Scrapbooking Box

Scrapbooking is a very popular hobby these days. It is also a great way to nurture creativity, a sense of family, thankfulness, and imagination in children. It also helps them feel like they are a part of what interests you and can keep them busy while you make headway on your own scrapbooking endeavors!

I discovered all of this after my sister gave my daughter a scrapbook box as a gift. It was a fantastic idea and a wonderful discovery for my children as they dug through the box each time they were to create a thank-you card, or when they wanted to create a special book, note, or message to a loved one.

We keep the box full of stickers, tape, glue sticks, colored papers, leftover photographs, craft remnants, hole punches, and more. The scrapbook box really has become a valued staple in our home. It is fun to see my girls’ bend their heads diligently over their work as they craft and create something unique.

I would suggest giving a scrapbook box away as gifts to your child’s friends, and even possibly to a friend of your own who has not begun to undertake the adventure of scrapbooking yet. I think you will find it is a valued resource to have and one that you might find yourself digging into yourself!

The Power of Notes

I am a strong believer in the power of encouragement. I have experienced what it can do first-hand.

When I was growing up my mom used to leave me notes quite often. They would offer love on a tough day, or just reaffirm my potential and validation as a special person. And I caught on to the power of notes.

I started leaving notes when I was in high school. I would leave an "I Love You" note for my dad on a note pad he kept in his truck. Except I would make it a game. I would write several pages back from the front so it would take him awhile to find it and come as a surprise to him. It was so fun to see how long it would take before he found it!

Right after high school I moved to another state. So one day right before I was scheduled to leave, I hid about one hundred notes around the house. I hid them in spots where my family would find them right away and also in spots that would take them awhile. I knew my leaving would be tough on them so I wanted to add some cheer and smiles to their day. I hid notes in coat pockets, can of nails, bathroom drawers and more.

Now, I'm the mom. And I can offer the power of encouragement through notes to my own husband and children. I can watch a smile form on their face even though they've had a tough day. I can share special quotes, poems, give advice or just say "I love you."

The best thing about notes is that there is no cost involved! It's free. Any budget can handle that.

Get creative when you leave notes. You can leave them:

*on pillows
*on a bulletin board
*on a napkin in a sack lunch
*in a pajamas drawer
*in a shoe
*in a book they are reading
*on a car window
*inside a CD or movie case

The ideas are endless. If you want to inspire and support your family; leaving notes is one of the easiest options to use. They may come low on cost, but the result is big on self-esteem.

The Special Plate

I have always wanted one of those red plates that is designated for special occasions. Perhaps you’ve seen them. They sometimes come with markers that you can sign the back of them with. But the plates are supposed to be used by someone on a special day like a birthday.

Well, around Valentine’s Day I saw some darling red heart shaped plates at Target one day. The idea of using the heart shaped plate, as my families’ own “special plate” ignited within me and I purchased one. When I brought it home, my girls were all over it.
”Mom – what’s this plate for?”

“I want to use that plate, mom!”

I explained to them that the plate would only be brought out once in awhile to celebrate the specialness of somebody at mealtime. Now, my idea was not to do the “norm” birthday celebration, although I’m sure the plate will be used for that, as well. No, my idea was to encourage my family in character of the heart instead. (After all, it IS a heart plate!)

So, whenever someone in my family does something unselfishly, they show compassion for someone else, they do something out of the goodness of their heart without being told, they don’t complain or hold their temper, etc – the heart plate will be brought out for them to use at mealtime.

I’m hoping that it will re-instill the values that I want to grow within my family as well as Godly characteristics. It can be tough to hold on to the ideals that God wants us to have when we live in a world that is so focused on doing what feels right at the time. But demonstrating a Godly heart is sometimes very hard to do and I want to help motivate my children to do that and encourage those kinds of traits, thinking, and actions in their lives until they become second nature to them.

I pray that this plate will be just one way to reinforce Biblical teaching in my home. It’s already off to a good start and maybe in time, my family will encourage ME and bring the plate out for me once in awhile too. But whatever happens, I hope that this will become a special tradition for us that strengthens the kind of people we want to be.