Monday, May 12, 2014

Goodbye Bags


        I realized that when we moved recently that this was the first "major" move for our kids. We had moved in town, but not out-of-state. (We moved several times before Josie was two, but of course she doesn't remember that!) It is a tough thing! The place where we had lived for seven years, made wonderful friends and lots of memories, would soon be nothing but a memory itself. You aren't really prepared as a mom to watch your kids crying over the only friends they have ever known!

   You can't really erase that sadness, and for many families (especially the military!) moving is just a fact of life. However, I wanted something that my kids could do to make it a little less "blue".  So we put together these "goodbye bags" for them to give to all their friends! We decided to go with a blue theme-it was just too perfect!

   The great part about this is that if you are the friends being "left behind", you can still use this idea! The poem would work either way. So, if you are moving, or know special people that are, fix them up a little goodbye bag to make the parting a  little sweeter!


Here's what we put in:
- blue pencil
-blue whale eraser
-blue bouncy ball
-blue Pixie stick
-blue taffy
-blue Hershey's kiss (this is the cookies and cream flavor)
-blue gumball
-blue polka dotted bag

      I bought everything at Party City (something *I* am missing, since we do not have one in our new town-that makes me want to cry!) because you buy the items individually and can choose the colors. The candy was all $0.05-$0.10 per piece, the erasers, balls, and pencils were each $0.25. The bags were 20 for $1. This kept the cost for each bag right around $1 each. However, if you do not have a Party City there are still places (Walmart, Target, etc.) where you can choose party favors individually, for the same type of concept. You don't have to use the same exact items, just make sure everything is blue. I chose things that I felt would be appreciated by boys or girls, and be somewhat useful, not just clutter. My kids always seem to need pencils and erasers!



   We loaded everything into the bags except the pencils. I came up with a poem and typed it out in Word and then printed it onto 2x4 Avery labels. The poem says:

"Don't be sad or blue",
good friends will always be true!
But if you are missing us,
here's some fun things of that hue,
to remind you we will always love
you!"

    I printed mine on the sticker labels, but for you I made printables! Yay!
Right click on the image to download/save and then choose "print" from saved location.

You can easily glue or staple the labels to the bag of your choice. You could also punch a hole and tie it on with ribbon.

   I then folded down the tops of my bags, laid the pencil on it and then stuck my label over the pencil, to hold it on and keep the bag closed. My kids loved handing them out to their Bible study friends, and it helped to distract everyone from pitiful, tearful goodbyes. Now my kids have much happier memories of their last time at study!

     Another great way to use these would be to give them to someone who is leaving, perhaps filled with blue items for their road trip or plane flight. You can have your child add his or her name to the bottom of the label or printable to personalize it, too! You could even use this for adults, and maybe put in blue items that they could use in their new home. Then when they see their "blue" items they will have fond remembrances, not just sadness!


Linked up:
"Motivation Monday" at A Life in Balance
"Pin It Thursday" at Sweet Bella Roos

8 comments:

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