Last Minute Father's Day Gift Ideas

Father's Day is tomorrow! For all of you procrastinators,  here are two EASY gift ideas for dad/grandpa.


Box of Love Notes

Step 1
Buy a package of recipe/note cards from the dollar store. Ask your child(ren) what they love about dad and write down their response. (Make sure to write their name and the date underneath their response). Then, let them decorate the cards with stickers and crayons.

Step 2
Either buy or decorate a box that is just the right size to fit the cards. Put the cards in the box and tie it up with a pretty bow.

Step 3
Make a tradition that the child(ren) write notes to dad on Father's Day. Write the date on each card and then have fun looking back at them over the years.



A Gift that Endures

Make a lasting impact on behalf of dad by providing a micro loan for a dad in another country with World Vision Mico Loans.

We are so blessed to have Walmart, Home Depot and Lowes when we need new supplies, but these entrepreneurs are in need of small capital to make a big difference. Loans are just that, loans. The money is repaid back to World Vision and goes to support another entrepreneur. Donations can be as small as $25 dollars or as high as $300-$400.

Your donation on behalf of dad/grandpa will help hundreds of dads (and moms) all over the world!

Father's Day Gift Idea #2

I found this idea on the Happy Home Fairy , who commented on a post from Jenuine Impressions.  You should check out Jenuine Impressions, because she has a great pic with all of her four kids!

Anyway, I love it! The hardest part was trying to get a two year old to hold her feet up so you could read the writing! But, in the end, we got a cute photo, paired it with a cute frame and made a wonderful gift for daddio (as the kids call him). Now he can keep at the office and think about us all day long!

Good luck!

Father's Day Gift Idea #1

Father's Day is coming soon so I have decided to dedicate this week to gift ideas for Dad. 

DADDIES DON"T READ MY BLOG FOR THE NEXT WEEK (that means you too Matt and Pop!).

I wanted the kids to make something usable and special for Father's Day, but as I wandered around AC Moore I was at a loss for ideas! Then, I saw some simple glass jars and immediately thought of CANDY!

So, we bought a couple of jars, some Enamel paint, stickers, ribbon and candy and set to work!

Step 1: I let the kiddos paint the jars however they liked and then I set them aside to try (the directions on the paint said to bake them, but i was afraid the glass might break, so I just let them air dry).

Step 2: Once dry, the kids put stickers all over their jars.

Step 3: I wrapped a ribbon around the top and filled with Dad's favorite candy.

It was totally simple and fun to make these jars!

Here are the supplies I used:

I hope your dad enjoys them too!

Sip Coffee - Save Lives

"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." - Vincent Van Gogh.

I recently found Three Corner Coffee Roaster. They are a Cambodian Coffee producer that not only provides Fair Trade prices for Cambodian farmers, but provides employment for woman rescued from sex-trafficking and other abusive situations.

For $50.91 you can purchase four bags of coffee. As much as I love coffee, four bags will last me forever, so I am splitting the cost with a friend. We each pay $25.46 and get two bags of coffee!

You can buy coffee anywhere. Chose to help woman resuced from rape and torture to find restoration, self worth and become self suffient.

CLICK HERE to join me in sipping coffee and saving lives! :)

Tips For Leaving Your Child In a Church Nursery Or Care Facility

I have been blessed with two children who were very attached to me and did not like to be left in the nursery.


I KNOW that it is hard to leave a screaming child in the arms of a nursery worker.


I KNOW that you walk out of the room hiding your eyes because you are crying.


I KNOW! I've done it MANY times. It doesn't get any easier for the parent. For the child, however, it does get easier.


I know this because I have four years of experience on the other side of that door as a nursery worker with one and two year old children.

There are two tips to a successful 'drop off' experience:

Tip 1 - Be Consistent

You need to have your child in the nursery on a consistent basis. Not only is it good for the child to understand that you leave and then come back, it is helpful for the nursery workers to know the likes/dislikes of your child.

There was one little boy I use to watch who would cry when his mom dropped him off. We found that we could put him in the high chair with a cracker for 10 minutes when he was first dropped off and then he would calm down, access the situation, enjoy his cracker and play happily with the other children for the next hour!

Trust me, the more you come the easier it gets for everyone.

Tip 2 - Be Calm
Kids get their cues from you. If you are anxious or upset, they will be too. So, put on a happy face!

When dropping your little one off, put on a smile and say: "Mommy is going to church. Miss teacher is going to take good care of you. You have your blanket and paci if you need them. I love you and I'll be back soon." Then give your child a kiss and turn around and leave!

The cardinal rule of dropping off a child is DO NOT STAY! The child will only be upset as long as you are there to witness it.

Most children cry for a couple of minutes and then calm down. But, I have honestly had children scream and cry while their parent is in the room and then stop crying the moment the parent leaves.

Your child is crying because he/she is trying to make you stay. Once your child realizes that you are leaving and you will come back, they will get on with life and start enjoying their surroundings.


FINAL THOUGHTS
-It is totally alright for you to ask someone to check on your child after you drop them off. There have been many times that I have sought out another mom or teacher and asked them to poke their head into my child's room to see how they are doing. Just make sure that you don't check on them directly. If they see you, they will start crying again!

-Make sure you pack something that your child loves (a blanket, paci, teddy, etc). Tell the care worker about it and make it accessible.

-Try to be one of the first parents back at the room once your event is over. Once kids start seeing parents they think about you and start getting upset. I always leave a couple of minutes before church ends so that I am the first back to receive my child. It makes their final memory happy and helps with the next trip!

I KNOW that it's hard to leave your child, but it gets easier. My son is now four. He would cry a lot when he was one... now he doesn't even turn around to say good bye! :(