Stained Glass Cross – Easter Craft

March 14, 2013 by

 stained-glass-cross Easter Craft for Kids

My boys have been counting down to Easter and looking forward to those Easter egg hunts since the beginning of March. I thought what a better way to emphasize the meaning of Easter by reminding us all of the cross. This is an easy craft that little ones can do. And while working together, we had some wonderful discussions about what Jesus did and his sacrificial death on the cross for us just because He loved us.

Isaiah 53:4-5 came to mind as we enjoyed our Easter craft.

Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.

Materials:

Tissue paper
Wax paper
Craft stick
Scissors
Cut-out crosses
White Glue

Instructions:

1. Cut out squares of colored tissue paper or have your kiddos tear them.

2. Precut some crosses. I used scissors to cut out the inside of the crosses.

3. Roll out a piece of wax paper that is double the width of your cross.

4. Fold the wax paper in half and spread glue onto half of the wax paper using a craft stick.

5. Add tissue paper squares to the glued wax paper until all the glue is covered.

stained-glass-crosses

6. Now spread glue all over the other side of the wax paper and fold over on top of the tissue.

stained-glass-crosses

7.Smooth out the paper and let it dry. I put some heavy books on top to help it dry nice and flat.

8. Glue the cross to the wax paper, let dry. Then cut out the cross.

stained-glass cross

9. Now you have a beautiful stained glass cross!

stained-glass-cross

 

Enjoy!

 

Filed Under: Crafts, Easter, Indoors Activities Tagged With: , , , ,

A Makeover

March 10, 2013 by

 

HEM-Icon2

Exciting news! Home Educator Mom has a brand new look. We just launched it yesterday. Stop on by. Take a look and say hi.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Max Lucado Book Giveaway Winner

March 10, 2013 by

Max-Lucado-Children's-Books

 

Thank you all for participating in the Max Lucado Children’s Book Giveaway. The winner is Barbara M.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Uncategorized

The Calling of First Disciples

March 5, 2013 by

Fishers-of-Men

Here’s a few things that we’ve done to help our kids remember the story of Jesus’ early disciples in Matthew 4:18-22. Jesus’ first disciples were fishermen so here’s what we did.

1. To introduce the lesson, I used a fishing game.

Jesus-First-Disciples

How to make fishing game: This is a semi-homemade fishing game (the fish were from another game that we no longer use). The fishing pole was a drum stick with a round magnet hot-glued to the string. Magnets could be purchased at a craft store. Store-bought fishing games would be perfectly fine.

2. I provided my laundry basket for a boat;  a box would work.

3. Make a fish craft.

Fishers-of-Men

How to make coffee filter fish craft: Coffee filter fish is real easy to make. Provide either brown or white coffee filters. Have students color the coffee filters with markers; no designs necessary. Take colored coffee filters to the sink and wet it with hand or with a spray bottle. Lay coffee filter on paper towel to dry. Using a precut fish stencil and cut out fish shape. Decorate the fish with foil, add a mouth and stick on a googly eye.

Have fun!

To see other coffee filter art work, read Colorful Snowflakes.

Filed Under: Bible, Indoors Activities Tagged With: , , , ,

Hidden Pollutants Inside Your Home

February 27, 2013 by

 

Air-Quality

“AHHH…For Real…Are you kidding me?” “I’m shock.” “I can not believe this.” “Is this a propaganda?” These and many other terms were going through my mind as I was researching on the toxins and pollutants in a typical home.  Can you believe that?  I would never believe that my home is a toxic place.  If there’s a safe place, it’s my home.  A place where I can relax, feel safe, and raise my kids.  I am a stay-at-home-mom and I homeschool my kids,  so we spend the majority of our time indoors.  Not to mention, we live in Oregon where it rains 9 months out of the year, so that does not help either.  I am totally bummed and scared about it!

My Findings:
Researchers suggest that indoor air is five times more polluted than outdoor air.  In fact, they also suspect that indoor pollution is partly to blame for the rise in asthma, allergies, headaches and respiratory diseases to name a few.

Toxins are lurking around in even seemingly clean houses. I recently learned that indoor pollution can be caused by the furniture made with pressed wood products which gives off formaldehyde from the gluing process. Then there’s also VOC’s in carpets and paint. The list goes on.

How about the cleaning products and air fresheners that you use in your home? Air fresheners contain high levels of chemicals that can accumulate in your lungs. Cleaning products also give off chemicals that are labeled as carcinogenic air pollutants by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

There is Hope:

After reading about all the toxins, I came across an article by Dr. Mercola that gave me tips on how to improve the air quality in my home.  Here are his recommendations:

1. Increase ventilation by opening a few windows every day for 5 to 10 minutes, preferably on opposite sides of the house.

2. Get some houseplants. Even NASA has found that plants markedly improve the air! Click here for the 10 best pollution-busting houseplants.

3. Take your shoes off as soon as you enter the house, and leave them by the door to prevent tracking in of toxic particles.

4. Discourage tobacco smoking in or around your home.

5. Switch to non-toxic cleaning products (such as baking soda, hydrogen peroxide and vinegar) and safer personal care products. Avoid aerosols. Look for VOC-free cleaners. Avoid commercial air fresheners and scented candles, which can degass literally thousands of different chemicals into your breathing space.

6. Don’t hang dry cleaned clothing in your closet immediately. Hang them outside for a day or two. Better yet, see if there’s an eco-friendly dry cleaner in your city that uses some of the newer dry cleaning technologies, such as liquid CO2.

7. Vacuum and shampoo/mop carpets, rugs, and floors regularly. Every time a person walks across the floor, a whirlwind of irritants is stirred up.

8. Upgrade your furnace filters. Today, there are more elaborate filters that trap more of the particulates. Have your furnace and air conditioning ductwork and chimney cleaned regularly.

9. Avoid storing paints, adhesives, solvents, and other harsh chemicals in your house or in an attached garage.

10. Avoid using nonstick cookware. I now carry my favorite alternative, ceramic cookware, in my store.

11. Ensure your combustion appliances are properly vented.

12. When building or remodeling, opt for safer and more eco-friendly materials. VOC-free paints are becoming easier to find.

13. Opt for sustainable hardwood flooring instead of carpet. Carpet traps a multitude of particles such as pet dander, heavy metals, and all sorts of allergens. If you choose to install carpet, look for one labeled “VOC-free” to avoid toxic outgassing.

14. Make sure your house has proper drainage and its foundation is sealed properly.

15. The same principles apply to ventilation inside your car—especially if your car is new—and chemicals from plastics, solvents, carpet and audio equipment add to the toxic mix in your car’s cabin. That “new car smell” can contain up to 35 times the health limit for VOCs, “making its enjoyment akin to glue-sniffing,” as this article reports.

By no means is this an all-inclusive article on the toxins and pollutants in your home.  I hope this gives you the curiosity to find out more and spur you on to making your home a better place. A place where you can feel and breathe safely.

Related Readings:

INSIDE Your Home: The Ugly Invaders Which Can Make You Sick

Even if You Do Everything Else Right – This Frequently Overlooked Threat can Destroy Your Health

The Inside Story: A Guide to Indoor Air Quality

http://www.webmd.com/health-ehome-9/indoor-air-quality

Breathe Easy: 5 Ways To Improve Indoor Air Quality

The Best Non-toxic Ways to Clean Your Home

Filed Under: Healthy News Tagged With: , , ,
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