Can you believe we are only 15 days away from Christmas?! If you're still in need of a gift idea, I created a gift card using one of my favorite lip balms that's easy to put together. It makes a wonderful stocking stuffer and gift for teachers, co-workers, babysitters and more. The set of 5 cards come ready for you to add your favorite EOS lip balm (available at Target, Walgreens, and most local drugstores). Just unscrew the balm, center the bottom half under the punched out hole, and screw the lid back on. 

To dress it up, simply place it in a cello bag and tie it off with a ribbon and tag. And because I know how stressful the holidays can be, I have a free Winter Wonderland Gift Tags printable for you in the shop so you have one thing less to worry about. Voila! You have a cute and inexpensive gift ready to go! You can also use the tags for all your gift wrapping needs. Enjoy! 

Hop on over to the shop to grab your set of Jolly EOS Gift Cards today! 

P.S. Don't forget the last day to order a Personalized Holiday Photo Ornament is Monday, December 14th to ensure it arrives before Christmas. Have a great rest of the week friends!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is only a few days away and while I'm looking forward to all the good eats, I'm especially excited to spend more time with family. Usually it starts to get really busy for us right around this time, as I'm sure for most of you, and it's so easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. 

This year, I decided to create a new family tradition that would help us slow down and be more intentional about counting our blessings. Instead of saying a few things we are grateful for in a prayer right before we dig into the turkey and stuffing on Thanksgiving day, my desire is for us to spend more time reflecting on our daily blessings. I created this easy DIY Thanksgiving Pumpkin as our dining table centerpiece to help us do just that. We each take a leaf, write down what we are thankful for that day and share with one another over dinner. This month, we've been taking turns getting sick so we haven't had any guests over, but now that we're all almost back to being healthy again, it would be wonderful to invite our loved ones over and have them participate as well. It's definitely a great way to start the dinner time conversation. Next year, I'd like to start at the beginning of November and make it a month long activity. 

This was a quick and easy project I created using a pumpkin, white paint, paper, craft punch, marker and a sewing pin. I painted the pumpkin with 2 coats of paint (If you do not have time for this, leave it unpainted and it'll work just fine. On the other hand, if you want to make it more decorative, go nuts!), wrote the word "thankful" with a gold sharpie and punched out some leaves using a craft punch. If you do not have a leaf punch handy, just cut out basic leaf shapes. 

I then gathered all the paper leaves and pinned it down at top of the pumpkin with a sewing pin. If you have little ones and don't feel safe using a pin, you can punch a hole through the leaves, string it though a ribbon and tie it on the stem instead. For the finishing touch, I placed it on a gold platter and added some decorative elements. When it's done, simply tear off each leaf and start filling out your daily blessings and watch them pile up. If you have children who can't write just yet, ask them what they are thankful and fill it out for them. You'll be pleasantly surprise to hear what they have to say. When we first asked our two year old, she said "mama & dada" and, of course, our hearts melted. At the end of the month, I plan to lay out the leaves and snap a picture for keepsakes. If you're a scrapbooker, you can sprinkle the leaves throughout the pages alongside your Thanksgiving photos.

I understand time is very limited for many of you so I created a FREE printable with the same concept in mind. Once it starts filling up, print off another and continue to count your blessings. When you're all done, you can save the sheets for your memory books or file it away somewhere. Head over to the shop for your FREE 8.5x11 Thanksgiving Pumpkin Printable. 

If you plan to create a Thanksgiving Pumpkin of your own, tag us on Instagram (@designsbyyu) or Facebook (Designs by Yu) using hashtag #dbythanksgivingpumpkin so we can see your creation. What are some Thanksgiving traditions you have in place or would like to start? Would love to hear them down below in the comments. 

We have many friends who have recently moved, in the process of moving, or on the hunt for their home sweet home. Life is busier than ever and in order to stay organized and sane, I try to have a stash of stationery ready to go at a moment's notice. I got around to creating some housewarming gift tags ready to be attached to a pot of flowers, some baked goods or a wrapped gift. Thought you might like to have these handy in your stationery arsenal as well for when the occasion arises to congratulate your loved ones on their new home. Grab your FREE printable "Home Is Where the Heart Is" gift tags right here. 

I get it, life is hectic and we've got a million things on our to do list. Most of us barely have time to reply to emails, let alone sit down with our kids to write a thank you card but the simple act of doing this will not only have an impact on the recipient but your child as well. Children who are grateful tend to do better in school, complain less and are generally more satisfied with their life. It also teaches them empathy and compassion. 

While it's nice to receive a thank you sentiment whether verbally or in written form, the giver should never expect it in return for something done out of kindness. However, it sure makes a difference when gratitude is shown. We've always made sure to teach our baby girl to sign or say thank you when someone shows her kindness. And writing thank you cards, though she may not understand it completely at this stage, is something we feel is important to get her in the habit of doing regardless of how old she is. It is never too early to teach your child about generosity and appreciating the kindness of others.

While there are many ways to help children live a life of gratitude, I am just going to touch on sending handwritten thank you notes in this post. At this age, our 2 year old obviously can't write the note herself but she does sign her name with some help and adds her own little touch whether that be applying stickers, making a mark with a rubber stamp, tracing her hand (one of her favs), and/or coloring on the card. We also take the time to explain to her when she's signing each card who it is for and what we're thanking them for so it's not just another piece of paper she is doodling on. If it is a tangible gift, we take it out as a visual reminder and say, for example, "We are thanking grandma and grandpa for these books with this thank you card." When possible, we have her hand deliver the cards so she understands what happens to them after it's signed and sealed and, of course, it makes it a little more special for the recipient.

Albeit it takes a bit of time on our part as parents to do all this, it is one of the best gifts you can give your child. By setting good habits and role modeling appreciativeness towards others, you not only help them cultivate an attitude of gratitude but they will begin to see what a blessing it is to those on the receiving end. 

What are some ways you teach your child(ren) to show gratitude in their daily lives? 

Want a free thank you card printable to get you started on showing your appreciation?  Simply sign up for our mailing list located on the upper right-hand corner of our site and an instant download will be sent to you. If you are already a subscriber but did not receive your free printable, simply leave a comment and include the email address you subscribed with in the designated field (note, your email will only be visible to us) and we'll send one right over to you.