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. 

5 Free Apps for Mom

Are you sick of the same old apps. Playing Words with Friends or Hanging with Friends. Here are some apps to help you get organized, find crafts and recipes, find out the song that is playing on the commercial and find free apps from all over the place. 

Cozi

Want to be more organized, remember important dates, make shopping lists and to do lists.

Check out Cozi. It’s a wonderful app with lists to create and do.

Create a family calendar with color coding so you can easily see what event is going on. Add reminders to send to your phone or email so that you will never forget an important appointment again. You can also share this with the whole family. So if your husband or child has an upcoming appointment you can send them a reminder too or teach them how to add in their own. You can also sync your calendar with Microsoft Outlook and other internet calendars.

Add things to your grocery list and to do list. No more losing your list.

I use to only own an Ipod Touch and you can still use it without an internet connection. Look at the calendar and add events. Plus look at the grocery list and add on too. Check off the things that your getting at the store and always have it with you. If your out getting milk you can look to see if there is anything else you need.

There are tons of great things about the app and the site. Check it out and get your life a little more organized.

AppTracker

This app helps you find new and old apps for Free or that have lowered their price. Find apps for your kids or yourself.

This app will sort the apps for you by pricing and popularity. You can also share the information with your friends about the apps you like.

Craftgawker

Here’s an app that is going to be your new addiction. Just like Pinterest but on a smaller scale. The crafts are submitted by craft bloggers instead of everyone out there. Editors review the submissions and choose the ones to showcase.

This app is filled with wonderful craft projects and allows you to save them and share them with your friends.

One thing I love about this app is that I can always link up to the website that it came from. Sometimes on Pinterest I get sales ads.

Sign up is FREE.

Foodgawker

Along with Craftgawker there is also Foodgawker.

Foodgawker helps you find new food to try out with some wonderful recipes, restaurant reviews and more.

This app is done with submissions from food bloggers. It’s update daily from editors who pick out the best to share.

Craftgawker and Foodgawker both have wonderful websites that can be checked out as well.

TuneWiki

This app is one of my best friends when it comes to music. I can be sitting and watching commercials or my favorite shows on tv and hear a song I like and use my app to find out who sings it. I can also buy it too. It syncs me up with iTunes for easy purchasing.

One other thing it does that I really love is plays the song along with the lyrics. I really like being able to hear it and read along.

There are so many great features so check it out.

Great for the music lovers out there and best of all it’s FREE.

Domino Time

I remember playing with dominoes when I was little. There were only so many things you could do at your grandparents house. Dominoes are a fun activity for indoors when it's raining or to hot to be outside. It also builds your imagination and thinking skills. 

We love playing with dominoes in my house. They are fun to stack and fun to watch fall down. They are also very noisy which makes it extra fun. 

 

Making a snake seems to be the favorite way to play. Stand the dominoes up on the end and make a line of them just a tiny bit apart so when they fall they can hit the next one in line. When you get them all standing up push down the first domino and watch them fall. 

The other way to play is just stack them up. Make a tall tower, train track, buildings, and garages for cars.

 

Dominoes are also a wonderful game to play. It teaches matching, counting and other math skills too.  Kids can play and learn.  A good family game.

Have fun with them and let your child explore a whole new world.

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)

“Like” Creative Parenting on Facebook.

Follow me on Twitter.  

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  Leave a comment on my Facebook page. 

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. 

Keeping a Baby Book

I never realized how important it is to keep a baby book until I had to answer questions at a doctor’s office for my second child. When you think about baby books it’s usually just something you think is a simple gift for a new mommy however it is so much more. It’s a great place to store memories of you and your baby. A place to keep memorabilia and journal what your baby was doing each month.

My middle child has been down a rough road since he was about 3 1/2. I started to notice something different in the way he acted in comparison to other children his age. I spoke with many people to find out what I could do to help him. He is now almost 6 and after all those years the baby book helped me answer so many questions about him. If I hadn’t kept information together for him since birth I would’ve had a harder time helping him.

Each doctor I took him to would ask questions about his development and when he learned how to walk, talk and a thousand of other questions. Over all I think I’ve had to fill out 10 to 15 packet’s just about his development. If I hadn’t had the baby book I don’t know how I would’ve been able to do it.

It’s super important to keep a baby book for your child. It can be full of funny things they did and happy memories of walking, talking and crawling around. It’s also a great resource if you ever have to go through doctor visits for your child. I hope you never do but I know this is one thing that helped me so much and I hope that it will help someone else too.

Enjoy your baby and take pictures often of the wonderful memories they share each day. They grow so quickly and in a blink of an eye they are gone off to college. It’s hard to imagine now but I promise they will be big before you know it.

Recipe: Homemade Pizza

Homemade pizza is so easy to make, very cheap and super yummy. It only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and about another 15 to cook it.

My family loves homemade pizza and my 5 year old loves to help make it. We have so much fun putting the toppings on and rolling out the dough. It a great recipe to get the kids involved. 

Ingredients:

Pizza sauce

Pizza crust (envelopes)

Water

Flour

Cookie sheet

Toppings -  (your choice)

Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella or your favorites)

Pepperoni or Canadian bacon

Olives

Pineapple

Tomatoes

Peppers

Directions:

Make crust according to package. If dough is to sticky add flour. If it’s to dry add more water.

Spread crust out on cookie sheet using your hands. If a hole shows up spread around the dough a little to close it up. Poke holes with fork all over dough. 

Bake according to directions.

Take out of oven and add toppings. Pizza sauce, everything else and then top with cheese. 

Cook according to package or until lightly brown and cheese is melted.

Craft: Making your Own Constellations

This is one project that is sure to please any little person who loves to look at the stars and loves space.

Making constellations can be super fun. All you need is a push pin and paper and your on your way.

Here is my post on MetroFamily Magazine with all the instructions.

My son had so much fun making his. He did the one on the very top of this post.