Many years ago, when I was still in elementary school, there was an episode of Oprah where she featured a gratitude journal. I can remember so clearly watching that episode with my Mom and very shortly after that episode aired I can remember being in the car with her, on our way to the book store to get the gratitude journal that Oprah had featured on the episode (we are seriously a marketing person's dream...if a celebrity we really like uses some super cool product - we usually go out and get it). Somewhere between being in elementary school and growing up and getting married I forgot about the gratitude journal. It wasn't until I had kids and started struggling to make the time to have the kind of devotional time I really desired to have that the whole concept of the gratitude journal came back into my mind.
The basic premise of the gratitude journal is that, instead of sitting down to write an entire "Dear Diary" type of entry into your journal, you take the time at the end of the day to think of 3-5 things that you are thankful for that day. They can be big deals or little deals, life changing events or things that might seem trivial - but no matter what you take the time to sit down and reflect on your day and stop and be grateful to God for it. I did really well with this habit for a while and I am trying to get back into the habit because I love looking back on my old entries. Even though there are just 3 or 4 things written down each day I feel like when I read them I am instantly transported back to that day. I can see what was happening, see what we were wearing and it almost feels like I can hear our conversations - and I love that feeling. In a stage of life where it feels like life is flying by so fast, I love any kind of habit, craft of activity that makes you feel like you can freeze time for a little bit. Like I said earlier, I also love that the gratitude journal gives you the chance to capture both the big and little things in life. I love looking back at old entires and seeing things like "a positive pregnancy test" and "a card in the mail from a friend" in the same day. If I had sat down to write a "Dear Diary" kind of entry that day I would of written all about how glad, thankful and excited I was to have gotten a positive pregnancy test - and that's great and that should be celebrated. But I probably wouldn't of mentioned that card that I had gotten in the mail from a friend, it might of been forgotten or overlooked in the excitement of a bigger event. But with a gratitude journal you're looking at your day in more of a bullet point mentality - which is not only great if your very busy, or a mom of little ones, or feel like you don't have a lot of time to stop and journal - but it also allows you the chance to look back at your day, change your perspective (if you need to) and not overlook things that meant a lot to you.
So, if you're up for the challenge - get yourself a notebook or a diary and take the time at the end of each day to pause and thank God for 3-5 things that you are grateful for. And if you're like me, the more you get into the habit of practicing gratitude at the end of each day - the more things you'll find on your list.
There are some things that our kids will just naturally get from us, whether we like it or not....hair color, body shape, habits (good or bad), etc. But I think there are some things that we can choose to pass on to them - not force on them, pass on to them and allow them to see the value in so that they can decide if they want to carry them on for themselves or not. I love that as parents we get the opportunity to teach our kids so much - not just about the world around them, but about ourselves to. We can teach them about things that are important & special to us, and we also can allow them the freedom to see if those things will take root in their hearts as well.
A love of art and creativity is one of the things that I want to pass on to my kids. That was something that was passed on to me by my Mom, which was passed on to her from her irish Grandmother and her irish Aunt. And I am so thankful that she took the time to pass it on to me and that it took root in my life. I love getting involved something creative. There's something that just comes alive inside me when I do. Whether I'm planning one of the kids birthday parties, sewing, knitting, scrapbooking or taking pictures - I just love the feeling of being involved in a creative project. And I hope that my kids do too, and even if they don't become world famous event planners, artists, fashion designers, or photographers - that's ok with me, but I still hope that they can appreciate great art and huge feats of creativity when they see it. You never know how they will take in the things that you share with them. My son heard my Mom and I talking about quilting one day a few years ago and in a matter of minutes, he presented us with this picture....and he asked us to make him a quilt that looked like that. It was such a sweet moment and especially sweet for me to see him taking something creative that I enjoyed and putting his own little twist on it. I will love this little drawing forever....(I took a picture of the drawing and also have saved the original....and someday when I have my own sewing room it will be hanging on the wall!)
In the spirit of passing it on, I thought it would be fun to share some fun, creative ideas I have found that are great for getting the kids involved in. Most of these ideas are things that I have done with my own kids or are on my never ending project to-do list.
First Day of School Photos // This is a fun idea that has been floating around Pinterest for a little while. It's a cute way to document your kids personalities and favorite things as they start each school year.
Favorite Book // This is a cute project and I'm sure kids would love to help with it too. It's a fun way to display a favorite book or bedtime story of theirs that perhaps has been outgrown. Here are the directions.
Scrapboxes // Here is a fun idea from good ol' Martha (well, actually from one of her staffers, Darcy, who I actually think has cooler ideas than Martha) This is a great combination of scrapbooking & shadow boxes. It's a perfect way to hold on to some of those extra, extra special mementos that just don't fit into your typical 12x12 scrapbooks. Think about using things like, first ballet shoes, a treasured little blankie or some Legos along with a photo of the first thing they ever built. The possibilities are really endless. This also makes a great gift for Grandparents, friends or other family members! And here is another link to some cute family craft ideas from Darcy - she has great ideas!
Mini Masters Board Books // We have almost every title in this series and each of my kids love to read them. They are a wonderful way to start introducing your kids to art at a very young age. They help them become familiar with famous works of art and the stories help them start interpreting the art from a young age also. "Sunday with Seurat" was one of my son's favorite books when he was a toddler.....I had the whole thing memorized..... and as I type this I am realizing that I think I still do :)
Photography Adventures // Being a photographer, I of course wanted to teach my kids not only the right way to use a camera but also how to express themselves through photography and how much fun it is to be able to freeze time through their pictures. My son and daughter both love their little cameras and when they weather is nice they love to go on little photography walks. They take pictures of pretty much everything they see...hundreds of pictures of the sidewalk, grass, their shoes, cars, flowers, birds....and every time we get back there are always a couple pictures in the batch that turn out really, really well...like "frame-worthy" well :) And here is a cool craft that you can make with all those great photos your kids take.
My point is this - if you have something that is near & dear to you, pass it on to your kids. You never know what could come of it or how much it could mean to them - or how many future generations it will get passed on to.
"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."
-Pablo Picasso
