Fun Twist on a Journal

Last week when I showed you my Christmas Planner, I told you I'd show you a few variations on this idea.  Here are a couple of journals, an adult version and a teen/tween version, and also a cookbook, all out of the same basic supplies.

A couple years ago in the October 2007 conference session of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Henry B. Eyring gave a wonderful talk about journal keeping called "O Remember, Remember".  I LOVED this talk, maybe because I'm not a very good journal writer and this is really something I need to work on.  Anyway, shortly after this, my sister-in-law, Alana, brought a cute journal for us to make at our traditional Thanksgiving craft fest.  So I decided to combine the two and add Elder Eyring's talk to these fun, twist on a journals to make a cute gift.

The basic "how-to" is the same as the Christmas Planner.  However, the tabs for these journals are as follows:  Goals, Accomplishments, Adventures and Travels, Books I've Read, Favorite Scriptures and Quotes, and Blessings.  As I said, I made a Teen version, too. For those tabs I used: Goals, Favorite Songs and Artists (since this changes week to week, it's fun to remember), Books I've Read, Friends Info., Travels and Adventures, and Blessings.  I also dressed these up a bit more than the Christmas book by adding quotes to each title page and matting each title and quote with either one or two layers of cardstock and/or scrapbook paper.

On the left is the front title (pocket) page.  On the right is a sample section title page.

For each tab, I sectioned off about 5 pages and then left the rest of the tablet for the Blessings section.  In the front pocket (inside page) I added a shortened version of Elder Eyring's talk.  In this talk, he speaks about every day writing down "how I had seen the hand of God blessing our family." And as you pay more attention, you'll notice more blessings - even if it's little things like a neighbor helping out or someone letting you go in front of them at the grocery store.  If you would like to make your own, you can download them all here:
Titles and Quotes
Titles and Quotes - Teens
O Remember, Remember
This is two pages, that I print back to back, cut down to size, and then fold it backwards so the title is on the front.


In the picture at the top, you'll also see a Recipe book.  Cheyenne made that for Natalie a year or so ago for Christmas.  This is a place Natalie can jot down her favorite recipes she got from 4-H, or while she's cooking at home.  It has the sections of Breads, Meats & Main Dishes, Cakes & Desserts, Cookies, Candy, and Misc.  Cheyenne also found some cute food quotes to go with a couple of them:  "Man cannot live by bread alone...he needs peanut butter and jelly to go with it"; "You do not like them, so you say. Try them, try them, and you may. Try them and you may, I say."; "You get what you get, so don't throw a fit!"; and "The problem - how to get 2 lbs. of chocolate home in a hot car. The solution - eat it in the parking lot."  She also decorated it with cute cooking stickers.

These make great (thrifty) gifts.  I made the journals for my friends, ladies I visit for church, my girls made them for their friends, and I made them for my children's teachers.  I got rave reviews from them!  I even had the mom of one of my daughter's friends (who I didn't know at the time) call and tell me how much she loved it. Really! That made me feel happy.  The best was when I actually saw them using them.  Quite a few of those who received them would take them to church meetings to take notes in.  I have loved mine to keep track of all the books I've read - found out that I read about 2 books every month. :)  I also used the Quotes section to keep track of my favorite scriptures, but also the funny things my kids would say. It's fun to look back on that now.  If you decide to try this, I love to hear about and see your version.  Let me know!

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Christmas Planner

Yesterday I was thrilled to be a guest poster at Type A Decorating.  This is what I shared with Tammy's readers over there, and now I'll share it with you here. :)

Today’s post is a simple, cute way to organize your Christmas.  This is small enough to stick in your purse, or easily hide, but contains everything you need to know to get you through the holidays with more time for having fun with your family.  Bonus, you can use it for several years, too.

Supplies needed:
Small 7x5” notebook
Scrapbook paper
Ribbon
A file tab punch is great, however, I also had tab stickers, or you could just cut your own
Other stickers, flowers, and embellishments
Adhesive – make sure whatever kind you use it’s a permanent adhesive

I started out with all the stuff on the left and then as I looked further into my stash of papers, I found all these on the right that I bought recently (okay, a year ago) and loved them even more.  Just a couple ideas to show you how completely unique these can be (great gift ideas, too!)

Start by cutting your two papers, the top one is 4 ¾” x 4” and the bottom one is 4 3/4” x 3”.  Basically, I went with two-thirds on top, one-third on bottom if you use a different size notebook.  Cut a piece of ribbon approximately 5 1/2” or a little longer, to cover the edge where the papers join.  I actually had adhesive-backed ribbon, which was nice.  Probably the easiest way to join them all together is to lay your ribbon down with the adhesive up, and center your two papers on top of the ribbon.  Then wrap the ends carefully around the edges, be careful not to bend or curl your paper, and glue the ends down on the backside of the paper.

Next, glue the whole paper/ribbon combination onto the notebook.  Make sure you put adhesive on both the notebook and the paper – just seems to hold stronger.  I used a tape runner, but ended up using Scotch brand Quick-Dry liquid glue to touch up spots that were coming loose.  Add a title to your planner and whatever other embellishments you want on the front. 

Now is the time to do some thinking and decide what exactly you want in your planner.  My notebook has a pocket inside, so that’s a great place to keep Receipts.  I also did Gift Ideas so as I find ideas throughout the year either on-line or in catalogs, I can jot it down here and remember where I saw that perfect gift.  Also I’ll use it as a place jot down things people just mention in conversation.  You know when that light bulb goes off in your head as your husband (who’s my hardest to shop for) mentions some strange tool “it would be really nice to have,” but then I can’t remember when I’m standing in the tool store.  You could also keep a list of clothing sizes here or things they need for those you’re shopping for –  Chloe wears a size 11 shoe, but Maddie is an 11 ½, Billy needs pajamas.  Traditions could be another category, traditions to try and traditions to continue.  If you’re like me, December can get a little crazy with all the things we have to do and all the things we want to do.  This will give me a spot to list those things I really want to make time for and also a place to write down cool traditions that I hear from others that I want to try with my family.  Cards.  I keep all the addresses of those I send cards to on my computer so I can print labels, but I think it will be nice to have a place to just list the names I’m sending to.  I can also add to the list here in preparation for next year as we make new friends or get cards from different people. (Or to cross out those who don’t make the list! ;) lol)  Menu is where I’ll list my Christmas dinner menu, obviously, but I’m also going to make a list of treats to make, or treats to take to neighbors, or even jot down new recipes to try.  The Gift List section will be where I actually list out the gifts I’m giving, that’s why this planner will be hidden from all little eyes!  I’m one of those people who buy gifts all year long.  The all get hidden away, and sometimes I forget what I’ve bought, who it’s for, or how much I’ve already bought.  It’s also handy when you can’t remember what you gave people last year (or the year before.)  Plus, it’s kind of fun to look back and see what your kids got when they were younger (or in my house, prove you were right when you said you got “such and such” in “whatever year”.  Yah, we get a little competitive about the dumbest things. J)  My final section is Notes.  I can use it just for notes, or as a little journaling place to write down some thoughts and highlights of each Christmas season.  There are many other things you could list: decorations - take a picture of that perfect mantle so you’ll remember how to set it up next year; glue in a December calendar to make notes of all those parties, kids programs, concerts, etc. that you want to attend; a budget section; a party planning section – a place to list all you need to do to host that perfect party; whatever else would be helpful to you.

After you’ve decided what to include, you need to make tabs and a title page for each section.  I used a file tab punch to punch out my tabs out of the same paper I used on the front.  My papers were both double-sided so I used the back side for tabs, too.   You could also buy tab stickers, or just cut out a tab shape – they’re about 3” long.  For the title pages, I had a sheet of embellishments/tags, I’m not sure what they’re called – it’s the top paper in the right-hand picture.  I cut these apart and wrote the name of each section on them.  Some of the tags were too big to use, so I just cut a square of decorative paper or used another large punch to decoratively cut a title plate for some sections.

Glue the tab to the edge of a single page.  I only stress that because the first time I made one of these I accidentally glued it to the first page and then the last page I had sectioned off.  Doesn’t work very well that way. J  Then glue on your title tag.  I made my sections about 10 pages each, although some were a little bigger when I’d be writing a lot more.  It’s up to you, how many sections you have, and how many years you want to use it, etc.  As you are gluing your tabs on, remember to stagger them so it’s easier to read the tabs.

The final step is to add the ribbons to the spiral binding.  I like the mix of some plain ribbon and some patterned ribbons.  Cut them about 4” each, but I found out that the wider and stiffer the ribbon the longer the length you need to be able to tie them.  For example, the green ribbon I used was 1/8”, and a 4” long piece was more than enough to be able to tie it on.  However, 4” of the patterned ribbon, which was more like 1/4” and a grosgrain ribbon, was barely enough for me to tie on.  Just slip the ribbon through the binding and tie a double knot on each spiral.  A little tedious, but makes it really cute, I think.

That’s it!  It really doesn’t take that long to make and it will be invaluable to you as you try to have an organized, stress-free Christmas. 

Here are some variations of this planner that make great gifts!

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Cute & Simple Gift

While browsing through one of my favorite digital scrapbooking websites, The Lilypad/Sahlin Studio, I came across these awesome monogrammed notecards.  At the time, I thought they would be great for journaling about anything (a C for Christmas, S for Swimming), or anyone (N for Natalie, etc.)  I quickly bought them and downloaded them waiting for the right page to try them out on.  Fast forward a month or so with very little scrapbooking time and I still hadn't gotten to use them yet.  Then I remembered I had a friends birthday coming up and I remembered seeing a post on The Letter 4 about making your own notepads.  So I decided I'd try it out.

I made a document with 6 of the monogrammed notecards on it all sized 4" width x 3.5 " height.

I printed 20 of these pages at my local print shop and then trimmed them all to size.  I also cut a piece of cardboard (cereal box, extra packaging, whatever) in the same size for the back.  Then stack them all together getting the top as even as possible. 

Using your glue gun, cover the top edge in glue.  Take a scrap piece of cardboard, and smooth it across the top, smoothing the glue and pushing it around to cover it all.  I did this three times, paying extra attention to all four edges, making sure they are all covered.  Sorry, I couldn't hold the glue gun or the cardboard to smooth it while holding the camera, too.  I hope that makes sense. The glue kind of lapped over the front edge, so I just tore off the top page and used my scissors to cut off any excess on the edges.

This was after the first coat.

I also covered a big Symphony bar (toffee and almond kind, YUM!) to make it extra special.  Everyone needs chocolate on their birthday.  I just took the outside wrapper off, leaving the silver wrapper on.  I measured a piece of paper (8x8 pad of paper was perfect!) to 8"x 6 3/4".  Lay the candy bar inside, wrap up one edge and crease the bottom edge.  While holding that edge, pull the other side tightly and crease that bottom edge also.  Then run a strip of double sided tape or glue or whatever adhesive you like one one edge and glue down the other side on top of it.  I then just wrapped a ribbon around, and then secured the stacked flowers together to the ribbon with a brad.  Again, pulling the ribbon tight, glued it together in the back.  Easy Peasy! This was all a little kit with paper, the flowers, ribbon, and more.  Made this even easier.  Now it makes a little gift something a little more special.  A great little thank you gift for teachers, coaches, visiting teachers or teachees, or someone who just needs a little pick me up.

I also added a necklace to this for her gift.

So there you have it.  Two easy, simple little gifts.  I love giving something handmade whatever the occasion.  I hope the recipients feel the same way. lol


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My First Giveaway!

I'm so excited! I have my very first review and giveaway to share with you today. Liz from My Memories contacted me a few weeks ago about sharing this great digital scrapbooking software with you. Since I've recently become a full convert of digital scrapbooking, I jumped on the chance to try it out.
Before I get into this software, let me tell you why I'm a convert, especially because I get asked this question all the time.  Having 6 kids, plus our family book to work on I have A LOT to scrapbook.  Needless to say, I'm very behind.  So I was trying to find a faster, easier way to get caught up.  I decided digital scrapbooking was the answer.  However, I still loved working with my hands and the actually putting together of a great page.  So I decided I'd scrapbook our family book the old way with the tangible papers, embellishments, etc. and I'd do my kids books digitally.  That way I could make one Christmas page and change out the main picture and put it in 6 books.  Well, that was before I actually tried it out.  I had so much fun on the computer, and it was so quick, who needs to do the cutting by hand. :)  This summer as Cheyenne and I were scrapbooking, I got 9 pages done (just changing the focal point pictures and a little journaling) in the time it took her to do 2 or 3, and she's a very simple, not many embellishments kind of scrapbooker.  It was so fun! I still got to pick out all my embellishments and papers, but didn't have to run to the store to find the perfect thing every time.  Plus, the whole reason Bill bought me the software is so my scraping area stays clean, he hates a mess.  When I had to stop in the middle of a page to run a kid somewhere, I just clicked "save" and I picked right back up the next time I had a minute.  No rushing to clean up all my scraps, trying very carefully not to move the perfect layout before it's glued on, or kids getting into what I've done while I had to go cook dinner.  Another advantage to digital, the cost.  Digital kits are so much cheaper, usually, than buying the same amount of papers and embellishments from the store.  Plus, you get to use them over and over again.

So back to Liz.  I got to download the My Memories Suite software and play with it for a while. My review - I really liked it.  It was very simple to use and had some great features.  After a few minutes, okay about 1/2 half hour, I had this page completely done.


It was so easy, the part that took the longest was deciding which pictures I was going to use.  Even more fun, when I look at this on my computer, or if I burned it to a cd, it has nice background music to it and I can click on one of the pictures and it shows me a cute little video of these three.  So cool!! I also made an awesome page of Billy playing football and added the clip of one of his games.  Now that is fun!  I know several people who burn their books onto dvd's and just watch their scrapbooks on tv, this is a great feature to merge all those videos with the pictures you take.  I love this feature! 

I also made a cute card, well, it was much cuter until I remembered I don't have a color printer anymore and had to change things to black and white.  But it's still okay.  Just picture this in whatever fun colors you like, and think of how quickly you could make lots of fun, cute cards so easily.

My Memories also has many kits to purchase, but also many free kits. This is one of my favorites:

Or if you don't like all the "cutesy" stuff, like my mom, I really like this pack, too:

Plus, if you can't find the perfect kit or alphabet on their site, you can download papers and stuff from other sites to use in this software.  That was an important thing to me, since there are SOOO many sites with free scrapbooking items.  (Just one thing to note on this, however, be careful and make sure you're downloading things from a reputable site.  I did get a virus attached to something I downloaded and it really messed my computer up.)

You can do so much more than scrapbook, too.  You can make calendars (great for Christmas presents), cards, posters, handouts for church lessons or visiting teaching, party invitations, teacher gifts (how fun would it be to make a little book of your child's classmates with a little note from each child and/or parents) and much more.

If I haven't convinced you yet, watch this quick video clip or this longer one to give you more info.


Now for the very best part!!  I get to giveaway a My Memories Suite, a $40 value, to one of my wonderful visitors.  Or if you can't wait or don't want to take your chances, you can use this code: STMMMS28745, and get $10 off the purchase price.  Plus, the software comes with a $10 off code to the My Memories Store, so your $40 is now only $20. Woo, hoo!! That is a great price!

To enter the contest:

1. Follow me - see the side bar

2.  Check out Mymemories.com and tell me which kit you like or could use most.

For more entries:

1. Follow My Memories Blog

2.  Like My Memories on Facebook

3.  Follow My Memories on Twitter

Easy peesy! Just leave me a separate comment for each entry.  This entry will end at 11:59 p.m. (MST) on September 6, 2011.

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