Quick & Easy Scrapless Scrapping

Patty asked "Is there some sort of shortcut for those of us who don't need another 10 hour a week hobbby?" and that is a valid concern. She is absolutely right that getting into scrapbooking can be quite time- and money-consuming. But there are other ideas that you might try as well.

One quick idea is to get a photo album that has sleeves for pictures. Just slip in a group of photos and intersperse them with a few mementoes (such as ticket stubs, flyers, postcards, etc.) and/or journaling, either hand written or printed on your computer. The journaling doesn't have to be elaborate, but jotting down a few details will provide reminders so everyone can enjoy the event again at a later date.

That gives you a relatively fast & easy way to preserve your memories without spending a great deal of time or effort. Please let me know if that seems feasible for you.

More Ideas on Family Stories

Another easy way to find family stories to write about is to look at all the memorabilia around you. Photographs are terrific tools to recall memories. Think in terms of who?, what?, where?, when? and why?

Who are the people or locations involved? What was the occassion of the picture? Where was it taken? When was it taken? Why does this particular snapshot draw you in?

Write down all the details of what you remember about the photo, or perhaps about where your thoughts lead you. As you take time to let your thoughts wander, a whole world of experiences may unfold.

If nothing happens to capture your attention, then try other exercises, such as looking through an old family recipe box or an heirloom trunk in the attic. Anything that opens up your thinking and shakes loose a few cobwebs is great for digging out prescious memories. Once they have been dug up, make the effort to preserve them forever.

Just write about a few of your personal history to get started and you'll be glad you did. And so will your friends and family.