see what others are writing
- (Chibowrimo = Children’s Book Writing Month)

Every year I feel excited, and overwhelmed, by this challenge. But when I look back at the last five stories I published, each one started as part of a prompt from #chibowrimo

Now it’s your turn.

Don’t overthink it. Just print out the list of prompts, put it by a fresh notebook and pen, and set a reminder on your phone to get started on Nov. 1st.

If you want some other prompt options check out these, and pick your favorite.

The universe is ready to hear your stories. It’s time to let them out.

30 Stories in 30 Days, Children’s Book Writing Prompts:

A story about a backpack full of…
A story about an epic hike
A story about a cell phone that only calls one person
A story about an animal that lives abroad (ie: a pigeon in Paris)
A story about a kidpreneur that makes money for someone in need
A story about the Worst Teacher Ever
A story that uses alliteration. Pick a letter of the alphabet before getting started.
A Story about a topic kids find hilarious
A story about caring for grumpy people or animals
A story about how to clean a big mess
A story about Plan B being better than Plan A
A story about caring for something small and fragile
A story about a person with an embarrassing secret
A story about your new world record in…
A story about a letter that gets lost in the mail and found again a year later
Free Day, YOYO (Your on Your Own)
A story about a Holiday with a twist
A story about an adult that needs help from child
A story that is a song, or has a rap in it, to teach something new
A story about a train carrying a special surprise
A story that is under 100 words
A story about a magical item of clothing
A story that is non fiction (but still interesting)
A story about going to sleep
A story that is a sequel to something else your wrote
A story about finding $100 and having an internal debate about what to do with it
A story about how you stopped the “bad guys”
A story about how to stop anger in the world
A story about being the first kid on the moon
A story that includes Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas – bonus points for New Years too!

Weekend Craft Idea + Free Kids Book about $$$

Download the Beyond the Book activity to make your own Rock Caterpillar this weekend, and get a free kids book about money + creative problem solving!

With a three and five year old, we spend a lot of time at the park.

If your family is in the same boat, you may want to try this simple weekend activity. It will make your park visits more fun, and might even put a smile on the face of a stranger.

The activity – Rock Caterpillars!

You can download the simple instructions and supply list here.

how-to-make-a-rock-caterpillar-1 Download

Each time you visit the park you can bring a fun rock to add.

Plus you can “check” on your caterpillar to make sure he’s growing. Hopefully some other people join the fun and you can have new rocks to admire with each visit.

We set up rock caterpillars at various parks across the country during our road trip, and this morning we got to set one up at our very own neighborhood park!

This activity pairs perfectly with my new book that released this week – How to Sell a Rock.

It’s all about a little kidpreneur that has to figure out how to convince his neighbors to buy a rock so that he can afford a new skateboard. Perfect for kids 5-12yrs.

Bonus – the kindle version is FREE on Amazon until Tuesday! Grab it Here, or the paperback here.

Book Description:

Did you ever want something special as a child,
but then your parents said, “No – too expensive.”

Your dreams were dashed.

Oh, Sebastian understands.
But he decides he won’t take no for an answer once he learns he can make the money himself – even as a child.

When a scrappy little kidpreneur needs money for a skateboard, he’s going to have to learn how to turn his neighbor’s no’s into yeses if he wants to get rich selling rocks.

How will Sebastian convince his neighbors that what they really need is a rock?

This fun kidpreneur story teaches:

Creative problem solving
How to start a business
How to make Money
How to Save Money
Rock Painting Craft Ideas
Social Skills
Self Reliance
Grit
Confidence
- Perfect for home or classroom use
- Ideal for Ages 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Visit: MyMomistheWorst.com for activities and freebies related to the book

Have a great weekend – Cheers!

Gift Guide: 10 Meaningful Books for New Moms

For the new moms on your Christmas list, check out the titles on this incredibly insightful gift guide:

10 Meaningful Reads for New Moms

The full list and descriptions can be found at https://www.lindsaykmadsen.com/post/10-meaningful-books-to-give-mom-in-2020

We are so happy that ‘Love You to Pieces, Beautiful Monster’ made the list for new parents with a sense of humor.

Plus, until the end of the month there is a fun deal going on. Buy any title by JK Coy on Amazon or Barnes and Noble, message me the receipt, and I’ll mail you a fancy kids hair bow for each book you bought.

All titles listed here:

https://www.amazon.com/J-K-Coy/e/B06WD7GYPT

Hurry! Deal ends November 30th.

Enjoy your Black Friday shopping…or just enjoy the leftovers from yesterday.

Free Today! A Magical and Empowering Unicorn Book for Girls

Like all books in the Smart Girl Fairy Tale series, Princess Winnabelle fails often but always learns to solve her own challenging problems. Free today!

Do you have girls, know girls, or teach girls?! Then this is your next read . . .

And it’s FREE today! Just head on over to Amazon and download your free copy here.

This is book three in the Smart Girl Fairy Tale Series. Like all books in the series, Princess Winnabelle fails and learns to solve her own challenging problems. Through her magical adventures she learns teamwork, honesty, friendship, problem solving, and in book three: responsibility and time management when she has to figure out how to care for a pet unicorn AND go to school.

At midnight tonight the ebook will go up to $4.99, so hurry!

The paperback will be out this week.

Princess Winnabelle and the Pet Unicorn (book description):

♥Oh dear!♥ There’s trouble in the magical Land of Five Lagunas.

All Princess Winnabelle wanted was a friend. What could go wrong with that?

Then she finds a baby unicorn in the snow and showers him with love and care. His magical horn grows bigger and brighter each day, UNTIL winter break ends and . . .

Winnabelle quickly finds out that she has no idea how to care for a pet AND go to school. Her perfect pet starts to destroy the castle and Winnabelle is faced with a tough decision.

Winnabelle knows that a princess can be smart, fancy, strong, and fierce. But she still has a lot to learn before she’s ready to rule the kingdom someday.

Can Winnabelle come up with a creative plan to manage her time and responsibilities,

or will the Queen force her to say goodbye to her new friend?

The clock is ticking. Find out now!

The Smart Girl Fairy Tale Series is perfect for girls 3-9 years old.

These modern fairy tales teach important values for raising strong girls:

Time Management
Responsibility
Honestly
Problem Solving
Friendship
Teamwork
Growth Mindset
Independence
Confidence
Positive Self-esteem

Each value is wrapped in a sweet story that will keep readers entertained and engaged.

Great for:

Girls 3-9yrs
Parents
Classrooms
Churches
Bedtime

Collect them all!

★FREE ‘Beyond the Book’ activities at MyMomistheWorst.com★

Get Writing! 30 Free Story Prompts for Kids Books

Last year I wrote THIRTY children’s stories in the month of November.

Want to join me? I made it easy. Just download this list of writing prompts

Last year I wrote THIRTY children’s stories in the month of November.

I was inspired by some friends that were doing #NaNoWriMo and writing an entire novel in one month. Based on a children’s book word count of 500-1k words, I figured I could handle writing a book a day for the month, and thus Children’s Book Writing Month (#ChiBoWriMo) was born .

Kya Mouse, a character created during a writing prompt

I was able to use the stories I wrote last November to publish three books this year (Check out the Smart Girl Fairy Tale Series), and I hope to do it again.

Want to join me? I made it easy. Just download this list of writing prompts here.

Hang it somewhere special and plan at least thirty quiet minutes a day to sit, think, and write.

Trust me, I know a prompt may seem odd when you first read it, but give it five minutes and see where your mind begins to go. Before you know it, you’ll have a rough draft before you.

And a rough draft is all we are going for here. At the end of the month you can read your stories over and pick a handful that deserve a second draft.

Use #ChiBoWriMo on your social posts so we can cheer each other on.

Once you finish the challenge, you can always do another round with these additional prompts.

And don’t forget, this is supposed to be FUN! Let your silly side out.

How to Make Friendship Pie, beyond the book activity

Want an easy recipe that you can make with the kids? Let’s make Friendship Pie.

It’s tasty, simple, and pairs perfectly with my newest children’s book release: Princess Winnabelle and the Friendship Pie. It’s a sweet and empowering story for girls – with a fun message of friendship and teamwork baked inside!

Follow the recipe below for a ‘beyond the book’ extension activity. I suggest making two – one for your family and one for a friend. I mean, it is Friendship Pie, it’s meant to be shared!

Grab a free digital version of the book here.

Or get the paperback here .

Tag me when you post a picture online, I’d love to hear who you shared your friendship Pie with! (@StoriesbyJKCoy FB and IG)

Friendship Pie Recipe

Makes One 9″ pie

Ingredients:

*two 9″ pie crusts

*9″ pie pan

*7 cups fresh berries (or frozen) – strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries

*1 cup sugar

*1 Tbsp lemon juice

*4 Tbsps Corn Starch

*2 Tbsps Butter

*1 large egg white beaten with a fork

*heart cookie cutter (optional)

Princess Winnabelle and the Friendship Pie, Beyond the book activity

Instructions:

Add berries, sugar, and lemon juice to a large saucepan on the stove and heat on medium
Simmer until warm and juicy (about 5-10 minutes) – stir occasionally
Spoon out about 1/2 cup of the juice from the saucepan to a bowl. Stir cornstarch in to the juice until smooth
Bring saucepan of berries back to a simmer and slowly pour the cornstarch mixture in. Stir gently until thickened (2-5 min)
Remove pan from heat and stir in the butter, then allow to cool for 15 minutes. Pour mixture into an unbaked pie crust in a 9″ pie pan.
Use heart cookie cutter to cut out a heart from the center of the additional unbaked pie crust
Lay the 2nd pie crust on top of the berry pie and pinch the top and bottom pie crusts together. Optional: Brush a thin layer of beaten egg white over the top of the pie and sprinkle with a pinch of extra sugar
Bake at 400 degrees F for 40-45 min. Check it at 25 minutes and place a piece of tinfoil over the top if the crust is getting too brown
Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Allow it to cool for several hours. Once cooled completely, cut it and serve, or cover it and put it in the fridge to serve the next day.

Tip: You can freeze the baked pie for up to three months! Thaw overnight in the fridge then set it out and let it get to room temperature to serve.

Princess Winnabelle and the Friendship Pie available on Amazon – part of the Smart Girl Fairy Tale Series

What to Feed Your Toddler Next: 5 Easy, Healthy Recipes

When my daughter entered the finger food stage, I was elated. We could all sit down together to eat as a family. I didn’t have to airplane homemade baby food purees into her mouth between each bite I took.

As a writer, I sometimes get asked to do fun things like write a guest post for an important site like Kindred Bravely, or read one of my stories to kids in the hospital via a virtual story time. This makes my day.

The Coys

If you have a toddler at home, check out this guest post –

5 Easy Finger Food Recipes for Babies and Toddlers:

When my daughter entered the finger food stage, I was elated. We could all sit down together to eat as a family. I didn’t have to airplane homemade baby food purees into her mouth between each bite I took. We could even eat some of the same foods. It was messy, but it was exciting.

It would have been easy to just let her live on the snack foods she immediately liked. But I wanted to make sure she was also eating real, nutrient-rich foods that helped her grow. And truth be told, I didn’t want her to grow up like me – a kid who exclusively craves Pop-Tarts and whipped cream and doesn’t eat vegetables until college (only a slight exaggeration).

The Coys

Parents, How Are Your Emotions Handling this Crisis?

Parents – If you’re emotions are vacillating from day to day (or moment to moment), I encourage you to print these words and hang them somewhere your family can reflect on them daily.

How are your emotions handling this crisis? That’s a loaded question, isn’t it?!

I’ve thought about it the last few days, and as a parent of two little ones, here’s where I stand…

Obviously, I want this to pass. I want our nations health and economy to be in a better place, I want to move on to making plans and looking forward to the future, I want to wear fewer hats in a single day, and I want to have people over.

On the other hand, I know as soon as all this is over, I’m going to deeply miss it. Specifically, the extra family time, a mostly unhurried pace, and being pushed to try new things that I wouldn’t have done otherwise.

Even in knowing that I’ll miss it, I often get frustrated right now.

My husband and I work full-time and have two young kids in the house – two and four. The house is loud and messy. My husband and I manage work and parenting in two hour blocks, always feeling one step behind in each. All of our plans that we were looking forward to for months are slowly being cancelled. And my four year old reminds me daily that she just wants to play at the park and hug her friends.

I know sweetie. Me too.

And thus, my grumpiness creeps in. This crisis highlights some not-so-pretty traits about myself that I don’t have to face often when life is “normal.”

And my feelings are real and valid, but it doesn’t serve me, or my family, to spend too much time hanging out with my negative attitude.

If we let ourselves think something for too long, it becomes our reality.

So I decided that my brain was in need of a new, more positive, default message. One I could read every day, like a mantra or prayer, to start my emotional responses from a better, more serving, space.

I can’t always control circumstances, but I am in charge of my reactions. If I fill my heart and mind with good, good is more likely to pour out when I’m pressed in uncomfortable situations. So I wrote down the positive thoughts I want to start my day with, and hung them in my home.

If you’re emotions are vacillating from day to day (or moment to moment), I encourage you to print these words and hang them somewhere your family can reflect on them daily.

Here is the 8×10 .pdf: Choosing This Moment – Quarantine Mantra or Prayer by JK Coy

If you’re a parent of young kids and need some reading material, check out these titles.

From Concept to Published, a Princess Story

Back in October I posted thirty writing prompts for the month of November.

The first story is already published!

Back in October I posted thirty writing prompts for the month of November.

I can’t believe how that one thing has helped propel me this year. Every day I showed up and wrote something new. Now I’m using those stories to help me determine what to release this year.

The first story is already published!

Princess Winnabelle and the Missing Jewels released last week.

Amazon Book Description:

Perfect for little princesses that believe a hero can be fierce, fun, and fancy!

All is well in the magical Land of Five Lagunas…until a stubborn little mouse moves in.

In this modern fairy tale, the sweet and spunky Princess Winnabelle doesn’t have time to worry if her fancy dress gets dirty. She is busy learning lessons that will make her a leader one day.

When Kya Mouse ruins the peace and tries to take over the throne in the magical Land of the Five Lagunas, Winnabelle gets to practice her creative problem-solving and smart negotiation skills.

The sweetest bedtime story you’ll read all year! Girls 3-8yrs. adore this fairy tale, and parents can’t help but fall for it too.

But will that be enough to save the day?
Is this really a job for a little princess?!

Find out now.
Buy the paperback and start reading the kindle version for FREE!

***

My plan is to publish three books this year, and I love having a backlog to pick from. Come November, I plan to do this exact challenge again.

Was it hard to show up every day and fit in it? Yes.

I had to get creative. Not just in the writing, but in the ‘how’ of fitting it in.

One day it was over voice memo as I drive back from Vegas.

Anther day it was on a plane while traveling for Thanksgiving.

Some days it was at 6 a.m. before the kids woke,

and many days it was while they were running around shouting at the top of their lungs (one of their favorite activities).

But in thirty days I wrote thirty stories.

And less than six months later, I am holding a printed copy in hand.

Want to hear it read out loud? Check it out Here!

Or, you can grab your own copy of Amazon Here🙂 Share it with your Princess tonight.