a glimpse from yesterday

Place: Costco

Time: Approximately 8 pm (a bit on the late side for us to be out & about)

Little people: Claire is pushing Porter & Crew toward the exit

Occasion: Just a routine family excursion to Costco. Except this time, Porter was really tired and cuddled up on my bag (with a stuffed tiger under his head for extra comfort) and stayed warm with Crew's blanket. Claire had all the energy in the world. Can you tell?

I'm crazy about these kids.

questions. answers.

It's great to hear that so many of you have received your baby kits. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on the kit. It makes me happy that you're seeing this as a solution ... something to help you in what might otherwise be really overwhelming. For those of you who want to read reviews on the baby kit, there are a number of insightful comments on the last post.

You guys also asked several great questions and I want to give you some answers.

[ baby kit versatility ]

Many of you are finding how versatile the kit is for adopted children, single parents, etc. It's definitely adaptable for older children as well (those who were babies a while back), since some of you are asking about that. You can just not use the specific journaling cards that include lots of detailed questions that you may not remember.

Someone asked if I am using this kit for my other kids' baby albums. While I am using this baby kit for Crew's baby album (did I mention how much I'm loving it?), I am not going back and re-doing what I've already done for Porter's and Claire's baby albums. That would mean having too much time on my hands! Besides, I love what I've done for them in their albums. However, I do have a few layouts left to do in Claire's album and I've been using my baby kit for those extra pages.

[ new kotm site ]

Many of you who are ordering the Holiday Card kit have noticed that the web site is different from the original place (on Lisa's site) that you used to order KOTM (kits of the month). We've had several changes lately. First, new & improved web sites. And also, we have a new shipping warehouse in Denver. The new site uses the existing customer user names and passwords. The old site let people log-in with user name OR email address, then the password. If you are having trouble logging in you can click “forgot password” and you’ll get an email with BOTH user name and password.

[ shipping time ]

Orders placed by 1:00 pm will be shipped the same day. If you are pre-ordering the Holiday Card kit, those will begin shipping November 3-4. You'll have plenty of time to get those done in time for the holidays.

[ customer service ]

If you don't order online, you can call toll free to order: 800.453.1173

If you are international, here are the non-800 phone numbers for ordering & customer service.

720.374.3628 (phone for international orders)
720.374.3720 (fax for international orders)

Customer service hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. MST (GMT-7)

[ baby footprints ]

To preserve the sweet, small size of baby's feet I use acrylic paint, easily found in craft stores. I use a foam brush to apply it to the bottom of their foot and then carefully press it against cardstock to get the footprint. This is also how I have been doing our kids' handprints for years (see my Jan. 9, 2008 post titled "Handprint Tradition").

Added note: Acrylic paint is so easy to clean off of skin (and most hard surfaces too). Absolutely no staining.

[ albums ]

Since you get to choose the album you want to use with the baby kit, some of you want to know MY choice. There are many great options out there and I've chosen the We R Memory Keepers leather 3-ring albums. Yes, the baby kit comes with 12x12 page protectors and they are designed with 3 holes in the edge, which is perfect for most (or all?) 3-ring albums. You can certainly use whatever page protectors you want if you have a specialty album that doesn't fit these page protectors.

Back to the We R Memory Keepers albums ... check your local craft or scrapbook store or you can try some online options, like going here or here.

Added notes: Porter's albums are green, Claire's are yellow, and Crew's are blue. Also, Kasey (fellow blog reader) informs us that these albums are on sale at ritzcamera.com for $19.99 for the month of October so act FAST on that if you're interested.

This was a lot of text. Note to self: Include a photo in the next post. : )

crew's baby album

Babies and Christmas. More baby. More holidays. I know I'm hitting both topics a lot lately. That's what happens when I'm excited to share two kits with you simultaneously.

So ... back to babies.

I wanted to share what I've done so far in Crew's baby album. He's 5 weeks old now and I'm off to a strong start with recording his history. Here's a look.

what's in the holiday card kit

I know there are some questions about the ordering process, etc. so I will be getting back with you shortly on that (as soon as I have a little more information). In the meantime ... the promised video clip, showing you the kit!



To clarify ...

- There are supplies to make & send 30 holiday greeting cards (yes, a single postage stamp works great ... I've done a test-run)

- There are 24 little (3" x 3") cards & envelopes that are perfect for accompanying gifts or treats that you deliver to friends, neighbors, and associates.

- There are 15 holiday thank-you cards (3" x 4"), which can be sent through the mail with a single stamp just fine (don't forget to thank others for the gifts YOU receive!)

- There are components to make & send 6 cd's/dvd's, which can be sent through the mail with a single stamp just fine

Please refer to my the FAQ's in the post just below this one to see answers to many other questions about the kit.

And remember ... Viv (vgrothe@ckmedia.com) is your customer service friend. If you have any questions about your Kit of the Month order, drop her a note.

holiday cards FAQ

I wanted to answer some of your questions regarding the holiday card kit. Missed what I'm talking about? Look at the post just below this one for pictures of my new holiday card KOTM (kit of the month).

Q: How much is the kit?
A: $29.99 (value over $125 in comparable product)

Q: When is it available to pre-order?
A: RIGHT NOW! Click HERE to go there in a jiffy.

Q: When will the kits begin shipping?
A: The first week of November.

Q: Can you ship internationally?
A: Yes, we will be taking international orders. If you are one of these customers, call 386-597-4387. Orders will be shipped via DHL.

Q: How many cards are in a kit?
A: 30 (plus a bunch of "bonus" cards for mailing cd's and thank-you notes, etc.)

Q: What are the dimensions of the main cards?
A: Folded, the card measures 4" x 9".

Q: Can I put a 4" x 6" picture inside the card?
A: Yes. You'll just need to do a quick trim on one edge of your photo so it fits well inside the card.

Q: Will one postage stamp be enough to mail my cards?
A: Yes. I have even double-checked this myself this week. I mailed some cards with a standard postage stamp and they arrived just fine. Obviously if you decide to include a bunch of extra stuff in your cards, making them bulkier/heavier, that may require extra postage. When I did my test-run, I included the card, the embellished insert, the newsletter, and a photo. What I consider to be the "standard package" with this card design.

Q: What is the cut-out circle on the cards for?
A: It's just for fun. It peeks through to the inside, where you'll include an embellished insert from the kit (if you want). It will be an epoxy sticker in that spot. This will make more sense when I post my video clip in the next few days.

Q: Is the year printed on the card, or will I be able to use these next year (or another year)?
A: 2008 is not printed anywhere, but there's a cute place to include the date, which I'll share with you in the video. So yes, you can use these cards another year if you don't send them this year.

Q: Your holiday card kit from last year involved brads & chipboard, which added to the thickness of the cards. Will it be the same with this kit?
A: Nope. I avoided the bulky factor.

Q: Are the envelopes going to require tape or adhesive?
A: Lick & stick, baby! No need to use tape or anything. Tip: As with any envelope, just be sure you lick all the way to the edges. You know how sometimes, if you don't do that, the corner will rip? Yeah. So just be sure to get full coverage. : )

holiday card kit preview

Before I share pictures of the upcoming holiday card kit, I wanted to let you know that the baby kits are now shipping. Many of you have pre-ordered and are receiving yours already (or will very soon). For those of you who are wondering, it is not too late and you can still order your baby kit here. If you're just chiming in, you can find out all sorts of information about the baby kit by watching my video clips posted here on my blog (see 9/22 and 9/23 posts).

Now. A little preview of the holiday card kit that will soon be available for pre-order!

There are 3 main card designs that come in each kit (10 of each; 30 total):







These are the envelopes (cute, huh?):



You also get all these bonus cards for holiday thank-you's and small notes:



Plus a bunch of chipboard tags for gifts, neighbor treats, etc. These will SO come in handy:



And of course we're throwing in a collection of darling self-adhesive gift labels:



There's other stuff that you haven't seen yet, including ready-to-print-on letterhead that coordinates with the main cards (for those of you who like to include a newsletter with your holiday greetings). I know you'll have questions. Go ahead and ask away, but just know that I'll be sharing a video clip & more information, as I always do when I release a new kit. Stay tuned.

reminiscing

Just came across this picture that my brother, Kevin, took about 4 years ago. As a family, we were all "home" in Maryland, and it was just a gorgeous time to be there. Reminds me of every Fall growing up and how much I love the seasonal change. So I imagine this is just what it's probably starting to look like there. Or it will very soon.

Thinking about lower temperatures, changing leaves, cool breezes, and the smell that Fall brings. Maybe I can get my parents to bring me some leaves when they come to visit us here in the desert later this month. : )

adorable

Many of you have pre-ordered and are awaiting the arrival of your baby kit (shipping soon!).

[Yes, you can still pre-order here.]

In the meantime, I want to continue sharing ideas & inspiration from those who have already been playing with the product. Personally, I've been making a lot of progress in Crew's album, thanks to the kit. I'll be sharing soon.

Mary MacAskill has been whipping up some seriously adorable creations, using components from the baby kit. I have to share! A-dor-a-ble.

this just in

Now that we're in the swing of October, I know some of you are already thinking about your holiday cards (yay for planning ahead). So, if you like the idea of making your cards, but you also want to simplify the process, I am pleased to tell you that I have done another Christmas card kit! If you missed last year's (that's what I mean when I say "another"), you can click on November 2007 and get an idea for what the kit was all about.

This year, of course, the cards have a whole new look and we've included a lot of fun extras. We're also going to be shipping earlier so you can get a head-start. You will be able to pre-order soon. So check back here in the coming week for more details, pictures, and all that good stuff.

realize your life

You may have noticed something happening in the land of Scrapbooking Blogs yesterday. October 1st was the kick-off day for a Blog Blitz, conceptualized by the extraordinary Stacy Julian, and carried out by many scrapbooking bloggers like myself.

So I'm a day late. But in case you haven't heard about this from other blogs yesterday, here's the deal:

Stacy has been inspired to issue a challenge to women to become more aware and more intentional about recognizing life as it happens. This is the “Give Yourself a Present” challenge! And as she puts it, "You have everything you need right now to be vibrant and fully engaged in the creative process. Sometimes you just have to slow down, look around and realize it!"

Here's what you do:

1. Snap ten photos of your life right now.
2. Compile these photos in an itty bitty album.
3. Keep or carry this album with you (in your desk drawer or purse) for one year.
4. Promise to glance through the album every time you stumble upon it or pull it from your purse.
5. On October 1st, 2009, create a scrapbook page about your experience. (If you read Stacy's blog, she'll remind you.)

Here are a couple snapshots of my life right now.





(Notice how the princess has filthy feet from playing outside just moments before getting dressed up.)

Interested in more details, pictures of an example album, and more of Stacy's insight on this challenge? Check out her blog.