Product Review:  Made by Me™ Time Capsule (Age 5+)

Create Your Own Time Capsule!

Brace Yourself for My LONGEST Review Yet for my ONE YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY and my hiatus announcement!

The Made by Me Time Capsule is a great way for your child to capture their memories to reveal at a time in the distant future to remember their past.  I’m using this product a little differently than intended because I will be the one that will be putting together this time capsule from the past year to include my year-long Momma’s Bacon blog posts.  I want my daughter, Brooke, to open this time capsule when she graduates and I am excited to give her a piece of our history as a *ahem* blog ‘guinea pig’ when she was a toddler and preschooler.  I am also planning to purchase one for her to do when she gets a little older to put together before she enters high school, and for now we are modifying it so that it works for us from our blog year together.  So excited!  I love all the little stickers and suggestions to make this an exciting and adorable time capsule for those like me who like a little guidance in crafts.  I am very happy with the passport book and picture frame and even got some input into Brooke on treasure map designs and some questions and pictures for her to draw.  It is a lovely and perfect way to end 2012.

Made by Me Time Capsule Includes:

• Plastic capsule
• Passport book
• Picture frame
• 4 markers
• 2 sticker sheets
• Treasure map
• 7 printed sheets, 5″ x 7″
• Mini keepsake bottle with rubber top
• Easy-to-follow instructions

The One Year Time Capsule a la Momma’s Bacon is dedicated to my sweet daughter Brooke.  Wow!  Has it been a year already?

Now, a special letter to my daughter so divert your eyes for a moment:

Dear Brooke,

As I wind down to my last entry in my one-year-long 2012 New Year’s Resolution of my Momma’s Bacon blog in many ways I wrote, sometimes flowing and sometimes painstakingly, over the year but always with the thought of you in the back of my mind.  I wanted you, my child, more than anything I have ever wanted in my life.  My journey into motherhood was something I tackled like most things in life; with over-planning and anxiety.  Luckily, I learned early on parenting is not an exact science, it is a blessing bestowed upon those who want (and can) do it with humbleness and being open-minded AND with as much patience as possible to give your child the gift of self-confidence and understanding that they can can someday pass on to their own families.  I may miss that mark of this high standard frequently, but I will always try and do better each and every day by respecting and guiding you in a thoughtful manner.

I plan to print this blog into a hardcover book (I just need to figure out how first…) for you to enjoy when you are older and I hope you get a sense of the love your daddy and I have for you through this interesting product review blog with you as somewhat of a test subject.  This blog is not just for (or about) our family, it is hopefully for all families that have the same mission of creating a positive family life of togetherness and empowerment for their kids to pass on to the next generation.  I want to leave a few parting words for you, my dear sweet child, because I hope that you will one day appreciate them and know they come straight from my heart directly to yours.

Be and Love Yourself.  I started writing this blog on the anniversary of my miscarriage of your younger sibling coupled by a few personal difficult journeys that culminated all at once.  The pain and guilt I felt at that moment was in deep contrast to the love that I felt for you and Daddy and I wanted to celebrate your life and OUR LIVES and wanted us to feel empowered in our own journey.  I never want you to feel that you are never good enough, smart enough, pretty enough or worthy enough for life; because YOU ARE ALL THAT AND MORE.  There will always be others out there will different talents and competencies that are stronger suited so just be you and let the things you do shine well through and just press forward with any struggles to be better and I firmly believe things will be fine.  At the end of the day, you have a family who loves you and we ALL want you to love yourself.  We will get you as far as we can go in your journey, but honey, loving yourself comes from within and if you don’t have that, tell us and we will help you in any way we possibly can because WE LOVE YOU and WANT YOU TO SUCCEED.

Forgive Your Momma (I am totally ripping this one off my blogger friend, Amanda, from her Keep It Complicated Blog). I am just a human who is trying to raise you the best way I know how without much more knowledge than from some parenting and educational books and a severe love for you I cannot even begin to express with words.  I have done some things right, but most things I wish I could have done (and will want to do) better but I did it all in the best way I knew how.  One day I do hope you will want to share in that beautiful gift of having a baby of your own (but, hey, it’s totally fine if you decide not to do that) and you will understand for the first time how much your momma has loved you and took care of you during those all nighters with a little one who can’t seem to get to sleep. And then you will (hopefully) forgive me for all perceived wrongs I have done to you in your life.  Quoting from Amanda, “Practice for that day, now, Brooke. Pretty please.”

Need Me Less But Want Me More. I want to give you wings to fly.  I want you to feel independent and empowered.  And…I want you to want me be your mom and come to me if you ever need advice, a helping hand or just someone who will listen to you.  I promise to always be there and will see you through all the good and dark times that life throws our way.  If you want me to drive 1500 miles in the middle of the night because you need a hug at college, I want to be the person drinking a Red Bull and stopping at the Flying J to catch a bite of those nasty sausage links before sunrise to see your face.  I will do that for you because I am your momma.

Don’t Lose Your Fighting Spirit and Know When to Let your Guard Down.  You have always amazed me from your fighting preemie beginnings in the NICU to your constant absorption of information and recollection.  Just never be afraid to ask for help when you need it because we are all in this life together just trying to do the best we can and we all need help at times of our life.  Ask for it and give help to others when they want it.

Take Care of Your Mind and Your Body.  Respect Yourself!  Move Often.  Eat Right.  Laugh.  Read.  Believe.  Experiment in a Positive Way.  People will treat you the way you let them treat you, so always demand respect by giving and earning it.  Those who don’t give it, pass them by.  There will always be those who do and will appreciate you and don’t let them go.  Dance when you are happy, cry when you are sad, accept and move on when you are embarrassed, or hurt or angry and sad.  Healing is a process that can temporarily derail you, but it is a process that CAN have an ending; always keep going forward because the only person who can stop you is yourself.  And, Brooke, I don’t ever want to see you feel unfulfilled and I am looking to you to reach your potential because…..you are the captain of your ship and your destiny.  I am just here to provide the sails and the wind in this moment and the ultimate steering is up to you.  I am on board for your ride and cheering you on all the way!  Never be afraid to ask for guidance because, I promise you, I will do my best to never let you down.

Love and Light, always and forever, my dear precious child,

YOUR Momma’s Bacon

“If ever there is a tomorrow when we’re not together…there is something you must remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we’re apart…I’ll always be with you”. – Winnie the Pooh

Now to my readers, you can open your eyes now!

To all my loyal readers, I thank you for taking this year long journey with me.  This blog was my perfect reminder that together our families need to face our challenges head on, not sweep them under the rug, so if problems arise we can heal and move on together.  My family and I have had our rough times and we have had our best times and we get through each one together and I look for us to do the same in the future.  I love you, Mom and Dad, thank you for being my parents.  My family read right along with you, my readers, keeping me going, giving me edits (thank you Bob, sis and me mummer) and just believing in me each and every day and I love them deeply despite any differences we have ever had.  To you and your families, keep doing the best job you are doing and if you are not doing your best, stop and correct it.  It’s that simple.  The best of luck and love from my family to yours.   Love deep, let things go and live life with a pure sense of kindness and purpose.  It will come back to you ten-fold.  Peace and love, my friends.  Life is what you make of it and I wish both love and light for you and your children.  Signing off for now and we will see what the future holds for me and for now I am taking a hiatus from Momma’s Bacon, be it short lived or more (my blog and domain name is renewed for another year so all my posts will be available through 2014…), we shall see what my future holds, so stay tuned!  My commitment remains to my family and my (paid) work, so while I have some pretty solid ideas of some creative endeavors to take on in 2013 it’s still anyone’s guess what sticks before January 1st, but I want you to know I have appreciated our time together.  Happy New Year 2013 and Namaste.

 Made by Me™ Time Capsule (Age 5)

www.craftprojectideas.com

List Price: $25.00