published

Huh. I googled my name for the heck of it (do you ever do that?) and this was #2 on the list. A scrapbooking article written by me! I remember writing it, but I cannot for the life of me remember the circumstances surrounding WHY I wrote it. It had to have been within the last 4 years, because I mention "my sons", and Ian just turned four. Bizarre. That's certainly not long enough to have completely forgotten something. Must've been RIGHT after Ian was born, when I was still suffering from Pregnancy Brain. I have a vague memory of being asked to write an article about Christmas scrapbooking ideas, but I can't remember by whom or why. LOL! Anyway... I've been published, and I don't think I even knew it! :)
I don't know where it was originally published, but evidently, this Lisa chick copied and pasted it here at some point...

: Holiday Scrapping Traditions
Posted bylisa on Tuesday, November 12 @ 13:36:01 EST
Contributed by lisa

by Stacy Kocur

The holidays are my favorite thing to scrap each year. In fact, I have an album dedicated to just Thanksgiving and Christmas! Our Holiday albums come off the bookcase each year and become part of the holiday décor, taking center stage on top of the piano. It’s fun to look back over past holidays and reminisce! Every event and activity we participate in each year gets a place in the album, from decorating the tree to baking cookies to caroling around the piano. But aside from the activities I highlight in the scrapbook, there are several other traditions I’ve included. These are my Five Favorites:

1. I’m Thankful For...Every Thanksgiving, I predecorate a page and set it out with journaling pens. The idea is for each family member to jot down what they’re thankful for and sign their name. Sometimes it takes some prodding to get everyone to participate, but I won’t take no for an answer! Even the little kids participate. If they can’t write yet, they still get to say what they’re thankful for, and someone else writes it down for them. It is awesome to go back and read what we were thankful for in years past! I cherish the page on which my Grandpa wrote: “I am especially thankful for all my family. Just keep on keeping on- striving to do God’s will in all that you do. I love each and every one of you. Grandpa Lewis.” He died the following August, and I am grateful beyond words to God that I have a lasting remembrance of Grandpa for my sons who never knew him!

2. Recipes...With the pictures of Thanksgiving dinner (don’t forget to get photos of everyone scurrying around the kitchen in preparation, and of the table before everyone digs in!), I always include a recipe of one of the dishes. If I can get it in my Mom’s handwriting, or an Aunt’s, that’s even better! Christmas cookie recipes go in as well, sometimes on the baking cookies page, and sometimes on the Christmas Eve page, alongside a photo of the cookies we leave out for Santa.

3. Christmas Cards...Making and sending Christmas cards is one of my favorite things about the season! The card we send out always gets a layout all to itself, along with the postage stamp we used that year. It’s also fun to include a layout of all the Christmas card photo rejects!

And for the cards we receive, I do a 2-page spread - if you send us a photograph in your card, it goes in our album! I cut out the signatures and personal notes from the cards and mount them next to the photos. Every once in a while, if there is an exceptionally sentimental note written in a card, even if it doesn’t include a photo, it goes in as well. And I always make room for my favorite card we received that year...uncut. Some years it’s a whimsical Santa Claus-y card, and sometimes it’s a reverent Christian card. Either way, it’s always fun to look back at the cards we received!

4. Dear Santa...the first time I let Dani write in one of our scrapbooks, I was a nervous wreck! She was writing crooked, and misspelling words, and I about hyperventilated! I’m so glad I learned to chill out about things like that, because that first page was a letter to Santa. And even with it’s misspelled words and crooked lines, I wouldn’t change it for the world! It became a tradition...now she writes her wish list in the album every year!

5. What we gave and what we got...Some of my favorite pages are about the presents we give. We always draw names because both my husband and I come from large families. So every year, we’re buying for someone different. I like to journal about what we gave our “secret Santa” each year, along with their reaction to the gift. And of course, it’s nice to look back and be thankful for what we received as well. Some years I include receipts for the gifts we bought - it’ll be interesting to future generations!

I hope this inspires you to start a new scrapbook tradition or two this year! Stock up on film and always have your camera ready to capture those magical holiday moments!