Living Barefoot on Thanksgiving... and a Free Book!

The Thanksgiving holiday reminds us that Living Barefoot is about appreciating what we have and reaching out to those who have less.

This week, Barefoot Books has announced an exciting partnership with Books for Africa, the largest supplier of donated books to the African continent. Since 1988, they have sent over 20 million books to 44 African countries and into the hands of rural schoolchildren. Many of these children are taught in primitive schoolrooms without running water, electricity or the basic materials and tools needed to learn. By collecting, sorting and shipping books to these communities, Books For Africa provides these children with the fundamental tools they need to learn, grow and improve their individual lives and the world around them. It is an organization that speaks to the core of what Barefoot Books and Living Barefoot is all about - bringing the enduring gift of literacy, education and hope to children throughout the world, and extending a helping hand to communities less fortunate than our own.


Barefoot is implementing a number of ways to contribute to the work of Books For Africa. Barefoot has already donated a collection of our books that are now en route to Liberia and, going forward, customers on our website will be able to donate a selection of African-themed books to Books For Africa by "purchasing" them well below retail value. These donated books, available for either $5 or $3, will be set aside at our warehouse in Wisconsin and picked up in bulk by Books For Africa for shipment to the African continent. Barefoot will also be offering beautiful We all Went on Safari-themed bookmarks for sale through Stallholders for $1.00 each. The proceeds from the sale of these bookmarks will be donated to Books for Africa to offset the cost of shipping books to the continent. As this is a long term partnership, look for our 2009 release, The Barefoot Book of African Tales. This book will feature a page with information about Books for Africa and 10% of the proceeds will be donated to the organization.

Please consider adding a charitable element to your holiday giving with Barefoot Books.

Barefoot Books celebrates its new partnership with Books For Africa
with a Free Book Offer!

simply click on this image:

All orders of $50 or more will receive
a copy of We All Went on Safari,
now through November 30th, 2008.

Barefoot Books Free Shipping and Free Product!

Activity Books are a new product from Barefoot Books, and I think a wonderful addition to the line. The Activity Books bring an interactive element to our Art and Story. They allow children to exercise their imagination, express their individualism, and elaborate on the stories that they read. Sit with your child as they explore the pages and ask them to talk about it. It is amazing to see a young mind at work.

This week, Barefoot Books is offering Free Shipping on ALL ORDERS through Tuesday, November 25th. As an added bonus, orders over $50 will receive a Free Activity Book! This is a great opportunity to get to know Barefoot Books and share meaningful literature with the children in your life. Just in time for all of your holiday needs! Please contact me if you have any questions or would like a recommendation. Happy Reading!

A bit about what I do with Barefoot Books... and a Special Offer

Here is the latest in a series of promotions that I am bringing to you from Barefoot Books, leading up to the holidays. This week, when you purchase 3 books, you can choose a 4th book for free!

This promotion also highlights the Stallholder/Affiliate Program. As Stallholders, Living Barefoot is a Whole Life thing. It's not that our work consumes us; quite the opposite. It's that our work blends into our life in a very organic way. We love literature and we love reading to children. We value the community and we value the planet. Selling Barefoot Books comes pretty naturally because they are the books that we carry in our tote bags and keep in the car. Our children/grandchildren tell their teachers that Port Side Pirates is their favorite song and they bring a Folkmanis puppet in for show and tell. We each have our own definition of Living Barefoot and Barefoot Books give us the flexibility to share the books in a way that fits into our lives. For some of us, that means simply passing the catalog around at work or the playgroup. For others that means online marketing, home parties, open air markets, school fundraisers/book fairs, or larger expos.

I hope that you will enjoy this special offer and share it with your friends. If you have any questions about the Affiliate Program, please feel free to contact me anytime.



This offer is valid through November 18th, 2008.
Happy Reading!

Free Yoga Planet Activity Deck from Barefoot Books

For a limited time, Barefoot Books is offering a free Yoga Planet Activity Deck (a $14.99 value) with all web orders over $50! Simply follow the link below!

Offer valid through November 11th, 2008.

As you click on the link, look closely! Barefoot has used my quote for the promotion! (see earlier post... I thought I "lost"). I feel especially honored that my words are associated with this campaign because it highlights Barefoot's partnership with the Kasiisi Project, an organization that brings literature to schools in Uganda.

Diary of a Historic Night in Chicago

Grant Park, Chicago, November 4, 2008. The scene was set by perhaps the most glorious weather Chicago could imagine, mid 60's at 8:30pm; phenomenal considering it easily could have been 30 degrees colder and snowing. The lights of Chicago, always welcoming, reflected the occasion with red, white and blue on the building tops and "USA" and "Vote 2008" spelled out in the windows of high rises. The crowd was a true reflection of America. All races, young and old, gathered in good will and peace. An energy and sense of hope and anticipation hung in the air.



Together, on our iPhones and on the JumboTron, we witnessed the results unfold and tearfully celebrated as America elected Barack Obama to be our next President. It is remarkable. Unbelievable, the number of improbabilities that Barack Obama has overcome over the course of his life to get to this moment in time and this incredible victory. We all felt it, deeply. We joyously greeted the new First Family as they came to the stage for Obama's moving speech.



By the end of the night, we had made friends with the people around us, took photos, hugged and shared a lot of high-fives. We left the park in a surreal post-election setting as the midnight streets of downtown Chicago filled with people making their way home to the sound of continuing cheers and jubilant drum beats. One Nation United with Hope. We marched into a new era of American and World history.

Living Barefoot Is...

Last week, Barefoot Books asked its Stallholder Community to submit a photo and a quote as a contest to create a new e-campaign. Our guidelines seemed simple enough: a photo of a barefoot child in an autumnal setting and a quote to describe what Living Barefoot means to us. AH! That should be easy for me; I have so many thoughts on Living Barefoot! It’s the title of my blog. I could spout off forever. But here’s the catch: our quotes had to be 40 words or less – so I could not spout off forever after all. 40 words is actually quite short. I'm a better formal writer and not much of a journalist. I was sure I would just throw in the towel and write a nice long gratuitous blog post instead. But I stuck with it and kinda like my slender 40 words. In the end, I did not win the contest, but here is my quote; along with my wonderful photo of Ryker “Living Barefoot”.

Living Barefoot is a global consciousness. Just as feeling the earth beneath our feet connects us to the importance of maintaining a healthy planet; reading Barefoot Books connects children to world cultures, creating a future global community with greater understanding.

BTW, don't forget Barefoot is offering 30% off on all web orders through Monday, November 3rd. Use special offer code SCLB30 at checkout!