Live Life...Inspired!

Like, Love, Obsess!!

2010-07-15T18:53:00.000-07:00

With some summer time off, I am fortunate to be getting some things in order around my house in my life. I have taken these first few weeks to clean out the house, have a garage sale, and really concentrate on getting things in order. Please do not get me wrong, if you were to stop over unexpectadly, you would not always find my home to clean and spotless (a dream of mine that will probably never come true). However, we are getting better and giving everything a place.

Yes, I am one of those people who LOVES organization and order. I do organize my closet by color and by long sleeves, short sleeves, pants, etc. Nothing makes me happier than a room with everything in it's place and no clutter. That is what I am working toward.

In doing this, I am finding that I really am happy to get rid of "stuff". I have written before about how I really would love to live with as little "stuff" and clutter as possible. Recently, I read a GREAT article that dealt this this topic. The author of the article said that when you are going through your things and trying to decide what to keep and what to ditch, think of everything that you have as something that takes up some of your time. That time may be putting it away or taking care of it. Therefore, the less you have, the more free time you will have. It also made me think that I should only hang on to those things that I really love and want to take care of. I have gotten to a point in my life that a little free time is worth more to me than "things". This new philosophy has helped me to really think about something before I purchase it and to let go of some of those "things" that I was hanging on to for no apparent reason.

While I was cleaning and organizing today, I decided that I would add a new element to my blogs. Since I am trying to live with only things that I LOVE and that bring joy to my life, I will share these things and experiences through my blogs by catergorizing things as either things I like, I love, or I am obsessed with! Again, I am not sure if anyone will even care about what I have to say, but it is worth a shot. I am also going to incorporate this into the blogs that I write for our website www.WNYKids.com. So stay tuned for some reviews of great things. I do not get paid to do this or get anything free for what I write. It will simply be my honest to goodness review of things that I find to bring joy and inspiration in my life.

Today, I am grateful time to reflect and grow! Summertime is great for so many reasons and I am thankful to have this time to organize (or at least attempt to) my life!

Playing in The Rain

2010-07-09T19:34:00.000-07:00

One of my goals this summer is to really spend quality time with my kids and make sure that we make lots of memories together. I have really been hit with the realization that they are growing up WAY too fast. I also have realized that with everything else that I need to do in a day, I sometimes forget to really stop and live in the moment of what we are doing together.

Today, my friend and I decided to start a summer tradition of "field trip fridays". We are doing this for two reasons...1. we both want to do fun things with our kids this summer and 2.We are trying to encourage others to do it as well as part of our website WNYKids.com. So, we headed downtown to a great event on the waterfront. The kids were able to make things with clay and play in water tables and sand boxes. They also got to see the waterfront that they love to visit. Of course, up until today, it has been sunny and hotter than hot here in WNY. However, today the rains came down...in buckets! The timing could not have been better...it started pouring as we were making the trek back to our cars. Yes, there we were...2 adults and a total of 6 kids (and only 3 umbrellas!!). Needless to say, we got soaked.

The greatest part of this was that we did not care at all! We actually walked a little bit slower to our cars laughing the entire way. By the time we got to the cars, we could have rung out our clothes and yet all we did was laugh and continue to stay in the rain. On the way home, the kids told me that this was "the best day ever!!" I asked them why and they said, "because playing in the rain is AWESOME!"

Now, I am not that uptight that I have never played in the rain before. However, I can say that I have not taken the time to do that lately and truthfully, probably was worried (for some crazy reason) that I did not have time to get wet nor did I have the patience to deal with wet kids in my car. But today, we did it..we survived...and we loved every second of it!!!

So, today I am thankful for rainy days and the time to enjoy them! I am so glad that I "let my hair down" and played and danced in the rain. I know, it sounds terrible that this is such a big deal for me, but it really was. I am also thankful for fun with great friends and a GREAT new camera! I am finally able to really get back to photography and making memories of these great days!!!

Back at It!

2010-06-29T16:53:00.000-07:00

Ok, so how many times can I say, "I am back!"? Well, it is true. After a very long hiatus, I am back and ready to blog, blog, blog!

One of the greatest things happened to me just a few days ago that was a sign that maybe I really needed to get back to it...a few people told me that they actually DO read my blog! That made my day! For anyone who has ever blogged, you know how you may write and hit "publish" only to wonder if anyone actually takes the time to read what you write. So, I was thrilled to hear that there are readers out there!

There has been so much going on and so much to be thankful for. Long story very short...my wonderful husband is on the mend and summer is here! These two things have allowed me to concentrate on some new and exciting things, all of which I will be sharing over the next few months. In the meantime, I encourage you to stick with me on my quest for gratitude each and every day. I am learning that no matter how bad a day is, there is always something to make us smile and always something to be thankful for!

Have a great day!

I Am One Of The Lucky Ones

2010-04-11T17:14:00.000-07:00

I am one of the lucky ones. I guess that I have always known this, but I have been reminded this more so lately than any other time in my life. I say this because I am married to one of the

"good guys".

Sure, I may complain from time to time about how he does not throw his dirty clothes in the hamper or how he snores like a bear at night, but at the end of the day, he is an amazing dad and husband. He is so giving to everyone and really is a person that would give his shirt off his back. He cares so much about everything that he does and always gives 100% to whatever he is doing and whomever he is with. I know that I lucked out BIG TIME!!

Recently, he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart. This is a result of a bacteria that infected his heart a few years ago. I thought that the diagnosis of "enlarged heart", while serious and scary, was in a way very appropriate for him as he has the biggest and most generous heart of anyone that I know.

This diagnosis has been hard for all of us to swallow and comes with a lot of doctors visits and tests. It has slowed him down and in some ways has changed the course of his life. Every day I wish that I could take this all away from him and make him and his heart better.

Of course, like anyone who has a loved one who is sick, we want to take it away, but know that we cannot. I have spent some time wallowing in this and finally, on a walk that I took by myself to gather my thoughts, came up with some inspiration to hopefully help get us all through this!

While it is so easy to worry and be sad about him being sick, I have decided that it will make us all "better" if I concentrate on letting him know every day just how much I love him and how wonderful I think that he is. This is my new life's goal. I will work at doing something each day for him so that he knows just how much he means to me. It may just be something small, but I don't want a day to go by without him knowing how great he is.

So, this blog will be part of the journey. I may not get a darn person to read it, but I who knows, it may inspire someone else too! In a world that seems to be so negative right now, I want this to be my little glowing light! Jeremy, you are amazing and I love you!!

Murphy's Law

2010-01-06T19:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, so this photo of the day is a doozie...with a funny story (well, I laugh now, but not so much a few hours ago!)

You know that you are bound to have days like this when you are married to someone with the last name "Murphy". Murphy's Law seems to creep into my life way more than I would like! I had one of those "days from you know where" and was looking forward to a night where I could have some fun with the kids, get everyone to bed early, and cash in early myself. My hubby was not going to be home because he was going to the hockey game.

Just as we were heading upstairs to bed, I hear a ruckus outside and begin to see a bunch of lights flashing. Sure enough, all of the noise and lights are coming from the parade of trucks pulling up in front of my house. Yes, there was a pipe that burst in our front yard! Long story short, it was pretty major and by the end of the whole situation, there were 5 trucks, a crane, a hole at least 8 feet deep and 8 feet wide, spotlights, no water to the entire street, and 2 kids who would not go to bed because of all of the chaos.

Well, just when I finish texting my husband to please bring coffee for the poor guys working in the freezing cold, don't I start to hear this strange buzz of trucks pulling away. Sure enough, faster than I could blink, they had filled the gigantic hole, packed their trucks and pulled away. The funniest part....my husband did not get to experience any of the craziness! He is actually going to think that I made the whole thing up! Literally, the entire time he has been gone it has looked like a war zone in front of our house. Our phone has been ringing off of the hook and neighbors have been stopping by all night wondering what is going on....and he missed it ALL!!

Mii - Wii!

2010-01-04T17:47:00.001-08:00

As if it is not bad enough to step on the scale and see the real numbers, when I jump onto the Wii Fit (a lovely gift from my dear husband for Christmas) it blows me up like a balloon to rub in the fact that I have gained some weight. Not a great way to boost the old self esteem, but I guess it is great motivation. I mean if even the cartoon version of me is overweight, I guess I need to do something about it!

So, for gratitude.....today I am grateful for the fact that I got my butt out of bed a little early and stuck to my New Year's Resolution of getting back into shape. I am even more thankful for the fact that I now have this great little video game to work out with instead of having to go out in the terrible cold every morning at 5am to go to the gym.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow

2010-01-03T17:46:00.000-08:00

Well, today was a day to lay low and boy did I take advantage of it. With six inches of snow falling over night and another 6 inches falling throughout the day, I too advantage of doing a whole lot of nothing! It didn't help that I was in a bit of "depression" knowing that I have to go back to work tomorrow. No one likes to see a great vacation come to an end, but I am having a particularly hard time with this one. Knowing that another holiday season has come and gone has been hard because my kids are at such a great age. They are 7 and 4 and LOVED every bit of Christmas this year. They woke up at 3:15 on Christmas morning, we watched every possible Christmas movie every night leading up to Christmas, we drank more hot chocolate and ate more cookies than anyone could imagine, we wrote letters to Santa, visited Santa, and did all of those things that you dream of doing with your kids. My biggest fear is that I will not have many more years of "believing" left.

So, today I did a lot of sitting back and relishing all of the great things. I also did a lot of being lazy and watching some of my favorite movies. To prove how lazy I really was, my picture of the day is actually taken from my bed out of my bedroom window. I was snuggling with my daughter watching my favorite movie of all time, You've Got Mail, and decided to take a picture of the winter wonderland outside since I would much rather look at it from the warmth of my blankets than venture out into it (I am not much of a fan of the cold...go figure! I live in Buffalo!)

Today, I am thankful for great times and great memories. As hard as it is to say goodbye to the holidays, at least I can say that it was a GREAT time that I will cherish forever!!

:)Kelly

P.S. For those of you who are interested in this idea of Project 365, here is a way to preserve all of your photos that you are taking over this year. Here is a link to a book that I am creating! My Project 365 book. To make your own, learn more at my website - www.WhyStoryBook.com

Time and Garbage

2010-01-02T16:47:00.000-08:00

Photo of the Day - My kids playing outside with their friends. Yes, they were served hot chocolate outside! It was 9 degrees here today! Yikes!

Ok, so you are probably wondering what time and garbage have to do with one another. These are the two things that I am most grateful for today! Let me explain....

First, I am thankful for time because we had today and still have tomorrow left in our vacation. As some of you know, I am a teacher and I relish the fact that I do get so much time off. I love that I get to spend the time with my kids. It was great to have today off because it gave me time to do the very necessary cleaning and organizing that needed to be done after the whirlwind of the holidays. Just knowing that I had today to organize instead of having to race right back to work was a HUGE gift! This is also where garbage comes into play.

It is amazing to me how we work so hard to be able to afford "things". We are always wanting new "things". Yet, I can honestly tell you that getting rid of "things" makes me just as happy, if not more so, than getting things. I was so happy to take two HUGE garbage bags full of clutter out to the garbage today. Just seeing how neat and organized my bedroom and closet were made me happy. I HATE clutter and wish that I would remember that every time I go to a store. Tomorrow I will be taking time to drop off some of my things to the Salvation Army. That too makes me happy. It makes me happy knowing that some of the great things that I have gotten to enjoy will bring someone else joy, at least until they are ready to get rid of it too!

The Gratitude Project - 2010

2010-01-02T06:47:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! I cannot believe that we are upon 2010. Sitting her on New Year's Eve, it hit me how much has happened in my life over the past 10 year. 10 years ago, I was celebrating my first New Year's Eve as a married woman. Who knew that in the 10 years to follow I would buy a great first house, give birth to 2 great children, continue to work at the job that I had just started, travel to Europe, get involved in 3 different businesses, open my very own business, close my business, start another new business with a friend, survive 10 years of marriage, met new friends, said goodbye to some people who I thought were friends, adopted my first pet, lost my mind, celebrated some of the greatest times in my life, found myself, lost myself, gained more weight than I wanted, laughed a lot and cried a lot. In the midst of it all, I learned a lot about me (some things that I like and some things that I do not like).

They say that as you get older, time goes by much faster. Well, it is true. The past 10 years have flown by faster than I could have ever imagined. I realize now that it is so important to be present in your own life. No matter how crazy things get, we only have so much time, so we need to laugh and enjoy it. I can say that I have really become a worry wart and many times forget to stop and smell the roses.

So, this year, I am starting the year feeling a little bit wiser and ready to face this crazy world. I realize that I am very blessed and very fortunate and need to take more time to appreciate that.

I am going to be participating in something called "Project 365". I will be taking at least one photo each day of something that inspires me. I have LOVED photography since I took my first photography class in high school. It has been something that has been a major part of my life for a long time. By doing this, I hope to be able to stop and appreciate things more as well as document the year with some really great photos. Attached is the first photo of the new year. It is of my Christmas tree. I LOVE Christmas and totally enjoyed sitting on my couch watching a movie after everyone was asleep. There is nothing better than the glow of Christmas lights! I live for this time of year!

I also plan to change this blog of mine into a bit of a "gratitude" project. I plan to look around a bit more and learn to pick at least one positive in each of my days. Over the past years, I have found it very easy to wallow in the days of being a working mom, wife, and friend. I many times have found it easier to be a "glass half empty" kind of person (as I have mentioned in some of my other blogs). This year, I am going to try to change this!

I don't know if anyone out there will ever read any of this, but I am inspired to keep writing and to write every day about the good things in life. I hope to see a gradual change and improvement in myself over time. Happy New Year and cheers to 2010!

Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway

2009-12-08T18:58:00.001-08:00

Check out the Nickelodeon Award Winning blog at www.blog.wnykids.com! It is featuring www.WhyStoryBook.com in it's Holiday Gift Guide and Giveaway! Just by commenting on the blog, you could be entered to win 20 FREE greeting cards or a 12x12 storybook credit!

Want extra chances to win? Blog, tweet, or post something on facebook about the giveaway and you will get extra chances to win! Just send us the links to your post! Plus, be sure to check out some of the other amazing gifts you can win all week! Good luck!

BOGO - Canvas Prints!!

2009-12-06T15:37:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Holidays!

Ok, so I am not very good at keeping up with the blogs. I know, I know! No matter how much I try to do it on a regular basis, something always gets in the way. If only I had an assistant!

Anywho, just want to let you know about the amazing weekly deals that Heritage Makers is coming out with. Each week there is a new special to take advantage of. With plenty of time to still create wonderful and meaningful gifts for the holidays, it is a great time to take advantage of them right now!

This week's special is a BOGO! Buy any size canvas print and get a second at 1/2 price!! This special is only good until noon on December 7th, so hurry and contact me today! A new special will be announced tomorrow!

In addition, there is a special on 5x7 greeting cards as the PICK OF THE MONTH! Get 25 cards and envelopes for $56.95! Plus, if you are looking to take something off of your "to do list", use your own personal address book in your Heritage Maker account and HM will send your cards to all of your friends and family for you!! This offer is good through December 31st!! Call or e-mail me today!

Feeling lucky? Check out www.blog.wnykids.com on Tuesday, December 8th when you will have a chance to win FREE Heritage Makers publishing credits. Check out the blog all week, starting Monday, December 7th, to learn about some other great Holiday gift ideas!!

6 Days Only to save BIG

2009-10-24T15:47:00.001-07:00

Are you looking to make amazing and memorable gifts this holiday season? Well, for 6 days only you can get all of your favorite Heritage Makers publishing credits at a GREAT savings!

Hurry! This sale is ends on October 29th! Contact me today to get your credits! kelly@whystorybook.com

No longer the doormat

2009-10-24T05:24:00.000-07:00

Ok, so today is not starting off the way I had hoped. In fact, that has been the "story" of my life for the past few years. However, today is the day that I change that story and rewrite it to the one that I want it to be.

I was recently reading the blog of a fellow Heritage Maker and was so inspired by how she was writing about living life out loud! With my birthday fast approaching, I think that I am ready to make some changes and do the same! I think that I have been doing a great job of living the kind of life that those around me want, but it is my turn to live the life that I want to live as well!

I think that as a mom, a wife, a teacher, a woman, we get stuck in the ruts of life that leave us drained from all that we do to make sure that others are taken care of. I love to do things for others. As a matter of fact, nothing makes me happier! However, the part about being true to myself is where I need a little bit of work! Why is it so hard to let those who have "walked all over you" know?

So, here is to New Year's Resolutions a bit early! Today is a new day and it is going to be a great one! I look forward to rewriting my story and being so proud of it in the end!!

All Day Lap Top Crop

2009-10-19T17:30:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Yes, it has been awhile (yet again) since I posted a blog. Many things have been going on with the beginning of the new school year, the announcement of some AMAZING new Heritage Makers projects, and flu season! But I am back!!

For those of you who are dying to have some quality time with your laptop and your Heritage Makers studio, I am offering you a day away! That is right! My wonderful team and I are hosting an all day LAP TOP CROP! Here is the info:

When: Saturday, November 14th

Where: Homewood Suites - Millersport Highway, AMherst, NY

Time: 10am - 3pm

Cost: $10

This will include lunch, refreshments while you work, hourly tips and tricks, raffles, games, prizes and so much more!

If you cannot stay for the entire day, that is OK! Stop by and get some photos scanned or get your holiday cards made while you wait!! Enjoy some of the fun make and takes and enter to win our amazing GRAND PRIZE!

You won't want to miss this fun opportunity to see all of the GREAT things that you can create with Heritage Makers for the holidays and beyond. Stay tuned to see all of the great new ideas and projects that I have to share!

In the meantime, please reserve your spot at the Lap Top Crop! Call me or e-mail me (kelly@whystorybook.com) and I will get you registered! The first 5 people to register will receive a FREE gift!! I hope to see you there!

We are #132!!

2009-08-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

Have you heard? Heritage Makers, the wonderful company that I am a consultant for, has been ranked #132 on the Inc. 500 list of businesses! This is such an amazing accomplishment for a company that has been around only for a little over 3 years! We were ranked 9th among Consumer Products and Services!!

To celebrate, we are offering a special from now until August 28th. You can get:

an 8x8 storybook credit
an 11.5 x 8.5 storybook credit
a cookbook/planner credit
3 greeting card credits
3 12x12 scrapbook page credits
3 postcard/invitation credits
3 family folds

all for only $132.00!! This is a huge savings and one that will give you a variety of some of the wonderful products that have made us so successful! Remember, these credits are good for one full year so that they can be used now or for the holidays, birthdays, or other special events!

Contact me today and order your special 132 package! The first 9 people to contact me will also get a special prize!!!!!

www.WhyStoryBook.com - kelly@whystorybook.com

10 tips for family vacations

2009-08-12T21:00:00.000-07:00

I am currently on a family vacation. It is the longest vacation that we have ever taken as a family – 2 weeks at a lake cabin. While it had been so wonderful to get away from it all (including television and internet access that works at more than a snails pace), it has had its challenges.

Knowing that many people in our neck of the woods are getting ready to travel as a family for one last fling before school starts, I thought that I would share some of the things that I have learned from my family trip!

1. Choose a family friendly place to visit (or at least one that has many things close by for your kids to do). I know this is the number one thing that you probably think of when booking your trip, but it is worth mentioning. There are a lot of hotels that now offer great packages for families with a variety of activities like scavenger hunts, kids eat free, etc.

2. Prepare your children- Let them know in advance where you are traveling. Talk to them about how long the car, plane or train ride will be, what they can expect when they get there, etc. This will help them to prepare mentally for the trip, but may not help you avoid completely the “are we there yet” syndrome.

3. Let your kids bring a reminder from home – if you are going to be sleeping some place strange, let your kids bring a favorite blanket or stuffed animal. I know that it may just end up being one more thing that you are afraid that they will lose, but nighttime in a strange place can be difficult. While the days on our vacation have been amazing, nighttime has been a struggle. Having something that is familiar has helped.

4. Don’t over plan – This may be difficult if you are traveling some place for only a few days. There is that urge to see and do as much as you can while you are there. However, with children, this can be a big mistake. If your kids are early risers, plan to do some activities early on and then maybe come back to your hotel or wherever you are staying for a swim and a nap mid afternoon. Then, you all will be rejuvenated to do some more family events in the early evening. Everyone will be well rested and happier.

5. Give kids their own day – if you are going on an extended trip, assign each child a day when they get to call the shots (within reason). This will help to give them ownership of the trip as well and will make them feel like they have had an important role in the vacation. We let our son and daughter have one day where they could choose what we ate for breakfast and dinner and what we did for the day. They LOVED this idea and it made for a really fun few days.

6. Take lots of pictures – this is a no brainer, but something very important to me, so I am mentioning it! While we always want to take photos of all of the great scenery, try to fit at least one member of the family in the photo as well. Remember to do something with them upon getting home! Don’t let your vacation remain a distant memory stored on your camera or computer. I will have plenty of tips and ideas for great things to create after your vacations in my next blog! One hint - if you are staying with someone, burn them a CD of the photos from your trip and make them a personalized thank you card with your favorite photos. This is a great gift and one that will be so meaningful! And of course - check out the template gallery on www.WhyStorybook.com to get many great ideas!

7. Talk to the locals- this has been the one thing that has always worked best for us. They are the one’s that really know the best places to eat, take the kids, shop, etc. We were able to find an amazing diner in town that proved to have the BEST breakfast any of us had ever eaten. The pancakes were the size of my kid’s heads and the bill did not break the bank!

8. Give the kids journals – no matter what age your kids are, give them a journal to write or draw in. These journals will end up being the best souvenirs that they will bring home and can also help with that first assignment of the new school year – the essay about what they did this summer! Match some of your great photos with what the kids write and you will have an AMAZING vacation book!

9. Pack your flexibility – even though you may be thinking that you are about to embark on the best vacation ever, you have to keep in mind that even the “happiest place in the world” can turn into meltdown central from time to time. There will be times when your kids will be cranky and you, the parent, will be exhausted. We have had many sleepless nights due to thunderstorms and just the fear of being in a new place. This has turned into a number of meltdowns on my kid’s part (and mine too!) With a little perspective and flexibility, we have been able to return to the great times that hopefully will live with our family forever!

10. Take a break – vacations are meant to be a time to relax and rejuvenate. While this may seem impossible when you are traveling with children, there are many ways that you can relax on your vacation. Don’t be afraid to leave the blackberry and computer at home for a while! Don’t feel guilty for sitting on the beach with a pina colada! You deserve it! Plus, you should be striving to make this a vacation that your family remembers as a time of family bonding! The work will still be there when you get back!!

Vacation

2009-08-07T07:01:00.001-07:00

There is something wonderful about vacation. Ok, there are a lot of something wonderful about vacation. This year, instead of vacationing some place with a lot of fancy things to do, we have decided to go back to my husbands roots and rented a lake cabin on a lake that he and his family has a lot of history on.

Keep in mind that we did not actually see the place that we decided to rent (for two weeks!) until we were here. Upon entering the cabin (which was explained to me as a “lake house”), we were immediately taken back to 1920. Now, don’t get me wrong, this place has character…more character than Disneyland! I immediately had to sit my kids down and remind them of the rules about no balls in the house, no running, no jumping on the beds, etc. These rules were more important now than ever because let’s face it, if they break something, there is no where on the planet that we could go to replace it unless we were shopping on the Antique Roadshow.

Now, while I may sound like this is the worst place in the world, it really is the best. There is no other vacation that I have ever had where my 6 year old son actually gave me a lesson on how to fish and my 3 year old daughter helped to put the worm on the hook. I then caught my very first fish!

Plus, we have not had TV in the 5 days that we have been here. Instead, we have filled our time with boat rides, BBQ’s, and board games. We have also had a lot of time to spend with family that we don’t get to see all of the time.

So, while we may have a tough time at night with the strange noises and the kids being scared if they are not in the same bed with us. And maybe my husband and I have not gotten a good night’s sleep since we got here. However, I really think that this is going to be a vacation that will go down in the history books as a time that we will never forget as a family. We are making those memories that are hard to come by these days. I hope that they are ones that last a lifetime! I know that they will for me! Stay tuned!

Inspiration - 34 by 34!

2009-07-27T19:15:00.000-07:00

So, with my summer slow down (I am trying to work only 3 jobs instead of 23) I have really been focusing on me. Not in a completely selfish way, but in the way where I will better myself physically and mentally. I am finding that the old saying " if you take care of yourself, you can better take care of others" is SOOOO true.

The other night, I saw a friend out on the town. She looked fabulous! She is a wife and mom of three girls. I asked her to share her secret of looking so great and losing so much weight (in secret hope of her telling me that she had tried the snickers bar and pinot diet, but no such luck). Instead, she told me that she had challenged herself to lose 40 pound by her 40th birthday. She had started running and walking with some friends and is now down 25 pounds!

I was so INSPIRED by what she was doing and how great she looked that I have decided to challenge myself to a similar contest. My goal is to now lose 34 pounds by my 34th birthday. My birthday is on November 11th, so I have a lot of work to do in a little bit of time. However, if I were to make a list of things that I really want, on the top of that list would be health! So, here it goes....34 pounds by my 34th birthday. It is going to be difficult, but I think that I am up for the challenge. I will keep you updated as to how I am doing. I guess I feel like the more people that I have to be accountable to, the better (in other words, the more people that know, the more I will feel like a loser if I do not meet the goal!)

So, if you are out there and have any great tips to get me through the late night hours without eating everything in sight or how to motivate me to actually use my gym membership for working out rather than just a donation, I would gladly accept all the help that I can get! In the meantime, wish me luck! Here I go.........

Dreamer layout

2009-07-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

I have recently joined a contest called Digital Survivor. Each week, I have to come up with a layout for a digital design based on a challenge. I originally was not sure how I would do this since most of what I do is use the many WONDERFUL templates from the HM template gallery. However, I want to do more of my own layouts and this is a great way to force myself into it. So, here is my 1st layout. It is an immunity challenge and had to be done quickly. For those of you still not sold on digital scrapbooking, this layout took me all of 20 minutes and I am so excited about it! I have a great page layout with one of my favorite pictures of my little dreamer. Enjoy!

Become a Fan on Facebook and receive a FREE Publishing Credit!

2009-07-21T15:03:00.000-07:00

I love facebook! I have to admit that it has become a bit of an obsession for me recently. I love catching up with people and talking about the many businesses that I have gotten involved with.

I am working on "beefing up" my fan page and am working on getting 100 friends. If I can get there by the end of the month, I will give each of my facebook friends a FREE publishing credit with Heritage Makers! So, please become a fan of my Why Storybook? page on facebook! Tell your friends too!! Help me get to 100 friends and I will help you to publish your precious memories!! Thanks!

Happy Storybooking!

Free Blueberry Doughnut and Free Pastry Day

2009-07-21T05:51:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is not a good thing for my diet, but as I went through the line to get my coffee today, I found out that it was free blueberry doughnut day at Tim Hortons! This was a huge treat for my daughter who was waiting in the back seat!

Today is also Free Pastry Day at Starbucks! Simply go to their facebook page and RSVP to the event. You may get something to print off or show them your PDA if it shows up on your phone! This runs until 10:30 am, so hurry!!

Everyone deserves a treat once in a while! Enjoy!

HM Digital Playground!!!

2009-07-18T18:31:00.000-07:00

I have just stumbled upon the most fun site ever! It is a social networking group set up by another fellow Heritage Maker consultant. The site is called HM Digital Playground and can be found at http://memorieswetreasure.ning.com/(also feel free to click on the icon on the button for the group on the right side of the page). Customers, consultants, or anyone interested in digital scrapbooking can join this group. However, if you do not already have a Heritage Makers account, you must have one to join. To get that free account simply go to www.WhyStoryBook.com and click on "sign up for an account".

This site has a number of groups such as Digi-survivor where you can be in a survivor type contest and create page layouts. Each "tribal counsel" meeting will vote one unlucky scrapper "off the island". They also have speed scrap sessions where you are given certain requirements and have to create pages to a book in a certain amount of time. For some that may sound like torture, but it is a great way to get a project done quickly! You can even use templates to help out!

If you are someone just venturing into the digital scrapbooking world and are ready to learn as much as you can, I highly suggest becoming a member. Whether you want to join the groups or not, you can get some amazing ideas for layouts and tips to making your books great!

I would love to hear what you have to say about this site. Please feel free to leave your comments!!

Fun Crayons

2009-07-16T09:43:00.000-07:00

If you have kids, you most likely have crayons. Whether they are from home art projects or from the school year, there is a good chance that you have some old and broken strays. Here is a fun project that I did with my kids after a day of cleaning out their bedrooms and art center. Kids love the final result!

What you need:

Small broken crayons (paper removed)

Muffin Tin (mini or regular sized)

Muffin cups (paper type)

To make fun crayons:

1. 1.Gather broken crayons and peel any paper off of them.

2. 2.Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F (120 C)

3. 3.Place a muffin cup in each of the muffin cups of your tray.

4. 4.Put some crayons in each of the cups (do not overfill). Make sure to mix the colors to make your crayons even more fun!

5. 5.Bake for approximately 10 minutes.

6. 6.Remove tray from oven and let cool completely.

7. 7.Remove muffin cups from crayons by peeling back paper.

These crayons are fun to use on many projects and can even make a great gift! Simply wrap a few in a small bag and tie with a cute ribbon. Pair them with some coloring books or drawing pads and other art supplies and you have a fun and unique gift that any child will love!

Back at it!

2009-07-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

So, I have been MIA from this blog for a while. With summer starting, I have literally been trying to squeeze every possible thing that I have not been able to do during the school year into a week. I completely gutted my house and remodeled a bathroom (with the help of my wonderful husband). I am now officially in love with my clean and organized home. If only this bliss would last!

Now, there is so much more that I want to tackle, but am struggling with how to just stop and relax on these summer days. I think that I am in "go" mode all of the time. I need to just learn how to slow down again. It is hard after the year that I have had, but I know that my body (and family) is screaming for it!

I am excited about jumping back in to some great Heritage Makers projects though! I just learned about some amazing home decor projects that can be created using our scrapbook pages. I am in the process of creating a clock and few other pieces and am excited to share them when they are done. If you are interested in seeing some of these great ideas, please join me at the Monkey See, Monkey Do Children's Bookstore on Saturday, July 25th from 10-2. I will have a display of all of the great Heritage Makers products, ideas for your home, for the holidays, and AMAZING specials that go with our Christmas in July campaign. It truly is a great time to stock up on publishing credits and get a head start on your holiday gifts!

Win Free Credits - Baby Shower Week at Mommy's Idea

2009-06-21T17:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a great opportunity to win FREE Heritage Makers publishing credits and more! Check out www.MommysIdea.com and check out all of the great giveaways as part of Baby Shower week. Check out my giveaway and you could win 30 5x7 invitation credits along with a 5x5 storybook credit. This is a great site and well worth the visit!

Home Alone 2 Specials

2009-06-16T17:01:00.000-07:00

While the executives are away, the rest of us will play! Get great savings on your favorite Heritage Makers publishing credits. For one day only, you can take advantage of a sale on your favorite book credits. Remember, publishing credits are good for an entire year, so this is a great way to stock up! Also, don't forget that Heritage Makers publishing credits make great gifts! Give a gift certificate to a friend, family member, teacher, mom to be, bride to be, or neighbor! Contact me today!

Great Summer Camp Opportunity - Young Author's Club

2009-06-13T15:01:00.001-07:00

As you know, I am a big fan of writing. While I do not and will not claim to be any kind of professional when it comes to my words, I do love the freedom and creativity that can be exercised when given the opportunity to write.

This summer, I have the AMAZING opportunity to run an Young Author's Club at the Monkey See, Monkey Do Children's Bookstore. This Club will run for one week, July 27-July 31st, from 3-4 pm. This club is for any young authors from the age of 9-15. The campers will be taken through the writing process (brainstorming, writing, etc) and in the end, will publish their own book. It is a great opportunity for any child who has an interest in writing, photography, and art as all of these aspects will be incorporated. The cost of the club is $65. If you are interested, please contact me at kelly@whystorybook.com or visit the Monkey See, Monkey Do website at www.MonkeysRead.com. I hope to run another club in the fall and would like to also run a club for aspiring adult authors as well!!

Great New Bookstore In WNY!

2009-06-04T19:16:00.001-07:00

I just got back from visiting one of my new favorite place in Western New York! It is a new, locally owned children’s bookstore called Monkey See, Monkey Do. This new great addition to WNY is located at 9060 Main Street in Clarence.

As if the name is not fun enough, you will not believe how incredible this place is once you walk through the doors. Inside it has a quaint jungle theme that will leave you looking around at the hand painted murals, wanting to curl up with a zebra blanket and never leave! For someone who has a deep love for the movie “You’ve Got Mail”, this bookstore is the “Shop Around the Corner” with an adorable monkey presence. Owner Kim Krug has thought of everything and has made the shop a place that you will want to return to again and again.

The books selection is amazing with books categorized by age group. All of your favorites can be found with many new titles as well. There is even a section of books written by local authors. In addition to the great book selection, you will find a number of adorable, monkey themed gifts for kids. There are also plenty of nooks to sit comfortably and get lost in your favorite story.

In addition to the great book selection and adorable décor, Monkey See, Monkey Do offers a wide variety of camps and reading programs for kids of all ages. Children can participate in classes from art to yoga, reading to writing. The activities are endless! The bookstore will also be offering a jungle themed summer camp, one on one tutoring, and young author’s camp starting this summer.

I truly believe that this is a place that will be filled with many little monkeys this summer. It is exactly what WNY needs! Monkey See, Monkey Do is the perfect place to not only purchase your favorite books, but to also explore reading and learning. It is a place that I can see myself spending many hours with my children.

Monkey See, Monkey Do will be celebrating their Grand Opening on Saturday, June 13th from 10am – 4pm. There are a number of events planned for the day including appearances from local authors, book signings, games for kids and more. For more information, visit their website at www.MonkeysRead.com.

Communication Journals

2009-05-21T08:06:00.000-07:00

Looking for a great way to communicate with your child? Try a communication journal!

This journal idea came from something that I started with one of my middle school classes. As you can imagine, there is a lot of drama that happens at the middle school age. There poor kids are in the midst of so much changing and so much going on. Instead of wasting class time talking about issues that really did not pertain to what I was teaching, I had a notebook that allowed students to write in whenever they had something that they really needed to tell me or just needed to get off their chest. This also worked for the students that were a little hesitant to ask for help. They simply could grab the notebook and write to me. I would then take the notebook home each night and write a little note back to the student answering their questions or just letting them know that I was glad they had been able to share something with me. I have gotten some really great responses from students about this. Many felt that it was a way to communicate with an adult without feeling scared or shy.

This will work with your own children as well. I would suggest a different journal for each child though. This will give them the feeling of security and will let them know that whatever they write is private between you and them. Let them decorate it and make it their own! Also, decide on a signal to let each other know that something has been written and the other person should read it and respond.

Keep the journal some place that you both agree on and again, with more than one child, keep that place a secret. Then, when either of you have something you want to discuss, but feel better about putting in writing, you can write in the journal. You will not believe how much more open and honest some kids can be when they are writing. It is a great way to let them know that you are proud of them or that you are disappointed in something that they did. It is also a peaceful way to resolve conflict!

I am actually starting this with my 6 year old. He has a journal that he writes in at school and was just telling me how they are encouraged to share their writing with a peer and write responses. He has had so much fun and actually loves to write because of it (an added bonus to the whole process).

In the end, you will have such a wonderful keepsake of your life with your child. While everything that is written may not always be happy, you will be able to have a written history of your lives together!

When you have gathered enough entries, you can preserve this written record in a book! Add photos of this time in your child's life. What a great gift on their 21st birthday or on the day that they get married. Or, why not create a special journal for each of your children to write in with their photos on the front!

Trying Times

2009-05-19T07:59:00.001-07:00

I am sorry that it has been a few days without a post. It has been a crazy weekend and start to the week. A colleague lost her husband and a dear friend lost her brother. It has been one of those times that you really stop to cherish the people around you and let everyone that you know that you love them.

It also solidified to me how important preserving memories are. At times, it can even be a comfort to look through photos and tell the stories that go along with them. This has also made me realize that I want to create as many good memories as I can with those who know me so that they have good stories to tell!

So to anyone who may be reading, I hope that you will preserve all of the great stories and memories of your life. Others will care and will want to read them! Start creating your legacy today and tell those around you how much they mean to you!

Live Life...Inspired!

Nominated for Nickelodeon Parent's Picks Award

2009-05-15T06:27:00.000-07:00

Blogging has become my new obsession. I have really enjoyed learning about all of the aspects of writing and building a blog. A number of months ago, some dear friends of mine and I put together a local website for local families to find what to do and where to go in WNY. As moms, we were always looking for great things in our area. We tired of looking all over the internet and searching. Stacey and Melissa had also put together an amazing Baby Expo here in WNY and had met a number of great people with family friendly businesses. We decided to combine all of our resources and create the site and blog for our community.

Our blog at WNY Kids was recently nominated by Nickelodeon for a Parent's Picks Award. Along with our blog, there are other great businesses that have been nominated. In order to win the award, we need your help! Please click here to vote for us. Others I ask you to vote for are:

Best Family Photographer - SH Portraits

Best Pizza - My Tomato Pie

This nomination is really exciting! Check out the site and check out our blog!

A Photo A Day

2009-05-14T12:19:00.001-07:00

Today is a day that I am reminded how precious life is and that if you don't take the time to tell those around them that you love them, it is time lost. I also know how precious it is to live in the moment and make every moment count.

If you have kids, you may be like me saying "where is the time going?" My kids are growing up at a lightening speed! So, I am stealing an idea from a friend of mine who is a photographer (and an amazing one at that! Check her photos out at www.shportraits.com) She had posted a blog a while ago where she challenged people to take at least one photo a day for the entire year. Yes, that means at least 365 photos! I thought that the idea was amazing, but like everything, have slacked off. However, I am recommitting to doing it starting today!

Just think of what you can do with all of those photos. If you are like me, you are going to think of all of the great projects you can make. I think that my project for this year is to simply make a book called "365". How awesome will it be when I can present a book to my kids that documents an entire year of their life with simple photos.

So, I challenge you to do the same! Break out that camera and do not save the photos for only special occasions. I am sure that we will all have our share of sad, happy, and miserable moments. I am really excited about this challenge and know that I will be even more excited about the outcome!

May Giveaway!

2009-05-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, it is time once again to offer a give away! For those of you new to the blog world, giveaways are fun and FREE! You simply need to do one of the following things to be entered into the contest. Plus, multiple entries are encouraged. So, here it is! This month, I am giving away one of the May Specials! That is right! You could win a publishing credit for a spiral bound book and a deck of playing cards!

Remember, the spiral books are great to use as cookbooks, planners, yearbooks, journals...the sky is the limit! The playing cards are just out of this world and have a ton of uses. Many people make family trivia cards, personalized playing cards, birth announcements, business cards, change of address cards, or wedding favors. There is really so much you can do with them!

So, PLEASE enter this to win both of these prizes! The contest will run until May 28th. Here is how to enter:

1. Visit http://www.whystorybook.com and sign up for a FREE publishing account. (you can skip this step if you have one already!)

2. Come back here and leave a comment telling me why you want to win this giveaway.

3. Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers- you must have a public profile and listed e-mail for us to find you.

Who wants extra entries?!

(Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Current subscribers, you can use these extra entries too, since we’re so happy to have you here!)

4. Sign up for our Live Life Inspired-Inspired Mom feed or e-mail feed. (Over to the right.)

5. Become a follower of Mommy's Idea.

6. Blog about and link to this giveaway. Please leave your blog url in your comment.

7. Stumble this post or www.whystorybook.com.

8. E-mail me at kelly@whystorybook.com to get my button and add it to your site (I am still learning how to put it on the site for people to take!)

9. Tweet about this giveaway.

WiFi on Airplanes!

2009-05-12T11:44:00.000-07:00

If you have not heard yet, some very exciting news was announced this morning for those of us who never leave home without our laptops. WIFI is now going to be available on airline flights! Of course, this addition will not be available on all flights right away, but AirTran will be the first to offer this service.

Can you imagine? You could actually have a book about your vacation complete before you even land at home! Let's face it, with all of the time that you have on the airplane traveling from one destination to another, you could complete so many great projects! I am so excited!

Don't believe that it is possible to create something that quickly? Here is a link to the vacation book that I have been working on(Click Here). I have to admit that I procrastinated in loading all of my pictures on to my computer. However, I finally sat down last night to work on the book (worked while I watched Brothers and Sisters!) and almost completely finished the book! That is right, in one hour I have an entire vacation book complete! That would never happen if I tried to do it the traditional way! The templates that we now have with our Heritage Makers publishing system are AMAZING!! Plus, this was a vacation that my parents, my in-laws, and my brother and sister in law took with us. So, once it is done (maybe during the finale of the Biggest Loser!) I will be able to order copies for each of them to have as well! Does it get any better than that? I cannot think how!

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T17:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day! What a great day! Today is the day that I sit back and realize how much I love being a mom. It may not always be the easiest job in the world! Let's face it, I may want to run away sometimes, but I would not change it for the world. I am blessed to have two healthy and happy kids, a great husband, and a pretty darn good life.

This is also the day that I usually vow to be a better mom this year. I want to be the mom that my kids remember as a happy and fun mommy. I want my daughter to have the same respectable and admirable role model that I had growing up. I want my son to learn to have compassion and love. Ok, so I just want my kids to not have to spend half of their adult lives in counseling (just kidding!)

I also have thought a lot about my own mom. She is an amazing mother that really has always managed to make things look extremely easy. She is the most level headed person I know and looking back, I don't know how she did it all. I appreciate her more and more every day that I am a mom and have even learned to tell her how much I appreciate all that she put up with.

I count my blessings that I still have my dear grandmother (aka Big Grandma) around. She is the coolest and spunkiest grandma that you will ever meet. At over 80 years old, she is still up for playing Wii bowling with my 6 year old son. She is amazing! She too has been an amazing role model and I love her to pieces!

So for today, I send out love to my mom and grandmother! You both have made me the person that I am today. I thank you for supporting me through my own journey through motherhood. To my wonderful children, I love being your mommy! I may not always do the best job, but know that I love you more than anything and that you bring so much joy to my life! Happy Mother's Day!

It's Good To Be Me

2009-05-09T07:59:00.001-07:00

I have to admit, I got the inspiration for today's post from my adorable daughter. While I was looking for something for her to wear today, I found this shirt. I immediately thought about how true this is for her. If only I could be 3 again for one day! Maybe I could forgo all of the laundry this weekend. Maybe someone else would cook and clean for Mother's Day Brunch tomorrow and I could sleep as late as I want. Maybe I could run around all day in clothes that do not match and not care a bit about what anyone thinks! I could make mud pies in the backyard for hours and not care about who is making dinner or paying the bills or if there is enough milk in the fridge because someone else would be doing that for me. AHHH! To be 3 again! Isn't it too bad that we do not appreciate enough the freedoms we have at that age until they are all gone. (Wow do I sound like my mother now!)

I also wanted to share a photo of the planner that I made using Heritage Maker's spiral bound book. If I am going to have to b

e the adult in the family (sorry Jeremy, but you know it is the truth!) I want to do it in a cute way! I am such a sucker for anything that I can put pictures of kids on! This was an answer to my prayers because I am always in need of my planner and always am being asked for photos of my kids. Plus, I was able to make it the way I wanted even though I used an AMAZING template from the template gallery! Check it out!

Great Gift Ideas For Mom

2009-05-08T16:12:00.001-07:00

Mother's Day is one of those holidays that should last all year. I say that not because I am a mom, but rather because my mom is THE BEST! Now that I have my own brood, I appreciate my mother more now that I ever thought. I find myself saying "mom I am so sorry for everything that I have ever done" more and more! I feel that Karma will help me in my own journey of motherhood!

So, I want to give you all some ideas for spoiling your mom this year. All of these projects can be created through your own FREE Heritage Makers lifetime publishing account! If you are like me, I am always looking for something different. Here are some ideas that any mother will love!

1. Create a cookbook with the recipes you love the most from mom! Add pictures of you with your mom to make it more special!

2. Make a deck of playing cards with photos of you and your kids. Mom will be the hit of her bridge club!

3. Get her a gift certificate for her favorite hair and nail place. Moms love to be pampered! Include a heartfelt card with special photos of you together.

4. Create a book that lists the 50-100 things that you love about mom. Capture the great moments with photos from childhood on up!

5. Make mom breakfast in bed (but let her sleep in too for an extra gift!)

6. Create a deck of "mom coupons". Include things like "will do the laundry" or "will cook dinner" or even better "free hugs"!

7. Create a wonderful gift sake for mom to display all year long. Take a special photo and make it into 12x12 scrapbook page. Then, modge podge the page to a 12x12 tile. Get a plate display stand and you have a precious keepsake!

8. Make mom her own set of note cards! Create the cards with her initials or photos of her favorite flowers, favorite quotes, or any favorite at all!

9. Make her a personalized planner! Include favorite photos so that she can show all of her friends her kids (and grandkids)!

10. Give her a Heritage Makers gift certificate and let her creative juices flow!

Remember, Father's Day is also coming up! Many of these great ideas can be made for dad too! It is never too early to start thinking ahead!

Great Contest

2009-05-07T17:04:00.000-07:00

I have found a great contest on a great blog! Moms and those of you who know moms of little ones have to check out this site! The blog is www.mommysidea.com. Also, check out www.elliebags.com. The prize is a blog makeover (something that I am in desperate need of as you can see!) Check out the contest at www.mommysidea.com!

Here's how to enter . . .

1. Visit http://sweetpeadesignstudio.com.
2. Come back here and leave a comment telling us why you want to win this giveaway.
3. Be sure to leave your e-mail if you don't have a blogger ID. Bloggers- you must have a public profile and listed e-mail for us to find you.

Who wants extra entries?!
(Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Current subscribers, you can use these extra entries too, since we’re so happy to have you here!)
4. Sign up for our Mommy's Idea feed or e-mail feed. (Over to the right.)
5. Become a follower of Mommy's Idea.
6. Blog about and link to this giveaway. Please leave your blog url in your comment.
7. Stumble this post or www.mommysidea.com.
8. Add our Mommy’s Idea button and/or Ellie Bags button to your site.
9. Tweet about this giveaway.

What is my legacy?

2009-05-07T11:58:00.000-07:00

In the hustle and bustle of my life, I have to always be reminded to stop and "smell the roses". I will admit, if they had a rehab for people who take on too much, I would be the first to sign up! I don't know why I do it to myself, but I have.

In the process of taking on three businesses, a full time job, being mother of two, and wife to a man who also takes on too much, I have started to realize that it is or will take a toll on my family. I had one of those "aha" moments as Oprah likes to call them the other morning as I was feverishly trying to get everything into book bags and comb a 3 year olds snarly hair. What are my kids really going to remember of me? What legacy am I leaving for them?

Now maybe you are reading this thinking that I am crazy because legacies are not something that we think about until we are older. However, I really believe that I want to start thinking about that now while I have something to say about it! So, I have started to think about what I want to leave as my legacy for my kids. Do I really want them to think of me as the stressed out mommy who was running from meeting to meeting or do I want them to remember a happy mommy who was fulfilled and made time for them and for herself? It is a hard balancing act to play, but one that I know I must work on.

In the meantime, I am going to help my ancestors leave their legacies with my kids. I was stuck the other day when I was telling my son a story about my paternal grandfather and he said to me, "Mommy, you had a grandfather?" Have I really failed to mention all of the great times that I had growing up with this man? Had I really forgotten to tell my kids that I got my blond hair and blue eyes from this man? That he one of the greatest men to ever walk this earth?

So, while I work on the legacy that I am building, I am also going to work on telling and recording more of the stories that make me who I am and ultimately, who my children are as well. I believe strongly in the power of story and feel that it will help my children be more connected to me and those great people that I had the pleasure of growing up with as well!

Pick of the Month!

2009-05-04T07:21:00.001-07:00

May is turning out to be a great month to do some Heritage Making! Check out this amazing deal! As always, if you are interested in taking advantage of this special pricing, please contact me today at kelly@whystorybook.com or at 716.462.8846. These deals are not available on the website!

I am back!

2009-05-04T07:09:00.000-07:00

WOW! It has been a while since I have posted a blog. I have to admit that I have gotten myself into so many different avenues that I have not been able to concentrate on one thing in particular. However, after taking a short "hiatus" in the month of April, I am back!

While still being very new to this whole blogging thing, I am seeing the potential and the benefits of it. That is why I am committing to be being a better blogger and really "beefing" up what I write about. So, please stop back often!

My goals are to not only write about how to preserve your own memories, but also about some of things that I am preserving with my own family as well. I am also going to be looking to write about one thing that has inspired me each day. I have found that with so many busy schedules, it is sometimes hard to take a step back and really see what is going on around us. My goal is to be more "in the moment" and learn to be thankful for the great things around me. I am so blessed to be surrounded by an amazing family, great friends, and really great inspirational people! In the process, I hope that I can inspire you to do the same! So here is to a wonderful and inspiring day!

Live Life...Inspired!
Kelly

Dream Boards

2009-02-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

Hello and Happy Tuesday!

I am a HUGE fan of motivational books and tapes. I have recently started listening to very little else in my car. One of the pieces of advice that seems to resonate in all of the tapes and books is thinking about your goals and writing them down. All of the experts say that writing them down will make you more likely to achieve them. I believe that this is true. So what does this have to do with inspiring kids?

To go along with the idea of writing down your goals is to visualize yourself achieving your goals. You may have seen the idea for the “Dream Board” on Oprah or other shows. This is an idea that I am currently working on for myself and have done with some of my middle school students. It is a great motivator for pre-teen and teenage kids as well as adults.

The “Dream Board” is kind of like the collages that we used to hang in our bedrooms. Remember the days of making a board with photos of friends, family members and Kirk Cameron? (Ok..maybe I am just showing my age) The Dream Board should contain pictures, phrases, and words of things that you want to achieve in your life or career. For teenagers, they may have goals for school, college, making a sports team, or overcoming a fear.

To make the “Dream Board” you simply need the following materials:

*a poster board or large sheet of paper

*old magazines

*photos of family, friends or yourself

*markers or colored pencils

*anything else that you want to decorate with!!

To start, you should think about your goals and things that you want to accomplish. It can be anything from a trip that you hope to take, becoming a work at home mom, having a better relationship with friends or parents, to having financial freedom. For teens and pre-teens it could be getting a lead in the school musical, making the volleyball team, or getting into NYU. Then, you need to find pictures and words that will depict what you are trying to achieve. Make a collage full of all of the things that you visualize yourself achieving. Make it as wonderful and full as you can!

The most important part of this exercise is to hang the dream board some place that you will see it every day. Some suggest putting it in your bedroom where you will see it the minute you wake up. Others suggest putting it right by the door out of your house so that you see it as you leave for your day.

Another important aspect of this project is to share your board with the people you love and those who support you. Letting others know what you are striving for will help them to support you and understand why you are spending hours working on your dream. Doing this with your kids will also help you to understand them better. These boards can be great conversation starters! You may find something out about your teen or yourself that you did not know!!

I encourage you to share your dream boards with me! I will have my dream board done by the end of the week and will share with you! As an extra incentive, I am going to enter all who subscribe to this blog and share their photo of their dream boards in a raffle for a FREE Heritage Makers poster publishing credit. You can use the credit to make another dream poster or a poster with photos of yourself achieving your dreams!

Join the Club!

2009-01-27T14:59:00.000-08:00

There are only a few days left to take advantage of the greatest deal in Heritage Makers history to date! Become a member of the Premier Club and get 12 months of Studio Premier and an 8x8 storybook credit for only $99.95! This is the best pricing for studio that Heritage Makers has ever offered. The offer is only good until January 31st, so be sure to contact me today if you are interested. Remember, this offer is only good through me! It is not available on the website.

To sweeten the deal, I am offering Premier Club Members the following perks:

* an exclusive workshop for Premier Club Members only each month

*an entry to win a FREE publishing credit each month!

Call or e-mail me today to take advantage of this great deal!

My First Giveaway!

2009-01-25T17:53:00.000-08:00

So, I have decided to join the other bloggers and start a weekly giveaway! If you subscribe to my blog, you will be eligible for the giveaways each week! Who does not love free stuff?

So, this week I am giving away a credit to make your very own personalized deck of cards! These cards are not only fun to make, but even more fun to play with! My kids love to play go fish with while asking, "Do you have a Grandma Murphy"?

The deck of cards come with your typical 52 cards. You can personalize each card or have the same photo on all of the cards. It is completely up to you!

So, all you have to do is subscribe to my blog and you could be the big winner! Good Luck!

A Sale Every Day!

2009-01-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

Heritage Makers is helping us through the winter months by holding a sale every day! While some of our consultants are away on a Caribbean Cruise, there are great prices on publishing credits! Don't miss out! There are still a few days left! Here are the remaining credit sales:

Today 1/14 - (2) 7.5x10 storybook credits - $95.95

Thursday 1/15 - (2) 7x5 storybook credits - $63.95

Friday 1/16 -(2) 16x20 canvas poster credits - $159.95

Sat. and Sun 1/17 & 1/18 - (2)12x12 storybook credits - $119.95

Thank You Cards From the Holidays

2009-01-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

My kids are spoiled! Yes, I mean it! They are spoiled! Spoiled in a good way though. I am so blessed to have such an amazing family that finds my children to be so special!

As I am always working on trying to get my kids to appreciate the "smaller things" in life and to appreciate all that they have been blessed with, I want to instill a tradition in them that my mother instilled in me...thank you notes. Now some of you may be saying "How are thank you notes a tradition?" Well, maybe they are more of a courtesy than a tradition. Anyway, I think that it is important to get the kids used to taking time to let people know that they are grateful.

Now if you are a family member of mine, you know that I have slacked on this from time to time. Not out of a lack of appreciation for what you have done for my family and I, but more so out of a lack of time. I know, my mother would be mortified, but it is the truth. My children are small and they are unable to write the notes for themselves. So, this year, I have come up with a plan!

If you are like me, you camera is glued to your hip. I love pictures! So, I am making it a point to take a picture of my kids in their new outfits, when they are playing with new toys, or baking and eating popovers with the mix and recipe given to us as a gift(thank you Aunt Sharon!). I am then going to turn those pictures into thank you cards by creating post cards out them (yes...this will save on postage too!) Now you could also send the photos in an e-mail to people, but I really think that thank you notes are one of those things that need to go into snail mail!

Now I know that not everyone will agree with me on this point and that is fine! However don't you think that you will bring such joy to Aunt Susie or Grandma Jill when she sees a photo of your child in the outfit that they bought? You never know the power of a photo!

2009-01-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

Do you have kids that say the funniest things? Of course you do! Today, my three year old just kept coming out with the funniest one liners! She kills me!

It really got me thinking about how I would love a way to keep track of all of the great things they say. Then, I came up with a great idea! One of the fun things that Heritage Makers has are playing cards. I LOVE these playing cards and cannot stop making different games for my kids and family.

Anyway, I thought that it would be funny to add some of the really funny things that my kids say to the cards with their adorable pictures. Now, I will have the opportunity to have these great sayings around all of the time. Here are some other great ideas for what you can do with personalized playing cards:

*personalized valentines for your kids (to get and to give)

*small baby pictures to include in an announcement

*your child's own baseball or other sport card

*family memory

*family go fish

*personalized flash cards (abc's, sight words, numbers...all with your kids photos on them!)

*thank you card photos from the holidays

*unique business cards!

There are so many great ideas for these cards!

Happiness Box

2009-01-05T12:14:00.000-08:00

There is nothing that I love more than being able to spend time with my kids. Before I had kids, I never really knew what kind of a mom I would be. I knew that I wanted kids, but that was about it. Now that I have them, they are just the loves of my life!

I am all about traditions and making lasting memories. My mom was so good at this and I know that she got it from her mother as well. I am always looking for new things to do with them that don't cost an arm and a leg because I really want them to learn to enjoy the little things in life. One thing that I use is the "Happiness Jar".

Anyway, here is what the Happiness Box is all about:

* Sit down as a family and think about some fun activities that you enjoy doing together. It can be anything from going for family walks, reading books, or going out to dinner. The activities can be as big or small as you want (however, I encourage as many small things as possible!)

*Create envelopes for each of the special activities. Whenever possible, include things in the envelope that go along with the activity. For instance, buy some discount movie tickets from the credit union and put them in there or when you get gift cards for restaurants or fun places, place them in the envelopes. If the items are too big, wrap them in coordinating paper and place them in a closet.

* Whenever you feel like the family needs a little bit of "happiness" have someone pull something from the jar or box. This could be a job for someone in the family that has accomplished something special or just because you feel like you need a new and fun idea for the day.

Some activity ideas:

*Date Night with Mommy

*Date Night with Daddy

*Movie night at home

*Family hike at the park

*Family Game Night

*Pizza Dinner

*Family Slumber Party

*Make cookies together

*Go to the science museum or other local attraction.

*Picnic Lunch or Dinner

The other part of this is that the family gets to decorate the box or jar that you are going to keep these items in. It is a fun art project for everyone and usually becomes a very interesting topic of conversation when someone stops by.

My goal is to use this to show my kids that the memories that we make together are so much better than the material things that we can get. Remember, be sure to take lots of pictures!!

Feel Accomplished This Year!

2009-01-03T17:57:00.001-08:00

So we all start off the new year feeling like we are going to conquer the world. Then, we get two days in and realize that there really is not much about us that has changed since last year.

One thing that you can do is to get organized! That is one of my top goals! I am going to use a book called Organize This Life by Jennifer Ford Berry to help me this year. This book is amazing and takes you week by week through organizing so much!

One thing that I am going to put at the top of my list is organizing my photos. I feel like I am such a slacker mom because I do not have full baby books for either of my kids. I take a million and one photos and then have such great intentions. However, this year, with my Heritage Makers account and my new laptop (yeah!) I pledge to be diligent about uploading all of my photos from my camera to my computer and then to my HM account. That way I know that they are safe and I will always have them to use to work on projects.

Now I know, I should already do this because I am a consultant for the company for goodness sakes! But let's face it, we all have the best of intentions!! I am going to be sure to keep up the work on the books for each of my kids as well as a family year book from all of the fun things that we have done in 2008. They got such a kick out of the book that I did titled What It Means To Be A Murphy.

So, take it one step at a time and start with the photos from this past Christmas. Learn how to make a folder on your computer and then upload them to your HM account. You have taken the first steps to being organized!!

New Year - New Things!

2009-01-02T10:24:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! As I look back on 2008, it was a very interesting year. A lot of good came from the year, but a lot of craziness also took place. My goal for this year is to always take a step back. I realize (as I am sure many others have before me!) that worrying about everything does not necessarily change the situation. With all of the hardships that people are facing, I plan to simplify and spend more quality time with my family teaching them to simplify as well.

I know, I know. We all start out with good intentions and the next thing you know we are back off the wagon (just like the diet that I started yesterday! I am already into the chocolate!) However, I feel like if I don't really work on this resolution, I am not only failing myself, but my kids too!

I am so fortunate to have met some really great ladies who have started a social network on ning. We are called WNY moms. I am going to be doing a blog with tips for dealing with education and creative ideas for kids. The other ladies are all doing other blogs with great tips on how to go green, organization, recipes and more. I look forward to learning from others this year and connecting more with other moms. That has been difficult for me since so many of the people that I know do not yet have kids. While I love all of my kidless friends to death, I sometimes find it hard for them to relate to the stuff that is stressing me out. They are my continued support though in getting out and doing other things that help me to stay me!

Christmas Memory Ideas

2008-12-28T19:56:00.000-08:00

With the holidays winding down, there are probably a million and one photos that have been taken, videos shot, and memories made. One great idea that I try to do every year is to take photos of my kids with certain gifts that they really enjoy. It usually ends up being some of the favorite toys or favorite outfits. Then, I make a personalized thank you card with the photo. While it is hard to do that for everyone who has given my kids a special gift, I do try my best to do it for those family members and friends that we don't see as often due to distance. You can do this quickly and easily on my site at www.whystorybook.com. You can create a personalized 5x7 card complete with a special note of thanks, or a simple 5x7 postcard with the photo and a short message. Either way, it is a great keepsake for the holidays and the receiver will love to see that their gifts are going to such great use!

Kelly

2008-12-22T20:24:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I love Christmas! I look forward to Christmas all year long! I wish that it was something that could last forever. Then, two days before Christmas, I am so exhausted from baking, shopping, wrapping, and everything else, that I can even imagine what Christmas day will be like. Every year I have the dream that this will be the year that Christmas will not be stressful and that I will have everything done with more than enough time to spare. I have this vision of me sitting on the couch with all of the beautiful lights around me while I sip cocoa and watch old Christmas movies. The reality...I am sitting here wrapping and baking while my kids and husband are all peacefully sleeping. I am stressed and already feel like I have gained 10 pounds because all that I have eaten today is the crumbs of cookies, broken chocolate pretzels and cookies that did not look perfect. Why do I do this to myself every year?

I almost want to start a club (like I need anything else to do!) that plans out what we need to do for Christmas starting 3 months in advance. Then, maybe I could have my night on the couch with cocoa!!

New to Blogging

2008-12-15T20:08:00.000-08:00

Well, I am very new to the this blog thing! I have been inspired to blog by other friends and people that I have seen and read. I have always been one for journals and since I spend so much time on the computer, why not put everything in one place! I hope to incoporate this blog into my new business and into my website. Wish me luck!

kelly