4 Traditions 4 Mother's Day

4 Traditions... Issue: Mother's Day

In This Issue Rose Petal Surprise Love Puzzle for Mom Seven Days of Mom Breakfast in Bed Keepsake A Poem Michelle Fozounmayeh A joy filled wife and mom that enjoys writing, praying, speaking at women events and being an Area Coordinator with the ministry Moms In Prayer International. Want a quick prayer encouragement on the first of every month? Click "Join our Mailing List" and start recieving Michelle's iPray eVotionals! iPray eVotionals... iListen iRest iPray in one accord iNeed a Reminder iFinish Strong iThank God for That iFollow iWork Out iReminisce iPray 4 Protection iPray 4 Purity iSmell a Stain iEmbrace iPraise iLove Deep and Wide iPray 4 Newness iTeeter-Totter We live in a world where we wear many "hats".  Even though we all have many parts of ourselves trying to survive... Many Parts of Me (click link for "hats" script) Traditions do not have to make our world even more hectic!  It's not about doing more... it's about doing less!  It's about doing what matters!

Greetings! Throughout the years I have come to have a deep respect for the role family rituals and traditions have on the healthy state of our family. For many years I worked as a Family Consultant with Once Upon A Family and picked up a few ideas.  Although traditions in our home have had seasons of success and seasons of rest or have had to be modified and/or changed to fit our family's needs, they still exist!   Each issue of 4 Traditions features ideas I have gathered and/or created that you can use or modify to fit your family's needs. Rose Petal Surprise Love everywhere... One easy way to make Mother's Day special is to scatter rose petals on the table where you serve her Mother's Day brunch.  You can use real rose petals from your own garden or purchase beautiful fabric petals from a craft store.  If cooking isn't your strong suit, then use the petals to leave trails of love that lead her to a special surprise (a bubble bath) or a gift.  You could also place handfuls of petals in certain places that you know she will find throughout the day (inside her favorite coffee mug, for example) with a loving note.  No matter how you choose to use these rose petals, this sweet touch will make Moms feel special and show her how much you really care. Love Puzzle for Mom Discovering a message... Print an 8 x 10 family photo.  Glue it onto a piece of white poster board, and trim off any excess.  Use the back to write or draw a special Mother's Day message, then cut the photo into jigsaw-size puzzle shapes.  You might want to draw the pattern first on a plain piece of paper in heavy pencil, turn it pencil side down onto the puzzle back, and rub the pencil design onto the puzzle for easy cutting.  Mom will be delighted to put the pieces together and discover your message of love. Seven Days of Mom All week long. . . Show mom how much you love her by celebrating Mother's Day all week long.  Each day, give a small gift, leave a loving note, or plan a special activity that Moms will love.  You might want to assign a day to each child, rotate the seven days around family members, or plan each day's surprise together as a group.  A theme can make the week even more memorable. It could be Appreciating Mom Week, where every day includes a little note from a family member that thanks her for something she did for him/her during the past year.  Another great theme that every Mom will love is Pamper Mom Week.  Treat her to something relaxing and soothing at the end of every day:  A neck and shoulder message, a facial, a bubble bath with candles all around the tub, one hour with her favorite tea and her favorite book (and the promise of no interruptions), etc.  You get the idea. On the last day of the week, (Mother's Day), prepare and serve a special meal.  Mom will feel so honored and loved after her seven days of attention. Breakfast in Bed Keepsake Personalized... Make a special tablecloth, placemat, or serving tray for Mother's Day brunch.  Use paint to decorate it with precious handprints, and a marker to add special notes from each child.  Add more handprints each year to create a keepsake Mom will treasure forever.  You can also decorate it with a collage of photos and personal notes from the family, or those priceless hand-made Mother's Day cards that come home from school every year. Cut them on the fold so that you can show both the lovely artwork on the cover and the poem or message on the inside.  Let the little ones get creative by embellishing the tray with glitter and rhinestones.  A little sparkle will surely start Mom's Day off on a happy note.  You can purchase products at any art or craft store to cover your work of art with a finish that will protect it for all the Mother's Days to come.  A Poem for Mom... Honoring your mom is not just for her, it's also for you!  In 2002 I wrote this poem to my mom for Mother's Day.  In writing it I was reminded of so many wonderful things about her that I had not thought about in years.  It warmed my heart too... Poem to Mom   All 4 HIM,   MICHELLE FOZOUNMAYEH My Blog