Showing posts with label moms. Show all posts

Momma Always Said…Words to remember

Momma Always Said…

Words to remember

by: Susan Fox

24/7 MOMS Family Life Editor

Stand up straight

I’ll always love you the most

Don’t talk with your mouth full

The best way to make a friend is to be one

If you can’t say anything nice don’t say anything at all

Remember who you are

Never chew gum in public

Consider the source

Never be too proud to pick up a penny

Be careful what you wish for, it might come true

Two wrongs don’t make a right

You can’t judge a book by its cover

Do unto others as you would have them do to you

No use crying over spilt milk

Eat your vegetables, they’re good for you

Always tell the truth

20 Simple Teacher Gifts

Looking for SIMPLE gifts to thank the Teachers in your child's life?

We asked both our Twitter Followers and our Facebook friends to help us compile a list of their REAL mom ideas and together we created a list of 20 SIMPLE ideas to use now and the many years ahead.

1. Complimentary Note To Administration - Write a letter to the building principal stating the positive experience your child has had with that particular teacher during the school year. These are the things that become part of the teachers file and possibly even forwarded to the Superintendent's office. It's nice to be appreciated by the parents!

2. School Supply Gift Certificates - To a book store (chain or local); an educational book store or learning warehouse. Teachers spend a lot of their own money on classroom supplies so this will be a welcomed gift.

3. YUMMY Gift certificate - For coffee at Starbucks or your local coffee shop or their favorite place to eat.

4. Potted Plants - Purchase a pot that possibly the entire class can sign, decorate or place their hand print on or even make finger print lady bugs all over it. then pot a nice plant in it for her to enjoy.

5. Books - A book to be used in the classroom. Inscribed with a note from the child.
A group idea would be to provide a bookshelf that the students all help paint and decorate then each can contribute a book to.

6. Magazine Subscription - National Geographic World (kids magazine), Ranger Rick, Highlights. Family Fun etc... If all of the kids participate this is only 1 or 2 dollars per child. You can also find gift certificates for magazines so the teacher can choose her own.

7. Board games - These are a great addition to the classroom and can be used year after year in the classroom -- Smath, Monopoly, Boggle, Scrabble, Pay Day, Jenga, Brain Quest, Manacala, Uno.

8. Hobbies - If you know that your teacher has a particular hobby or interest, gear the gift to that interest.

9. Group gift- Have all kids pitch in… to buy bigger gift. Do some investigating where does your teacher like to shop, eat out, type of entertainment such as theatre, movies etc.

10. Summer Theme Gift - ice cream scoop and hot fudge/ beach bag wit new beach towel.

11. Pamper Gift- a gift card/certificate for a manicure or pedicure at a local shop. Every teacher enjoys a bit of pampering to kick off the summer! or create a pamper me gift basket filled with polishes, socks, lotions etc.

12. Personalize Gift - for her life- beyond the classroom. Jewelry, a new shirt, item to ad to a collection she has etc.

13. Freezer Meals - Gift certificate to a local make ahead meals such as Dream Dinners.

14. Herb Garden - pots with herbs or a pot with basil , small bottle of balsamic vinegar, small bottle of olive oil, recipe card for tomato salad with basil.

15. Baked Pies - Bake a homemade pie or other baked goods.

16. Thinking Ahead - A new cute lunch tote, office/school supplies place in a basket . Investigate if she has things in her classroom that needs to be replaced or replenished.

17. Everyday Gift - Gift Certificate to local Target or Wal-Mart is EXTREMELY usable for both personal and their classroom.

18. Donation Gift - Donation to a cause of her interest.

19. CHOCOLATE - Do they have a favorite special chocolate they like Sees candy, Godiva etc. Treat them to 1lb of sweets.

20. Homemade - Cards and flowers picked from your garden are simple and almost FREE ..remember its the thought that counts not the amount of money we spend.

MOM Tip: Rosie's Five Tips for Catching Up to Your Internet Savvy Kids

MOM Tip:
Feeling a little "behind" when it comes to the Internet? Is your sixth grade daughter also doubling as your personal tech support? Your kids may be of the Facebook generation but not to worry, you can still catch the train. Get on board now because the train is a fast moving one! Here are five tips to help you get started...

Tip One: Get on Facebook even if your child is too young (less than 13 years old) to be on it. It is a communication site unlike anything you've ever seen. Besides reconnecting or "friending" others, it is a way to share pictures, communicate and have fun. Once reserved for college aged students, it is now expanding across generations. If you have a teenager, it is likely that they have a Facebook or some other type of social networking account. After you've established yourself:

Learn the lingo. A friend of mine couldn't understand why his teenage daughter was so upset after she had been "tagged" on Facebook. Did someone catch her he wondered? He didn't know what being "tagged" meant and it was only days later that he learned an unflattering picture of her had been identified and was seen by many.

Know the privacy settings. While nothing on Facebook is truly private, it is important to understand how the settings work. I keep my privacy settings high meaning only my friends (people I've approved) can view my information.

Tip Two: Know how to do a good Internet search. If your child is interested in learning about something or needs to do research for a school project, the Internet is often the first (and sometimes the only) stop. Learning how to do a good search can help get to the right sites quickly. Hint: using quotation marks and symbols are a must.

Tip Three: The movie screen has shrunk - to less than 3 inches on a web enabled device like an iphone or blackberry. YouTube has allowed anyone to be a movie maker. Movies of all kinds are constantly uploaded to YouTube. Easy to use recording devices have made uploading to YouTube fairly simple and straightforward. Take a spin on YouTube and see what your kids may be watching. Then, once you figure it out ask if they have a favorite channel or what they like to watch.

Tip Four: Communication has gone high tech. Sure, the best communication is still done face

to face but other communication techniques are widely used. Standard phone calls and even email are being replaced by Internet video calling and text messaging. Many people use a tiny keypad to send text messages but if I'm at my computer, I'll use that instead since it is free and not as tedious.

Tip Five: Find your music online. The days of buying a CD are winding down and chances are pretty high that your child doesn't even consider buying a CD when they want to listen to music. Pandora is a hit with young and old - essentially a internet radio station you customize. iTunes is a favorite for many wishing to download music and makes a great gift for someone of the Facebook generation.

Today's Guest Blogger was Rosemary Blandford, CEO and Founder of RosieKnows.com be sure to stop by her site and surf all her great Internet resources.

Everything Easter Egg-stravaganza - Name Your Tune Giveaway, Family Fun Ideas and Recipe

Today we have MORE great fun at the Everything Easter Egg-stravaganza - First I want to tell you about an Egg-citing LIVE event to be held right here at www.247moms.com. On April 6th from 1:00-3:00PT we will host a LIVE web Easter Egg-stravaganza giveaway - 2 hours of giveaways, Easter ideas and Mom conversation. Mark your MOM calenders and join us for two hours of Egg-citing fun.

Now for today's Everything Easter Egg-stravaganza - where you will find an Egg-citing family fun idea, another GREAT giveaway and even an Egg-stra yummy Easter treat to bake.

EGG-citing Easter Family Fun:

Over 10 years ago I came across a new family tradition called "Resurrection Eggs". You can either purchase this or create your own. I happened to purchase mine which came complete with 12 eggs filled with various items to assist me in telling the Eater story to my Children along with a booklet that had the story broken down to go with each egg. We have used this fun tradition to share the Easter story with our children each year.

There are several ways to use these Resurrection eggs.

1. Daily countdown - Open and egg each day telling a portion of the Easter Story.
2. Tell the entire story at once opening each egg at the appropriate time in the story.
3. Host a Easter Party for friends, neighbors and family and share the Easter story with the children using the Resurrection eggs.

If you are interested in purchasing your Resurrection eggs I found a great deal at Christianbook.com they are on sale for $6.99. I also Posted below directions for you and your kids to create your own set of "Resurrection Eggs".

Resurrection Egg Countdown By: Easy Fun School

Many of you have seen the plastic Resurrection Eggs that are used to tell the story of the Christian Easter celebration. Did you know that these can easily, and frugally, be made at home?

First, purchase 12 plastic Easter eggs, the kind that you can open and fill. I recommend the size that can fit in a Styrofoam or cardboard egg carton. You can reuse one that you bring home eggs in from the grocery. This makes for easy storage so that you can use these many times without losing any of the bits and pieces.

If possible, try and have each of the 12 eggs a different color. This makes it easier as well. If having 12 different colors isn't an option, use a permanent marker to write the number 1 through 12 on each egg and then put them in the egg carton.

Into each egg place the item and scripture reference written on a small piece of paper.

Egg #1:

Message -- Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. The people waved palm branches.
Passage -- Matthew 21:1-11
Item -- Piece of palm branch. Another option for those of you with extra leggo parts or plastic novelty beads would be to place a small plastic leaf in the egg

Egg #2:

Message -- Mary poured expensive perfume on Jesus' feet.
Passage -- John 12:2-8
Item -- Small perfume sample or cloth with perfume or a piece of cotton with cologne on it

Egg #3:

Message -- Jesus shared the Last Supper with His disciples.
Passage -- Matthew 26:17-19
Item - a piece of Chex cereal; or take clay and make a small bread-like shape

Egg #4:

Message -- Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Passage -- Matthew 27:3
Item -- 3 dimes or plastic ,silver money

Egg #5:

Message -- Jesus carried His own cross.
Passage -- John 19:17
Item - toothpicks or Popsicle stick cut and glued in a cross form; or, a small plastic cross from a Christmas ornament or necklace.

Egg #6:

Message -- Soldiers placed a crown of thorns on Jesus' head.
Passage -- John 19:2
Item -- Small thorny branch, or a large thorn all by itself.

Egg #7:

Message -- Soldiers parted Jesus' garments and cast lots for His coat.
Passage -- John 19:23
Item -- Swatch of burlap and a nail. I've also seen miniature dice used for this one.

Egg #8:

Message -- Jesus was nailed to a cross and pierced in His side.
Passage -- John 19:18,37 & John 20:25-29
Item -- A nail

Egg #9:

Message -- They gave Jesus vinegar mixed with gall on a sponge to drink.
Passage -- Matthew 27:34
Item -- A small sponge

Egg #10:

Message -- Spices to prepare Jesus for burial.
Passage -- John 19:40
Item -- 7 or 8 whole cloves, or other whole spices

Egg #11:

Message -- The stone covering Jesus' tomb was rolled away.
Passage -- John 20:1
Item -- A small rock

Egg #12:

Message -- The napkin around Jesus' head was lying separately from His linen clothers. He was not there. He has risen!
Passage -- John 20:6-7
Item -- A scrap of linen-type fabric

Note: I have seen these done slightly different, or using slightly different items. If you have to substitute and use different items, that's OK. The point is to get the story across from the point that Jesus rides into Jerusalem riding on a donkey (now celebrated as Palm Sunday) to when it is discovered that is no longer in his tomb but has Risen (Easter Sunday, also known as Resurrection Day).

Everything Easter Basket Filler Idea:

Who doesn't love music? Cd's are great for all ages. My youngest boys enjoy listening to both

music and stories on CD where my teenagers prefer to take their Cd's and load them to their IPods. Placing CD's in my kids Easter baskets is one of my favorite ideas as I can also get some great deals on CD's ( see today's Name Your Tune deal below) at a variety of places from Amazon.com, half.com, ebay.com or watch for sales at my local stores.

Today's Egg-stravaganza Giveaway:

Name Your Tune is an exciting new Children's music compilation that is made-to-order and personalized for each child. Children will hear their name more than 80 times throughout 14 much-loved songs. A great way to enjoy music, have fun, and learn together!

Listen below to these fun kid engaging songs. My kids have always loved hearing their names personalized in music and books so I know that these Name Your Tune CD's will be a FAVORITE with your kids.

Name Your Tune is offering our 24/7 MOMS a special BOGO deal ( Buy one get one FREE) That's right buy one and you get one FREE - This is an AMAZING deal if you ask me. To get this great Deal use the code 247moms at check out. Coupon code expires April 7th, 2009 at midnight. Click here to order your CD's today.

Name Your Tune Playlist

Click to Listen!

Name Your Tune and 24/7 MOMS are giving away one personalized CD. To enter for your chance to win, enter your name and email address in the box below you will be signed up for today's giveaway as well as be added to the 24/7 MOMS E-list (if you are not already a 24/7 MOMS subscriber)

Egg-stra Yummy Recipe:

BAKER'S ONE BOWL Easter Egg Brownies
By: Kraft Foods

Prep Time: 15 min
Total Time: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: 2 doz. or 24 servings.

Ingredients:
4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped PLANTERS Walnuts
Assorted decorating gels
Assorted candies

Directions:

HEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Grease foil; set aside. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and nuts until well blended; spread into prepared pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. (Do not overbake.) Cool completely.

USE foil handles to lift brownies from pan. Cut into egg shapes with 3-inch oval cookie cutter. Decorate with decorating gels and candies to resemble Easter eggs.

Kraft Kitchens Tips:
Use Your Stove and Place chocolate and butter in medium saucepan; cook on very low heat until chocolate and butter are melted, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Continue as directed.

Substitute:
Substitute 13x9-inch glass baking dish for the baking pan. Prepare brownies and bake as directed, reducing oven temperature to 325°F.

Do you have an Egg-srta fun Easter idea? Share it with us by leaving a comment or emailing it to us trisha@247moms.com

New Years Eve Celebrations with kids

5 New Year's Eve Tips for Families
By: Trish Berg

1. FAST FORWARD - If you have young children, and midnight is way too late for them to be up, try fast forwarding the clock so that it reads midnight at 8 or 9 pm. Celebrate the New Year then with the kiddos, then put them to bed so you and your husband can celebrate at the REAL midnight.  

2. BUBBLE WRAP STOMP - We have been doing this a few years now. Go to your local Pack and Ship store, and buy several yards of bubble wrap. Just before midnight, roll it out, and the New Year comes, your kids can stomp and stomp on the bubble wrap, making a ton of noise in celebration. Clean up is a snap. Roll up and throw out.  

3. BOARD GAME BONANZA - Have your kids round up all their favorite board games, and make a stack. On New Year's Eve, play one game at a time, and work your way down the stack of games.  

4. DUO PARTIES - If you are having a New Year's Eve party for families, you can have 2 parties going on simultaneously. Have the adult party upstairs and the kid party in the rec room downstairs. Adults- Can have fancier food and adult conversation or games. Kids: Can run around, watch movies, play games and eat pizza and pop.

  5. HOURLY CHANGE UP - Each hour on the hour, have something fun happen. Draw a name randomly from a jar to win a door prize (that you can pick up at Dollar Tree); change seating positions, or bring out a new food to enjoy.

Trish Berg is author to 4 books, including Rattled-Surviving Your Baby’s First Year without Losing Your Cool and A Scrapbook of Christmas Firsts. Read more of Trish’s columns, tips, and download tons of free stuff to help you simplify motherhood at www.TrishBerg.com.

henjen Bags for Cool Mom Chicks

Have you seen the adorable henjen bags? Right now henjen is offering our 24/7 MOMS a 20% off online discount at http://www.henjenhandbags.com/ through October 31, 2008. Use code 247mom at checkout.

henjen bags are the perfect size and perfectly adorable. They come in a variety of fabric choices. Henjen bags are:
* 100% cotton, vinyl-covered tote
* Exterior slip pocket for your cell phone
* Interior key fob
* Durable and soft cotton webbing straps covered in fabric
* Interior pocket
* Magnetic snap closure
* 10"h x 15"w x 4"d

Thanks to henjen we were able to giveaway one of these Fun, Funky and Functional mom bags at our 2008 24/7 MOMS Conference, making a cool mom chick who is now strutting around with her very own new henjen bag.