My Mom is So Much More
Most moms are everywhere, all the time,
Doing their “Mom” thing, without blinking an eye.
Each day can bring them something new,
And they sail on through it, you can’t deny.
But my mom puts most moms to shame,
Never daunted by what she hasn’t seen before,
Yes, my mom is way above all the rest,
Because she’s my Mom…and so much more.
May 13, 2012. Buy a card. Order flowers. Move on to the next item on the To Do list.
Too many of us rely on Mother’s Day each year to tell our moms (grandmothers, aunts, sisters) “how important” they are in our lives. One day, a card or two, some flowers, maybe a bottle of perfume. And we think that takes care of that chore for the year.
The retail industry bombards us with stuff for the holidays now to the point that the real meaning behind any holiday is getting lost in the shuffle. We feel commercially bullied into buying and giving things, and once done, we think we’re finished with that obligation---Mother’s Day included. Christmas, New Year’s, Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, and Thanksgiving all come and go every year, and they are pretty much always the same. But Mother’s Day (and Father’s Day) should be different. Mother’s Day doesn’t celebrate an event---it celebrates a person close to you…your mom.
This year for Mother’s Day (mark your calendar for May 8, if you haven’t already), make it really be a day on which you, personally, celebrate your mom. And just how do you do that other than buy a card, send her flowers? Do something personal. If you can visit your mom, do so. Give her a little kid’s kinda hug and kiss and say “I love you, Mommy” (and her mother’s heart will melt in the sheer joy of having her little boy or girl again for just a few minutes). Or call her on the phone and chat for a nice long time, not about the weather or your kids (her grandchildren), just about you and your mom.
Make a card instead of buying a fancy card for $6.99. There are lots of free printable cards that you can open, personalize and print for free or dig out some construction paper, glue, and crayons and make one. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it doesn’t have to be artistic, it doesn’t have to be anything but something from the heart. And if your hand-made card sorta does look like a 3rd-grader made it, then make it into something fun, and give the card and a couple of magnets to your mom, and tell her it is “refrigerator art” (just like when you were really in grade school). If you want to add a Mother’s Day poem to your card you can find those online for free also.
Sit with your mom and tell her about times that you remember as a child (or talk on the phone for an hour, maybe two hours---or better yet, video chat with your mom, if you can). Don’t just presume that your mom remembers your childhood the way you remember it. When you were a kid, your mom was having all of the worries and stresses that you have now as an adult, so she might remember your 8th birthday party as “that time when we didn’t have much money” but you remember it as “the best birthday party I ever had.” Your mom (and your dad) need to hear things like that.
Don’t be afraid to say the words “I love you, Mom” (or Mama, Moms, Mumsie, whatever). Say the words while you look at her, your eyes to her eyes. Give her a hug and whisper it in her ear…
…and it’s OK if you both shed a tear or two.
Get Free Mother’s Day Cards at Moms Break or our Mother’s Day Blog. We also have a Mother’s Day facebook page where I add free Mother’s Day offers from my site as well as other Mother’s Day offers I find online.
© Kimberly Printable and Jan K., the Proofer. Our Articles may only be printed and used for personal use and may not be used for public redistribution without permission. Contact Us.
A Corsage that Lasts a Lifetime!
Give a corsage for your Mom for Mother’s Day that doesn’t cost much and will last forever: use a pretty bow, a few artificial flowers, and some curl ribbon! A visit to your favorite dollar store or discount department store should provide everything you need, for less than $5 (or less than $10, depending on the price of the bow).
Choose a “big” bow, that is at least 4-5 inches across. These are the bows that come pre-made and are attached to a “sticky” adhesive strip (that you would normally use on a bigger gift box). Purchase curl ribbon in matching or coordinated colors, and buy a “pick” of artificial flowers (roses are always nice, but pick the kind of flower that your mom likes best). The flowers are optional. If you don’t use flowers, then just use more curl ribbon!
Detach the bow from the hanging card (or whatever it is attached to). Find a small piece of cardboard, or use a few layers of cardstock---anything that is rigid. Cut the cardboard slightly smaller than the diameter of the bow (so that it doesn’t stick out beyond the bow).
As an option, cut two or three flowers from the pick. You will need wire snippers to do this. Young children will need help. Cut the flowers from the pick, leaving 3-4 inches of wire stem.
Put the piece of cardboard on the table. Crisscross the flower stems on the cardboard. Before you tape them to the cardboard, lay the bow on top---to be sure that the flowers stick out around the bow. When you have the flowers positioned, tape them to the cardboard.
Cut several lengths of curl ribbon (in one or more colors). Curl the ribbon by running the ribbon across one blade of a pair of scissors (young children will need help with this). Tape the lengths of already-curled ribbon to the bottom of the piece of cardboard, so that they will hang below the bow.
Now, peel the backing from the sticky on the bow. Press the bow firmly onto the middle of the piece of cardboard. Tape one side of a large safety pin to the back of the cardboard.
Presto! You now have a beautiful corsage for your Mom that will never wilt, and it will never die…she’ll love it for a lifetime!
© Kimberly Printable and Jan K., the Proofer. Our Articles may only be printed and used for personal use and may not be used for public redistribution without permission. Contact Us.
There is nothing more personal than handwriting a letter. It is a dying art, but it is one of the most cherished keepsakes ever, especially for your mother. This is an art form that is no longer taught in schools, and with the popularity of text messaging, personal thoughts get reduced to a handful of letters, rather than a fully expressed thought or emotion.
Handwritten letters can be on any subject, and while proper grammar and punctuation is nice, it is certainly not important. What is important, especially to the person who receives the letter, is that you took the time to sit and compose a letter, in your handwriting, to share your thoughts with the other person.
Personal letters that are meant as “gifts” (like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, or any other holiday when communicating to loved out) should be really personal---something about you that the other person would love to know, or something that the two of you shared (such as a warm and wonderful memory that you have that included the other person). You don’t need fancy words to let Mom or Dad or your grandparents, a favorite aunt, or your best friend from high school how you feel about them.
The best way to start a handwritten letter is to pick a specific topic or memory or something personal that has happened in your life. You don’t need to write a preamble (that is, some kind of “introduction”), you don’t need to spend anytime on “How are you? How’s the weather? How’s the job?” Just launch into what you want to say. Here’s an example:
“I thought about that July vacation we took to the seashore in 1992 (or was it 1993). We stayed in that little dump of a place---remember the wallpaper that was peeling off the walls? But we didn’t care, it was all that we could afford. You got so sunburned the first day that you walked around like Frankenstein for the next couple of days! I kept joking that instead of eating the ice cream cone, you should smear it on your face to cool you off!!! But what I remember most is that we just had so much fun being together, talking about our plans for the future. That week was probably a week that will always stick with me. I wanted you to know that I still remember it like it was yesterday.”
Personal letters, about an experience or a memory, are the best gift you can ever give because it becomes a little piece of you that can last a lifetime for the person who receives the letter. It is something that your mom, or your best friend, can read again and again, and enjoy hearing about what was important enough for you to say, in your own real words.
Free Mother’s Day Stationery for Letters.
© Kimberly Printable and Jan K., the Proofer. Our Articles may only be printed and used for personal use and may not be used for public redistribution without permission. Contact Us.
The whole world is in a rush these days...people rush through life with their cell phone Bluetooth earpieces glued in their ears, a BlackBerry in one other hand, and a laptop in a case hanging over one shoulder that will get used at the nearest Wi-Fi spot. All of these folks have moms who worry about them---worry that their kids are too stressed, have too many responsibilities, and don't take enough time for themselves.
And those moms are probably right.
So, this year for Mother's Day, slow down and take a little bit of time for yourself---and then spend it with Mom. Spend an afternoon with Mom. Take her to a fancy up-town tearoom for a mid-day tea and a couple of hours of real conversation. Or plan something fun! Take Mom to that miniature golf place that you always pass on your way to her house---grab a couple of neon-colored golf balls and have some giggles putting around the course, giving each other Mulligans on every hole, and yelling like 8-year-olds when one of you actually gets a hole-in-one!
Maybe Mom goes for something that's a little more cultured. Get tickets to the art museum and surprise her with an afternoon of musing over the masterpieces. Or maybe there's a special exhibit in the next town over that she's mentioned that she'd "give anything to see."
It really doesn't matter what it is that you decide to do with Mom...it's the fact that you are going to do it with her. If tearooms and mini-golf just aren't your thing (even if they are to Mom), then pick a nice restaurant that you like and take Mom for a late lunch/early dinner. Get to the restaurant at about 2:00 in the afternoon in the middle of the week. The place will probably be just about deserted. It will be quiet, and you won't have to tackle a server to get some attention. Let Mom know that you don't have a time limit...just sit and talk. Order an appetizer, take your time, chat, order another appetizer, and then go straight for that sinful piece of chocolate cake drizzled with hot fudge!
So, that's fine, you say---take Mom somewhere and talk to her...but talk about what? The same old stuff? The kids? The job? Heavens no! You can spark the conversation by digging out some picture of yours from that wacky 60's party you had---you know, that crazy picture where everyone looked a little goofy. Ask Mom if she remembers that party...I'll bet she does. Drag out your prom picture, when you just had to have “the dress”! Or fish out a memento you kept from your childhood---maybe it's a pair of really dirty pink ballerina slippers (the ones you wore to bed for a year), or that cracked leather catcher's mitt (that you insisted on bringing to the dinner table). Show that to Mom. It'll probably bring tears to her eyes. And I guarantee you that you won't have to worry about a topic of conversation for the rest of the afternoon.
The whole idea here is that giving Mom a gift for Mother's Day doesn't have to be a pricey boutique basket of scented bath gels and body lotions---about which she'll say "Oh, I just love this stuff..." You can get the mushy card from the card store---the one that 30 other Moms in the same town are going to get. Sure, it could bring a tear to her eye, but it's the same card that Lydia across the street is getting from her son.
Give Mom something totally unique that no other Mom in the entire world will get. Give your Mom a little bit of you for Mother's Day.
For more ideas for Mother's Day cards, crafts, and other gift ideas, go to: Jan's Reading Room Mother's Day Index.
Jan K., The Proofer is a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. Visit Jan’s Portal (http://www.jansportal.com) for more information about Jan's free crafts, recipes, tutorials, other resource sites, and free content articles, as well as Jan’s business services. Be sure to visit Mom's Break (http://www.momsbreak.com/) for free printable crafts and projects. © Copyright 2005 to present. All rights reserved.
After typing your text in the text area or copying text from a rich text editor (MS Word), print, and then fold the Mother's Day card in half. These fit in a 6 x 9 envelope. This is a two sided, half fold printable. To handwrite, print first and then handwrite your text.
*** Personalizing Tips: You can type your text using Microsoft Word, or other word processing software (rich text editor), along with setting font type, size, and color, and then copy and paste the text from the word processor into the personalization area of the free printable. This lets you control the look of your text.
* Two Sided Printing. This means the first page of the free printable is the inside of the card and the second page is the outside of the card.
Ideas for our "Mother's Day Card" Crafting:
Use decorative-edge scissors to cut out the Mother's Day card to give the card a fancy edge.
Smear glitter glue around the edge of the Mother's Day card to add some color and sparkle. Remember to allow plenty of time for the glitter glue to dry!
Print the Mother's Day card on embellished craft paper if your printer will handle this type of paper (most do as long as the embellished craft paper is printer-friendly).
After folding the Mother's Day card, tie it closed with a ribbon making a bow on the front or top.
Use a hole-punch make a hole in corner of the Mother's Day card, then using a ribbon make a bow or hanging ribbon for decorative card. This makes a really nice gift tag for a present.
Decorate the Mother's Day card with scrapbook embellishments or stickers.
The images examples of the Thank You Girl with Pink Flower "Mothers Day Card".
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Inside of card or can be used as a frame.
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Outside of card or can be used a gift wrapping paper.
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Enjoy
Kimberly
Preschool Easy Flower Mothers Day Coloring Page is a free printable coloring page for Mothers day plus it helps preschoolers learn their color by name.
Preschool Easy Flower Mothers Day Color by Color Name is a coloring page for preschoolers. Each part of the flower and MOM text has a color name shown in the actual color. The preschooler matches the correct crayon to the word and color in each section, and then colors in that section. Color in each section until the whole flower and MOM text is colored.
This is an example of the FREE Preschool Easy Flower Mothers Day coloring page you can get in the “Free Printable” section lower on this page. - Get this Preschool MOM Coloring Page.
Enjoy
Kimberly
Writing Letters
Don’t Know What to Write About? Take a Picture!
A hand-written letter will always be treasured by a family loved-one, especially the “older generation” who still remember when writing letters was the only means of long-distance communication. There is lots of free printable stationery that you can use, but once you print a piece of stationery, what do you write on it? All you need is a topic…
Take a picture! Now you’ve got plenty to write about!
Got kids? Take a picture of your kids playing outside on the swing set. Take a picture of your daughter baking a cake. Take a picture of your son at bat while playing baseball. Take a picture of your favorite rose bush. Maybe a bluejay has landed on a shrub outside your kitchen window---take a picture!
Once you have a picture, simply “talk” about that picture. You don’t need fancy penmanship, you don’t have to know fancy words. Just write your thoughts about the picture. Two lines, ten lines, three paragraphs---it doesn’t matter. Just write whatever comes to mind about the picture.
Now, sign the letter, address an envelope, fold the letter, tuck in the picture, seal the envelope, add a stamp, and mail it. Your letter will be a treasured keepsake by the person who opens it up and finds a little piece of your daily life inside.
Get free Vintage Mother’s Day Stationery.
After typing your text in the text area or copying text from a rich text editor (MS Word), print, and then fold the Mother's Day card in half. These fit in a 6 x 9 envelope. This is a two sided, half fold printable. To handwrite, print first and then handwrite your text.
*** Personalizing Tips: You can type your text using Microsoft Word, or other word processing software (rich text editor), along with setting font type, size, and color, and then copy and paste the text from the word processor into the personalization area of the free printable. This lets you control the look of your text.
* Two Sided Printing. This means the first page of the free printable is the inside of the card and the second page is the outside of the card.
Ideas for our Mother's Day Card Crafting:
Use decorative-edge scissors to cut out the Mother's Day card to give the card a fancy edge.
Smear glitter glue around the edge of the Mother's Day card to add some color and sparkle. Remember to allow plenty of time for the glitter glue to dry!
Print the Mother's Day card on embellished craft paper if your printer will handle this type of paper (most do as long as the embellished craft paper is printer-friendly).
After folding the Mother's Day card, tie it closed with a ribbon making a bow on the front or top.
Use a hole-punch make a hole in corner of the Mother's Day card, then using a ribbon make a bow or hanging ribbon for decorative card. This makes a really nice gift tag for a present.
Decorate the Mother's Day card with scrapbook embellishments or stickers.
The images examples of the Vase of Flowers Mothers Day Card.
While this free card for Mother’s Day “Vase of Flowers” is designed as a Mother’s day half fold card it is also listed as frames and borders because the first page of the file, the inside of the card, can also be used as picture frame to make a Mother’s day gift. It is also listed in scrapbook supplies because page 2, the outside of the card, can be used as a backdrop for a scrapbook page or gift wrapping. Happy Mother’s Day card making and crafting!
Get this FREE CARD!
Inside of card example image:
Outside of card example image:
Happy Mother's Day
Kimberly
