February 27, 2007

Appreciated and Timeless Gift

FROM: CS, Winter Springs, FL
I was given a red plate when my children were small. It was given to me by my sister-in-law who has five brothers and they always had a red plate growing up to mark special occasions. I have three children who are now in college and high school and we have used our red plate for many special times. Over the years I have given a red plate often to friends as a baby gift so that they can begin their own tradition. It is a most appreciated and timeless gift!

February 26, 2007

Baby's 1st Birthday

From: ALJP, Katy, TX
I purchased a Red plate for my son's first birthday so that we can start the tradition each year of eating birthday cake off of the "You Are Special" plate. He is our most precious gift and is so special, we wanted him to have an extra reminder. Next month we celebrate his 3rd birthday and the Red plate will definately be present and for many years to come! I hope one day he passes on the same tradition to his children.

Passing Along the Tradition

FROM: MS, Algonquin, IL
I want my children to remember special events in our family life. The Red Plate is only taken out for special occasions. I've wanted to pass along this tradition to my neices and nephews as they start their married life.

February 24, 2007

Moved to Tears

FROM: MMS, Tinley Park
Since my children were very small we have had the red plate. We used it from report cards to birthdays and many days in between. When my daughter got married I gave her a Red Plate as a shower gift. She was moved to tears. Many at the shower never saw the plate and didn't unerstand the significance, but once she explained it became clear. It is now a special item in their new home too. It is one of my favorite shower gifts for new brides.

February 23, 2007

Warcraft Level 60

FROM: Generalist
Some would say that it can be difficult to find times in the life of a teenager when setting out the red plate is fitting, but this blogger shows, how with a little creativity, attention to their interests and willingness to hear "Thank's Mom!" when your teen actually says "Mom, you're wierd", you can pull it off. Link shows the happy teen along with notes about the "special" event and a classic teenage response.

February 21, 2007

Pass it on as a Heirloom

FROM: VM, Tustin, CA
When my husband & I got married 35 years ago, my mother gave us the "Red Plate" and told us when we have children to be sure to use it on special occassions. We had 2 sons and when there was something special in their childhood we always used the "Red Plate". Our oldest is married and has a daughter and we gave them their "Red Plate." Our youngest son will be married in June 2007 and we have his plate ready to give them for a wedding gift.

My husband and his daughter have finally been reunited after she been given up for adoption by her mother 36 years ago. For her birthday last year we gave her the "Red Plate". She was thrilled about her "Red Plate" and wrote to tell us she will use it for special occasions with her family! I think the "Red Plate" is a very special gift that can be passed on as an heirloom. It also makes that person feel very special and important! We not only use it for children but for adults as well.

February 20, 2007

The Next to Die?

FROM: GM, Philadelphia PA
Our family's Red Plate traditionally goes to the the person celebrating a special occasion. However, when we are celebrating a holiday, the plate goes to the oldest family member present or every once in a while the youngest. My husband got the Red Plate this past Christmas shortly after my Mom passed away. He remarked that you don't want to get the Red Plate because it meant that you were the next to die. Strange sense of humor!!!

February 19, 2007

Not Lost in the Shuffle

FROM: KMS, Marco Island, FL
We have an extended family that lives nearby. Aren't we lucky? Well, because there are many of us it is easy for some to be lost in the shuffle. That doesn't happen when you have a special plate. We use it for lots of occassions...a good report card, lost a tooth, an extra act of kindness, a special guest, etc. We also use it for birthdays, fathers day, mothers day. I also find it makes a great gift.

February 18, 2007

A Red Plate Scrapbook

FROM: KC, Quad Cities, IL
We received our Red Plate from my sister-in-law for our wedding shower, and it is one of the most treasured gifts we have ever recieved. We keep our red plate prominently displated and will be starting a "Red Plate Scrapbook" with pictures and the story of why it was a Red Plate day. We love the extra way of telling people how special they are to us and seeing their reactions. Thank you for helping us start a "Red Plate" tradition in our family!

February 17, 2007

A Tradition for over 30 Years

FROM: CNJ, Yuma, AZ
We have used the Red Plate in our family for 30 years. Our kids all loved it and would remind me if I forgot to put it out. After my kids were grown and moved away, I found another use for the plate: I invited each of my Sunday School kids - and their families - over for a meal with me and my husband. Each time, I would use the Red Plate for my student - as the guest of honor. I also would ask the student questions of all her/his favorite things. They felt so special and would go back to class the next week and tell the other students about it!

February 16, 2007

"Do you ever eat on it?"

FROM: SJC, Dallas, TX
"Do you ever eat on it?", I asked Flora and her husband Don. "Oh, no! It's too precious for us! We have a special plate holder for it and we look at it every day!"

Jana and I gave Don and Flora a Red Plate for their 50th wedding anniversay because we've loved our plate for almost 20 years. We eat on ours for special occasions, though, and we always date and mark the occasion.

What's so great about the RED PLATE is that it never forgets those meals it shared with you and the honoree and it saves the memories of years worth of special times when you write the event on the back of the plate.

February 15, 2007

Embraced at Countless Celebrations

FROM: MLB, Finksburg, MD
We received our Red Plate as a wedding gift in 1983. This plate has been embraced by countless celebrations from the major events to quiet happy achievements that become even more memorable with the table donned with the plate. My kids, who are both now in college, still get a kick out of having their accomplishments recognized by finding the plate at their seat for dinner. This plate has given accolades to events such as good report cards, first teeth, home runs, soccer goals, recitals, making the varsity teams, ring day, scoring well on the SAT, random acts of kindness to one another and just a few weeks ago celebrating my son's first successful semester at college and making the deans list for my daughter. It is a joy to give this plate as a gift with a note to let the receiver know what potential "Happy Ocassions" lie ahead to celebrate!!

February 14, 2007

Let the People We Love Know

FROM: CP, Frederick, MD
The beauty of the red plate for our family was and still is (now that our children are parents themselves!) its versatility. It is perfect for acknowledging that good grade, birthday, poetry award, soccer goal, graduation, acceptance letter--in short, anything special. Its celebratory effect became obvious to us when our 35 year old niece became engaged and wrote to us that she had always remembered how we put the red plate out for her when she visited--this was the one and only wedding gift she wanted from us to start off her own marriage. Thank you for such a practical and uniqiue way to let people we love know that we notice them!

February 13, 2007

Missionary Life Events

FROM: JH, Flowood, MS
Being far from home serving as missionaries, we enjoy using our Red Plate for many occasions! Not only when our family celebrates birthdays, anniversaries, graduations or difficult days but when single friends serving alongside us have no one to celebrate their special events with, we carry our Red Plate to their homes or use the Red Plate for their place at our table when they celebrate with us. The Red Plate always brings a big smile to every one who has the honor of using it! Thank you for a very special plate!

February 12, 2007

I Was Happy

FROM: EG - Age 8
When I turned eight my family put the red plate out for me and I was happy. It made me feel special and that they were thinking of me.

February 11, 2007

Reunion and Hope After Katrina

FROM: EPUT, Norwalk, Ct
In January of 2006, four months after Katrina struck New Orleans & the Gulf Coast, my husband & I left our home in Connecticut for New Orleans. We were two of many with family ties to that area who had to see & feel first hand the enormity of the devastation. We have many cousins, uncles and friends there. We needed to be with them. Most were very fortunate to still have homes, but Katrina brought dispair to just about all. We listened to all the stories & know that these special family members were all and still are trying to find a ray of sunshine after such a far reaching devastating experience.

We had a family reunion while there, and everyone came. I think they were ready for some sort of celebration and hope. In one suitcase, I brought You Are Special Big Red Plates or a You Are Special Red Mug for all to have as favors. I wrote the date on the bottoms.

I can't tell you how Special we all felt !! But I can tell you these were the hit of the day....I have given your website to several who were there & asked, "Where ever did you find such special gifts?"

They tell me they use them for so many reasons all year round & think about that day a year ago the sun came out................

February 10, 2007

Memory Book of Guests and Dinners

FROM: NAH, McKinney, Texas
Our family received our first red plate when our eldest child (now 20) was just a todler. And so began our dinners with the red plate. At first it was brought out for the children on their big days. Their smiles and wide eyes were even brighter than the beautiful red on the plate. And always, the date, the occassion, and person were duly noted on the back.

When relatives would make the journey to visit us the kids would always run to the cupboard to get the red plate to set on the table for them. But before it could be placed on the table they ensured that I wrote the date and the guests name too. So our dinner plate began to be our "memorybook" of dinners shared with family, loved ones and friends.

Through the years we have filled that plate and begun more. It has become one of our family's signature gifts to others who have shared our table as we move, or as we share a significant event in their lives.

Recently one of our children traveled to New Zealand as a foreign exchange student. And yes, guess what she called and asked us to send as a special gift for her host family? A red plate. Since she had shared their table, their love, and so many tales she wanted to start the tradition for them while she was still there. So we added our note of thanks and mailed the plate halfway around the world. Our daughter then prepared a special meal for them, added her note and date and placed it upon their table and shared an "American" tradition with her Kiwi family. They have been such a special part of her life and it is wonderful to know that a special part of her will continue to share their table and forever be a part of their "memorybook" plate.

Now when my family is gathered together with the red plate we enjoy turning it over and reading and remembering together those happy occassions recorded on our plates. It is a real conversation starter as we recall all the love, laughter, and joy celebrated on each of those days. We hope that the families we have shared this gift with will find the same joy of reading and sharing their red "memorybook" plates.

February 09, 2007

A Visible Symbol of Our Special Bond as Family

FROM: BP, Chevy Chase, MD
We use the "You are Special Today" plate for the usual occassions (birthday, anniversary, etc...) but also for all those days (big and small) in our children's life when they have achieved something, struggled with a problem, done a particularly good deed or just "need a hug". It's become a visible symbol of our special bond as family where we celebrate all aspects of life.

February 08, 2007

Artifact in the Trophy Case

FROM: DGV, Derry, NH
Opening of a New School - I was fortunate enough to be one of 60+ educators and staff to be hired at the new Barka School in Derry, NH. To commemorate our first year in the new school and to bring us together as a community, I purchased this plate to be sent around to staff members throughout the year. Everyone received this plate with a little treat and signed the bottom of the plate. It is one of the first artifacts to go into our school trophy case. What a beautiful way to bring a staff together.

February 07, 2007

A "Red Plate" Kind of Day

FROM: TH, Fort Worth, Texas
My brother Jim gave me my first red plate in 1985. My husband and I would use the plate for our family of 6 as a "special" reward for a job well done, birthday, or maybe just an encouragement for a depressing day. Now I'm a grandmother and the gift that each of my children get when they marry is the precious red plate to share with their families and to start their own traditions. It is also the gift that I give for weddings to close family friends because they know it's not just a plate but a tradition starter. Surely everyone needs a "red plate" kind of day every so often!

February 06, 2007

Turn Around A Terribly Horrid Day

FROM: DG, Mount Holly, NJ
We received the red plate as a wedding gift. I hadn't heard of it before this, but I thought it was the greatest gift. My fondest memory of using the plate is one of the once-in-a-blue-moon times my husband has cooked dinner for me. I came home from work after a terribly horrid day, and dinner was waiting. When I saw my dinner was neatly arranged on the red plate, it made everything better. It just calmed me, and really made me forget about my horrible day and I took a seat and enjoyed my meal. So it really isn't just for birthdays, anniversaries, etc. this plate can do some major cheering up! I am currently pregnant with our first, and I can't wait until she is old enough to be able to feel special by eating off the plate! I now buy one for every wedding we attend!

February 05, 2007

Au Pair Birthdays

FROM: TR, Great Falls, VA
We received the Red Plate for a wedding gift on June 15, 1991. We did not know what it was! But it is the one gift that has lasted and that I remember. We now have two boys, age 13 and 14. Even though they are typical teenagers, they want to use the Red Plate on their birthdays! We use it for every special occation - Santa Claus, au pair birthdays, visitors, our own birthdays. It makes special days even more special. It is displayed prominately in our kitchen.

February 04, 2007

On Top of the Sunday Dishes

FROM: SK, Greenville, SC
The Red Plate always sat on the top of our Sunday dishes signifying it's high priority. Our family of five children, four with spouses, gathered each Sunday after church services for traditional roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, along with home made rolls. The Red Plate was placed at the seat of the "honored guest" for the week - always when a birthday occurred, but also when something of significance had taken place in the life of one of the family.

One significant event was when our 21 year old son returned from his two year mission to Madrid, Spain. Due to mission rules of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we had only be able to talk to him personally on Mother's Day and Christmas for the last two years, though we corresponded by letter weekly. What a special reunion it was to have him home safe and sound after the long separation. And of course, the Red Plate was ready and waiting for our sweet son's first Sunday dinner back home.

February 03, 2007

Sharing the Tradition 35 Years Strong

FROM: SAS, Houston, Texas
Over 35 years ago, our family received a "Red Plate" as a bread and butter gift. When three of the four girls married and started their own families, each received their own "Red Plate" to continue or begin their own traditions. I use the "Red Plate" for every holiday meal and family gathering, selecting a "person of the day" to recognize (birthday, anniversary, graduation, new guest, so forth). Now, I give a "Red Plate" as a shower gift to all of the new brides in our family and to special friends and children of friends. I also include a letter from us telling them about our traditional and why they are special to us and why we give the plate. Now, at showers - everyone knows my gift and all the new brides and recipients all light up and say, "We have one of those, we have one of those!" I also make sure that the gift recieves my signature packaging: Toile wrapping paper tied with silk ribbon and dried roses. It is always an anticipated, welcome and appreciated gift.

Happy B-Day Baby E!

BY: Generalist
Nothing beats a baby for cuteness. And this post of a happy one year old with her cake on a "You Are Special Plate" is no exception. Happy Birthday Baby E. These are great "before" pictures, but having six kids and many birthday cakes, none of mine ever looked as clean "after" getting their hands on the cake. Amazing.

February 02, 2007

Celebrate the 'Little Things'

FROM: JDL, Austin, TX
We started using the red plate this past year. We have 3 young children and I find that I am constanly trying to make sure they are each getting enough individual recognition. The red plate is a great way for me to celebrate the 'little things' in their lives. I am now giving this to my friends who are all in the same crazy stage of life as me. It is a perfect, yet subtle, reminder that we need to cherish the present times.

February 01, 2007

From Children to Parents

FROM: JBD, Scotch Plains, NJ
In celebration of our 10th wedding anniversary, my husband's three sons and their wives gave us our "You Are Special Today" red plate. Everytime the family gathers, someone is selected to have the honor of using the red plate - sometimes it is a special event in their life, sometimes it is by drawing names from the hat. Our Red plate has brought us many joyous memories.