I started a quotation book right after high school when I was living on my ownin Las Vegas, Nevada. I just found so many sayings that I liked, that I started entering them in a small notebook. Soon I started adding poems as well. Little did I know that someday this book would be so useful to me as I wrote for you each month in Emphasis On Moms!
You can start your own quotation book and have it hold meaning for you personally. You can put quotations that reflect how you feel as a mother or awife. You can enter sayings that reflect your vision for life or your dreams for yourself. As your book becomes full, you can draw upon it as a resource for your family. If your children are having a tough day at school, go to your quotation book and find an appropriate quote that will encourage them. Write iton fancy paper or put it on the back of a photograph. Place it on their bulletinboard, pillow or somewhere that will surprise them and lift up their spirits.You can pass down your quotation book to your children when they leave the nestor perhaps, start a fresh one for them. Begin the pages of their quotation bookwith some of your very favorite sayings and watch it become a special resource for your loved ones as well.
Words are everywhere and they have such power to inspire. If you don't savoryour favorite encouraging words today, you may never be able to track them down again.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A Shadow Box of Memories
Everyone is familiar with shadow boxes. They are used to preserve items from the past or present that are special.
My husband had the great idea to create a shadow box of memories from one of our family vacations to Disneyland. He told me this ahead of time so that I could try to keep items and bring them home with us. It was great fun to save things such as Mickey napkins, buttons, cups, ticket stubs, hats for the kids and so on.
When we arrived home and got our pictures developed; we took some of our favorites and added them to our pile. My husband then started creating our shadow box.
It looks wonderful and is a wonderful way to remember a special family trip we took together.
You can create your own shadow box easily enough. Just remember to save more items than you think you will need. It is much easier to pare down memorabilia than have empty space on hand that you need to fill!
Whatever your idea is for creating a shadow box; whether it is a family vacation such as ours was, baby memorabilia, family photos of the past, a sports hobby, or something else – enjoy the process as well as the end product.
My husband had the great idea to create a shadow box of memories from one of our family vacations to Disneyland. He told me this ahead of time so that I could try to keep items and bring them home with us. It was great fun to save things such as Mickey napkins, buttons, cups, ticket stubs, hats for the kids and so on.
When we arrived home and got our pictures developed; we took some of our favorites and added them to our pile. My husband then started creating our shadow box.
It looks wonderful and is a wonderful way to remember a special family trip we took together.
You can create your own shadow box easily enough. Just remember to save more items than you think you will need. It is much easier to pare down memorabilia than have empty space on hand that you need to fill!
Whatever your idea is for creating a shadow box; whether it is a family vacation such as ours was, baby memorabilia, family photos of the past, a sports hobby, or something else – enjoy the process as well as the end product.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Incentive Cards
I am always on the lookout for fun, creative ideas that are easy to implement in my home. Every child is different and if I use one idea with one child, it may not work on the other one who has a different personality.
When my daughter was four, she went through a phase where she was very difficult to motivate. She loved to have fun and had such a sweet personality…but when it came time to clean-up or do a chore, she was just plain whiney and stubborn!
I was going through some papers and found an idea I’d saved from several years prior. I liked it a lot and pursued it as a way for motivating my sweet yet stubborn little one. I wanted to share it with you in case you also have been striving fro that “fresh” idea!
It is called “Incentive Cards.” You can make cards on a 3 x 5 index card or you can use your computer to make cute graphics on paper and cut to a smaller size. You can also use markers, scrapbook supplies, stickers, etc.
On each individual card write a specific task, chore, job, or character quality that specifically applies to your child. Things like:
*following directions without whining
*chew with mouth closed
*sharing
*not sassing or talking back to mom or dad
*keeping room clean
*helping out without being asked
*Patience
*not arguing with a sibling
Those are just a few of the hundreds of ideas you could use.
Each time the child accomplishes what it says on the card, you punch a hole in the card. This continues until the card is full of hole punches all around the outside of the card. When the card is full, your child can choose a reward from a
special “Rewards” Jar. They could be small toys or note cards you make for things like a free movie, book, Popsicle, etc.
If you are like me and you don’t always like giving material rewards (or maybe you can’t afford them), you could use alternative ideas. Maybe you could let your child stay up ½ hour later after bedtime, use a “special person” plate at mealtime, have a slumber party in your bedroom or living room instead of sleeping in their own bed; or even let them spray mom and dad with the hose!
Whatever you decide on, let the payoff encourage the effort it took them to work on bettering their character and manners. It will be a huge payoff for you as well when you see the positive changes in the mood of your home.
When my daughter was four, she went through a phase where she was very difficult to motivate. She loved to have fun and had such a sweet personality…but when it came time to clean-up or do a chore, she was just plain whiney and stubborn!
I was going through some papers and found an idea I’d saved from several years prior. I liked it a lot and pursued it as a way for motivating my sweet yet stubborn little one. I wanted to share it with you in case you also have been striving fro that “fresh” idea!
It is called “Incentive Cards.” You can make cards on a 3 x 5 index card or you can use your computer to make cute graphics on paper and cut to a smaller size. You can also use markers, scrapbook supplies, stickers, etc.
On each individual card write a specific task, chore, job, or character quality that specifically applies to your child. Things like:
*following directions without whining
*chew with mouth closed
*sharing
*not sassing or talking back to mom or dad
*keeping room clean
*helping out without being asked
*Patience
*not arguing with a sibling
Those are just a few of the hundreds of ideas you could use.
Each time the child accomplishes what it says on the card, you punch a hole in the card. This continues until the card is full of hole punches all around the outside of the card. When the card is full, your child can choose a reward from a
special “Rewards” Jar. They could be small toys or note cards you make for things like a free movie, book, Popsicle, etc.
If you are like me and you don’t always like giving material rewards (or maybe you can’t afford them), you could use alternative ideas. Maybe you could let your child stay up ½ hour later after bedtime, use a “special person” plate at mealtime, have a slumber party in your bedroom or living room instead of sleeping in their own bed; or even let them spray mom and dad with the hose!
Whatever you decide on, let the payoff encourage the effort it took them to work on bettering their character and manners. It will be a huge payoff for you as well when you see the positive changes in the mood of your home.
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