It’s almost Mother’s Day again and that means that the lucky moms among us are likely to receive delightful greeting cards, sentimental gifts, maybe even some handmade tokens of love. And if you’re like me, you’ll have a hard time ever parting with these precious keepsakes.

I used to save EVERYTHING — my own dear mother dubbed me a “pack rat” — especially when it came from my kids! And now that my Ben and Katie are all grown up, these saved memories are especially poignant.

It’s hard to think of anything that means more to us than receiving cards from our children. The beautiful artwork and sentiments touch our hearts, making us feel loved and appreciated.

If you’re as sentimental as I am, you might enjoy re-reading these heartfelt messages more than once through the years. Keeping greeting cards tucked away in a safe place allows us revisit those warm feelings whenever we need to, especially when we’re having a bad day.

Words really do mean everything. They get to the truth of how we feel about the people we love. (If you need help with what to write in a Mother’s Day card for your own mother, you can find some helpful suggestions here.)

In addition to greeting cards, I also saved report cards, photos from every grade in school, art masterpieces, scrapbooks from family vacations, even old Christmas lists the kids made for Santa. And then there are the handmade gift items — crafts made in school, macaroni necklaces, clay pots and trinket boxes.  All of these are such sweet reminders of those days that passed all too fast.

One of my personal favorite mementos is a sticky note I found on my desk many years ago. As a single mom, I had just started my own design business working from a drawing table in the corner of my bedroom. My kids watched me put in long hours juggling family and the demands of my new enterprise. So my daughter, Katie, surprised me with the most thoughtful message!

Katie’s note was a touching reminder for me. A reminder to enjoy each and every day… and not take things too seriously. I taped that note to the front of my planner where it remained for many years.

I still need this same reminder today. I think we all do.

Now that my daughter is a mom herself, she is passing on her thoughtfulness to her 20-month-old son, Sam.  So far, I have received a Christmas reindeer made from Sam’s footprint and a finger-painted Valentine heart. Can’t wait to see what kind of treat Mother’s Day brings! Now that I am a grandmother, I get to start saving treasures from the next generation, too.

Moms, I hope you treasure each keepsake from your kids and every happy memory from the years that fly by too fast!

And as my daughter Katie would remind you, “Relax and enjoy today.”

Happy Mother’s Day!

All My Best,

Kathy

For 28 years, Kathy Davis has been the trusted voice of heartfelt connection. We can always count on her for the right words to offer comfort, share joy and celebrate life’s moments, big and small, which is why she continues to be a great friend and content partner.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, we’ve been thinking about all the ways we celebrate with our family and friends, and how we’re thankful for this special time together. We know some families have anywhere from 5 to 40 people for Thanksgiving dinner, so you can imagine the seating arrangements can get pretty crazy, pretty quickly.

With that in mind, we created a printable, Thanksgiving place-setting collection – including a place card, thankful card, and menu.

Gone are the questions like, “What are we having?” or “Where am I sitting?” Now you’ve got one less thing to think about on the big day. We’ve even created a Word document that’s all set up and ready for you to enter your dinner menu. All you need to do is print, cut and place at each setting… BAM! Done. 🙂

Download your free Thanksgiving printables here: menu, place cards, thankful card. And if you want a little more, we’ve also created a napkin ring and a feather template for some added decoration!

Today’s post from our “Being There Through Infertility” series is focused on the journey that couples go through. Matt and Kristin discuss their story, including how they continue to show up for each other during the many ups and downs of infertility. 

Tell us a little bit about your infertility journey

We were married on June 7, 2014 and after about eight months we decided to try for a family. Because of our age it was recommended by my doctor that we try to conceive naturally for about six months before running tests and possibly seeing a fertility specialist. After six months of trying we decided it was time to go back to the doctor. After running some basic tests she found “nothing to be wrong” and referred us to a specialist.

After more tests I was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and we were told that we would most likely need help trying to conceive. After many months of appointments, medications and procedures we decided to give IVF a shot. Talk about an emotional roller coaster. Some of the thoughts that consumed us during those few short weeks… “We/I can do this.” “We/I can’t do this.” “What side effects will I have?” “Will I get ovarian hyper-stimulation syndrome?” “Will the injections hurt?” “Will I get a blood clot?” “Is it ok to take baby aspirin since it’s an NSAID and I have Crohn’s Disease?”

Once all of our medications came I was extremely nervous mostly about the side effects. Matt read about all of them so he knew what to watch for. This helped with my anxiety. On February 15^th we started the injections. Two each day that Matt administered in my stomach. At first the injections weren’t too bad but I soon learned that some of the medicine burned and my stomach became bruised, bloated, and tender. After five days we added a third injection. We ended up injecting for a total of 12 days before my egg retrieval in which ten mature eggs were retrieved. Recovery from the egg retrieval took about a week and when we got the final call we were told that six of our eggs made it to day five embryos or blastocysts. We were so happy and feeling very blessed.

Our first attempt at a frozen embryo transfer (FET) was cancelled after a month of more injections, birth control, antibiotics and steroids, and estrogen patches due to fluid in my uterus. We were extremely disappointed but trusted God and our doctors. We did not want to risk losing any of our embryos. A month later, on June 3^rd we had our first FET. Our two highest quality embryos were transferred and we found out a week later that it was successful. We were pregnant and due February 19, 2017!

In what ways have you shown up for each other during your journey?

We were both supportive of each other and the decisions we made during our journey. Matt administered my injections so that it was something I did not have to think or worry about. Constantly reminding each other that we were doing the right thing and that, God willing, we would have our miracle baby in the end. Positive and humorous text messages, special dinners and date nights, relaxing together, and flowers throughout the long days of fertility treatments

Did you ever find yourselves in a position where one of you was having a positive day, while the other was experiencing the complete opposite? How did you handle that?

Every time we got a negative result on a pregnancy test Matt was there to provide me with positive thoughts and reassurances that things will work out as they are meant to and that timing is everything. Since I was the one going through the injections and dealing with side effects from medications, it was difficult to stay positive but having him by my side made our journey bearable. When our first FET was cancelled I was very depressed, especially after taking a month’s worth of injections and drugs that really affected my body, and Matt was there to lift me up and help me focus on the positives. He was my rock through all of this.

How has your journey impacted other relationships in your lives?

Our journey has given us a whole new perspective on what is important in life and to not take things or relationships for granted. We have had immense support from family and close friends and couldn’t have done this without them.

What was the most helpful thing someone said or did for you during this journey?

The constant reassurance and prayers from our family and friends that everything would work out the way it was meant to. We would get little notes, cards, flowers, texts, emails, and phone calls from family and friends who were sharing this journey with us and it truly helped lift us up.

What was the least helpful, or even most hurtful?

The sometimes negative stigma attached to IVF. Having some friends react differently than you were hoping.

How did you decide on being so open with your story?

We felt that our story could help others who are going through something similar with infertility and give them hope that miracles can and do happen. I wrote a blog documenting our journey that helped me get through the difficult days and to share with others as well.

Valentine’s Day is coming up on Tuesday, February 14th and to celebrate, we created this free printable Valentine’s Day quote just for you! This free printable artwork is perfect to frame and give as a thoughtful Valentine’s Day gift or display in your home as holiday decor–and a lovely reminder of what’s really important in life!

Download and print this free Valentine’s Day quote PDF HERE to make a lovely gift they can display all year round!

Looking for other great ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Click here for date ideas, sweet treats, crafts and more!

Love this quote? Pin it today!

Would you like to add a little extra flair to your wrapped present, but don’t have a lot of time or extra budget? If so, we have a solution for you! Adding a statement piece that’s truly unique to your gift doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Here at American Greetings, we came up with an easy poinsettia flower embellishment that anyone can create… no special tools or extra skill sets required! Using just a few simple items, you can decorate all of your gifts in no time!

Here’s what you’ll need:

1. Wrapped present
2. Crepe paper
3. Curling ribbon
4. Scissors
5. Double-sided tapeFirst, we’re going to take a shortcut by wrapping the curling ribbon around your gift (both side/side and up/down) and attaching it with double sided tape. This is an amazing trick because it keeps you from having to flip your package around and struggle to tie a tight knot. It also saves time and keeps your ribbon flat on both the front and the back of the package.Next, you take your crepe paper and lay it out about the length of your hand.  Layer it back and forth 8 times. Don’t worry about making them perfectly even, because next you’re going to trim each end anyways.Cut off the excess on each side so that your crepe paper is about 5″ long.To create the flower, take two pieces at a time and pinch the sides together at the middle. Grab two more pieces and do the same thing, adding them next to the first pieces. Continue this with the rest of crepe paper pieces.

   Use the curling ribbon to tie a knot around the crepe paper at the pinched middle and cut off any extra ribbon. Then, cut the ends of the crepe paper into a point to make the petals of the flower.

   

   Next, add the poinsettia to your gift by using double sided tape. Taping the flower onto the package will hold it in place while you trim your petals into the perfect shape.

   

   Lastly, trim your petals into a “V” shape.There you have it – a pretty package that will have people thinking, “That’s so crafty!”

    

   From all of us at American Greetings, happy holidays and happy wrapping!

   Still need some extra help? Watch our full video tutorial below:

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Christmas is just around the corner. And as some kids are asking Santa for the newest toy to leave under the tree, one little 9-year-old girl is asking for something else… Christmas cards! Hailey was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2014 and is currently receiving chemotherapy treatments. This time of year can be especially hard for her, so Hailey and her mom are asking for Christmas cards to help lift her spirits.

Here at American Greetings, we love stories that spread happiness, laughter and love. So we’re hoping you’ll help us fulfill Hailey’s wish this year by joining us in sending her Christmas wishes from around the world and letting this little girl know she is very, very loved!

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EDIT 12/19/16 – Thank you to everyone who signed cards for Hailey. We heard from more than 34 states and 8 countries! The cards will be on the way to Hailey shortly, so that they arrive in time for Christmas!

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Thank you for helping us to make sure that Hailey knows that she is loved by people near and far!

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October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month. This can be an incredibly difficult time for many families, but sometimes the most difficult conversations are the most important ones to be had. It can also be hard to find the right words to say to someone in these circumstances, but offering support, an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on can make all the difference. We’ve invited local mom, and writer, Leslie Froelich, to share her experience with us, including a bit of advice when it comes to knowing what to say, and what not to say during these sensitive times.

For my family, it is painfully ironic that October is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month.

On October 4^th, 2012, we lost our baby girl, Hannah, to complications related to Heterotaxy Syndrome and a severe congenital heart defect. We had three beautiful, but agonizingly difficult, weeks with her before she was taken away from us. Her twin sister, Elizabeth, survived and is healthy and thriving, and we eventually went on to have another daughter, Maggie, who is now two years old.

I would give anything and everything to not be a part of the grieving parent’s club. To have all three of my children with me, laughing and playing together. Literally not a day goes by that I don’t think of Hannah and everything that happened, and it crushes my soul.
We experienced a particularly difficult pregnancy, as Elizabeth and Hannah were diagnosed originally as conjoined twins, and I was told to prepare for miscarriage. While this ended up not being the case, my girls were, unfortunately, an extremely rare and high risk set of twins referred to as Monochorionic-Monoamniotic or ‘Mono-Mono,’ meaning they shared one sac and one placenta. The risk of cord entanglement and death was a possibility at all times. I could never adequately put into words the suffocating anxiety and fear that my husband and I endured throughout my entire pregnancy.

I was eventually put onto hospital bed rest at 27 weeks gestation, for daily fetal monitoring and stress tests. Though I found ways to pass the time and I tried to remain positive, the almost two months I spent at the hospital were some of the darkest days of my life.
I delivered via C-section when Elizabeth and Hannah were at just 33.5 weeks gestation. They weighed less than four pounds each and were immediately whisked away to the NICU, where Elizabeth stayed for a little over three weeks before coming home. Hannah had open heart surgery on October 3^rd, 2012. Ultimately, her body could not support her condition, and she passed away in my arms the morning of October 4^th.

When Hannah died, I descended into hell on earth. My sadness and grief consumed me, and I completely disconnected from Elizabeth. I suffered horrific postpartum depression and anxiety, and it took almost a year of biweekly counseling, along with medication, to finally begin the healing process and start to fall in love with my daughter.

Today, I am better, but I will always feel incomplete and deeply sad over our loss. I will never fully recover from the fact that, instead of bringing two beautiful little girls home from the hospital in car seat carriers, one of my children came home in an urn. The reality of this fact haunts and torments me at all times, but I have to choose to be strong and move forward, for my own wellbeing and that of my family.

Losing a child is said to be the most unnatural thing in the world. Perhaps it is for that reason that so many people struggle with knowing what to say or do when someone they know loses a child, whether that be through miscarriage, still birth or infant loss. In my experience, the most common things people have said to me over the years are: “She is in a better place now;” “Everything happens for a reason;” “God must have had other plans for her;” and “At least you have your other daughters.”

I know that when people make these types of statements, their heart is in the right place and they only have the best of intentions. But I would say that in general, it is best to steer away from these types of comments, especially if you are unsure about a person’s religious beliefs. I myself personally am of the Christian faith, but even then, it still stings when someone infers that your child, whom you would give anything to see and hold, is somehow “better off” not physically here with you.

Leslie and her family honor Hannah’s life every year with a lantern release over Lake Erie.

For that reason, I would say that the safest thing you can say to a parent who has lost a child would be some sort of variation of the following: “I’m so sorry for your loss. Please know that you are thought of often and supported.” Short, simple, and to the point, and virtually no potential for offense.

Another way to show support for someone who has lost a child is by simply acknowledging the child’s existence. Some people think this will cause pain for the parent, but for myself personally, anytime someone mentions Hannah’s name or recognizes that we have three children and not just two, I feel that Hannah is being honored and validated.

It also means a lot to me when people make comments about the pictures of Hannah that we have throughout our home, or when they recognize that September 12^th is not just Elizabeth’s birthday, but Hannah’s as well. Yes, there are painful reminders, but by and large, I find that other grieving parents like myself want to acknowledge our children and find ways to keep their memory alive.

If you know someone who has lost a child, just know that showing your love and sympathy and support, whatever that may look like – whether by giving a much needed hug or shoulder to cry on, or by simply sitting with that that person and being there for them – is always the right thing to do.

Leslie Froelich is a freelance writer and co-founder of a postpartum depression support group in the Cleveland, Ohio area, run through the organization POEM (Perinatal Outreach and Encouragement for Moms). She is a stay at home mom to two daughters, Elizabeth and Maggie, as well as two cats, and has been married to her spouse, Nick, since 2007.