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!

Family Time

You know how sometimes you just take a moment to look at your life and you're just happy to be alive and have the people you love around you. The moments where you take a minute of your time to watch what is happening around you. You just look over and smile and have that overwhelming feeling of love for your family. This happened to me just the other day.

We were playing with my 3 boys, Ben 12, Isaac 3 and Eli 6 months. I looked over at my husband playing around with my middle child and it just made my heart fill up. I was moved by the time he was spending listening and interacting with them all. It was a moment that I took the time to just look and watch for that one minute.

I feel like most parents don't take the time to play with their children. Our lives are so full of things to keep us so busy and before you know it the day is over and our children are older. 

I was number 5 out of 7 children and there wasn't much play time in my family but I can remember things that meant the most to me and they all centered around the times when my parents took that 5 to 10 minutes just to focus on me. Cooking with my Mom or making crafts was the best time together. Back scratches from my Dad or a game of chase were moments I cherish. Just thinking about them brings tears to my eyes. That's how important it was to me. Now my mom is gone and those times will be forever what I hold on to.

It's challenging to find things that all the family will enjoy together but when it happens it's amazing. It's for this time that I am so extremely thankful. Playing with the kids doesn't have to be something super exciting and expensive, a lot of what we do in my house is free. We don't really go out much since we have a little baby in tow. We play board games, wii games, silly games that we make up, watch movies and do crafts together.

It just takes 5 minutes of your time to sit down and listen. Pick up a game or puzzle to do together. Maybe just hide around the corner while your child is walking down the hall is all it would take to make  a game of chase. Children need that time together. It's good for development and it enriches the relationship with them for a lifetime. Before you know it they will be all grown up and out of the house, off to college, married, or having their own children. 

In the weeks to come I will post things you can do with your children. Don't miss it. The time is flying by.

Days to Celebrate: March 2012

National Peanut Month

National Craft Month

2 Dr. Seuss’s Birthday

6 Michelangelo’s Birthday

7 National Cereal Day

11 Daylights Savings Time

12 Girl Scouts Anniversary

14 National Kids’ Craft Day

National Potato Chip Day

Albert Einstein’s Birthday

15 Absolutely Incredible Kid Day

17 St. Patrick’s Day

20 Big Bird’s Birthday

First Day of Spring

21 National Teenager’s Day

22 National Goof Off Day

23 Dixie Cup Anniversary

World Meteorological Day

26 Make Your Own Holiday

28 Children’s Picture Book Day

29 Fish Day

30 Van Gogh’s Birthday

Michael’s Craft Events

2 Read Across America, 4-6pm.

24 There was a Little Froggie Easter Craft Egg, 1-3pm.

31 Terra Cotta Spring Butterfly Clay Pot, 1-3pm.

3 My First Science Fair Demo, 3-4pm.

10 T-shirt Tote Bag, 1-3pm.

Yarn Doll, 3-5pm.

For more information click here.

Crafts for Kids at Lakeshore Learning Center every Saturday, 10am-3pm.

3 Designer Mirror

10 Totally Wild Animal Headband

17 Lucky Shamrock Rainbow Ribbon

24 Spring Flower Bouquet

31 A Buggy Scene

For more information click here.

Lowe’s Build and Grow Clinics Saturday, 10am.

10 Carnival Hoops

24 Art Station

For more information click here.

The Cat in the Hat-A-Thon

In case you have heard March 2 marks the 108^th birthday of Dr. Seuss. Every child has enjoyed at least one book from his wild imagination.

On March 2, PBS Kids will celebrate by featuring The Cat in the Hat-A-Thon, a two-hour marathon.  Kids will also be able to engage with the Cat and friends through games and video content online and mobile. Parents can find a Birthday Party Builder Tool on the PBS KIDS Shop website. The Birthday Party Builder Tool is a one stop shop for all your party needs. 

The Cat in the Hat-a-Thon will feature two brand new episodes, “Seasons – Spring and Summer/Fall and Winter,” and “When I Grow Up/Doing it Differently.”

Continue the festivities online and on mobile. All four episodes will be featured with video clips and available online for free on PBSKIDS.org/video and PBS Kids Video App for iPad, IPhone and iPod touch. 

Check your local listening for the Cat in the Hat-a-Thon.  

 
Here's a Truffla Tree craft that you can do with your kids too. Click here.

Veggie Tales Review and Giveaways

"Veggie Tales" is one of my family’s favorite cartoons. I’ve been watching before I even had children and when I had my own I was excited to share my love of "Veggie Tales" with them.

"Veggie Tales" started in 1993 and has been entertaining and teaching children Godly values with every DVD.

This time with the release of “God Loves You Very Much" and "If I Sang a Silly Song” they aim to please again. Each DVD has favorites from the past filled with the same great humor and fun. 

 

“God Loves You Very Much” includes stories, “Gideon: Tuba Warrior”, “The Ballad of Little Joe" and “Rack, Shack & Benny”. The title also includes the all-new “story-song” called “Does He Love Me?”, as well as other bonus features and activities.

“If I Sang a Silly Song” is a DVD collection of all the great Silly Songs. It’s a countdown of the top Silly Songs from the last two decades. Songs include “I Love My Lips”, “Biscuit of Zazzamarandabo”, “The SUV Song”, “Goodnight Junior” (my son’s favorite), “The Hairbrush Song” and many others including an all new Silly Song. 

Both DVD’s “God Loves You Very Much” and “If I Sang a Silly Song” are sure to be a new favorite. I will be giving away 3 copies of each DVD. Look below to see how you can win.

Giveaway Instructions

This contest is over. 

Leave a comment below with the title of the DVD you would like to win.

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

“Like” Creative Parenting on Facebook.

“Like” Veggie Tales on Facebook.

Become a follower of this blog. Look over to the right of this page.

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends Tuesday, March 6 at 9am (CST). Winners will be randomly selected. Winners will be notifies by email.

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

Craft: Leap Frog

Leap into the March with this fun craft I shared on MetroFamily Magazine.

Click here Leap Frog.

Tootsie Roll Anniversary

 

In 1896 Tootsie Rolls were invented. I can’t believe they have been around that long. I remember eating them as a child. I had some friend’s stick one to my Dad’s van window and it pulled the tint off. That was in the 80’s. I’m sure window tinting has came a long way since then.

Today 49 million Tootsie Rolls are manufactured daily. That’s a lot of Tootsie Rolls.

Here’s a great way to use up all those Tootsie Rolls you got for Valentine’s Day. Make sculptures.

All you need is Tootsie Rolls and toothpicks. Pull the Tootsie Rolls apart and use them as glue to attach the toothpicks together. 

Have fun celebrating the 116th year of the Tootsie Roll.