Last meetings craft instructions

Here are the instructions for the menu boards ladies! Hope this helps!

Amber

The Best Days Of Your Life

Lamentations 4:1 "How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold has become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street."

     "How much of mothering we miss because our focus is simply on surviving! We act as though the business of raising our children is simply something we must get through before we tackle the really important stuff of life. Sure, we all seethe at well-intended advice from kindly grandmothers in grocery stores who tell us (as we wrestle with three cranky kids in the check out line), "These are the best days of your life! Enjoy them because they pass so quickly!"
     "Not quickly enough," we mutter under our breath. But these women do have a point-one that comes with the wisdom of their years. The stage of mothering young children is a stage. It only feels like an era! And it will pass. It will not last forever. It will end one day.
     Gold loses its luster and becomes dull. But investing in the life of a child is an investment that will last forever. Make the most of life's irretrievable moments-now."

~Mom's Devotional Bible
Pg. 829

Oh! The things they say!

I am enamored with the endearing and funny things my little man says! And I am blessed to know that with number 2 there will be many more to come! When I saw these, I just KNEW we all had to have the oportunity to have one. Keep it in your purse or with your Bible, somewhere you frequent and get to jotting down all this good stuff!
Thanks kinderpendent for an AWESOME idea...
quote books ..tutorial

My kids are constantly saying things that are hilariously cute. I'm awful with keeping up with the baby books. (And when I say awful, I mean I haven't touched one in years.) BUT, I don't want to lose these little quotes that pop out of my kiddos' mouths. So, on this rainy Saturday afternoon I designed these printable quote books.

Wouldn't you like one? or two? Here's a quick & easy tutorial:

1. Select the graphics you'd like to use above. (click on them to get the full printable size)

2. If you'd like to add font to the word bubble cover, open it up in a paint document & add your type. Then save.

3. Open a word document. Add the cover image. (It needs to be centered, on the very bottom of the page.)

4. Open a new page. Add the bubble images. The upside down image goes on top, right side up image on the bottom. Center the images for an even center half fold.

5. Print. (I printed the pages, front & back) Then fold all of the pages in half, with the cover on top.

6. Either use binding tape, or create your own with fabric scraps. Sew on the top of your book.

7. Wait for those cute quotes and record away!

Here is the direct link just in case something is not working here!

http://kinderpendent.blogspot.com/2011/03/quote-books-tutorial.html

 

Have a blessed and Fun Filled day!

Amber

Bad News for Your Insurer

moreno valley: New rule allows many california residents to get car insurance at half-price.

ConsumerDaily.org

The answer to finding more time in a day...

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young
February 10th

"TRUST ME ENOUGH to spend ample time with me, pushing back the demands of the day. Refuse to feel guilty about something that is so pleasing to Me, the King of the universe. Because I am omnipotent, I am able to bend time and events in your favor. You will find that you can accomplish more in less time, after you have given yourself to Me in rich communion. Also, as you align yourself with My perspective, you can sort out what is important and what is not.
Don't fall into the trap do being constantly on the go. Many, many things people do in My name have no value in My kingdom. To avoid doing meaningless works, stay I. Continual communication with Me. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you. "

Luke 10:41-42; Psalm 32:8 (NASB)

Thanks Renee for a great devotion.

What a God!

"What a God we have! He encompasses every role to meet our needs-even those needs we'd rather not admit having.
Isaiah 9:6 describes four specific roles of God, beginning with "Wonderful Councelor." In this role, God, as king, carries out a royal program for the worl. God is in charge of the details of our days, in our homes as well as in our countries and the larger universe.
As "Mighty God," he functions as an omnipotent soldier. God is able to fight and win any battle for his people [even those Mommy battles, you know what they are].
"Everlasting Father" refers to God's role as provider and protector-somone we can lean on and trust.
As Prince of Peace," God is able to bring about the completion of his will for all time: health and restoration for us individually and for our society.
"Wonderful Councelor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." What a God we have!"

I hope this is as refreshing and comforting to you as it was to me today!
In His Grace,
Amber

A Free Behavior Chart!

So being the co-coordinator at m2m, I do a lot of what we call floating...I cruise the room and hang out at each table for a few minutes during discussion time. I hear over and over how we struggle with correcting negative behavior. But I do not hear too many people offering up solutions. It could be that we are arfraid our techniques sound crazy, we are not confident in our own methods, or we are plain too tired to offer any sound advice ;) At any rate...It is hard to figure out what works for each kiddo...I know "The Whiney Jar" Which eventually just became the "Ugly Behavior Jar" was a huge success for my son and for a few people that I shared my secret with. It is esentially a visual points and reward system. Well, this is similar, and really cute! Not to mention ya'll know how much I LOVE freebies! Only this time someone else did all the work for me! Helllloooo! Love it! So here it is. Just print it out and laminate it and you have your very own super cute behavior chart!
Here is the link to the print. It is an 8x10! http://i466.photobucket.com/albums/rr29/Telsee/Boysrewardchartforkidscopy.jpg
Happy Correcting! Amber

A lil' Valentines day craft on a dime...

Thanks to "thirty hand made days" we have a sweet craft that we can totally do with our kiddos. I know some of you may think I am a little off my rocker telling you that your preschoolers can craft with needle and thread...but hear me out: Sewing is a great activity to tune up fine motor skills and the Montessori community calls this a practical life lesson. "What is practical life? Basically, it is any physical activity that helps a child grow in motor skills, cognitive development, self confidence and development of his or her own personality, and most of all independence. Any controlled movement of hands, arms, legs, feet, eyes, etc. helps your child achieve independence and mastery of his or her environment. Sitting up, crawling, walking, grasping a toy are practical life skills for infants. Soon, your toddler is ready for new areas to conquer. Dressing, brushing his or her teeth, washing face and hands, eating properly, not slamming the door, manners, and so on are all practical life skills that prepare your child for life. Being able to take care of yourself gives not only self-confidence and freedom, but helps with ones concentration in the mastery of concrete learning that eventually leads to abstract learning, such as reading and math." Even the big kids dig this craft!

"In time for Valentine’s day, I have come up with the perfect gift to give to all the book lovers in your life. Supplies: -felt -white embroidery thread -paperclips -hot glue gun -scissors -fabric marking pen They are really easy and quick to make. Read on to see how I made these sweet little bookmarks.

Start by drawing your shape onto felt. To help keep the felt in place while cutting, use a straight pin to stabilize the two pieces.

Now that your felt hearts are cut out, it is time to stitch.

Stitch a running stitch along the perimeter of the heart. It is the simplest stitch – just up and down through the felt.

Once you stitch all the way around, you can secure your thread by running your needle along the very top of the felt, pulling though and cutting off the excess. You will be gluing the heart down with hot glue, so you don’t have to worry about this string coming out. Now that the stitching is done, you can glue the bookmark together.

Put a small dot of glue on your plain heart and glue down the paperclip. Add more hot glue over the surface of the plain heart, and very lightly press your stitched heart down on top. If you smash the two hearts together, two things will happen: hot glue will ooze out of the sides, and you will be able to see the outline of the paperclip. Pressing lightly keeps the surface smooth and pretty.

You may have already noticed the sweet cards that these bookmarks are clipped to. Since Photoshop tends to send me into fits of hysteria, I asked Mique to design a card for these bookmarks so that they can be given as Valentines. She, of course, came up with something fabulous with very little help from me.

To Download your Homemade Valentine bookmark cards for visit this link http://thirtyhandmadedays.com/2012/01/homemade_valentine_cards/ and scoll down to the picture of the bookmarks. be sure to subscribe to get the ful, resolution download. A new page will pop up for you if you did it right. 30days subscribers and personal use only. Thanks! Enjoy stitching up these little hearts and spreading the love this Valentine’s Day!"

Sneak Peak....

Our February 16th meeting will be Crafting and Conversation! Join us in some free time to gab and create a very useful organizational tool!

Be sure to bring a list of (at least 7) your family's go to meals and 6-7 copies of your favorite quick and easy recipe to share with your table! Cannot wait to see you all there at 9:30 am! ~Amber