Summer Bucket List Creation

Ahhh, summer.  It’s here!  School is out, camp is in session, and families are adjusting to new routines. What time does sailing camp start this week, again? Where are the kids supposed to go next week?  Do they need water shoes and a rash guard?  

It can get a little nutty if you are not organized, so More Than Paper has some tips to help you manage these new schedules and create new routines.  Also, we have some tips to ensure that you get to enjoy the summer, too. Isn’t that what it is all about? This 2023 will be your best one yet!

 

STAY STRESS-FREE 

Stress usually arises from being disorganized or when there is a lot of unknown.  Take control and write it down!  Being organized and planning will help you feel in control.  We’re big fans of paper organizers where you can write things down (digital calendars just aren’t the same.) Here are a few cute options.  Fill this one in with your reminders and notes – water shoes won’t be forgotten, after all!

 

What about this one for getting the whole family organized?  We love that there are slots to include every family members’ activities by day.  The organizer is in pad format so you can tear it off when the week is done and start new! 

 

 

ENJOY THE SUMMER  

Even if you work and aren’t taking much (or any) vacation this summer, we hope that you will get to actually enjoy the season and the carefree nature that it can offer.  Make sure to maximize the weather, the longer sunlight hours and be sure to get outdoors!  This can be done by changing up your routine and walking in the morning or an evening walk when you get home.  Squeeze in a game of pickleball or tennis or take a swim in a nearby pool.  

 

Another idea?  Create a summer bucket list.  Create a list of all the things that you want to do this summer. Be it a drive-in movie, an adventure to the waterpark, or an alfresco seafood dinner – think big and be intentional about how you will create memories.  Jot the ideas down on a “bucket list” pad like this one!  You can even personalize the notepad with your name, last name or initials. 

 

 

We also love the idea of planning a dinner party with friends and family.  Do you have an outdoor dining area?  Create one! Use nonbreakable platters, plates, and other outdoor serving ware to keep your everyday (and good) china safe.  We have splurge-worthy entertaining sets at More Than Paper that actually aren’t much of a splurge. 

 

Planning ahead will ensure a fantastic summer so get on it! Enjoy all that this summer has to offer. We hope it is a great one! 

 

How to Get Your Camper To Write Home

When you’re young, there’s nothing better than sleep away summer camp.  The sense of freedom and feelings of independence are unparalleled. Though it can be hard to send your children off to sleep away camp because you miss them, we take a lot of comfort in knowing it’s their happy place!  We find that camp is an incredible place for children to grow, learn, and make lifelong memories.  

Hearing from your camper through letters home helps make the heartache go away and gives us a window into their world.  Receiving letters from your camper also gives you peace of mind.  Are they eating? Are they sleeping? Do they like their camp bunkmates?  What about their counselors?  Are they visiting the health center to take their medication?  (We’ve never gotten answers in a letter answering the last question...That one usually requires a phone call to the nurse!)  

 

With all the activity that your kids are doing, how do you get them to slow down, stop, and write home to tell you all the fun that they are having? As parents, you are used to regular updates!          

 

We try to make the letter writing process as easy as possible to encourage frequent letters home.  Here are 6 tips we use: 

 

1.     Let them pick out camp stationery.  Even if you have some extra left over from last year, having your children pick out a new design for 2023 will open the conversation and hopefully, get them excited.  (We have some great new options to choose from below!) 

2.     Have a conversation and set the expectations. Be clear about how much it means to you to hear from your camper while they are gone and let your camper know how many times you would like them to write to you.  You should be realistic about what’s possible for your camper’s age, attention span, and then: try not take it personally if the frequency isn’t met.  Afterall, they are there to learn independence and have experiences without you! Hopefully “no news is good news.” 

3.     Create “to” address labels for your children.  This is the single biggest tip we can give! Rather than giving your camper an address book where they must search for an address and then write/copy to an envelope, type out addresses to yourself, Grandma & Grandpa, Aunt, their friends, whoever wants to receive letters. Print on Avery labels (found at Staples or office supply stores.)  When your child goes to write their letters at rest hour, they can look at the labels to see who they need to write to! If you are asking your camper to write twice a week, make sure you have enough “to” address labels to you for twice a week! 

4.     Include a diagram of how a letter needs to be set-up for successful mailing! While many parents like to pre-stamp and adhere return address labels to envelopes before the child goes to camp, we prefer to include a diagram with instructions on what to do – part of the growth at camp is learning to do things for oneself!  Show the camper where the stamp needs to go and where the “TO” label needs to go. For the return address label, we recommend having the camper use it as an envelope seal on the back of the envelope. Using a postcard, they instruct the camper to put the return address label in the upper left corner on the side of the “TO:” stamp (or buy our personalized camp postcards that have the “FROM” address already pre-printed. 

5.     Get a pen or pencil and include it with the stationery/envelope/labels. Or let your child pick out fun gel pens in lots of colors. No excuses here! 

6.     We like clipboards or writing desks to help make the process even easier (at this point… is that possible?) and possibly more fun. Choose a clipboard that your son or daughter will like.  Store everything inside (and then make sure they know that!) 

 

Modern technology with facial recognition is pretty awesome. We admit, we check our “Waldo” app several times a day and wait in anticipation for the latest upload from the camp photographer. But it does not come close to a letter in the mail with details from our kids. Encourage your kids to write thoughtful, age-appropriate letters and remind them how much you want to hear from them. Of course, you can set a good example and write your camper letters. Tell them what’s going on at home and ask questions. Become “penpals” while they are gone.  We’ve got some great options for parents to use here:

 

Here are some of our best-sellers!

 

Prepping for your camper to head off to summer camp is a lot of work. We hope you hear from your camper on a cadence that makes you happy.  Also, check out some of our favorite camp stationery sets for Summer ’23! 

 

Graduation Gift Ideas 2023

The end of the school year is here and we’re honoring graduates from high school and college with unique gifts that honor their achievement.  Graduating is no small feat!  It requires day in and day out commitment, hard work, and deserves to be recognized.  Whether you are gifting for the high school graduate or looking for a gift for the college graduate, we have something for you!  Our prices are up to 30% off, even for personalized products, so you can also feel good about the price you are paying, in addition to giving a great graduation gift. 

 

We like this bold initial stationery ensemble that includes a total of 50 personalized cards in 3 different designs and 2 different sizes.  Formatting is as shown below.  Are these a practical gift for the graduate? They’ll undoubtedly have a lot of correspondence to write after graduating and receiving all of their gifts. They can thank everyone in style with this stationery

 

 

Another practical graduation gift, especially for the high school graduate who is headed off to college, are these laundry hamper tote bags that are personalized with the graduates’ name or initials. Choose from navy, pink, grey, black or all natural color options and a variety of typestyles for embroidery. 

 

For the high school graduate headed off to college, we also love these personalized acrylic trays that are great for storing keys, wallet, phone, or jewelry! You can personalize the tray with the college name and the graduate name – we love double personalization! 

 

Toiletry bags and cosmetic bags are always a worthy gift for the graduate At More Than Paper, we have a variety of personalized cosmetic and personalized toiletry bags in styles for both men and women. This waxed dopp kit is a favorite amongst men. (It also coordinates well with the waxed laundry duffle that is nearly 30% OFF! 

 

 

 

For ladies, this gold metallic makeup bag is a hit for graduates headed off to travel this summer or to the dorms in the Fall! This bag is available in other color options, too. Click here to view all the color options! 

                                                               

 

Need a bunch of gifts for your graduates friends?  Popular this season has been the classic medium boat tote. Available in a variety of colors and the price point won’t break the bank.

 

There you have it!  A few personalized graduation gifts for the graduate this year that are practical but fun at the same time. Plus, with this sale on graduation gifts, you are sure to feel good about the price you are paying for personalized products for graduation!