Your children’s birthday parties, your honeymoon, bringing the baby home from the hospital are all precious occasions when photos are normally taken. But how do you preserve the memories of your family?
If you’re saving your kids’ photos and family vacation photos to a flash drive or computer file, then it’s time for an update. Those memories mean a lot and should not be forgotten. They must be available, appreciated and reviewed frequently. That is almost never the case when photos are constantly stored on a computer’s hard drive. Many times, they are kept there, only to be forgotten later. If you are constantly asking others to email you pictures of your family’s treasured memories, due to missing files, then it’s time for a change.
The 21st century has provided us with a wealth of opportunities to keep family memories around us, integrating them into our everyday lives. You can use your family photos to create memories such as photo albums, calendars, mugs, and blankets. One of the ways I preserve my daughter’s childhood memories is by creating an annual photo book that chronicles her journey over the past 12 months. (Well, she’s almost two years old, so now I’m working on the second one.) It can get cumbersome, but the rewards are worth it! I love reading each book and remembering how much it has changed. During the holidays, I also make some personalized calendars as Christmas gifts (especially for relatives who live far away). Don’t forget to keep one too.
The holidays are a great time to start these types of photo memory projects. Your family may even begin to request that you do one each year. If you want to print your photos, consider creating a scrapbook or collage. (Print your photos first on a site like Snapfish and Shutterfly.) Cherished memories also work well in beautiful photo frames, but be sure to frame pictures that you love and that evoke positive emotions. Your home, and therefore your photos, should be a reflection of what matters most to you.
Remember, special keepsakes can also come disguised as little doodles, squiggles, or stick figures on paper (better known as art projects). Be sure to archive these first artistic moments by scanning them on your computer and saving them in a tagged electronic archive. You can also use photo sharing websites to change these love tokens into cards, mugs, or magnets and more.