Archive for the ‘family & children’ Category
Monday, October 10th, 2011
{ #1 }
As I’m tucking Porter in bed last night, this was the conversation.
Porter: Hey Mom?
Me: Yes Love.
Porter: Remember when you came to my class to work on the personal yearbooks a couple weeks ago?
Me: That was fun, huh?
Porter: (Carefully and cautiously) Yeah. Um – well there was a kid in my class who said, “My mom is quite a bit thinner than your mom.”
Me: (Processing, processing …) Okay. So what did you think about that?
Porter: It wasn’t really nice.
Okay, so the conversation went on … and it was a wonderful opportunity to discuss LOTS of things, including manners and kindness, as well as health. I can probably break-down my feelings like this:
5% Defensive (if that kid had a clue about what’s going on in my life that makes regular exercise a struggle…)
10% Ouch
20% Sense of Humor (Thank goodness for that)
25% Wake-up Call (I’m fully aware that I’m not my thinnest self at the moment)
40% Grateful that Porter can comfortably bring things up like this me + we can talk openly about anything.
Raise your hand if you’ve had your kids gently/bluntly/abrasively/sweetly tell you something similar? : )
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{ #2 }
This is of far more importance than #1. I want to help spread awareness about something that has deeply and eternally affected a family local to us. Please visit emmettsfight.com and watch the two short but very effective videos. You will become more aware of the tiny batteries around your home and mine. And your heart will ache for little Emmett, who is a living miracle.
If you want to pick up a cute t-shirt or two – check out THESE. A friend has designed some for this awareness campaign and profits will go toward helping with this. In fact, she is offering free shipping to my blog readers. Just enter projectemmett at checkout (domestic shipping only).
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{ #3 }
I think a giveaway is a delightful way to kick off this week! The Autumn issue of Where Women Create is stunning, creatively invoking, and simply inspiring. As you flip through the pages, you will appreciate the various styles of decorating, living, and organizing. And – you will likely be inspired to try something new in your own space.
THREE of you will win a free copy of this issue. Leave your first name, city + state … and … I would love to hear ONE health tip from YOU (see #1). : )
Tags: emmett's fight, health, honest things kids say, where women create
Posted in family & children, products | 371 Comments »
Thursday, August 18th, 2011
First of all, congratulations to our two randomly-selected winners, who will each receive the new JoTotes bag!
1. Mark L. in Ft. Pierce, Florida who said, “This would be for my daughter if I won. She would not only be 100% surprised she got a new bag, but even more surprised by her father’s ability to pick out a fashionable camera bag!”
2. Juliane in Waldshut, Germany who said, “If I’m at the next wedding to make the pictures, I do not want to take my old, little pocket. I would like to take this wonderful bag, having everything perfectly under control. A woman just needs a great bag – and a great camera bag would be the crowning glory!”
Both of you can email jototes@gmail.com and they’ll work out the details with you.
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For today, I’m doing something a little unique. I’m turning the rest of this post over to my friend Rebecca Cooper, who is a guest here on my blog today. She is a very gifted photographer and one of the sweetest people I know, and she has a wealth of inspiration to share. With that, I give you … Rebecca.
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Hi everyone! My name is Rebecca Cooper and I’m so excited to be here with Becky to share some thoughts with you on one of my most favourite topics in the world…and that is photography!
As a professional photographer I take thousands of pictures for beautiful families each year around this time. Capturing “the” photo for their Christmas cards is often on their minds. Recording the changes that occur throughout the year as your family grows can be a lot of fun! But let’s face it, when it comes to getting family photos taken, FUN isn’t always the first word that comes to mind. I’ve been behind the camera enough times with my own family to realize that family photos, while they are treasured keepsakes, don’t come without some effort. Today I’m going to share a few quick tips with you that can help put the fun back in your next family photo session.
 At a photo session for our family a few years ago, the above photo was one of my favorites. I sure love that sweet family of mine! While we’re all looking at the camera in this shot and mostly smiling…I have to tell you, that this was only, one of a handful of shots from the hundreds that were taken during the session, where this was the case. There were a few tears, an incident involving a bumble bee, a husband who was done taking photos much sooner than I was and some hilarious, but not quite hang-on-the-wall-worthy, expressions from the kids.
I remember feeling a little frustrated at the time that the kids were making silly faces and things just didn’t seem to be working out quite how I’d envisioned. But when I look back at these pictures now, I couldn’t possibly love them more! They make me smile and they portray our family so well – the outtakes more so than the frameable shots I think! Ha! That goofy grin was trademark Carson at 3 years old, Addie with her tongue sticking out is so typical of her quirky little personality and Emily, the sweetheart, was trying so hard to smile nice for mom – until she that bumble bee showed up, then it was all over.
Read on for a few tips I’ve learned from personal experience and from photographing hundreds of family’s over the years, that can help make your family photo session go just a little bit smoother this year.
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{ 5 simple tips for your next family photo session }
1. Have a plan. Plan the time of your photo session carefully. Make it a time when you won’t be rushed, children will be fed and well rested. Wear comfortable clothing. Pick a location where you can take the majority, if not all of your photos. Have a wishlist of photo ideas and poses you’d like captured ready for your photographer to help them know what style of photos you’re looking for (casual, silly, formal, etc.) Prepare everyone ahead of time so they know how long you’ll be taking photos and any behaviour expectations you may have. You want as many variables working in your favour as possible. Tired, hungry kids, uncomfortable clothing choices and multiple changes in location are all going to cut down on the amount of time everyone is happy and smiling for photos. Have a plan and make it a simple one.
2. Make it a flexible plan. While it’s great to have a plan, setting your expectations too high can often lead to frustration. Make your next family photo session less about getting the perfect shot and more about the moment, each other and the thought of what memories will be triggered by these photos years down the road. This will take a little bit of the pressure off and help everyone to relax and just enjoy the time together as a family. The perfect family photo may not necessarily be the one you envision. Open your mind, relax, have fun with it & the photos will reflect a lovely memory of time spent together. If you are relaxed, your children will be too.
3. Involve the whole family. Ok, that might sound funny, it is family photos afterall, but inviting everyone’s input (especially children’s) as far as clothing choices, poses and other ideas, helps everyone feel like the photo session is a team effort – not just something they’re doing because mo and dad said they had to. Let each family member take a turn arranging the family how they’d like to see them photographed. Watch out, this could get a little silly. When children are given some creative control and allowed to share their input they are so much more cooperative when it comes to taking photos mom and dad or the photographer would like.
4. Be prepared. Bring along some snacks, perhaps some games or other activities to keep younger children occupied while they’re waiting for other family members to have their photos taken. A few more things I also like to have on hand: a brush or comb, hairspray, water or something to drink, wipes, a treat (I am not, will not, never have been above using a little bribery ), an extra change of clothes in case someone gets dirty, a fun prop or two to personalize your session. Being prepared for situations that might arise during your session helps so much. Things go smoother and you can relax a little bit more when you know that if something goes wrong you’ve got some back up tools to help you out.
 5. Have Fun. Most importantly m ake your family photo session a fun event, something to look forward to. Bring silly props – think fake mustaches, funky glasses, balloons or some bubble gum for a bubble blowing contest. Not only do they look cute in photos, props also serve a very useful purpose. They keep little hands busy, fill in time while siblings are being photographed and help to drawing out smiles and genuine interactions. Whatever you can do to ensure that your photo session is an event to anticipated, not dreaded is going to help make it fun and will even help set the stage for next years photos!
Wishing you all the best of luck with those family photos! I hope these quick tips will help make your next family photo session a fun and memorable one.
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For more tips on making photos fun and ideas to take great, natural photos of your kids, be sure to check out Rebecca Cooper’s latest eBook Don’t Say Cheese!
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Learn more about Rebecca’s eBook here. …
See Rebecca’s latest eZine article for Ella Publishing here, where she shares a few photo game ideas for making photos fun for kids. …
Check out Rebecca’s blog here. You can always count on eye candy, and she is sharing more great photo tips throughout the month of August. ……….
Go on. Leave your first name, city and state or country and we’ll announce the 2 winners in tomorrow’s post! THANK YOU Rebecca – these are great tips and many of us benefit from the information and reminders!
Posted in family & children, photography, products | 325 Comments »
Sunday, August 7th, 2011
I can hardly believe it, but it’s already back-to-school season. Again. I am seriously loving all the school supply abundance in the retail setting. Always inspiring to me.
I know many of you are familiar with the in-the-classroom project I’ve been doing for my kids’ classes over the past few years. You know … the Personal Yearbooks.
I’m not going to repeat and reiterate everything in this blog post. I just wanted to bring this up – as a reminder to those of you who have considered doing this. And also, I want to be sure that all my new readers, particularly parents & teachers of school-age kiddos, know about this. Because it’s a way cool way to help young students create their own month-by-month documentation of a year in school.
I invite you to check out my Free Stuff page and learn all about it. (It’s a free downloadable PDF.) Why we do it, how we do it, supplies needed, plenty of tips, and all the ideas you need to get started. Share this with your fellow parents, teachers, friends with school-age children … anyone you think might be interested.
If you’re not able to take on the project yourself (perhaps you work full-time outside the home), just bring it up with your child’s teacher and you guys could always try to find a parent volunteer in the classroom. Most parents would be happy to do what they can to make this happen. It really is a treasured keepsake for the kids, and a very simple format.
Any of you who have done this, feel free to leave a comment with your own tips + ideas.
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I am getting a lot of questions about our pending school and child related scrapbooking products. This is a completely separate thing from this in-the-classroom Personal Yearbook project that the kids do. Yes, we are working on very cool, very solution-based products that will help you tackle all that childhood and school STUFF that accumulates with your kids … and even the stuff that you have from your own past.
We anticipate an early 2012 release date for these items. Because many of you are anxious to figure out what to do with all the pictures and papers and memorabilia that pile up – especially with a new school year starting – I will be addressing this topic in the coming weeks. We’ll talk organization and preparation. Can’t wait!
Posted in DIY, family & children, holidays & seasons, organization, scrapbooking | 33 Comments »
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
I know, I know, I know. Project Life is sold out and yet I keep bringing it up! You know why? Because you keep inspiring me. So I want to continue passing along the inspiration.
Aaaand … Project Life will be back in the house before we know it! We are anticipating September for the reprint of Amber Edition and Turquoise Edition and November for the two new 2012 editions. It’s never too early to get those wheels spinning, for those of you who:
A) are new to the Project Life concept
B) are already doing Project Life but anxiously awaiting the new arrivals
C) have friends + family members who should know about Project Life
So today I want to share with you two emails I recently received. One is from Gemma who is 17 and the other is from Karen who is 56. They are living on opposite sides of the country, in very different stages of life, with very different experiences. But they have something in common. They are telling their story. They are creating something so simple, and yet so much more valuable than they realize.
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{ Gemma from Bainbridge Island, Washington }
Hi Becky,
I am 17 years old. I started scrapbooking when I was probably 11 or 12. I love scrapbooking. I love being able to put my family’s memories in a book so they can look at it and remember it. Four years ago my family moved. I kept scrapbooking but I found it harder and harder to find time while I was adjusting to a new neighborhood and school. Then I just flat out stopped because I was so overwhelmed with all that was going on in my life. Earlier this year a family member of mine introduced me to Project Life. I started to do the digital version. It has really changed my life. I love being able to sit down with my parents and show it to them. I do not feel like I have to spend so much time trying to be the one who preserves my family’s memories.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you so much!
Gemma
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{ Karen from Pennsylvania }
Dear Becky,
I recently finished reading more than 200 letters that my father sent to his parents while he was serving in the Marines right after World War II. Reading each one of them has been an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life. My father has been gone for 18 years now, but I heard his voice again for three wonderful days. As I read, I heard my father trying to calm my grandmother’s concerns about the girls he was meeting on leave. (And now I know where my worry gene comes from!) I heard him give supportive words to his little brother about schoolwork and heard him tease his parents about their car, which seems to have been on its last legs. And I now know where that insidious melanoma cell that took him away from us far too early came from — he served in Califormia and spent many weekends going to the beach or pool to “get some color” in his pale, freckled skin.
I heard and learned so much, but I am greedy. Now I want to see it all, too. I want to see the barracks that he complained about. I want to see photos of his Marine buddies who meant so much to him. I want to see him roller skating. I want to see the girls who had my grandmother so worried. I want to see the house that all of those envelopes were addressed to. Unfortunately, this will never happen. And that is why Project Life is so important to me.
I am 56 years old. My children are now grown and living their lives happily , so my Project Life book is not full of their everyday adventures and experiences. But, I will have a record of the times we do get together, of the movies and plays that I have seen, of the books that I have read, of the recipes of family favorites, of the friends I now have time to see more often, of the events of the day. I am still living a life of everyday moments worth recording.
I am doing Project Life not merely for myself or for my children, but also for a great-great-granddaughter or grandson who will share my gene for wanting to know everything possible about his or her ancestors and their lives. He or she will want to know what I looked like, what my house looked like, how I spent my days. It doesn’t matter that I am not documenting the life of a young family. There is still so much of the everday life of a 56-year-old that I know will be interesting to someone, somewhere down the line. Answers to questions about life in 2011 and beyond are the gifts that I can give to those who come after me.
So, to all of your followers of ”a certain age” who feel as though they are struggling to find topics for their photos and/or journaling, I suggest they think about the questions their great-great-grandchildren might have about life in the year 2011. What seems so mundane to us now as we live day to day will be fascinating information for others later.
Thank you, Becky, for creating Project Life so that one day, decades from now, someone with pale, freckled skin and a healthy dose of curiosity will come across my Project Life book in an attic, wipe off the dust, and be transformed to another place and time.
Best,
Karen
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Okay, goosebumps. You got me.
Side note from Karen regarding the photo above: “I am holding my Project Life opened to the spread for the week during which I started to read my father’s letters. On the left is a collage of the typical places I stop by on an errand run (bank, drug store, etc.). On the right side, bottom left, is a photo of the old shoe box that contained all 205 letters. Also included on the right are a photo of the new eyeglasses I picked up that week and a photo of my cat playing fetch. Finally, there is a photo of my two children, whom we met for dinner at my son’s favorite restaurant in Arlington, Virginia .”
Tags: digital Project Life, Project Life
Posted in family & children, organization, products, scrapbooking | 21 Comments »
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
I’ve been getting lots of questions about this topic so today I’ll share with you how we usually organize block parties. Our process isn’t necessarily the way it works best for others, but this is our groove and it works for us. I hope you’ll glean some inspiration and possibly feel more motivated to organize a block party in your own neighborhood.
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WHAT: We have hosted a block party just about every year since we moved here 5 years ago.
WHY: We love a sense of community, we have great neighbors, and we seek opportunities to get to know them better, and have everyone become better acquainted with one another as well. It’s hard to build friendships without face time. Isn’t it amazing how you can live next door to someone and hardly ever see them?
WHEN: We’ve done every time of year – Spring, Fall, Winter. Usually we avoid the Summer time because it’s so hot in Arizona but we were just early enough this time that it wasn’t quite dreadful yet. Because of Summer time, we opted for a weekday evening (cooler temps, kids aren’t in school, and weekends are usually full or less-consistent in general).
HOW: Higgins style = simple. Simple = No decorations, no cutesy party favors, no making the food all by myself … not even planned games. I’m not really elaborate when it comes to parties. If I were elaborate, I probably wouldn’t have many parties ever, because I don’t have that kind of time.
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Step 1: A few weeks before the party, we sent a save-the-date email to all neighbors whose addresses we had.
Step 2: I made flyers.
Don’t be confused by the graphic. I used a map of our little neighborhood but distorted the image in this picture for privacy reasons. Here is how I set up the document in Pages (word processing on Mac computers):
Step 3: A couple weeks before the party, my good friend & neighbor Sarica and I took our kids on a walk one morning and the kids taped a flyer to every single door in our neighborhood. **Definitely involve your kids in the planning and preparations! This will help instill in them a sense of community.
Step 4: On the flyer, we requested that everyone tell us what they were going to bring (main dish or salad or side dish or dessert …). I kept a running list of these things, just to ensure we had a good balance of food items.
Step 5: On the evening of the party, we put a sign on the door, inviting all our neighbors to just walk in.
We set out plenty of these, accompanied with a couple of markers. (We have plenty of new neighbors so these name tags are instrumental in helping us learn and remember everyone’s names.)
Many neighbors came. Some were out of town. I love that all the kids knew to kick their shoes off by the front door.
And we spent the evening enjoying great conversation and catching up over plenty of food.
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{ BLOCK PARTY TIPS }
- Be sure to invite every neighbor. It’s not cool to leave people out. You probably don’t have everybody’s email address or phone number. Hence the flyers.
- Don’t expect 100% attendance. That’s just too many schedules to coordinate. Just pick a date and hope for the best.
- Collaborate with another neighbor and share party-planning duties.
- Child-proof your home if you’re not used to having children over. We have kids over all the time, so this was a non-issue.
- If your home isn’t conducive to large crowds (or you simply don’t want to have everyone in your home), consider a nearby park or even a cul de sac in your neighborhood that you could block off. Just choose a time of year that is ideal and comfortable to be outside.
- Have one, central place for all the food. Seems obvious, but plan ahead for this as you might need to gather a couple extra tables to set up.
- Name tags. Super helpful. See above.
- Welcome sign on the door. See above. This is especially helpful to new neighbors, to ensure them they’re at the right house when they show up.
- We don’t plan games because the kids are content to run around in the backyard, jump on the trampoline, etc. but you certainly could plan for a couple games. I do think it’s a fun idea. In fact, this is a perfect assignment for other neighbors or even have a couple teenagers take charge in the game department.
- Put a couple Sharpie markers by the cups so everyone can label their own cup. I like my neighbors but I try to keep my germs to myself.
- Speaking of drinks, this is a more personal preference. We don’t drink alcohol and we don’t prefer alcohol to be in our home. So we always provide drinks. A big water jug or water bottles or soda and juice or make a punch. There are plenty of options. For this recent party, we stuck with water because it was a hot day and we knew there would be a lot of congregating inside. Any spills would be water spills and I can handle that.
- Remember: This party isn’t about your house, if you’re hosting the party in your home. Don’t worry if there’s still laundry on your bed or dust on your blinds. This party is about building friendships within your community.
- If you have little ones, I recommend seeing if they could play at a neighbor’s for that hour or so before the party. That’s when you’re usually tidying up, pulling together last-minute food prep, etc. This will save you some stress if you have a hard time multi-tasking. My friend/neighbor Sarica had our kids over before this recent block party and boy, it was sure helpful to pull everything together without distractions.
- Need party food recipe ideas? Check out my collection of favorite Recipes (see categories on the right).
- Just do it. If you don’t, who will?
Tags: community, neighborhood
Posted in family & children, food, organization | 20 Comments »
Monday, June 27th, 2011
Congrats to the winner of Thursday’s giveaway: Karen in St. John’s, Arizona! She said “I would love to do t-shirts for family and friends to support my sister in Paralympic competition!” What a great idea, Karen. Shoot an email to Ricky@tamboink.com and they’ll hook you up with $50 toward your custom t-shirt order.
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Remember the Kiki Creates giveaway I did back in March? I said, “Check out this print. It’s fill-in-the-blank style and you write on the glass with dry-erase marker and change it as often as you want. I’m so getting this for each of my kids.”
Well I so did. I got 3 prints, put them in these frames from Target, attached them to the wall (with our favorite velcro) — the wall we see as we come in from the garage. And there is a dry-erase marker resting on top of the top frame for our convenience. Our little messages can change within a matter of seconds. Any time we feel like it.
I love that this is now the first thing the kids see as they walk in the door each day. Just another fun way to help our kids feel loved and special. And I love that this little project helps us to focus on the specifics of what we love about them. Sometimes it’s silly and light-hearted. Other times it’s more thoughtful and sincere. That’s the fun in rotating the sentiments frequently.
You can find Kiki’s latest designs in her super cute etsy shop. Plus, she has a wonderfully patriotic (and free) downloadable print here.
Tags: frames, kiki comin, love
Posted in family & children, home, products, style & design | 27 Comments »
Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
Every day is loaded with opportunity. You know the saying — Life is what you make of it. Yeah, I completely agree with that. Completely. And you know that I whole-heartedly believe that when we document bits and pieces of our life, we are more aware of how richly blessed we really are. Today I’m sharing few recent opportunities I’ve had in the past few days — documented with pictures + words.
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{ Opportunity: Scout Camp }
On Friday I spent the day with a bunch of 8- and 9-year-old boys at Cub Scout Camp. I had a million other things to do. It was hot. And boys are loud. But I love my son. And I value opportunities to be with him. And one day he won’t care so much to have his uncool mom around. So I’m soaking it in while I can.
Photo taken with my iPhone 4 and edited with the Camera+ app. This camp site was at the base of a desert mountain and just beautiful.
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{ Opportunity: Finding Inspiration }
One of the { POTD Ideas } I shared on facebook & twitter last week was THIS from Rebecca Cooper’s blog. I love taking pictures at ground level but I can’t remember the last time I set the camera down, put it on timer, and put myself in the shot. Rebecca inspired me to capture something that is very everyday in my life: Doing my work in the kitchen and Crew close-by, doing his “work”. I passed the inspiration on to my facebook & twitter readers. And I took the opportunity to actually act on an inspiring idea. And now I’m so happy I have this picture.
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{ Opportunity: Memory Lane }
David and I had the (very spontaneous) opportunity to stop by and see our first two little apartments (one block apart from each other) when we were newlyweds 15 years ago. A flood of memories rushed through our minds all at once and it was so much fun, super quick, and totally worth it.
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{ Opportunity: Family Bonding }
We created an opportunity to visit with some family this weekend that we don’t get to see very often. During church one of our nephews passed us these notes. Pick me up out of a puddle on the floor. Because honestly? I can’t imagine a sweeter compliment than to be called nice.
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{ Opportunity: Reconnecting with my Childhood BFF }
I’m holding back from writing and writing and writing all I want to share about Lydia. I could write a book about our adventures together and what I admire about her and how she has been — and still is — a great strength to me. But this is what I will say: The friends we choose? We can’t take that lightly for ourselves or for our children. If my children have only one close friend in their childhood, it will be enough if that friend is what Lydia was to me. Really.
I had several friends growing up that were dear to me and many fond memories with those friends. Lydia was/is everything a best friend should be — completely trustworthy, uplifting, honest, encouraging, and a good example. She was always a sister to me. We’ve remained dear friends all these years and can go a couple years without much more than a couple emails and easily pick up right where we left off.
I said I would hold back, didn’t I?
On Sunday night, Lydia and her husband and darling family were passing through town and so we had the very pleasant surprise of having them here with us for not even 33 hours. I stopped everything I had going on. Rearranged plans. Blew off my work. The 4 of us went to bed at 4:00 am the past two nights — stayed up talking and talking and talking. The opportunity was golden and treasured and refreshing and we are better for that time spent reconnecting with dear friends.
Tags: lydia
Posted in family & children | 11 Comments »
Thursday, June 9th, 2011
To wrap up this week’s series of photos from our recent trip back east, I wanted to share a few last snapshots. Our visits to Washington D.C. and Amish Country were quick. The majority of our time was spent with family. They are why we traveled there.
Before we dive into these photos, I wanted to add something: My purpose in sharing pictures from our trip is not about our trip. My intention is to share with you how I document, with hopes that you will find even a tiny bit of inspiration in documenting your own. As you know, I focus a lot on documenting the everyday. This week’s focus on my blog happen to come from a vacation perspective. But you’ll notice in today’s photos that while we were on vacation, these are all very much “everyday” type of photos.
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Watching my nephews play soccer has been on my bucket list for a while and I’m thrilled that we finally got to see them in action. I ended up taking a LOT of pictures for them. I like to pictures and that’s great. But I really love to take pictures FOR people. I guess you could say it’s part of my “love language”. It is a gift that I can share with others. And the cutest thing? They actually really enjoyed that I was taking pictures and told me so. They’re teenage boys! What a score in my validation book.
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Food, food, food. And yes, probably too much of it. It was so fun to share meals with family in their homes.
Apparently my Mom’s favorite new thing to make is whoopie pies. It’s a new-to-me food group. And watch out — the woman knows how to mass-produce treats.
Of course she made plenty of her classic chocolate chip cookies. I may or may not have eaten 57 of them.
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We went on a really nice, long walk through a new community in our little town. The kids went on a tractor ride through my parents’ property. We swam. We had slumber parties. We played. We relaxed.
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The kids had serious cousin bonding time. And bonding with grandparents. It was a wonderful time of reconnection. Grandma and Claire especially because Claire has such a fascination for all the knick-knacky things that my mom has everywhere.
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The kids are particularly fond of Grandma’s Amish clock that sings every hour. Okay, so she has like SIX singing clocks. Hilarious. I love how Claire was trying to pick Crew up to see the moving parts on the clock.
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Isn’t she so beautiful? This is my great Aunt Eva and I love her so much. David and I haven’t had living grandparents for quite a number of years but Aunt Eva is like a grandma to me and I treasure the time we had to catch up. She is 93 years of age and has the softest hands on the planet.
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We stopped by my brother’s architectural/engineering firm. With my camera around my neck, I took a load of pictures around his office. Again, for the love of sharing pictures.
We also got to see one of his projects which is underway and looking awesome. He oozes talent.
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My other brother in Maryland is an optometrist and the BEST at that. I know I’m biased but seriously — he’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet and really passionate about what he does. Plus, he let our kids take a peek through the equipment. (Photo taken on my iPhone with poor lighting but hey — that’s alright.)
{ NOTE } If it’s been a while since you took your camera to work or photographed a loved one at work, you can find some inspiration here and here.
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Remember that big brush pile I showed you in Monday’s post? Yeah, that’s gone now. As tradition has it, we had a bonfire in my parents’ backyard.
As you can tell, we are so grateful we were able to go on this family trip. I am so grateful for family connections. Not so much for humidity, but for the time we were able to spend with some of the people we love the absolute most. And I’m grateful for photography that allows me to capture these memories. And I’m grateful for Project Life because it’s so not overwhelming adding a few favorites to our family’s yearbook, which I’ll be doing this weekend. ; )
Posted in family & children, photography, travel | 22 Comments »
Monday, June 6th, 2011
We live in the desert. The desert is our home. I have grown to love the desert with its unique beauty, contrasted landscape, practically no natural disasters (unless you consider extreme heat to be a disaster), and the Winter weather is right up our ally.
But I grew up in Maryland. All that farmland, rolling hills, the Appalacian mountains … that’s my home too. Visiting the place that has my roots in its soil is always therapeutic and refreshing. And then I’m always ready to come back to our home in Arizona.
Our little family just spent a week back east. Some of you know my parents just spent two years serving a mission in Finland. They’re back home now. So we went to spend time with them and our other family there (I have a couple brothers and their families in Maryland also).
I’m very much in travel-recovery mode this week. My inboxes are overflowing, not to mention the laundry and my to-do list. But first things first. My pictures are uploaded and organized. Of course. Here’s a little look at beautiful Maryland, according to my camera lens.
You’ll notice a theme: Green, green, green.
All of the above photographs are from around my parents’ property. The place where I grew up. The clovers, the ivy, the honeysuckles … so very much a part of my childhood. That brush pile? You’ll see that again later this week when I share pictures of the bonfire.
Looking into the backyard where nieces and nephews played for hours (at my brother’s home).
The motion in this shot is evidence of snapping this picture from the car as we drove into Brunswick — my hometown. Every time we drive through this area my nose is practically glued to the window. I never seem to tire of the sites. It is simply beautiful.
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As I get back into the routine of everyday life this week, I’ll be sharing more pictures from our trip back east. Expect a lot of visual, and very few words. Stay tuned for pictures from Washington D.C., Amish Country, and more. I hope you’re off to a really great start this week. If you watch and listen carefully, you’ll notice a lot of blessings in store for you.
Posted in family & children, photography, travel | 32 Comments »
Thursday, June 2nd, 2011
Wanted to share this sweet email from a reader — Jan.
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Becky,
I wanted to share a little tale today about toilet paper, or TP for short.  I just finished watching your appearance on the Motherhood Matters show the day before and loved the comments about blessings and offerings we share throughout our day to our children. I also thought about our children’s offerings of love to us and I thought I would share a tale about a simple stack of TP and the offering amongst it from my 5-year-old son Oliver.
I was busy putting things away from Costco and trying to get dinner started when I heard Oliver call me from the bathroom. It is his job to put away the TP. As I entered the bathroom I could see that he had made one of his famous TP towers that he likes to do before he puts it away. I told him how awesome it was, and it was then that I noticed my little grapevine heart that I have in the bathroom nestled amongst the TP tower.
I kind of chuckled at this and wondered why he would put that there. I said, “Ollie, what’s with the heart buddy?” He smiled the biggest smile Becky and said, “Mommy, its my heart of love tower for you.”
A simple TP tower was his testament of love for me. I think there is nothing more “everyday” than TP, but to have it built into a castle of love by a 5 year old little man, illuminates that love is all around us everyday, even in the bathroom. Thank you for reminding me of this.
Warm regards from my TP tower.
Jan Davis
British Columbia, Canada
Tags: everyday love, toilet paper
Posted in family & children | 20 Comments »
Monday, May 30th, 2011
Came across an old journal. In reading through a few pages, I felt a lot of things. Just a few of the thoughts that went through my mind:
1. So interesting to see how my handwriting used to be as a teen and how it has evolved.
2. I totally remember going through that phase of writing my E’s like that, with the 3 lines. Totally inspired by the Esprit logo. Reminded me of making a b-line to the Esprit store at the outlet mall whenever we went. I was so drawn to that brand at the time. I had to google Esprit just now it to see if it was still around. ; )
3. Totally love that I wrote about little things … like calling my friend Brigitte and being cold at tennis practice, and getting to know Jen (a new friend), and going to Rite Aid to buy a lock (for my locker, I’m assuming) and a flower for my friend Robin.
4. I wish I wrote why I was buying a carnation for Robin. Was that her favorite flower? Was she having a bad day? Was it a random I’m-glad-you’re-my-friend gesture?
I am so grateful I kept journals. Going back, I not only recall poignant memories and glimpses of the past, but it also helps me to be more aware how how I’m still that same girl in many ways … and I appreciate how I’ve evolved as well.
I am reminded of the way I used to think (wow — the mentality of a teenager is something else, isn’t it??). As our kids get older I think I will quickly be able to connect with my younger self and remember that I too had feelings, fears, and concerns similar to what they may face. I believe this will help me relate more with them and be more patient.
Oh, the benefits of recording life. And encouraging our kids to do the same.
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I can’t share a snippet of one of my childhood journals and not share a piece of my husband’s school journals. Seriously. How cute is this? I’m dying over the cursive signature on the green one. I don’t think David has ever, ever written in cursive since high school.
Thank you, mystery school teacher of 1982. Thank you for making it a required assignment that your students write in a daily journal. Thank you for encouraging David to write about the little things in life. Thank you current teachers everywhere who are engaging your students in any kind of journal-writing, record-keeping, story-telling activities. And encouraging the kids to keep this stuff.
As far as I’m concerned, this stuff is gold.
Posted in family & children | 29 Comments »
Tuesday, May 24th, 2011
The other day I was having some early morning snuggles with our toddler. It was commonplace. Typical. Routine. And completely full of JOY, as many “typical” or “routine” things in our life are. In an instant it hit me that I really didn’t have any pictures of this interaction. But how could I? Who would take the picture? (David’s usually gone for work well before the kids wake up.)
So I asked Porter to grab the camera, hold it steady and just snap away as I continued to tickle and snuggle with Crew. This is what he got.
Later when I uploaded Porter’s pictures, I found magic. He did it. He captured a moment and he did it beautifully. He was able to record a slice of my role as a mama. Even his composition was impressive. The result? I now have a couple pictures that have become favorites of Crew and me together.
So this got me thinking.
Of course it got me thinking.
I am so caught up in my own role as a family historian and documenter of life, that I have not really focused on instilling this in our kids yet. Granted our oldest is only 8, but still. Now is a good time. Right?
Porter writes in his journal occasionally. Love that. The kids create art on a daily basis. Love that. Now I want them to learn how to take pictures. I want them to learn that through taking pictures, they are not only documenting life but they will be more tuned into their blessings. They know about Mom’s love for taking pictures. They know the term “picture of the day”. They suggest ideas for what should be the POTD sometimes. They love looking at our Project Life books.
Now it’s their turn. I am so getting them on-board this Summer. They’re young. I’ll keep it basic. But I’m definitely excited to mentor them in photography, teaching them a little about light and composition and for sure editing. They’ll probably love that part the most.
We’re always trying to teach our children how to cultivate a good life. Now they’re going to learn how to record it. Now that is magic.
Posted in family & children, photography | 63 Comments »
Friday, May 20th, 2011
Documenting life is a blessing. Anyone who takes pictures, writes in a journal, scrapbooks, or records life in any form knows how rich the experience can be — both the act of documenting, as well as being able to go back and look at what has been recorded.
And for many, documenting life has taken on a whole new level of significance. I know many of you have used Project Life to record the journey through difficult times. Like Karin.
In her own words: Really It all began December 1, 2010. My beautiful little boy was diagnosed with leukemia and our world turned upside down. We spend 45 hellish days in the hospital getting Elijah healthy enough to come home. Once we got home I didn’t recognize my little boy and I really felt like things were happening and changing so fast. So on January 14, 2011 I decided that I was going to start taking a picture a day of Elijah to document his year in treatment for leukemia. I wanted to be able to look back at this time through treatment and be able to show him that we lived a life with joy despite the circumstances. I wanted him to be able to look back at his treatment years from now and see that we lived life to the fullest and didn’t let life keep kicking us while we were down. Quickly I realized that I didn’t just want that for Elijah. I also wanted his baby sister Aliyah to see her life was lived and loved through all of this. So I started taking pictures and looked for an album to put the pictures in and write a little story about their day. I knew I didn’t have time to make them a scrapbook.
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So I found a simple album that was just picture slots and got one for each child. The problem? There was no place to journal. It left me cutting out little note cards and trying to fit the days journaling around the picture. Quite frankly, the end result was awful. But — that was what was available. Then my sister-in-law heard about my project and asked if I was using Project Life because she had just found out about it and ordered herself an Amber kit. I quickly looked it up and it was exactly what I had been wanting. I was sold and so I ordered a Amber kit for Aliyah and a Turquoise kit for Elijah. As soon as it arrived I copied everything I had already put into the cheap albums into the new kits and I loved the results! This was exactly what I had been looking for.
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Now I have 17 completed weeks in their albums and daily filling each new day. I am in love with your kits and don’t think I will be stopping at the end of this year. By keeping up with the journaling and photo processing every day I have found an amazing thing. My experience of life has changed. There are days that my experience says it was a terrible, horrible, no-good day with nothing redeeming at all. Then I go up to my loft office and process the day’s pictures and write the kids’ journal entries. Not one day in the 118 days of photos I have taken, has my kids’ overall experience been a total bad day. Sure, there are bad moments and hardships – especially in treating cancer – but my kids are thriving and still happy despite all we have given up. I see their joy and realize that the day wasn’t as bad as I experienced it and so I can go to bed each night in peace.
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I have seen my children’s amazing spirit and it has saved me from the darkness I feared when my son was diagnosed. Having Project Life has helped me to really live life with my children and see each day with honesty and hope. I believe whole-heartedly I would have given up on the albums long ago if it wasn’t for the simple brilliance of the Project Life system. Thank You for giving our family the gift of amazing albums as well as a changed outlook. While I am sure many people do not have as big of a push as we did to preserve our history I feel as though I would have greatly benefitted from the fresh eyes daily journaling and photos doing Project Life has given me. The time I spend each night on their albums is so centering it has just become part of my daily routine much like lunch. So again thank you.
Sincerely,
Karin Herman
Tags: cancer, documenting life, elijah, hardship, trials
Posted in family & children, organization, photography, products, scrapbooking | 43 Comments »
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
August 2010. It was back to school for the kids and the start of a new project that I volunteered to take on for two classrooms — Porter’s 2nd grade class and Claire’s preschool class.
I call these Personal Yearbooks. The idea of course, is to help students document their school life, introduce the youngsters to scrapbooking and personal history, and have fun while doing it. Each month I photographed every single kid. I edited those pictures, printed those pictures, prepared the supplies, and went back in to guide the students in putting their pages together. It’s a monthly ritual.
Many of you have done the same thing.
So here we are. May 2011. The end of the school year. The books are complete. All 43 of them. Each is unique and specific to that child, filled with his or her handwriting, stories, art, and imagination.
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{ a few pages from Porter’s book }
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{ a few pages from Claire’s book }
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As I reflect on this year of doing this project month after month, I thought I’d share a few bits of advice to those (parents or teachers) who may want to do this next school year. Full details can be found here (you’ll see it there on the right side along with lots of other free downloads.)
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{ advice }
1. You don’t have to do it alone. You could alternate with another parent, month by month. Or one of your could be the photographer who also prints the pictures and the other person could be the one who prepares the supplies and goes in to scrapbook with the kids each month. My friend Keri did all the photography and prepared all the supplies but then she let the teacher actually do the pages with the kids each month. However you go about it, consider sharing the load so you don’t burn out.
2. Consider doing the bulk of preparation at the beginning. I’m talking about all of the printing, paper-cutting, and any other prep work. I often found myself doing last-minute stuff as I rushed out the door to get to the school. Always so much going on. Had I had everything already prepped and organized, I would have been a lot more relaxed about the project.
3. Involve your child. One thing I’m glad I did and would definitely recommend, is to involve your own child(ren) in the behind-the-scenes process. Porter and Claire helped me with sorting, matching pictures with folders (they know who’s who in their classes a whole lot better than I do), and things like that. They love it. It’s a family affair. And they learn to appreciate volunteer work a little more.
4. Stock up. If you have a stash of patterned papers and other paper crafting or scrapbooking supplies, set some things aside for this project if you’re considering ever doing this. Even though I don’t do much “traditional/decorative” scrapbooking anymore, I am so glad I have always hung on to some supplies. That stuff always comes in handy when it comes to projects with the kids especially.
5. Plan themes in advance. At the beginning of the school year, brainstorm with the teacher and come up with a list of themes you want to be sure to cover for the project. This will help you feel organized, as opposed to trying to think of a new idea each month. For example, here are some POTM (picture-of-the-month) themes we did this year: first day of school, my body system (a specific learning unit), gratitude, class holiday party, reading, field day, field trip, my teacher, recess, the library …
6. Don’t pose every picture. Obviously a child’s smile is priceless and we want to capture that. I also encourage you to mix it up. Take some of the pictures candidly and not always posed with the child looking & smiling at the camera. Catch them in the act of doing what it is that they do at school.
7. Details in writing. Whether the students are doing their own writing on the pages or you or the teacher are writing what the kids say (as it was with our little preschool class) … dig for a little more information. When you ask, “What’s your favorite thing about lunch time?” … follow up with “Why?” or “Tell me more.” This is where the flavor in their personality can really shine through their words.
8. Do it. Even though this year was a bit of a challenge for me personally to keep up with 2 classes worth of Personal Yearbooks, I am so glad I did. Obviously it’s always great to volunteer in the kids’ classes and be involved with their school. But also — these books very well could be the only form of memory-keeping some of these kids will have at this age.
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I learned a lot this year. I’m going to do things a little differently next year. Yes, I plan to continue the tradition. But — no more late nights cramming in last-minute preparations that look like this:
Here’s to teaching kids while they’re young, that documenting life is awesome.
It is completely & totally worth it.
Tags: personal yearbooks, school, school scrapbooks, students
Posted in DIY, family & children, organization, photography, scrapbooking | 57 Comments »
Monday, May 16th, 2011
I spent a whirlwind Friday zipping up to Salt Lake City for a television appearance. My alarm went off at 3:15 am and I was back at home, snuggling with my kids by 7:15 pm. Here are some glimpses of my not-so-ordinary day. As much as I love the everyday and the ordinary and the mundane … I for sure appreciate the fact that the “big stuff” in life very much plays a part in making up our life experience as well.
Friday was kind of “big stuff” for me. I haven’t done any tv anything since … I can’t remember, honestly. It’s been years. So my tummy was filled with butterflies. But my soul was filled with calm. I was participating in something that honored and celebrated motherhood. Anyone who reveres that sacred role has my attention. I felt grateful to have the opportunity to talk about motherhood and documenting life. Two of my greatest passions.
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Night before: Scrummaged through my closet and found something to wear. Shirt from Target, cardigan from DownEast Basics, belt is Wet Seal, skinny jeans are Cello Jeans, necklace was … umm … shoot. I totally can’t remember where I picked that up but I know it was while traveling. I just can’t remember where. For sure I texted pictures to my friend Jen for approval.
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Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix. Applied my makeup, start to finish, just minutes before boarding the plane.
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Show time! This cutie girl right here? Michelle is Studio 5′s executive producer and she is sharp. Darling. Organized. Warm. Personable. And … the one who invited me to be a part of the show.
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A couple on-air shots, thanks to my cute family in the audience with cameras in hand the whole time. On the left, I’m part of a panel discussion about the “little things” that mothers do that go a long way, even if we don’t think they matter much at the time. On the right, I’m sharing some ideas on suggestions of things moms would want to keep for their kids. Great studio audience, by the way! Glad some of you could come!
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Darin and Brooke are the hosts of Studio 5. Genuinely kind people. Really. And I about died when I learned that Brooke is only 27 years old! She’s too cute for words and single. I’m just saying. Somebody set the girl up on some dates! She’s a catch!
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Some personal friends & family were able to carve a chunk of time from their day to be there. So super grateful for them and for others who sent me texts + emails showing their support.
1. Lori Whitlock! As in, my graphic designer behind our products. Yay!
2. Sydney, Jen, Morgan — friends from our years in Cleveland who now live in Utah.
3. Kevin (as in … you love him for answering your tech questions here on my blog) and Lauren, my sister-in-law. Love them. Yes, that’s an iPad in his hand.
4. I literally wouldn’t be where I am without these people. My parents, of course. Yay that they just happened to be in Utah! And that’s Lisa Bearnson there in the middle — familiar to many of you. She was the one who believed in my talent and took a risk at hiring a 21-year-old who was just crazy-passionate about scrapbooking. Because of her, I was led to many professional opportunities that I never, ever dreamed would be a part of my life. I was tickled pink that she could come.
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Aaaannnd we’re back on-board.
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Goodbye beautiful Salt Lake City, with your snow-capped mountains in May.
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Hello again, beautiful Grand Canyon that I love to fly over.
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As I found myself staring out the window like I always do on a flight, I held the iPhone out in front of me to snap a picture. Why? Because this is so me. I am such a sucker for arial views. I find it completely fascinating to see lakes and rivers and mountains and farms and little towns and big cities … from straight above. It always makes me feel and think very reflectively. I always have a renewed sense of appreciation for God’s creations.
And so for that reason, this picture says a lot about me.
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I encourage you to do something similar. Get yourself in your documenting of life. You are, after all, a part of your life. And your life — ordinary or extraordinary as it may seem right now — is completely worth documenting.
Tags: KSL, lisa bearnson, Motherhood Matters, potd, salt lake city, tv, utah
Posted in family & children, photography, scrapbooking, travel | 27 Comments »
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