Happy New Year and a Calendar Makeover

I have been too busy with this cute little one to blog lately.

I have enjoyed watching him do this and this and this

but, alas, He got into his suitcase and flew home.

 

So, on to the new year now.

 

 I have my new calendar and am ready for the new year. My favorite calendar is a month on two-pages variety.  It opens flat on my desk and the best part about it is that it comes from the Dollar Store! (Horray for Dollar stores!)

  When I bought it, it was pretty generic and honestly, it was ugly!  So, I took off the black plastic cover

 

then adhered some pretty scrapbook paper to the front and back and voila!  Now it is a nice looking calendar to work with every day. ( I need to stamp the year on the front I guess.)

The first thing I did was to put in everyone's birthdays.  I have a little cupcake stamp to mark these special days.  Then I colored the "frosting" for each person in that person's favorite color.  Now I am ready...Let the new year begin!

What is your favorite kind of calendar and why?

Ways to Give Thanks

After posting about gratitude yesterday I was reading through some of your posts and Kristen @ We Are That Family has a wonderful idea to use with your family.  It is a Thanksgiving Countdown Calendar with sweet I am Thankful cards to fill out each day and place in the cute numbered sacks.  She has the instructions to make it and some printable forms for the cards.  Check it out here.  She also wrote some thoughtful insights into the holiday too so go visit there today.

Here is another idea I'd like to share.  Give each person in your family little "calling cards" to leave when they do a good deed for another member.  The cards are little 3"x3" colored card stock.  Each person has their own color of cards so the color indicates who left it.

My family had a good time personalizing their color with stamps.  Now the fun begins as little deeds of goodness are done and make way for the cards to be left anonymously.

I am so happy and grateful that our weather is so warm and pleasant this week. I am thanking God for each day of Indian Summer that we have.

  What are you thankful for today?