Scrapbooking for The Busy Mom

I have scrapbooking tools, paper, organizers… you name it. I just don’t have time to do anything with it all. I also don’t have the space. I’m the type that likes to scatter everything out (read: make a complete mess) and I don’t like to cleanup (read: I want to be able to leave everything the way it was and then come back to it). Basically, I need a craft room. (don’t we all?) Sigh.

A few months ago, I was looking at the thousands of digital pictures both on my computer and online (we use Shutterfly)… I then thought about my empty scrapbooks, the 5 minutes a day that I would get to work on them (if I actually worked on them), the cleanup (ugh) and the fact that I haven’t gone past age 2 for my first son. He’s almost 9.

That’s when it hit me. I needed to create a photo scrapbook! But, not just any photo scrapbook, a Family Yearbook.

Shutterfly has a few options when it comes to photo books; you can completely customize your book with the custom path (that’s the one I do), you can choose a simple path (pick colors and layout with an easy tutorial), or have Shutterfly create a photo book for you based on the pictures you add to a photo album.

(yes, I blanked out our name)

In order to make a Family Yearbook, you will need to do the following:

• Create a photo album of the pictures you want to use (Tip: add more than you plan to use in case you decide to change things up while in the process- it’s easier to discard pictures rather than have to go back and add more). OR Create a photo album each month and label each album with the month and year e.g. July 2010 (Tip: it’s easiest to create a Yearbook when you do it this way as it’s easier to organize the pages)

• Pick which album you would like to work with- custom path or simple path

• Pick a family picture for the front cover and label the book: The (your last name) Family Yearbook (insert year)

• Label the Spine of the book the same as you do the front so you can easily locate each Yearbook.

• Dedicate each page to a month (e.g. January 2010 on one page) and add your favorite pictures from the month of January

• On each page, insert a text box and write a little blurb about what happened that month (e.g. Grandma met the new baby for the first time… Baby rolled over!… We took our first family vacation to Disneyland!)

• For months with Birthdays, or special events (graduation, first day of school, vacation, etc.), make it two pages and dedicate one side to the month (with the blurb- details/milestones that occurred that month) and the other side to the special event (e.g. for September, I created a September 2010 page full of pictures with a blurb of what happened that month and a second page for our son’s 8th Birthday; specifically about his party and other party celebration pictures/details)

• Add a blank page for the very last page of the book and have your child(ren) write something on that page once it arrives. This is a great way to document their writing skills, thoughts and it adds a sweet little personal touch

This is the only way I’ve been able to create a scrapbook. The cleanup is, well, non-existent and I can stop when a child wakes from a nap or needs a snack for the 100th time needs me, save it and come back to it when I’m able. I also don’t get paper cuts from the scrapbooking paper and sharp little tools.

The books are amazing, too! My husband loves the fact that we have a documented year at his fingertips and came up with the idea to order a duplicate book to send to Grandma for her birthday. Score!