WOW! UPSIDE DOWN SPELLS...

MOM! Mother's Day is a wonderful time to show some major appreciation for the remarkable women in our lives who nurture and support us, wether we're still growing or already grown up.

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BOOKS THAT CELEBRATE A MOTHER'S LOVE

A favorite in my home, Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman is a magical journey, both lyrically and visually, that celebrates the power of a Mother's love as it travels far and wide, over hills and mountains, following her child wherever he or she may go.

​Want to add this special book to your library? Check out our MOTHER'S DAY BOOK LIST, which features additional well loved titles.

 It is our hope that you find as much joy in these books as we do, not only on on Mother's Day, but all year long!

​(This post contains an Amazon Affiliate Link)

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 COLOR DIFFUSED FLOWERS FOR MOM

SUPPLY LIST:

• Tissue Paper
• Markers
• Cardstock
• Spray bottle or water dropper
• White Glue
• Construction Paper

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​INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Gently color tissue paper with some markers. Short marker strokes or dots work well! If the tissue paper rips, no worries, it will add to the charm.
2. Wet the tissue paper by using a spray bottle, water dropper or sprinkling water from your finger tips and watch the colors diffuse and blend into the tissue paper.
3. Set the tissue paper aside to dry.
4. Once dry, the tissue paper will be slightly stiff and can be cut into squares. Experiment with crunching and twisting the paper into flower shapes.
5. Secure your flowers to the card stock with a big blob of glue. The glue will help set the shape of the flowers.
6. Add stems and leaves with colored paper, paint or markers.
7. Use these flowers to make a card or add them to a shadow box as a special gift for Mother's Day!

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MAKING MAGIC OUT OF MUD

Raising two little boys means I spend a lot of time defending myself against ninja attacks, examining bugs and mysterious substances, as well as kissing many a skinned knee. In the midst of the mad dashes in and out of the house, as well as around town, we do take joy in sitting down and working on creative projects together. It's treasured time we spend together and I'm thankful my boys enjoy it as much as they do. My oldest son leads the way and, of course, his little brother follows along and imitates everything he does.

Now, truth be told, it took some time for me to re-learn how to play. I wouldn't have called myself a crafty Mom a few years ago and I'm certainly thankful the "world wide internet" exists, especially when I need some inspiration. However, once I caught on to the fact that creative activities can support brain development, such as crossing the mid-line while painting on an easel, my interest was seriously piqued. I decided to dust off that part of my brain and see what fun stuff might still be boxed up in there.  

It took some work but I eventually shook off my fear of looking silly, which resulted in really connecting with my kids and becoming familiar with the feeling of living in the present moment as a Mom.

Today, I love sharing silly ideas with my kids and encourage them to express themselves and experiment with thinking outside of the box. I know that I've benefited from this as well. I've started to see the world in new ways too. My older son and I have come up with some of our own arts projects made from found treasures and enjoy making up our own stories together at bedtime. 

I don't have to spend so much time planning activities. It's becoming easier than I thought it'd be. We laugh a lot together.

Mud used to be something I'd avoid at all costs and, nowadays, it's paint for an art project and a treasured memory in the making. 

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