The picture above is a beautiful scene of a nighttime celebration of life, releasing sky lanterns for their loved one lost. How emotionally touching is this view?

Growing up in a family owned business, that deals with the casket industry has always caused me to think about those less unfortunate, those who have lost a loved one, and those who have a hard time letting go.

It really is true, that you do not know what you have until it is gone. I have heard many sad stories of family members arguing with each other while trying to work with the funeral director to pick out which casket they want. My family never dealt with the families. We only worked with the funeral directors themselves. Sometimes the poor funeral directors have seen and heard so much, that they just have to tell someone else the stories. Unfortunately my mother, who is a great listener and secretary of our family owned Casket manufacturing company, was the one who got to listen to their stories about the families.

We at The Original Time Capsule company want to say that we are listening to your problems and are trying to find ways to solve them. We have heard from funeral directors that there are not many ways for families to remember their loved ones in a tangible way, once they are gone.

 Preserve Loved Ones Old Letters

What advice did your grandfather always tell you as a child? What was the funniest story he ever told you? How do you remember your grandmothers famous apple crumb pie recipe once she is gone (especially if she made it from scratch)? What do you do with all those old war letters that your dad wrote back and forth to your mom before they were married? These are just a few of the questions that are important to treasure to pass on to your grandchildren and their children of the future. So how do you do that?

Use Social Media to Share your Story

With so many more funeral homes taking advantage of the internet and social media world, it is important for funeral homes to have other new and upcoming ways to help families grieve and remember a loved one. This is why so many funeral homes are now including dedicated pages on their websites, for family members to fill out messages of hope, condolences, and stories of the past of loved ones who have gone on to rest in peace.

Set Up a Personalized Celebration of Life Ceremony

How does a funeral home truly set up a memorial service, when they really do not know the person? How do you help that family truly create a celebration of life for their loved one? Families need a tangible way to memorialize their loved one. Set up a uniquely personal tribute to your loved one, and let the family work through the process of grief, by decorating a table with several heirloom memories, like your grandfather’s old pocket watch. Set out note cards for family and friends to fill out and tell a short story or memory about the deceased loved one, to pass on to the family to read later. Many times it is hard for some to go to a viewing, or let go, so a great way to help someone say goodbye, is by letting them write a letter to their deceased loved one. Many people tell you to “just get over it.” You never really ‘get over it,’ but instead grief is a process or journey if you will that will either make you better or bitter.

Create a Memorial Time Capsule

You can set up memory boards, candles, and wreaths, but what do you do with it all when it is done? Don’t just stand in a line to say your goodbye at a viewing, then leave. Don’t just help take care of the family during that next week by bringing them a meal already cooked. Do something extra to let the family know how much you appreciated that loved one in your life, or to say thank you to the loved one who passed. The loved one who is now gone, can be kept alive by keeping his or her legacy life alive. So how do you do that?

Set up a memory table similar to the one here, with special tangible items on it. Then also add a personalize Legacy Time Capsule on it, for family members and friends to put there cards, words of encouragement, and sentimental items of their loved one in. You can get an “Any Occasion” DIY Time Capsule here, then put a photo of your loved one on the outside of this luxury tin, to preserve all these treasured memories in.

During the holidays it is always hard to celebrate, be happy, and open gifts, without that special someone there anymore. This is especially hard if your loved one passed on a particular holiday. Reopen the time capsule on that holiday, hold one of their tangible mementos or memorabilia, to help you get through this difficult time of year. The time capsule is meant to help with this problem, and keep your loved one alive more so than just in your heart. Revive your memories today of your loved one.

So if you had the opportunity to keep one sentimental item from your grandfather, father, or any loved one who has passed, what would it be? Comment below.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

– Marcie

The post Conducting Your Own Memorial Service appeared first on Time Capsule | Personalized Gifts.

We have been discussing in previous blogs about ideas of who can use a time capsule. If you are human, an organization, business, or pet, or basically anything of importance you can use a time capsule.

Help your hard-working boy or girl scouts review their accomplishments over the past year. Keep your projects or photos of your proud moments, or badges received, in your time capsule. What a special day it will be when you as an adult scout, open your own personal time capsule, to show your son or daughter what your own boy or girl scouts was like.

Yes, your parents are there to teach you lessons, teachers can make an impact on your life, and your youth leader or pastor can help guide you, but your boy or girl scouts can teach you special life hacks and other valuable skills. Hard work and determination help guide you through your journey of becoming a scout.

The Scout Effect

Boy or girl scouts can have a great effect on your life. When I think of a time capsule in general, it is interesting to see how scouting was different in the past compared to today. I never had the opportunity to be a girl scout, however I wish I would have because I am a very down to earth girl. I have talked with friends who were a part of the scouts. They talked about the learning how to start a fire with sticks and how much persistence that took, to receive their camping merit badge.

Why would you let your parent eventually throw that badge away after you grew up and moved out of your parent’s home? Save it in a time capsule. That was a milestone moment in your life. It effected you to be focused, finish what you start, and learn the rewards in life from not quitting. That is a great badge and lesson to pass on to your future children as an example.

For my other friends, the girl scouts have prepared them for their future careers. They were taught how to be confident and have a healthy self-esteem. What great lessons to pass on to their future daughters, using a time capsule.

When to Have Boy or Girl Scout Open the Time Capsule

The unique thing about a scout time capsule is that it can be filled with mementos and treasures that the boy or girl cannot open until they either earn their Eagle or Graduate High school. You pick. It is all up to you as the leader or the scout creating their time capsule. What a fun project for a scout troop to make together.

I know some companies look for great leadership and teamwork, so what better way to pass on these lessons you learned in boy or girl scouts, than with a Baby Time Capsule. Preserve your stories and badges in the time capsule, so when your child graduates high-school, he or she can open it and you can further instill the messages of what you learned in scouts as a way of encouraging the same behaviors and virtues in your grown child, in the real world environment now.

Have the scouts fill out an all about me worksheet, to save basic information about themselves in their time capsules, to read years later. Continue to read about this topic and 10 Things I learned from Boy Scouts at http://geoffreywebb.com/2010/08/03/10-things-i-learned-from-boy-scouts/. Also check out this article of girl scouts who opened a time capsule 16 years later at http://www.ivpressonline.com/news/local/junior-girl-scout-troops-open–year-old-time-capsule/article_81f8b670-42be-11e3-aee1-001a4bcf6878.html.

What would you put in a scout time capsule? Share your ideas below in the comments please.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

– Marcie
www.timecapsule.com

Note: Girl Scout Quote Photo taken from http://article.wn.com/view/2014/05/15/READER_SUBMITTED_Panelists_Announced_For_Girl_Scouts_Of_Conn/

The post How Boy or Girl Scouts can Preserve their Memories appeared first on Time Capsule | Personalized Gifts.

A Continuation of Milestone Moment: The Secret to Preserving Memories (How I Met My Wife). Read the previous blogs in the category called: Meeting the Love of your Life.

My time with my nieces is precious!  I never seem to have enough.  When I am with them, the time flies by and it is over too soon.  This time was a little different though.  I was actually spending 9 days with them, so it seemed like it went slower.  On Sunday morning, they were all getting ready for church, and I decided to check my email.  It had been several days and I really wanted to know if FaithfulGodChaser had sent me an email.  To be honest, I really didn’t expect it.  In my mind, I was thinking about all the reasons that I had given her not to email me.  You see, I had told the truth about my life. . . I told her about being divorced and expected that a “good girl” like her would not be interested in even a friendship with someone like me.  I was shocked when I opened my email . . . There it was.

I had butterflies in my stomach as I opened it up.  What would it say?  Would she be kind?  Would she tell me to go away?  I began to read her email.  I didn’t even realize until later that I was biting my bottom lip with anticipation.  After reading a paragraph, I looked to see if this was a short or a long email . . . To my pleasant surprise, it was huge!  It took me about 30 minutes to finish reading the email.  As I was closing it down, my youngest niece, Sydni, (Spelled, S-Y-D-N-I-With a dot!  You do not forget her dot, or she will not be happy with you!) asked me what I was doing.  I told her that I was reading an email from a girl I just met online.  Even at the age of 4, she understood what this meant and she made sure the whole house knew!  Uncle Mark has a girlfriend! Uncle Mark has a girlfriend!

While my relationship with the girl I now knew as Marcie was far from being a “real relationship” the taunts from the children in the house went on all day.  “Mark and Marcie, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”  We all know the song.  We have all sung it at one point in our lives.  I must admit, it is a little different when you are a grown man, hearing these childhood taunts.  It had been 6 or 7 years since I had been in any kind of relationship, and it felt good to know that this was even a possibility.

It took me a couple of days to find the time to email her back.  I stayed up late on the last night that I was there in order to send a response.  I needed to think without all the tormenting from my favorite girls in the world.  I carefully answered her questions and posed a few of my own.  This girl seemed to have a lot of things in common with me.  She was not interested in a romantic relationship, and frankly, neither was I.  This was my first attempt after being divorced.  There was still a lot of hurt there.  While emailing with her was fun, it also brought up a lot of hurt and pain.

I drove home in quiet reflection of the email I had received while there.  I thought about who this person is and what she had said.  I knew in my heart that we would be good friends.  I knew that God had brought her into my life for a reason.  I knew that my life would never be the same just because we had talked.  But I didn’t know how true those thoughts really were . . .

It would be interesting to journal about my anxiety levels (as they were very high at this point in our relationship), and watch them fall as I got to know my future wife better. Now that is a journal that would be helpful to read to my future child, to explain what it is like meeting “the one” you will marry eventually. What a fun journal to save in a time capsule. Let’s face it, it can be scary meeting someone we do not know, let alone someone online. Here is a helpful website to help you write your first (milestone moment) email back to that special someone, like I did. Check out these tips at http://www.match.com/magazine/article/8753/Send-A-Standout-Email/.

Have fun getting to know each other. Remember it is important to be friends first. Start your life story of how you met with a journal like this at https://www.etsy.com/listing/130915450/memories-from-the-day-we-met-5-x-7?ref=market. Save this journal in your Wedding Time Capsule, to open up years later (like at your 25th Anniversary) to read again, and cry or laugh together as you reminisce. Save your emails you write back and forth together, as you get to know each other, then read them years later after you get married. What a milestone moment that day will be for you both, as you reminisce and reflect on what life was like the year you first met or emailed each other.

Where did you first meet your spouse? Comment below. We love to hear your stories too.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

www.timecapsule.com

The post Keep your Personal Journals & Save your Emails – Priceless Moments appeared first on Time Capsule | Personalized Gifts.

As many of you may already know, from reading previous blogs (which my husband and I are still building upon – stay tuned), I met Mark over the internet. We are a family owned business sharing our life, experiences, and help to you about creative ways to use the baby or wedding time capsules, latest trends in the baby and wedding industry, and insights about family and milestone moments in life to preserve and pass on for generation to generation. Mark and I have been to some trade shows with our products, and it is a great place to meet new people. It can be very fun, yet awkward to meet someone new at the same time. Let’s learn more about how to meet someone new.

Your Resume Does Not Define You

Recently I have been trying to advance our business, by participating in business webinars and chats with other entrepreneurs. Like so many others, it feels uncomfortable “selling” yourself, when you meet or talk to someone new. Keep in mind, your resume does not define you. You have far more to offer. To build relationships with others, you have to continually give deposit slips of friendship, knowledge, value, care, etc. No matter where we go, this is why my husband and I try to do, and this is how we started to become excited and want to continually talk to each other more and more.

It is easier for me to genuinely find a common subject first to have a natural conversation first, not to mention it eases me more in the connection, to talk about something from everyday life. This is why many people like sitcoms. We all can relate and they make us laugh. It is hard to tell others who you are without telling them what you do too. However, if you want proof that your resume does not define you, just look at your social media accounts. For example, if you are Pinterest fan, you can understand this. Pinterest is just a billboard offering value everywhere, DIY projects, podcasts, blog help, crafting ideas, food recipes (man I am hungry now LOL). Anyways approach the conversation with social media being popular, so let me “share” something with you that might help you too.

A Time Capsule is like your Resume, Only Better

Hopefully, you are still following what I am saying at this point. If not, feel free to comment below and ask questions. A time capsule, is so much better than your resume, because it fills in the details of the stories in between your stories of what you “do” in life. That is the real reason, why your resume does not define you. We all are humans at our jobs, not robots, with different life stories. A time capsule captures all your stories for years. It is these stories that we want to help you preserve and share with new people you meet in life. For a job interview, we may sound self-centered and look at what the job can do for us, when we should be thinking about what I can do for the company or new friend I just met.

We are All Walking Pinterst Billboards. What is On Your Board That You Have to Offer Others?

When we meet someone new, the usual question is “so what is your story?” Continuing from the conversation about being a Pinterest fan, think about this. If you are an introvert, think about what is on your social media, like Pinterest, and find a common interest to talk about. We are all walking Pinterest billboards. What is on your board that you have to offer others? We usually like to meet new people we can know, like, and trust. Build these three important keys with a new friendship, using your commonalities from social media. I choose to live in a world of paying it forward. I want to share what I know about life, or something that I shared on my Pinterest board or other social media, that may be helpful to a new friend I meet in life.

So, what else is in your time capsule, that you can open (metaphorically speaking) when meeting someone new, whether it is for a job, at a business trade show or seminar, or at a social gathering? You are more than what is listed on your resume. Remember, your resume does not define you. What relationship building goals can you make when you introduce yourself to someone new? Look at this great article, if you want additional tips of what to say and do when you meet someone new at http://www.smallfuel.com/blog/entry/how-to-introduce-yourself-to-someone-youve-never-met/. Build bridges with whomever you meet, because you never know how they may be able to help you after you help them. I am so glad that Mark and I introduced ourselves to each other, and told our stories, or we would not have been married.

What is on your Pinterest board, that you can share with others you meet? Comment below.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

www.timecapsule.com

Credits: Introduce Yourself Quote is from http://www.imgquotes.com/your-life-is-waiting-for-you-go-introduce-yourself-best-quotes-sayings/

The post How to Meet Someone New – You are More than What Your Resume Says appeared first on Time Capsule | Personalized Gifts.

She was scared to take baths as a three year old. Until, one day her aunt showed her how the doggy takes baths too. When you make things more fun, children are more likely to listen and imitate. My niece and I gave the dog a bath after playing fetch with the hose and the dog. Cinnamon, our dog, is a Chocolate Lab and Australian Shepherd mix. She is full of energy and a great life lesson teacher. After playing in the water, Cinnamon shook, which splattered all her water onto my niece and I. My niece, Skylar, laughed and realized taking a bath could be fun. Then a few hours later, Skylar gladly took her own bath, had fun, and shook herself when she was done. I laughed so much at her. I was happy she had fun, changed her perspective about a daily skill, and she and I had a great bonding moment to last for years to come.

What special milestone moments would you like to relive again?

There are many different benefits of a time capsule. A time capsule has the ability to transport both you and your loved one to a different place and time. It can be an activity to break up your daily worries or activities in life. Most people enjoy hearing stories behind mementos. So why not start making your time capsule today? It will be a legacy keepsake for your future generations to enjoy.

Benefits of a Time Capsule

1. It is a great bonding activity to do with other family members or friends.

2. It is a great way to get others communicating about their thoughts and feelings (can be very therapeutic).

3. It can be a form of meditation, as you are reflecting back on your life or where you want to be in the future. We all need to have goals in life.

4. It can be a way for you to bury your past (so-to-speak), and start a new life of freedom. This would be a time capsule I do not know if I would want to reopen in the future though, unless you completely feel healthy and want to see how far you have grown spiritually, mentally, emotionally, or physically. For example put a picture of how you look now in the time capsule, then lose weight, and see how far you have come years later.

5. Creating a time capsule can be a fun, rewarding hobby, like scrapbooking.

6. Similar to a classic movie or song bringing back great memories, creating a time capsule can do the same. This is especially important for someone with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. It is like reminiscence therapy. What is a classic movie you have not seen for a while? A time capsule improves memory and creates a family heirloom.

7. A time capsule would be a great, unique centerpiece for a Wedding or Baby Shower. Make a game out of it, and have guests bring things to put in it for the future couple or baby to see or read years later. What are your predictions of where the couple or baby will be in life, in the future?

8. A time capsule can make you use all of your senses to create and preserve your nostalgic moments.

9. It can help close the gap of generations. For example, explain how to use technological things like the latest cell phone (if we even have cell phones in the future).

10. It can help military families (especially those who are gone when their child is born), not forget any moments or memories (as you can write each day what is happening in a journal). Memories can fade easily, so help preserve those smaller, and seemingly less significant events that happened during your separation, while one of you is in the military.

11. Your family history is important, so include small notes on each item in the time capsule. Decades from now, your descendants can learn all about what life was like when you were born or alive. A time capsule is the best tangible history book around.

12. For an adopted child or someone in foster care, a time capsule can be like their beginning “life story,” so he or she feels some attachment to their biological family and has a sense of belonging.

13. A time capsule can be like a memorial, to help with grief and bereavement of a past loved one.

14. A time capsule helps preserve your favorite memories, in a safe place.

15. It can be a creative way to share wisdom, from adults or grandparents to children or grandchildren.

16. It helps you prioritize and organized which favorite baby items to keep or give away.

17. It is a tangible scrapbook, for those things that do not fit in a scrapbook.

18. It protects your items better than a scrapbook (if you do not bury it).

19. A time capsule can be a great classroom activity to unify students for a single, positive purpose.

20. A time capsule can help restore marriages, by opening the Wedding Time Capsule, when you have an argument together in the future, to remind you why you got married.

If you want to read more information or research on the benefits of a time capsule or memory box, check out http://commons.emich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1363&context=honors St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital even understands the benefits of creating a time capsule or scrapbook. Check out why at http://www.memorychestmemorials.com/Blogs/Memory-Chest-Memorials/February-2013/Therapeutic-Scrapbooking-A-Technique-to-Promote-Po

I am sure there are many other benefits of creating a time capsule. What benefits can you think of? Comment below.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

www.timecapsule.com

The post 20 Key Benefits of a Time Capsule appeared first on Time Capsule | Personalized Gifts.