Happy Memorial Day--Patriotic Craft and Food Round-Up

As the United States pauses in its daily life to remember the brave who gave their lives for our country and those who are still fighting, I would like to take time to first thank all of our soldiers and their families who sacrifice so much for our freedom. I will also pause today to say a prayer for all of them and I hope you will join me.

As we are pausing in our daily life, I thought I would give you a round-up of our patriotic crafts and food.

1) Understanding the Pledge of Allegiance
2 & 3) Patriotic Wreaths
4) Changeable Felt Patriotic Wreath
5) Utensil Holders
6) Red, White and Blue Sugar Cookies shaped as Flags, Stars and the USA
7) Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad
8) Red, White and Blue Pancakes
9) Toddler Made Easy Patriotic Placemat
10) Flag Placemat
11) Wind Socks
12) Patriotic Candle Holders
13) Fireworks Crown
14) Rockets
15) States Frame
16) Shell Sailboats

For more ideas check out:

• Sharing Saturday Features
• Fourth of July Round-Up from Sharing Saturdays
• My Patriotic Pinterest Board

I hope you have a safe and happy Memorial Day!! And please remember what the day is for and that it is not just about the barbeques!!

Happy Independence Day!!

For the Fourth of July we often just have a few friends over for a small barbeque. We find many people have plans with family, etc., but with Hazel's age we find most of the local events are just too late for her schedule. This way we plan our barbeque around our schedule and invite our friends with young kids. I always have Hazel help me make decorations and then we have crafts and activities for the kids. I will share pictures of how everything came out later this week, but for now I thought I would share a round up of Patriotic Crafts, Foods, Activities that have been shared on Sharing Saturday the past few weeks.

1) Dramatic Fireworks Display from Mama's Little Muse

2) Patriotic Books and Bento Lunch by Keitha's Chaos

3) Red, White and Blue Snacks from Mama of Many Blessings

4) Fourth of July Tie Dye T-Shirt from School Time Snippets

5) Patriotic Candy Bark from The Iowa Farmer's Wife

6) Stars, Stripes, and Coffee Filters from Art Mama Says

7) Fourth of July Pudding Pops from We Made That

8) Fourth of July Shaker from We Made That

9) Independence Day Flag Manicure from Tessacotton

10) Patriotic Ice Cube Painting from Mama's Little Muse

11) Roarin' Rockets by Tippytoe Crafts

12) Patriotic Dresses and More on Frontier Dreams

13) Firecracker Pops from Pam's Party Planning and Practical Tips

14) Interchangeable Wreath from The Crafty Scientist

15) Patriotic Mason Jar from The NY Melrose Family

16) Patriotic Wreath made by me

Center) Our centerpiece complete with toilet paper roll rockets Hazel and I made.

We made many toilet paper roll and paper towel roll rockets to decorate for the party including ones with all the kids names on it. We discovered that the sparkly scrapbook paper does not glue or tape well!

We also made some shell sailboats. I got this idea from Family Fun. I used sticky foam and put scrapbook paper onto it for the sails and used toothpicks for the sticks and included a flag on each one since I had a bunch of flag toothpicks. Hazel loved doing this. She wanted to make ten boats but I had cut out enough for twelve so we went for it. She wants to play with them now.

In honor of our holiday, I pause from my celebration to say a prayer for all those who have fought for our freedom and all those still fighting and their wonderful families that sacrifice so much. I hope you will join me in the prayer!

Dear God, thank you for being with our brave men and women who have fought for our country and have provided us our freedom. And please be with all the men and women still fighting and protecting us. Also please be with their families as they sacrifice their time with their loved ones and protect them all. Thank you for letting me be a part of an amazing country and please help me to make it even better by following your ways. Amen.

Boston Tea Party Themed Tea Party Around the World

Yesterday I introduced my new series, Tea Parties Around the World. Today I am going to share our first tea party by looking at a historical one and having a tea party with that theme. Our theme is the Boston Tea Party. (After all we might as well start local.) To start we read some books about the Boston Tea Party. Did you know there were actually four tea parties in the colonies but Boston's became the famous one? These are a few of the books we found at our library. There are a lot out there!!

Fourth of July Crafty Weekends Link Party

We are getting ready to watch the fireworks for Independence Day at my parents tonight. I spent the day playing mini golf with Hazel and my nephew and then the three of us headed to the John F. Kennedy Museum in Hyannis to check it out (it is the centennial celebration there). I am in full vacation mode and did not do crafts this week, so I thought I would share a few of my favorite patriotic crafts from the past.

Patriotic Necklaces for the 4th of July

We are expecting to deal with Hurricane Arthur this year on the 4th of July. Our original plans were to go to my parents on Thursday and go to their town's parade on Friday and fireworks on Saturday. Between the weather reports and Hazel and I both feeling a little under the weather, we changed our plans. So Hazel asked if we could have a cook-out for the 4th. I told her we were expecting lots of rain, so a cook-out was not going to happen. Next she asked if we could have an indoor picnic. This I agreed to as long as she picks up her toys so Daddy can vacuum and we have room in the family room to actually have our picnic. Next she asked if we could pull out all the patriotic decorations we have made for past 4th of July parties. This I agreed to as well with the same condition.

We did make a craft for this year as well. I was inspired by Buggy and Buddy: 4th of July Craft for Kids: Patriotic Necklaces. I cut up some red striped straws and some blue ones since we had them. We also bought a package of red, white and blue star buttons. Then we used whatever red, white and blue beads we could find. Our original idea was we would wear these to the parade, however since we are not going, we will just wear them for the day. We made three of them thinking we would be with my nephew for the parade.

I made this one using both holes of the buttons to pass the string and using three large buttons as the pendant.

Hazel made this one trying some sort of pattern of stars and straws. She asked me to put one of the stars on with both holes used after seeing mine.

This was my first one. I was trying to use what we had to make it similar to the one on Buggy and Buddy. Then I added my own twist to it.

For Memorial Day we did a patriotic round-up of our past decorations and things. Click on the picture to see the round-up. 

We also shared some books and crafts for Flag Day. Again click on picture above to see this post. 

For all of our American readers, we wish you a very Happy Independence Day!!

Happy Independence Day!!

Today we are celebrating our country's Independence Day! Before I go into my post, I would like to send a huge thank you to all the soldiers (past and present) who have fought to protect our country and their families. We send our thanks and prayers to you!

For the Fourth of July, we have not done much this year. Hazel and I looked at the wonderful packet about fireworks from My Shae Noel. We decided to make some firework paintings, which I saw over at Tippytoe Crafts the other day. Hazel loved making these and continued to paint with the Q-tips some more. Instead of adding glitter we used some glitter paint.

We also made some pipe cleaner fireworks/sparklers that I have been seeing all over the web lately. Hazel also wanted some pancakes so we made red, white and blue pancakes (strawberry, blueberry, almond pancakes). I cut the recipe in half since I couldn't eat any and when we made them Steve wasn't home, so this recipe made five pancakes.

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
a pinch of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground flax seed meal
1 egg
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (could use regular milk)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4-1/2 cup blueberries (we used fresh because we had them, but usually I use frozen)
1/4 cup strawberries (fresh from the farmer's market, but could be sliced frozen)
1-2 tablespoons almonds

Mix the dry ingredients in a small bowl. Beat the egg in a medium bowl and then add the liquid ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into liquid ones and add berries and nuts. Cook.

Hazel said she loved them! 

In the past we have done much more and usually host a barbeque for some friends, but decided to have a quiet one this year. Here are some of our crafts and food from the past.

Flower Wreath; Patriotic Candles; Rockets

Patriotic Wreath; Flower Arrangement; Red, White and Blue Sugar Cookies, Shell Sailboats

Salad Spinner Spin Art Banner; Red, White and Blue Fruit Salad (banana, blueberry, watermelon, strawberries), Duct tape Firework Crown (with other Fourth of July Crafts for Toddler/Preschooler)

Handprint Fireworks; Marble Painting; Utensil Holders; State Frame

Finally some of the great patriotic crafts and activities from the last few Sharing Saturdays!

1) From We Made That: Fourth of July Layered Drink
2) From Making Memories with Your Kids: Layered Drink
3) From School Time Snippets: 4th of July Noise Maker
4) From Montessori Now: Patriotic Practical Life and Math Activity
5) From Gift of Curiosity: Fireworks in a Jar
6) From Buggy and Buddy: Statue of Liberty Crown and Torch
7) From Little Bins for Little Hands: 4th of July Sensory Bin
8) From Gift of Curiosity: 4th of July Montessori Activities
9) From Buggy and Buddy: Patriotic Spirit Wands
10) From Gift of Curiosity: Sticky Paper American Flag
11) From Boy Mama Teacher Mama: Homemade Flags
12) From There's Just One Mommy: American Flag Craft
13) From Toddlers Through Preschoolers: Fourth of July Tray
14) From Little Bins for Little Hands: 4th of July Baking Soda Science Sensory Play
15) From Learning and Growing the Piwi Way: Fourth of July Pack
16) From Mums Make Lists: 4th of July Fun Round Up

I wish you and your family a happy, fun-filled and safe Fourth of July!

Summertime Family Fun

Disclosure: I was sent these items to review free of charge from Oriental Trading. All opinions in this post are my own. I did not receive any other compensation for this review. I am including links to each item for your convenience but do not receive anything if you purchase them.

Can you believe summer began yesterday? We are getting ready for some fun family gatherings this summer. Hazel and I head to my parents for the Fourth of July since the fireworks are visible from my parents' deck and there is a fun parade in their town. My parents have the best view of the fireworks on their street so they invite their neighbors to come watch from their deck. There is always a group of adults and kids showing up to watch, so this year I thought it would be fun to have some activities for the kids while we are waiting for the fireworks to begin. My mother also hosts a family reunion for her siblings (she is one of five), their children and grandchildren. I always am her event planner/assistant hostess. Since I am one of thirteen in cousins and most of them have at least one child now, I figured it would be good to have some games and activities to entertain the kids and families at the beach and the dinner she hosts. So for these two big family activities we turned to Oriental Trading for some great summer and patriotic things to entertain the guests. After all they are a great place to turn for all summer and party needs.

Happy Birthday to US! Book Review & Giveaway

 

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to provide an honest review. All opinions are my own. I am working with The Children's Book Review and Sherry Ellis to bring you this post.

This year is a special year for the United States. It marks the 250th birthday of our country! The day this post is published is Patriots' Day in Massachusetts. That means this long weekend there will be re-enactments of the battles in Lexington and Concord. And as any Bostonian knows, the Boston Marathon will be run. Yesterday was the official 251st anniversary of the "shot heard around the world." Today we are sharing a fun and patriotic book about a boy whose birthday is July 4th. The book is Happy Birthday to US! by Sherry Ellis and illustrated by Nina Hvozdzeva. Throughout the post there will be links to some fun patriotic crafts and activities and at the end there is a giveaway!!

Flag Day Books, Activities and Crafts

Have you entered my current giveaway yet?

In the United States, June 14th is Flag Day. To many this is just a holiday that is written on the calendar. I really do not ever remember a celebration for it in my life, but I do remember learning a bit about it in school. Of course being mid-June when school is out or almost out makes it hard for even that to happen. It is the perfect time to start thinking about patriotic crafts with Independence Day coming up and focusing on the flag and its meaning as well as the Pledge of Allegiance. To do these things, I found some books at our local library. But before I share the books and activities with you, I want to share a bit of history. The date June 14th was picked because it is the day the Second Continental Congress adopted the flag. It is unknown who made the first flag and therefore who designed it. There are many legends and rumors about it. It is known that Betsy Ross made one of the earliest flags. (Source)

I Pledge Allegiance by Pat Mora and Libby Martinez is a story told in a girl's perspective. She and her family are excited because her great aunt is about to become a citizen of the United States. She helps her great aunt practice the Pledge of Allegiance and the girl's teacher has her lead the class in the Pledge of Allegiance the day before her aunt becomes a citizen to help celebrate. It is a wonderful book that explains why some people want to become citizens and a great book to start conversations about citizenship and what it means.

F Is for Flag by Wendy Cheyette Lewison is a book that talks about the flag and its meaning as well as a small amount about flag day. The history of the flag is also touched upon in this book.

The Flag We Love by Pam Munoz Ryan is another book about the flag. It goes into a bit of history of the flag, the Pledge of Allegiance as well as the national anthem.

An easy activity/craft for children is to make a flag from paper or felt. Or to have it as a felt "puzzle". It is also a great way to demonstrate how the flag has changed over the years with the number of stars. I cut the pieces out of felt (well the stars are paper and I got bored of cutting them). To get the dimensions somewhat correct I looked them up and used the ones at USFlag. I started with a white rectangle 9 inches by 17 inches. I made a pattern for the various pieces so you will not have to do the math.

We also did some activities on the Pledge of Allegiance and flag last September to go along with the book I Pledge Allegiance by Bill Martin, Jr. This was a wonderful book to teach children the meaning of the words in the Pledge of Allegiance.

We also made flag placemats and windsocks for a Fourth of July party a few years ago.

And a fun states craft with a flag frame.

For more ideas we are going to try some of the crafts and activities (educational) in Little Hands Celebrate America! by Jill Frankel Hauser.

For more patriotic ideas check out my Patriotic Round-Up and my Patriotic Pinterest Board.

Patriotic Crafty Weekends Link Party & Features

We are going to watch the fireworks tonight, so we are going to share some patriotic crafts of the past. We did this round-up last year. 

Crafty Weekends

I took a break from Crafty Weekends due to the holiday, so now we have two weeks of crafts to add to the party!!  So it is time to see what you have been creating!  Thank you to everyone who shared with us at our last party.  Just a reminder that we do not feature any of the food/recipe posts and ask you not to share them here. There were some great ideas shared. Below are a few of the features from our last party, but be sure to go back and check out the many great crafts shared! Please remember Creative Kids Culture Blog Hop is a place to share all your diverse and cultural posts there.  I can't wait to see what your latest creations are!!

Craft Factory: Friendship Bracelets -- Crafty Weekends Review & Link Party

Disclosure: Parragon Books sent me a copy of this book free of charge. All opinions in my review are my own and I did not receive any other compensation. As always I am providing links to the book for your convenience.

Before I begin today's post, I would like to take a minute to remind all of us in the United States that this is Memorial Weekend and we need to remember all the people who have sacrificed for our freedom and safety. Please say a prayer for the armed forces as well as their families and a very special pray for the families of soldiers not returning home. 

Today I get to share this month's Parragon Book of the Month for their Book Buddies. It is not really a book, but a craft kit. It is their Craft Factory: Friendship Bracelets. It was released this past February. It comes with metallic threads, as well as some black thread, an instruction book, star beads and a needle. 

Memorial Day

Ok, I know I'm a day early, but I have lots going on tomorrow so I wanted to take some time this weekend to remember what our holiday tomorrow is about.

For those of you not in the USA, the last Monday of May is our Memorial Day. It is a day to honor all the men and women who have fought for our country and gave the ultimate sacrifice.

So please take a moment to remember all of our soldiers and say a prayer for them and their families. And especially for the families of our fallen heroes. I know I have a hard time imagining what it would be like and I feel for them.

Memorial Day Weekend often is seen as the unofficial start of summer here in the States. I often think we forget why we celebrate these holidays between our cook-outs, parties, and swimming. So I am taking this break to remind you and to say a prayer myself.  Dear God, Please let us remember the sacrifices so many brave men and women have made for our freedom. Please be with their families and bring them strength and healing. Please keep our soldiers and their families safe. Please let our soldiers return home to their families soon. Bless each of them for they are doing their best to protect us. Please help us find a way to put our differences aside and make peace on earth. Amen. I wish you and your family a very Happy and Safe Memorial Day!

  Here is a simple Memorial Day craft...a placemat made with clear contact paper, stickers, felt stars, red and white stripes, scrapbook paper. For some other patriotic ideas you can check out what we did for the Fourth of July last year. And for even more ideas you can check out my Patriotic Pinterest Board.

Sharing Saturday #27

Have you entered to get an invitation to shop at Hullabalu yet? If not you have a couple days to do so. If you don't know what Hullabalu is yet, make sure to check out my meerkat post.

Have you checked out the amazing line up from last week? I featured many of the patriotic crafts and activities from the last two weeks on the Fourth of July. If you were featured there I pinned your post to my Patriotic Pinterest Board and feel free to grab a featured button below! If you haven't checked all the entries from last week please visit them and show some comment love! You will not be disappointed.

Ok, on to this week's features (which are pinned to the Sharing Saturday Board). 

There was a three-way tie for most clicked:

From Science Sparks: How to make a lemon sink

From Wesens Art: Quilled Butterfly

 From Learning Ideas--Grades: K - 8: Fun Fish Crafts for Kids

A Few of My Favorites

From Relentlessly Fun, Deceptively Educational: Post-It Page Marker Math

From True Aim Parenting & Education: Pass the Manners, Please

From Having Fun at Chelle's House: Wall Decor from Kiddo's Art

From 2 Big, 2 Little: Black Changes Colors

Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! I always am blown away by your creativity and ideas! If you were featured here, please feel free to grab a Featured Button to display proudly on your blog!


 

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From Your Host:

Learning about Meerkats (and a giveaway sort of)

  Now for This Week's Party  
A Few Simple Guidelines:
1)  Please follow both hosts via GFC (or one of the other ways that work for you).  

Hosts are Crafty Moms Share and Mama Mia's Heart2Heart. 

2)  Link any kid-friendly, child-centered post. Please no etsy shops or giveaways, etc.  Remember to link to your actual post.

3) Post the button on your sidebar or somewhere on your blog to help spread the word.

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Disclaimer: By sharing here, you are giving Crafty Moms Share and Mama Mia's Heart2Heart permission to use your photos for features and to pin your craft at Pinterest. 

All right everyone...This is a PARTY!! Have Fun!!