A children’s song says, “If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands . . .”

Well, I say, “If you’re happy and you know it, create a happiness book!”

What is a happiness book? I’m glad you asked.  I’m going to give you the basic idea and then I want you to personalize it.  Make it fit with the grandchildren you have.  Make it fit your circumstances.

The basic idea is to create a book of things that make you and your grandchildren happy.  For instance, everyday for a week or month (or once a week for a year or whatever time frame you select) write down an experience that you had that day that has made you happy.  Or, write down something that you are grateful for.  Write about people you are grateful for and why.  Write about the fun things that you did that day.  Write about the simple pleasures in life.

Where applicable, include photos.  For example, if your grandson was grateful for his puppy, include a photo of him playing with his puppy alongside his comment about why he is grateful for his puppy.  If there is a beautiful sunset, grab your camera, snap a picture, and write how the sunset brought a moment of happiness into your life.  Or, instead of including photographs, have your grandchild simply draw something that goes along with her happiness entry.  If your grandchild is very young and if you live near your grandchild, you could get together once a week to help her create her weekly entry for the book.

After you and your grandchild (or grandchildren) have written an entry for the specified length of time (e.g. once a week for a year), turn your entries and photos into a book.  Blurb.com is an excellent site that helps you create and print up your book.  They have free and easy to use software that is compatible both for Mac and PC computers.  (This will help you with your New Year’s Resolution to improve your technology skills!)

If you don’t want to do anything digital, you might want to purchase a blank book or a spiral notebook to put your happiness entries in.  Here are some ideas of things you could include in your happiness book:

• eating an ice cream
• reading a book together
• having a sleep over at Grandma’s house
• laying on the lawn and watching the clouds go by
• feeding the ducks at a local park
• eating cake on your birthday
• running through the sprinklers
• eating watermelon
• going to the movies

(Why do my ideas seem to be summertime ideas???  Is it because this 10 degree Fahrenheit weather makes me yearn for warmer times??)

Your happiness book will be a keepsake that you and your grandchild will want to read over and over to remember the things that brought you happiness during a slice of your life together.  Make it as simple or as elaborate as you want.  The main purpose is to find joy in your journey through life, to save it, and then savor it.

Digi-Gram
Grandma Ideas.com Grandparents having fun with grandchildren

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