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Musing about Moms, Graduation and VoiceQuilt

A few weeks back, I spoke with a Mom named Jeannae. She created a graduation keepsake for her son, Evan. The VoiceQuilt caught my eye because there were twice the number of voice messages we usually expect. I emailed her about talking, in hopes of learning her secrets for corralling so many voice messages from friends and family -- during such a busy time of year.

As always, the law of unintended consequences prevailed. Jeannae hadn’t used any special methods for inviting friends and family. Her son was simply the kind of person that coaches, friends, neighbors and family wanted to honor with words of congratulations, inspiration and encouragement.

When I asked Jeannae why she had chosen to create a VoiceQuilt, she told me that her decision had boiled down to this: “I would give anything to be able to hear my grandparents today”. That comment struck a chord and reminded me of a VoiceQuilt survey two years back. When we asked women whose recorded voice message they would treasure most, most said they’d like to hear from their Moms.

May is Military Appreciation Month!

In 1999, The US Congress adopted a resolution establishing the month of May as Military Appreciation month: "to honor the current and former members of the armed forces, including those who have died in the pursuit of freedom and peace."

The success of the recent Navy Seals mission in Pakistan highlights the dedication of elite soldiers, and we're feeling particularly grateful to all U.S. military personnel and their families.

Want to show your thanks and support? Here are just a few ideas.

1.) Get Active.
- Attend an Armed Forces event the week starting May 15 or a Memorial Day parade on May 30.
- Check out the events held by a local military non-profit. We're particularly fond of Operation Homefront, Wounded Warrior Project and Blue Star Mothers of America .

Fun, Quirky and Inspiring Graduation Advice

The sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance” are filling the VoiceQuilt Keepsake Fulfillment area, so it must be graduation season! With that in mind, please check out Gradspot.com’s “Top Ten All-Time Best Graduation Speeches”.

One of the funniest is Will Ferell’s “Best Extended Metaphor” speech to Harvard’s graduating class of 2003.

I’m not one of you. Okay? I can’t relate to who you are and what you’ve been through. I graduated from the University of Life. All right? I received a degree from the School of Hard Knocks. And our colors were black and blue, baby...

Let's Celebrate Cinco de Mayo!

You can tell by the number of Mexican restaurants in every city that Americans LOVE Mexican food. VoiceQuilt is all about finding reasons to celebrate – and planting warm memories with friends and family. Since Cinco de Mayo is today, why not whip up a delicious and memorable celebration?

Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for the 5th of May) is actually a small celebration marking the “unlikely” victory of Mexican soldiers over the French army in the Battle of Puebla. While not the official Mexican Independence, it has become somewhat of a day to celebrate Mexican pride and heritage.

Who wouldn’t want to celebrate an “unlikely” victory?! Don’t worry if your amigos have no idea about why you’re celebrating. Just add in a few trivia questions for fun and everyone will learn a thing or two. For instance, here are few key facts.

Quotes And Thoughts About Mom

With Mother’s Day coming up this Sunday, we want to share some of our favorite quotes about moms – both funny and heartwarming.

The Funny...
“A suburban mother's role is to deliver children obstetrically once, and by car forever after.” Peter De Vries

“Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories.” John Wilmot

“I want my children to have all the things I couldn’t afford. Then I want to move in with them.” Phyllis Diller

Plan Ahead to Create a Memorable Teacher Gift!

Children's school activities accelerate after spring break. During April and May, field trips, field days, concerts and end-of-year celebrations make it hard to find time for anything -- much less shopping.

To reduce end-of-year stress, why not plan ahead – at least when it comes to teacher gifts?

Here are some of our favorites:
- Journals

- Seeds for Planting

- Personalized Notepads

- Canvas Tote Bags

- And, of course, a VoiceQuilt CD.

Last year, a very clever Room Mom named Deanna asked each child in a preschool class to record voice messages, sharing “what they especially liked about school this year”. The voice messages were adorable and the teacher later told Deanna that her VoiceQuilt was the most meaningful gift she’d ever received.

This year, Deanna created a VoiceQuilt for a 5th grade teacher. She’ll be presenting in the incredibly cute Vera Bradley cooler bag shown above. Check out Jordyn's incredibly cute voice message here (the first on my list!)

With a little planning and a dose of creativity, your teachers' gifts can be fun, meaningful and memorable.