In light of Project Life entering the retailer world … we have a new and very helpful addition to BeckyHiggins.com. It’s the Store Locator! Find out if your favorite retailer will be carrying Project Life. If they’re not, you can send them HERE.  ; )

Speaking of exciting things … I just returned from a whirlwind trip to Salt Lake City to be a part of the live broadcast of Studio 5 with an awesome studio audience. I’ll be blogging about that soon (some fun behind-the-scenes pictures to share) … but HERE is the link to watch my 6 minutes segment if you’re interested. I talked about ways to show your children love through photos, journaling, memory-keeping.

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Terri in Texas created this End of Season Mini Album and had this to say:

I wanted to share with you the books I made as a thank you for my daughter’s soccer coaches. The team is going to present them to their coaches tonight at their banquet. I used a mini album and photos I took during the season. Each player as well as parents wrote a short thank you note to each of the coaches (there are 2) on blank grid cards. I love the way they turned out and I think the coaches are going to love them! I thought I would share with you another idea for using the mini album. I love your products!

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Sarah in Florida made this End of School Year Mini Album and shared this with us:

Just wanted to share a project I did with your mini albums. I made it for my son’s first grade teacher. I had each kiddo draw a picture on a 4×6, and I also had them write a thank you on a folded 4×6 that I put behind their name. The rest of the book was filled with photos I had taken throughout the year. The kids loved looking through it and the teacher loved receiving it.

If you have completed – or are currently working on – some sort of gift for someone using Project Life in any way, we’d love to see! Anyone can email photos to submissions@beckyhiggins.com. Be sure to include your first name + city + state and a brief description of your gift/project.

We completely adore how each person’s style is so unique – in photography, with their journaling, and how they bring it all together in their albums. As you see how others are doing Project Life, our hope is that you will feel an increased desire to document life, and that you’ll be more in tune with what your own personal style is. No matter how you slice it, it’s all good. It’s your story. This post is loaded with eye candy. We don’t mean to overwhelm you. We simply want you to be inspired in your own memory-keeping efforts.

This month we challenged our team members to keep things ultra simple to remind you that you really can create an entire scrapbook with the 3 core Project Life components and nothing else. Album + Project Life Core Kit + Big Pack of Photo Pocket Pages. That’s it. If you’re looking for more inspiration on using Project Life in the most simple format ever (that is, no extra embellishing) – check out the sample albums on our Inspiration page.

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Pages by Amanda Caves featuring the Jade Edition - coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, or available now at AC Digitals.

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Pages by Ashley Bennett, featuring the Seafoam Edition. Left page is Design D.

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Pages by Catherine Davis, featuring the Jade Edition – coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, or available now at AC Digitals.

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Digital pages by Donna Gibson, featuring the Blush Edition – coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, currently available at many Hobby Lobby Stores, returning to HSN tomorrow in limited supply, or available now at AC Digitals.

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Digital pages by Dunia Acauan, featuring the Honey Edition – coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, currently available at many Hobby Lobby Stores, or available now at AC Digitals.

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Pages by Elise Blaha Cripe, featuring the Seafoam Edition.

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Digital pages by Haley Ney , featuring the Wedding Mini Kit – coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, currently available at many Hobby Lobby Stores or available now at AC Digitals. Right side is Design D.

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Pages by Heather Johnson, featuring the Baby Edition for Her. 

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Digital pages by Jennifer Hignite, featuring the Kraft Edition - coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, or available now at AC Digitals.

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Pages by Joy Pribish, featuring the Seafoam Edition. Left page is Design D.

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Page by Kristina Proffitt featuring the Blush Edition – coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, currently available at many Hobby Lobby Stores, returning to HSN tomorrow in limited supply, or available now at AC Digitals.

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Page by Leena Loh, featuring the Seafoam Edition.

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Pages by Lorimay Barba, featuring the Seafoam Edition.

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Image by Maggie Holmes. She is using a vintage typewriter to quickly + easily add text to journaling cards.

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Pages by Nisa Fiin, featuring the Rain Edition - coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, or available now at AC Digitals.

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Pages by Petra Corcoran, featuring the Seafoam Edition.

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Page by Rebecca Cooper, featuring the Olive Edition and Design E.

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Page by Rhonda Mason {and congrats to Ronnie on the addition of her new baby boy this past month!}

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Pages by Shelly Jacquet featuring the Mayfield Childhood Edition.

Left page is Design F and right page is Design B.

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Pages by Shirley Polk featuring the Kraft Edition - coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, or available now at AC Digitals. Right page is Design F.

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Pages by Stephanie Baxter, featuring the Jade Edition - coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, or available now at AC Digitals.

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Digital Pages by Teresa Victor, featuring the Honey Edition coming soon to retail stores + Amazon, currently available at many Hobby Lobby Stores, or available now at AC Digitals.

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Pages by Tracy Larsen

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Note: This month, many of our team members used new designs that are headed to retail stores and Amazon shortly. While a few of the products shown are arriving at Hobby Lobby now, many will become available in retail stores and online in late May/early June. Stay tuned to my social media for the most updated arrival information.

It’s time for another round of Q+A with my brother Kevin. He’s seriously smart, one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, and he has a passion for helping people embrace and utilize technology to bless their lives (and their businesses). I asked you to submit any tech-related question, and these are his responses.

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Q: Where is the safest digital place to store photos? I have had two back up hard drives crash, but never my main one. Should I just copy everything to blu-rays?

A: Let me start by stating a fact (for those who don’t backup their data, this is meant to scare you into submission)… 20% of all consumer-grade hard drives fail in the first 12 months of its life. If you aren’t backing up, you need to… NOW. Fortunately, you are trying to, and that is commendable. If you’re serious about backing up precious data, you may want to look into a multi-drive storage system like a Drobo. Even if one drive fails, your data is still protected and accessible (you would need to replace the drive, of course). The downside, they can be pricey. For a more economical solution, a single external USB/FireWire hard drive would suffice as a primary backup, but I would also recommend a secondary backup as well. Carbonite, Crash Plan and Mozy are a few good online backup solutions worth looking at. I generally shy away from DVD or BlueRay just because they are cumbersome to work with and easy to misplace. That stinks that you’ve had such bad luck with external drives, but stick with them (and make sure you aren’t buying the ultra-cheap brands… you get what you pay for). If it makes you feel better, I’ve had drives in my Drobo fail on me. Unfortunately, it’s relatively common for hard drives.

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Q: What would you say is the simplest, straight forward photo editing program or app? I don’t do Photoshop or anything close to that…but I would really like to be able to set up two photos next to each other, do a little color correction and cropping and easily print onto a 4×6 photo paper.

A: I would take a serious look at PhotoShop Elements. It’s a great mid-range solution for those who want to do some of what PhotoShop does, but don’t want to spend that much money (PhotoShop gets very pricey).

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Q: Looking for a new laptop used mostly for pictures and family movies. Is a Mac really worth all that money or can I get what I need from a PC?  Any recommendations?

A: If you’re looking for a reason to not buy a Mac, you’re asking the wrong guy. I used to be a hard core PC guy, then saw the power of what Macs can do. As someone who knows both sides really well (and works on both all day, every day), I’m telling you… you really should do a Mac if you can. I could write a 10-page response to give you all the details, but I don’t want to bore everyone else. I’d be happy to walk you through some of that offline, if your interested (contact me).

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Q: Internet providers which do you prefer: Phone Companies offerings or Cable Companies offerings?

A: That’s a hard one to answer without knowing locale, but generally, you will have better luck with a cable company. Where I live, I wouldn’t even consider going with the phone company, so I chose Comcast. Some love them, and some hate them… as long as they are responsive and reliable, I’m good. Comcast has been great for me, and I use it for everything, including voice (Vonage), Internet and media consumption.

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Q: Would love to know how to get away from cable.

A: Oh, this is one of my favorite topics, and I could go on and on and on about it (in a positive way, of course). I became a cord-cutter about 7 years ago. My setup is nearly complete, yet super simple (and super inexpensive). My total home setup includes the following: 3 LED TVs, 3 Apple TVs, 1 Mac mini. That’s it. As you can imagine, each TV has an Apple TV, and it acts as the multimedia receiver (much like a cable box for cable) to my Mac mini. The Mac mini is what stores all of our movies, TV shows, music, etc. You don’t have to use a Mac mini to do this (a PC would also work, as long as it has iTunes), but I chose to for reliability purposes (and I use it for others things as well). I get my movies from either iTunes or Netflix (in that order), and I get my TV shows from Hulu Plus, Netflix and iTunes (in that order). iTunes is great for newer movie content, Hulu Plus is great for newer TV shows, and Netflix is great for documentaries and older movies and TV shows. I believe that more people would be cord-cutters if it weren’t for the fact that it’s still hard to get live sporting events and news (CNN, CNBC, etc). I even get local channels and networks (like ABC, NBC, etc) using an HD receiver ($30 from Walmart) mounted to the back of one of my TVs, but I honestly rarely use it. The best part about all of this… you watch what you want to watch, when you want to watch it (and without commercials). If you want to talk more about this offline, I’m happy to answer your questions in more detail (contact me).

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Q: If I were to purchase a tablet for my 9 yr old son, who likes digital novels, games, puzzles, etc. what direction is the best to go that would allow me to have the most parental controls over approving downloads and web surfing?

A: Each of my children have iPads (that’s no surprise to anyone who knows me), so I know exactly where you’re coming from. The way that we decided to handle it was we control their iTunes account (they don’t know their password). If they want to purchase a game or book, they go looking for mom or dad to help out. Sounds a little restrictive and inconvenient, but we find that it works really well for us. As for the device… you really can’t go wrong with an iPad, and the iPad mini works great for our children (and they’re cheaper too).

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Q: We have a WordPress blog. This week I was trying to link to an old post and it seems to have just disappeared. Is this possible? Why would it happen?

A: The whole site is gone, or just the one post? This is a tough one to answer without much to go on, but I’m happy to help if you give me more information (contact me).

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Q: My question is about photo stream, photo album and camera roll on iPad and iPhone – I’m confused on how it all works. Do you need to have both going on? Does that take up twice the  memory? Also, is there a way to delete photos in bulk on iPhone and iPad if you do it later?

A: Photo Stream is a great service! I’m really glad that Apple released it. What’s really neat about it is that I can take a photo on one of my devices, and that photo is available on my other devices almost instantly (as long as they are connected to the Internet). A real world example (and a common one for me): I take a photo on my iPhone, then open that photo on my iPad where I then use Adobe PhotoShop Touch to edit and share with others (or post to a blog entry). I can do the same editing on my Mac, since it’s available there as well. It does take a little more storage, but it’s really not that much compared to other content on your devices. The key to making this all work… make sure you have Photo Stream enabled on all devices (and all devices are using the same Apple ID). You can fine more information here.

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Q: Is there a way to move you photos in your iPad to a new folder and have them disappear from your old folder without having to manually delete them?

A: Absolutely! Well, kind of. Yes, you can move (or rather add) photos you take to an existing or new album on your iPad, but doing that won’t remove the photo from your Camera Roll (at least not when you move the photo using your iPad). The Camera Roll is designed to be a rolling set of photos on your iPad, and the only way they will disappear from that is if you either delete it, or you sync your photos with a computer and then remove it from your iPad. If you want to add (copy) photos to an existing or new album on your iPad, go to your Camera Roll, tap “Edit”, select the photos, then tap “Add To”. If you want to move the photos to an album, then remove them from the Camera Roll, you will first need to sync the photos with your computer, put those photos into an album, then remove the photos from the iPad while then syncing the new album back to the iPad. Hopefully that makes some sense. You can learn more about sharing your photos here.

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Q: Do you recommend having an external hard drive or using an online back up service? Why?

A: Both. Here is Kevin’s rule of thumb when it comes to backups: if your data doesn’t exist in at least 3 different places (with two of those being different geographic locations), then your data doesn’t really exist (and you can’t be mad if you lose it). My backup strategy is this: I have my live data on my MacBook Pro, a complete backup (using Mac OS X Time Machine) at home on a Drobo, as well as a backup on Dropbox (in the cloud). I sleep well at night knowing that if my laptop were stolen, I could pick up a new one and restore my data without missing a beat.

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Q: Our family wants to purchase a new wireless printer. We would like one that can scan, prints color and can handle cardstock. Any suggestions?

A: I’ve said it before and I will say it again (and again and again)… you get what you pay for with tech. Seriously. With that in mind, I would recommend you look at the HP OfficeJet Pro 8600 Premium. It retails for about $400 (you can probably find it for cheaper), but it’s a great unit (fully functional and pretty quick).

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Q: I use Carbonite. How do I know if video files within iPhoto are being backed up? I know it does not happen automatically but I don’t know how to find them from Carbonite and select them for backup when they are in iPhoto. Any suggestions?

A: First of all, good job for actively backing up! You’re a rock star! OK, here’s the deal. Carbonite does automatically backup your iPhoto library UNLESS you chose to manually select the files you wanted backed up initially, or you specifically chose not to backup your Pictures folder (you should be able to go into your settings and verify that). As long as it is being backed up, you should be able to browse your backup files, dive into the Pictures folder and look for a huge fie called “iPhoto Library”.

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Q: I have just transferred from PC to Mac and am struggling with how to keep my photos organized/stored in iPhoto.  I would love to know how to do this with Project Life.  Are you creating an iPhoto album to copy your PL photos to?  I would like to transfer my older photos to an external hard drive.  Should I transfer the whole iPhoto library or just export my photos?

A: Managing photos is a hard one to tackle because everyone has different requirements and thinks differently about how to organize. What works great for me, may not work great for you (and may actually slow down your workflow). My organization is actually quite simple… let iPhoto do the work. By that, I mean iPhoto has some really, really great tools built-in (like face recognition, tags, albums, smart albums, etc). My advice is to use that technology as much as possible starting now, because it will make it much easier for you to be organized later on. As for creating albums and integrating with Project Life… again, that’s hard because it needs to match your personality and needs. The more you know about iPhoto’s capabilities, the easier it will be for you. If you’re close to an Apple store, they have lots of free workshops there to help you feel really comfortable with iPhoto (or any of their apps). Don’t hesitate to schedule some time with them. They are there to help.

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Q: I bought a MacBook Air last Christmas and am now putting my photos onto the mac book using iPhoto. Could we have a general explanation of iPhoto. I struggle a bit when I go to use the photos in Word documents or Publisher documents as insert, or want to send them to an online printing company. It seems I need to export them. It is very different from the folders which I had set up on my PC where the photos were all just saved as jpegs, and I would cut and paste or simply copy them.

A: iPhoto is a photo management system. One thing that’s important to understand is that the files are not stored in a normal file structure (like with other programs). Instead, it’s all stored nice and neat inside a huge library file. That can make it challenging when using it with Word, but some apps (like Apple’s Pages app) has built-in hooks so that you can just drag and drop from the Inspector (for the record, I much prefer Pages over Word anyway… it may be worth looking at). When you have time, here is a link you should really check out these iPhoto tutorials. And as I mentioned in the question above, Apple offers free workshops at their stores to help people feel comfortable with their apps. I would take advantage of them.

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Q: When I go to sync my iPhone and mac Book or iPod and MacBook, I am worried about losing contacts from the phone or music from the iPod as they are maybe not seen as the ‘primary’ source. Could you explain syncing to me.

A: Sure! Syncing is the process by which two (or more) sets of data (any type of data) is compared against each other to look for changes. Each time a change is made, the sync process begins. Each copy will look for differences between itself and the other copies, then make updates appropriately so that both copies are then current. For example, if I create a new Address Book entry on my MacBook Pro, that is automatically synced with my iCloud account in “the cloud”. That change is then synced with all my other devices (iPhone, iPad, etc) so that they, too, have that new entry. Likewise, if I add a new entry to my iPhone, that entry is automatically synced with my iCloud account, and then synced again with my other devices. All of this happens automatically without you doing a thing. You don’t have to use iCloud for all this syncing to take place. Lots of people use other services like Google, etc. However, my recommendation (especially if you are using iOS devices and Macs) is to use iCloud. I rely 100% on iCloud and it very rarely gives me issues. This may not be a very comprehensive answer to your question, but there’s a lot that could go into really answering it well for you. I’d be happy to take this one offline with you and dive into more detail (contact me).

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When Kevin says “contact me” … you can do that through his website – kevin.allgaier@icloud.com. He is genuinely happy to help. And he might even tell you what I was really like as a kid.  ; )

Thank you Kevin, for answering all these questions, and sharing your expertise, insight, and tech tips with us!

]]> http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/05/feedback-friday-tech-edition-3/feed/ 19 http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/05/feedback-friday-tech-edition-3/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beckyhiggins/~3/F9rKCS5x4Mw/ http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/05/giveaway-celebrate-every-day/#comments Thu, 09 May 2013 16:33:46 +0000 Becky Higgins http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/?p=19727

In my freshman year of college I met a girl named Jaime. We lived on the same 4th floor of the dorms. Sweet as can me, talented as ever. Over the years (has it really been nearly 20 years!?) we have stayed in touch and I have loved seeing Jaime blossom in her passion for literature, music, and food. Today I’m pleased to feature and host a giveaway of her brand new – and completely gorgeous – book.

Jaime shares: I had a teacher in tenth grade who constantly encouraged us to have a “fully realized life.” She explained it meant to really examine everything that came our way—every heartache, every joy, every fear—and truly feel the full measure of each experience and not to shove it away. My life is happier when I follow her advice.

As a single mom, though, it’s hard to slow down to have a family meal, let alone stop and examine every moment of my family’s life together. So much of what we do just feels like surviving. Even so, I wanted to carry on with the traditions I had been trying to cultivate from when they were little–teaching them about classic literature, inspiring music, and great food.

I wrote Celebrate Every Day to help me remember to do just that. And I love it because when the kids and I turn through the pages, we remember working as a family to create each photograph, recipe, and party. To us now, it’s our family scrapbook of the last year.

You guys know how I feel about honoring and documenting the everyday, which makes this book even more appealing to me, let alone the personal connection to the author and the gorgeous photography and fantastically meaningful ideas. To learn more about Jaime’s book, you can check that out on Jaime’s Blog. I’m just saying that when you breeze through her blog, you may have similar thoughts to mine: Can Jaime just live with us?  ; )

Jaime is giving away 3 copies of her book to my wonderful readers (anywhere in the world). Just leave your first name + city + state/country, and we will add the randomly-selected winners’ names at the bottom of this post on Monday. Be sure to check back!

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{updated 5.13.13}

Congratulations to the following 3 winners! Please email Jamie at: jemrichardson@gmail.com to claim your prize! Happy Cooking!

Bev – Peoria, Illinois

Sylvia – East providence,  Rhode Island

Maria – Buenos Aires , Argentina

So today’s giveaway is from Prima Marketing. This is open to everyone and we will randomly select 3 winners that will receive the following: a coordinating embellishment pack full of flowers, crystals, washi tape, resist canvas, and more. There is a collection of embellishments for each of the featured Project Life editions: Turquoise, Seafoam and Olive. That’s $75 worth of product per collection!

This collection coordinates with the Olive Edition.

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This collection coordinates with the Seafoam Edition.

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This collection coordinates with the Turquoise Edition.

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Just leave your first name + city + state/country and we’ll randomly select 3 winners from there and add those names to the bottom of this post on Friday. Be sure to tell us which edition you have so that if you win, the collection Prima sends you will coordinate with your Project Life!

Want a chance to win a coordinating album to put your embellishments to use? Head over to Prima Marketing for a chance to enter their giveaway today also!

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updated 5.10.13

Congratulations to the 3 following winners! Please email sharon@primamarketinginc.com to claim your prize!

Sandra – Hagatna, GUAM {Seafoam}

Ashley – Carlisle, Pennsylvania {Olive}

Cynde Thrasher – Naperville, Illinois {Turquoise}

True story, friends. HSN was able to get a very limited supply of the Project Life Blush Edition back for Lisa Bearnson’s May 14th show. Be sure to tune in at 2pm EST (11am PST) so you can grab yours before it’s gone.This is happening one week from today. Get it on your calendar.  : )

As a reminder, the unique offering of the Blush Edition on HSN, is that it’s a full collection of the Core Kit, Album, Big Pack of Photo Pocket Pages, and the Designer Dividers – all for $59.95. That’s it. No additional supplies or tools necessary to complete an entire album. Just add your photos!

Just to help you get your juices flowing on how the Blush Edition might work for your pictures … here are some everyday life pages by Elise Blaha Cripe.

And here are some baby pages by Catherine Davis.

Just seeing this map with locations across the country that will soon have Project Life, makes us feel pretty darn excited. This is really happening. We are just around the corner from Project Life landing in retail stores.

Hobby Lobby with its 500+ locations across the United States will receive the first arrivals. Those 10 locations pictured above? Just a teeny-tiny sampling of the awesome pictures you guys have submitted to us from 43 states! Thank you! Who knew empty space in a retail aisle could be so exciting?   : )

{ answering a few FAQs }

Q: Which Hobby Lobby locations will carry Project Life?

A: From what I understand, all 500+ locations across the U.S. will being carrying Project Life. Check out their Store Locator to find the location nearest to you.

Q: When exactly will the product be hitting shelves?

A:  There is no “exact” date that applies to all Hobby Lobby locations. It’s all shipping around the same time but deliveries will arrive on different days, depending on how long it take the trucks to drive there. I am told that the product will be in some stores as early as this Friday May 10 and continue for a few days after that to the rest of the locations. Contact your local store to get a more accurate anticipated arrival, but keep in mind that employees don’t always know delivery information and what’s actually on the truck before it shows up.  : )

Keep in mind that Mother’s Day is May 12 – so many of you might be able to pick up the perfect Project Life gift just in time! Hooray!

Q: How will I know when product arrives at my local Hobby Lobby?

A: The most sure way is to call your local store and ask them if Project Life has arrived – but I absolutely, positively will keep you posted via facebook, twitter, and instagram as soon as I hear about products arriving anywhere this week.

Q: Why is Hobby Lobby getting Project Life before other retailers?

A: It’s simple: They placed their order first, so it’s being delivered to them first.

Q: What about other stores and local retailers?

A: Michaels (U.S. and Canada), Archivers (U.S.), Meijer (Midwest), Spotlight (Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore), HobbyCraft (United Kingdom), and lots of wonderful independent retailers and online shops will be carrying Project Life as well. And yes, we will continue to sell our products on Amazon – including all the new items. We encourage you to shop where you prefer to shop – and where it makes the most sense for you based on your life circumstances. We are thrilled to offer so many options, and now … in so many actual, real, physical locations!

We are honored that so many stores will carry our products. The Project Life Store Locator will soon be available right here on my website. In the meantime, if you have a favorite local shop that you think should carry Project Life, don’t be shy! Inquire directly with them to find out if they’re already on-board. Any retailer can place Project Life orders by contacting us HERE.

Q: What exactly will be available at Hobby Lobby?

A: The following Core Editions: Midnight, Honey, Blush, Cinnamon. And the following Mini Kits: Baby for Him, Baby for Her, Holidays, Seasons, Childhood (Wellington Edition), and Wedding.

In terms of “plastics”, Hobby Lobby will carry the Big Pack of Design A, Big Variety Pack 1, Big Variety Pack 2, the classic Scrapbook Dividers; and a couple editions of Designer Dividers (Honey + Blush).

They will also have some of the little boxes of Textured Cardstock: Midnight, Honey, Blush (3×4 size) + Honey, Blush (4×6 size). As well as the little box of 100 Grid Cards (3×4 size).

A couple more things: Hobby Lobby will carry the 3-pack of Project Life Journaling Pens and a couple Albums – Cinnamon + Honey – which will coordinate with many Project Life editions.

All of the above mentioned products can be found in our CHA-Winter 2013 Catalog on the Products page sidebar.

Q: What about the other Project Life items that will not be at Hobby Lobby?

A: To kick off the Project Life program at Hobby Lobby, it’s just a 2.5-foot section in the scrapbooking aisle. They’re cramming a lot in that section, but it’s not enough space for everything that we offer. See what I wrote 2 questions ago (about all the options for where to purchase Project Life).

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{ writer’s cramp }

David and I recently hopped over to California where we got to see pallets and pallets of Project Life that were being sorted out and shipped. Super exciting, and pretty surreal. But there wasn’t time to really soak it all in. I was there on a mission … a fast + furious mission to personally autograph nearly 700 Core Kits / Mini Kits.

I shared this picture via social media and promised I would blog about it.

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There was a room all set up and ready for me to plop down at a table and get to work.

These stacks can’t scare me. Let’s DO this.  ; )

I had plenty of Medium point Slick Writers ready to go, and I made them work hard. Our packaging is definitely slick – and this ink dries before you can even try to smear it. Best pen ever for slick surfaces. Made by our friends at American Crafts and now branded with Project Life. Yippee!

Hello, Cinnamon Edition. Yay, Kerri!

The way-cute Blush Edition. Love those American Crafts designers!

The super popular Honey Edition. Go, Lori!

Oh, Liz. The gorgeousness of the Midnight Edition …

After signing 400 Core Kits, I moved on to autograph the Mini Kits.

Hobby Lobby is carrying these 6 Mini Kits (left to right, top then bottom): Childhood – Wellington Edition, Holidays, Baby for Him, Wedding, Seasons, Baby for Her.

Each Mini Kit has 100 cards (20 4×6 Title Cards + 80 3×4 Journaling Cards).

Everything autographed was loaded right back into the cartons to be safely shipped to Hobby Lobby.

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{ Why? What’s this all about? }

Oh … you know. Just for fun, really! We have arranged for these autographed products to go out to pretty much every Hobby Lobby location across the country. We wanted to do something as an excuse to give away some prizes – to 10 lucky winners!

As soon as Project Life hits your local Hobby Lobby – run over there! Oooh + aaaah and look for a Core Kit or Mini Kit that has my autograph. As shown above, the signatures are right on the top lid of the box, so there is no “digging around” necessary. Make your purchase. There are no limits (except your budget of course)!

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{ contest details }

If you purchase an autographed Project Life Core Kit or Mini Kit from Hobby Lobby, submit your picture for a chance to win 1 of 10 exciting prizes!

10 winners, 10 prizes

1 Grand prize winner will win a lunch date with me (details forthcoming)

3 winners will win a full collection of any Project Life edition you choose (Core Kit, Album, Big Pack of Photo Pocket Pages, little boxes of Textured Cards, Designer 12×12 Paper, Designer Dividers)

3 winners will win a Project Life Mini Kit + Mini Album combo (you choose edition + color)

3 winners will win the big Project Life pen set (18-pack with a sweet case)

The photo must contain 3 elements

1. your cute face

2. the autographed Core Kit or Mini Kit that you purchased (with or without other Project Life items purchased at the same time … doesn’t matter)

3. your Hobby Lobby receipt – or at least part of it – for proof of purchase

To “submit” your photo, these are your options (choose any)

1. post on your facebook page + on my facebook page

2. post on your twitter account + tag #PLatHobbyLobby

3. post on your instagram account + tag #PLatHobbyLobby

4. email your photo to submissions@beckyhiggins.com

Important notes + rules

1. Hobby Lobby is a U.S. retailer. As such, this particular promotion is applicable to U.S. customers / Hobby Lobby purchases only.

2. Regardless of where you submit or post your photo, your first name + city + state MUST accompany your post or email.

3. The contest begins this week as soon as product hits Hobby Lobby shelves – and goes through May 31. That means May 31 is the last day to submit your photo.

4. The winners will be chosen at random from all the above avenues and announced on my blog the following Monday – June 3.

5. Hobby Lobby employees are not eligible to participate, in order to give customers a fair chance.

6. This contest is sponsored by American Crafts.

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{ everyone else }

If you’re one of the nearly 700 customers that will find an autographed + numbered product, woohoo! We can’t wait to see your submission! But what about the other thousands of customers? You may not be eligible for one of these 10 prizes, but we would still LOVE to see your pictures!

Anyone making Project Life purchases at Hobby Lobby in the next few weeks is invited to share those in any of the above-mentioned avenues (social media or email). Our favorite pictures are the ones with YOU in it! Be sure that we know WHERE (which city + state) you are spotting Project Life at Hobby Lobby! And don’t forget to add the hash tag to instagram and twitter posts – #PLatHobbyLobby

Project Life at Hobby Lobby. Seriously. So fun! Happy Shopping, everyone!

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Q: When journaling, which size pen tip do you like best, 0.2 mm, 0.5 mm, or 1.0 mm?

A: I’m an 03 girl.

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Q: What core kits/mini kits are are you working on releasing next?

A: You’ll find out very soon.

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Q: What is the first item on your bucket list?

A: Serve a mission with David.

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Q: Can you make the pockets open on both side please?

A: Significantly more expensive.  : (

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Q: Pie or cake? What flavor?

A: Totally depends on my mood.

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Q: Pursuing your passion and growing such a successful business must be surreal. How do you remain grounded?

A: Family, faith, and immense gratitude.

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Q: Which corner rounder punch matches best with the Project Life corners?

A: Our corner rounder coming August!

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Q: Do you and David do a regular date night?

A: Heck yes – weekly.

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Q: Can you share tips on taking a good silhouette picture?

A: Blog post coming next week.

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Q: Any chance of 8.5×11 Project Life pages and album?

A: On the list of possibilities.

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Q: I have heard about Project Life but I’d like to know where can I go to see a tutorial about the whole concept?

A: Welcome! Please visit THIS page.

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Q: How do you feel about the “copy cat” products?

A: Flattered but protective.

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Q: How are you doing after the loss of your brother?

A: Full heart, reflective, miss him.

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Q: Will we be able to use store coupons to buy PL products at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, etc.?

A: As far as we know.

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Q: I just got my first non-digital core kit and have a question: How do I use the bi-fold cards? I’m at a loss what to do with them.

A: They’re for more journaling.

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Q: Lytro camera? Love or not?

A: Haven’t played with it enough.

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Q: Your home is so beautiful. Do you have an interior decorator or did you do it yourself?

A: Us + interior decorator friend helped.

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Q: When will we have a list of retailers who will carry Project Life?

A: Next week.

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Q: When starting – and being years behind – do you start with the current/last year and work back or start with the oldest year and work forward?

A: Read THIS post.

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Q: How many Project Life albums have you personally completed?

A: Four books are complete.

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Q: How will retail prices compare to Amazon prices?

A: Same.

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Q: How many rolls of washi tape do you own?

A: Like 2 or 3. Seriously.

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Q: What is your favorite tool to cut pictures down to fit in smaller Project Life pockets?

A: Still use old Genesis trimmer.

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Q: How did you pick the name Crew for your son?

A: Friends mentioned; We loved it.

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Q: Do you re-do your kids scrapbooks with your newest products?

A: No re-do’s. Tempting – but no.

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Q: Where is your favorite place to vacation?

A: Truly couldn’t choose one place.

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Q: What is your favorite color? What colors do you gravitate to in your own Project Life books?

A: I can’t escape green.

I’ll be honest: In my nearly 20 years of being a part of this industry, I have no idea when this holiday was made up, or who started it, or if it’s supposed to be National Scrapbook (or Scrapbooking?) Day … or wouldn’t be International instead of just National? Oh, who knows? And really … it doesn’t matter! Right?  : )

This is what matters: A lot of us in this hobby – and in this industry – recognize the first Saturday in May as a holiday that we celebrate the hobby we LOVE! So in honor of National Scrapbooking Day we whipped up a little something special for you.

This video is a collection of favorite Project Life pages, photo tips, and organizational ideas from our very own 2013 Creative Team – who, as you may know, are scattered across the globe! The short video is missing just a few girls who were unable to participate because of various circumstances, but we love ALL of our Creative Team – and we think you’ll enjoy putting faces + names together … and being inspired by their tips.

So … tell me … are you doing anything special for Scrapbooking Day? Do you have any favorite Project Life tips or organizational ideas to share?

I’m Charlotte. I’m 13 years old and I’m from a small town in England called Rotherham. I know this is completely out of the blue and you’ll probably say no. But if I don’t ask I’ll never know. I’d really like to design a core/mini kit.

I wanted to contribute to such a wonderful idea to help all the scrapbookers in the entire world, to document their life to pass through generations to come. If you gave me this opportunity, I would call the kit ‘Tea Party’ it would be filled with cupcakes and tea and other English things. As you have some great kits but none of them really have an English theme.

Also I don’t think any of the designers are English. So I would love to show the English culture through one of your fabulous core/mini kits. Please take my e-mail under consideration and I would love to hear from you in the future about designing a core/mini kit together.

Thank you for coming up with this amazing idea and I would love to be a part of it.

Yours Faithfully
Charlotte

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As if that wasn’t adorable enough … Charlotte even shared with us her initial sketches for the kit she wants to design. Seriously – how cute is she, right??

Is this a random giveaway – or what!? Actually … the author, Dr. Altman, is a friend of ours and when he told us about this book he was working on, I knew it would be fun to share with my readers – as many of you have little ones at home.

Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose, Don’t Stuff Stuff in Your Ears explains to children in a fun, colorful, and memorable way, why it’s a good idea to avoid such behavior. Dr. Altman is an ENT (Ear Nose Throat doctor) … so he has literally seen it all. He’s seen (and removed) all sorts of things that kids have stuck in their nose and ears! You can learn more about his book here and you can purchase his book here.

This giveaway means that 2 lucky winners will receive a free copy of his book + a $50 Visa gift card. Leave your first name, city, and state. Be sure to check back on Thursday when we announce the 2 winners at the bottom of this post.

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{ parenting safety tips from Dr. Altman }

Prevention

The best thing to do when discussing ear and nose foreign bodies is to understand how to prevent them. It’s important to try to identify potentially risky situations ahead of time. This includes minimizing your child’s exposure to small objects that could be dangerous. Diligent supervision is also important, especially when your kids are young.

Using common sense and following safety precautions are the best ways to prevent foreign objects from going into someone’s nose or ear. Parents and grandparents should toddler-proof their homes as best as possible, storing magnets and small button-type batteries in a locked cabinet. Proper disposal of used batteries is also important, so they are not in a location where curious preschoolers can pull them out of garbage can. Education and direct supervision of kids while they play outdoors is the best way to avoid seeds, plant material, pebbles, sand, and other small outdoor objects from finding their way into their ears or noses.

Objects to Avoid

Children under four are most at risk of inserting or swallowing small objects. Here are some things to keep out of reach to try to keep your child safe:

• foods such as popcorn, dried peas, watermelon seeds and chocolate with nuts
• marbles, magnets, buttons, beads and pen lids
• polystyrene balls found in bean bags and stuffed toys − additionally, these can be inhaled and don’t show up on x-rays
• coins
• small batteries, which can leak acid and cause injury if placed in the ear or nose
• toys with removable eyes, noses or other small parts
• needles, pins and safety pins. Use pins with a safety catch, and keep them closed when not in use. Also avoid placing safety pins in your mouth, because your child might copy you.
• pebbles, rocks, seeds, dirt, sand, sticks, pits from fruit

Preventing objects from being swallowed, inhaled or inserted

• Supervise toddlers and small children while they eat − they like to experiment and play with food, which can lead to injuries. Encourage your child to sit quietly when eating and drinking.
• Avoid giving your child popcorn or nuts (especially peanuts) until he’s at least five years old. A thin layer of peanut butter or hazelnut spread on bread is a good alternative.
• Cut all food into small pieces, and remove sharp or small bones from fish, chicken and meat before giving them to your child. Preboned fillets can be a good option.
• Try to wait until your child is four years old before letting her eat small lollies, even as a treat.
• Avoid glitter, glue and small beadwork.
• Teach older siblings that a baby’s ears and nose are delicate, and that they’re not for poking things into.
• Check the floor and low tables for pieces of jewellery, button batteries, magnets, dried peas and other small objects.

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{ signs your child has a small object stuck somewhere }

Nose  |  Your child might:

- complain of pain in their nose

- have a smelly discharge from one nostril

- bleed from the nose

- have bad breath.

Ear  |  Your child might:

- complain of ear pain, though sometimes an object in the ear may not cause pain.

- have a smelly drainage from the ear

- have bloody drainage from the ear

- have redness of the ear or around the ear

- have reduced hearing in one ear

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updated 5.2.13

Congratulations to the following 2 lucky winners. Please email dontstickdontstuff@gmail.com to claim your prizes!

Susan - Piscataway, New Jersey

Julie – Wellington, New Zealand

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{ documenting the everyday }

- featuring the Wellington Edition

- pages by Petra Corcoran

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{ documenting her own childhood }

- pages by Catherine Davis

- featuring the Bridgeport Edition, Mayfield Edition, and the Midnight Mini Album

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{ documenting the everyday – digital }

- digital pages by Donna Gibson

- using all 3 Childhood Mini Kits from AC Digitals

]]> http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/04/childhood-mini-kits-creative-team-inspiration/feed/ 6 http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/04/childhood-mini-kits-creative-team-inspiration/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beckyhiggins/~3/N3KVxjK44GA/ http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/04/giveaway-freckled-fawn-washi-tape/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:24:29 +0000 Becky Higgins http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/?p=19385 We have a giveaway today, and I’ll let Freckled Fawn introduce themselves – and their giveaway.  : )

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Freckled Fawn manufactures and sells lovely embellishments. I’m AesaLina “Doe” Compton, the creator of FreckledFawn.com. I use Project Life grid cards and Freckled Fawn washi tape to add a little personalization to my Project Life pages.

Last year, when I discovered Becky’s Project Life system, I knew it was the solution for me. With 3 little ones, 4 years old and younger, there are a lot of fleeting moments I want to capture but don’t have time to create a 12×12 scrapbook page for each memory. I needed something that allowed me the creative freedom I loved but the simple structure I needed to get things documented beautifully and efficiently. I keep the 3×4 and 4×6 Project Life grid cards all around the house, and when something priceless happens I grab a pen and jot it down. When I’m not a climbing gym for our 3 kids, I sit down with another PL grid card, decorate it with some washi tape, and rewrite the memories I captured earlier. Then I slip them into the protective pages with coordinating pictures and BAM! – I’ve captured and documented our precious memories with ease.

Adding strips of washi tape (decorative masking tape) to the Project Life grid cards is an easy way to personalize your Project Life albums.

Freckled Fawn is excited to offer this giveaway to Becky’s readers today!

THREE randomly- selected winners will receive a $100.00 gift card to FreckledFawn.com to purchase some goodies of their own.

All United States customers can receive FREE shipping on orders using the discount code PLshipping at checkout.

All International customers will receive a FREE embellishment gift on every $15.00+ by using the promotion code PLinternational at checkout.

Codes must be entered at checkout. Codes are valid until April 27 at Midnight MST.

Leave your first name + city + state/country to be entered for the chance to win. And be sure to check back on Monday, as we will add the 3 winners’ names at the bottom of this post.

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updated 4.29.13

Congratulations to the following lucky ladies! Please email fawnwholesale@gmail.com to claim your gift card.

Angela Hill - Washington DC

Donna - Greenwood, South Carolina

Kerri Horsham - Victoria, Australia

Today I have some explaining to do. I want to explain the who, what, how, when, where, and why about these Childhood Mini Kits – and how they might fit into the “big picture” of your memory-keeping. As a reminder, all 3 editions are currently 20% off this week. This is the time to pick these up. The direct links are on our Products page in the Core Kits + Mini Kits section.

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WHO are these Childhood Mini Kits for?

This is for the mom who feels totally overwhelmed about the very idea of documenting her child’s life. This is for the person whose child is no longer a child, but they have a desire to go back and create an album (or more) of their son or daughter’s childhood memories. This is for the person who wants to go back and record their own childhood (check out Jessica Turner’s college scrapbook!). And this is most definitely for the kid (of any age) who wants to record their own story – past or present.

WHAT comes in a Childhood Mini Kit?

A Mini Kit includes 100 cards. There are (20) 4×6 Title Cards, which are completely flexible to use either vertical or horizontal (same design printed on both sides, but different orientations). There are (40) 3×4 Prompt Cards, which are also flexible (horizontal or vertical) and include journaling prompts about childhood and school memories – various topics in a child’s life. And there are (40) coordinating 3×4 Journaling Cards that can be used for any kind of notes on one side, and the other side has a “filler design” in case you have nothing to write in that particular space.

Note: There are 3 editions of the Childhood Mini Kit – Bridgeport, Mayfield, and Wellington. Same prompts, same designs for the most part, but different color palettes. Be sure to click on each one so you are familiar with the difference between the 3 options.

HOW was the Childhood Mini Kit designed to work?

The kit was designed with complete versatility in mind. The prompts are worded in such a way that they’re not just for a child to write about their own life, or a parent to write about the child. For example, instead of saying “my favorite teachers” or “your favorite teachers” … the card says “favorite teachers”. So the kit was designed so that parent – or child – can use the cards to document life.

The kit was designed with 3×4 and 4×6 cards – just as you would expect out of any Project Life kit – so that they work beautifully with the Photo Pocket Pages that we offer.

The kit was designed to document a full year’s worth in a child’s life. The photos below will outline that concept. Or … you can certainly spread them out across several years.

Be sure to check out our INSPIRATION page which shows sample Project Life pages using the Childhood Mini Kits. Those were created with no extra embellishing. Just photos + cards slipped into Photo Pocket Pages. Simple. Fast. Fun. DONE. And it looks amazing.

WHEN is the best time to use the Childhood Mini Kit cards?

The kit was designed so that you could fill the cards out throughout the year – kind of “as you go” or “in the moment” … or … as a totally retrospective project for those who want to go back and document the past. In other words, any time is the best time.  : )

WHERE should I include the Childhood mini Kit cards?

The kit was designed to provide plenty of cards that you can use throughout a 12×12 album, but as we’ve seen this week, a Mini Kit has the perfect number of cards to include in a Project Life Mini Album with your photos.

Let’s not forget to think outside the box. Those adorable 3×4 cards are SO great for little notes in your child’s lunch box or backpack. Or leave a little stack of those cards out with a pen and invite everyone in the family to jot down random compliments toward one another – or what they’re grateful for – and then … (you know where I’m going with this) … those cards slip right into the 3×4 pockets in the Project Life Photo Pocket Pages!

WHY does a little box of cards have to be so awesome?

I know, right? They are so fun. So beautifully designed (go Lori!). So versatile and user-friendly and inspiring.

…..

Now – Let’s talk big-picture. This is for those of you who are planners like me. Or maybe you don’t think of yourself as “organizationally-minded” and so you’d like some help. I love the idea of beginning with the end in mind, and want to share with you my thoughts on this as it pertains to the Childhood Mini Kits.

If you are beginning with the end in mind, I encourage you to envision what your child might be physically bringing with them in terms of scrapbooks, when they move out of the house as a young adult. This thinking + planning exercise can be very helpful to you, and what you decide makes the most sense does NOT have to be the same as what I’m about to suggest, or what your friend or sister-in-law is doing. Do what make the most sense for you and your family (and your space!).

The following is simply a suggestion, and a sample, of what I’m talking about: Let’s say I wanted to document my child’s entire life (birth to age 18) and let’s say I use a Childhood Mini Kit per year to document those school-aged memories. That would probably end up being about (8) 2-page layouts per year. Figuring I’ll want to have a few additional layouts for a big trip, birthday, holiday, or some other special occasion … let’s round that up to (12) layouts per year that would summarize that year in my child’s life.

If there are 12 layouts per year, and I know that 60 Photo Pocket Pages fit beautifully in a standard 12×12 album, that means you can essentially get 5 years worth in one album. But let’s remember all the memorabilia that you want to add in the Big Envelope Page (sold out but coming back in May) at the back of the album, right? So with that in there, I am suggesting that you can cover 18 years in 5 albums. Still with me? As an “end result” a child’s complete set of albums could look like this:

Album 1 = First Year (which includes a little family history) … using the Project Life Baby Edition, of course!

Album 2 = Toddler + Preschool Years (yes the Childhood Mini Kits can certainly work great for this, or use any Project Life Core Kit)

Album 3 = Kindergarten + Grades 1 to 4

Album 4 = Grades 5 to 8 (4 year’s worth)

Album 5 = Grades 9 to 12 (4 year’s worth)

I realize many of you reading this are not in the U.S. and your “grades” and “years” aren’t exactly like that. It doesn’t matter. I’m just trying to share the general concept and share the big-picture vision that’s in my head – and perhaps your head too.  : )

I also realize that some of you have children that are older and you’re feeling pretty darn overwhelmed about the idea of several albums per child, if you have more than one kid. I have a friend right now whose daughter is about to graduate from high school and she’s working on telling the story of this girl’s entire childhood in ONE album. And that is awesome. See what I mean? Do what works for you.

…..

I’ve gone on long enough and I don’t want you to sit at your computer all day reading my blog. So let me just end with a series of pictures that will show you a sample year’s worth of Project Life pages using all but a few of the cards in a Childhood Mini Kit.

These 8 layouts would summarize a year in a child’s life. The white cards represent where photos might go (which, for the purpose of these sample layouts, totals 40-45 photos). I’m mostly using the Design A (our most popular design) Photo Pocket Page, but I’m also sprinkling in a few other page designs so that you can see how easy it is to flip cards over, or on their “side”, depending on your photos and which orientation and page design you choose.

Note: Our Big Packs of Design A are currently sold out, but coming to stores in May (very soon!). We do currently have our Big Variety Pack 1 and Big Variety Pack 2 in stock on Amazon. You may want to pick those up while you get your Childhood Mini Kits.

Also note: The following sample pages show cards from the Wellington Edition.

Both pages are Design A.

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Design A (left) + Design B (right)

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Design B (left) + Design A (right)

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Design A (left) + Design F (right)

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Design F (left) + Design A (right)

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Both pages are Design A.

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Both pages are Design A.

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Both pages are Design A.

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As a reminder, the Childhood Editions are not only 20% off on Amazon, but so are the digital version of these editions on AC Digitals.

1) Mini Album: The 100 cards that come in a Mini Kit + your photos + a Project Life Mini Album.

2) 12×12 Album: The cards that come in a Mini Kit can be inserted throughout the full-sized 12×12 pages that go in a standard 12×12 album. I have ideas regarding this format that I think will be very helpful, and that’s coming this week. Those of you organizationally-minded folks will really appreciate what I’m going to share.

But for right now – today – I just wanted to share more about this concept of a child documenting his or her own life by putting together their own Mini Album. Project Life makes it simple + keeps it fun. The end result is something both child and parent can be proud of.

{ supplies needed }

- Project Life Mini Album

- Project Life Childhood Mini Kit (we have 3 editions available + they’re all 20% off this week only!)

- a pen for journaling (the official Project Life pens are coming to stores in May – hooray!)

- 4×6 photos (60-80 will fill a Mini Album, depending on how many 4×6 Title Cards from the Mini Kit you use)

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I already shared how my teenage niece and nephew put together their own Mini Albums. If you missed those posts, be sure to check out 15-year-old Ele’s “This is Me” album HERE and 13-year-old Thomas’ album HERE.

I’m going to let the rest of this post speak for itself in images. My very dear friend Jen was all over this idea of having her young children put together their own Mini Albums, so here are some glimpses of the kids enjoying the process. It was a family affair. And I’m grateful to Jen for documenting it.

 Amaya is using the Childhood Mini Kit: Mayfield Edition + the Rain Mini Album

 Collin is using the Childhood Mini Kit: Bridgeport Edition + the Kiwi Mini Album

 Avery is using the Childhood Mini Kit: Mayfield Edition + the Cherry Mini Album

And no way is Cali going to be left out of this party.  ; )

And … Lincoln was toddling around the house somewhere while his big sisters and brother were working on their Mini Album. Yes. Jen has 5 kids. No, she doesn’t have their lives all “caught up” in albums as much as she’d like. Yes, she feels behind like the rest of us.

But … Jen can absolutely manage to help them document their own stories, which is a huge help. There’s no reason that full responsibility needs to fall on mom’s shoulders, right? Are you with me on this?  : )

The lucky winner of this giveaway right here will receive a FULL collection with the works: Cinnamon Edition Core Kit, 12×12 Album, Big Pack of Design A Photo Pocket Pages, 12×12 Designer Paper Pack, Designer Dividers, 3×4 and 4×6 Cardstock – wowzers!

How to enter for a chance to win: Leave a comment with your name + city + country. This giveaway is open to anyone with a European or Canadian address. We will post the winner at the bottom of this post on Wednesday, April 24th – so be sure to check back.

Scrapbookers Inner Circle will be offering 11 more giveaway opportunities over the next 11 days. Visit their website daily for more information on where to go for chances to win!

Pre-Order Project Life now and be entered for a chance to win your entire order for FREE! That’s right – anyone who pre-orders new Project Life products at Scrapbookers Inner Circle between March 1-May 4 will be entered for a chance to receive their entire order for free (including taxes + shipping). They will be announcing the winner on May 6.

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Updated 4.24.13

Congratulations to Rebecca W. in Warrington, England. Please email kari@beckyhiggins.com to claim your prize.

Everyone loves a good sale, and we’re super excited to be offering 20% off all 3 editions of our Childhood Mini Kits from now until Saturday, April 27. There is so much goodness packed in these Mini Kits. We’ll be sharing plenty of ideas to get your wheels spinning about how you can use these to HELP you document childhood – thoughtfully, meaningfully, and yet – SIMPLY.

You will understand more about why these products are the perfect solution to help you get rid of the “mom guilt” that many of us feel when we fall behind on documenting our kids’ lives. Let’s get those childhood memories documented … whether you are creating albums for your own children, yourself, or turning the mini kit over to your kids and letting them tell their own story.

Available in 3 different color schemes (Bridgeport Edition, Mayfield Edition, and Wellington Edition), the Childhood Mini Kits will make it fast + easy for you to get all of the kid “stuff” you’ve been collecting into beautiful albums. These adorable little boxes of goodness also make a GREAT gift for birthdays or other holidays. Mothers Day, anyone? That’s right around the corner, and you can’t go wrong picking up a few extras to share.

In addition to the sale we are offering through Amazon, our friends at Craft House { they distribute to customers in Australia/New Zealand } have a similar sale going on. Plus – AC Digitals is also offering 20% off the Childhood Mini Kits this week.

{ giveaway }

Oh heck yes. We are giving you the chance to win the Childhood Mini Kit of your choice along with one of our Mini Albums. Leave your first name, city + state to be entered. We will announce 3 winners at the bottom of this post on Wednesday, April 24th – so be sure to check back. And stay tuned for inspiring ideas about documenting childhood – all week long.

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Updated 4.24.13

Congratulations to the following 3 winners:

Dana – Nashville, Tennessee

Heather – Idaho Falls, Idaho

Crystal – Simpsonville, South Carolina

Please email kari@beckyhiggins.com to claim your prize.

VUEZZ was created so people could afford wonderful pictures of what/who they care about, to be hung in places that are important to them (our homes). VUEZZ was designed to be modular – allowing for easy shipping, setup and storage. VUEZZ also allows you to change the way you like your pictures displayed.

This video shows you why Vuezz if different. They are doing their first giveaway ever, and they’re doing it right here – so they are going BIG. Ready for this?

There will be 3 types of winners:

1 grand prize winner will receive a gift code for $750. Um, yeah. For real.

5 winners will receive a gift code for $200. Yep. I know.

ALL of you are winners and can use this 50% off code to purchase your very own Vuezz for your home – HIGGINS50%. This code expires May 11. If you have any questions you can contact them at 1-855-698-8399.

How to enter for a chance to win: Leave your first name, city, and state. The 50% off code can be used by anyone, anywhere in the world. The grand prize winner + the 5 other winners all need to have U.S. shipping addresses in order to be eligible for this giveaway. Be sure to check back on Monday, which is when we will announce the winners, who will be listed at the bottom of this post.

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Updated 4.22.13

Congratulations to the following winners:

Grand Prize:

Maria Mitsdarfer – Wilmington, Delaware

$200 winners:

Susan -North Bennington, Vermont

Cheryl – McDonough, Georgia

Natalie – Centerville Utah

Carol – Laie, Hawaii

Courtney – Southlake, Texas

Please email Jeff at jeff@vuezz.com to claim your prize

]]> http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/04/giveaway-vuezz/feed/ 1065 http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/04/giveaway-vuezz/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/beckyhiggins/~3/NMFFH7Kyj1Y/ http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/2013/04/got-old-photos/#comments Thu, 18 Apr 2013 01:37:20 +0000 Becky Higgins http://www.beckyhiggins.com/blog/?p=19405

Yep, I thought so.

Me too.

Most of us are sitting on old photos. Photos from our childhood, photos from our parents, our grandparents. And if we’re lucky, we have photos even older than that.

Ideally, I think it’s best to get them all scanned. Share them with family (another reason technology is so amazing). And ultimately we want to get those originals safely preserved in an album where they can also be enjoyed (hello, Project Life).

You guys know I’m a fan of creating products that are truly solution-based. So here’s the thing. Those old photos? That is so pre-4×6. They’re not 4×6. They’re odd sizes. And there are a LOT of different sizes.

So in order to help you … in order to be smart about the Photo Pocket Pages we design that will best fit your old photos … I want you to have a voice. I am asking you to get out the ruler. I am asking you to MEASURE those photos. Not every single photo. Just pull out a few of the sizes that seem to be the most common photo sizes in your stash of old photos that are not 4×6.

Tell me your measurements. Be exact.

In order for your “vote” to count, I’m inviting you to email projectlife@beckyhiggins.com (in the next few days if possible) and tell me your photo sizes. Use the subject “old photos”. And if you have more product requests that would help you specifically with those OLD photos … by all means, we’re listening.

We’re always interested in what you want, and what will help all of us have a more successful memory-keeping experience. Looking forward to hearing from you! Thanks for taking a minute to add your input.