About Us!
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We're April and Cenzia, the mom and daughter co-founders behind My Kidz Bookshelf! We both love to read and are so glad you stopped by!
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Not only do we both like to have a book (or two, or three!) in hand, we enjoy making stuff, going places and embarking on new adventures!
Read on for a little more on the minds behind My Kidz Bookshelf!
About April...
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Well, I'll never forget the first book that started it all! Now, I'm not talking about those simple readers that you are given in first grade with the basic illustrations and barely-there storylines. Yes, I remember those too, but not in the same way.
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I'm talking about that first book that captivated you! Either by its cover, character or storyline, or maybe by some unexplained magnetism, it was the one that felt like treasure and transported you to a place in your imagination where all the other readers go. That's what started it all for me!
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It was wrapped beautifully, and, as a gift from my older brother, held special meaning even before I opened it. To this day, I can remember how I felt looking down at my first Nancy Drew mystery, The Clue of the Broken Locket.
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Nancy Drew was a bit of a stretch for me as an average seven-year-old, but nothing was going to stop me from joining Nancy, Bess and George in solving the mystery! From then on, I became a lifelong fan of Nancy Drew, mysteries and books overall.
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Well, just like a book, I think life has chapters with different characters, moments and adventures-both big and small. I decided that I also wanted to live life as well as read about it, so I've had a pretty good variety of experiences.
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Music joined books as a long term love and career. Playing in a Dixieland jazz band, pit orchestras for local shows and weddings truly plumped up my file of fun things I've done along the way! After college, I taught music for several years and then switched over to a reading teacher position.
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Fast forward to love, marriage and the baby carriage and I quickly learned that the best laid plans work for other people and usually not me! I resigned from the world of public education to stay home with our sweet baby girl and soon after started a part time chocolate and baking business that would continue for ten years and overlap with homeschooling our daughter amidst other long and short-lived enthusiasms! Incidentally, I do make a very good brownie and chocolate dipped coconut macaroon!
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So, here we are, pretty much present day...dog, house, etc. and a desire to share some of the books and fun stuff that we think are really wonderful and you might enjoy too!
Welcome to our next chapter...
My Kidz Bookshelf!
About Cenzia....
Hello, there! So glad you popped by and hope you decide to stay for a while! Well, here's a little bit about me...
I've loved to read since I learned to read and even before that, really! My mother and I made frequent trips and treks to bookstores and the library for as long as I can remember and those trips were always some of my faves! When I was too young to do the reading myself, I would still get a big pile of picture books to look through, and choose a few for my mother to read to me.
We loved (and still love!) doing things inspired by the titles we've read. Whether it was making a recipe, doing a craft, or visiting a museum, all of it was fun! Years later, my mom and I both still enjoy curling up with a cup of cocoa and a good story.
In addition to enjoying a good book, I dance 4-5 days a week, (ballet, pointe, jazz, tap and contemporary) love drawing and any other type of art, and adore fashion and old movies! I'm a huge Swiftie and love rom-coms, whether it's a book or movie! Our adorable little rescue pooch, Abby, also keeps us on our toes! We've had her since 2015 and she is pretty much like those pups in the books- she loves digging, sleeping where she isn't allowed, all treats and will bring home sticks twice her size!
Well, amidst day to day schoolwork, dog walks, and making sure our books got returned to the library on time, my mom and I began bouncing around the idea of starting a blog. Other people write blogs about topics they love, so why not us?
Whenever I read a book, there is almost always something I read about I want to do or experience myself, and after lots of book- inspired adventures and activities, a blog seemed like the perfect place to write it all down!
Fast forward a few years and we're still blogging! We've had tons of fun with this journey, and have even started an Etsy Shop full of printables like the ones you'll find here on the blog.
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So, after some planning and photo shoots, here we are... welcome and enjoy!
Contact Us!
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