Happy Mothers Day

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY
Make your mother feel special today
Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today
ITS GOOD TO SHARE!

This book is a FREE document written by Stephanie Walmsley from www.HomeschoolFamilyLife.com Please feel free to share and distribute this book. You can email it, post it on your blog, tweet about it, link to it from Facebook and share it with whoever you think would be interested. The document must be unaltered and complete along with my name and link: www.HomeschoolFamilyLife.com Copyright Stephanie Walmsley. All rights reserved.
DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES: The author of this book has attempted to make the information in this book as accurate as possible. However, the information in this book is for personal educational use only and is provided in good faith without any express or implied warranty. Where the author has provided hypertext links to other web sites, this is done as a service to users of this book. This service does not mean that the author endorses those sites or material on them in any way. The quotations included in this book are from texts which are out of copyright. They are for educational use only.
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Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012
www.HomeschoolFamilyLife.com
Page 2
About the Author

I am a teacher by profession, with teaching experience in New Zealand and England. After I had children I worked as a volunteer for over twenty years, supporting mothers in their mothering and homeschooling. I started Homeschool Family Life as The Broad Room in 2002 because I saw a need for good, professional, homeschool help available from someone who has walked the talk. My desire is to encourage and equip you as a homeschooling mother, so that you have the confidence to do what you know in your heart is the best for you, your own children, and your family, without comparing yourselves to other families or succumbing to pressure from well-meaning peers. I am married to Philip and we started officially homeschooling our five children in January 1985. The older two had a couple of spells in school; the younger three never went to school. Philip says: I am a computer software support and development expert and Ive worked in the computer software industry since my university days. I love the challenge and stimulation of my work. Homeschooling has been a wonderful way to bring up our children. And I feel blessed to have enjoyed the closeness and the added breadth and depth homeschooling brings to family life. I am Stephanies technical person, and advisor for her websites.
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Contents
Who is This Book For? ............................................................................... 5 The Story of Mother's Day ......................................................................... 6 Mother's Day Around the World ............................................................... 7 Perfect Gifts for Your Mother .................................................................... 9 Ways to Make Mothers Day Special ....................................................... 12 Mothers Day Crafts for Toddlers ............................................................ 13 Mothers Day Brunch Ideas ..................................................................... 14 Homemade Chocolate Truffles Great Gift for Mother .......................... 15 Inspiring Words to Include in a Mother's Day Card ................................. 18 Other Products Available ......................................................................... 19
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Who is This Book For?

This book is for teens and kids to get ideas for celebrating Mothers Day. Ive included a little bit of history and information about Mothers Day and then Ive collected together lots of ideas of how you can make Mothers Day a special day at your house for your mother, without having to go and spend a stack of money. Mothers love to give to their children. They often sacrifice their time and their money to give the best to their children. Its good to receive the gift of loving care from your parents with grace and thankfulness. And then, on Mothers Day, we can show our appreciation while our mothers show us how to receive a gift with grace and thankfulness. Enjoy your mother shes the one God gave to you, and no-one on planet Earth loves you more than she does. So lets celebrate our mothers!
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The Story of Mother's Day

A day in the year to celebrate mothers and motherhood has been around since Roman times. And we know that in England, Mothering Sunday was being celebrated as long ago as the sixteenth century. But modern Mothers Day is much newer than this In America, in 1868, Ann Jarvis decided to start a Mothers Friendship Day as a way of bringing back together families torn apart by the American Civil War. This was the start of the idea of Mothers Day in America. After Ann Jarvis died in 1905, her daughter, Anna Jarvis wanted to have an American national holiday honouring mothers. She asked her local church, Andrews' Methodist Church, to have a day honouring all mothers and as a way to remember her own mother. The church agreed, and on May 10, 1908 there was a special service to honour mothers. Carnations were given to each person who attended the church service that day. And mothers were given two carnations. Carnations were chosen because the white carnation was Annas mothers favourite flower. Shortly after this, there was a United States Senator called Elmer Burkett from Nebraska who proposed to make Mothers Day a national holiday. He made the proposal on behalf of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA). He didnt manage to get the bill into law, so Anna Jarvis decided to give up her job and devote her time to petitioning governments to create a Mother's Day. The World's Sunday School Association agreed with her and supported her. And in 1912, the state of West Virginia became the first state to recognize Mother's Day in the United States. President Woodrow Wilson then signed a law declaring the second Sunday in May as national observance of Mother's Day.
Page 6
Mother's Day Around the World

New Zealand, Australia, Canada and United States of America celebrate Mothers Day on the second Sunday in May. Mothering Sunday in Great Britain is celebrated the fourth Sunday of Lent. Mother's Day in Norway is celebrated on February 13. Mother's Day in Georgia is celebrated on March 3. Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Laos, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia and the Ukraine all have March 8 as their Mothers Day. Ireland and Nigeria both honour their mothers on March 14. Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, United Arab Emirates and Yemen all celebrate Mothers Day on March 21 (first day of spring). Slovenia celebrates Mothers Day on March 25. Hungary and Lithuania celebrate Mothers Day on the first Sunday in May. Albania and South Korea celebrate Mothers Day on May 8. Mexico celebrates Mothers Day on May 10. This time to honour mothers began with an editorial in a Mexico City newspaper and was combined with an additional media campaign (and the support of the Catholic Church) to really take hold. The first official celebration took place on May 10, 1922. It was an attempt to refocus the importance of women in the role of child bearer. Since the holiday is celebrated on a specific date it often falls during the week. On these days, mothers can take off of work and children stay home from school so they can spend the day together. Poland celebrates Mothers Day on May 26.
Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012 www.HomeschoolFamilyLife.com Page 7
Bolivia celebrates Mothers Day on 27 May. Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mauritius, Morocco, Sweden and Tunisia celebrate Mothers Day on the last Sunday in May. For France it is the last Sunday in May except if it coincides with Pentecost day which is the 50th day after Lent, in which case it is shifted to the first Sunday in June. Nicaragua has Mothers Day on May 30. Luxembourg has the second Sunday in June. Kenya celebrates Mothers Day on the last Sunday in June. In Thailand they use Queen Sirikit Kitiyakara's birthday, August 12, as the day to honour mothers. Costa Rica and Antwerp, Belgium celebrate on August 15. Malawi celebrates the second Monday in October. Belarus celebrates on October 14. Argentina celebrates on the third Sunday in October. Panama, Spain and Portugal celebrate on December 8, which is the feast of the Immaculate Conception. This feast honours Mary, mother of Jesus, as well as all other mothers. Indonesia has Mothers Day on December 22.
Page 8
Perfect Gifts for Your Mother

Mothers Day is one of those times where it really is the thought that counts. Mothers appreciate being appreciated - no matter if it comes in the form of a day out or a hand-crafted card reminding Mother that she is loved. The gift doesnt have to cost a great deal of money. In fact, most mothers appreciate handmade gifts made with thought and love as much as something you could buy. Heres some ideas to inspire you in your gift giving or making this year. Service coupons - Make up a stack of coupons that will give your mother something special on her day. Include one for making her bed, cooking a meal or taking her on a day out with the family. What about coupons for looking after the younger children, or (if you live within walking distance,) taking younger siblings to play dates or practices. For teenagers, you could also provide babysitting services so Mother and Dad can go out. Younger children can include coupons for things like washing the car, doing dishes, taking out the rubbish, dusting the living room, tidying the kitchen, making a cup of tea. The options are endless. Be sure the coupons focus on things that Mother likes and enjoys. A foot massage after a busy day would also be good to include in the coupons. Video montage or scrapbook - Put together a review of the past year in pictures or on video. Let each person in the family add their own personal notes or video to complete the project. If you choose to do this each year, Mother will also have a record of how each child has changed over the years. Day off - Officially give Mother the day away from all of her responsibilities. Mothers do so much throughout the year it will feel like heaven to have one day where shes not expected to do anything.
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Show it in words - Write a special poem that includes a list of everything you appreciate about all she does. Or write a letter telling her "thank you." As long as the sentiments are real she will love the gift.
Show it in pictures Make a beautiful painting for Mothers special day. Take it to the next level by having it specially framed for Mother. Make sure the artist signs the creation. Find it in nature - bought flowers may be beautiful, but nothing says special like handpicked flowers from the garden.
Create a bouquet that can be wrapped in tissue paper, or put together an arrangement in a special vase. Make sure you ask permission if you want to pick flowers from a garden that does not belong to you.
Make a card - All it takes is a folded piece of paper and some imagination. Add some glitter for a little glitz or stickers for some special designs. Pull out the glue and craft supplies and let your creativity loose. (If you are helping a younger sister or brother, remember that small children should never be left alone with glue or you never know what will be glued to what when you return.)
Make a bookmark You can choose a favourite saying, Bible verse, or poem. Write it very beautifully on a bookmark-shaped piece of card. Decorate the card. Punch a hole in the top of the card and add a ribbon. Add stickers. (Its probably best to avoid the glitter, glue and paint for this as libraries dont like it when books come back covered in glitter and with smudges of paint.)
Make a pamper basket for Mother. Get a beautiful basket and fill it with items that Mother can use while treating herself to a spa day in her own bathroom. Find packages of candles which can be placed around the bathtub. Bubble bath and other bath items can also be added.
Some more ideas for the pamper basket include: o Bath salts. These are something many mothers enjoy because they make the skin feel smooth and soft. Buy a box of Epsom salts; add non-staining food colouring and essential oils to create bath salts with your mothers favourite scents. You can also add a drop or two of your mothers favourite cologne or perfume.
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o Of course, youll also want to make sure Mother has the time she needs to take a relaxing bath and enjoy using the bath salts you make. o Make a CD of her favourite music or classical music which will make relaxing that much easier. Make a Do Not Disturb sign for Mother to place on the doorknob so she can retire to a quiet space for 15 minutes when she needs a break during the day. Photos are a good present. There arent many mothers who dont enjoy pictures of their children. Why not find a clear box and put photos inside to make a photo cube? Mother will love the pictures and having them inside a clear box will protect them. When she wants a different picture, she can flip the cube to see a different smiling face. Beaded safety pins can make fun jewellery for Mother to wear on Mothers Day and other days during the year. These pins are made using special safety pins and beads in various colours. A terracotta pot that you paint can be a great gift for a mother who enjoys growing things. You can place a plant in the pot or use it as a container for chocolate of lollies which has been wrapped in coloured cellophane and green chenille stems. If your family is musical you can give a concert for Mother this is a favourite for most mothers who love hearing their children play. Using craft sticks or twigs from your yard, you can make a vase or pencil holder for her desk. Start out with a clean, empty can and glue the craft sticks or twigs onto it. Tie a raffia or fabric ribbon on the can to both keep the sticks on the can and add a decorative touch. Create a homemade message board. Find an old picture with a frame. Take the picture out, cover it with fabric and stretch ribbon from one side to the other to create diamonds. Staple the ribbon around the edges and place it back into the frame. When it is hung up, Mother can place notes or pictures on it so she can keep track of things that are important.
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Ways to Make Mothers Day Special

What mother wouldnt love a day to relax? Tell her the night before that she is going to be treated like a queen on Mothers Day. How do you accomplish this? Start by letting her sleep in. When she finally wakes up, treat her to breakfast in bed or a homemade brunch. Let her choose where to eat lunch or dinner. To cap the day off, let Mother have control of the remote and watch anything on TV she wants. If you think Mother will have a difficult time relaxing and letting others wait on her for the day, getting away from the home may be the only way to keep your mother from cleaning up. Planning a day trip can be the perfect way to make the day special for that special mother. Picnics are a great way to make Mother feel special on Mothers Day. Make all the food ahead of time so theres nothing to do but pack it into the picnic basket and go. Be sure to include all of Mothers favourite foods. You can probably find a wonderful spot in a local park to lay out the picnic. Along the shore of the lake or a beach would also be good choices. Of course, if the weather doesnt cooperate you can always have the picnic indoors on the living room floor. Think of things which interest Mother. Does she love rock climbing? Find somewhere that offers rock climbing classes. Would she prefer a quiet walk outdoors with a pair of binoculars around her neck? Find a lake or forest or park where birds are plenty and let her enjoy her day in nature. Decide what it is that Mother enjoys or is most interested in learning and youve found the perfect activities to share with her to make her day something she ll remember and make her feel special at the same time.
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Mothers Day Crafts for Toddlers

Toddlers love to join in with family celebrations. They like to give and they love being part of the excitement of secret gift making and wrapping. If you have a toddler or pre-schooler in your house, you might like to try some of these fun Mothers Day crafts with the little person. One of the easiest crafts a very young child can make is the coupon book. The coupons can be made from sheets of paper cut in thirds. Help them to think of things to put on the coupons One hour uninterrupted bubble bath, Kisses or A flower garden bouquet. Let your little person enjoy decorating the coupons, too. Help the toddler make paper hearts that may be left over from Valentines Day. If you dont have leftover hearts, you can help them cut out paper hearts in Mothers favourite colour. If you have any flowers in the garden, help the toddler to pick some flowers and put them in a little vase. The vase could go on the tray for Mothers breakfast in bed. Buy a pastel t-shirt for Mother. Then, using fabric paint, get all the children place their hands into the paint and press them into the fabric. Be sure to write down the childs name and age on their handprint. You can also write the date on the t-shirt so Mother will be able to look back and see how the children have grown over the years. Use macaroni pasta and some string or wool for your toddler sibling to make a necklace or bracelet for Mother. Use markers to colour the pasta before threading; your sibling will come up with a colourful creation for sure. Let the toddler create a card for Mother. Make sure you stay close by when they are making their card. Help the little one to spell out what he wants his card to say, then you can help him trace the lines with a glitter marker. Glitter markers are better than actual glitter because the markers already have the glue in them easy clean up!
Mothers Day Brunch Ideas

Show Mother how much she means to you with these Mothers Day brunch ideas. Rather than planning breakfast in bed and waking Mother up early, let her sleep in and use these ideas to create a Mothers Day brunch Mother will thoroughly enjoy. She will appreciate not having to cook on Mothers Day. However, youll want to make sure youre also prepared to clean up after yourself. Theres no reason to make Mother clean up after the meal if its her special day. Remember youre letting her relax and enjoy a day without cooking and cleaning. Think about the food Mother loves for breakfast or lunch. You may also want to consider items she wouldnt normally eat. The goal is to prepare a meal that your mother will enjoy and remember for a long time. Start with freshly squeezed orange juice. Then toast bagel halves, spread cream cheese on them and then top the bagel halves with a few thinly sliced pieces of smoked salmon. You can top them with capers, red onions or lemons if you want a traditional garnish. Try diced tomatoes or minced chives for a different taste to this classic brunch item. Pancakes are also a good choice if youre serving brunch. You can make them sweet or savoury. Traditional maple syrup is wonderful as a topping and fresh fruit is also delicious. Once the main part of the meal has been served, dont forget a healthy final dish. Many mothers love fresh strawberries any time of the year. When you want something healthy and delicious, slice up fresh strawberries and add sliced kiwifruit. Mix the two together. They will make their own sauce. Serve the fruit with fancy cookies such as biscotti, ladyfingers or Amaretto. Your mother will love the combination of the fruit and cookies. If its okay with Mother and you are reasonably safe and responsible around fragile objects, set the table to include your family's best dishes and cutlery. These dishes probably arent used that often so why not use them to make Mother feel really special? You can also find fresh flowers from the garden. Mother will love the extra effort you've made by using some of these Mothers Day brunch ideas or coming up with ones of your own.
Page 14
Homemade Mother
Chocolate
Truffles
Great
Gift
for
Does your mother love chocolate? Many mothers do. If youve never made homemade chocolate truffles, theyre a great gift. Take a look at these two recipes and choose the one your mother will enjoy most! These homemade chocolate truffles are only for those with cooking experience and they may take a while to make, but the results will be well worth the effort and the wait. Ingredients: 300 grams (10 ounces) finely chopped dark chocolate 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon light corn syrup cup brandy (optional) cup processed Dutch cocoa powder, finely chopped nuts, or toasted coconut to use as coating 225 grams (8 ounces) dark (semisweet or bittersweet) chocolate, finely chopped
Instructions: Place the first amount of chocolate and butter into a medium glass mixing bowl. Microwave them for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl and stir the ingredients. Replace and repeat a second time. Set the bowl aside. Heat the heavy cream and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Heat this over medium heat until it begins to simmer. Remove it from the heat and add the chocolate mixture into it. Let this stand for two minutes. Beginning in the centre of the bowl, stir gently with a rubber spatula making
concentric circles until the chocolate is completely melted, smooth and creamy. If you are using the brandy, gently stir it in now. Pour this into a 20cm x 20 cm (8 x 8-inch) glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for about an hour. When the chocolate has cooled, use a melon baller to scoop the chocolate and place the balls on parchment paper covered baking sheet. Return the chocolate to the refrigerator for 30 more minutes. Place the cocoa powder, chopped nuts and toasted coconut each in a separate bowl or pie pan. Set them aside. Melt the second amount of chocolate in a medium glass mixing bowl which has been set on top of a heating pad. Adjust the temperature to begin melting the chocolate and allow it to reach between 32 and 33 degrees Centigrade (90 to 92 degrees Fahrenheit) but no higher than 34 degrees Centigrade (94 degrees Fahrenheit). Remove the truffles and roll them with vinyl or latex glove-covered hands. Dip the truffles, one at a time, in the melted chocolate and then whatever topping your mother prefers. Leave the truffle in the coating for at least 10 to 15 seconds and then place on clean parchment paper. Allow them to dry for at least an hour and then place them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Some mothers dont like traditional chocolate. In fact they prefer white chocolate instead. If this is your mother, try this White Chocolate Truffles recipe.
White Chocolate Truffles Ingredients: cup butter cup icing sugar (confectioners sugar) 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 egg yolk 225 grams (8 ounces) white chocolate, broken into small pieces 1 cup blanched almonds, lightly toasted
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Instructions: Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over low heat. Be sure to stir constantly. Remove it from the heat when it has melted. Add the sugar, egg yolk and almond extract. Beat this with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into a shallow glass casserole, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Shape the cooled mixture into 2-cm (1-inch) balls. Roll the balls in the almonds, cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours. Store the truffles in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Serve in miniature foil cups at room temperature. To change the flavour, add different flavoured liqueur or brandy, or You can also add peanut butter with the chocolate and cream if Mother loves peanut butter. In fact, with homemade chocolate truffles, the possibilities are endless.
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Inspiring Words to Include in a Mother's Day Card

Do you need an inspiring quotation for your Mothers Day card? Let these words of inspiration help you create the perfect card. Or you could copy out your favourite quotation onto beautiful paper. Decorate the page, mount it on coloured card and laminate it. Give it to Mother as a poster A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. - Tenneva Jordan All mothers are working mothers. - Unknown A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavour by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. Washington Irving A man's work is from sun to sun, but a mother's work is never done. - Unknown The heart of a mother is a deep abyss at the bottom of which you will always find forgiveness. Honor de Balzac A mother understands what a child does not say. - Unknown The mother's heart is the child's schoolroom.- Henry Ward Beecher I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. - Abraham Lincoln Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever. - Unknown Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to 'jump at de sun.' We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground. - Zora Neale Hurston Let France have good mothers, and she will have good sons. - Napoleon Bonaparte Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother. - Lin Yutang A mother had a slender, small body, but a large heart - a heart so large that everybody's grief and everybody's joy found welcome in it, and hospitable accommodation. - Mark Twain
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HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Make your mother feel special today

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

ITS GOOD TO SHARE!

www.HomeschoolFamilyLife.com www.SuccessfulHomeschoolingMadeEasy.com www.CharlotteMasonMadeEasy.com www.GrammarLessonsMadeEasy.com

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

About the Author

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Who is This Book For?

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

The Story of Mother's Day

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Mother's Day Around the World

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Perfect Gifts for Your Mother

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Ways to Make Mothers Day Special

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Mothers Day Crafts for Toddlers

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Mothers Day Brunch Ideas

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Inspiring Words to Include in a Mother's Day Card

Happy Mothers Day ~ make your mother feel special today

Other Products Available

Copyright Stephanie Walmsley 2012

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