A-Z of Spirituality for Kids - A is for Attention

A – Attention

The present moment is filled with joy and happiness. If you are attentive, you will see it. - Thich Nhat Hanh (Buddhist Monk)

Paying attention to the moment is an intrinsic part of spiritual practice. This is something that adults can really struggle with never mind children. However, we have all seen a child be completely absorbed for ages in a seemingly inane activity. As children get older, there are more demands on their time and their awareness becomes more external until as an adult multi-tasking is seen as an essential ability and they are checking their emails, whilst making dinner and talking to their

partner. This inhibits one's ability to pay attention to one thing or moment at a time.

Advice and activities to practice attention with your child at home

Do one thing at a time – put one toy or activity away before bringing the next one out. Take a moment of quiet between activities to mentally put one away before starting the next.

Don't have the television on in the background whilst your child is playing.

For younger children mind jars or snow globes are great as watching the snow or glitter settle holds attention and quiets the mind.

For older children an activity that they find challenging but not too difficult will hold their attention. If it is too difficult they will become frustrated and attention will stray. A puzzle of some description is good. This could be any kind of puzzle from an ability appropriate jigsaw to word search or crossword.

Instructions to Make a Mind Jar

Take a clean jar and fill ¾ with warm water and ¼ glycerine (available from chemists)

Add a teaspoon of glitter, a teaspoon of salt, food colouring (optional) and two drops of dish soap.

Screw on the lid and shake thoroughly.  Add more glitter or food colouring to your personal taste.  

When you are happy with your jar, glue the lid on.  There is little peaceful about damp glitter all over the carpet.

It should take up to two minutes for the glitter to settle depending on the size of your jar.

 

Sharing with some of these lovely people

Sunday - twiggstudios Show off Sunday, bedifferentactnormal's show and tell sunday, niftythrifty Sunday, I heart naptime's Sunday Scoop, diy showoff's Project Parade, Flamingo Toes's Think Pink Linky, Circle of Faith Party @ kaylas creations and heatherly loves

Monday -  The DIYers @ Home Coming, sewcando's craftastic Monday, handmadeharbour's handmade Monday, Say Not Sweet Anne's Sweet Sharing Monday, Skip to my Lou's Made by You Monday, The Dedicated House's Make it Pretty Monday, A Round Tuit, Masterpiece Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Pink Hippo Party, Recipe Sharing Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Made by You Mondays, Made with Love, Craft-O-Manic Monday, Monday Funday, Meal Time Monday, Sweet Sharing Monday, Marvelous Mondays, Mix it Up Mondays, Mop It Up Monday, Busy Monday, I gotta try that

Tuesday - The Gunny Sack's Time to Sparkle Tuesday, Dragonfly Designs Inspiring Creativity, Claiming our Space's Tout it Tuesday, Sugarbee Craft's Take a Look Tuesday, Not Just a Housewife's Show me What Ya Got, Him and Her's Tell me Tuesday, A Bowlfull of Lemons's One Project at a Time, Chef in Training's Tuesday Talent Show, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday,
Homemade Tuesday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Too Cute Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Tuesday TimeOut, Tasteful 
Tuesday, Tell me Tuesday, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Two Cup Tuesday, Memories by the Mile, Totally Tasteful Tuesdays, How To Tuesday, Tuesday Confessional, Time for You Tuesday, Gathering Spot, Take it On Tuesday, You're Gonna Love it Tuesday, All my Bloggy Friends, Tuesday to Do, Pin it Tuesday

Wednesday - Polkadots on Parade's Wow Me Wednesday, 733's Sugar and Spice, My Girlish Whim's Your Whims Wednesday, Ginger Snap Craft's Wow me Wednesday, Lil Luna's Link Party,Savvy Southern Style's Wow us Wednesday, Some Day Craft's Whatever Goes Wednesday, Create and Share, What I Whipped Up, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Show me what ya Got, Wow me Wesdnesday, Cast Party, Recipe Roundup, Recipe Box, Your Whims Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Fluster's Creative Muster, Wednesday Whatsit, Chef's Day Off, Show and Share, Dream to Reality, Super Linky Party, What We Wore, Read, and Made, Whatcha Work-Up, A Little Bird Told Me,

Thursday - It's a Party @ A Creative Princess, Weekend Wander at While he was Napping, 

Friday - fivedaysfiveways free for all friday, oneartmama's shine-on-fridays, Shabbynest's Frugal Friday, joyinthejumble's pomp party, The Pity Party at Thirty Handmade Days, Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous

Saturday - Check me Out Saturday @ A vision to Remember, thegingerbreadblog's sweet saturday link party, craftymomsshare's sharing saturday, natashainoz's say gday saturday, serenityyou's serenity saturday, Too much time on my Hands's Get Schooled Saturday, Be Different Act Normal's Show and Tell Saturday, Funky Junk Interiors's Junky Hang Ups, 

A Blast From the Past

The prompt for today on the blog every day in May challenge is to look out some of my favourite posts so here they are.

Starting with my most popular post my Sock Cat Tutorial and a look at the Life of the Sock Cat.  If you don't know what a sock cat is, here's a picture.  Along with my lovely cat Cheeky who recently passed away.

Sock cats rule and they are so simple to make, it's a great first sewing project for kids.  I'll be selling sock cat packs in my Etsy shop in the next few months.  Keep an eye out.






It's become almost a theme on this blog, my fondness for tea.  Here's where it all started (on the blog at For the Love of Tea.  I know I've used this picture several times but I absolutely love it.  I have ordered the poster for the living room and it's my wallpaper on my computer.
least)








This post just makes me happy as it was an amazing day.  Colin and I cycled up to see the Olympic flame pass by.  Can you see it?









Why are your favourite posts your favourite?  Do they remind you of a good time or an achievement or is there some completely different reason?

Day 20 - Get real. Share something you're struggling with right now.

Golly three posts in one day, I am really spoiling you, if there's anybody out there...?

Source

Something I'm struggling with right now.  Not so much right now as ALL THE TIME I struggle with time, the lack thereof, the management of, and wanting to do too much in the time available.


It just flies --------------------------------------->

I have two jobs, am doing a Post Graduate, this blog, that's not even to mention my workshops and planning for starting my own business in the summer.  (At least then I'll be down a job for the holidays.)

Even with all my achievements and endeavours I feel I waste alot of time.  Procrastination is a good friend of mine.  Until recently I really struggled with allowing myself time to not do anything.  I still do, but have found that if I take time to chill and not be on the go all the time what I do get done is more effective.

I work best with a deadline and a bit of accountability.  I like being busy.

So, I guess in writing this post I've realised that I don't really have an issue with time.

Take a deep breath Sara, and relax.  Until the next deadline then it's full steam ahead!!

A-Z of Spiritual Practice for Children - New Blog Series

Starting on Thursday 23rd May, this is a new weekly series in association with New-Unity of how to explore spiritual practice with your child.

By spirituality I do not mean anything aligned to a specific religion but values and practices that cross religious and cultural barriers. Each edition will include an introduction to the spiritual practice, why it is beneficial and advice, exercises or discussion points for you to explore it with your child.  As it is not aligned with any religion it is simple for you to adapt to your specific needs and personal beliefs if you so wish.

To receive A-Z of Spirituality for Kids straight to your email sign up here

Day 19 - Some of my Favourite Blogs

The prompt at the Blog Every Day in May Challenge today (well yesterday) is to show off 5 of my favourite blogs.  So here they are...



Rebecca at Herons Crafts

Rebecca is a trainee teacher in the UK.  I love her series on crafts inspired by books for children.  She's super busy with exam season so pop by and give her a boost.

Jill at Creating My Way to Success

Jill will always have a soft spot in my heart as she was the first person to feature me.  (My up-cycled elephant toy) She has a great blog with tales of her endeavours to make money doing something she loves and is full of advice and tutorials on blogging and sewing.







Tilly at Tilly and the Buttons

Who doesn't love Tilly?
She blogs about sewing.  The projects she is working on, patterns she's made and a bunch of tutorials.  I have had the picnic blanket skirt on my to-do list for months now.

Mollie at Wild Olive

I love Mollie's modern take on embroidery.  Her signature little smiley face makes everything so cute.






Aimee at Twigg Studios

Aimee lives in England and makes lots of lovely things.
She has the most incredible photos of her projects, making everything look so beautiful.

She's in recipe mode at the moment but if you look a bit through the archives there are some very realistic looking paper flowers.  She is a bit of a genius.

Seat Filler Cushion Up Cycle

Several years ago Colin (hubby) had the super exciting task of being a seat filler at the MTV awards in Edinburgh.  He got to sit behind Andre 3000, Kelly Osborne and the White Stripes.  His official 'seat filler' t-shirt has been sitting in a drawer since we got together and having a clear out last week, I decided to make it into a cushion cover.  (Don't worry I got his permission)  So I cut the zip out of an old cushion cover, trimmed off the arms and head-hole.

Stitched it all together and tadaaaa.




He's very happy with his new cushion and quite tickled by the idea of a 'seat filler' cushion that fills seats.

I'm not sure which one is more of a monkey.  Can you tell the difference?













This is the zip bit that I cobbled together.  It works better than I thought it might.  I left a bit of the previous cushion attached to save unpicking and trying to find my zipper foot.






I love making something useful from something that had been unloved for so long.  I'm glad Colin likes  it as it was quite precious to him and I didn't want to mess it up.

Sunday - twiggstudios Show off Sunday, bedifferentactnormal's show and tell sunday, niftythrifty Sunday, I heart naptime's Sunday Scoop, diy showoff's Project Parade, Flamingo Toes's Think Pink Linky, Petite Hermine's Linky Party, Sunday Round up with Kayla and Heather @ kaylas creations and heatherly loves

Monday -  The DIYers @ Home Coming, sewcando's craftastic Monday, handmadeharbour's handmade Monday, Say Not Sweet Anne's Sweet Sharing Monday, Skip to my Lou's Made by You Monday, The Dedicated House's Make it Pretty Monday, The Gunny Sack's What's in the Gunny Sack?, A Round Tuit, Masterpiece Monday, Market Yourself Monday, Pink Hippo Party, Recipe Sharing Monday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, Motivate Me Monday, Made by You Mondays, Made with Love, Craft-O-Manic Monday, Monday Funday, Meal Time Monday, Sweet Sharing Monday, Marvelous Mondays, Mix it Up Mondays, Mop It Up Monday, Busy Monday, I gotta try that

Tuesday - Dragonfly Designs Inspiring Creativity, Claiming our Space's Tout it Tuesday, Sugarbee Craft's Take a Look Tuesday, Not Just a Housewife's Show me What Ya Got, Him and Her's Tell me Tuesday, A Bowlfull of Lemons's One Project at a Time, Chef in Training's Tuesday Talent Show, Anti-Procrastination Tuesday,
Homemade Tuesday, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday, Too Cute Tuesday, Tutorial Tuesday, Tuesday TimeOut, Tasteful Tuesday @ Nap-time Creations, Tell me Tuesday, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Two Cup Tuesday, Memories by the Mile, Totally Tasteful Tuesdays, How To Tuesday, Tuesday Confessional, Time for You Tuesday, Gathering Spot, Take it On Tuesday, You're Gonna Love it Tuesday, All my Bloggy Friends, Tuesday to Do, Pin it Tuesday

Wednesday - Polkadots on Parade's Wow Me Wednesday, 733's Sugar and Spice, My Girlish Whim's Your Whims Wednesday, Ginger Snap Craft's Wow me Wednesday, Lil Luna's Link Party,Savvy Southern Style's Wow us Wednesday, Some Day Craft's Whatever Goes Wednesday, Create and Share, What I Whipped Up, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Show me what ya Got, Wow me Wesdnesday, Cast Party, Recipe Roundup, Recipe Box, Your Whims Wednesday, What's Cooking Wednesday, Fluster's Creative Muster, Wednesday Whatsit, Chef's Day Off, Show and Share, Dream to Reality, Super Linky Party, What We Wore, Read, and Made, Whatcha Work-Up, A Little Bird Told Me,

Thursday - It's a Party @ A Creative Princess

Friday - fivedaysfiveways free for all friday, oneartmama's shine-on-fridays, Shabbynest's Frugal Friday, joyinthejumble's pomp party,

Saturday - Check me Out Saturday @ A vision to Remember, thegingerbreadblog's sweet saturday link party, craftymomsshare's sharing saturday, natashainoz's say gday saturday, serenityyou's serenity saturday, Too much time on my Hands's Get Schooled Saturday, Be Different Act Normal's Show and Tell Saturday, Funky Junk Interiors's Junky Hang Ups, 

Blog Every Day in May Catch-up (Again)

Day 15 - A Day in the life.  This was Wednesday,

8.00 - Alarm goes off - hit snooze

8.10 - Alarm goes off - hit snooze

8.15 - Colin gets home from work and kicks me out of bed.

9.31 - Get on the tube (off peak) 

10.15 - Get to work.  Have a cup of tea before stressed out teenagers arrive for their exam dress rehearsal.  

10.30 - The first group of very stressed teenagers arrive and set up their stage.  Tensions are high as it appears that someone has forgotten a costume.  Someone else has forgotten the technical script.  

11.15 - We finally start the dress run.  Things go surprisingly well for the amount of pre-show fluster going on.  

12.00 - The studio is cleared for the next group and I pop out to get a felafal panini for my lunch.

12.30 - Oh the joy of photocopying

1.00 - More photocopying, I'm sure schools have a quota on how much paper they have to get through on a daily basis.  Do education authorities have stocks in lumber?

1.30 - 4 - General worky-ness, organising a trip to see Billy Elliot, going over the department budget, blah blah blah.

4 - Another dress rehearsal.  A bit more organised than the first group so they fit in two runs before we were all thrown out of school at 6.15.

Pop to the shop on my way home so back by 7.30 in time to grab some dinner and have a quick cup of tea with Colin before he heads out to work.  Watch The Apprentice, clean up the kitchen and a reasonably early night as the exams start at 9.00 in the morning.  

As I'm writing this several days later, I can report that all the kids did quite well in their practical exams.  There were no major OMG-I've-forgotten-my-lines moments, no injuries and reasonable grades.

Day 16 - Something difficult about my 'lot in life' and how I try to overcome it.

There's been a reasonable amount of struggles in my life.  More than some and less than others but I don't like to dwell on what's gone wrong.  I never used to talk to anyone about what was going on.  I felt my personal struggles were just that, personal, and up to me to deal with.  Now I'm more open about these things.  I don't think that people are going to judge me for being ill and if they do, that's their issue not mine.  

Day 17 - A favourite photo of myself

This photo was taken on honeymoon.  We had just spent 6 hours on a bus to spend 2 at the Grand Canyon and had another 6 back to Vegas.  That bus was hell.  I had terrible stomach cramps the whole journey, so bad that the driver and other passengers wanted to take me to hospital rather than the Canyon.  But we got there and it was amazing!!  It seemed to go on forever.  I like this picture as I seem to be holding my own against the vista but also as it reminds me somehow of Winnie the Pooh.  

Day 18 - A Story from My Childhood

We used to go driving alot when I was younger.  We didn't have much money as I was growing up so we'd quite often pack a picnic and head off to the beach or a mountain for the day.  This was great, I love picnics to this day but we would ALWAYS end up driving back in the dark.  Down country roads, or minor roads with no lights.  I hated driving in the dark.  There was nothing to do.  Nothing to see out the window and couldn't see to read or play a game in the car.  There weren't even other cars around to play any kind of number plate game.  The only respite in this monotony was when a car would drive behind us.  My brother and I would hold our books up above our heads to read a couple of pages before they turned off or overtook us and we were back to darkness.  You can't imagine the excitement the year we got a light adaptor for the Gameboy, mind you I can't imagine Mum and Dad felt much relief as that probably lead to more arguments than it solved.