Posts Tagged: "child"

Fill in the Blank Thank You Notes

Princess Diana - November 1, 2018 - Thank You

If children can write, they should write handwritten thank you notes.

Gift givers like to know their gift was received and appreciated. By receiving a handwritten thank you card, they can be happy knowing it was!

A parent could write a thank you note on a child’s behalf, but it doesn’t have the same impact. Plus, parents miss out on teaching their child important life lessons in proper etiquette and in expressing gratitude and thankfulness.

My son, Aiden, recently celebrated his 6th birthday–Power Rangers style! He received all kinds of wonderful presents from family and friends.

Thank You Notes for Kids

I’ve had my son help with his thank you cards since the age of 3. Now that he is in kindergarten and can write words pretty well, I had him use Fill in the Blank Thank You Notes.

He isn’t use to writing entire sentences yet, so fill in the blanks thank you cards are perfect for his grade level and ability.

Baby & Child 6-Piece Flatware Progress Set

Princess Diana - September 27, 2018 - Baby Shower, Kids

Babies outgrow baby items so quickly. But this baby shower gift grows with a child, getting years of use!

A silver baby spoon? Nah. No one has time to polish silver.

Kids Size Flatware

Go with a Baby & Child 6-Piece Flatware Progress Set instead! Progress sets come with a baby set of fork and two spoons of different shapes, and a child set of spoon, fork and knife.

The baby set is perfect for feeding baby food and the child set is perfect when children learn to feed themselves.

Oneida makes Baby & Child 6-Piece Flatware Progress Sets in adorable styles, including ones with hearts, teddy bears or ducks, that are stainless steel and dishwasher safe. They’re even packaged in a beautiful presentation box.

They’re so durable they can be passed down from generation to generation!

Summer Break Quality Time With Each Child

Princess Diana - October 4, 2017 - Experiences, Kids

My friend, Carol, told me about a wonderful summer tradition she started in her family that I want to share with you.

Each summer, she spends 5 days with each of her children, just the two of them.

She explained her children act differently when she is alone with them. For this reason, she loves to give them quality one-on-one time during their summer break from school.

She has done this for years with each of her children, and they always look forward to creating new memories together.

For each of the 5 days, she follows the same order of events every year.

Quality Time Over 5 Days

Balance Bike Helps Kids Learn to Ride Faster

Princess Diana - October 25, 2016 - Kids

Fear of falling. Scraped knees. Learning how to ride a bicycle isn’t easy.

A new type of bicycle gaining popularity in the United States makes it easier for toddlers to learn how to ride a bicycle faster.

Say hello to balance bikes!

Benefits of Balance Bikes

Balance bikes don’t have pedals. Instead, toddlers are seated so their feet can easily touch the ground which allows them to learn how to balance without the fear of tipping over and falling. Also, since balance bikes are two to three times lighter than regular bicycles, children are less likely to get hurt if they do fall over.

Kids propel themselves forward by walking or running, and they brake using their feet. Really simple.

The best part – balance bikes allow children to skip the frustration of training wheels! Once children have mastered a balance bike, they can quickly move on to traditional pedal bicycles.

Stuffed Animals Displayed as Art

Queen Darlene - September 1, 2016 - Baby Shower, Birthday, Christmas, Kids

Most of us have grown up with teddy bears or other beloved stuffed animals. Many of us still have them.

They are tucked away forgotten until we come across them stored away in the attic or closet. Oh… that warm fuzzy feeling of seeing your childhood companion!

I have a beautiful gift idea to display the lovable teddy bear and other favorite huggable animals.

Place the stuffed animal in a picture frame to look like art!

You can purchase frames, use frames you have around the house or look for frames at garage and estate sales at bargain prices. If you don’t like the color of the frame, simply paint over it.

I love DIY projects only if they are simple!

Card & Gift From Child’s Favorite Disney Character

Princess Diana - July 19, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Kids

One of the biggest joys of parenting is the opportunity to inject a sense of wonder and excitement into your kids’ childhood. It’s why we get up in the middle of the night to set out presents from Santa and to tuck money under the pillow in exchange for a tooth.

This thoughtful gift idea is a creative way to add a sense of magic and mystery to a young child’s birthday or Christmas gift experience!

Almost every child has a favorite Disney character or animated character they just adore. My son is obsessed with Mickey Mouse and his clubhouse friends.

Queen Darlene remembered this and for my son’s birthday she gave him a card and a gift from Mickey Mouse and Friends. She made the birthday card herself and signed it “Mickey.”

Big Brother & Big Sister Gifts

Princess Diana - April 26, 2016 - Baby Shower, Kids

Jealousy. Bribes. Love. Sounds like the stuff of a soap opera.

Adding another child to your family can create a lot of jealousy and drama if you’re not careful.

No matter how young in age, children will notice when they aren’t the center of attention anymore because of the arrival of a new baby or adopted child.

A thoughtful gift for a big brother or big sister will go a long way towards warming up older siblings to the newest addition to their family.

A gift from the baby will help an older child feel loved and excited to welcome their new baby brother or baby sister with open arms.

It’s kind of like a bribe, but how can you not like someone who gives you gifts? It’s very hard and that’s why older sibling gifts are so important and effective.

Silhouette Paper Portraits Make Classic Gift

Princess Diana - January 5, 2016 - Birthday, Christmas, Family, Father's Day, Kids, Mother's Day, Pet, Valentine's Day, Wedding

A custom silhouette paper portrait is a classic gift that will be cherished for years. The one I had made of my son melts my heart every time I glance at it.

Parents and grandparents especially love this type of gift!

It used to be you had to visit a silhouette artist in person, but these days you can simply email a photograph and receive your beautiful custom silhouette in the mail. Easy peasy!

You can have custom silhouette paper portraits made of children, adults and pets, either upper body or full body. They can also be done of siblings and couples. A silhouette of a couple makes for a lovely wedding or Valentine’s Day present.

Kids Color-In Thank You Cards

Princess Diana - December 29, 2015 - Thank You

Even though toddlers can’t write thank you cards for their gifts, they do have the ability to color.

Color-in thank you cards allow young children to use their artistic abilities to show their appreciation using markers, crayons, colored pencils or paint.

Gift givers will enjoy opening their thank you card and seeing your child’s artwork on the cover. If it’s pretty, it will bring a smile to their face. It if it’s messy, well they’ll get a good chuckle from it!

My three-year old son used markers to color his thank you cards. Although he won’t be earning any awards for coloring in between the lines any time soon, each card is his own original work of art which made them special. And I think much better than store-bought cards!

Bring a DHS Foster Child “Home for the Holidays”

Princess Diana - November 30, 2015 - Christmas

Imagine spending Christmas Day in an emergency shelter away from your home and family…

Now imagine yourself as a child spending Christmas Day in an emergency shelter away from your home and family…

You’re probably wondering why in the world would I have you imagine such horrible and depressing things. Why?

Because it’s not make believe.

Innocent children do spend Christmas Day in emergency shelters separated from their loved ones as they await foster homes. You can open your heart and your home to these children by hosting one of them for Christmas.

Through its “Home for the Holidays” initiative, the Oklahoma Department of Human Services seeks people interested in opening their homes to these children so they can spend the Christmas holiday with a family instead of in an emergency shelter.