Mini Gratitude Journals and printable

Whenever November comes around we automatically start thinking of all we have to be grateful for.  Its so wonderful!  Gratitude is something that I want my children to learn and of course is always something I can work on as well.  I have a cute sign in my house that says "there is always, always, always something to be thankful for."  I leave it up year round because being thankful shouldn't just happen around Thanksgiving.

I found this adorable idea here.  I modified it a little bit for cost and ease (also I'm using for an activity with 16 yes 16 8-11 year old girls so these were important).  You can find awesome detailed instructions on her site but here's a basic how-to with my changes and a few tips.

You need:
white cardstock 1 sheet will make 2 (I used regular 8 1/2 x11)
A pack of index cards (I found mine at walmart 100 for less then a dollar)
ribbon
scrapbook paper (scraps work great)
anything to use as embellishments (I used ric rac and some flowers I already had.  Stickers, stamps, or just paper work great too)
glue
scissors or paper cutter
hole punch
tape

1. hole punch your index cards.  I used 12 per book.
2. cut your cardstock 3" by 11"

3. fold your cardstock in half and hole punch.  Use your index cards as a template.
4.  pull ribbon through the holes and tie off.  You do not want your ribbon to tight or the book will not lay very flat when you try to write inside.  Use a pencil or finger to give you enough space.  Another tip...wrap a small amount of tape around the end of the ribbon to make it easier to pull through.
5. decorate!

Here are the printables I made for the front cover.  Copy and paste into a word document. Size them to 2x2 and print. 

I challenged the girls (and myself) to write at least 1 thing they are thankful for a day between now and Thanksgiving.  If they wanted a bigger challenge add 5 a day!  I hope this will get them thinking about all we have to be thankful for.