Writing Letters to My Babies | GIVEAWAY In Blue Handmade

I love journals. I have always been a writer, if you define a “writer” as “someone who enjoys writing and does it a lot”, or “someone who can’t adequately think through anything without writing about it”. I am grateful to have the journal I was writing in as I came into what I believe was a truly personal relationship with Jesus in 2010. I also have my first journals from the second grade (Rugrats themed), notebooks all throughout highschool and college days (embarrassing), and most precious to me: a journal in which I began to write letters to my future husband, a couple years before Kip came along. I presented it to him during our first look on our wedding day. Throughout our marriage I have continued to add new notes now and then, and I hope it is something our kids will find one day after we’re gone, and they can laugh and be embarrassed and weirded out by it.

So, when one Mother’s Day, Kip so thoughtfully gifted me an Etsy gift card, you would think I would know exactly what to get. I felt indecisive and overwhelmed by all the beautiful handmade Etsy wonder, and was about to purchase something ridiculous until I stumbled upon In Blue Handmade. They practically made my decision for me. How I had I not thought of it before? Duh, gimme all the beautiful handmade leather journals! All uh dem.

I was ecstatic to buy one for each of my children and began writing to them whenever a thought came to mind: things I want them to learn, lessons they’ve taught me, Scriptures I pray over them, and notes of my love for them. I plan to write in them as they grow up, and gift them to them when they are young adults, though I’m not certain exactly when. My desire is that they are able to look back over their 2 decades in our home and will be assured of the deepest love I have for them, and that maybe as adults they might see me as I once was, and how my heart for them grows every single day.

I’ve been writing in these for almost a year and a half, and I am still in love with them. I sent the shop owners of In Blue Handmade a message, letting them know how much I loved their product, and asked if they would consider giving away a journal to one of my readers. I am so grateful to say that they said “yes!” and I am ecstatic to see one of y’all receive one of these journals ($28 value). (P.S. Anyone can enter! You don’t have to be a mom, and you can obviously use it however you want. Just throwin’ that out there. ;))

{Update: the winner of the giveaway, chosen by random drawing, is… Kelley Jumper! Wahoo! 🙂 Kelley, please email me at realsmalllifeblog@gmail.com so we can get you your journal. 🙂 Thanks to everyone who entered, and to In Blue Handmade for sponsoring! xoxo}

To enter the giveaway, we’re keeping it simple! You must do the following three things to be officially entered:
1. Like In Blue Handmade on Facebook,
2. Like Real Small Life Blog on Facebook,

 -OR-

1. Follow @inbluehandmade and
2. Follow @realsmalllife on Instagram, and

3. Comment here when you’ve done those things, to let me know you’ve entered! (One entry per person, either via Facebook + comment below, or Insta + comment below! Capeesh?)

That’s it! The giveaway is open for one week, Monday, July 20th through Monday, July 27th. Yay! May the odds be ever in your favor. 😉

Love,
H