Encouragement for Moms

Sometimes we need to hear that we are doing well as moms.  You are!  Really!

Have your kids ever done anything to totally embarrass you?  Mine sure have, and honestly, this is only 1 example.  Have a great weekend!

Growth Charts

Hey friends!  We have 8 more days you can place orders for Christmas - and right now we are offering a 20% off sale until the 16th.

For me, I always want to give my kids something meaningful at Christmas.  Toys are great, but within weeks or even days, they end up at the bottom of the toy box never to be seen again.  With teachers I struggle thinking about what to get them because let's be honest, if they get one more coffee cup they may scream and really, another coffee gift card will just get lost among all the others.

Meaningful is special. Meaningful lasts.  Our growth charts are just that! (You like my sales pitch?)

We do custom orders at Keepsake Rulers.  You want a color that we don't have - let us know and we will make it happen!

Here is our chalkboard growth chart.  These are PERFECT for teachers.  Kids love to see their growth over the school year.  And because it's chalkboard, at the end of the year, give it a wipe down and it's fresh and ready for the new class.  MEANINGFUL!

This is our purple ruler (in vintage) which is perfect for the little girl in your life.  My oldest daughter has a fancy Paris room and wants a solid pink or solid white in her room.  Lily, the one in all kinds of crazy in the pic above has the most colorful room on the planet and would love a rainbow ruler.  We are still figuring out the logistics of that one, but when we do, we will post it right away!  MEANINGFUL!

When you support small businesses by purchasing from them all year, but especially at Christmas time, you aren't just buying a product.  You really are helping another family out.  And that is MEANINGFUL!

Have a very merry and meaningful Christmas this year!!!

Multiple Sclerosis

I was 3 - it's one of my most vivid memories.  My mom was laying in bed and I was putting socks on her feet.  That's when she was first told she had MS.  She stopped working when I was 11.  When she was diagnosed there wasn't really any medication, and the medication development came a little late in the game for her.  I remember she started using a cane, then forearm crutches and then a wheelchair.
My babies were one and a half and my newest baby was only 2 months old when Dave was laying in the ER and after 2 MRI's and a spinal tap they diagnosed him with MS.
I hate MS.
I spent quite a while angry at God that growing up with this stupid disease wasn't enough, now my husband had it - and my kids would grow up with it like I did.  Not super empathetic but I heard quite often, "God must have a reason it just keeps coming up in your life."  I didn't care about the reason - I just wanted it gone.
Well, unfortunately it's not going away.  Still no cure.  But over the years I have used my lifetime of exposure to Multiple Sclerosis to help other people newly diagnosed, or partners of people newly diagnosed.  And it seems to give it all purpose.
The Northwest Region of the US has the highest number of MS patients in the country, if not the world.  It's crazy.  And yet, so many people are pretty ignorant to what MS even is.  So, ask questions - please!  I would love to answer any questions you may have...Just leave your questions in the comments section and we will answer them.
MS putting an end to my husband's ability to work also gave life to us starting this business.  It's a heartbeat we have here... Thanks!

Giving Tuesday

After 4 solid days of shopping, crowds and focusing on getting - today is such a breath of fresh air. I love this day.
Slow down.  Focus on others. Be the best version of yourself.
A lot has been going on this last week.  Thanksgiving, sick kids, business, my mom falling and breaking her leg, sick kids, basketball games, ear piercing, sick kids - but today, today I will pause from the busyness of life and focus on blessing others.
A couple years ago a lady was told she had miscarried the precious baby she had been praying for.  As she left the doctor's office she wanted to just make someone's day brighter, despite her day being so bleak.  She donated one of our ruler's to the next person who ordered.  The mom who received it was so blessed - a single mother struggling to make ends meet.  A little over a year later, that lady had a precious baby girl who is just perfect.
Focus on others.
This time of year it's easy to hold on tightly to what we have for our own family's.  But over the last 4 years I have realized when I am generous with what I've been given, the reward for my family is so much greater than money ever is.
Today is the heart of the season.
Slow down.  Focus on others.  Be the best version of yourself.

Thankful Thanksgiving

This was Mother's Day a few years ago.  Our church had set up a picture booth for families. This picture makes me laugh when I look at it.  Sunday mornings are always the HARDEST part of our entire week.  My kids generally throw fits, They wear school uniforms throughout the week, so they get to express their individual style on weekends - and I have just given up the fight.  What you don't see in the picture are Lily's holes in her leggings...Luke's shirt 5 times too big (it's actually an adult size), Emma is wearing a turtle neck with shorts...and me - ya...no time for makeup, hair, or even a shower.  

Thanksgiving break is starting today at 3:30.  Typically, we do a thankful tree every year.  The kids write
things they are thankful for on construction paper leaves, and we place them on branches in a vase.  By Thanksgiving, our tree is full.  But as the years go on and we become busier, I find that sitting down making construction paper leaves doesn't fall really high on the priority list.

But today, at 3:30...it's starting.  I'm getting each kid a journal.  And each day they will write what they are thankful for.  When they argue, I will make them write what they are thankful for about the other person.  When they complain, I will have them write what they are thankful for in their life.  When they ask for something, before I answer them, I will have them write what they are thankful about what they already have.

I look at this picture, and I see a really, really tired mommy who could very easily get lost in how she feels she deserves to look prettier, have more sleep...get a break.  But I also see a happy couple - who despite our trials are strong.  I see 4 children that despite their horrid taste in free dress, are happy and healthy.  I see closeness.  I see love.

And I am thankful.

Rulers, Refugees and Religion

Weird title, huh?

We started making our rulers when my husband was very sick.  He had lost the ability to use his leg and was in severe nerve pain.  For months we had no income.  Not one penny.  I remember praying on my knees in the shower for God to provide for our family.  I had faith, but it was beginning to waver.  That day, from different resources, we miraculously were given over 1500 dollars...from strangers.

It was Christmas time and we would have people show up at our home with presents for our kids, food on our porch, money in Christmas cards from anonymous people - and even once, someone I never had seen showed up with a huge gallon jar full of money and gift cards for groceries.  From that moment, we knew we needed to continue giving to others to remember how grateful we were that God provided for us.

So, for the last 4 years we have donated rulers, money, time to organizations that support kids and families that are hurting.  From families whose child had just been diagnosed with Leukemia, to families who were losing their home and were about to lose everything (including their precious measurements on their door frame.)  We have donated to organizations that help at risk teens to ones who give kids with cancer technology to pass the time while getting treatment.  Generosity has changed our life - we want our generosity to help change others.

Now, the refugee crisis.  My kids were made aware of the problem, that there were thousands and thousands of children who were scared and without homes and warm clothes.  My son quickly made a video with my husband's phone and had me post it to FB to ask my friends to donate and we would ship the stuff over to Greece.  Within days, we had the local paper and the news station at our home and my kids school to interview them.  One month later, our basement was full with donations and a shipping company came forward and shipped everything over to Greece for us for free!  Generosity again.

Kids getting interviewed for the news

I don't have all the answers, but I believe I know the ANSWER.  We believe in Jesus.  We believe he said to love Him and love others.  He didn't set parameters on who others were - just others...which makes me believe He meant everyone.  I know that we have to be cautious (which I believe we are) about who we let into our country - but I know there are kids who are hurting.    And since our family, our business has been greatly impacted by other people's generosity, we need to help.  One of my favorite theologians, Mr. Rogers said, "When I was a boy and I would see scary things on the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping."  I want to be a helper, I want our business to be helpers - I want to raise children who are helpers - who love others.

We celebrated our 4 year business anniversary last week - thank you for supporting our family purchasing almost 5000 rulers!  You have greatly impacted many people from your purchases...we are indebted.

www.keepsakerulers.com

Growing our Business

I'm new to this.
Facebook, Twitter (still don't understand what the point of Twitter is), Instagram, Pinterest, etc.
It's soooo much work - and I'm not quite sure it's yielding any results other than a smaller amount in my bank account.

Any ideas are appreciated.  Really.  I need it.

Thanks!

Melissa