Coming Up Short? -- Break the Habit!

If you are anything like me, you often compare yourself to others. Unfortunately, I frequently seem to come up short. My house isn’t as clean, my children as well-behaved, my blog as cute, my hair as stylish, my body as thin—sound familiar?

The biggest problem with comparing is that we usually compare one of our weaknesses to another’s strengths. We may see a neighbor in church with eight perfectly groomed children all sitting reverently waiting for the meeting to start and invariably compare our own children who look like their hair hasn’t even seen a brush that morning. What you don’t know is that the woman left a messy kitchen at home with cereal and milk spilled on the floor, or that she feels inferior inside so she strives to look polished on the outside to hide those insecurities, or that she constantly fights with her husband and is secretly watching you and your spouse wishing she had the kind of relationship that you do.

So how do you break this negative habit of comparing yourself with others? Here are some useful tips:

• Become aware. Often we make these social comparisons without realizing we’re doing it. You need to become consciously aware of when you do this. Try this. You’ll be surprised how often you notice it.

• Stop and change focus. Once you realize you’re comparing yourself, pause, but don’t criticize yourself or feel bad—just acknowledge the thought, and gently change focus.

• Count your blessings. A better focus is on what you are already blessed with. Think about how lucky you are to have what you have, the unique talents you’ve been blessed with, and the people in your life who care about you.

• Focus on your strengths. Instead of looking at your weaknesses, ask yourself what your strengths are and be proud of them. Don’t brag, but feel good about your talents and work on using them to your best advantage.

• Be okay with imperfection. No one is perfect. We all know that, but still seem to strive for it anyway. You aren’t perfect and you never will be. I certainly am not, and I’m still working on being okay with that. If you look at it in a different way, that imperfection is what makes you who you are. Perfection would be boring!

• Don’t knock others down. Sometimes we try to criticize others just to make ourselves look or feel better. This is a destructive habit that, in the end, hurts you as well. Instead, try to be happy for them and learn from their successes.

Don’t focus on how you rank in comparison to others—life is not a competition. It’s a journey. We are all on a journey, to find something, to become something, to learn, to create something of our own. That journey has nothing to do with how well other people are doing, or what they have. It has everything to do with what you want to do, and where you want to go. That’s all you need to worry about. The only one you should compare yourself with is you.

No matter how many clothes you buy, or how skinny you get, or how many people follow your blog, or how many books you publish, or if your children are reverent at church . . . if you always want what others have, you will never have enough. That is an endless cycle that never leads to happiness.

Instead, learn to realize that what you have is already enough. If you have shelter over your head, food on the table, clothes on your back, and people who love you, you are blessed. You have enough. You are enough. Be good with that, and you’ll find contentment.

A Cry for Help

My son came home from school a few days ago and I could tell something was wrong. He was quiet and withdrawn. As I sat down with him, the story he told me filled me with sorrow and made me reflect on my own life, and what I could do as a mother to avoid something so tragic happening in my family.

That day, the school psychologist visited his class to talk to them about suicide. The older sister of one of his classmates had hung herself over the weekend. They were able to revive her, but she died the next day.

My heart was heavy the whole day. I couldn’t stop thinking about the young girl’s mother and how she must feel. I also considered the desperation the girl must have been feeling to follow through with something so life altering.

There was a time in my life when I contemplated suicide, and I have scars to prove it. I look back now, from an adult perspective, and realize that my sadness at that time was much of my own making. I understand now that the inability to forgive myself for my sins and shortcomings was a motivating factor in my suicide thought process.

Youth often have difficulty placing past actions in perspective. They may feel that the steps they’ve taken are irreversible and that their prospects for a happy life have been forever shattered. If parents can keep the lines of communication open and remain accessible to their children—and sympathetic to their problems—they can do much to help dispel these fears. Unconditional love and understanding are the tools that work best.

Face it. Being a teenager is hard. There are many new social, academic, and personal pressures. And for teens who have additional problems such as divorce, substance abuse, or conflict at home to deal with, life can seem even more difficult.

Teens think deeply—about their existence in the world, the meaning of life, and other profound ideas. It is not uncommon for them to also think about death. In some cases, death even seems romantic—think about Romeo and Juliet. However, wishing to be dead, thinking about suicide, or feeling helpless and hopeless about life, are signs that a teen is in need of help.

So what makes some teens begin to think about suicide? I think one of the biggest factors is depression. A teen who has suicidal feelings often sees no other way out of problems or emotional pain they are experiencing. Depression also distorts a person’s viewpoint. They tend to focus only on their failures and the difficulties in their life. These negative feelings are often exaggerated and it is easy to become convinced there is nothing to live for. In my case, it was an attempt to communicate my desperate unhappiness—a plea for help.

I think it’s very important as parents to know the warning signs, and realize that no child is immune. Here’s a list of the most common ones:
• pulling away from friends or family
• changes in eating or sleeping habits
• major changes in appearance
• talk about feeling hopeless or feeling guilty
• talk about suicide and death
• self-destructive behavior (drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or driving too fast, for example)
• no desire to take part in favorite things or activities

I personally feel that teaching our children about repentance and the Savior’s unconditional love goes a long way in preventing the overwhelming feelings that inevitably precede suicidal thoughts. The message that it is never too late is vital for young people to understand.

"Lost and Found" by Greg Olsen

We have a loving Savior who already died for our sins. Repentance is not a one time opportunity. He suffered for everything we will ever do wrong. His unconditional love is the key.

Suicide is a very real thing that affects the lives of many families. It is important to remember that most people who contemplate suicide really don’t want to die. They simply want the pain to stop. The atonement not only covers our sins, it covers all of our pain and disappointments as well.

Other resources:

New Era: Questions and Answers
Suicide: Some Things We Know, and Some We Do Not by M. Russell Ballard
NAMI – Teen Suicide

Why Me?

I received these flowers this week from a close friend. They meant a lot to me after suffering from a personal tragedy. They helped me to realize that I was loved and cared about and the note included told me of Heavenly Father's love and concern for me as well. The circumstance I found myself in caused me to reflect on many things--the power of the atonement, the Savior's love for me, my own personal testimony, and the feelings associated with heartbreak.

My first reaction was, why me? I felt the trial was being forced upon me and I had no choice. I was devastated and didn't understand how the world could go on and the lives of those around me seemed unchanged. Didn't they realize what had happened? Couldn't they see how much I was hurting?

After a full day and night of tears, I felt empty--I didn't know how I could go on. Through much personal reflection, I realized I was more than hurt. I was angry. Following sincere prayer, imploring the Lord to take away the anger, I began to feel a small measure of peace. Although still on the edge of tears the next day, I stayed close to the Lord and focused on being positive and started to feel a little better.

When difficulties arise, it is normal to go through many stages of emotion. In the field of psychology these have been titled, "The Stages of Grief." They are often divided into five stages:

1. Denial -- this stage is a temporary defense to protect you from hurting.

2. Anger-- this stage begins when you realize denial can't continue. Because of anger, you may be difficult to talk to or reason with. It is not uncommon to wonder how life can go on around you as if nothing happened.

3. Bargaining-- this stage includes desperately trying to delay or change the circumstance by imploring to a higher power.

4. Depression-- this stage sets in when you realize the circumstances cannot be changed. Because of this you may become silent, want to be alone, and spend time crying and grieving. This is an important stage of grief that must be processed.

5. Acceptance-- this stage is accompanied by peace and understanding and a desire to make the best of a difficult situation.

These stages apply to anyone suffering from many types of personal loss. All of the steps are not necessarily experienced, nor do they always come in the order listed. It is common to switch back and forth between the steps--returning to one or more of them before working through it. People experiencing grief should not force the process. Grief is highly personal and you should allow yourself the time to feel and then healing will ultimately follow as the stage of "acceptance" is reached.

Everything we experience in this life is for our learning and growth. When tragedy comes our way, we need to ask the question, what would the Lord have me learn?

This life is meant to be a time of careful preparation. We should welcome trials and challenges that humble us and turn our hearts to the Savior. Sustain hope through tragedy and stand firm in difficult times. The things we learn through our trials will help build a foundation of faith that will benefit us in perilous times ahead. Remember the source of power is God, and turn to him.

I feel like I'm at a point in life where a strong wind will blow me over. My initial reaction of "why me," did nothing but make me wallow in my suffering. By changing that question to, "what does the Lord want me to learn" and staying positive, my perspective has been altered. I can see the benefits of the trial I've been forced to bear and I'm determined that at the end of the day, I'll still be standing.

For more ideas on dealing with grief in your own life, view the following articles from LDS.org:

Working Through My Grief

Finding Joy in the Journey

Come What May and Love It

The Journey of Motherhood

While sitting at the cemetery a few days ago, I saw a scene that touched me deeply. A young couple sat alone, next to an open grave by a tiny casket which was covered with a delicate spray of flowers. From their reaction, it was evident the couple was grieving. The young father sweetly comforted his wife as her body shook with tears. They sat that way for a long while, then stood and shared an embrace. The man lifted his hand to the woman’s face and wiped away her tears. They clasped hands, then turned and walked to a car parked nearby. He opened her car door and she turned around, taking one last glance over her shoulder at the small casket.

As an outsider looking in, I don’t know their story—if they were husband and wife, if the casket held their newborn baby, or if it was something entirely different. But my heartstrings were pulled. I pictured myself in that situation and imagined how I would feel. Thoughts of the young couple stayed with me through the next couple days. I even drove back by the cemetery and saw the spray of flowers on top of the freshly cut earth, and I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the gospel and the understanding it gives us of life and death. It also caused me to reflect on the privilege it is to be a mother.

Nothing in my life has caused more intense feelings than motherhood. I’ve felt more joy, more sorrow, more laughter, and more tears during my time as a mother than in any other endeavor throughout my life. I laugh when my children laugh, and cry when they cry. I think sometimes I feel their emotions even more intensely than they do. I learn from them each day, and although it is easy to get overwhelmed, it is so important to find joy in the journey.

Motherhood is not easy; it’s an immense responsibility. I remember the awe-inspiring feeling of love I felt when my first baby was born and lay in my arms. As I looked down into her sweet face, I felt an overwhelming sense of responsibility wash over me. It was hard to fathom that this baby had just come from Heaven. She left a Heavenly Father who had high expectations for her, and unbelievably, even more love for her than I felt at that moment. Her presence in my life that day and every day since has made me realize my own potential. It is a privilege to be entrusted with this child. Heavenly Father knew I could love her, teach her, and help her learn and grow so she could return to live with him someday.

Keep in mind there is no perfect way to be a mother. I think we all look around us and see amazing traits in others and wish we were more like them. We usually do this in areas where we're personally lacking. Anytime you compare one of your own weaknesses with someone else’s strength, you are sure to come up short. Don’t do it! Don’t try to mother the perfect way, just do it your way. As mothers, we have to be task-oriented or nothing ever gets done, but it’s okay to lighten up occasionally and take the time to listen, laugh, and play. Never forget that life is meant to be enjoyed. One of my favorite quotes is by the author, Anna Quindlen. She says, “Treasure the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less.”

While motherhood is overwhelming, remember that a caring Father in Heaven loves your children too. He entrusted them to your care because he knew you could do it. He will not leave you alone. If you ask, you will receive inspiration, your burdens will be lighter and you will be able to find joy. So, on this overwhelming journey we call motherhood, don’t forget to include Him in your travels.

Scrapbooking Spring Sports

I love the feeling of spring in the air. At my house, spring inevitably brings busy schedules because it is the start of the soccer season. Between all the games, practices, carpooling and looking for lost equipment, I can't find any time for scrapbooking. But that doesn't keep me from plotting and planning pages I can create when the lazy days of summer--without all those schedules--come rolling in.

Since I've got soccer on the brain, I thought I'd share some fun ideas about how to create themed pages for all the sports your children play.

The first thing to consider is your photographs. It is important to use the right settings according to the lighting. A bright outdoor soccer game would be photographed differently than a nighttime football game under the stadium lights. Also, think about classic sports shots you can take: The team high-fiving after scoring a goal, the football huddle, the focus on a player's face, the batter sliding into base. Also, don't forget the fans and the quiet moments in sports. One of my favorite layouts is of my family huddled together under blankets and umbrellas watching a game in the rain.

Let's move on to the design of your pages. The first consideration is color. A good idea is to match the colors of your team. Especially if you are creating a themed album for one particular sport, it is fun to see the same colors throughout. Take a look at the wide range of sports-themed papers and products available as well. Many of the major paper companies have developed whole product lines around most major sports. Many have accompanying embellishments to further enhance your design, such as football-shaped charms or stickers.

One approach that is especially fun is to create a layout with the look of a newspaper or magazine cover. Many digital scrapbooking products include pre-made templates for this type of layout, or you can create your own. Younger kids in particular enjoy seeing themselves in that context.

Use these ideas to capture and create team memories. Enjoy the process, but don't get so caught up in saving the memories that you miss your child's first goal or touchdown.

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Is it Spring Yet?

Ah, spring! This is the season that so many of us call our favorite and with good reason. Although here in Utah, it still looks and feels like winter. But, I know spring has to be just around the corner. Right? To get in the mood, and hopefully spur Mother Nature on, I thought I'd throw out some spring scrapbooking ideas.

The first thing you might want to think about when it comes to spring scrapbooking layouts is the color choice. Many people opt for soft pastels when it comes to spring pages, but it's also fun to try something a little more bold. Try colors such as turquoise, lime green, and fuschsia. They are bold and bright and just looking at them makes you feel cheerful.

What is going to be your main focal point for your spring scrapbooking layouts? Remember the holidays during spring, like Easter. Easter egg hunts and Easter outfits make great photo opportunities for your spring layouts. Take pictures of your garden, especially the bulbs as they first start to sprout from the ground. Spring layouts can include springtime sports as well.

When scrapbooking Easter page layouts for spring, don't limit yourself to bunnies and baskets. This is a perfect time to scrapbook your faith. Include your feelings about why the gospel is important to you and your feelings about Easter.

Spring brings warmer weather and all those fun activities that go with it. Consider all of the fun things you do when the weather is warmer. They can be great themes or page elements. Since there is no right or wrong way to scrapbook, don't hesitate to get creative and you'll have pages that are as unique as you are!

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Eggs to "Dye" for

I remember the fun of decorating Easter eggs as a child. I'd take out the crayons, dye, paints, markers, pretty much anything that I could think of to color the eggs. My designs were ambitous, and my fingertips ended up dyed for days. We always used the traditional PAAS easter egg kit. It was so exciting to drop the tablets in the water and watch it change color. Today, you can still purchase the PAAS kit, and in even fancier varieties that include stickers, punch-out designs, special markers and crayons, and much more.

Kits are convenient, but you can make your own dye as well. Combine 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of food coloring with 2 teaspoons vinegar in a cup that is deep enough for the eggs. Add water to about the half way point. Gently place the eggs into the cups. Experiment and create new colors by dipping the egg in one color and then another.

There are many fun ways to decorate eggs. There's the traditional solid colored eggs. As a child, we would color on the eggs with crayons before putting them in the dye. The waxy crayon prevents the egg from picking up color and leaves fun patterns behind. You can use this idea to create personalized eggs or to write a special note.

Another idea is to create rubberband designs. Wrap elastic bands around hard cooked eggs, then drop them in food-coloring dye. Remove eggs, pat dry with paper towel and remove rubber bands. The parts of the egg covered with rubber bands will not be colored. Once the rubber bands are removed, you can drop the egg into a different color dye.

To create marbled eggs, in a mug or jar large enough to contain one egg, place 1 tablespoon of oil, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 tablespoon of food coloring. Add enough water to cover egg, stir quickly with a spoon and drop in hard boiled egg. Pull egg out quickly and pat dry with paper towel.

Coloring Easter eggs has long been a family tradition and my children look forward to it every year. Hopefully I've given you some new ideas that will make your Easter egg coloring more fun this year. For more egg decorating ideas check out Family Fun Magazine online.

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Easter Traditions

Easter is fast approaching. Every time a holiday nears, my thoughts turn to our family traditions and what I can do ahead of time to prepare for the day. Easter is a unique holiday. From my experience, there seems to be a lot of variety in the way families celebrate.

When I was a child, the Easter Bunnny would come and spread candy all over the basement. My brothers and I would stand at the top of the stairs, eyes wide, looking at the candy strewn all over. We'd have to wait for Dad to get downstairs with the camera before we could scramble and fill our baskets with candy. After a mad dash through the house, collecting everything our baskets, hands, and often even our shirts could hold, we sat down and sorted our candy. Even though everyone selfishly gathered the candy, we always divided it equally in the end. I guess it was just the fun of trying to get the most that made us act like crazy people.

Somehow, that tradition has led to our own family tradition of hiding the Easter baskets already full of candy. They've ended up som very interesting places: in the dryer, in closets, under chairs, outside, and even in the shower. Believe me, wet chocolate eggs just don't quite taste the same and the jelly beans stick together.

Easter always mean a new dress for me and a shirt and tie for my brothers. Now we have a large family and it's not economically possible to do that for my other children, but we still take a little bit longer getting ready for church on Easter morning, wanting to look our best.

Some years, we've participated in as Passover feast, which is always around Easter. Brigham Young University does one every year and I strongly recommend going if you ever have the chance. It makes you look at the Passover in a whole new light.

Then, of course, there's the favorite tradition . . . coloring Easter eggs. I've found some fun ideas for coloring eggs that I'll share with you next week, so be sure to check back. I'd love to hear some of your Easter traditions, so please leave comments.

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Low-Cost Digital Photo Printing

Let's face it, scrapbooking can get expensive. I think most of us still enjoy doing some traditional scrapbooking which requires printing your digital pictures to use them on your layout. I've been printing lots of pictures recently, so I've researched some ways to print digital photos inexpensively.

SNAPFISH
Get 30 free 4" x 6" prints when you create a free Snapfish account! Plus, this month you can save up to $15 off your purchase of any photo gift, including books, cards, mugs, and more. Just use one of the coupon codes below at checkout:
To save $5 off purchases of $15 or more, use coupon MARCH1
To save $10 off purchases of $30 or more, use coupon MARCH2
To save $15 off purchases of $40 or more, use coupon MARCH3

Snapfish also gives you professional quality nine-cent prints everday and free online sharing and storage.

SHUTTERFLY
There are many benefits of a free Shutterfly membership. You can securely store your images at full resolution for a lifetime. They are never deleted. You can also turn your favorite memories into professionally bound photo books, create cards and stationary, and even create a free website to share your photos and memory books. You can get 25 free prints when you join.

WALMART
A definite benefit to using Walmart's photo processing is that you can order prints and pick them up in an hour. You can also order the prints and have them delivered to your house or shipped for free to your local Walmart store.

They offer traditional prints starting and nine cents. They also have many items you can add your favorite photos to such as posters, collages, calendars, playing cards, mugs, mousepads, clothing, and more.

These are just three of the many ideas and services available for online digital photo printing. Try them out and let me know if you have a different favorite you like to use so that I can share it on my blog.

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Journal Keeping

Growing up in the Church, I’ve long been taught of the importance of keeping a journal. I know that it’s important to record the details of my life. I’ve found this helps me as I look back and see difficult situations I’ve been able to overcome. I’m hopeful that some day it will benefit future generations as well. I’m far from perfect and I hope others can learn from my mistakes.

I’m in the middle of a new relationship in my life. Last week, I found myself wishing that I had taken time from the beginning to record all the special memories we are making. They are still fresh in my mind and I could probably go back now and record them, but that’s not as good as if I had written them down as they happened.

Then I discovered an amazing thing—my email inbox. I read through all the emails I’ve received from this special person in my life, and realized I do have a record of most of the things we’ve experienced together. I’m grateful for that written evidence of the way our relationship has developed over time and the many amazing things we’ve been through and done together. I’m going to print them out and put them in a scrapbook. Some of them can be embellished by pictures, but even just the written record is priceless.

Don’t overlook your email as a source of precious memories. Especially if you have a loved one far away who you communicate with electronically, it can be a great source of ideas for scrapbooking. I know many families who send family newsletters out monthly which keep them involved in the happenings of their loved ones. These make fun, easy pages with memories that cannot be recreated.

Because of the advent of digital scrapbooking, it is not uncommon to use your computer for scrapbooking, While you are there, remember to check you inbox If you are struggling for new scrapbooking ideas.

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7 Steps to Scrapbooking Safety

Protecting your photos and historical items is important to ensure that your finished scrapbooks will last for decades. If, however, you neglect the proper storage and preservation methods, the results can be disastrous. Here are seven essential safety measures that will help you keep your heirlooms in pristine condition for years to come:

1: Liquids destroy memorabilia, photographs, and negatives. To avoid disasters, store your scrapbook supplies, albums, photographs, and negatives in a dry, cool place where water from broken pipes or overflowing toilets cannot reach them. Keep all drinks off your work area.

2: Sunlight will eventually diminish photo, negative, layout, and album quality. Keep all heirlooms out of direct sunlight.

3: Extreme temperatures damage photographs, negatives, layouts, page protectors, and albums. Store all historical items in moderate–temperatures and in locations where humidity is low.

4: Although not immediately apparent, fingerprints on photographs, negatives, and layouts become visible over time. Oil from skin is the culprit. To prevent this type of deterioration, you can first, handle photos carefully, touching only the outer edges. Second, wash hands frequently or use acid neutralizing wipes. Third, follow the example of certain purists who wear lightweight cotton gloves insuring their photos remain pristine.

5: Handle and store your photos, negatives, and layouts carefully. Improper storage increases the risk of scratches, tears, and bends. Store and seal your photos and negatives in a sturdy container, in plastic sleeves that fit into a three-ring binder, or in acid-free envelopes that have been labeled and filed. Layout storage should be doubly protected: first in sheet or page protectors, then in appropriate albums.

6: Not all plastics are alike. In fact, some sheet protectors, binders, photo enclosures, and photo corners will eventually damage your memorabilia more than if you had not used plastic protection or enhancement at all. The destructive material is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), more commonly known as “vinyl.” Because PVC is an unstable plastic, it releases a hydrogen-chloride gas that spreads to your memorabilia, corroding your photos and historical items over time. To avoid this harmful process, do not buy materials containing PVC. Instead, look for acrylic or polyester (polyethylene and polypropylene) materials. They are chemically stable and will ensure encapsulation safety for your memorabilia.

7: Paper and cardstock found in your local scrapbook store are not necessarily acid-free unless so stated on packaging or company display-signs that reference your particular item. In addition, be forewarned though a manufacturer’s white and pastel papers are free of acid that does not guarantee that their dark colors will be also. (Paper dies can affect the paper’s acidity level.) Your safest approach is to test any paper that is not specifically marked “acid-free.”

These are just a few of the safety measures you need to be aware of and follow to protect your family heirlooms for generations to come.

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Am I Adopted?.

Last week, one of my children came to me all serious and said they needed to talk to me. I could tell he was serious, so we went into a room where we could be alone. His question surprised me. "Mom, am I adopted?" He had been fighting with his siblings and felt that nobody like him so he wondered if he wasn't really a "true" member of the family. I went on to assure him that he was not adopted. I told him how he looked just like his dad when he was a child and shared other traits he had that were similar to other family members.

While thinking about that, I thought it would family traits could make an interesting scrapbooking layout. Anyone who has sorted through the family's shoebox full of old photos has probably wondered about their ancestors and what they were like. This, of course, is why we are scrapbookers--to pass down our legacy to our children and grandchildren so they don't have to wonder what our lives were like--we will tell them and help them to know where they came from and how they became who they are.

The following are a few items your layout could focus on:

Physical Traits - Where did Johnny get his red hair? Or whose nose does Suzy have? Is Ricky tall like Grandpa?

Temperment - Each of us have our own temperment. In the case of one of my children it is "Temper"ment. It would be fun to create a page showing each of your family member's individual temperments and where they came from.

Talents - Did you ever wonder where mom got her "green thumb"? Did you children get their love of arts and crafts from you and their mechanical ability from their father? File away these facts for future generations.

Take some time today to think about how your inherited family traits have appeared in yourself, your children, or others in your family. Document them and preserve this important part of your history.

YourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood.

And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Finding Time to Scrapbook

Sometimes scrapbooking can be completely overwhelming and seems like a neverending job. In this blog I'm going to explore some ways you can find more time scrapbook. As busy mom's it's hard to find time to get everything done, but hopefully some of these suggestions will help you find ways to use little bits of extra time you do have.

There are three elements we can work on:
1. Establish scrapbooking as a priority.
2. Find storage and working space.
3. Use time-management skills.

Establish scrapbooking as a priority.

Any project that is going to get done needs to be given priority status. Think of your time spent scrapbooking as an investment not only in the memories of the past, but in the future as well. The scrapbooks you are creating and the memories you preserve will benefit future generations.

Scrapbooking can be a great stress reliever. Mom's need to take time for themselves to renew their spirit and refocus their lives. Scrapbooking is one way I do this. It gives me time to be alone with my thoughts. Being creative seems to clear my mind and helps me figure things out in other aspects of my life.

Find storage and working space.

It is very important to have an accessible space in your home -- however small -- for storing your scrapbook supplies. You should also create a space to work on scrapbooks when you're ready.

When I first started scrapbooking I found it overwhelming to get all my supplies out, only to sit down and then be interrupted by kids, and have to put it all away again. It seemed so overwhelming that I often chose to just not get it out. I eventually ended up putting a card table in the corner of a room and piled all my supplies on top and underneath and left a few essential tools out so they would already be easily accessible.

If your supplies are spread out in various closets, even the thought of sitting down to scrap may be overwhelming. If they're all together, and each supply has it's own space, you can immediately settle into creating layouts.

Use time-management skills.

Now to tackle the issue of time. It can be hard to find ways to scrapbook, especially with little children around. The best solution I've found for this is to let them feel involved. I put all of my scrap paper, extra stickers, markers, crayons, etc. in a box for the kids to use. If they have their own supplies to play with they give me more time to work on my projects.

Just remember than even 5-10 minutes is long enough to make some progress on your albums. By using small time segments instead of waiting for a block of an hour or two, you will make progress, avoid frustration and keep the creative juices flowing.

If you do have large blocks of time during the week when your little helpers are otherwise occupied, you can do things that take more time and concentration, like sorting photos or organizing paper and cardstock.

Time and priorities are difficult challenges for all of us. But by using our creativity to organize ourselves, we have the opportunity to do what we love and take care of our duties as well. But like most things in life, preparation and organization make the experience more rewarding, productive and enjoyable. Keep in mind, you should not feel discouraged about unfinished projects because creative people always have them.

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Family History Questions

Scrapbooking is not just a craft. It's about preserving family history. In the end, written memories may be even more valuable than photos. I found a list of questions you can use to interview family members to create a history to share with future generations. You can go through the entire list in one sitting or break it up into many sessions. You may want to consider audio or video taping the session for an additional record of the conversation that will include the emotions of the story teller.

Here's the list to get you started. Don't hesitate to add your own questions:

What is your full name and why were you named it?
Were you named after somebody else?
Did you have a nickname as you were growing up?
If you did, what was it and why did they call you that?
Have you had other nicknames as an adult?
What do family members call you now?
Where were you born and when?
Do you remember hearing your grandparents describe their lives? What did they say?
Do you remember your great-grandparents? What do you know about them?
Who was the oldest person you can remember in your family as a child? What do you remember about them?
Do you remember your family discussing world events and politics?
Was there a chore you really hated doing as a child?
What would you consider to be the most important inventions that have been made during your lifetime?
How is the world now different from what it was like when you were a child?
What kinds of books did you like to read?
Do you remember having a favorite nursery rhyme or bedtime story? What was it?
Do you ever remember not having enough food to eat because times were hard for your family?
What were your favorite toys and what were they like?
What were your favorite childhood games?
What were your schools like?
How did you get to school?
What was your favorite subject in school and why?
What subject in school was always the easiest for you?
What was your least favorite subject in school and why?
Who was your favorite teacher and why were they special?
How do your fellow classmates from school remember you best?
What school activities and sports did you participate in?
Did you and your friends have a special hang-out where you liked to spend time?Where was it and what did you do there?
Were you ever given any special awards for your studies or school activities?
How many years of education have you completed?
Do you have a college degree? If so, what was your field of study?
Did you get good grades?
Did you like school?
What did you like the most and the least about it?
What did you usually wear to school? Describe it.
Were there any fads during your youth that you remember vividly?
How old were you when you started dating?
Do you remember your first date? Describe the circumstances.
Name a good friend that you have known for the longest period of time? How many years have you been friends?
Has there ever been anyone in your life that you would consider to me your kindred spirit or soul mate? If so, who were they and why did you feel a special bond to them?
How did you meet the person that you would later marry? Describe them?
Do you remember where you went on the first date with your spouse?
How long did you know them before you got married?
Describe your wedding proposal.
When and where did you get married?
Describe your wedding ceremony. Who was there?
Did you have a honeymoon? If so, where did you go?
How would you describe your spouse? What do (did) you admire most about them?
How long have you been married (or were you married)?
What wise advice would you give to a grandchild on their wedding day?
How did you find out that you were going to be a parent for the first time?
How many children did you have all together?
What were their names, birth dates and birthplaces?
Do you remember anything that your children did when they were small that really amazed you?
What is one of the most unusual things that one of your children did regularly when they were small?
What was the funniest thing you can remember that one of your children said or did?
If you had it to do all over again, would you change the way you raised your family? How?
What did you find most difficult about raising children?
What did you find most rewarding about being a parent?
Did you spoil any of your children? How?
Were you a strict or lenient parent?
Did you find that you had to treat each of your children differently? If so, why?
How did you first hear that you were a grandparent and how did you feel about it?
What advice do you have for your children and grandchildren?
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
What was your first job?
What kinds of jobs have you had?
How did you decide on your career?
Did you make enough money to live comfortably?
How long did you have to work each day at your job?
How old were you when you retired?
What were the hardest choices that you ever had to make? Do you feel like you made the right choices?
Who was the person that had the most positive influence on your life? Who were they and what did they do?
Is there a person that really changed the course of your life by something that they did?Who were they and what did they do?
Do you remember someone saying something to you that had a big impact on how you lived your life?What was it?
How would you describe yourself politically?
Are you Conservative or Liberal and why?
What wars have been fought during your lifetime? How did you feel about them?
If you served in the military, when and where did you serve and what were your duties?
If you served in the military, were you ever injured in the line of duty?What were the circumstances and what were your injuries?
What United States President have you admired the most and why?
As you see it, what are the biggest problems that face our nation and how do you think they could be solved?
How tall are you?
What color was your hair as a young child and then as an adult?
What color are your eyes?
Where have you lived as an adult? List the places and the years that you lived there.
Why are you living where you are today?
Do you wish you lived somewhere else (If so, where would it be)?
Describe your general health.
What major illnesses or health problems do you remember having?
Do you have any health problems that are considered hereditary in nature? If so, what are they?
What do you do regularly for exercise?
Do you have any bad habits now or in the past? What were they?
Have you ever been the victim of a crime? What happened?
Have you ever been in a serious accident?
Has anyone ever saved your life? Describe.
Have you ever saved anyone else's life? Describe.
Have you ever been hospitalized? If so, what for?
Have you ever had surgery? If so, what for?
If you could change something about yourself, what would it be?
Have you ever had an experience that you would consider to be super-natural or psychic? Did you ever know something was going to happen before it actually did? What was it?
What do you usually dream about?
What church, if any, do you attend regularly?
Describe your religious beliefs.
Do you believe in an after life?
What was the most stressful experience that you ever lived through? What helped you get through it?
What is the scariest thing that has ever happened to you personally?
What kinds of musical instrument(s) have you learned to play?
Would you consider yourself creative?
What things have you made that others have enjoyed?
How would you describe your sense of humor?
What is the funniest practical joke you ever played on anyone?
What activities have you especially enjoyed as an adult?
What are your hobbies?
What did you like to do when you were not working?
What is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to you?
What is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you?
Have you ever met any famous people? Describe what happened.
What organizations and groups have you belonged to?
Have you ever won any special awards or prizes as an adult? What were they for?
Describe a time and place when you remember feeling truly at peace and happy to be alive. Where were you and what were you doing?
What is the most beautiful place you have ever visited and what was it like?
What is the longest trip that you have ever gone on? Where did you go?
What has been your favorite vacation? Where did you go and why was it special?
What was the favorite place you ever visited and what was it like?
What pets have you had?
Do you have a favorite story about a pet? What is it?
Is there anything you have always wanted to do, but haven't?

This list of oral history questions was compiled from a variety of sources by Joanne Todd Rabun in 1993.They included a 6th grade class project of her daughter and a college-level Women's Studies class project of her nephew. She used them to produce a booklet entitled "The Life and Times of Winnie Lacklore" to commemorate Winnie's 90th birthday celebration.

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It's the thought that counts

I can't believe it's February already and Valentine's Day is upon us. It's always been one of my favorite holidays. There's something about setting aside a day for romance that makes me weak in the knees and feel all gushy inside.

Set aside some time now think about how you will express your love this Valentine's Day. I always make cards for the people I love. There's nothing better than a handmade card with ae's personal message written inside. It makes those around you know you love them and shows you've taken the time to express it in a meaningful way.

Another fun idea for your Valentine is to make an "I Love You" book. Create scrapbooking pages with some of the following themes:

- How and where you met.
- Your first date.
- What attracted you to him/her.
- Special moments spent together.
- Special places you like to visit.
- Inside jokes
- Love letters you've received/given

This loving and unique book will be long remembered and cherished. Don't forget to include journaling. Often the words you say mean even more than pictures.

Happy Valentine's Day. May you and your loved one create a day of treasured memories.

yourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop me and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood.

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Natural Light

Contrary to popular belief, the middle of a sunny day isn't the best for taking pictures. For optimal pictures take them in natural light by a window, or outdoors in indirect sunlight. Keep an eye on areas throughout your house. At certain times of day, depending on which direction the windows face, sun streams in through the glass. Even if the sun isn't directly shining through the window, you can place the subject of your picture near the window and still get some great shots.

Outdoors is, of course, the perfect spot for natural lighting. Make sure to have the sun behind your subjects so they aren't squinting into the light and so they don't end up with shadows underneath their eyes, nose, and chin. Sometimes an overcast day is preferable for pictures. It creates a soft look and affects the mood of your photo. Consider taking the same photo in different kinds of lighting. Different lights create different moods.

If you're like me, you don't have the luxury of waiting hours until the light is 'just right' because children walk away and sunsets fade, don't stress about it. But do use natural light whenever possible. For some other fun photo tips check out my previous post: 5 Tips to Better Photos.

YourLDSneighborhood has added exciting new things to its website. Please drop by and take a look, browse around, check out our vendors, our radio station, our authors, our musicians and more. Check out the Neighborhood.

And while you're there, subscribe to the yourLDSneighborhood Newsletter. In addition to being able to shop in the new virtual neighborhood, the newsletter brings you articles, products, services, resources and interviews from around the world-all with an LDS focus. Look for issues delivered to your email inbox every week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Scrapbooking Recipes

Many of my childhood memories are of wonderful family meals, time spent cooking and canning with my mom, traditional holiday treats, and picnics. Each of these memories has special family recipes associated with it.

If you're like me, you probably have recipes written on scraps of paper, the back of receipts, or torn out of a magazine littering your kitchen drawers and sticking out of other recipe books. Take a quick inventory of the recipes you already have. Then think about favorite family recipes. If you're missing Grandma's famous sugar cookie recipe, call her and get it.

There are many ways you can organize your book. You could group the recipes by contributors, or by course. You can put several pictures per page, or dedicate one page to each recipe. They can be scrapped on 12x12 layouts, or simple 8.5x11 so they'll fit in a regular 3-ring binder. My favorite size is 4x6 or 5x7 because they are small enough that you can include the recipes and a couple embellishments without having to fill up a large page.

You could include pictures of the person you received the recipe from, or pictures of the dish itself. You could add a quote from someone about what they love about it or a special memory they have associated with this particular recipe. You could also include a bit of history about the recipes, especially if they are a collection given to you by someone else.

A beautiful recipe collection would make a great graduation gift, wedding gift, or even a great housewarming gift. A fun idea I for a new bride is to hold a recipe exchange bridal shower and have each guest bring a scrapbooked recipe, then combine them all into one album.

Creating a family recipe scrapbook is a great way to preserve your family’s recipes and pass them on to the next generation of family cooks. Whether as a gift, a treasured family heirloom, or just a fun and creative way to cook, compiling a recipe scrapbook is a great way to use your scrapping time. The inspiration, tools and methods are as endless as recipes themselves. So get cooking, and get scrapping!

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Expressive Journaling

I'm in a writing mood today, so we're going to talk about journaling. In my opinion, it's the most important part of your scrapbook. Yes, it's fun to look back at old pictures, but without the written words describing the picture, the memories start to fade and meaningful moments are forgotten.

We've all heard of the five W's. Who? What? Where? When? Why? Keeping these five questions in mind while journaling will help what you write to be complete. Consider the following:

-Who was there?
-What were they doing?
-When was it?
-Where were they?
-Why were they there?

It's important to record all the details of an event, not just the names of the people involved and the date it took place. While details are very important, don't include flowery words and phrases. Talk as though the person looking through your scrapbook is sitting right next to you while you tell them the stories in the pictures.

If you had just celebrated your child's first birthday, and a friend asked you how it went. Would you answer January 20, 1998--Our House? I doubt it. You'd talk about her excitement when she saw the pile of wrapped presents, how she stuck her hand in the cake, the guests who were invited, and all the fun she had. It's helpful to keep this type of thing in mind as you are taking photographs. Take pictures of things that will later provide details of a story.

When you're journaling be sure to add in details you can't see in the picture. For example, if you were scrapbooking Christmas photos, you might want to include something about your favorite gift, the smell of the pine tree or ham cooking, how the tree shimmered, what time you got up, and the excitement and joy on the children's faces.

It's important to journal while the events are still fresh in your mind. I have a journaling folder which contains thoughts and ideas I will eventually get around to scrapbooking. You don't have to wait until you create the page to create the journaling.

As you journal, keep in mind the pages may be read by people many years from now. Help them feel like there were there. Talk about the important things such as how much you cared for your loved ones. Your words, no matter what you think of them now, will be treasured by generations to come.

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Winter Wonderland

There is nothing quite like stepping out into the brightness of new fallen snow. There is a stillness to the cool, crisp air that makes the world seem clean, new and full of the possibility of adventure. My family loves to spend time in the winter sledding down the hill at a local park and being dragged on sleds behind four-wheelers with their cousins. I'm sure you have similar winter traditions. And like all traditions, they deserve to be scrapbooked.

So, in the middle of this wintery January, I thought I'd give you some ideas for some fun winter scrapbooking layouts. Whether you are scrapping a weekend at your mountain cabin, a trip to the slopes, or the unexpected family snow day, hopefully these ideas will get your creative juices flowing.

WINTER SCRAPBOOKING TIPS

-Use darker shades of blue, purple, and green for a cold look. Goes especially good with black and white photos.

-The most natural color scheme choice for a winter scrapbook layout is blue and white. However, silver accents also look great.

-For a more contemporary look, you can even try adding a touch of purple to your page.

-Use bold, decorative fonts to enhance the theme of your layout. Try covering chipboard letters with winter scrapbook paper.

-Use patterned paper that includes glitter or flocking.

-To use all those fun sledding shots, use one larger picture as a focal point and crop the others down to wallet size.

-Use scenery shots of snow covered trees to enhance your layout.

LAYOUT IDEAS

-Building a snowman

-Making snow angels

-Catching snowflakes on your tongue

-Having a snowball fight

-Shoveling sidewalks

-Drinking cocoa

PAGE TOPPERS AND TITLES

-Let it Snow!

-Snow Angel

-Winter Wonderland

-"Snow" much fun.

-Snow Day

-Bundle Up

WINTER QUOTES

"Like a snowflake, you're one of a kind."

"Some of my best friends are flakes."

"A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together!"

"Snowmen fall from heaven unassembled."

FUN WINTER FONTS

Ice and Snow features bold capital letters covered with snow.
Frosty is a contemporary font with small snowflake accents.
Snowbiz is a decorative font featuring snowmen holding each letter of the alphabet.
Fontasy Penguin has adorable penguins dangling from the letters.
Marshmallow World is a dingbat font with various images of pretty winter snowflakes.

DIGITAL SCRAPBOOKING
Check out the free papers and embellishments in the Winter Magic Kit by Monica or the Winter Kit Mini Freebie by Silvia.

Celebrate the winter season by scrapbooking layouts featuring sledding, snowballs, and time spent bundled up outside. In the meantime, you'll create some fun memories you just might want to repeat next year.

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Scrapbooking: Top Ten Essentials

Have you been to the craft store lately? There are so many scrapbooking supplies, products and tools available. It's overwhelming sometimes, and you feel like you need (okay, want) it all. So I thought I'd post a Top Ten Essentials supply list. These are the supplies most scrapbookers can't live without.

1) CARDSTOCK/SOLID PAPER

What's a scrapbook without paper? Cardstock and plain papers are great to use as backgrounds. They are generally less expensive than patterned paper and cardstock is a good choice to make your pages sturdy.

2) PATTERNED PAPER

Life would be boring without patterns. Pick papers that complement each other and can be used together to create unique layouts. I rarely use patterned paper for my backgrounds, but use it to embellish the page instead so it goes further.

3) ADHESIVES

You need something to stick all those photos and embellishments to the page. There are tons of adhesive choices: tape runner, glue dots, glue sticks, and more. Just shop around. Make sure the adhesive you choose is acid free since it will be touching your photos. Read more about adhesives here: Back-to-Basics: Adhesives.

4) PENS

A scrapbook isn't complete without journaling, so pick high quality pens that won't bleed, are fade-proof, waterproof, and keep your layout safe.

5) TRIMMERS

You need good cutting tools to create a professional layout. Buy a pair of precise, sturdy scissors with a small point good for getting in those tight spaces and cutting small letters and embellishments. You'll also want a high quality paper trimmer. I like to have a larger one for 12 inch papers and a small one for cropping photos. You can read more about trimmers here: Back-to-Basics: Paper Trimmers.

6) PHOTO DEVELOPING

Everyone has digital cameras so make sure you have access to a photo developing service. I personally use my local Costco and Walmart. Both have online photo sites where you can upload your photos and order prints from home to pick up in the store an hour later. They also have fun options you can use to design photo collages, print on unique items, and more.

7) EMBELLISHMENTS

Embellishments make scrapbooks exciting. There are so many options available: chipboard, stickers, paper flowers, buttons, ribbon, brads, eyelets, and more. Look around your house, you'll be amazed at all the things you can use..

8) PHOTO STORAGE

Buy a photo safe box to store all your photos. There are also many options for digital storage. You can use an online service such as Photobucket or Shutterfly. For more ideas on photo storage and how to sort your photos read my previous post-- A Shoebox is not the Solution.

9) ALBUMS

Once you've completed all your layouts, you'll want something to keep them in. There are so many fun albums available in the market. They make you proud to leave them on the coffee table where everyone can see and enjoy your amazing creativity. I also posted about Album Sizes and Types, if you'd like to read more.

10) PAGE PROTECTORS

After spending all that effort on your pages, you'll want to share them and not just keep them hidden away to keep them safe. Page protectors keep your creations safe. When you use all the page protectors in your album you can add more. Make sure to buy the correct type for your album.

If you are just a beginner, don't worry about getting everything all at once. Start with some basic paper, adhesive, and embellishments. This allows you to get started on your pages and you can add the other items to your collection as you are able. Happy Scrapping!

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