Every Valentines Day I try to come up with something my kids can give to their friends that doesn't include candy.  

I'm not crazy about my kids having tons of candy, so I figure it would be a little hypocritical to hand it out to everyone else.

This year's idea hit me super early one morning when I should have been sleeping, so I hopped out of bed and put these together.  

I specifically wanted some tags that would fit on a standard Ziploc bag since I always have those on hand.  

(If you don't know the song it's sung to the tune of "Stand up, Stand up for Jesus".)

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I found a huge bag of bouncy balls on Amazon for about 10 bucks.  There were plenty to give each child several balls.  (Note: make sure that parents are aware that you have given these to their child as they could be a choking hazard.)  Here is the bag of balls that I bought:

Bouncy Balls - Colorful Bright Solid Color High Bouncing Balls Bulk - 100pcs 2.7cm

More Valentine's Day goodies you might like:

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The post God’s Love is Like a Circle – Free Printable Valentines for Christian Kids appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

Today I have 14 days worth of “love links” for kids that you can download and print.

Give one each day to your child. (see if you can come up with clever ways to do it to add to the excitement.  Slip one under their pillow, put it in their lunch, etc.)

Watch your child's eyes glow when he sees just how much he means to you!

Submit the form below to instantly receive the download:

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Valentine's Day is almost here! If your children like Legos as much as mine do, I'm sure they'll love handing out these Lego Valentines to their friends!

Just enter your email below to receive your download immediately!

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The other day, I was thinking about an easy science experiment I could do with my kids. We still had a few days until school started back up again, but I was ready to do something a little more structured with them but still fun. I only had a few criteria for our experiment:

1. It must be outside (simply because I wanted to go outside and enjoy the sunshine.)
2. It must use simple supplies that we already had.
3. It must be something the kids would enjoy rather than endure simply to humor mama.

I ended up settling on making a sundial.  Making the sundial was super easy, but the kids got a big kick out of it! They still use it whenever they go outside.

Here's how you can make your own sundial:

1. Find the perfect stick – the straighter the better.

“I found one!”

2. Gather 12 small stones.

3. Find a spot in your yard that is in full sun at all times of the day.

4. Pound the stick into the ground.

5. Look at your watch or clock. When it is exactly on the hour, place a stone right at the end of the stick's shadow.

6. Place your other stones at equal intervals. Now you have the hours marked from 7 A.M. to 7 P.M.

7. As you are able, go outside at other hours of the day to check each stone's location for accuracy.

8. Now you can use your sundial to tell the time when you are outside! Each stone is an hour, and as the shadow moves between the stones, you can tell the time more exactly (e.g. if the shadow is halfway between two stones it is half past the hour).

The kids loved our little project. It was easy for mama to pull off, but interesting enough for the kids to understand that we were doing something special… not to mention the fact that they got a little science lesson explaining why the sundial works. This activity was one of our favorites out of all the ones we've done! Parents, I'm sure you'll have a blast if you follow these steps!

Now, probiotics are an important part of supporting my children's immune system so that they can be healthy and happy enough to do fun activities like this one! Culturelle^® is the only probiotic with 100% Lactobacillus GG, the most clinically studied strain.†† It works to support the body’s natural defenses, starting in the digestive tract.*

Culturelle^® Kids Probiotic Chewables and Packets are available online and at all major food and drug retailers, including Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, Walgreens and Rite-Aid.

Connect with Culturelle^®: Facebook | Twitter

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Culturelle^® used under license by i-Health, Inc. †† Based on the number of Lactobacillus GG clinical studies, as of May 2015.

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With Thanksgiving coming up, this easy turkey craft fits the bill!

• Small paper plate
• Construction paper
• Brown tempera paint
• Googly eyes
• Glue
• Scissors
• Paint brushes

The post Easy Turkey Craft for Kids appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

Do you ever look at your child from behind and think “Wow, that looks awful!  It looks like her diaper hasn't been changed in a week!”

As a blogger, I have had the opportunity to try out many diapers (will blog for diapers!), but since day 1 of my first child, Pampers has been my favorite brand, and that has never changed.

I consider Pampers the “premium” brand, and what I give to new moms to spoil them at their baby shower.

I didn't think there was a whole lot of room for improvement, so when I heard that Pampers Cruisers were upgraded to have less sag, I was intrigued.  I honestly didn't expect them to be much different.

But I was wrong!  While the diaper doesn't feel stiffer or seem like it would be less comfortable to my little “Cruiser”, there is definitely a different feel and look to the diaper when it is wet.  It stays firm and doesn't sag down making my daughter look like she hasn't had a diaper change in a week.

They have a really good offer on these at Target right now through September 5:

Buy 2 Pampers Giant Packs Get $10 Gift Card

I took advantage of this deal to stock us up for the next little while!

If you get the chance to try out the improved Pampers Cruisers, I know you will like them!  Just say no to diaper sag!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

The post Saying Goodbye to Saggy Diapers appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

1. This Yarn Apple Craft looks super-simple!  Yarn, glue, and glitter are the only supplies you need!
2. This Apple Craft shows kids what the inside of an apple looks like.  It's so cute!
3. These Apple Suncatchers will probably require a decent amount of help, but the end result looks fabulous!
4. Who can resist some Apple Stamping?
5. This Yarn Paper Plate Apple Craft is another super simple craft with adorable results!
6. Here's another paper plate apple craft – this one incorporates a handprint.
7. The science behind these Apple Volcanoes might be a little advanced for a preschooler, but the fun will not!
8. Preschoolers can practice their find motor skills as they String a Wormy Apple!
9. Wow!  I am in love with the finished product of this Apple Tree craft!
10. If you can come up with some baked cotton balls, your preschoolers will have a blast with this Apple Picking activity!
11. This Apple Wreath is such a creative way to use the prints from apple stamping.
12. Preschoolers will need lots of supervision with this Recycled Apple Craft, but they'll be mesmerized by the finished product!
13. No child is going to turn down the opportunity to use this Apple Pie Play Dough!
14. I love this Apple Yarn Garland!
15. These Stuffed Apples are adaptable to many different skill levels.

Need some independent activities to keep your preschooler occupied? Check out my eBook!

The post 15 Apple Crafts for Preschoolers appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

I did these easy paper experiments with the kids this morning.
It was a lot of fun for them to follow the instructions and find out the end result.

Here's what we did:

The kids weren't all that impressed with that since it was pretty obvious that's what would happen.  But that was simply a springboard into the next activity:

They thought that was pretty neat, but then we took it a step further.

They got a huge kick out of that!  They thought it was pretty amazing to start with one piece of paper and end up with two loops joined together!

I'm working hard to keep their minds and their bodies healthy, and one way I'm doing that is to make sure they are taking probiotics daily.

We had been using a powdered probiotic, but were never faithful with it because it had to be mixed with their other food and they weren't crazy about the taste.

When Culturelle® Kids Probiotic offered to send me some chewable probiotic tablets just for kids in exchange for sharing our experience, I gladly took them up on it!

Culturelle Kids Probiotic contains 100% Lactobacillus GG, the #1 clinically studied probiotic in children. †† Daily usage is shown to help support kids’ immune systems and help alleviate occasional digestive distress.* The kids love the taste and never forget to take them!

When my kids are healthy, they are happier and better able to participate in activities like the ones they did in this post!  That's why I'm making it a priority to make sure they regularly take immune supporting probiotics like the ones found in Culturelle.*

If you want to try Culturelle Kids Probiotics for your own children, be sure to take advantage of this $5.00 coupon!

* These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

††Based on the number of Lactobacillus GG clinical studies, as of August 2014.

The post Paper Experiments for Kids appeared first on Imperfect Homemaker.

It's been cold, and we're all stuck inside feeling a little bored.  I decided to liven things up a bit by planning a fun ice activity for the kids.

Shh…don't tell them we were learning too!

I got a foil pan for each of them and had them gather up small toys from around the house.  We filled each pan with water enough to submerge the items.

We had to wait until the next day before the pans of water were fully frozen.

When we pulled the pans out of the freezer, I told the kids they needed to figure out the best way to get their toys out of the ice.

“Oh, I know!  We'll pry them out with a butter knife!”

But they soon discovered that wasn't very effective.

I began to try to help them think about what was necessary for the toys to be freed from the ice.

“Let's try putting water on it!”  One said.  They were getting somewhere, but they still weren't understanding that ice is hard because it is past the freezing point and to get it turned back to liquid they need to bring the temperature above freezing.

“Cold or warm?”  I asked?

“Let's try cold!” they said.

I added a little cold water to each of their pans.  The ice began to crack.

But it still did not help them pry their toys loose.

“Let's try hot water!”

The hot water melted the ice enough for them to dig out some of the items with effort, but the items still had hunks of ice stuck to them.

I made the suggestion to run the individual item under the hot water and see what happens.

They were amazed to watch the ice melt away.

Two of the kids immediately decided to put their entire pan under the hot water.

One child was still having too much fun excavating…

The kids had such a good time playing in the ice…I mean, learning about the freezing point and melting point of ice!

They kept telling me that I was the best mommy ever and that this was the “funnest” day they've ever had!

We will be doing more fun activities, kiddos.

Pin it:

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In spite of being raised in a great Christian home, growing up in a church where there was much teaching on the home, and even taking college courses on the Christian home, there is always something more that I can learn — and I have!

 

About the book:

God's Word gives us a better way to parent, one that builds strong internal motivation in children. When parents change the way they parent, kids change the way they live. Motivate Your Child is a practical book that explores a theology of internal motivation and then gives parents real-life solutions to equip their kids for life.

In order to motivate parents to Pre-Order the book, the National Center for Biblical Parenting is offering a $150 package of resources for FREE! There are video, audio and print items that can be used on a variety of devices. You can learn more on the Book Website.

Pre-Order the book now from any retailer, and then follow the instructions below.

Pre-Order from Amazon

INSTRUCTIONS: Purchase the book. Email the receipt to gift@biblicalparenting.org. The NCBP will send you the link and a special code to access these downloadable products. This offer is good until January 31, 2015.

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