One of my favorite things about this time of year is that we make extra efforts for special family time. Brett always saves a lot of his time off to take at the end of the year to simply chill out at home with us during the holidays, and we fill that time with movies, games and a few traditions we’ve repeated every year. There’s nothing I love more than seeing my family all together, lounging in p.j.s around the fire–doing nothing really, but what was it that Kathleen Kelly said? “All this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings.”
This year, I took one of our favorite games to play as a family–one even the little ones can play–and added photos of our memories from Christmas past to create a holiday keepsake–our Christmas Memory Game, a spin off the original classic memory game, but with our own photos, thanks to Pinhole Press (the same folks who brought you that adorable Mini Book of Faces a few weeks ago).
We keep it out now and play it almost every day, sometimes a round before school, with cookies in the afternoon, with hot cocoa in the evening.
And during the holiday season, it’s so much fun to look back at old pictures–the Santa’s lap photos from over the years, the kids snuggled together in bed on Christmas Eve, the glitter-covered driveway from the reindeer food mess.
We’ve also invented a cool way to play Go Fish with the cards.
The Memory Game is a perfect gift for kids (fits in a stocking too!) or a great gift for grandparents so that they can have something fun for the kids to play with at their house–with all the best photos of grandparent moments. You can create a Memory Game with 12 photos in less than 5 minutes and can use photos from Instagram or Facebook. The cards are thick and durable. We used a peppermint stripe back for our Christmas set but also made an everyday set from our summer in Michigan photos with apples (we did a glossy finish on this set, and I love it!).
And the best part? Get $5 off your memory game with the code SMALLTHINGS (ends December 6th).
Merry Memories!
You need to do a flash back of all the Santa pics! Nella hasn’t always liked Santa and they are too cute!!!
Love this! But I just tried to order one and the coupon code does not work. What “requirements” and I not meeting?
Contacted them and it should be fixed now. Try again!
still not working today
I just made a set for my kids. Thanks for the post. Thanks for the coupon code.
Merry Christmas.
Thanks for the prompt! I’ve been looking for a good game to play with the grandparents on Christmas Day. (Plus going back through all the pictures of my babies early Christmases has made me warm and glowy for the whole day!)
I have such fond memories of playing “Memory” with my sister when we were little! I was surprisingly good at it, considering I was terrible at most games? This is such a fun and cute idea, and love that you have an exclusively Christmas set.
Ha, me too! I played it with my mom almost every day when I was the only one home and my siblings were at school. I always won, and I’m realizing now after playing with Lainey that my mom wasn’t letting me win–young memories are sharp, man!
I love this and will buy it for my mom! The links in post aren’t working via my cell phone. I will google pinhole but I would much rather click over from here if I can. I hope you have a very Merry Christmas.
You are so sweet. Whatever works for you, google it! Your mom will love it. And your comments are always so sweet. xo
“All this nothing has meant more to me than so many somethings.”
This quote is EVERYTHING! Love it!
Great idea!!!! I hope you have Merry Christmas with your family!!!
We have two sets of these! LOVE THEM!! My kids are 10, 14 and 16 and they still love to play a great game of memory!!
I do so love how we have TIME to spend together around this time of year. We are almost there, and I cannot wait
I love your blog. I found out about you and your precious family when I read your book Bloom. The fact that you were so real spoke to me. We had the opposite happen to us. They had told us that our daughter would be born with down syndrome and we were preparing all along and when she was born she had no signs of down syndrome. We were grateful but also grateful to have learned so much during our waiting period, I can truly appreciate these precious individuals.
Keep blogging I really appreciate it!
BTW-I love the little elf in your pictures, can I ask where you got it?
Thank you for the kind words, Darlenne! And I can imagine that was an emotional journey preparing for what didn’t end up being the case. Either way…lucky mama to have her!
The little elf is from Target–it’s actually an ornament. Makes a super cute little doll though!
So glad I check out your web site. My son is 30 with Down’s. I was so happy to see the memory game from pinhole. Got one for my parents house and my daughters. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for the CODE and post! Just ordered a set for my Grandson! I LOVE your blog and writing and wish I could have been your neighbor when my babies were little, (oldest is 30, youngest is 18:) but you are now inspiring me for the next generation!
PS the Cabbage Patch post was hysterical!! WTF?
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