Mothers Day Gift Ideas

Mothers day is upon us! I cannot believe it's already this weekend! This post is late, but hopefully you can pull off some amazing things for mothers day! Maybe leave this post on your computer for your husband to stumble upon...

(girls, feel free to add to this post!)

I, for one, believe that Mothers day is a day to celebrate mothers (novel idea, right?). And not necessarily a "gifty" holiday. My heart sings when I see little handprints on a card, or a drawing by a 4 year old... Point is, I don't think you need to spend lots of money to make it an incredible mothers day. There are things you can get spendy on, but it's the sentimentality of it that does it. So here are things I would love.

*Handprints. I love those teeny little hands, and they grow much too fast. Put them in cement! I've seen little stones you can put the little imprints on, etc. I LOVE this idea. An example is here, and prices vary.

*Recorded voices. I am in LOVE with the little boy voices I have in my home. Record it! There are recordable stories that dad can help the littles ones to read and bam, you have a story all your own with those tender little voices. I've seen these pretty much anywhere (any of the 'marts would have it, I know Walmart does, and Hallmark) and are roughly $20.

*Photobooth. When I was visiting a friend (way back when) she had a picture strip from a photobooth on her fridge. It was her husband and baby. Adorable! He had given that to her in a card for some bday or something... Melt. Me. Not expensive, and good laws brings tears to my eyes. Prices range from $1 to $5.

*Blog book! I have been procrastinating getting this done, so do it for me! Turn each year into a book. There are LOTS of sites that do this, for starters here, these- here and here let you print your comments too- which I love. Here's a post from my hubs cousin that explains how to do it in blurb, because I need step by step instructions for pretty much everything I do. Prices vary depending on the size of the book but some start at $12.95 and depend on how many pages you do.

*Perfume. If you're shopping for me specifically, I really have fallen for some perfume. It's DKNY Be Delicious. This is about $55.

*Flowers. I always love flowers. Especially something in a planter that I can have longer than a week. Or even just a petunia and have the little ones decorate the planter thing. Booya. Tender and pretty! Prices vary.

*Jewelry. And I'm very specific here. I have been craving/wanting/needing? a necklace with my kids' face on it. No joke. I went to a farmers market last year and there was a girl selling these, I brought my money at a later date and was planning on making the purchase, but she was gone. LAME! There are lots of places online that do this, and I've even found a site that you can make your own! Or you can go to esty and there's a TON of places there, like here, here, here, here, or here. I LOVE that you can do a pic on both sides of the pendant. Maybe one side of you babies and one side of you and your man?!

*Breakfast in bed! With a homemade card! This just SCREAMS mothers day!

Honestly, let your kid scribble on a paper and I'd call it good. haha.

Happy mom day to all the moms! It's the hardest job in the world, but worth EVERY second.

L is for Ladybugs

This past week we did the letter L for Ladybugs. My hubby was worried this subject was a little girly, but we did mostly talk about bugs so I think that made him happy! Click here to see or download my lesson plan.
For our art project one day I taped a letter L on construction paper and had the kiddos put paint all over the paper..... the paint didn't all end up on the project but some turned out in the end with a little help from me.

When the paint dried we took of the tape and the picture looked like this:


For our game I put masking tape on the carpet in the shape of an L and we did "L" exercises, like jumping on the L, or across it, or hopping on one foot. It turned out fun, even though the boys needed a little encouragement at first- lets just say I got a great workout that day!

Another game that was a hit (I am not sure if I put it on my lesson plan), was hide and seek with the letter L. One child hid the letter while the rest of us were in the other room, and tried to come and find the letter. It really turned out fun!

Confessions of a Homeschooer had a great download I turned into a file folder game, matching colors and shapes using the Ladybug shape.


Here are the links I got most of my ideas and free downloads:
http://first-school.ws/theme/animals/insects/ladybug.htm
http://confessionsofahomeschooler.blogspot.com/2011/01/letter-l-for-ladybug.html
http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/category/ladybugs
http://www.preschoolexpress.com/alphabet_station04/l_activities.shtml
http://www.123child.com/UBB/showthread.php?6584-the-Letter-quot-L-quot
http://www.ehow.com/how_4999526_plan-letter-l-activities-preschoolers.html

If you have any ideas or great websites I would love to hear about it!

Welcome to Mommy School- D is for dinosaurs

Ever since my little boy turned two I have tried to have a little learning time, and since I like to have lists and pretend to be organized I would try to put something together with a theme. Well it was ok, but I didn't really know how to do it so I tried looking up ideas online but I got frustrated since there is so much material out there, I didn't know what was good. So a few months ago I found this website Oopsey Daisy, she used to be a teacher but now stays home with her little boy, and she started putting up her lesson plans she did for her son. Well I fell in LOVE with them, this idea really got my mind going and it was something I have been trying to do unsuccessfully for a while. So I started doing my own. At first I did stuff every day but since my Older boy goes to preschool two times a week, I only do most of the stuff the days he is home, and the other days he is at school I do a younger version for my younger boy. So I will try posting my lesson plans and some of my websites if you want to give it a try.



A few weeks ago we did D is for dinosaurs! I was so excited since the boys have lots of stuff and they LOVE those silly dinos!
To see or download my lesson plan go here. This plan is totally changeable and I left room to change things around. I didn't do friday since I was going out of town that week.
Here are a few pictures of the things we did-
We decorated the letter D with foam dino stickers I got at the dollar store.


We played a matching game where my older boy matched the big and little letter d's. It was a great game for him to learn upper and lower case letters. And shocker- he totally got it and loved doing it!



We colored a picture of dinosaurs- gotta have coloring right?!


A few other things we did was I hid some of their plastic dino toys in a bin filled with dried beans, and we went on a dino hunt to find them once we found them all we counted how many we had, we stomped like dinosaurs, we read Tadpole Rex which my boys LOVED, and many dino books from the library.

Here are the sites I got my ideas from-
Totally Tots
Confessions of a Homeschooler -This site is where I got the letter sorting upper and lower case game.
Home School creations
No time for flashcards
Preschool Express

Let me know if you have any great ideas for mommy school and what lesson plans you do!

Monogram Tag Blanket

So since I am in that time of my life that I have many friends having babies and I am invited to lots of baby showers I have been trying to think of something cute, cheap, unique, but also something that is helpful to have. So what did I do googled it! Ahhh gotta love google.... And tag blankets came up they are so cute, so I made one for a shower I was invited to this past weekend-

I made it out of scraps of fabric and ribbon I have laying around, and to add a little something I cut a plastic bag and sewed it on the inside, since babies love that sound. For a tutorial on a tag blanket go here.

Well I also wanted to do something unique and I found this tutorial here, about a monogramed tag blanket, which I love! I made one for my friend who recently had a baby. The baby's name starts with G that is why I did that letter if you can tell it is a letter G, I went kinda crazy on the tags. And if you are going to do a letter just be warned sewing around a curvy letter like G was kinda tricky but not too bad. Also I kinda wish I would have made the G larger, but that is for next time. I thought it turned out cute and a great personalized gift!

Laundry Vinyl

Becca, Aub and I had a late night girls night a few weeks ago, and amid the talking we got a project done. Shocker- I know!
Becca had the idea for the vinyl and my handy dandy silhouette cut it out. Isn't it cute, Bec has the best ideas!

Balls.

Some call these treats Buckeyes, Horse Chestnuts, or Peanut Butter balls. I'll just go with balls. Super easy peasy. They're a little rich, but soooo yum!

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup butter
1/8 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/3 cup semisweet choc chips

Combine everything except choc chips. Dough may look dry. Roll into balls. (the bigger you roll 'em, the fewer they make) Place on a wax paper lined cookie sheet or plate. Chill in freezer til firm, about 30 minutes. Melt your choc chips, dip the balls. Put back on cookie sheet, and refrigerate until you serve.

Free downloadable calendar

I found this super cute calendar that you can download for free! So cute just follow this link for details on how to get it. I was thinking this would be a cute calendar for my activity girls to keep in their binders!

We absolutely need this at our house...

This article was super helpful for me. I figured I'd share in case any of you have similar issues at your houses. :) Kids... gotta love 'em. Defiance: Why it happens and what to do about it by Karen Miles Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board Last updated: April 2007

Why preschoolers defy their parents

Your preschooler refuses to leave his friend's house, ignores your request to put away his toys, and pushes his trucks down the stairs despite your repeated instructions not to. Why is he being so defiant?

Less dependent on you than he was as a toddler, your preschooler now has a stronger and more secure identity. He may even be developing a bit of a rebellious streak. "Defiance is how a preschooler asserts himself," says Susanne Ayers Denham, a professor of psychology at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.

What you can do about defiance

Be understanding. When you ask your preschooler to come in for lunch and he yells, "Not now!" and then cries when you make him come in anyway, try to put yourself in his shoes. Give him a hug and tell him you know it's tough to leave his friends, but lunch is ready.

The idea is to show him that instead of being part of the problem, you're actually on his side. Try not to get angry (even if the neighbors are checking out the show your child's putting on). Be kind but firm about making him come in when he must.

Set limits. Preschoolers need — and even want — limits, so set them and make sure your child knows what they are. Spell it out for him: "We don't hit. If you're angry, use your words to tell Adam you want the toy back" or "Remember, you always have to hold my hand in the parking lot."

If your youngster has problems abiding by the rules (as every preschooler does), work on solutions. If he hits his little sister because he's feeling left out, for instance, let him help you feed or bathe the baby, then find a way for him to have his own special time with you. If he gets out of bed because he's afraid of the dark, give him a flashlight to keep on his nightstand.

Reinforce good behavior. Rather than paying attention to your preschooler only when he's misbehaving, try to catch him acting appropriately. A simple "Thanks for hanging up your coat!" or "It's so helpful when you share with your baby sister!" will go a long way toward encouraging your preschooler to do more of the same.

And although you may be sorely tempted to give your child a verbal lashing when he engages in less-than-desirable antics, hold your tongue. "When a child behaves badly, he already feels terrible," says Jane Nelsen, author of the Positive Discipline series of books. "Where did we ever get the idea that in order to make children do better, we first have to make them feel worse?" In fact, doing so may only produce more negative behavior.

Remember, too, that disciplining your preschooler doesn't mean controlling him — it means teaching him to control himself. Punishment might get him to behave, but only because he's afraid not to. It's best for your child to do the right thing because he wants to — because it makes the day more fun for him or makes him feel good.

Use time-outs — positively. When your preschooler's ready to bust a gasket because he isn't getting his way, help him cool off. Rather than a punitive time-out ("Go to your room!"), take him to a comfy sofa in the den or to a favorite corner of his bedroom.

Maybe your child would even like to design a "calm-down place" himself — with a big pillow, a soft blanket, and a few favorite books. If he refuses to go, offer to go along with him and read a story.

If he still refuses, go yourself — just to chill out. You'll not only set a good example, you might get a much-needed break. Once you both feel better, that's the time to talk about appropriate behavior.

Empower your preschooler. Providing opportunities for your youngster to make his own choices allows him to strut some of his newfound autonomy in a controlled environment. Instead of demanding that he put on the jeans you've selected, for instance, let him choose between two pairs you've laid out. Ask if he'd like peas or green beans with dinner, and which of two stories at bedtime.

Another way to help your youngster feel more in control is to tell him what he can do instead of what he can't. Rather than saying, "No! Don't swing the bat in the house!" say, "Let's go outside and practice batting." If he wants an ice-cream cone before dinner, tell him he can choose between a slice of cheese or an apple.

Choose your battles. If your fashion-savvy preschooler wants to wear his green camouflage sweatshirt with his orange striped shorts, what do you care? If he wants waffles for lunch and peanut butter and jelly for breakfast, what's the harm? Sometimes it's easier to look the other way — when he splashes in a mud puddle on the way home, for example, or stuffs his puppet under his bed instead of putting it on the proper shelf.

Distract and divert. Avoid situations that might spark your preschooler's defiant streak. Why risk taking him to a fancy restaurant when you could just meet your sister for a picnic in the park? How realistic is it to expect him to behave in a clothing store or sit quietly during an hour-long community meeting?

If you find yourself in a tricky situation, use distraction to avoid a head-on collision with your child. If you're walking through the mall and spy a toy store that tends to send your kid into a frenzy, quickly steer him in a different direction or divert his attention ("Wow, Jason, look at that fountain! Want to throw in a penny and make a wish?").

Respect his age and stage. When you ask your preschooler to make his bed or sweep the porch, make sure he knows how. Take the time to teach him new tasks, and do them together until he really gets the hang of it. Sometimes what looks like defiance is simply the inability to follow through on a responsibility that's too difficult.

Finally, respect the unique world your preschooler lives in, especially the way he perceives time (or doesn't). Rather than expecting him to jump up from a game at preschool to get in the car, give him a few minutes' notice to help him switch gears. ("Aaron, we're leaving in five minutes, so please finish up.")

There's no guarantee that he'll break away from his fun without complaint — in fact, he'll probably grouse all the way home. But as long as you're patient and consistent, your youngster will eventually learn that defiance isn't the way to get what he wants.

Another Sushi Party

Ok so since you brought up the topic of sushi parties Bec I found this one a while back and have been dying to try it!

Here are a few pictures from the party, this dessert sushi looks so fun and easy-





So I think now we need to have a sushi party!!! Who's in?

Sushi Junk Food Style

I thought you all might find this fascinating... :) Now THIS sushi I could do!

{Entire how-to and article/post found at Blue Cricket Design}

*Picture credits: Blue Cricket Design