Tag Archives: creativity

A Year of Smiles – Day 318

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Reason to SMILE #318: CREATIVITY

Once upon a time, I was a crafter. I loved to create all kinds of things – cards, picture frames, topiaries, wreaths, Christmas ornaments and more. I would spends hours toiling away on projects intended for gifts or just for fun and I wouldn’t stop working until the project was complete. Oh, how I enjoyed those times!

Alas! Those times were cut short when I began a family. Raising kids takes a lot of time and effort. Who knew? (😉😉 Hahaha!) Priorities change when babies arrive – as they should. Hours spent on crafting became time spent rocking, reading, changing diapers, bathing, playing, cleaning. After all, children come first but…

There’s nothing wrong with encouraging your kids to be creative! Finger paints and crayons may not be your medium of choice but fostering a child’s imagination and ingenuity is a great way to challenge your creative skills. Besides, when your kids are creating, you have time for your projects, too! It’s a win – win for everyone.

It’s been a while since I’ve had time to be creative just for the sake of creating but I decided to make time today. After all, Christmas is coming and my tree needs a few more decorations. I chose an easy project but I gotta tell ya. I’ve truly enjoyed my crafting time today. It put a SMILE on my face and, believe it or not, a peace in my heart.

Wow! I’m lovin’ these pom-pom ornaments I’m making. They look almost as good as the ones I saw at Cracker Barrel! 😉 And saving money by making these myself – well, that’ll put an added sparkle to my SMILE any day!

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A Year of Smiles – Day 214

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Reason to SMILE #214: ROCK PAINTING

Yes. We’ve jumped on the bandwagon. But what a fun and inspirational bandwagon it is! Have you heard about these groups that are organizing to paint rocks, hide rocks and search for rocks in their communities? The idea is to gather up some rocks, decorate them with all sorts of designs, inspirational quotes, etc., hide them around town for people to find and while you’re hiding them, search for rocks other people have hidden. Oh, and if you find a rock, you’re supposed to re-hide it elsewhere. What a neat idea! This has kept many a family busy during the boring summer months. It has also motivated people to get out of their houses and to visit all kinds of local businesses, parks, places of worship and more.

Children everywhere are having mom check the pages of their local Facebook group for clues as to where the rocks are hidden and then pushing parents out the door to race to find these rocks. What joy these rocks are bringing to these kids! But on the flip side, some of these kids are experiencing extreme disappointment upon the discovery that the rock they were seeking has already been found! The good thing is there are many a conscious rock painters watching for posts about disappointed kids and are making it their mission to ensure these kids find a rock. It truly is awesome to watch!

Well, I’m done watching! Tonight, at Kids Central in Albany, GA, we painted about 35 rocks that will be hidden all over our community.  Take a look:

 

 

That’s 35 SMILES we’ll be sharing with our little world!! My only wish – to actually see the faces of the rock seekers who find these crazy rocks!