Hello friends! It’s Feel Good Friday 13, and today marks a very special version because my girl turns 13 today! (I didn’t even plan that for FGF 13!) In honor of Emmy’s 13th birthday, I thought I would share some of her favorite things that make her happy and feed her soul. She’s very much my child and we are into a lot of the same things, so don’t worry- you’ll get a lot out of this post, I promise! It’s definitely not just for kids. Besides, as she would point out, she is now a teenager. (This post contains affiliate links.)
Craft Night: This year Emmy and I decided we would choose one night a week to make into a craft night. We both love spending time making things with our own two hands, and we had already binged all of Pretty Little Liars together, so we needed a new evening activity. Of course, if you don’t have a daughter, grab a girlfriend and get together to create. You will feel proud of what you created and that you did something productive. On our first craft night together, we made felt banners and pennants using my Cricut maker. I love that Emmy created a vintage looking Harvard pennant… that’s my girl. Dream big!
Bullet Journaling: Emmy looooves her bullet journaling! She watches lots of youtube videos about it and creates these beautiful, elaborate, seasonal pages. I have yet to try bullet journaling, but find it fascinating. She had filled up her old journal, so we bought her a galaxy inspired bullet journal for Christmas and she’s been having a blast with it. I just started using a planner regularly, and once I get that set in as a habit, I may have Emmy show me the bullet journaling ways,
Hand Lettering: Last fall, Emmy started using Skillshare to learn new skills and crafts, and one of the first things she worked on was learning how to do hand-lettering. She’s made some really pretty art pieces and applied some of what she’s learned in her bullet journal. (By the way, you can get a free two month trial of Skillshare here. There are classes on every topic under the sun… seriously!) One of my best friends actually sent Emmy a really cool calligraphy set for Christmas and she’s excited to put that to use as well.
Turtles: Several years ago, the kids and I got the experience of a lifetime when we saw baby sea turtles make their trek to the ocean. I remember it vividly, and I cried because I was so touched by the power of all of the people who made it possible for them to get to the ocean where they would hopefully survive and thrive. It touched Emmy as well, and saving the turtles is one of her big causes. This summer at IT camp, she even worked on a project that created an app to promote saving the turtles. Here’s a website with lots of information to help you help them.
Classic shoes: Emmy is definitely my child when it comes to shoes… She lives for comfort, style, and tends to love brands that have been around forever. She wears these Vans or these Nikes all the time, and for her birthday she is getting these Doc Martens from my parents. I am pretty jealous of those Docs! I had some Mary Janes that I donated before we moved because I never wore them (I had them for over 20 years!!!), but I’d love to get some combat boots one day. These shoes are made to last and will serve her well and come from a great company. She has to wear polos and skorts to school, so it’s the simple pleasures like shoes that help her get happily out the door each morning.
YA Book: Emmy told me that I had to include this book because it is her favorite. She’s read the series, and just loves it! I haven’t read it myself so I can’t say much about it, but I am a fan of any book that gets my kids to read for hours at a time.
Happy 13th Birthday, Emmy! Thank you for making our home a happier, more creative, and more colorful place. We love you!