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Mama Smiles

Joyful Parenting

MaryAnne at Mama Smiles Welcome to my blog! I'm MaryAnne, and I write about building a rewarding family life through mindful parenting, hands-on learning, and creative family activities. Learn more.

Christmas

Make It a Kindness Elves Christmas and Bring Christmas Spirit Home

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We love the kindness elves as a way of focusing on the reason for the season during Christmas. We actually use our kindness elves year round, but a Kindness Elves Christmas is truly magical. We got our kindness elves about six months ago, and my kids love them! My 11-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son work together to create kindness elf challenges and letters for the … [Read more...] about Make It a Kindness Elves Christmas and Bring Christmas Spirit Home

Reindeer Letter Matching Game – Christmas Literacy Learning Fun

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Practice the letters of the alphabet with this matching upper and lowercase reindeer letter matching game. More reindeer themed learning fun for kids linked in the post. This week's Virtual Book Club for Kids pick is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rhyming text by Robert L. May and delightful illustrations from Antonio Javier Caparo charm in this version of the classic … [Read more...] about Reindeer Letter Matching Game – Christmas Literacy Learning Fun

Gingerbread House Glyph Activity for Kids

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Gingerbread themed learning activities for kids. I love this gingerbread house glyph activity! Easy and fun for all ages. Gingerbread Baby is one of my family’s favorite Jan Brett books. I love her twist on this classic story, and so I was excited to learn that it is this week's Virtual Book Club for Kids pick! My kids and I loved making and decorating gingerbread … [Read more...] about Gingerbread House Glyph Activity for Kids

Ornaments for Kids to Color and Sew

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Easy ornaments kids can make by coloring or sewing felt. This week's Virtual Book Club for Kids read is Merry Christmas Mouse! We love this series by Laura Numeroff. This particular book focuses on counting as Mouse adds ornaments to the tree. We are in the middle of a big move, so I thought it would be fun to share this old post featuring simple ornaments kids can make. … [Read more...] about Ornaments for Kids to Color and Sew

How to Create a Meaningful Holiday Season for Your Family

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The holidays should be a joyful time, not a stressful time! Use these tips to beat holiday stress and create a truly meaningful holiday season for your family. Growing up, my parents gave me the gift of simple yet meaningful holidays. They created family traditions that were designed to focus on gratitude and giving, and spending time together as a family. Simplify to … [Read more...] about How to Create a Meaningful Holiday Season for Your Family