I’m excited for today’s project-once again! I hope you are all stock piling the amazing projects and gift ideas! What is there to NOT be excited about. I think we all love a dose of daily inspiration rigth?
Today’s peek is from Pam Imholz!
Here is what Pam had to say:
Lauren’s newest Pucker Up is one template that will quickly go on your must have list. Goes together easy-peasy, especially if you let the fabulous designer papers do part of the work for you 🙂
Be sure you stop by and see what Pam has to share!
Now it is my turn!
This is a very special gift for my son Noah.
(sorry I didn’t get a photo of it inside. I had I all could do for my son to let me have it long enough to photograph!)
I used the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions © stamp set/digital set, and Boxed Lunch © template with the Lunch Box Cover © and some other Pretty Printables © digital paper!
I wanted to do something special to let him know how proud I am of him and that I think he is SUPER just the way he is!
The part in orange is WHY I am giving this to him. It is family related, so feel free to move past it if you wish to hear solely about the project.
I can tell you that my son Noah has had some medical issues the last few months. I contemplated sharing this but maybe some of you can relate! He began “ticking” around Christmas (come to find out it has been longer just not in such an obvious manner). It is anxiety/stress related. He begins blinking repeatedly. Sometimes to a point where you wonder if he can even SEE! This was very upsetting for me to witness and all I wanted to was to help Noah.
We have been working with neurologists, our pediatrician and the school to help him develope more confidence and coping straegies for any stressful situations and to build his confidence (another reason for our garden!) I honestly didn’t want to just throw him on some pills, but teach him HOW to deal with his feelings, and learn it is OK to get upset. The use of stress balls have REALLY helped!! We have also started him with s pecail counselor to help him with anxiety reducing strategies, games and confidence builders. Also ways to work out what stresses him out and why, and to help him realize “it’s OK to make mistakes”. While I’m not sure WHERE all the low confidence and need for perfection came in to play, as we are very encouraging parents, we are doing our best to help alleviate these feelings for Noah.
He has some areas where he feels he needs to be perfect, and that holds him back. He doesn’t like to make mistakes and this affects him DAILY. He like to always be the best at everything (wondering where he gets this from! LOL!). A lot for a little kid to take on. I often wonder how much our family situation with Alexa getting cancer, played into this. He had to become the “big boy” and care for his sisters. I was often SO focused on Alexa (even before the cancer) and her future that he somehow slipped through the cracks. That is a lot of guilt for another day, let me tell you! With Amber I had more time because the other 2 were in school, so she seems to excel in every aspect (see another reason I feel guilty about Noah!) I wasn’t home for like 9 months when Alexa got sick, so I missed a lot with him. AHHH! Anyway, I am doing everything I can to help Noah deal with daily feelings he has. Since he is aware of the ticking, as are his teachers it is easy for him and us to know he is getting upset and he needs to do something to help himself (or we help him work it out). He always received lots of praise and encouragement but he needs a little bit more these days. He is doing MUCH better than he was around the holidays since we figured all this out. Noah has many of the same issues myself and my mother’s side has with needing things a certain way and whatnot so I understand how he feels. It is quite possible he will outgrow this, and as I said as he get more comfortable with dealing with things, it has already significantly decreased! I hope to continue this journey “med free”. It is working so far. Granted it is “work” but that is part of being parents right 😀 He is working hard and I couldn’t be prouder of him.
Please note: I want people to know I personally have nothing against medication. I think these things vary case by case and family to family. I am just sharing what we are personally experiencing and trying. Each person needs to do what is best for thier own family. If we found that is what Noah needed to help him then we would do that. So far we are able to be helped without it.
One thing Noah LOVES is music! He is forever singing! So as a gift for all his hard work, in all aspects of his life, I bought him a MP3 Player, and we included a card to get some music for him to download! I thought this could be an additional fun way to de-stress for him too!
Now back to the gift set….
Reach for the stars
How cute is this?
I made my 3D version of Boxed Lunch © to match the stamped version of the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions © on my card!
With the release of the Boxed Lunch ©, many of you saw my girly rainbow one, and many pondered if the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions © stamp set and Boxed Lunch © template would favor a gift for a boy. Well I hope this gift I made opens the flood gates of possibilities and ideas! (I will have another masculine sample soon too :D)
I used the heart version of the Lunch Box Covers © for my front panel! I had “cut out the heart, then layered the star on instead! I used the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions © Digital set to make my Super! Star center image! (digitally colored too!)I was able to layer it on no problem. I printed the star twice, so I could have it be 3D! I then layered some additional papers to the panels to tie it into my card design.
I stampes the sentiment: Reach for the stars from the Lunch Box Love Notes Additions © set.
My template base was created using Rain Drop cardstock.
For my lid I printed the Alphabet Soup Collection 1, then created the lid! I printed a notepad piece of paper for the decorative layer on the lid and another of the decorative panel too! It is SO fun and easy peasy!
Now there are perfect cardstock handle pieces that come with this, but I wanted to share some options, so for this I just used some ribbon and brads!
The large button had a graph like pattern that is in my designer paper too! A perfect match! So I added that to appear to be my “closure”. This template stays closed on its own, but it is so fun to add stuff!
Now for the card
All the same papers and elements!
I used the Lunch Box Love Notes & Additions © on my card 😀 I so love this set! I layered the cut lunchbox onto the panel of cardstock strips. The cover again is the heart from the set. I stamped the star image, cut it out, and layered it over the heart! So I was able to use the pattern, but not have to use the actual heart image.
I love the notepad paper. The sentiment reads: I’m so proud of you! Sorry it got washed out by the lighting
I just love that! This is a great boy themed card/gift set.
This is a set I will turn to over and over all year long!
Supplies:
Pretty Packaging © template – Boxed Lunch
Pretty Impressions © Stamps- Lunch Box Love Notes © & Additions (scrylic & digital)
Pretty Printables © Digital Paper- Lunch Box Cover, Alphabet Soup 1 & 2, Get Graphic Collection 2, and School Ruled
Cardstock by Couture Cardstock: OSW White, Apple Cider, Acorn Squash, and Rain Drop
Ink: Momento/Sei
Buttons & stick pins by SEI, Ribbon by May Arts, Copic Markers, Stapler
Once again thank you for stopping by.
There is still more to come (I know! Can you believe it?), and you won’t want to miss anything! So come back tomorrow for even more gift/card ideas 😀
47 Responses for "For a Super Star Son"
Wonderful project for Noah, Lauren. So crisp and clean. So sorry he’s having challenges but you are such a devoted Mom that I know you’ll help him through this.
keep up the good work you are a fine mother and parent you are doing the best you can and that is what matters- you amaze me with your dedication to both your family and your business
This project is just as cute as it can be! I love the notebook paper and staple details–too cute!
Lauren, my 9yo daughter has issues similiar to Noah and she’s been in counseling for a few months to learn coping strategies, anger management, etc. She wants things a certain way and gets extremely frustrated about it and has mood swings. She is afraid of things sometimes that she should not be afraid of…like playing in the backyard by herself. She has ticks also–it started out with her neck and when that disappeared a verbal tick appeared. The verbal tick went away and we’re seeing the neck thing again. The tick gets worse when she’s upset or excited. We’re hoping we can continue to be medication free for her. I wish your family well!
Lauren I LOVE what you did with my paper!!!! I can’t believe how good it looks on the card and the lunch box too! THANK YOU!!!!
Lauren – Absolutely ♥ love ♥ the project you made for Noah. It’s perfect! I’m sorry for the issues you and Noah have been dealing with. You are such a good mom and with that I know he’s going to be just fine. His personality is so similar to my oldest.
Big hugs to you all….
Love ya,
Renee
Such a wonderful creation for sweet Noah.. no doubt he will love it! I hope you continue to find ways to de-stress him.. music can be so relaxing so I hope this helps!!
Lauren your gift box for Noah is super cute!!! I bet he loved it all!!! Hang in there GF….life is full of up and downs!!! I command you for grabbing the bull by it’s horns and got Noah some help. Just being understanding and working with him will help him immensely!!! Big hugs to you and your family!!! ~Silke~
Lauren, your gift and card for Noah is wonderful! I’m sure he absolutely loved it! I love your approach on his “ticks.” My son also suffers from these. His are a form of Tourettes often caused by the medication he is on for his ADD. We are working on the same things for my son too, regarding his handing of stressful things. My son is much like Noah and loves things to be perfect and puts high expectations on himself. We work with him constantly on this. Good luck to you and your little guy. He’s very lucky to have such a sweet set of parents! -Karen
I LOVE this project that you made for Noah!!! I’m sure he loved it!!! Hope the music helps him de-stress. He is so blessed to have the support and love of you and your family!!! Good luck to him!!!
We often wonder what if? It sounds to me like you did what was best and there is only so much of yourself to share out. The most you can do is everything you are already doing to help Noah. I’m so glad you have crafting to relieve some stress. I wish Noah well and that’s great he’s getting through it without medication.
I love your project, Noah is one lucky boy to have such a talented, loving Mom.
Stay strong and thanks for the amazing inspiration as always.
Katie xx
What a perfect gift for Noah! This shows how versatile the templates are and how gorgeous these papers look! Perfect embellishments too…love the ribbon for the handle! 🙂
My heart goes out to you and Noah both! I pray God gives you the strength to help him through this frustrating time. You have sooo much on your plate…just know you are not alone.
Hugs~
What a sweet project for your son, I’m sure it made him feel very special. Just wanted to say that I can understand what your son may be feeling – I grew up with two brothers with autism, and because my parents spent so much time worrying about my brothers, I spent a lot of time as a kid worrying about making sure I did everything “right” and didn’t cause them any problems! I still have a little of this perfectionist streak today. Having a sibling with special needs, illness or otherwise is just as tough for the siblings as it is for the parents. Kudos to you as parents for recognising your son’s needs and worries and addressing them.
I love how you’ve made the box special. You have such a great family, and I’m sure that what you are doing for Noah will help a lot. As he matures and experiences more, I think things will become easier for him. The world can seem a scary place when you’re young.
Lauren, what a great gift for Noah, and of course the presentation is gorgeous! He is very lucky to have you as caring parents and want to help make life easier for him. We all deal with stress differently. Prayers for him that he will learn to cope and things get smoother for him!
I love this project Lauren and what a sweet gift for your little guy. I constantly have to remind myself how little my son still is, even at 6…he needs more encouragement and support than he will as a teen. I am sure this is not an easy thing for you or your hubby but you are such a phenomenal mother and he is so lucky to have you supporting him. Hugs to you and to Noah!
Lauren, you certainly have been facing many challenges lately and doing it admirably. You are a wonderful mother and daughter and I wish you all the best. I’m sure Noah will use these traits he shares with his mom to conquer his anxieties and stress so that he can experience all the joy life has to offer. Hugs to Noah!!
What a perfect gift to Noah presented in the most perfect packaging and greeting! Love it!!
Lauren what an adorable project! I know Noah loved it! Music is a great tool for stress reduction too. We will keep you and your family in our prayers. Noah is very lucky to have parents that love him and are walking beside him in this journey. Blessings
It is hard for siblings of disabled kids (even more when there is a major medical issue) to have high confidence and not be stressed out, or even sometimes feel guilty that they are normal!!… We’ve had some issue with Naomi too because of Noah’s autism. I am personally not against meds either but I see them as last resort!! We have been told Noah is depressed and we should try anti-depressants! well he’s only 7 so for now we are doing everything we can to “fix” it woithout the meds, with special attention and hard work from us (mom even closed her facebook page to have more time in her day, LOL).
This is a wonderful gift set for your son! 😀 We found that music was a great way for Naomi to relax too.
I’m sure that with time this things will ease up greatly for (your ;-)) Noah. But how can he not want to be perfect with the crazy multitasking Mom he has!! (don’t mean this in a bad way obviously!! ;-))… He will be fine with parents like you and Jason. ((hugs))
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart that you shared Noah’s story. I am glad that you found so many people to help him. Ii touched my heart as a parent to know that all the time we give our kids is worth every minute.
Sorry life is giving you such a tough hand – stress is difficult to deal with and articulate as an adult – must be even tougher on a kid. Noah looks such a lovely boy – he will break a few girls hearts in the future I am sure. For now though he has his Mothers love and I am hoping this will see him through this difficult patch – I am sure it will. You also need to be less tough on yourself! I love this gift set for him – really cool!
Lauren,
I feel so badly that your son is going thru this. God blessed him with loving parents who would do anything for him, I can tell.
Tough stuff to deal with, and a tough decision on whether or not to share on the blog, I’m sure. I for one, am glad you did. It’s good for you, and it’s good for someone else who might be going thru the same stuff!
Please, please try to be easy on yourself. Your son , your Mom, all your family needs you now more than anything!
So don’t try to push yourself too hard, OK?
Take care!
Thank you for sharingNoah’s story. I am going through similar things now with my 12 year old. But he is not aware when the ticks happen!! but he also strives for perfection in all aspects of his life, he did not get that one from me :-)… I am going to talk to his counsler about some of this!!
you are a wonderful role model for all us!
Thank you….
Dear Lauren, You have been carrying a load haven’t you, the gift set is fabulous!!! I am sure Noah will love it. Am thinking of you and your family.
Love Rene from OZ xo
Great set, love the colors and the use of the little details…buttons etc.
Good luck with Noah’s therapy, and try some new age music to destress after school and before going to sleep. I highly recommend:
Douglas Spotted Eagle (lots of indian drums and flute…my favorite is “closer to far away”)
Vangelis
Andreas Vollenweider (fav…”Down to the moon”)
and there are some celtic ones also My fav…”fairies of The Night Woods”
Wishing you all well
Susan
Lauren,
What a cute set!!! Sorry to hear of Noah’s struggles!!! Please don’t blame yourself! You needed to focus on Alexa and you did! Just as now you are focusing on Noah!! He wouldn’t want you to feel like this!!! You do the best you can!!! You are a wonderful mother!! Thanks for sharing your stories, knowing they are helping someone!!
Happy Mother’s Day!!!
Lauren, it’s perfect! So happy that Noah is finding his way through this and music sounds like a wonderful idea :0) HUGS!
My son has some tics as well. He actually started years ago and I just didn’t know what it was. He is 10 and has had them since he was about 5. He will blink, clear his throat, pull his shirt, and others. They always seem to come in the winter when he always goes through growth spurts. I choose not to medicate him either. I don’t believe in medicating problems. It doesn’t fix the problem just mask it. The kids seem to ignore them and it doesn’t bother him. He also will make noises, not animal…just noises. That can sometimes be very annoying to my husband and I. We just try to ignore it and not bring attention to it. I wish you all the luck with your son. Nobody knows what is best for him than you. I am sure you will make the best choice for him. 🙂
GOOD
I can somewhat relate. We only found out 4 years ago that my youngest son was autistic. (He just turned 23 and we were always told that he just had separation anxiety issues.)
We will be praying for Noah and your family. I LOVE your creations! Thanks for sharing.
super cute project… and try not to blame yourself for Noah;s issues…. I am a working mother of four and they are all about grown now but totally understand the whole trying so hard to help one the others may get overlooked.
But as parents we do the best we can and focus on the problems at hand one at a time… I am so proud of you for trying to handle this drug free… I also think that sometimes medication is needed but so often it is used as a crutch and covers up the issues instead of fixing the problem… Keep doing what your doing and he will benifit from it… May God Bless you and your family and I will keep you all in my prayers.
Lauren sorry to hear about Noah. I have a similar condition where I blink, blink, blink. That is caused from dry eye syndrome. But even worse and most people have both is a condition called blepharospasms. That is where the eyes involantarily close for a few seconds to sometimes longer and very tight. There is treatment for that but VERY difficult to diagnose sometimes. You might want to look up the condition to see if maybe any of those symptoms are what Noah does.
Your projects are absolutly gorgeous. You amaze me!!
Ahh…Mother’s Guilt. We all are way too familiar with that monster! My son Anthony was diagnosed with selective mutisium and it is an anxiety issue also. He would not speak to people outside his close family members. (not even friends or teacher in school) We were lucky to find the leading expert in this field at Children’s Hosp. in Milwaukee. By half way through his second year in school he began to finally be able to comunicate at school. Hang in there! Happy Mother’s Day!
Hi Lauren, Is Noah gifted? A lot of gifted children get frustrated when they cannot do everything perfect. As a former teacher I can tell you that quite often they do this to themselves. It may help for you and your husband to model dealing with failure. Ex. If you burn the cookies VERBALLY express forgiving yourself. Children pick up attitudes of those around them without you saying anything. My son had a small tick and it only lasted a few months. Hopefully Noah’s will go away soon. God Bless you and your family. My thoughts and prayers are with you.
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