The little man and I had a lot of fun putting together his Valentine's Day cards for the grandparents and great grandparents. I saw this idea on Fun Family Crafts last year and thought the grandparents would go nuts over it! (And I was right!)

Materials and supplies

- Cardstock
- Paint
- Paint brushes
- Ribbon
- Letter stickers
- Hot glue gun or adhesive
- Scissors

How to make this

1. Paint the outside of the card. 

We had a lot of fun doing this! I set up some masks (using heart punches and other cut outs of hearts), so the little guy could paint and I could remove the masks after he was done and have some blank shapes.

2. Find some little hands to paint!

I used a foam roller to cover his hands in paint, then pressed his hands onto the papers. I repainted between each hand print.

3. After the paint dries, cut around the hand prints.

4. Take the ribbon and measure the length of a hug. 

I had him spread open his arms, then measured from wrist to wrist.

5. Glue the ribbon to the back of each hand.

6. Use the letter stickers to write your chosen message.

Link parties

Delightful Order
The Trendy Treehouse
DIY Craft Projects
I Gotta Create
Southern Lovely 
Create.Craft.Love.
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Katherine's Corner
Craftionary 
Blissful and Domestic
Twinkle in the Eye
Joyful Stamper
A Little Knick Knack
Homemaker on a Dime
Raising Memories
I Heart Naptime
The Foley Fam 
C.R.A.F.T.
Create With Joy
Sew Can Do
Keeping it Simple Crafts 
 

I tend to make resolutions each year--and sometimes I even keep them. Last year's goal to learn to jog and run a 5K? Checkmate. My goals to knit and learn to belly dance? Not so much...I couldn't get into knitting and I never prioritized belly dancing into my schedule.

For this year's resolutions I decided to go back to the basics and to focus on what really matters--my little family. Here's what I came up with:

1. Cuddle, cuddle, cuddle. Cuddle every chance you get and give lots of hugs. It's hard to find anything that recharges you more than baby/toddler hugs--husband hugs aren't so bad either!

2. Play more. Sing, crawl around, line up cars, dress like a princess--whatever interests your kid. Be amazed by their imagination and how fast they can run and squeal when you're chasing them!

3. Eat good food. Eat healthy proteins, fruits, and vegetables. Most of us have the "lose weight" goal each year. Focus on good food that sets a healthy example for your little one and gives you enough energy to play.This is a tough one for me, but I hope to get back in the healthy-food saddle for my sake and my family's sake.

4. Put less pressure on yourself. My rule of thumb? If you worry about whether you're a good mom, you're probably pretty good already. Stop striving to be a "perfect mom." You'll never get there and will just put unnecessary stress on yourself.

5. Take some time for yourself. Remind yourself (as often as necessary) that being a well-rounded person is good for you AND your family. Even if you only get 15 minutes a day, after your babies are in Bed, guard that time and do something to recharge yourself.

What universal Mom resolutions did I miss? Any other resolutions that are on your list this year?

Materials and supplies:
- Round ornaments (I used matte white)
- Sharpie markers--ultra fine point  - black, orange, red
- Craft paint (I used light blue)
- Foam brush
- Paper plate (for paint)
- Ribbon
- Scissors
- Little toddler hands :)



How to make these ornaments
Step one: Paint your toddler's hands with craft paint, using a foam brush.

Step two: Place the ornament in the palm of your toddler's hands and close his fingers around the ornament. Wait about three seconds, then open his fingers.


Tip: I had the best luck with matte ornaments. We tried doing a few handprints on clear ornaments and ornaments with a shiny finish, but the handprints smeared. You might be able to pull off these ornaments with clear or shiny finishes with an older toddler who would stay more still.

Step three: Place the ornaments to dry. I just used the holders that came with the ornament packaging.

Step four: Repeat steps 1-3 for each ornament. I had the best luck when I painted his hands again for each new ornament.

Step five: Let the ornaments dry for about an hour.

Step six: Use your black Sharpie and draw the eyes, mouth, top hat, and three buttons.

Step seven: Use your orange Sharpie to draw a little triangle for each nose.


Step eight: Use your red Sharpie to draw a scarf (optional). I added this step because I thought my snowmen needed some accessories. I just drew a thick line, then added some wispy lines on the end, for fringe.

Step nine: Write your toddler's name and year on the other side of the ornament. I printed the letters, then added little dots at the end of each stroke to make it look nice.

Step ten: Cut the ribbon to hang the ornament. Tie the ribbon into a knot and cut off any excess ribbon.


Step eleven: Watch grandparent's swoon over a homemade ornament from their grandchild. :)