As a mom, I’m always surrounded by paper. Some of it, I don’t love— such as the never-ending supply of permission slips and forms. However, as Mother’s Day approaches, I can tell you that paper is the medium of choice for children and how they illustrate their love and creativity for their mothers.

Here are four reasons why, as a mom, I love paper:

Dear Mom

Nothing is better than a hand-written note, especially when it comes from one of your children. My daughters are very sweet and will leave me notes in unexpected places. I’m always opening my notebooks and finding little notes here and there. Of course, I save every single one of these little sweet sentiments.

The Mother’s Day Card

For Mother’s Day, I think most moms will tell you they prefer a home-made card versus store bought. However, let’s be real. You better get something, anything from your family on today of all days. It shows that they appreciate you and all you do.  Mothers tend to have elephant memories and will never forget if you showed up empty-handed, like ever.

Art

I love my kids’ artwork. It’s always pinned up and on display throughout my house. I try to save the best pieces for posterity. It’s always a challenge to edit it down because I WANT TO KEEP ALL OF IT. However, as much artwork as they produce, it’s simply not practical. I save the best in boxes. I also love the art portfolios that the school sends home at the end of the year. In this post, we won’t talk art storage and organization because that’s a different post for a different blog.

Some days, I feel like I’m powering the sustainability movement all by myself because of all of the scraps of paper, ribbon and shoeboxes we save. My daughters are always crafting. In particular, my oldest loves to create dioramas with miniature furniture crafted from cardboard and anything else that is in our craft closet. She will spend hours crafting her vision and then proudly show me her creations. I think I have a future architect or interior designer on my hands.

Paper is the basis for all the creative ways my family connects. However, I can say that as I move into a different season of motherhood, it’s the little things I treasure the most. It’s the handprints on paper or the sweet note left for me that I love. All of it created on paper.

To view more inspiring printed pieces on Domtar Paper, visit the Gallery or follow us on Instagram.