This year, Grandparent's Day falls on Sunday September 11th, just days from now. While our country will also be remembering the great loss of 9/11 this weekend, it seems to me that taking time to honor Grandparents is a fitting way to remember what our country has been through and the legacy  being imprinted on young hearts through the love of generations.

 Whether by birth or adoption, Grandparents are treasures deserving of recognition and respect. With young children, disposable time or money isn't exactly within the scope of daily reality, but fear not! Here's a simple, sweet gift you can make in time for Grandparent's Day this Sunday to say Thank You in a meaningful way.

You know I love to brag on the strengths & giftedness of others. Well Father's Day is no exception! That's why I jumped at the chance to brag on my Husband and his amazing parenting skills when this parenting reporter asked for entries on "What Dads Do Best".  (Click on the picture to read the whole article.) And I'm more than happy to fight the over-generalized cultural joke/stigma that Dads don't know what they're doing!
It was such a great opportunity for me to sit and think about exactly what Jason does that I simply can't (or don't) do as a parent to Little Lady. The list just kept on growing. She is one blessed girl to have a Father like him. Now that list is going to make a really personal, special addition to an otherwise standard Hallmark Card this weekend!
So I challenge you: before Sunday, sit and think a couple minutes about what your kids love about their Dad. What he does that you don't. How he influences them and what he teaches them that are unique to his personality or strengths. Then write it down and encourage him!! 
Dads in our day and age are not very highly valued, and we as moms don't always look beyond our controlling ways to value them ourselves. We ought to celebrate each and every Father who is leading their family and standing against the current of the increasingly-common culture of passive & uninvolved, or even absent, fathers. So now's your chance! But don't let it stop there, make it a habit to point out how great he is, to him and your kiddos. In the daunting task of parenting, we can all use a little 'atta boy every now and then!

And if you're last minute in getting something put together with young kids, this FREE Printable is perfect! It's fast, fun and totally personal. Kids say the darndest things, so this might just be the best present he gets all day! (Click on the picture to be taken to the Free Printable from the original source: Kinzie's Kreations)

Babies are drawn to books instinctively: the colorful images and the captivating sounds when adults read them aloud. Sure, it's fun to rip out the pages and bite the bindings too, but that's a small price to pay in raising a child to have a love of books.

We all know the benefits of reading to children from infancy on; every parenting book on the planet will actually agree on that particular baby-raising tip: read to your child from the very beginning! The benefits are endless: Reading promotes healthy attachment and bonding as the child hears your voice and feels your closeness, it's linked to increased brain function and a larger vocabulary, and on and on and on the list goes....

​So, hopefully your little one is well equipped with books of all sorts to read for years to come. But I think it's (almost!) as important to have a special little place just for them to experience the captivating experience of reading. A Book Nook is like a little getaway within your home that helps transport them to far away places because of it's inspiring nature. You can do it as simply or extravagantly as you like: we've got plenty of examples to get your wheels spinning on our Pinterest Board. For me, simplicity is the name of the game (duh!). So for our book nook, we took what we already had (=an unused, finished closet under the stairs) and created a little space just for Little Lady and her books, where her imagination can run wild...

To be fair, this was all Little Lady's idea. During the first walkthrough of the house, she saw this closet in the basement and claimed it for her own use; requesting a book nook immediately. Before moving day was over, the door was already taken off, and the bookshelf inside. Within a few more days, we unboxed the netting canopy and my old body pillow from pregnancy days. She added her IKEA leaf, a canvas she painted, her preschool diorama and a few little butterflies that used to adorn her bedroom. We used a wall lamp for lighting, tucked into the corner with a switch she can reach to turn off and on. The space was dreamed up and decorated by her, and used by her almost daily!

Check out BabyLit for all things 'childhood literacy'; and  Follow them @Babylit on Instagram: You'll look no further for a curated collection of children's classics.
[BabyLit]

Plus: Phyllis Harris is a phenomenal children's illustrator who captures the essence of childhood in a whimsical, beautiful way. She's got artwork (see below) and a few books to her credit.
[Phyllis Harris Designs]

These will take any area from ho-hum to  impeccably styled. All handmade by a Mama just like you!
[Fly Tots]

Spark their imagination with children's illustrator Phyllis Harris' captivating wall art.
[Phyllis Harris Designs]

For the cutest little book bags that little readers can carry all by themselves--check out Swankaroo's Packs! Adorable and perfect for little hands (you can see ours hanging on the antique desk next to our book nook)
[Swankaroo]

Now that my Little Lady is 5, she’s starting to learn the basics of the sewing trade on her adorable little machine (from IKEA) and I’m sure she’ll will outpace me any day now. So, fittingly, she wanted to sew something for her Daddy this year for Father’s Day. We'll start small. Maybe next year we'll make him a custom tie or work shirt... ;)

Before you say “that’s not for me, I can’t sew”, stay with me! ANYone can do this if a 5 year old can! (Even younger kiddos and their non-seamstress Mama’s!) Hand stitching is great for developing hand-eye coordination, so don't think it's just for girls either! It took us 30 minutes (with stopping to take pictures) and about $1.50 in supplies easily found at Joann, Michael’s, Hobby Lobby or any other craft store. And our computer & printer. That’s it. So, will you give it a try? Here we go…and just to lure you in, here’s the finished product:

Supplies Needed:

• Firm Felt sheet (we used 2 colors to match her Daddy’s favorite colors, but you can obviously use just one, you won’t use much. They’re around $0.30 each)
• 1 Color Embroidery Thread
• 1 Child-friendly needle (with the embroidery thread in most stores. It’s blunt and has a large eye)
• Scissors, Glue, cardstock paper and a Marker

                Step 1
Cut out 2 hearts, about 2.5” tall, 2” wide, from felt (I free-handed it for her, she cut)