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5 Ways to Celebrate Spring with Personalized Ornaments

Personalized gifts to celebrate Spring hobbies

Show Off Everyone’s Favorite Spring Hobbies with Unique Personalized Gifts by Calliope Designs

Spring is here and it’s the perfect time to get the whole family outside and celebrate the great outdoors together! After all the extra time spent inside, we couldn’t be more excited to get out into the sunshine and enjoy some fun outdoor hobbies again!

At Calliope Designs we love to help families commemorate every special moment together with personalized ornaments! We have a large selection of personalized hobby ornaments perfect for celebrating Spring pastimes year after year. Every ornament is carefully crafted by hand and can be personalized with special dates, names, and sentimental phrases. 

Read on to discover some of our most popular personalized hobby ornaments that highlight our favorite outdoor Spring activities! 

1. Commemorate a Family Camping Tips with a Personalized Ornament 

There’s nothing quite like roughing it out in the wilderness on a great camping trip. To commemorate roasting marshmallows by the campfire, check out our selection of personalized family camping ornaments

Our customizable ornaments are also a great way to celebrate the adventure-seeking rock climbers or cross-country RV lovers in your life. Add their name and the year for a keepsake they can talk about during a fireside story!

2. Celebrate Spring Milestones with a Personalized Gift

The flowers aren’t the only things that bloom in Spring! Friends and family are making a splash and trying new outdoor activities that are definitely worth celebrating!

If your child or grandchild is learning to swim this season, commemorate this amazing milestone with our personalized swim lesson ornament! Include their name and the year for a prized gift they’ll enjoy into the future!

It’s also the perfect time of year to hit the beach for a surf lesson! Celebrate a future surfer’s first time “hanging ten” with the customizable surfer ornament!

If your family is planning a tropical vacation this year, a personalized scuba ornament personalized with the year, is a great keepsake to celebrate the big trip.

3. Personalized Bicycle Ornament for The Cyclist in Your Life

There’s nothing quite like grabbing your bike and setting off on that first Spring ride. Whether it’s just down the block or through some gorgeous countryside scenery, seeing cyclists out in force is a sure sign Spring is here. 

Our personalized bicycle ornaments are perfect for any biking enthusiast, no matter if they’ve been biking for decades or just got their training wheels off! 

4. Custom Ornaments for Everyone Hitting the Trails this Spring

The days are getting longer, the flowers are in full bloom, and the trail is calling! However the nature lover in your life enjoys spending time outdoors, we are confident we have a custom ornament to celebrate it!

Dust off the hiking boots, and grab the sunblock, backpacking season is here! Our personalized Hiking ornament is a great gift for any outdoor enthusiast who is gearing up to get off-grid this spring! 

Riders are heading to the stables and grabbing the reins to soak up the wonderful weather on the trails. Give them a gift that celebrates their favorite pastime, or commemorate their first riding lesson with our personalized horseback riding ornaments featuring their name and their horse’s name too!

5. Our Custom Golf Ornaments are a Hole-in-One!

There’s no better time to putt around the greens or work on your form at the driving range then Spring. Our selection of personalized golfing ornaments are a thoughtful option that is sure to make any golfer smile.

If you are in a Golf League, a personalized gift is perfect to commemorate the tournament you played this year, or a fun gift for the members that stuck with you through the sandtraps!

Celebrate All Your Favorite Outdoor Hobbies This Spring with a Personalized Gift from Calliope Designs

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At Calliope Designs we’ve been celebrating every occasion with custom ornaments for over 45 years. With unique options like these and over 200 more personalizable designs to choose from, we are sure to have something for everyone in your life. 

Explore our entire selection of unique personalized ornaments and have them delivered to friends and family near and far from Calliope Designs!

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5 New Personalized Christmas Ornament Designs for 2020

new personalized christmas ornaments for 2020

New Calliope Designs Personalized Christmas Ornaments Available Now!

At Calliope Designs, we count down to Christmas all year long! The holiday shopping season has already kicked off with our premiere of over 100 new 2020 Christmas ornament designs. Calliope’s original dough ornaments are all hand-made with care, and can be personalized to make the perfect sentimental gift. With thousands of unique designs to choose from, we are confident you can find the ideal personalized gift to commemorate this eventful year for everyone on your Nice List.

Read on to take a peek at some of our brand new personalized Christmas ornament designs for the 2020 holiday season!

1. Celebrate a Year of Distance Learning with a Personalized Ornament

The holiday season brings a well-deserved break for all our hard-working distance learners and their incredible teachers! At Calliope Designs, we have customizable Christmas gifts that will help show your support to anyone adjusting to a new online curriculum. 

Our customizable first day of school and graduation ornaments are a great way to commemorate a successful year. And don’t forget about all those dedicated teachers out there, making it all possible! Customize one of our new teacher ornaments for a unique gift they will love for years to come. 

Student with Tablet Ornament

Congratulate the new digital whiz in the family for getting through the 2020 school year with new distancing learning methods. These brand new tablet ornaments are hand-made with care by our talented artisans, and can be customized with a name and the year!

2. Celebrate New Hobbies this Year

2020 had its ups and downs, but for many people, one good thing that came out of this year was discovering new hobbies. However you spent your downtime this year, we are confident we have a custom Christmas ornament to celebrate it!

Cycling Couple Ornament

After spending so much time cooped up at home, nothing beats getting some fresh air and going for a good bike ride. If you and your significant other like cycling together, our handmade Bicycling Couple ornament is the perfect addition to your tree this year!

3. Welcome the New Baby with a Personalized Ornament

At Calliope Designs, we have hundreds of customizable baby ornaments for you to choose from. From pregnancy announcements to baby’s first Christmas – and everything in between – you can find a gift to celebrate your growing family this holiday season!

New Baby Ornament

If you welcomed home a new baby in 2020, this Christmas is sure to be one you will never forget. Commemorate your child’s first Christmas with one of our new personalized baby ornaments, and cherish this time for years to come.

4. New Personalized Ornaments for Families

We celebrate families of all shapes and sizes at Calliope designs! Our handmade family ornaments are perfect keepsakes to pass down to your children and even your grandchildren! Personalize your family ornament to feature everyone’s name or a meaningful message to celebrate another year together as a family.

Personalized Family Ornament with a Christmas Tree

One of the most exciting holiday traditions is coming together as a family to decorate the Christmas Tree! Customize our new family of four Christmas tree ornaments to feature siblings or grandchildren.

5. New Custom Pet Ornaments

Add a furry family member to your Christmas tree with one of our personalized pet ornaments. Whether you’re shopping for a cat person or a dog person, one of our custom tree decorations will be the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone with a four-legged friend at home.

Personalized Dog Groomer Ornament

You can’t forget about the ones who make sure our family pets always look their best! Our new personalized dog groomer ornament is a great way to show your appreciation this Christmas.

Shop all Our New Personalized Christmas Ornaments From Calliope Designs

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

As our selection grows with new designs every year, so can your collection of personalized Christmas ornaments. Check out these and many more brand new 2020 Christmas ornaments from Calliope Design and get a head start on your holiday shopping!

Shop our entire collection of customizable Christmas ornaments online today!

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5 Reasons Custom Ornaments Make Good Gifts Any Time of Year!

Calliope Design’s Ultimate Custom Ornament Year-Round Gift Guide

Calliope Design’s Ultimate Custom Ornament Year-Round Gift Guide

While Calliope Design’s ornaments do make the perfect stocking stuffers, we have hundreds of customizable designs that make great gifts at any time of the year!

This year-round gift guide is chock full of popular custom gift ideas for any special occasion. Read on to discover five of our most popular personalized ornaments that are great at any time of year!

1. Create a Custom Birthday Gift for Any Age

Another year older and another reason to celebrate! No one is ever too old to receive a custom birthday present! With hundreds of customizable hobby and career ornaments to choose from, our handmade ornaments can make a special birthday gift for anyone.

Personalized 21st Birthday Ornament 

For many young adults, turning 21 is a big event and one that definitely deserves a special gift! A handmade gift from Calliope Designs is a unique way to commemorate this milestone. Customize our 21st Birthday ornament with their name and their birthdate to make this gift even more personal. 

2. Celebrate an Anniversary with a Custom Gift

Every anniversary is an event that should be celebrated! At Calliope Designs, we want to help you celebrate your love, year after year, with a unique and personalized ornamental gift. Surprise your loved one with a personalized ornament commemorating the day you met, your first date, or your wedding day!

Custom Bride & Groom Ornament

Customize a Wedding Anniversary ornament to feature the two of you on your special day. Our artist will hand paint your name and year of marriage to personalize this unique gift for the happy bride and groom. Don’t forget to include a meaningful message of your choosing!

3. Commemorate Milestones with a Personalized Ornament

From first steps to college graduation, and even job promotions, Calliope Designs has a gift to help you celebrate all of life’s milestones. What better way to reflect on all of the truly meaningful moments in our lives than by celebrating them with a personalized gift? A personalized ornament from Calliope Designs is a great way to commemorate special occasions with your friends and family, near and far.

Personalized Drivers License Ornament  

Wasn’t it just yesterday they were taking their first steps? Finally getting a driver’s license is an iconic moment in any teenager’s life. Commemorate this huge milestone with our Personalized Drivers License ornament from Calliope Designs.

4. Send a Special “Thank You” with a Customized Ornament

There is no better time than now to show a little extra appreciation for the people that support and help us. If you are looking for a unique way to show your thanks, a handmade gift from Calliope Designs is a fun gesture of your gratitude!

Customized Gift for Your Mail Carrier 

If there is one person you can rely on, it is your mail carrier! But did you know they aren’t allowed to accept gifts over $20? No need to worry though! You can thank your trusty mail deliverer for their daily hard work with an affordable custom Mail Carrier ornament from Calliope Designs. Remind them how much you appreciate their service day after day with a handmade gift.

5. Turn a Fun Memory into a Custom Ornament

Quality time spent with the people that mean the most is always something worth celebrating. If you are looking for a unique way to commemorate a special trip or fun memory, Calliope Designs is here to help. Let the good times roll, and remember them for years to come with a custom ornament!

Personalized Beach Trip Ornament 

Calliope Designs has many options to help your friends and family commemorate a beach get-away. Turn your day of fun in the sun into a custom Beach Trip ornament from Calliope Designs!

Create Custom Gifts for Any Occasion with Calliope Designs

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

Celebrating life’s everyday milestones and fun memories is what we do best at Calliope Designs. With over 1,300 customizable ornaments to choose from, we are confident you will find the perfect gift for any occasion.

Shop our custom gifts online year-round and see why we have been a long-lived family tradition for over 44 years!

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Graduation Gifts for the Class of 2020 and Their Teachers

personalized graduation gifts

Send a 2020 Graduate or a Dedicated Teacher a Personalized Ornament from Calliope Designs

As if the last semester before graduation isn’t overwhelming enough, 2020 graduates are now all facing the reality that their current academic careers are coming to an abrupt end. And let’s not forget about all the hard-working teachers out there who are keeping them all on track during the current global pandemic! 

While most graduation ceremonies have been delayed or even canceled, there are still plenty of ways you can celebrate the graduating class and the teachers who helped get them there! Commemorate their big achievement this year by sending them a personalized gift today!

Here are our most popular customizable graduation ornaments for the graduating class of 2020 and all their amazing teachers.

Personalized Gifts for High School Graduates

Send a Little Support to Student with a Personalized Gift

personalized gift for a student

Staying focused on school and end-of-the-semester exams during times like this can be a struggle for anyone. A little encouragement can go a long way, and a personalized gift from Calliope Designs could be exactly what they need right now.

Unique Graduation Gifts For High School 2020 Grads

personalized high school graduation gift

A personalized High School graduation gift from Calliope Designs is the perfect reminder of all the amazing memories. If you know a high school senior about to graduate, send them a special gift to show them how proud you are of their hard work.

Celebrate Your School’s Sports Team Athletes With a Custom Ornament

personalized high school cheerleader gift

Send a thank you to the teams and cheerleaders that kept your school spirit and pride strong all year! Calliope Designs has a large selection of personalizable gifts for cheerleaders, football players, basketball stars, baseball team members, and many more

personalized high school team coach gift

Don’t forget about Coach! Send your team’s leader a custom gift and thank them for all their guidance and hard work!

Personalized Gifts for College Graduates

Handmade Graduation Ornaments For College Graduates

Personalized college graduation gift

The day has finally arrived but for so many 2020 College Graduates it’s probably nothing like that they expected. Show your support to a college grad in your life by sending them a customized gift and remind them of their bright future ahead.

Celebrate the Doctors and Nurses of Tomorrow with a Personalized Graduation Gift

personalized nursing school graduation gift

At Calliope Designs, we specialize in celebrating! Now more than ever we should be celebrating all the people entering into the medical field. Show your gratitude to a new nurse or doctor with a personalized ornament from our collection.

Make a Dental Grad Smile with a Personalized Gift

personalized dental school graduation gift

If someone you know is graduating from dental school in 2020, help bring a smile to their face with a cute personalized gift! Show your favorite DMD how proud you are and have a custom dental ornament from Calliope Designs delivered right to their door!

Personalized Gifts for Teachers

Thank a Teacher With a Custom Ornament from Calliope Designs

personalized teacher gift

Not all heroes wear capes! Instead, most of them are probably wearing a combination of professional tops and pajama pants while hosting a zoom class. Our children’s teachers have been busy creatively adjusting to a new daily routine that ensures our little learners keep learning.

personalized yoga teacher gift

If you know a hard-working teacher, send them a thank you gift, personalized by Calliope Designs. Don’t forget to thank your yoga instructor either! Where would we be without our virtual yoga classes?

Calliope Designs Can Personalize a Gift for Any Graduation Celebration

Personalized school gift

No matter how you celebrate, Calliope Designs wants to help you commemorate every graduate this year. If you know a little one taking the next big step into primary school, or someone about to start their career, we have the perfect graduation gift you can send them.

Have a Personalized Graduation Ornament Shipped From Calliope Designs

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

A thoughtful graduation gift from Calliope Designs will make this year’s graduation one they will remember year after year, for all the right reasons. Celebrate every 2020 graduate and their teachers with a personalized Calliope ornament.

Check our inventory for all of the different options, appropriate for a variety of age ranges, and occupations. Find out why so many people have incorporated Calliope Designs personalized gifts into their celebrations, for over 44 years!

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Celebrate Your Child’s Milestones With A Custom Ornament

three hand painted holiday ornaments

Commemorate A Special Event in Your Child’s Life With A Personalized Ornament

The holiday’s are truly an amazing time of year, full of so much cheer and celebration. As the new year quickly approaches, this is also a time of joyous reflections of all the special moments and milestones that you shared with your child throughout the year! That is why Calliope Designs has an entire line of customizable milestone holiday ornaments to help you celebrate your little one’s achievements year after year!

Take a look below at some of our favorite moments to commemorate with a personalized ornament!

Babies’ First Christmas Ornament

The addition of a new baby is a reason for the entire family to celebrate. Personalized ornaments commemorating a baby’s first christmas, adoption date, or birthday are the perfect gifts for new parents, grandparents and extended family members!

With so many designs to choose from, our favorite is the photo ornament that allows you to add your favorite photograph of your little one. Every time the ornament is hung, it will be a sweet reminded of your growing family.

Child’s First Steps Holiday Ornament

And they’re off! Baby is up, and soon to be running at this rate! With how fast our little ones learn new things, it’s impossible for everyone to be there for all the big “firsts”.

With Calliope Designs “First Steps” ornaments the entire family can celebrate your little one’s first big steps!

Toddler Lost Their First Tooth Ornament

If your kiddo lost their first tooth this year, chances are your household is getting ready for a lot of visits from the tooth fairy! No matter what your family’s traditions are, losing your first tooth is always the most special and memorable.

Losing baby teeth is just one of many more signs to come, that your little one won’t be little forever! Celebrate this sign of growing with a commemorative ornament!

Teen’s First Driver’s License Holiday Ornament

Watch out world, we got a new driver on the road! And weren’t they just learning how to use a spoon? All jokes aside, a teen’s first driver’s license is a big deal for everyone in the family!

All the new responsibilities and freedoms that come along with open road deserves to be displayed with pride for years to come.

Young Adult’s High School Graduation Ornament

Our special little ones don’t seem to stay little for very long. It seems like just yesterday the youngster in your life was just taking their first steps. But now they are walking at their graduation ceremony!

Whether this year brings your family a high school grad, college graduate, or even a career advancement, Calliope Designs has a personalized ornament for you. This is a moment your young adult has been working towards for years, and a milestone that deserves great sentiment and celebration.

Share this and many more landmark events with your friends and family with one of our many hand painted children’s milestone holiday ornaments.

And read our blog, “Your Guide to Personalized Christmas Ornaments” for more tips on all the ways you can customize an ornament today!

Personalize Your Calliope Designs Ornament Today!

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

Every new year gives us so many reasons to celebrate. Imaging the holiday cheer of reliving all the “little” big moments over and over again with a commemorative ornament! If you are looking for the perfect gift or simply want to memorialize an important memory, we are sure to have an ornament that matches your exciting life event.

Spend some time looking through all of the different options, appropriate for a variety or age ranges, and find out why so many families have incorporated Calliope Designs personalized ornaments into their holiday traditions, for over 44 years!

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Celebrate Baby’s First Christmas with a Personalized Ornament

custom christmas ornament with two snowmen

Ways to Welcome the Newest Family Member this Christmas

Everyone gets excited about a baby on the way! One of the best ways to celebrate this joyous life event is with a personalized Christmas ornament. Year after year, while decorating your Christmas tree, you will remember the time when your family grew. Custom Christmas ornaments can be personalized with all of baby’s important information. 

“Baby’s First Christmas” ornaments also make great holiday gifts and stocking stuffers from friends and family. Whether you are giving or receiving this gift, you will love the sentiment attached to it. 

Calliope Designs works to ensure our customized ornaments fit your special occasion. Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can customize a “Baby’s First Christmas” ornament this year:

Pregnancy Announcements

If you or a loved one is expecting, we have just the right ornaments to celebrate. We especially love the pregnant snow couple, complete with personalized names on their hats, a special saying, and the year. Just imagine giving this to the future grandparents as a way to announce that their grandchild is on the way!

Our Calliope Designs customers have come up with some creative personalizations for their ornaments in the past — here are a few ideas for you this year:

  • Soon To Be… A family of Three!
  • We’re Expecting!
  • Mommy and Daddy to Be!
  • Grandparents-To-Be in May 2020!

Of course, you may compose any saying you like.  We’ll do a beautiful job with the lettering, and you’ll have a very unique ornament to keep or use as a gift.

Birth Announcements

Was baby born earlier this year? What better way to remember the occasion every year than with an ornament announcing the birth? This ornament says it all: the birth date, length, weight, and the name of your darling baby. 

Adoption Announcements

Similar to our Birth Announcement ornaments, we have crafted the perfect ways to announce adoptions with personalized Christmas ornaments. Here are a few ideas for phrases to personalize your own adoption ornament with:

  • First Christmas Home 2019
  • Adopted with Love
  • Born in Mommy’s Heart

Start a New Tradition with a Calliope Designs Baby’s First Christmas Ornament

click here to personalize a gift from Calliope Designs today

Many families love seeing their ornament collections grow as more children and grandchild are born or adopted. In fact, you might already have a Calliope Designs personalized ornament from the past with your own child’s information on it! Whether you already partake in this holiday tradition or not, now is the perfect time to order your “Baby’s First Christmas” hand painted, personalized ornament.

Calliope Designs has ornaments for every special situation. Contact us today to get started on designing a personalized ornament that tells your unique story best.

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Milestone Accomplished – Driver’s License is Obtained!

Driver's License Personalized Christmas Ornaments Female Blonde

As our children grow up there are so many milestones we celebrate!  (Of course, we have personalized ornaments for all of them!)   It’s walking, talking, potty training.  Riding a tricycle, then a two-wheeler.  First Day of School.  First lost a tooth.  Then Braces!  Each little step moving through childhood toward becoming grown-up is acknowledged along the way with pride and fun traditions.

 Your Child is All Grown Up with a Drivers License!

Many of these milestones are more important to the parents than they are to the child.  But when it comes to getting a Driver’s License, that’s a big one – for that is long-anticipated, studied for, practiced for, and really is one of the first true steps to independence. That’s why we have special personalized driver’s license Christmas ornaments to mark this occasion.  The ornament is a picture of a driver’s license, with a girl or boy’s head on it, and a big car key!  We add the name and the year, and the state to make it like a real driver’s license.

In California, a student can get a learner’s permit at age 15 1/2.  They are required to study the California Driver’s Manual with all of the laws of the road and to take and pass a lengthy examination.  The student also is required to take a certain number of hours of private driver’s instruction from a certified organization.  California used to offer driver’s training classes in the public high school system, but budgetary restrictions have taken those classes off the roster.  It is now up to the student and parents to find and pay for private instruction.  After having the permit and passing the 16th birthday mark, the student can apply for a real driver’s license and can enjoy driving to school, classes, sports events, and the like.  There is still one restriction.  A newly licensed driver cannot drive with other kids in the car for six months!  The state of California feels this restriction has lowered the number of teen driving accidents overall.

Custom Holiday Ornament Gift Idea

Here’s an amazing idea:  Give your student a driver’s license ornament and attach the keys to a car Christmas gift to the ornament!  Imagine his or her surprise on Christmas morning when the little box with an ornament is opened in front of the family.  Yes, some confusion, what is this?  An ornament?  Ohhhh it’s a car key!  And the car is waiting out in front of the house.  What a fun Christmas morning for your new teen driver.  Thank you, Mom (Mrs. Claus) and Dad (Santa)!  And Merry Christmas with safe driving ahead.

Celebrate any Special Occasions with Custom Gifts from Calliope Designs

Celebrate any occasion with a personalized ornament from Calliope Designs. View all our amazing and diverse designs on our online shop today!

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Keeping the Holidays Meaningful for Your Children

child with gifts

Get Your Children Hooked on the Holiday Spirit!

In this generation of kids growing up, I like to call them Generation ME, it’s so very hard to keep things meaningful. As parents we want our kids to be happy and love to see their faces when they open a new gift or surprise, but how do we keep them from EXPECTING a gift every time they bat an eye?
I have been guilty on occasion to go a little overboard at Christmas time, I love seeing all the gifts under the tree and I love the Christmas morning reaction. I have found myself improving over the years and trying to focus more on the meaning of the holidays.
We now volunteer every Christmas to wrap and deliver gifts with our local toy drive, we bring and collect food for our local food bank and I try to explain to my children that even though we are blessed to be able to have the things we do, it is not a guarantee, and we are never above anyone else.

Our family motto is “Do unto others as you expect they should do unto you.” We truly try our best to live by that. The holidays are not about the gifts we receive but the gifts we give, and the most important of those gifts are not physical items!

Julie Howard, from Quebec, Canada

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Gifts for a Child’s Special Occasions in Life

Our original Calliope Designs personalized ornaments are more than Christmas tree decorations.  They’re amazing gifts that are made to order just for each customer.  Every name, date, and message is hand inscribed by one of our artists.  Sometimes details such as family pets are added to the ornament.  Where else can you get something that’s handmade, hand personalized, promptly delivered through the mail, for as little as $9.99 plus postage?

So you have a rather long Christmas gift list.  Here are some ways you can use Calliope Designs Christmas ornaments for gifts to celebrate life’s special moments.  We’ll begin with fun things that happen to babies and young children.

Childhood Event Calliope Custom Ornament List:

All About Baby – celebrating the birth of a child with a personalized ornament that tells all the birth stats:  length, weight, time of birth, date of birth, full name

– Baptism or Christening – a cute baby ornament with his or her name and the date of the religious ceremony

– Baby’s First Steps – a cute design showing a little one “toddling” across the room

– Baby’s Christmas with Grandparents – always a fun gift to give to Grandma and Grandpa

– Baby and Parents together as Proud Parents celebrating their First Christmas Together

– Baby’s Second Christmas – Now the fun of the Christmas holiday is really starting!

– Baby’s Potty Training – yes, this IS a special event.  Just ask any parent you know!

– Baby’s Third Christmas – time for that special photo of baby on Santa’s lap

– Child’s First Day of School – a special occasion for the child, a tearful occasion for Mommy

– Child’s First Lost Tooth – and the fun of waiting for the Tooth Fairy

– Child’s learning to Ride a Bike – especially a two-wheeler, but a trike is an accomplishment too

– Child’s learning to Count – we parents are so proud

– Child’s learning to Read – what an amazing process

– Child’s first experience with team sports – Tee Ball and Soccer are among the favorites for small children

– Child’s first airplane ride!  First tractor ride!  First train ride!

– Child’s trip to Grandparents home for Christmas

– Child’s confirmation classes and first holy communion.

– Child’s experiences the birth of a baby brother or sister

– Child gets a puppy or kitten – or a bunny or a bird.  i.e. a pet!

– Child joins girl scouts or boy scouts

We have ornaments especially designed for many of these occasions.  You can see the links back to the products in the underlined colored words.  And it’s easy to make your own decision about an ornament, for instance, you can put First Holy Communion in a heart on an angel ornament, or put Going to Grandma’s for Christmas on a house ornament.  Feel free to use your imagination to create a gift that is meaningful for this particular year.  This is the way to begin and continue with a tradition of purchasing a special ornament each Christmas for your child, a friend’s child, or your grandchild.  It’s a beautiful tradition, and the child will grow up with the memories of receiving an ornament from you each year, and that that ornament collection to his or her own home as adults – to share with their children.

Calliope Designs has been providing personalized Christmas ornaments to families for 43 years now, and we have the delightful experience of hearing from many adult customers who received our ornaments as children, and who are now carrying on the collection for their new families and children,  and yes, even pets!

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Celebrating Christmas with a Newly Adopted Child

Adopted Daughter Personlized christmas Ornaments
Home for the Holidays
Celebrating Christmas with your Newly Adopted ChildWe loved some of the ideas in this article and wanted to share them with you!
Author:  Heather V Long

Christmas is a time of celebration and rejoicing with your family and loved ones. What can be more special than a first Christmas with a newly adopted child? How do you welcome them into your home, your heart and your family? What about the rituals, traditions and culture of an internationally adopted child? How do you take your blended family and bring them together for the holidays?

First Christmas

“What happens on the first Christmas depends on the age of the child and his past experiences,” says Gloria Hochman, director of communications and marketing at the National Adoption Center. “Older children, who have been in foster homes, will remember the way Christmas was celebrated there, which may or may not have been a wonderful experience. For very young children, the celebration will probably be no different from what it would be for birth children. Whatever is comfortable or traditional in the family would probably be fine.”

Hochman points out that it is important to transmit the joy of the holiday but not to overwhelm the child, particularly if his or her personality is subdued. ”Include the child in the celebration in a way that is appropriate to his age,” she says.

“It is important for older children to integrate their cultural identity,” says Victor Groza, professor of social work at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. “Integrating an adopted child’s traditions and cultures can be a great bonding experience for the family.”

Cindy Champnella, an adoptive mom from Farmington Hills, Mich. and the author of The Waiting Child, says that Christmas should be a magical time for all children, no matter what age they are. ”The younger children, of course, have no basis of comparison,” she says. “But the older ones often see it as another extraordinary aspect of their new lives.”

Tom and Sabrina Glidden of Eaton, Ind. are preparing to celebrate their first Christmas with their sons who were adopted from Ukraine. They plan to incorporate some traditions from their children’s home country. In Ukraine, there are two sets of holidays, Catholic and Orthodox. “This will be our first Christmas with the boys home,” says Sabrina. “We will set up the Christmas tree after our Thanksgiving meal. We’ll set up a handmade replica of a fireplace, on which we will place our empty stockings. On Christmas Eve, we will set out two cookies and a glass of milk for Santa.”

What to Do

Champnella encourages families to celebrate their traditions with their children, but to also learn about the holiday traditions of their homeland. “Local groups, like Families With Children From China, often have parties and celebrations for the Chinese New Year, the Dragon Boat Festival and other traditional Chinese holidays,” she says. “They are wonderful occasions to add new traditions to a family.”

Hochman finds it energizing for all family members when a child’s heritage is considered in celebrating the holidays. “We know families where there are birth children and adopted children from a variety of cultures,” she says. “They celebrate Ramadan, Kwanzaa, Chanukah and Christmas. Children learn to appreciate their own cultures and those of their siblings.”

Families come together at Christmas and other holidays. Emphasizing cultural identity and sharing those traditions together provides strength for children, not only in adopted children but also in birth children. In families where there is a mixture of religion and culture, Groza suggests looking for the commonalities amongst the traditions and emphasizing those.

No matter how much you do or don’t incorporate, there is no deficit, but only strength. It is the responsibility of parents to know their children and to fulfill their needs.

“It is one thing to think it all through intellectually, but the reality can be different and difficult,” says Groza. “Holidays bring out these differences, but they also allow parents to adapt their parenting to the needs of the child. After the first holiday, the rest are easy because the pattern has already been set.”

The Gliddens will be joining a group of carolers this year. The tradition of caroling has continued in Ukraine since the ninth century, and she wants the boys to be a part of it.

Traditions

“I think it is very important to help a child understand about their native culture,” says Champnella. “You want them to be proud of their heritage, as this will affect their self-esteem in the years to come. However, you do need to take cues from the child about how much to discuss this and be prepared to back off during the times when they are experiencing adjustment issues.”

Traditions, whether they are being integrated from the child’s culture or from a parent’s upbringing, will eventually meld together to become a family tradition.

“I believe most families are comfortable raising a child in their traditions but want to incorporate knowledge of their own cultures because they want their children to be proud of who they are,” says Hochman. “It is important for children’s self-esteem that they enjoy their family’s traditions and way of life, but are also cognizant and take pride in their own heritage.”

Part of parenting involves building positive strengths and self-confidence in our children. Learning with them and developing new rituals, as well as incorporating the old, helps to do just that. Adopted children need the influences and reminders of the past to help them define who they are and will be.

In Ukraine, there is a Christmas spider web legend that tells of one family in a village who was too poor to have a decorated Christmas tree in their house. The mother hung a few meager nuts and fruits on the small tree outside their door in hopes of bringing some cheer to her children’s Christmas Day celebration. On Christmas Eve, the spiders heard her prayers and hung their webs all over the tree. As the sun came up, its rays glittered and sparkled on the dew that was sprinkled on the webs and turned them to silver and gold.

“We will tell them this story and attempt to make ornaments that look something like it,” says Glidden. “ We strongly believe that all members of a family are contributors. Therefore, we gladly adopt what our children’s heritage brings. Even if it is new to them now, one day they will know that we have accepted their heritage as well as they have adopted ours. As the boys often say: ‘We all got married.'”

A family is not built on the biological or cultural similarities they share, but the traditions and memories they create to treasure in the years to come.

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Why kids love personalized gifts – Ornaments included!

Our Three Grandkids Personalized Ornament

Do you pay particular attention to text that includes your name? You do !!! Well so do children and so do gift buyers who love personalized baby and children’s gifts! – for good reasons!

At Christmas time children will love to receive a personalized Christmas ornament, especially one made at www.calliopedesigns.com!  Obviously, we have ornaments for newborns to graduates, and every age in between!  You can be sure that each year when the ornament box comes out of storage to begin decorating the Christmas tree, your child will search for his or her very one personalized First Christmas ornament to be hung on the tree in a prominent place!  The search will resume for the Second Christmas ornament and any others that have been gifted over the years!  Sounds pretty fun to me!

Kids adore to see something with their name on it, then they can definitely say ‘ITS MINE!’ or “its Me”. These items become special keepsake gifts. In addition, if the personalized gift is of practical use to the child, then it will be used often by the child.  A personalized book, record, bib, blanket, or stuffed animal will be loved year around.

Not only do personalized toys/gifts help promote their growing self-identity, but it also helps children distinguish/individualize themselves from other members of the family, particularly if there is more than one child sharing a bedroom. This is particularly true with twins/triplets.

Not only do personalized gifts give them a separate identity they also give children a unique play activity if that personalized item is a toy. If your name is Tom, it gives you little joy to push a train named Jane around your room.

The gift giver can also benefit. Personalized toys/gifts do become treasured by the child and therefore take pride of place – often pride of public place. So uncles, aunties, godparent and grandparents buying personalized items get public brownie points which is a lot better than your expensive 1920′s genuine Teddy Roosevelt bear being shoved in the big bottom toy storage drawer for eternity.

So what are the sociological benefits of the various personalized gift categories

  • Enhancing Reading Skills: If my name is in the paper, I know I would want to know for certain what is being said about me . Same with a child regarding a book. So personalized books when the text is at the correct reading level are natural accelerators of reading skills.
  • Enhance Listening Skills Children love to hear their own names, also pattern learning is a great foundation for all education the child will subsequently get exposed. Encourage them early to learn songs – which after all are just aural patterns – thereby starting them on the way to rapid knowledge acquisition
  • Encourage worthwhile habits: Personalized cups/dishes & cutlery. We all want a reasonably certain set of activities from day to day. Personalized tableware reduces once off surprising tantrums “because today I hate all yellow things”. Granted you now need to have those exact pieces on hand for every meal but the guesswork of occasional tantrums are gone.
  • Increase gift-giver Feel Good Factor: Personalized teddy bears/baby clothes/books are great for Godparents, Grandparents and other relatives. You know that within 6 months these will be used twice daily for 6 years or more. However such regular use may result in a disintegrated piece at the end of that period. These cuddly companions usually stand 45 cm tall. What makes them personalized are the writing on each of the foot. These can be a date or a name.

You can help a child embrace their identity and celebrate their name by giving them personalized gifts. Personalized children’s gifts can be small or large, extravagant or very inexpensive. But regardless of the size or the cost, children feel extra special because that gift is uniquely theirs and was created entirely for them. Kids just love that! But then again, don’t we all?

originally posted by admin in babies toddler, Home, and Family

 

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An adoption gift for an older child

Baby's First Steps: Ethnic Boy Personalized christmas Ornament

This article was written by R.J. Bowman, and it has some great ideas for adoption gifts for older children.  We understand that the first holiday season after an adoption can be an emotional time.  Newly adopted older children may have memories of other holidays with their birth family, or foster families, and wonder what it will be like in their newly adopted family.  Including your adopted child in your existing family traditions is an important way of making him or she feel accepted and loved – this year add their name to the annual personalized ornament you purchase for the family!  It will be forever treasured.

Great Gift Ideas for an Older Child

The following thoughts were written by R.J. Bowman, and it has some great ideas for adoption gifts for older children.

When a baby is adopted, he will never remember any family other than the people who chose to welcome him into their home. An older adopted child, however, has a past and a memory of another family. After losing one family, he may be nervous about his place in a new family and wonder if he will be left behind yet again. Giving an adopted child a special gift can speak volumes about your commitment to keeping him or her forever.

1.    Engraved Gifts

  • Mark the beginning of your adopted child’s new life with a gift of jewelry that will make her feel like she is truly part of this family.  Necklaces, rings, bracelets, and watches can all be engraved with the date of the adoption and your child’s new name, and the gift will be a visual representation of the change that has occurred. Remember, though, that your child is old enough to have opinions about the jewelry she likes or does not like; make sure to choose something she will be happy wearing.

If your adopted child is not into jewelry, there are many other items that can be engraved, including Christmas tree ornaments, money clips, photo albums, and even iPods and other MP3 players.

2.   Family Tree Scrapbook

  • Welcome the adopted child into the family with a family tree scrapbook. An older child who comes into the family may feel that he’s expected to know instantly all of the aunts, uncles, and cousins in the extended family. Put together a page about each member of the family to help the newest member learn about each person. Include basic information such as the relative’s name, birthday, spouse, children and parents–and how he or she is related to your child. Include fun information as well, such as the family member’s favorite food or pet’s name. If possible, have each family member add a brief message to your adopted child. This will help him know that he is truly wanted, not just by his new parents, but by the entire family.
  • 3.  A Memorable Day
  • Memories make great gifts. An older adopted child probably has a lot of bad memories in her past, so help her start off her new life with good memories. Plan a special day to celebrate the adoption and show your child that she is wanted, loved and accepted into her new family. The memorable day can be anything your child likes to do. Spend the day at the beach or the zoo, or at a water park or amusement park. Make the day even more special by renting a limo to take the entire family to the chosen location. End the evening with dinner out at a restaurant serving your child’s favorite food.