What do you think of this idea??

[Corie]

I read about this really cool idea in my Family Fun magazine
and I want to do it too!

A mom wrote to Family Fun magazine to share her idea.
She bought a journal and she calls it "Dad's Birthday Book".
She has her two daughters make yearly entries in the journal
instead of buying their Dad birthday cards. Both daughters
fill several pages with drawings, handprints, good wishes,
and notes of thanks.

This mom said that her husband loves the journal because it
is more personal than store-bought cards and he really enjoys
looking back through the journal to see how the kids have grown.

So, I was telling my husband about this idea and he loved it.
He wants me to buy 2 journals. One will be "Dad's Birthday Book"
and one will be "Mom's Birthday Book".

I would absolutely love to have a keepsake like this!! :)

[Corie]

Originally, I was thinking of buying 2 of these journals
from Crane's stationary. But, I didn't really want to
spend $62 on a journal. Yikes!
Plus, I think I want a hardcover journal. I think a hardcover
journal will hold up better over the years.

http://www.crane.com/prdSell.aspx?DeptName=JournalsandBooks&SubDeptName=LeatherJournals&Name=jblbtan_LargeBlankSoftCoverJournalTan


After searching and searching, I may have found exactly
what I want. A hardcover sketchbook from DickBlick
art materials. (I don't want any lines on the page.)
And, it comes in a large size like 8.5" X 11" which I love
and it is only $8.28. Can't beat that!! :)

http://www.dickblick.com/zz103/21/

[mom to little e]

I think this is an awesome idea! I love keepsakes! I always save all of our cards but have begun to wonder what in the world to do with them all (and I even scrapbook). These journals would be a great idea to see how the kiddos grow over the years. Would be a great idea for Father's Day coming up, too!

Thanks for sharing!

Maryann
Mommy to Ean & Mia!

[mom to little e]

I was just thinking that I could easily incorporate this into my Creative Memories scrapbooking just by focusing on what the kids could add rather than a bunch of pictures. Could even incorporate a recent photo of the kiddos with Daddy.

I would love my DH to something like this for me. I may have to help "guide him" and give him some serious hints. :)

Maryann
Mommy to Ean & Mia!

[sdbc]

I think it's a great idea. I'm going to steal it and do a Father's Day book instead, though!

[bensmom243]

LOVE THIS IDEA!! I am going to go to Borders tomorrow (they always have sketch books on their bargain rack) and start a Father's Day one! I figure the kids can do a page or 2 each year.

Thanks so much!

[Corie]

I was actually going to have it be a Father's Day
AND Birthday book !!

Those are the 2 big days that the kids can do something
fun for their Dad. :)

[calv]

LOVE the idea, I LOVE IT!!!!!!! Corie, thanks so much for sharing this w/all of us. :) It can be a little scrapbook for Dad for both his bday AND Father's day.

I think I'll start making my own as well (FOR ME). :)

[Corie]

I told my husband about the idea and he really liked it.
And, he said that he would have the kids make one for me too. :)

Can you imagine flipping back through your journal like
20 years from now?? I'm excited!!

[Beth568]

Wow - that's a terrific idea! I was just going through cards the other day, and I want to save the one my DD gave me for Mother's Day. But a journal, with everything neatly in one place, is easier than a scrapbook. And what a wonderful thing to look at in 15-20 years.

Thanks for posting this! We'll do it for Father's Day. :)

[Corie]

I especially liked this fact about the DickBlick sketchbook.

"The long-lasting sewn binding allows pages to lay open flat."


This will make it alot easier for the kids to draw, make handprints,
etc.

[Corie]

I can't take credit for the idea but I just thought it was
so great that I had to pass it on!! :)

[kcimato]

Thanks for sharing. A great idea!

[neeter]

This is a great idea! Thanks for sharing! For what its worth, Michaels has those hard-bound sketch books, as well as wire-bound (plus you can use the 40% off).

[sarahsthreads]

Oh, what an absolutely fabulous idea! DH *hates* saving cards, but I'm too sentimental to part with them. This would reduce the number of cards in the house by 4 per year (if I can talk him into helping DD do one for me) and still let me keep everything! :)

Thanks for sharing!

Sarah :)

[Corie]

Just ordered my 2 sketchbooks from DickBlick art supplies.

(One for me and one for my husband.)

[ctmom]

Corie,
great idea!! I'm bummed the D!ck Blick closed their store that was only about 2 miles from my house, but I'm going to probably order the journal online!!

Did you end up finding any shipping codes??

Thanks for yet another great idea!

Mary
dd#1 2/01
dd#2 12/03

[Corie]

Unfortunately, I never found any coupon codes to use!
I even emailed their customer service dept. asking for
a current coupon code.

They only have free shipping if your order is over $250.

So, I just went ahead and ordered my 2 hardcover sketchbooks.
(My husband is going to have the kids do one for me too!) :)

[Lovingliv]

This is a great idea!!

[lmwbasye]

May be too late, but thought I'd remind you to go through ebates for your 6% cash back.

[calv]

Hmmm, I wonder if she can help find any other books? Doesnt this book seem kinda small? 220 pages. just a thought and wondering what else is out there even though I'm running out of time especially since I'd love to do this for father's day :)

[Corie]

Hey Caly,

This is Corie, not Jo.

I bought the 8.5" x 11" sketchbook with the 220 pages.

Here is how I figured:

If my 2 kids draw on 2 pages for Father's Day and also
do 2 pages for my husband's birthday and I multiply it
by 20 years, then I have used 160 pages in the 20 year
time-frame.

That works for me!

[Ceepa]

I have a question:

Is it 220 pages as in 220 pieces of paper in the book or are opposing pages together considered one page? Does that make sense?

Ceepa

[Ceepa]

I have a question:

Is it 220 pages as in 220 pieces of paper in the book or are opposing pages together considered two pages? Does that make sense?

Ceepa

[Corie]

I totally understand what you are asking.

Are there really 220 pages in the book?

Or, are there only 110 pages in the book and they are
counting the front AND back as pages, therefore making
it 220 pages?


Okay, so I just got off the phone with a customer service
rep at DickBlick. He (Gary) said that there are really
220 pages in the book. :)

[Ceepa]

Thanks Corie!

I appreciate the extra footwork you put into these posts!

Ceepa

[Corie]

Just wanted to let everyone know that I was given
incorrect information by the representative at DickBlick.

I received my sketchbooks today and right there on the cover
sticker (removeable), it says 110 pages.

So, there are only 110 pages in the sketchbook. Obviously,
they were counting the pages front & back to get the 220 number
posted on their website.

I'm still very happy with my sketchbooks and I will be keeping
them!! :)

[jeniferrlynne]

Great idea...again Corie! I am definitely going to do this for My husbands September birthday. Little man will only be nearly 10months but maybe I could just stick his hand in paint this first year and do a handprint or something..

[Ceepa]

I have the journal but am not sure how to mark each part as "Father's Day 2006" "Birthday 2006" "Father's Day 2007" etc.

I can't decide whether I want each year/occasion marked the same way or different every time. Ideas?

I know it's a minor thing, but I am sooooo anal when it comes to projects that I know will be ongoing! LOL

I'm so excited to do this (and I'm thrilled not having to sift through greeting cards while DC grow impatient in the stroller).

Ceepa

[Corie]

Ceepa,

I haven't decided how to label the days either!!

I've been toying with the idea of just making
the journal for my husband's birthday. (leaving out
Father's Day) I'm going back & forth on this!

If the journal is just a birthday book, I will write on
the Cover Page "Daddy's Birthday Book".
Then, on each entry, just date it in the top right corner.

You are talking to the Queen of Procrastination!!

[calv]

I got some sketch books today for $4 each. Kinda girly but hey, bottoom line, they're really for me.

what are you guys going to do? I think I'll do all major holidays. I like the thought of everything being in one spot.

Like Cori, I'll just put the date/year somewhere on the page

[Corie]

I asked my husband last night about the journal.

He wants the kids to do drawings for every holiday.
Did I miss any??

Father's Day
Fourth of July
His Birthday
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Christmas
Valentine's Day
Easter


He would make this hard on me!!! :)

Edited to Add: I wonder if he wants me to add Groundhog's Day
to the holiday list?? Hmmm...:)

[calv]

can't forget flag did which we just had, LOL

[Ceepa]

St. Patrick's Day?
New Year's?

DD's page is started but I have to sneak DS to do his page sometime tomorrow while DH isn't around. :)

[traciann]

I just did this for Dh's father's day present. We only give cards anyway...so I thought this was an especially cool way to do it. I think it will be so neat to have dd create her own pages as she gets older, and what a kick it will be to look back.

I am a scrapbooker, and I already had an extra 8 X 8 albums so I used that. The first page just said Happy Fathers Day est 2005 (since that was the year she was born) The next page (i did one page) is this years entry I did a picture of dd & dh, did dd's footprint and reasons why she loves her daddy. I dated the page with this years fathers day date, and I think i will just do that going forward.

I was so excited about it, I already gave it to him. He totally cried, loved it and thought it was a cool idea.

Sorry about the novel, but wanted to share. Thanks Corie!

Traci

[Corie]

Traci,

I'm so glad that your husband loved the journal !! Can you
imagine looking back through it over the years?? :)

I just went to Joanne's and I found an oversized ink pad.
I am going to do the kids handprints. I am so afraid though
that my 20-month-old son is going to move his hand!!
(Maybe his foot would be easier to do?)

Wish me luck!! :)

[Emmas Mom]

I'm jumping on the bandwagon too....this is SUCH a great idea. I was just telling another friend of mine about it & she's going to do it too!

I love the idea of the ink pad. Do they have washable ink???

[Ceepa]

My DH flipped out! He said it was such an amazing idea.

I put the date at the top. I put DD's handprint and footprint on the page (she's a baby so both fit!) and on another page I put DS's handprint. I decorated each page with some other cheesy things and then let DS decorate his with crayons.

DH kept looking at it over and over. He never does that with store-bought cards!

[Emmas Mom]

I'm still having a hard time. It's not going to be complete today because I got the wrong color stickers (using those to title it...Dad's Journal? Dad's Fathers Day Journal?). Can't decide what exactly to call it. I guess it'll depend on whether or not we use it for just Father's day or birthdays or more?! Yikes! What have you all decided?? I'm going to do the first page...title page. I got some sports stickers since my DH is a sports FANATIC. I'll put the title in stickers. I got some other stickers that say "World's greatest Dad" & "I love my Daddy". I also got alphabet stamps & at the bottom stamped "by Emma & Grace"....with enough room left over if we decide to have a #3 someday. I'd take a picture but since I got the wrong color stickers it's not complete yet. If anyone else did some sort of title page...share some pictures!! :D

On a side note, for those of you still looking for an album of sorts. I ended up going to Michaels & getting a scrap book album for $5.00 (on sale). It's a big 12 x 12 album & I like it cause you can add pages. I think I'm going to end up getting one for me too. :)

[BeachBum]

Thanks for sharing this idea. I did a version of it too. :)I called mine "The Father's Day Book", real original, huh?
I had already purchased a card for DH so I put it in the book, wrote some mushy stuff on the page, put a picture of the two of them together from this year and DS hand print. I think DH also wants to put the cards in from his mom and my mom too since this was his 1st Father's Day and both moms wrote him sweet cards.
My hubby was so happy!

[kristenk]

I ended up titling DH's "Daddy's Book of Special Days" b/c I'm not sure when DD will be drawing/writing/etc. in it. Definitely Father's Day, DH's birthday and Christmas, but I think that I'll let her put things in it when she's older if she really wants to add something for her Daddy on any given day. So far, it has the title page, a page where DD colored and then a page with very sloppy handprints! LOL I figure we'll both get better at hand prints as she gets older!

[essnce629]

Great idea! I think I'll do this for my boyfriend's birthday which is in 3 weeks. I think I'll do it for all the holidays.

***Latia
Birth and Postpartum Doula

Conner 8/19/03 (homebirthed water baby)
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a/aug2003angel
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_sapphire_24m.gif Self-weaned at 24 months!

[thomma]

I just bought two sketchbooks...I'm starting one for me for my 40th birthday and one for dh for Father's Day. I think we're going to do birthdays, Christmas and mothers/fathers day.

thanks for the idea Corie!

Kim
ds&dd 5/03

[GB]

Thanks for bringing this back... Had to find something to top the DADDY pics from last year. I think this is it!

[cheme]

This is great! Thanks so much for bringing this topic up. I think I may get one for each dc and let them do it for each holiday (mom and dad) Or, I could just start with one book for both kids and we could always get a second book if they run out of room... decisions, decisions! :)

[kochh2]

LOVE IT!!
JUST THOUGHT OF AN IDEA-- oops caps lock... you could do it in a binder with page protectors to avoid running out of pages !!! just a thought!!
:)

[thomma]

This is a good idea too!

[bj_1152]

Look at the scrapbooks that Creative Memories sells. (I think you can go to creativememories.com and "find a consultant near you" to buy from or you can order from my web site www.mycmsite.com/bjgeorge . I'm TOTALLY not trying to advertise for them; I support whatever you decide to do. I was just thinking that their albums would be perfect because you can add pages as you need them so it can be as long as you like and you can put page protectors over them to keep the pages safe from little hands or spills. Plus the pages won't yellow or get brittle over time.

Again, I'm not trying to advertise. I was trying to think of a way to suggest this without is sounding like I am. I just love their albums and they last forever (lifetime warranty) so they seem perfect for this.

My husband's birthday is in June so I'm going to do it for BDay and Father's day too. He will love it!

Thanks for sharing. I don't get that magazine but have been meaning to subscribe!

BJ, mom of THREE BOYS!

[bj_1152]

What if you just put the year on the first page created for that year? Then, as the kids get older and learn to write, they can write "happy father's day" without it being redundant (sp?) - being in your heading and in their letter/artwork.