Each month, Charity & the JAMband offer a free children’s song download.  Just in time for Mother’s Day, you can download Rock-a-Bye.  Charity is also including the lyrics and chords so that you can play and sing along.

In honor of Mother’s Day, our May song is a reworking of the age-old Rock-a-Bye Baby. I’ve always felt the traditional version lacked the comfort of a lullaby, with the baby falling out of the tree and all. So here’s an adaptation that sings about the manifestations of unconditional mother love and safety available to us in every moment, no matter who or where or how we are. It’s called Rock-a-Bye, and is a song for the mother — and the child — in each of us. Dream on!

Free gift idea - You’ll receive an email for each download request. Forward the download link to a loved one, along with a special note.

Charity & the JAMband have one more great freebie for you.  You can download I’m a Little Bunny.  Enjoy this springtime song with your little ones.  Jump, hop, laugh, and dance while you pretend to be a bunny.

While you’re at the JAMband site, take a few minutes to listen to more music.  My favorite still remains Peanut Butter and Jam.  From the mouth of my 3-year-old, “This music makes me happy!”.

Enjoy!

image from Charity & the JAMband

Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there. Here’s a little something that I hope makes you smile.

So I was watching Fox News this morning and saw a great little segment on hi tech Mother’s Day gifts.  But at the end, they threw in there that Tutor has free homework help on Mother’s Day.  I am sure this would be really helpful for some of you moms out there.  Especially for those tough subjects that make you feel not so smart.  So sign up for a free account and take a nap when your kids are getting their homework done on Mother’s Day.  The help is free from 12:01 am to 11:59 pm EST on Mother’s Day.

Boston Market is running a Mother’s Day Special for all us mom’s.  If you sign up for their Mom’s Party, you recieve a gift certificate for a free dessert with meal purchase.  Chocolate Cake anyone?  What I want to know is why a 3 oz piece of cake adds 5 lbs to my butt?!?!?!?!?!

Thanks, Elizabeth for the tip.

Sunday is Mother’s Day and to get your business, some stores are having some great sales to lure you in.  Here are some sales that I have found for this week.

Sears:

• Receive a free $10 Sears reward card for every $50 or more purchased.  Reward card is valid 5.12.08-5.31.08.
• 50% off Kenmore 10 pc stainless steel cooking set.
• 50% off Misses’ Classic Elements sleepwear sets (reg $30).
• 50% off entire stock of picture frames.
• Free 3 pc frame set with any $35 fragrance purchase.
• 30% off Rosetti handbags, 30% off Sag Harbor handbags, 40% off apostrophe handbags
• 30% off slippers for her
• Buy 1 get 1 50% off intimates
• 40% off select sleepwear

JCPenney:

• 40% off entire stock summer dresses
• 40% off entire stock Worthington separates
• 30-50% off entire stock a.n.a casual separates
• 40% off Worthington woman separates
• 30-40% off a.n.a shoes
• 50% off entire stock sundresses
• 30-50% off women’s swimwear
• 30-50% off entire stock of handbags
• Boxed sterling silver jewelry (reg $40) - $14.99
• 25-50% off jewelry boxes & armoires
• 50% off Dale Tiffany lamps
• 50% off photo storage
• 50% off wall decor and frames

Target:

• TruTech 1GB MP3/WMA player (their lowest price ever) - $19.99
• Digital 1.5″ LCD pocket photo viewer - $20
• select cds - $9.98
• Select movies - $6.49-9.99
• Cubic zirconia and sterling silver Journey pendant (reg $19.99) - $9.99
• 10K gold heart pendant or “Mom” pendant (reg $74+) - $39.99

Wow!  That’s quite a lot of savings.  You might want to forward this info to your hubby.  lol  Don’t forget to highlight your wish list. 

What’s on your wish list?

I recently wanted to thank my moms for Mother’s Day.  But then Mom of 14 made me think about what kind of daughter I was.  My conclusion… Read more

I have been blessed with 4 very special mothers. Each has raised me in their own unique way. So to my Grandma, Mom, Momma V, and my MIL, I want to thank all of you. This might sound a little strange, but you each have given me more than you know.

To the mother I have lost:

Thank you for all the doctors’ visits and tears you shed on my behalf. You showed me what true grace was. You were my safe haven through all the turbulence. There are no words to describe how hard Mother’s Day will be this year for me and mom without you here. I love you and look forward to sharing a living room full of crotchet soon. Tell Pappaw I love him.

To the mother who gave me birth:

You have shown me how to stand on my own 2 feet in many ways. Thank you for giving me the strength to find my own way to the Lord. And forever, it will be “You and Me Against the World”. Helen Reddy couldn’t have known she pegged us so well.

To the mother who married me too:

Thank you for putting up with the whining and all the stress of my summer and Christmas visits. I am so sorry for all the grief I gave you. You showed me how to be a normal mom. Thank you for showing me how to be a parent and a friend.

To the mother who took me in:

I couldn’t have asked for a better example of Ruth and Naomi than you. You truly show the finer points of how to live the Christian life with all the curves you have been thrown. I am so blessed to have you love me and my kids like you do.  Thank you for showing us the finer points of healthier living as well.  You are truly amazing.

And finally, to my kids:

I hope I can show you the grace and mercy I have been shown. Being your mother has given me more love and warmth than I could have ever imagined. More than anything else, I am so glad I chose your dad for you. We want to give you the blessings we have been given and we hope you will love and understand us more and more every day.

Happy Mother’s Day.

I know this is a day late, but I hope you all have a very happy Mother’s Day.  I just got back home about an hour ago.  I went to see my mom for a few days.  It was nice, but now it’s back to the laundry, cleaning, blogging, and such.

What did you do for Mother’s Day?

Every year I have the difficult task of picking a craft for my kids at school to do for their moms.  And you know how school budgets are, so it has to be a thrifty craft.  More importantly, it has to be something that the kids made themselves and that the moms will like.

This year, I asked the children to bring in a tote bag, apron, t-shirt or something for us to paint for their mom.  Most children brought tote bags and t-shirts. 

For this craft I went to the craft store and picked up 2 colors of fabric paint for $3 each.  In the middle of the tote or t-shirt I drew a heart with the fabric paint.  Then I squirted a glob of the paint on the child’s hand and spread it out with a paintbrush.  I put the child’s handprint all around the outside of the heart, in a circular wreath pattern.  (You have to apply new paint to the child’s hand for each new handprint.)  Around the heart you can fit 5-6 hands, depending on the size of the child’s hand.

The t-shirts and tote bags turned out so cute.  They are definitely keepsakes.  My hubby’s digital camera broke this week, or I’d post a picture.  Sorry.  We’re getting a new camera, so I’ll have to post a picture soon.  If you have any questions or if I just didn’t explain this well enough, shoot me an email or leave a comment. 

Happy Mother’s Day!

Pictures shown are free screensavers.

Mother’s Day is coming up on Sunday.  I know there will be lots of frugal ideas on how to give and get great Mother’s Day presents.  Here is a novel idea.  If you can get away with it, buy your own and let your husband off the hook this year.  Some DH’s won’t like the idea but you will.  You will spend exactly what you want to and get exactly what you want to.  I don’t know about you, but I occasionally don’t mind getting my own gift since it means I get what I want and I don’t have to worry about getting upset because he forgot the holiday.

This year for Mother’s Day, I have asked for a very frugal but very time consuming gift.  I have asked for the bedrooms to be painted and the closets redone before the Little Man gets here.  We were already going to do it but I didn’t see any need to waste $ with any other gift.  It is exactly what I want and I don’t have to worry about any other money sent.