Mommy Marketing (to your kids)

Get ready for something BIG!

Don’t underestimate the importance of selling your fun ideas to your kids… especially the ones they might not label as fun. Being a mother is a lot about marketing. You’ve got to talk up your job charts, your goals, and sometimes even upcoming vacations or holidays.

One of the doors in our kitchen is often covered with mom’s advertisements. If we have a vacation coming up– it’s on the door to get everyone excited about the trip. If summer is around the corner (or in full swing), the summer calendar is spread across the door with jobs and goals for the break. At Christmas time, the calendar with activities and service opportunities is there to see. No one in the family can claim they don’t know what’s going on or what is expected when it’s pasted on a door they pass 50 times each day.

 

 

Teacher or Grandma Gift: “We love you all the time!” Clocks

Love You All the Time Clock

I’ve made at least eight of these clocks for teachers and grandmas. It’s a fun personalized gift for Teacher Appreciation Week, the last day of school, or Christmas.

To make your own clock, you will need:
Clock (Mine is 12″)
12 photos (Mine are just printed at home on regular paper.)

Colored card stock
Glue stick
Scissors

Here’s the “before photo” of the clock:

Clock

Step 1: Print “We love you all the time!” on colored card stock.  You may have to experiment with font sizes to make it fit your clock.  You will need a large space between the words for the center (which holds the hands of the clock.)

We love you all the time

Step 2 : Remove the clock from the box.  You’ll do this by unscrewing the two screws on the back of the box.

Step 3: Remove the glass from the front of the clock.  You’ll do this by taking out all of the screws on the back of the clock.

Then you’ll have to remove the plastic circle that is holding the glass on the clock.

Make sure you save all the screws!

Step 4: Decide how large you want your center circle(s).  I used a vase and a bowl to cut out two circles. The center circle will need to fit around the words, so find a bowl that’s larger than your type and still fits in the center of your clock.  Paste the circles together with a glue stick.  Find the center of the circle with a ruler.  Cut a straight line from the edge to the center, then cut a nickel-sized circle in the center.

We love you all the time

Step 5:  Cut out your face circles.  On a 12″ clock, I found a bug spray can was the perfect size!  Trace your circle on card stock to make a template.

cutting circles

Use this template to trace around each face.

Then cut out the faces.

Glue the circles over top the numbers with a glue stick.

Step 6:  Wiggle and gently bend your circle (with the words) around the hands of the clock.  Then glue it in place by lifting up the edges.

Step 7: Replace the glass and plastic rim to the front of the clock.  Drill the screws into the back.

Step 8: Return the clock to the box and re-drill the two screws in the back of the box.

Step 9: Wrap it up and add a card!

 

ABC Books- Perfect Gift for Toddlers

ABC Books

My mother-in-law has given these books to my kids when they turned two years old.  I have helped several of my friends make them as well.

ABC Books 

There’s a photo for each letter of the alphabet.  Some of my friends have pasted multiple photos on each page but I like the simplicity of one photo per letter.  Some of our books have fabric covers and some are just plastic covers with a piece of paper slipped in front.  Any way you do it, the kids LOVE, LOVE, LOVE having their own books.

I have used small 5.5 X 8.5 inch binders with a 1-inch ring for these books. The page protectors fit a half sheet of paper. They also measure 5.5 x 8.5 inches. I go to local scrapbook stores to find the paper and use their dye-cuts.  Most stores let you use their dye-cuts for free if you buy their paper!