Opportunity to Make Family Memories

I'm not a BIG football fan except when my college team plays.  But Sunday, February 6th, there will be a rumbling around the world with fans watching the Big Game as well as fans attending the game.  My husband, daughter, and her husband are all big football fans and they will be watching as well.  Instead of retreating in the sight of defeat I will be joining my husband to watch the match up between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers.  Honestly, I do have fun watching football with my husband.

 (my daughter)

The Super Bowl is another opportunity to make memories with your children.  Often we get a bit obsessed with our passion, aka football or crafting, and we miss an opportunity to make fun memories with our children.

Here are some ideas in an article by Jean Marie Lockwood (2007)
Making memories that will last a life-time is a wonderful way to enjoy your children. Being creative in the things you do with your family can be the big challenge. Here are some tips for being creative with family time:

• Let each person in the family have a turn at choosing a family activity. This can be done each week or each month. Use your own schedule to plan ahead.
• Plan seasonal traditions, such as Christmas Cookie Day, or an annual summer trip to an amusement park.(Or watching the Super Bowl)
• Make sure what you do is fitting for each person. If you have babies or toddlers, plan in advance how you will help them have fun too.
• Include grandparents or other extended family if possible. (Yeah, have grandma over to play with the grandkids1)
• Have a family night once in a while.  Ask everyone to name one thing they would like to do as a family.
• Make having dinner together a regular part of your family time. You will learn a lot about each other in casual conversation. (Let the children help you plan, shop, and cook the Tailgating food.)
• Take at least one family trip a year, even if it is camping out for a couple of nights.
• Plan or participate in a family reunion. Introduce the kids to cousins, aunts and uncles.
• Take advantage of spontaneous days out. One on one time with a child is a great way to make memories.

Read more at Suite101: Making Memories With Your Children: Tips On Being Creative With Family Time http://www.suite101.com/content/making-memories-a31262#ixzz1C6eyYz15

Here are a few fun kids crafts that I made for Glue Dots® Adhesives.

Super Bowl for Kids

1.  opportunity to pray for my friends

2.  my understanding husband

3.  good report on Mom

4.  a day out with Ruth

5.  God's gentle hand that guides me through the land mines

Glue Dots® Adhesives used in these projects
   Pop Ups
   Glue Lines
   Craft
Super Bowl XLV is around the corner. Everyone is getting the party ready. Food, food, and more food. There will be t-shirts with your favorite team and wearing of the team’s colors. What about a fun craft for the kids? They can show their football mania too.

Pompoms

Prep for the Kids
Use curling ribbons the colors of your favorite team. Cut between 45 to 50 14” strands of ribbon. Curl each ribbon and place them in a bowl ready for the kids.

Let’s Have Fun
There will be four levels going up the straw. Each one is done the same so it’s really easy. First wrap a Glue Dots® Adhesives Glue Line around the very top of the straw. The Glue Line is long enough for a standard straw. Choose one color and glue about 10 strand of curling ribbon to glue line. Over lapping is allowed for a fuller pompom.

Next adhere another Glue Line on top of the one you just completed. Sometimes you might have to use two Glue Lines to get all the way around. Add the other color curling ribbon on that Glue Line.

Place a new Glue Dots® Adhesives Glue Line beneath the first set of curling ribbons you placed on the straw. Continue to adhere the curling ribbon, two layers then move down and do it again. You should do four strips around the straw. It’s fun and easy once you get past the first one.

Hold your pompom upside down and snip off any long, hanging curly ribbon. You can fluff it up by just putting your fingers in the mass of curly ribbon and give them a tussle.

I made two different sizes. The small one for small hands only has one layer, four times down the straw. The larger one is double layered with four times down the straw. Big difference.

I love my model for the pompoms. My son’s girlfriend (18 years old) loved the pompoms and loved being my tester.

By the way, I chose Back and Gold for my poms because they are my High School colors. I’m cheering for … hmmm… and I’m not telling! LOL

Super Bowl Buttons
Glue Dots® Adhesives used in this project
   Glue Lines
   Craft
   Pop Ups

Call your neighbors and friends to collect the metal top of frozen juice. They make the best buttons.

Prep
Cut 2.5” circles. With the Dynamo label maker create words and phrases the kids can choose. Print out clip art or use stickers of a football, and helmets. If you want to save time pre-cut them for the kids. Put everything on the table in different containers. You have a kid’s craft smorgasbord.

Let’s Have Fun
Add pen stitching around the edge and adhere with four strips of Glue Lines.

Adhere the football for a background with Glue Dots® Adhesives Craft.

Adhere your helmets with Pop Ups. I love the dimension they create.

Peel the backing off the label words and add Glue Dots® Adhesives Glue Lines on the top labels. Cut a Pop Up in half with non-stick scissors for the bottom word.

Add a pin to the back with Glue Dots® Adhesives Glue Lines. Now just pin it on and cheer!

It’s a wonderful to involve your children in the preparations and on the day of the Super Bowl. Make Memories with your children and enjoy Super Bowl XLV.  Go Team!

Have Happy Glue Dot Day!
I wrote this blog post while participating on the Glue Dots® design team.

Gratitude List
1. to be able to pray for others
2. a day out with Ruth
3. God's gentle hand guiding me through the storms of life
4. God's gracious gift of my son, Jacob
5. continuing to make memories with my children even after they are grown