Keeping Memories: Made Simple (Part 2)

Here is another set of easy memory keeping ideas.  These are things that can both be made in a few hours or ideas that you can add to over a period of time.  Sometimes I just get a little bit of time in which I try and get something put together as quick as possible and other times I start something that I only have time to add to periodically.  Here are some examples of both.

Idea #1. A sisters picture book.  This is actually the second one of these I have made.  I intend to make one a year (and now that we have a baby brother in our family they will become siblings books).  These are so easy to make.  The best thing to do is look for an online picture ordering deal (like sometimes Snapfish has 200 prints for only a few dollars).  I never can think of 200 pictures to order or why I would want that many but for something like this it is perfect.  I always make one for each child when I am doing it.  I order a bunch of prints of them together, punch holes in them and make a cute cover.  Add rings and it is done.  You can write on each picture what they are doing but of course that adds time.  I did that on the first one I made but this second installment I did not.  It is just a fun little album showing them together.

Idea #2: A mini family album.

Last year after we got family pictures done I ordered extra prints for each girl of some of the family pictures and some of the individual pictures.  I made one for each girl-specifically with pictures of them.  I wrote a personal note on the inside cover of the album, laminated it and bound them.  It is just a simple little book with a specific theme.  And this is a good place to put in a plug for getting your own laminator and binding machine.  I ordered both from LTD and love them.  They are fairly cheap models (both in price and quality) but they do the job and are so handy for memory keeping ideas.  Just a thought for Christmas gift ideas.

Idea #3: Girly scrapbook. 

Like I said in the first of the series, I am not a good scrapbooker.  I found this cute set of scrapbook paper though that had all these great prompts for memory keeping.  It was meant for an actual scrapbook I know but I just cut the paper apart, wrote in the spaces provided, and added pictures in between and punched holes in the corner and put them all on a ring.  They turned out to be wonderful little mini albums about each girl.

Idea #4: Picture DVD's.  

There are lots of programs out there to create DVD's of pictures.  I use Smilebox. It is super easy and user friendly.  They have lots of different themes to choose from.  You can choose to add their music options or if you pay for their service you can add your own music.  I try and create one of these each year-either per child or of the family.  

Idea #5

A "What you Said" book.  My friend gave me this when Small Fry was a baby.  I don't have one for my other children and it is one of those memory ideas that is hard to keep up-especially if you have more than one child but it is fun and worth giving a try.  I didn't use it really as it was intended.  The pages had specific spots on which to record different things your child said.  I just basically wrote entry's like a journal.  I tried to record some of the super funny things she would say as well as make little entries of things she was able to do at certain ages (like "at 20 months you could do.....).  I only kept it up until she was a little over 2 I think but it is still going to be a fun record for her.  I tried to record things my little pumpkin said in my journal from time to time but I know I didn't write down nearly as many things for her.