I have been thinking about making and keeping memories lately.  I am a true believer in updating family pictures yearly.  I MEAN YEARLY.  Everyone changes and life changes.  I am an even bigger believer in daily picture taking.  I have read so many articles recently about how sometimes we as Mom's are so busy taking pictures of the moments instead of living in the moment.  I believe you can do both.  I use to be so good at taking tonnes of pictures all the time of my kids.   I was good to get out my big ol' camera and follow them around.  Unfortunately, Kids get bigger and life gets busier and i just don't get out the giant camera out unless it is a super good reason.  I find myself taking fewer and fewer pictures, because I don't want to be "That Mom" you know the mom who takes a picture of every single thing that 'little Johnny does'.  Through the last few months i have decided i want nothing more then to be "THAT MOM".

I was reading a article the other day about a Mom who had lost her son to suicide a few months ago,  Her name is Heidi Swapp (if you are a scrapbooker at all you will recognize that name).  This is her Blog http://heidiswapp.com.  In her article she says after her son passed she though she just did not take enough pictures.  I feel the same way with my kid's and family and life in general.   Maybe it is because i am getting old... but life seems so short and incredibly unpredictable.  

The beginning of this year I lost my Dad.  He had been sick for a lot of years and we knew the time would come sooner then later.  After my Dad passed i was looking through my phone,  i was able to see my Dad in August on my birthday.  I snapped one blurry picture of the two of us.  We went down in Oct for Halloween and snapped 2 or 3 pictures of Dad & Mom with the kids.  The last time i saw my Dad was the week before he passed.  I spent a lot of time that week (with  my big camera) taking pictures.   3 months have passed and I can't help but think,  why did i not take more pictures?  I have a lot but why was i too busy or lazy to grab my camera or my phone and just take 2 seconds to snap a few extra pictures.  I don't want to have the regret of not remembering the little things.  

So  I am going to share my easy ways of how i keep and preserve memories!  I use to use programs to build my books digitally and have them printed into a book.  I loved this way for along time, but since the invention of cell phone cameras i never am able to get the pictures onto the computer (i know i am computer illiterate).  The kids still love looking at these books!  It was well worth the time and effort but as technology grew and my kids, i had to find a easier faster way.

Next i did a blog.  This i wish i had kept up.  It was the best way to journal, and remember all the cute things my kids use to do.   Every year i would get it printed up into a book, I used Blurb.com to print.  it was simple and this is another thing my kids love looking back on and remembering. 

Once i fizzled out on the blog... i decided i just needed to find a system that i can do easily.  I mean print and stick in a picture book.  So that's what i did.  I found PROJECT LIFE!  This is my current way of keep memories for my kids... and for my old brain.  For this system you need a binder, PL Plastic sleeves and a PL kit.  I use one kit per binder and i do one binder a year.  I buy my binders, pages and kits at Michaels with my 40% off coupon.  so a entire year of memories cost maybe $50.  The is a book that you can literally print and put your pictures in,  write a little card about the picture and move on.  It is by far the fastest, easiest scrapbook i have done.  

When i started PROJECT LIFE i was still using my big ole camera (because cell phones did not have the camera's they don now...I know i am old.  So i would get a few months of pictures saved up, send them into Costco and have them printed up, pick up the pictures and throw them in the book.  It was easy peasy.  

Once the cameras got better on phones i found myself using my phone way more then the big camera.  It is so much easier, you can capture candid moments easier.  I got frustrated quite quickly,  because i could not figure our how to get my pictures off my phone on to the computer then send them to costco... ok i could figure it but it took forever and i was just not taking the time to do it.   So i had to find a better way.  And that I did.  I was down in Utah and ran into a little gadget.... the CANON SELPHY PRINTER.  This little sucker prints 4x6 pictures directly from my phone.  WHAT!!!!  That's right, no cord or anything.... that goes way beyond my understanding,  but it is wonderful.  So with this little jewel I take a sunday afternoon once a month to print off my pictures from that month and put them in my book.  It is literally that easy.  

I have made a new goal this year to take more pictures of the smaller things in life.  Time moves to quickly and we need to do our best to write out story down via pictures and text.  I always think,  i will remember that... guess what i don't remember anything,  so take a picture and take 2 min to write it down!  HAPPY MEMORY KEEPING!

Spring is in the AIR!! Now here is what to WEAR!

That was such a catchy title right?! 

 I often get asked the question "what do i wear for my pictures?"  I usually give these few tips....

1.  TAKE IT EASY ON THE PATTERN
     When i say that i mean little tiny pattern.  I once had someone come in a button up shirt this the teeny tiny checks  and the camera does funny things to tiny patterns.  It looked like you were getting hypnotized from his shirt.  I was able to fix and tweak the photo's.  It is just easier to avoid them in the long run. 

     I also suggest avoiding large logo's, or character's on your outfits.  It tends to date the look more.  Unless it is the whole theme of the shoot, i would avoid.  

      I am a huge fan of big prints.  but those should be worn by one possibly 2 people (in a regular family shoot).  We don't want bushels of flowers on everyone.  

This is one of my favourites from last year,  Just enough colour and pattern to make this darling family pop.

2. PICK COMPLIMENTARY COLORS
    You don't want to show up the day of the shoot all wearing matching blue tee shirts.  I always suggest picking 2 or 3 colour that coordinate and pick outfits around those colours.  In large family settings it is the least amount of planning and coordinating if you tell everyone to wear greys, navy blues and yellow (that was just a example).  You don't want anyone to look matchy matchy,  but you don't want the one random person who choose to wear a neon Pink Floyd shirt, cause that's the only thing your going to see in the picture... May make for a good story but not a good picture.

3.  CHOOSE COMFORT
     The worst thing is to show up to a session that you have spent your hard earned money on,  and be uncomfortable.    I always suggest for MOM's to pick there outfit first.  choose something you love, you feel good in and your are comfortable wearing.  When you have picked your outfit choose everyone Else's outfits to coordinate with you.  When Momma's happy... everyone is happy.

4.  HAVE SOME TEXTURE
     I love a good layered look.  So choose a layer or two that you may want to add or subtract from your overall look.  Hats, headbands, jackets, scarves are a few great easy items that can be put on and taken off to change your look up quick.

5.  SHOE'S SHOE'S SHOE'S
    Sometimes i feel that foot wear is forgotten in the outfit choices.  Be sure that the kiddo's are wearing the shoes you assigned (and the husband for that matter)  and MATCHING SOCKS.  There has been more then once that families have gotten to the shoot and realized the little Freddy has one neon green sock and one black sock and as much as we try to hide them.... your going to see them.  

Those are my major life changing tips, (where is my laughing emoji when i need it). 
I am also happy to give a second opinion on outfits.  I have Mom's texting me pictures all the time asking if those colour look good and if i would change anything.  I am beyond happy to give my opinion!