February the Month of Love

I love this time of the year. I get to use my creativity to make something sweet for my loved ones. I love coming up with new ways to surprise them.

This year I am making my son a mailbox and putting love notes and a small gift in it everyday until Valentine's Day. I haven't decided what else I will do. My husband will also get notes too. I leave them around in different places for him to find them. It's fun to see his reaction.

Here's some ideas to get you started. Get 14 cards, note cards, postcards, index cards. Whatever you can write a love note one. You can get cheap cards just about anywhere. Hallmark, Wal-Mart, Target the Dollar Store. You can also be creative and make your own cards with stickers, markers, construction paper, glitter and whatever else you have on hand.

Send one card the them everyday of the week or put it on the dresser, lunch pail, backpack, wherever you want you loved one to find it. Sending a card in the mail is great because not a lot of people get mail anymore and this would be neat for kids to receive one each day. Now I realize that on Sunday you can't send one so hid it somewhere in the house that they can find it. You can also do this during the week as well.  You can also send them to their place of work.

Inside the card you can say whatever you want. Be creative and have fun.

If you wanted you could put clues in them for where you will take him or her out for Valentines or pieces of a puzzle they will have to put together. Special stickers, candy, small toys, pencils, pens and anything small.

Start getting your stuff together now. Have fun with it and don't forget you got to do it everyday.

I made love notes this year using Picmonkey. I haven't figured out how to share documents yet so I hope that you can print these out and use them. If you right click them and save them to your computer you can put them in a word document and print. If you not you can always make them on Picmonkey and print them out yourself.

I had so much fun making them and I hope everyone enjoys them.

I also have some other ideas for Valentine's Day that I will share with you in the coming days.

What do you do for your loved ones? Do you countdown or just wait until the day?

Here's the one I made my husband for today.

These are the one's I made for my son. He loves jokes so I will hand write them in the bubbles. You can write whatever you like in them.

Crafts: 7 Mother's Day Presents You Can Make

Happy Mother's Day!

Celebrate Mother's Day making your own special artwork. Here are several ways to say I love you.

Make pretty flowers using a stalk of celery. It's fun and turns out beautiful. I think any mother would love them.

Click here for instructions.

This is a valentine's coupon book but you can make it for mom too, just add Mother's Day Coupon Book to the front instead. Include some chores your mom would love you to do. I'm sure she will appreciate it.


Click here for instructions.

Recycle a coffee filter and make mom a whole bouquet of flowers. They would make a beautiful center piece. Grandma would love them too.

Click here for instructions.

Make a Butterfly Sun Catcher. This project will take some help from an adult but it is so wonderful and would make a really nice addition to any window. 

Click here for instructions.

A refrigerator isn't complete without a few homemade magnets. These are cute little magnets for any refrigerator. 

Click here for instructions. 

Moms love keeping journals. It's a perfect way for her to write down her thoughts and spend some quiet time.  

Click here for instructions.

Plant mom some pretty flowers she can add to her outside garden. Make sure you pick some flowers that can come back every year, that way mom can remember how much you love her each year they bloom.

Click here for instructions. 

Does your mom like to read. Here are several books that are super for any mom. Plus be sure to sign up for the giveaway while you're there.

Click here for the article and your chance to win. 

Giveaway and Reviews: Books for Moms

Made to Crave – Satisfying your deepest desire with God, not food – Lysa Terkeurst

Trying to loose weight and find a deeper relationship with God. Lysa shares her personal journey through weight loss and how she managed to change her thinking and started on a deeper relationship with God. She got more than she ever imagined.

Break the cycle and feel good about yourself, stop agonizing over numbers on the scale, replace rationalizations that lead to failure with wisdom that leads to victory and reach your healthy goals.

Find more information at http://madetocrave.org/

Cravings - Desiring God in the midst of motherhood – Carey C. Bailey

A cute cupcake that holds 40 cards for moms to reach for daily. Each card has a scripture for the day and small devotion. Includes tips too.

Instead of reaching for a cupcake to eat, reach for a cupcake and feed your soul. Over a month’s worth devotions in ways to serve the spiritual needs of moms.

Find out more about Carey on her Facebook page. http://www.facebook.com/CravingsOnline

Growing Great Kids - Partner with God to cultivate His purpose in your child’s life – Kate Battistelli

Written by the mother Francesca Battistelli the contemporary singer-songwriter.

Teach your children how to dream God’s big dream, value of humility and integrity, how to interpret God’s seasons in your child’s life and the power of a parent’s words.

The end of each chapter has questions and a prayer to help lead you.

For more information visit http://www.katebattistelli.com.

One Thousand Gifts – A dare to live fully right where you are - Ann Voskamp

A practical guide to living a life of joy. Discover ways to opening your eyes to gratitude, a way of living, and a way of becoming present to God’s presence that brings deep and lasting happiness.  This book will change the way you see your world and find ways to be thankful for the things that God has given you daily.

Find the life you always wanted by finding God’s gifts.  

Find more information and check out the FREE app at http://onethousandgifts.com/

Different Dream Parenting – A practical guide to raising a child with special needs – Jolene Philo

Find biblical insights and practical resources to strengthen you in your walk with God and equip you for the journey.

Provides tools wit help you work through situations. Ways to advocate for your child, dealing with hospital stays, insurance, juggling schedules and dealing with grief.

Each chapter has a prayer, resource list and questions. Plus current resources available like hospitals, government agencies, schools and prayer guides. 

More information can be found at http://www.differentdream.com/

Raising a Soul Surfer – One’s Family’s epic tale – Cheri Hamilton

A story about the Hamilton family long before the shark attack. This book will take you on a journey along with the Hamilton’s and see how God gave them a bigger purpose in life than they imagined.

Witness the shark attack form a parent’s perspective and be inspired by how they relied on God through the tragedy.  Find out how Cheri felt going back to the same area her daughter was attacked, the re-entry of Bethany’s surfing and the non-profit organization that helps shark-attack survivors.

Mother’s will learn how to make it through unexpected events that involve their children.

Read more about Bethany here. http://www.soulsurfer.com/connect.html?gclid=CL77h63i7q8CFaVdTAod_zcnrQ

Giveaway Instructions
This giveaway is closed. 

Leave a comment below for your chance to win Cravings - Desiring God in the midst of motherhood – Carey C. Bailey

For extra entries. (leave a comment to let me know you signed up)

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This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends Tuesday, May 15 at 9am (CST). Winner will be randomly selected. Winner will be notified by email.

Only one entry per person. Creative Parenting is not responsible for lost or misplaced prizes.

Disclosure:  I received a copy of each book for review purposes. 

Crafts: Journal

I love making journals, it's one of my favorite things to make for family and friends. I make journals or baby books for occasions such as new baby, birthdays or Christmas. I've been making them for several years now and I think everyone in my family has at least one. They are super easy to make and well worth the effort. Plus they are cheap too. You can find the books at the Dollar Tree or Walmart. 

Supplies: 

Composition book

4 sheets of 8x11 scrapbook paper

Glue stick

Double sided sticky tape or mounting tape

Stickers

Scissors

Instructions:

1. First take the front of the book and put mounting tape on it. I put mine around the edges and some in the middle. Just do the front for now. Then you remove the paper to expose the tape. 

2. Use the glue stick and put it all over the front of the book.

3. Take the paper you want to use on the front and make sure you put the paper on so that the book is towards the middle of the paper. You want to line it up against the black bind with paper hanging over the top, bottom and side. NOTE: Make sure you put the paper on the right direction when you are applying it to the book. You won't be able to remove it.

4. Press down paper using your hand to smooth it out. 

5. Do the back of the book. The same way.

6. Take the front cover and use your scissors to cut along the edges of the book. (I have a friend who uses an exacto knife to cut it just right, I prefer scissors.) Remember to cut the back too.

7. Take the inside front cover and repeat steps 1-6 and then repeat to do the back inside cover too.

8. When you are done cutting the pages your books should look like this.

 

9. Now that you got the paper on your book the way you want it, it's time to decorate it. You can put the person's name on the front, add stickers and embellishments as you want.

You now have a finished book. Wrap it up and give it to someone special.

Extra Tips:  

Use rubber stamps and stamp the first 20 or so pages in the upper right hand corner or use stickers.

Add a bookmark. When you put the back paper on you can stick a piece of yarn under the paper with extra tape or tacky glue. Then put the paper over it and you got a bookmark.

The sky is the limit. Use your imagination and create whatever you like. Have fun and enjoy!