Very Happy Mother’s Day!!

Make sure you take care of yourself today if you are a mom and make a few more special memories with your family.

All the best,

Sirena Van Schaik and That Parent Place

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Since Mother’s Day is only a few days away, I thought that I would post one final craft that you can do with your kids. I actually thought of these when I was at the grocery store and I was passing the flower department.  There were small terracotta pots with paint brushes and paint sold in little paint your own flower pot kits.  This is a great idea and you can either buy the kit or simply grab the items yourself. 

What you will need:

• Terracotta pot (try to go with a lighter terracotta so you won’t need to apply as much paint to cover up the pot)
• Acrylic paint (you can buy it at the dollar store or you may have some handy since you have been doing some of the crafts I have already listed)
• Sandpaper
• Paint Brushes
• spray sealer

What you will need to do:

1. Clean off the terracotta pot and sand the rough spots and bumps.
2. Have your child paint the terracotta pot.  You can do just about anything with them.  One suggestion, however; is to apply a base coat to the pot prior to actually painting on the designs.  Make sure you allow the paint to dry completely between coats
3. Allow the pot to air dry.  This usually takes a few hours but it is better to give it a full day  before you finish it off.
4. Spray the outside and inside of the terracotta pot.  Usually you will need about 2 to 3 layers.
5. Wrap and give to mom.

To add a little bit more to this gift, you can place a plant in the pot and not only will you have a beautiful gift for mom, but you’ll have the flowers to go with it.

Sirena Van Schaik

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If you have decided to dip into the wallet instead of creating some homemade gifts (and yes, both are appreciated), I have put together a few ideas, which are listed below, for finding that perfect gift for mom.

• The Old Standby: Flowers are an excellent choice of gift for anyone and can be a nice thing to wake up to on Mother’s Day morning but it can become too much of a good thing if you find that all your special occasion gifts are bouquets.  If you want to punch up the old standby just a little, try purchasing a bunch of perennials and annuals for the gardening mom in your life, instead of giving her some cut flowers that won’t last very long.  If you are worried about choosing the annuals for her, make a nice trip to the garden center with mom and foot the bill after she chooses all the flowers that she loves.  I know that she might like a little company when she is out flower shopping, and it’s only one day.
• Things that sparkle:  I know jewellery is a big thing for Mother’s Day, although I don’t really get too many jewellery pieces since I tend to lose them.  There are tons of items out there that can provide something special for mom.  I know jewellery stores have charms with mom on them, family rings and just about everything.  One of the nicest pieces of jewellery that I ever received on Mother’s Day was a Wish Pearl.  It came in an oyster and with a hearth shaped cage locket.  The whole premise behind the Wish Pearl is to open the oyster while you make a wish, fish out the pearl (there are different colors signifying different things, I had rose) and you put the pearl in the locket and wear it for good luck.  Another nice idea for jewellery is the Treasure Ring.  I just found these in a magazine advertisement but I think it is really special having my kids names and birth dates engraved on the inside of the ring.  Whether I get one or not really depends on whether I could be trusted enough not to lose it. 
• Pampering goes a long way:  One gift that is appreciated at any time of the year are gift certificates to spas or salons.  Treat mom to a nice facial massage, get her a spa package for an hour, day or if your really nice, a weekend.  Even treating her to a hair cut is a nice way to say, “You do so much, why not take a break and do something for yourself.”

Only three ideas but from there, you can come up with hundreds of ideas.  For most moms, simply taking the time to say, “Happy Mother’s Day,” is worth more than any expensive gift that you could find.  After all, a mom just wants to feel appreciated for doing everything she does. 

Sirena Van Schaik

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What you will need:

• 3  cups of Epsom salt (you can pick this up at any drug store)
• 1 cup baking soda
• a essential oil in a desired scent like jasmine (you can use several and make your own scent but if you aren’t sure how oils blend, I would suggest only using one type.)
• Food Coloring (3 of your desired colors)

Directions:

1. Combine the Epsom salt and the baking powder and stir.
2. Add in the essential oils until you get the desired scent.  Usually 4 or 5 drops.
3. Separate into 3 bowls and add 1 food coloring to each bowl.
4. Mix until the mixture is not clumpy and is a soft powder instead.
5. Take a nice jar (which can be purchased at a craft store or dollar store) and pour the bath salts into the bottle in a design. 
6. Take a knife and slide it down the side of the bottle so the layers of bath salt blends in with the other ones is the occasional spot. 
7. Wrap and give to mom.

On a side note, it is important to pour in enough salt so that it is within a mm of the top of the jar.  If there is too much space in the top of the jar, the bath salts will blend together and the beautiful effect will be ruined. 

Sirena Van Schaik 

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Mothers’ Day Gift Booklets

What you need: 

• A4 paper, coloured or white

• Glue

• Transparent tape

• Good scissors

• Old cards

• Old Magazines

• Wrapping paper

• Stickers, glitter, and rubber-stamps (optional)

Method:

1. Go through magazines and find pictures, prayers, quotations, puzzles, that you like.

2. “Cover” one sheet with wrapping paper on either side.

3. Bind the edges with tape, and set aside.

4. Fold each sheet, including the ‘cover’, in half.

5. On each page, stick a picture and a recipe, or quote, or puzzle; the latter may overlap the former.

6. When you are ready, attach sheets on top of one another down the centre to form booklet; attach cover last.

7. Find letters from feature articles that spell out the message you want to convey, and use as necessary.

8. If you want, you can decorate further with stickers, rubber-stamps and glitter.

9. It is vital to include the occasion and the year on the front of the card, and optional to include the name of the recipient and the date.

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 The first craft is very simple and really doesn’t take that much time.

You will need:

• Cement or Plaster of Paris (If you are putting this outside, use cement since it will need to withstand the weather.)
• Mosaic Stones, gems or little charms
• A plastic cake lid from the bakery (the deep round ones or if you can’t find those, purchase some of the round plastic plant trays)

You will also need a bucket and a stick to stir the cement.

How you make them:

1. Mix the cement according to the directions on the bag. 
2. Pour the cement into the cake lid.  The amount usually depends on the depth of your cake pan but usually you want to fill it about a quarter full (at least 2 inches)
3. Smooth out the top with a stick but also tap it to remove any air bubbles.  Be careful when you do this since the dish can crack if you tap it too hard.
4. Leave it to set, usually about a half hour to an hour. 
5. Place your child’s hand in the cement and then allow them to decorate with the mosaic stones, gems and other goodies
6. Take a popsicle stick and write your child’s name and age on the stone for memories.
7. Allow the cement to set fully in a dry out of the way area.  Try to avoid moving them too much since movement can ruin the images.  Usually it should take 2 to 3 days for the cement to set.
8. Pop out of the dish, wrap and give to mom.

If you would like to color the garden stone, you can either mix cement dye in when you are mixing it or your child can paint an image on.  If the stone is being placed in the garden, I would strongly recommend the former since the paint can fade and flake off if left to the elements. 

Whether she is a gardener or not, any mother would love to receive one of these beautiful garden stones.

 Sirena Van Schaik

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