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by Mary Abreu
Mother’s Day will be here
before you know it, so start planning
now how you’ll spoil your favorite mom.
Read on for some great gift ideas and
recipes that will help you make May 13 a
special – and memorable – day.
Mom doesn’t want fancy
jewelry or a flashy car for Mother’s Day. If
you really want to make her day, try these
tips:
Set the alarm and wake up early so you can serve her breakfast in bed.
Do anything Mom asks, without complaint.
Get all your chores done without being asked.
Negotiate a truce between squabbling siblings so they’ll keep
the peace.
Write a letter to Mom telling her all the things you love about her.
Give Mom the day off and do all
the work she normally does around the house.
It’s a Fact
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there
were 80.5 million mothers in the country in
2001 (the most recent year data was
collected).
Anna Jarvis organized the first events
honoring mothers on May 10, 1908, in
Grafton, W.Va., and Philadelphia.
In 1914, Congress designated the second
Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.
The average number of children today’s woman
can expect to have in her lifetime is 2.1,
according to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.
In 2006, there were 5.6 million stay-at-home
moms in the United States.
A record high 59 percent of moms with
infants were employed in 1998; that number
dropped to 55 percent in 2004.
Fingerprint cards for mom
- Construction paper, folded in half
to create a card
- Acrylic paints
- Crayon or marker
- Small paintbrush
Flower Card: Use acrylic craft paints
to paint a child’s pointing finger. Use this
for the center dot of each flower. To make
the petals, paint the thumb first, apply it
to the paper. Next paint the pointing finger
and apply it to the paper. Repeat this
process for each finger so that there is a
different finger for each petal. Repeat for
each flower. Use a small paintbrush to add
the stem, then use child’s thumb to create
the leaves.
Heart Card: Begin by very lightly
drawing a simple heart onto the construction
paper. Next, squirt out some paint onto
newspaper or paper plate. Have child dip the
tips of his fingers into the paint and press
onto construction paper following the heart
shape. Use a contrasting color to fill in
the heart. Use crayon or marker to write
“Happy Mother’s Day” on the card.
Love Card:
Have child hold her left
hand in the shape of an “L” (be sure it is
her left hand and not the right). Paint the
“L” shape portion of her hand and help her
press it onto the paper. Have the child make
an “O” shape with her hand, paint it, then
press to the paper. Paint the child’s
pointing and middle finger for the “V” and
press onto the paper. Using the child’s
pointing finger, paint then press to the
paper for the long side of the “E.” Paint
the top part of her pointing finger to add
the horizontal lines of the “E.” Use a
crayon or marker to write “Mom is” above the
word “Love.”
www.kidsdomain.com
 Crafts
Paper Flower Bouquet
- Pastel-colored tissue paper
- Green pipe cleaners
- Scissors
- Ruler
Cut tissue paper into rectangles of desired
size (5 inches by 7 inches works great).
Stack four to six pieces of tissue paper.
Use the same color or different colors.
Accordion pleat the tissue paper, working
from the long side.
Wind one end of the pipe cleaner around the
middle of the accordion-pleated tissue
paper. Gently separate each layer, pulling
upward toward the middle of the flower. Make
several and tie with a ribbon or put in a
vase (an empty jelly jar works well).
www.kidsdomain.com
 Framed Silhouette Portrait
- Cameraamera
- Black card stock
- Scissors
- Glue or double-sided tape
- Decorative paper
- Frame
Take a photograph of your child looking to
the side (works best against a light-colored
wall). Zoom in and make sure you get the
entire head and profile. Print the picture
the size you want it to be in the frame (we
used a 4-inch by 6-inch print for the 5x7
opening in our frame). Hold together the
picture and black card stock, then use the
scissors to cut around the profile. Use the
glue or double-sided tape to adhere the
black silhouette to the decorative paper.
Place in the picture frame.
Hint: It is important to have a good picture
to start with. You might want to print a few
copies of the photo just in case it takes
more than one time to get it just right!
Recipes
 Scrambled Egg Nests
- 1 (3½ -cup) bag frozen shredded potatoes,
defrosted (we used Simply Potatoes)
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil or butter
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 6 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1/2 cup finely diced onions
- 1/3 cup finely diced bell peppers
- 3/4 cup diced cooked breakfast sausage
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large
bowl, toss together the potatoes, 1/4 cup of
the oil or butter, salt and pepper. Spoon
about 1/3 cup of the potato mixture into
each cup of a 12-serving muffin tin. Press
the mixture into the bottom and up the sides
of each cup, then bake until golden brown,
about 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the nests
from the oven and allow them to cool.
Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and milk.
Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over
medium-high heat. Add the remaining oil or
butter to the pan and heat. Add the onions
and peppers to the pan and sauté until both
are soft and the onions are slightly golden,
about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sausage and
cook until heated through. Add the egg
mixture and stir until the eggs have set and
small curds have formed. Season with salt
and pepper to taste.
Remove the potato nests from the muffin tin
and place them on an ovenproof platter or
cookie sheet. Fill each cup with some of the
egg mixture, top with a sprinkling of the
cheese, and place the nests in the oven at
375 degrees until the cheese is melted,
about 2 to 3 minutes. If you like, garnish
each nest with a little parsley. Serve warm.
www.familyfun.com
Mom Pancakes
- Pancake mix or
your favorite
pancake recipe
- Empty squeeze bottle
Prepare your favorite pancake batter and
pour into the squeeze bottle. Heat up a
skillet and use the bottle to squeeze the
batter into the pan, forming the letters
MOM. If you’re feeling really creative, make
a heart shape instead of an O. Cook
according to directions, then arrange on a
plate with some fresh berries, a dusting of
powdered sugar, a pat of butter and some
syrup on the side.
Fruit ’n’
Yogurt Parfait
- Mom’s favorite fresh fruit (strawberries and
blueberries work especially well)well)
- Vanilla yogurt
- Granola
Starting with the fruit, alternate layers of
fruit and yogurt in a pretty, clear glass.
Top off with a sprinkle of granola.
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