Preserve love while the kids are young.

Note: While this advice seems to be aimed at Moms, it works just as well for Dads too! :)

Materials Needed:

• baby food jars or small preserves jars
• craft materials (glue, glitter, buttons, fingerpaints)
• small squares of colored paper (approx. 2x2 inches). Make your own or purchase at office supply store.
• lots of love

As a fun weekend project, get together with your kids and make "jars of love."  Take old babyfood jars or containers or small jelly jars (used for canning preserves) and let the kids paint them and decorate.  You can let them paint with fingerpaints, or glue on buttons, feathers, and glitter.  It is important that during the decorating phase of this project, you help each child in one or more aspects of creating their own unique jar.  (this gives them the memory that "mommy and I" made this.) On the lid of each jar, write an inscription in your handwriting, like "To [child's name], from Mommy with Love." 

While the kids are busy finishing decorating the jars, take the scraps of paper and write several little notes of love, upliftment, encouragement and adoration to each of them. If you are a creative parent, you can write small poems or musings personally to your child.  Fold each square sheet of paper several times to conceal the message and put them to the side (make sure if you have more than one child, that the notes don't get mixed up.)  When the kids have finished decorating the jars put them to the side to dry and go on to another activity.  Once the jars have dried (which depends on the amount and type of materials used to decorate them.) Place the notes you have written inside the jar until it is full and put the lid on it.   Present the jars back to the children with a tag with the following instructions (this poem is writtnen by me; feel free to write your own or use this one.)

Instructions: 

Whenever you’re down or feeling blue,                                                                                                                                                                   know that my heart is always with you.                                                                                                                                                                           This Jar of Love will be right there,                                                                                                                                                                                 to show how much your Mommy cares.                                                                                                                                                                       So if you need something to keep you on track,                                                                                                                                                       grab some love, read it, and put it back.

 Note: This is a good gift for children, spouses, parents, and any loved one.