Love in a jar....

I have come across sooooo many women who scrapbook... I love their reasons for scrapbooking, I love the finished product and I especially love all of the crafty bits and bobs that are used... having said that, I am not in love with the time that's involved with creating one, or with trying to find storage for supplies and finished albums.

As a side, I also am not into documenting every occasion by taking a billion-and-one photos or videos...am I sounding like the worst mother yet??? I have a reason that I am getting to...

I have attended special events, some have been celebrations of my own children, and have witnessed people snapping off photos left and right and actually interfering with the naturalness of what's taking place. It's a real shame that many people cannot enjoy the moment... in the moment. I understand that they want to capture the events; however, a moment in time can be preserved in a few photos just as well as it can be in fifty. I would rather remember something fondly in my thoughts with just one candid photo; rather than looking at a whole mini album and asking myself why I don't remember what happened when it's right there in fifty pictures.... does any of this make sense???

So... the reason for this post... my simple and heartfelt way of documenting special events in my children's lives... an easy craft that requires very few materials and very little skill... and, AND! it requires just moments of your time and very little space!!!!!

I call them our "I love you" jars...

You'll need:
large canning jars with lids
scrapbook paper that has a side that can easily be written on
scissors
pens, pencils, or whatever writing implement you prefer



Essentially what we are doing is cutting out heart shapes from the scrapbook paper and writing an "I love you" on each one, date it, fold it and drop it in the jar. DONE!



So, a sample "I love you" could be... I love the way you run through the house naked after a bath and before getting your pj's on... or, I love that I got to witness your very first steps alone before anyone else... You get the idea. These are just little samples of what I have written in our jars... the ideas are endless...

I guess the point that I was initially making was that I prefer to enjoy the moments as they happen. Yes, i do take pictures, but they themselves are just snapshots in time... I hope you like the craft as much as I do... have fun with it and make it your own ;)