What Mom Really Wants

On my first Mother’s Day, I couldn’t wait to get away from my baby. I know that sounds terrible, but you just might be surprised to find that there are lots of moms who feel this way. I was working full-time, teaching, so I was surrounded by kids all of the time. Not only that, I had no idea what I was doing as a parent and I felt like I was drowning. Fortunately, my husband was very in tune with what I was feeling and planned a very special day just for the two of us.

Over the years, my family has grown and we have celebrated Mother’s Day in a variety of ways but we still have many traditions. My kids always bring me breakfast in bed and as they’ve gotten older, the breakfast has gotten better! We go to church together, as a family and during the day, I take some time for myself. My favorite treat is to lay in the hammock, covered with a blanket and I read until I fall asleep. In the evening we go out to dinner so I don’t have to cook. These are such special gifts my family gives to me each year.

Do you know how the mom in your family likes to celebrate her special day? Ask her what she would like to do. Here’s what some of our moms would like to do.

Make Something for Mom

If you’ve got a mom who loves to read and has a sense of humor, she’ll love getting one of these funny bookmarks for Mother’s Day. Create a silly pose and snap a picture. It’s as easy as that. Click on the picture for the complete directions.

Cook for Mom

You may take mom out for brunch on Mother’s Day, but she probably doesn’t want to cook dinner on her special day either. Here’s a very simple and yummy recipe dad and the kids can make together. Add a baked potato and a salad (you can make one at the grocery store salad bar) and your set. Click on the picture for the directions.

Pamper Mom

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This is a simple activity for dads and kids to make together for mom. Dads, you can use any shape bottle and can usually get them at the dollar store or craft store for a very reasonable price. We’ve added where you can pick up the other items to make shopping easier. This also makes a great gift for grandmas and is easy to make in the classroom.

You can click on the picture for the entire article.

Materials

– mixing bowl and spoon (kitchen)

– bottle or jar (dollar store or craft store)

– 1 cup white sugar (kitchen or grocery store)

– 1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons good quality oil (I used olive oil, but you can use any nice, non-smelly oil) (kitchen, grocery store or drug store)

– 3-4 drops of yummy-scented essential oil per jar (I went with mandarin, peppermint, and lavender) (craft or health food store)

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place the scrub into the jar. You may need to use a funnel to get it into the jar depending upon how wide the mouth of the jar is.

Big Hug

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Surprise Egg

Click here for a list of materials.

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Dyeing Eggs

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Click here to download the April Activity Calendar.

Valentine’s Day Dinner Party

Celebrating Valentine’s Day with your kids doesn’t have to be elaborate. They just want to spend time with you. Make the whole day special by creating a Valentine’s Day dinner party with your kids.

Decorations

Pick up some inexpensive Valentine’s plates, cups, and napkins. Or, use your everyday dishes and add some Valentine’s napkins.

Hang some paper hearts from your light fixture, sprinkle some on the table or make a paper heart bunting.

Have your kids make Valentine’s placemats using stickers, paint, construction paper, markers or other art supplies.

Meal

• Make their favorite meal.
• Put marinara sauce over pasta in a heart-shape and add heart-shaped meatballs.
• Make a heart-shaped pizza from frozen pizza dough. Cut out pepperoni or veggies with a heart shaped cookie cutter to put on the pizza.

Crafts

Make some cards for family members. We’ve given you links to some of our favorite painting techniques. We used construction paper and added some ribbon for a special touch.

• Paint Blotting
• Marbelized Painting
• Pop Up Cards

Add some candles, flowers and a small box of chocolates for each person and you have a night to remember.

Make it Easy

*Plates, food, etc. can all be purchased in one trip at a large box store. We purchased all of our supplies at Walmart.

*We painted two large sheets of white construction paper with using the paint blotting and marbelized painting for all of our crafts and decorations.

Thank You Notes?

Your child has just received a bunch of new gifts that are tons of fun to play with. They said a proper thank you at your holiday gathering so, are thank you notes really necessary? Yes!

I’m not Miss Manners but, there are some things that I know are very important and thank you notes are one of them. I have teenagers who I have taught to write thank you notes for many reasons over the years. Now that they are getting jobs, looking at colleges, or get help from an adult for various reasons, thank you notes are essential. The thank you notes they have written have not only been appreciated, but have set my kids apart.

Your kids may think that writing thank you notes are hard and they may think they are unnecessary, but knowing how to write one could change their life.

How to Write Thank You Notes

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Paper Snowflakes

Paper snowflakes may seem old-fashioned but they are an amazing discovery for kids. Copy paper is the most used paper for paper snowflakes but little hands may not be able to cut through the layers. For your preschoolers, make snowflakes with tissue paper or coffee filters. Make your snowflakes extra special with colored paper or glitter.

Download our activity calendar here.