Giving Thanks
“I’m so glad I live in a world with Octobers!”
Here comes sweater weather! Everywhere you go colors are changing and your camera is out! People we love are gathering and we feel like scrapbooking all those pictures! This is the beginning of memory making season where you can share a delicious meal and focus on what really matters..your people!
One of my favorite things to do with the grandkids is make caramel apples. Nothing like caramel wrapped around cold slices of apple to top off a meal! Fruit is healthy, right? It takes deliberate effort to slow down, and focus on them-not the mess-when everything is ramping up for the holiday…but try your best. The simple things are often the sweetest. We always play the Oreo game because my Dad loves Oreos…what is your favorite family treat? Wrap a game around that so it has special meaning to you! Make it your new Thanksgiving tradition!
My dad loves Oreos so we ALWAYS play the Oreo game where you put an Oreo on your forehead and have to move it into your mouth by shifting your head or squishing your nose…but without using your hands!
Want to try something fresh and new this year? Click on the button below and give it a go! Find something that speaks to you.
These make for the craziest facial expressions in your pictures..you’ll love them! Or try hanging up donuts outside with string and race to eat one without using hands!
Brunch: We have a nice Thanksgiving Brunch to stave off the hunger pains of the day because I just can’t face doing breakfast, lunch and Thanksgiving dinner all in one day! I want some time to play with the kids! Having a later brunch solved the problem and simplified the kitchen routine. I love these recipes because they can be done ahead, taste spectacular and the kids look forward to them.. but also because they go in the oven at the same temperature! Let’s be real- oven space is premium for the holiday. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
Music: Share some uplifting music this holiday season! It will enhance your Thanksgiving Day and beyond! I love listening to Mat and Savanna Shaw, a father and daughter who harmonize beautifully. Put something festive on while you are doing the holiday prep!
Gratitude Wall: Create a gratitude wall in your home. It can be a large piece of paper, a whiteboard, or other large writing space. Leave out writing utensils and have everyone write down what they are grateful for as they come to mind. You can set it up before Thanksgiving so you can be thinking about gratitude all month long or you can put it up on Thanksgiving and have it be a family activity for the day. It will be heartwarming to see all the things your family is grateful for and it will also be a great reminder that we are more abundantly blessed than we realize.
Encourage your kids to write.
Journaling their feelings is therapeutic and will help them identify what they are feeling. Believe me when your kids are teenagers, you will LOVE looking at notes like this one below. This is definitely “album worthy”. Writing what they are grateful for each year is worth the time! You can hand them some premade journaling boxes (Creative Memories has plenty!) or cut up pieces of paper. Lines help people to actually write. (The pen pictured with the note is an older version of mine that is still going strong!)
Most people resist writing, but it’s worth the effort! For some, it is easier to write their feelings than to speak them. Either way, I am a BIG believer in journaling and teaching them to identify what is good in their lives. Using Creative Memories pigma ink, acid free pens ensures the writing won’t fade or bleed over time. The ink does make a difference! These are the best pens for scrapbooking!
Let your kids use the “special pens” at special times. I have replaced my black pens but others I have had for years! The current ones are dual tipped as shown above with a fine tip for journaling and a bolder tip for titles. Black, Brown, Gold and Silver are the standard colors with a few others from time to time. The pigma ink dries quickly so it does not smear. You will LOVE these pens! Perfect for left handers- they will not smear!
It’s so personal to see something written by hand. Your handwriting is a part of you. It’s sweet to see your kids writing evolve over time.
I still love seeing my Dad’s signature on something, and my Mom’s writing on a card. It’s just who they are! Get your pigma ink pens here. Just put pens in the search bar at the top!
Sometimes you just need some help finding a title for a scrapbook page to give it the feeling you want to convey. Click on the button below to print out a copy of some page titles you can use, or sentiments that work for a card.
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There is always something fresh and new to work with! Need some Fall Scrapbooking supplies? Shop here.
Harvest Delight Coverset $35.50
Harvest Delight Variety Mat Pk 24/pk. $9.50
Harvest Delight Paper Pk. 12/pk $9.50
HD Foil & Embossed Embellishment Pk. $9.50
Harvest Delight Stickers 3/pk. $8
Do you love using DIGITAL content?
If you love DIGITAL options, this Harvest Delight DIGITAL Kit is for you! Use these elements to create anything you want, over and over again! You can purchase this by clicking on the SHOP Tab on my website HOME page and then Creative Memories Products. Put the Kit name in the Search bar and it will pop up for you! There are MANY DIGITAL kits to choose from! $14.95 More digital art is available- click on SHOP tab, then Forever Products, then Digital Art. Be sure to check the DEALS tab on the Forever page. If this is the first time you have purchased, EMAIL ME FIRST and I can send you a $15 off coupon on your FIRST PURCHASE!