My Two Favorite Mothers Day Gifts That Cost Next To Nothing
Author: Wes | Filed under: FREE Stationery, Training Saturday Apr 10,2010My Two Favorite Mothers Day Gifts That Cost Next To Nothing
I used to stress over what to get my mom for Mothers Day. For years it was flowers, cards, clothes or even decorative items for her house. As I got older, I noticed that the things she kept around and bragged on most were the things that cost little or nothing but came from real love. You know the ones, the hand print in plaster and/or paint, the photo mug of us together at the zoo and the hand written card all covered in glitter that said nothing more than “I Love You Mommy” on it.
OK, so I’m not a kid any more, but I still noticed that what mom’s really like best are the gifts that create or retell of fond memories together.
It was at that very moment that I knew I had to do something different in my Mother’s Day gift giving. I needed more of me and us in it and a lot less of it’s just for her. Mom’s aren’t about taking, they are all about giving… especially in giving of themselves to the ones they love most. I needed a Mother’s Day present that showed not only that I appreciated all that she had done for me, but one that reminded her that our time together really meant something that couldn’t be lost.
Now that I know the real secret to what Mom’s really want for Mother’s Day, it’s become one of my favorite holidays and one we both look forward too each and every year.
Here’s just two of the ideas that have kept my mom bragging for months to her friends and the rest of the family.
Mother’s Day Gift Idea #1 – The Memory Letter
I got this idea from the old glitter covered card she still had from my school days. I just took it to a new level.
Very simply, I downloaded some free stationery pages to use as the decoration. I then sat down and made a list of some of the really great times I’ve had that my mom played a large roll in. Vacations, shopping trips, long drives to get me to sporting events, anything that brought a vision of my mom in my head. Bad times that she made better for me were even better.
I then just sat down and put those storied in writing. You know… “Dear Mom, Remember when…” and I filled several pages with those vivid memories. At the end, I simply wrote: “Mom, it’s the little things you did that I’ll always remember most.”
I then printed the stationery pages out (I have lousy handwriting so I typed them) on the stationery downloads and sealed them in a nice envelope that read: “To Mother With Love – Don’t open until Mother’s Day” and placed that envelope inside another one to mail.
I’m told the tear’s of joy fell for days after and she reads the letter again several times a year. I got the biggest hug in the world the next time I was home for a visit.
Mother’s Day Gift Idea #2 – The Photo Memory Journal
The idea for this one came from the photo mug I had made for her as a teen. Again, I just took the basic idea and stepped it up a few rungs on the ladder.
This one happens in two parts. Part one, pick up a cheap diary or journal book from your local retail or book store. If you are really short on cash, you can also download some free digital stationery page templates, print a few pages and bind them with some ribbon or lace. Your mom isn’t going to care how much it cost as it will be part two that makes the gift.
Part two:
This is what really makes it special. Plan for a day (rain or shine) that you both have off, preferably just a few days after Mother’s Day. You can do it before, but I think it’s better if part two happens afterwards. Pick some place special such as a garden, park, tea room or other photogenic location. You can even plan an afternoon tea followed by the trip to the tropical gardens etc.
On the fist page of the journal, you’ll put the planned date, the time you’ll pick her up and a note to dress for rain, dress for casual or dress for formal. Nothing more except for the Happy Mother’s Day Mom and your signature.
The anticipation will build over the next couple days until the event and that serves to set the mood and ingrain the memory. If your area is prone to rain/spring snow/ or other such weather, be sure and have a backup planned if it’s not an indoor event.
The real key is that you are going to do something special together and you will take photos and write memories in the journal to go with them. I even had the rest of the family show up at the end and had professional photos taken of the whole family… first time in 10+ years. My point is that you can do this for next to nothing or you can, if you have the means, spend a little cash and get professional help. The result is the same… Joy and a new treasured memory you made together that will be remembered for many years to come.
Now that you get the idea, take a look around your mother’s home and in her closets… ask her if she still has any of your childhood gifts or art projects. Then, take a little imagination and turn that into an updated Mother’s Day she’ll soon not forget.
One last note.
We filled only a few of the pages of that first journal with memories and photos. Now, we plan little trips a couple of times a year together so we can fill in the rest of the book. She treasures these times more than I can tell you and one day when she’s no longer with me, I have no doubt I’ll be treasuring the book even more.
Happy Mother’s Day Memories…
Kathy & Wes
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Using FREE Stationery for Holiday Event Menu’s
Author: Wes | Filed under: FREE Stationery, Training Wednesday Feb 10,2010Hi Stationery and Journal friend,
One of our readers, Karen, is in the process of downloading some of our Valentine’s Day stationery to use in a Valentine’s special event they are doing at their B&B in Oregon.
Karen wrote me today and said “I love your artwork and did a great New Years menu and newsletter with it.”
Here’s what their New Years Menu looked like:
New Years Party Menu
Unsolicited and not compensated in any way:
Free-Stationery.com appears to be the best site there on the Web for free stationery templates for every occasion. I researched quite a number of sites (including Hallmark), and didn’t see as many selections or as attractive and whimsical designs. I think Wes and Kathy are doing an amazing job, and I really appreciate that we can download the files in .dot format so we can edit them in MS-Word (not just print them as stationery). What a great resource!
Karen and Tom Reid
McKenzie Orchards B&B
34694 McKenzie View Drive
Springfield, OR 97478
541-515-8153
On the web: www.mkobb.com
Popularity: 10% [?]
Make Your Holiday Cards Totally Memorable
Author: kwaddell | Filed under: FREE Stationery, Training Friday Dec 18,2009Popularity: 11% [?]
Brilliant Christmas Hanukkah Kwanza Card Idea
Author: kwaddell | Filed under: FREE Stationery, Training Thursday Oct 8,2009
FREE Christmas Stationery
Your site [www.1-Computer-Stationery.com] is WONDERFUL!
I do have an idea for all the [Christmas / Holiday / Birthday] card-makers out there.
I have done over 100 Christmas cards for this year and they are ready to go. For those of you who like to write letters to loved ones, I decorate the front of the card and then on the inside I pick out one of the many [FREE Digital]stationary Christmas papers and put that on the inside of the [full page folding] card.
There are no “greetings” on the inside, just the stationary.
Makes a great personal Christmas, Hannukkah, Kwanza, Holiday or Birthday card.
Thanks Kathy and Wes for helping make my cards so special.
Sheila Matthews
Popularity: 18% [?]
Trouble Printing FREE Digital Stationery Pages
Author: Wes | Filed under: FREE Stationery, Training Friday Mar 13,2009We just got this message in this morning to our FREE Digital Stationery website. As we get this every so often, I thought that I would post it here with the answer in hopes that it helps some of you that may have the same problem with printing FREE Stationery pages.
—————————————————
From: C Doty
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 7:21 PM
To: princesscrafts.com
Subject: Digital Stationery
Your digital stationery designs are fabulous. I have one question. When I print them out it seems to cut off a portion of the design at the bottom. The design does not go to the bottom edge of the paper as it does at the top. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks.
C
——————————————
Hi C,
This usually happens when your printer is not capable or not set to borderless print mode. If you are printing the PDF versions, use the print menu in Adobe Reader or the PDF program you are using to set the print parameters so that the whole page prints within your printers limits.
If your printer is borderless print capable, then setting the PDF settings to “Size to Fit Page” or “Shrink to Fit Page” usually works as long as you also have your printer settings set to borderless.
If you are using the Word Template or the .JPG file to create your own, then your use the printer settings within that program or in the print configuration menu itself.
Unfortunately, every printer is different, so you may have to play with the settings a bit to find the ones that work with your printer best.
Hope that this at least helps…
Wes
PrincessCrafts.com
(877) 751-6368
28115 N. Spotted Rd.
Deer Park, WA 99006
Popularity: 36% [?]
8 Tips For Taking Better Digital Photos
Author: kwaddell | Filed under: Site Information, Training Tuesday Mar 3,2009Hi Stationery Friend,
Digital Camera’s and digital photos go hand-in-hand with stationery and scrapbooks.
I wanted to let you all know that Wes just posted a new article that gives you 8 really great tips to help you take better digital photographs with your new digital camera.
There are a few really great tips here that make it really easy to get great digital photo results without needing to take months and even years of photography courses.
Check out the full article on our Computer Scrapbooking 101 BLOG at: www.BLOG.PrincessCrafts.com
Even experienced photographers can pick up a tip or two here.
Kathy
Support the Site... Buy Kathy a small Latte'Popularity: 21% [?]
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