Create a notebook of memories to treasure for a lifetime by taking turns writing letters back & forth with your child! Download and print the FREE Mama & Me journal labels today!
What exactly is a “Mama & Me” journal? Well, it is basically a journal that I share with my daughter. We write letters back and forth to each other, kind of like being pen pals (without the envelopes & stamps). My hope is that these seemingly simple letters to one another will become a book of memories to treasure for a lifetime! And, of course I created a printable for it!
I wanted to make the journal look special, so made this cute little label for the notebook. In case you want to make one similar to ours, here is what I used.
Suggested Supplies to Create Journal:
- composition notebook
- fun scrapbook paper
- clear contact paper
- the “Mama & Me” label – choose from either pink or purple (Download instructions are below)
How to Make the Mama & Me Journal:
- Print the label and cut it down to the desired size to form a pretty border.
- Cut the scrapbook paper a bit larger than the label.
- Layer the papers and glue them onto the notebook.
Easier Option: You could just print the label onto sticker paper and then just stick it to the notebook.
In hopes of keeping the label intact, I put clear contact paper over the entire front of the notebook (except for the black binding that you see in the photo) and then I trimmed all the excess contact paper from around the edges.
And, that was it!
Guess what? She LOVED it!
My daughter was SUPER excited when she found the journal on her bed! It is a great way for me to “see” into the mind of my little princess! Plus, since we are the only females in the family, it is a fun way for us to bond!
Oh, and I can’t forget to mention that it’s a sneaky little way to add in some extra work on writing and penmanship! The educator in me LOVES that!
But, I cannot take all the credit for this super fun idea! I got the idea from Erica at Confessions of a Homeschooler, who got the idea from another blogger! I even followed Erica’s lead with my intro letter, which reads:
Dear Daughter,
Would you like to be my pen pal? Instead of mailing letters to each other, we can keep them here in this notebook. Does that sound like fun?
I will write to you and then leave the notebook on your bed. Then, when you want to write me back you can begin writing on the next page and leave the notebook on my bed when you are done.
You can write about anything! It can be funny or serious! Just write about whatever is on your mind! 🙂
I am so excited and I hope that you are excited too!
Love,
Mom
P.S. Write back soon! 🙂
Got boys? No problem!
Now, I know that these labels look a little girly! Don’t get me wrong, I do hope that my boys will want to do this at some point as well. I have even made their labels, though I have yet to put it together on notebooks for them. I figure I have at least another year or so, who knows?!?!?
I will be sharing the boyish Mama & Me labels later this month! Stay tuned!
Download the FREE Mama & Me Labels:
Ready to download and print these FREE printable Mama & Me journal labels so that you can create a keepsake notebook for you and your child?
Go to my special download page for the Mama & Me Journal Labels to access the pdf file.
DOWNLOAD THE PRINTABLE MAMA & ME LABELS FROM HERE
*Clicking the button above will take you to the special download page for the FREE Mama & Me journal labels.
This post was originally published on November 6, 2010.
