Wanted: Tips for Being The Best Stay At Home Mom I Can Be

Being a stay at home mom is the hardest job I have ever had - yet it's by far the best. I started staying home about eleven months ago, with my then eight month old daughter. I thought I was going to have oodles of free time as she napped and we would have tons of time to play together. Little did I know naps aren't a given no matter how much you work to have a stable schedule. However making breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as doing the laundry, keeping up with my housework and all the house hold errands are a given. Yup, staying home was a bigger job then I realized and wanting the best for my daughter meant I needed to brush up on my preschool lessons as well as my ability to make a variety of meals that could provide my family with healthy options. I started adjusting to the demands and doing what I felt was a good job and really got into a nice groove right about the time my second daughter came along. Things got busier and I have been feeling my way through life as a stay at home mom. We have a schedule that works for us - and now that I live this life, I wouldn't want it any other way for me and my family. As a previous career woman I have a huge respect for both at home moms and at work moms and my goal is to share some of the things that make my life as a mommy easier - from recipes to crafts I hope what we do in our home can make it to your home and you'll enjoy it!



My daily posts include fun activties I am doing in real time with my kiddos, dinners I am making for my family, snacks, and some fun things I discover along the way. I hope they are things other moms can use as tips rather than recreating the wheel. Let me know what you think and lets share some tips because nothing is better than bragging about what you and your little ones can do together!

Monday, November 5, 2012

Giving Thanks Centerpiece - A Way to Share Your Family's Blessings

Giving Thanks Family Centerpiece
A Count Down to Thanksgiving



Thanksgiving is right around the corner and I wanted to do something interactive with my kids that could become an annual tradition.  I also wanted to stress the importance of thinking about the many blessings we have in our lives, so I decided to make something I could add to everyday that would display what we are thankful for.  So I thought why no make a turkey centerpiece, we could talk about what we are thankful for at dinner and add it to the feathers for everyone to see on our table.  This was an easy "craft" to make and only cost me $2.29 - the cost of the close pins, everything else I already had!

Here's what you need:

1  bare paper towel roll (just save one after you finish using the paper towels)
1 paper towel counter stand
construction paper - I used 6 colors - yellow, blue, green, pink, purple, and red 
1 - empty cereal box - I used this to cut out the body of my turkey, its stronger than construction paper and can hold up all the close pins.
1 package of 25 clothes pins
elmer's school glue

Here's how I made it:

Using an empty cereal box I traced a large circle on the bottom and a smaller one right on top of it.  I then cut it out so it looked like a snowman with only two snow balls.  The brown color of the card board worked perfectly for my turkey body.  I then took the construction paper and folded it into four and free hand cut out feathers.  Lastly, I used some left over blue and cut circles for the eyes, some left over yellow paper made a triangle for the beak, and a bit of wavy red for the neck.  Then, I simply glued the feathers to the clothes pins, glued the face on the turkey, and then glued it all to the bare paper towel roll.  Finally, I placed it on a counter top paper towel holder to dry, this will also be what allows it to stand as our centerpiece on the table.

Starting tonight my family and I will talk about what we are thankful for each day leading to Thanksgiving and write one thing on a feather for the day.  By Thanksgiving day the feathers will we filled with blessings!
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