Thankful Journal

As a teenager, I watched Oprah's show religiously. Years later, I still find myself doing and saying things that I picked up from her episodes. One of my all-time favorite take-aways is this "Thankful Journal". After creating it, the owner takes a few minutes at the end of each day to jot down something great that happened. It's a helpful way to lift spirits and remind us to celebrate even the small things in life.
How we did it:
Materials List
- old magazines
- scissors
- mod podge
- sponge (or paintbrush)
- blank notebook
- markers
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To start, my son, C, and I looked through old magazines to find pictures and words that we liked. Since he is still young, he tore out pages he wanted to save and I cut out the images for him. I love to use parenting magazines for these kinds of art projects because I don't need to worry about censoring them beforehand.
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Then C painted a thin layer of Mod Podge onto the front of the notebook so that the magazine clippings would stay in place.
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We worked together to arrange the pictures. He was most excited about this photo of gummy bears (his hands-down favorite treat) and I loved the family photo we used. Other additions included a picture of our hometown skyline, a few images of C's beloved toys, and several other favorite foods.
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Then C painted a second thin layer of mod podge on top of the pictures to add a glossy finish.
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After waiting 20 minutes for the top coat to dry, our journal was complete. We have been writing daily notes about things we are thankful for ever since. It's a fun way to end each day and I have a strong feeling that this Oprah-inspired project will become a treasured family keepsake.