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Home ยป Blog ยป Love Notes

Love Notes

by Sarah Turner Clover Lane, Mothering

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I love writing my kids letters but often life gets busy and I just forget.  A friend told me that instead of scrapbooking she opened email accounts for each of her children, even as babies, and sends them letters.  Isn’t that the greatest idea ever?  I know my oldest son told me that he read the letters Jeff and I wrote him every day to get through high school.  It means more than we think.  I think birthday letters are the best, but I want to do it more.

I mentioned this before, but a friend’s grandfather I met and loved recently passed away and one of the special things he was known for was his notes to his children and grandchildren.  It was such a gift to get one of these notes, and it made them all feel loved and incredibly special.  My own mother is great at sending a little card or note.

If you have any neat traditions or ways to remember to do this, could you leave them in the comments?

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August 23, 2018 ยท 17 Comments

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  1. Sarah says

    August 23, 2018 at 11:47 am

    I keep a journal (just a text document on Google drive) for each of my kids. I set a reminder to go off each week and when I get that reminder I just type a few sentences about what I'm enjoying about them that week, or things I'm hoping or praying. I also love to try to do lunchbox notes once a week.

    Reply
  2. rrluke says

    August 23, 2018 at 2:19 pm

    When I was in high school my dad would leave me small notes in my bathroom on the counter or taped to the mirror. When I came home late and everyone was already asleep , I would turn on the light in the bathroom and see, โ€œGreat game tonight! 21 points!โ€ Or a simple, โ€œGoodnight Rachel, we love you!โ€ They werenโ€™t fancy or on cute paper, but it made me feel so loved and remembered!

    Reply
  3. Karen says

    August 23, 2018 at 3:46 pm

    My mom saved a lot of the notes we used to leave her when we were growing up. Just notes about everyday things like where we were going to play (had a lot of freedom to roam the neighborhood in those days and we didn't have cell phones or texting). We would leave a note on the kitchen counter, "I'm going to ride bikes with Beth, and then play at her house" or "We're out of milk, I love you mom!" She used a lot of the notes for bookmarks in her cookbooks. After she passed, it was a treasure to go through some of those books — the pages of our family favorites stained and well worn — and find our notes tucked inside.

    Reply
  4. Maureen says

    August 23, 2018 at 5:09 pm

    We do lunch box notes, and I have a journal with my oldest. We aren't regular about it, but we write notes to each other in the journal and leave it on each other's pillows when there is a new entry.

    Reply
  5. Kayla says

    August 23, 2018 at 5:58 pm

    We do momma and me journals. I write them a short note, ask a few questions (simple ones when they were little: what are you most looking forward to: Halloween or Christmas, and bigger ones as they've gotten older: is there anything that scares you about jr. high, etc). We used to be much more consistent when I only had 3 kiddos, but it's still a lot of fun to know when they kiss me goodnight that they have a surprise under their bed!

    Reply
    • Dixie says

      August 23, 2018 at 6:34 pm

      We do something similar! I write in it and leave it under her pillow (only one of my kids is old enough yet), and then she writes in it and leaves it under my pillow. It's so lovely.

      Reply
  6. Unknown says

    August 23, 2018 at 6:11 pm

    Sarah- I used to put a short into my son's lunchbox every few days. When he stopped taking lunch to school, I was cleaning out my cupboard and found his old lunch bag. I found all of the note I had sent him in the side pocket of the bag. He kept them all!

    Reply
    • April says

      August 24, 2018 at 3:37 pm

      That is so sweet! Makes me wish that I haven't been throwing them all away the next morning so that he can have them to look at one day.

      Reply
  7. Happy Annie says

    August 23, 2018 at 6:55 pm

    You mentioned birthday letters and that is something I have done every year for my boys since they were born. Last year my oldest son turned 18 and I presented him with a cool wooden box and inside were all 18 of the birthday letters (I call them love letters too) with a ribbon tying them into a bundle. He had never read a single one because I kept them secret. In every letter I wrote about how much I loved him what funny, interesting things he was up to, his accomplishments that year, his interests, his favorite things/foods etc and what his personality was like. He is a quiet and private guy, but I could tell he really loved the gift. My youngest son is 14 and I'm already looking forward to the day I can do the same for him. ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  8. MIchelle says

    August 23, 2018 at 10:16 pm

    I saved every card and letter my youngest sister who is 16 years younger than me, sent to me from the time she was little and finally gave to her a few years ago. It spanned 30 some years. It was like a diary of her life. We had more fun going through that box. It was nice when people actually sent letters and wrote in cards.

    Reply
  9. Jill says

    August 24, 2018 at 6:26 am

    I keep a notebook for each child and write to them in this notebook. Sometimes about a funny thing they say or something they accomplished, or maybe something really naughty and how I handled it. Sometimes I write apologies in there. Sometimes I write how much I love them and all my hopes and dreams for them. I am not sure when I will let them have the notebooks, when they are teenagers? When they leave home? I think I will just wait until I feel the time is right.

    Reply
  10. April says

    August 24, 2018 at 3:35 pm

    I put a note every single morning in my sons lunchbox. Sometimes its just a have a good day, or I love you, but others its a bible verse and inspirational thought. And for my oldest, I text him little notes. Not on a daily but whenever I think he needs it or if something reminds me of him or I think he needs to hear it.

    Reply
  11. Shawna says

    August 24, 2018 at 4:54 pm

    I buy the cheap hello cards in the Target dollar bins (I seriously have an addiction and they are so cute!). I just write little notes to my daughter in them, she's 14 and her love language is words of affirmation and gifts so the notes kinda count as both. I will leave them on her desk when she's not home and she loves finding the cards as little surprises.

    Reply
  12. Maryhomemama says

    August 24, 2018 at 9:33 pm

    We've always written daily notes to our 3 girls to be opened when they have been away at camp/mission trips. Sometimes we'd include $ as a surprise to spend on something to remember their trip by. Our oldest daughter is on the other side of Canada in 4th year university. Once in a while I'll send her a note and copies of old photos from when she was a baby or toddler that remind her of family memories.

    Reply
  13. shansen20 says

    August 28, 2018 at 5:41 pm

    I do a journal entry each Sunday for my 4 kids. Sometimes it recaps their week. Sometimes it talks about problems they may be facing. It always contain an expression of love from me for them.

    Reply
  14. shansen20 says

    August 28, 2018 at 5:42 pm

    Also, I hope that you are doing well with the cancer….I've not pulled up your blog in a while so I am making my way through your entries. Continued prayers for your well being.

    Reply
  15. Angela S. says

    September 13, 2018 at 2:34 pm

    I realize I'm late to the party here but I had to share this idea I recently had. Im not a scrapbooker or journaler (is that a word?)so i went a different route. I was organizing recipes and had the thought to start my daughter her own family recipe book . I hand write them all and include a little note about the recipe with them, whose favorite it was (or wasnt!), which holiday it was made for etc. I started it with her first birthday cake and will continue to add to it until she gets married:)

    Reply

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Sarah Turner

When our first baby was placed in my arms I knew there was no place I wanted to be other than home with him every day. Twenty five years, and five more babies later, (six children, now ages 26-8), I still feel the same. I blog here about motherhood, how to make a house a home, easy recipes, and simple living. You can read more about me here.

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Nothing pretty, flashy, or spectacular. Just an o Nothing pretty, flashy, or spectacular.  Just an ordinary Monday morning breakfast counter after the kids leave for school.  Because ordinary gets the short hand in our culture but really it's extra special. 
It's a symbol of unselfishness, contentment, prudence and gratitude.  There is a certain peace about the ordinary.  It's the opposite of temporary-it holds the joy of contentment and gratitude and prudence all in one hand.  It's lends itself toward peace, and a settling in, not a constant search for more or less or anything.  Ordinary is authentic and good enough- in short it's a gem in disguise. ๐Ÿƒ
I love my home and I hope you do also. With all t I love my home and I hope you do also.  With all the imperfections and maintenance it requires, when I pull up and walk in I want to stay, to relax, to feel safe, for daily life to be easy, and to care for "home". I want simplicity, ease, convenience.  To me when my home is simple, without being filled to the brim of things that just take up space I love it best.  I hope if you've participated fully or even partially as time allowed in 40 Bags in 40 Days you've found that joy and pride in your home.  I plan to share more little challenges and tips as the year proceeds to trouble shoot areas and keep maintenance effortless and the house love flowing.  Daily life in our homes should bring us joy and ease while we care for our families, we should be thoughtful stewards of our money and of our time and simple living is the answer to that. 
Thank you for participating! ๐Ÿก
I think this is one of the best things about the 4 I think this is one of the best things about the 40 Bag decluttering process.  When I know what I have and have removed all that I don't, it cultivates more discretion and caution about what I bring back in.  I think there is also some realization of how much money is wasted on fads, or thoughtless purchases.  It's quite eye-opening.  I've become so much more careful, and find we all take better care of things, as do my children.
The final week of 40 Bags in 40 Days! I've tackle The final week of 40 Bags in 40 Days!  I've tackled all the areas of my home with exception of my oldest daughter's room (not the photo)- which she is excited to work on this week.
The simpler the room, the easier it is to clean an The simpler the room, the easier it is to clean and straighten up.  And then the more enjoyable it is to actually sit in that room.  It's not a hard equation, all it takes is ruthless purging-and not just little things but larger items also.  Functional furniture is the key and very few decorative pieces especially when children are in the home, makes life so much easier. 
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As we head into the last week of the 40 Bags in 40 As we head into the last week of the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge I'm hearing from so many of you what a difference it has made in your appreciation of your homes, a certain contentment, and at the same time a thrill of looking in on the organized kitchen, closet and living space.  I agree!  I love purging, cleaning and organizing a space and then going back later that day just to get that wonderful sense of accomplishment.  It makes such a difference! 
๐Ÿƒ
A lighter, fresher, calmer home is the result of de-cluttering.  I even had a participant who had been planning on listing her home, start 40 Days just to get her house ready to sell, and then was so ruthless in the process and also thrilled by the results that they decided to stay put in what seemed like a new home to them.  What a savings of time, money and energy. 
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Next week I will be talking maintenance and answer all questions! โ˜€๏ธ
Tips For Shared Kids Rooms- This bedroom has seen Tips For Shared Kids Rooms-
This bedroom has seen every configuration possible.  With kids spread out 18 years apart, I've had to be creative over the years-which I think is the key to sharing rooms.  It is all possible-I consider it a rare luxury and privilege to not have to share a room although I know that is not the norm today. 
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I like to create a simple look with white furniture (this ends up making room transitions easier also when moving someone out and someone else in.) I also like to match bedspreads for a cohesive look. 
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Clip on bed lights save space. 
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A simple shared book shelf can hold a child's special books and knick knacks and if necessary can be assigned per shelf.
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When my kids were younger I had my dad build me a large wooden roll out box for under each bed.  This held each child's toys. 
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All clothes are kept in a closet instead of dressers to save space.
I feel like I bailed on everyone following 40 Bags I feel like I bailed on everyone following 40 Bags progress and tips.  My excuse is the stomach flu ravaging us all here in the last week with me being the last to fall and the slowest to recover.  On top of that the weekend before I tried to roller blade (don't even ask how many steps I made it) and majorly bit it.  Thankfully I think I just sprained my arm. So I've been using one arm for nursing sick children back to health, and doing whatever cleaning and cooking and straightening I can do.  Alas, last week was a wash.  We have two weeks to go.  I'd like to continue and end on a high note.  How about you?  Even a little de-cluttering counts! Spring is in the air and I can't wait to throw open my windows and let fresh clean air circulate through my fresh clean orderly home. โ˜€๏ธ๐ŸŒท๐ŸŒฑ
Especially where kids are concerned- we tend to th Especially where kids are concerned- we tend to think that the more things they have the happier and more occupied and loved they will feel.  Nothing can replace human interaction and I've found that too many toys has the reverse affect.  They cause overwhelm-just like us - we'd rather sit in an orderly space than one filled with too many things to do and too much stuff.
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When it comes to kids closets here are some tips-
1. Hand me downs don't all have to be received.  Or received at all.  Be choosy and keep just what they will use and need.
2. When children are presented with too many choices, tension and acrimony can exist.  Being able to open a closet with a reasonable amount of outfits can create more peace.
3. Cultivating independence in care of clothes is easier when there is less and the space is simplified and organized. 
โ˜€๏ธ
More tips coming on the blog this week.  I am moving my blog platform so I can't make any promises - it's under construction and that's exciting!
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