Scrapbook design by Erin Roe.

We live in a very busy, instant, microwave type world. We also all want to be great parents and keep all the sentimental memories alive for our children, especially when they are born. So how do you take care of a newborn and save their special moments in a scrapbook at the same time? We all have only 24 hours per day, with other tasks, work, chores, or priorities that may come first before creating a scrapbook. Who can relate?

1. Use Digital Scrapbooking.

More and more of us are constantly carrying our phones wherever we go. Use your cell phone camera more and take pictures of your daily life. It is not going to be a mundane topic years from now. Your kids may wonder what life was like for you as the parent, when they were born. Even 10 minutes before bed every other night, can be more time spent on creating a digital scrapbook page, than no time before bed. There are so many you tube videos out there to help you learn quick ways to make an easy scrapbook page to get you started.

2. Organize your Supplies for Scrapbooking

Just like your bills you may separate out for tax purposes, you can have different envelopes for daily or weekly events, photos, or drawings from school for your kids. This will make it easier if you also separate the folders out by months in the year. Then, you are sure to save time later, not having to put everything in order of days, months, or years. If you are using digital scrapbooking, make sure to save your photos with dates on them too. You do not want to forget later when your child first learned how to walk. You can even use folders and subfolders on your computer to organize your memories. Also make sure to have a separate folder for “templates” or other different scrapbook clipart or overlays you want to use later, to simply pull from and make your special page.

3. Turn Off Distractions

Again, I know you get busy like myself. I just do not want any of you to be so busy that you have regrets later in life, by not saving or preserving your child’s most important milestone moments in a decorative or scrapbook way. Not everything can be eliminated, I know. However, I am sure you need your time alone many times, so turn off the tv, lock yourself in the bathroom if you have to, to get away from your kids for a while. Shut down your email, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Do you check Facebook when taking a shower each morning? I hope not, so set aside time for you again to scrapbook.

4. Find an Easy Scrapbook to Use

I have tried to make a fancy scrapbook in the past, but it started to take too long. Instead of wanting to give up, I decided to use a regular photo album to start something, anything. Check out this website to learn how to even use a photo album to get you started on scrapbooking easy, clean and scentsible at http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/2011/05/scrapbook-saturday-no-2-quick-and-easy.html.

5. The Fastest, Easiest, No Guilt Scrapbook Idea

Our most favorite idea for the busy parent is to use a decorative Baby Scrapbook to preserve your sentimental stories, photos, and even other mementos that you cannot fit in a scrapbook. A Baby Time Capsule is better than a scrapbook, because it is even faster and easier to use. It seems like the more kids you have, the less time you have, so by your third child, you start to fizzle on creating keepsakes like an elaborate scrapbook. Make sure to include a small photo album in the Baby Time Capsule. Photo album cover included with the sticker pack in the time capsule kit. So check out the unique and artistic Baby Time Capsule from http://www.timecapsule.com/product/milestone-collection-baby-time-capsule-keepsake-gift/.

What would you put in your Baby’s Time Capsule? Comment below.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

– Marcie

www.timecapsule.com

The post 5 Quick and Easy Scrapbooking Ideas 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.