1. You want the world (and possibly yourself) to believe you’ve led a “perfect” life.
2. You prefer fairy tales and happily-ever-after to comedy, suspense & drama.
3. You have aspirations of being the next June Cleaver.
4. You secretly think the “real” you is just too boring.
5. You’re hoping you can rewrite history by scrapping just the highlights.
6. You’d prefer that after you’re gone, you’ll simply be forgotten.
7. “Ac-cent….uate the positive, e-lim…. inate the negative” was drilled into you in grade school.
8. You’re not one to rock the boat … ever.
9. You plan to run for public office someday and frankly, those family skeletons can just stay right where they are.
10. You just haven’t found the perfectly coordinating papers and embellies yet.

All kidding aside, there are a lot of reasons why we tend to avoid scrapbooking the not-so-pretty parts of life.

The frustrations. The disappointments. The failures. Our fears & dashed hopes. The things that keep us awake at night. That big ol’ list of pet peeves that seems to grow longer by the day. What we were really thinking when we opened that gift from Aunt Rose or sat around that stuffy living room pretending to enjoy yet another family get-together. Those moments when our adorable children didn’t quite match up to our expectations of them, or worse – embarrassed the heck out of us. The things we wish our parents had done differently … or would DO differently. That “wonderful family adventure” that really just stunk all the way around, though we tried to make the best of things. How we really feel about spending every summer vacation doing the same, exact thing.

There’s nothing wrong with highlighting only the good in our scrapbooks. There’s definitely value in trying to see the proverbial glass as half-full and to choose to approach life’s circumstances in a positive way. But if our goal is to tell the stories of our life … our real life … it’s pretty tough to do it in an authentic way without including at least a little exploration of those less-than-perfect thoughts, feelings & moments.

Just as in our daily life, it’s all about finding a balance. If you’ve been following along here lately, you know that’s not exactly my strong suit, even in my scrapbooking. I’ll share more about my own pursuit of scrapbooking balance later in the week. But for now, I have a few tips to help you get started if you’d like to add a little more reality to your scrapping…

1. Think about WHY you scrapbook. What motivates you to spend time creating those pages? If you scrapbook purely for fun (and there is nothing wrong with that), you may not want to bother with adding the negative stuff; whereas, if your goal is to leave a record of your life for future generations, you may have an entirely different approach.
2. Decide for WHOM you are scrapping. This is very likely influenced by #1 and your answer may vary from one project to another. Are you scrapping for your kids? Your spouse? Your parents? Your friends? Your co-workers? Your CT assignments? Gallery adoration? Future grandchildren? … Yourself?
3. Determine WHEN you anticipate your pages will be viewed. Do you envision sharing your album with the family at your next holiday gathering or posting every page in our gallery? Or will you be tucking your pages away for your children to read when they are grown? If you’re worried about hurting your mother-in-law’s feelings or sharing information your kids aren’t old enough to understand, knowing that you will be tucking those pages away – safe from sight – until a more appropriate time to let them be seen may help make it easier to actually get those pages scrapped.
4. QUIT taking yourself so seriously. Remember that no one’s life is perfect – even when it appears otherwise in the galleries – and scrapbooking is a great way to share the ways we are all so imperfectly alike. The sky is not going to fall if you admit on a scrapbook page that you really don’t like Great Aunt Edna’s cooking. Really … it won’t.
5. Remind yourself that you don’t necessarily have to share every layout in your online gallery, Facebook page … or even with your spouse or best friend. Real life scrapbooking can be extremely therapeutic – and it’s OKAY to scrapbook entirely for YOU. And who knows… maybe the process of scrapping some of that stuff you don’t necessarily want the world to know about will help you get to the point where you are ready to share – and move on.

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

{Please note… the way in which Yearbook layouts are selected has been changed since this was originally posted. The following information no longer applies.}

Back to normal? Found some time to scrap a bit of your “real” life? I hope so, because I’m ready for you to start sending me your best pages!

Our first Log Your Memory Real Life Scrapbooking Idea Yearbook will be published next January … and you have 365 chances between now and then to have at least one of YOUR best pages featured in that book!

Here’s how it works …

1. Scrap your everyday life as you are living it today. The good, the bad, the in-between. The exciting and the hum-drum. The stories you want to remember for later.
2. Keep track of every product used on your pages, including kit and designer names, as well as where you purchased them. You are welcome to use templates as long as you include them on your supplies & credits list.
3. Before you post your pages anywhere online or submit them anywhere else – including here on our site – pick out a couple favorites. The ones you’re really proud of that you’d love to share with others. Make sure they are timely. (ie. If you’re submitting for January, your pages should focus on things that happen or that are on your mind in January.)
4. Download this file, which includes information on how to apply.
5. Fill out the application form for each of those favorite layouts that you’d like to submit – one form per layout.
6. Submit the form, along with your layout (image specifications included with form), no later than midnight (MTN) on February 5, 2010, to be considered for the January winners.
7. Don’t share your submitted layouts with anyone, post them anywhere online (including your blog, Facebook, Shutterfly Share, Flickr, etc.), or submit them to any other contest, publication call, etc. until after the winners have been announced for that month. In other words, we want the layouts featured in the Yearbook to be brand new, never-before-seen by the public. You know … a surprise!
8. Check back here on February 11th to find out if any of your layouts has been selected for the book!
9. Get busy scrapping for the next month’s contest!

If one of your layout(s) is chosen…

• Your name will be announced among the January winners … 31 in all!
• You will be asked to sign a release form granting Log Your Memory publishing and online posting rights to your layout (more information about this is included on the entry form).
• You will receive a $10 gift certificate good toward the purchase of any downloadable item from our on-site store.
• You could be the ONE person that is chosen as our featured artist for the month … if so,  you will be featured prominently in that month’s section in the book PLUS you will receive a $25 cash prize, in addition to the $10 gift certificate.

Other points of interest …

• Entries may be paper or digital. However, to have a chance of being selected, images of paper layouts must be a good quality scan or a very high quality photo of the layout and have all background cropped out. Scrapbook layouts of any size and orientation will be considered. Cards or other items, however, are not eligible.
• Entries may be single-page or double-spread layouts.
• This contest will be repeated every month. Submissions for a given month will always be due by midnight on the 5th of the following month, with winners announced around the 10th-13th. There will be one winner for every day of the given month. One of those winners will also be selected as the featured artist for the month.
• You may only have one layout chosen per month, but you are welcome to enter as many times as you’d like. You may win during more than one month.
• Once each month’s winners have been announced, you are welcome to do whatever you’d like with your layouts that were NOT selected, including posting them to online galleries, submitting them to other contests, etc.
• If, by chance, there are not enough entries during any given month to select enough winners for the month, we reserve the right to supplement the book with layouts created from other sources, such as our Creative Team.
• This project will only succeed with lots of participation! So, if you’d love a chance to be published, please help us spread the word! Help us make this a Log Your Memory annual tradition!

Now … get busy scrapping and sending me those pages! I can’t wait to see your entries!

Questions? Feel free to post them in a comment below or privately via the Contact Us page. This contest information is also posted in our forum under the tab “Yearbook Contest,” as shown below:

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

Now that our New Year is underway, our pick for Layout of the Week each Friday will come from Book Club member posts in the current week’s Logbook Weekly Challenge Gallery. Also, once a month our featured layout will be selected by our lead Calendar Girl for the month, in this case Heather Guenther.

This week’s journaling prompt posed the following question: What would you do if you found out that you only had one year-THIS year-left to live? Our Challenge gallery is already bursting with a variety of amazing pages created in response to this question. But it won’t take you long to discover why Heather chose the page that she did to highlight as Layout of the Week.

Here’s what she said about her choice:

“There were a lot of really good ones, but I read the journaling in ‘Not Today’ by Heather Prins and was mesmerized. Where I was stumped by what I would journal to go with the challenge question, she tackled the challenge head-on and wrote the most beautiful and heartfelt journaling. She paired the journaling with a great collection of photos showing the love between her family members and those who mean the world to her. It was a knock-it-out-of-the-park beautiful layout in capturing her fears as well as capturing her bravery and determination to live each day.”

"Not Today" by Heather Prins

I agree wholeheartedly. Read Ms. Prin’s journaling yourself – you’ll be glad you did…

What would you do if you found out that you only had one year-THIS year-left to live?

Just writing this is difficult for me; it is my biggest fear. What if I die before I finish living? What if my tomorrows are indeed numbered? What if I don’t get to grow old and witness my children live their lives? What if i don’t get to cry at their weddings or hold my grandkids? What if I don’t celebrate their next birthdays? Will they know how I loved them so? That my heart ached everyday until they walked in the door? Will they know that every breath I took from the moment they took their first was always for them? Will know they how proud I was of each of them every single day, just being their mom?

Admittedly ,at first, I would probably go a little insane (okay a lot insane). I would write them letters, buy trinkets, relive old memories, pour over photos, make videos, etc. And then, when the anger and the sadness became unbearable, I would take a deep breath and say

”Not today. Today I am going to live and breathe and laugh and love. Today I am going to hug my babies. I am going to make my mom laugh and kiss my husband. We are going to giggle and be silly and be thankful for this normal day. I am going to count my blessings today and not waste a single second more about ‘what if’, today is mine.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I may be able to always see silver linings (at least I have a whole year and i know it, right?), there would be many hours of darkness, a million tears cried, silently in the wee hours of the morning, alone. There would be a gaping wound in my heart that would never, ever heal. But I also know that in that broken heart there would be love. A love for my family so strong, that its light cannot be shadowed by fear. And it would shine through those broken pieces like a kaleidoscope, guiding us through the sadness, and again I would whisper “Not Today”.

Congratulations on being selected, Heather! As a special reward, you will receive 10 bonus points this week through the Real Deal Book Club Rewards Program.

Want a chance at having one of your creations selected for next Friday’s Layout of the Week? Simply participate in our next Weekly Challenge question & post your layout in the Challenge gallery by noon (MTN) on Thursday. (You’ll need the Memory Logbook or Real Life Scrapbooking Weekly Challenges book to participate, as well as take a few minutes to register for our Book Club).

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

Remember how when you were little, it seemed like Christmas could never get here fast enough? Now it feels like I just blink and it’s upon me, ready or not. And with four busy kids, a new business, a second “real” job and a household to manage, this year is no exception.

I’m guessing I’m not the only one feeling a bit stressed this weekend. So I thought I’d take a little detour from my typical post and share a little holiday humor … the process of hunting down these little tidbits has helped me already. Hopefully it’ll help to brighten your spirits a bit, as well.

All I Need to Know, I Learned from Santa …

1. Encourage people to believe in you.
2. Always remember who’s naughty and who’s nice.
3. Don’t pout.
4. It’s as much fun to give as it is to receive.
5. Some days it’s ok to feel a little chubby.
6. Make your presents known.
7. Always ask for a little bit more than what you really want.
8. Bright red can make anyone look good.
9. Wear a wide belt and no-one will notice how many pounds you’ve gained.
10. If you only show up once a year, everyone will think you’re very important.
11. Whenever you’re at a loss for words, say “HO, HO, HO!”

Five Ways to Track Santa Online

Looking for a few more “modern” ways to connect with Santa? Check out this article. Options include sending St. Nick an email, asking the Jolly Old Elf questions online,  peeking in on him live via Webcam, chatting with Santa on your iPhone, and tracking his progress online on Christmas Eve.

Helpful Holiday Diet Tips

1. If no one sees you eat it, it has no calories.
2. If you drink a diet soda with a candy bar, they cancel each other out.
3. If you eat standing up, it doesn’t count!
4. STRESSED is just DESSERTS spelled backwards.
5. If you eat the food off someone else’s plate, it doesn’t count.
6, Cookie pieces contain no calories because the process of breakage cause calorie leakage.
7. Food used for medicinal purposes have no calories. This includes: any chocolate used for energy, brandy, cheesecake, and Haagen-Daz Ice Cream.
8. When eating with someone else, calories don’t count if you both eat the same amount.
9. Movie-related foods are much lower in calories simply because they are a part of the entertainment experience and not part of one’s personal fuel. This includes: Milk Duds, popcorn with butter, Junior Mints, Snickers, and Gummi Bears.

‘Twas the Week Before Christmas
By Joyce Luke

‘Twas the week before Christmas and all through the school
Not a pupil was silent, no matter what rule.
The children were busy with paper and paste;
The mess that they made with it couldn’t be faced.

The teacher half frantic and almost in tears,
Had just settled down to work with her dears,
When out in the hall there arose such a clatter
up sprang the kids to see what was the matter!

Away to the door they all flew like a flash;
The one who was leading went down with a crash.
Then what to their wondering eyes did appear
But a green Christmas tree! (To decorate I fear!)

When the teacher saw this, she almost grew sick.
She knew in a moment it must be Old Nick!
She ran to the door (all her efforts were vain)
But she shouted, and stamped, and she called them by name;

“Now Tommy! Now Sandy, Now Judy and Harry!
Stop Billy! Stop Robert! Stop Donny and Sherry!
Now get to your places get away from the hall
Now get away! Get away! Get away all!

As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly
The pupils, pell mell, started scurrying by.
They ran to the blackboard and skipped down the aisle;
Their faces were shining and each had a smile.

First came a basket of popcorn to string
-Then came the Christmas tree (menacing thing).
As the tree was brought in there arose a great shout;
The pupils were merrily romping about.

The state they were in could lead to a riot;
The teacher was sure, if allowed, they would try it.
Her nerves how they jangled! Her temples were throbbing!
The rush of her breath sounded almost like sobbing!

The lines of her face were as fixed as a mask;
It was plain that she didn’t feel up to her task.
The look in her eye would have tamed a wild steer,
But the children ignored it; they did every year.

A tear from her eye and a shake of her head
Soon led me to think that she wished she were dead.
She spoke not a word but went straight to her work,
Strung all the popcorn which broke with a jerk.

But at last it was finished and placed on the tree;
Then came the bell and the children were free.
Their shrill little voices soon faded away
And peace was restored at the end of the day.
As she looked at the Christmas tree glistening and tall,
She smiled as she whispered, Merry Christmas to all!

Dear Santa,

I’ve been a good mom all year. I’ve fed, cleaned, and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctor’s office more than my doctor, sold 62 cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground, and figured out how to attach nine patches onto my daughter’s Girl Scout sash with staples and a glue gun.

I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I’ll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store. I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you’re hauling big ticket items this year, I’d like a car with fingerprint-resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, “Yes, Mommy” to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty-trained toddler, two kids who don’t fight, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, “Don’t eat in the living room” and “Take your hands off your brother,” because my voice seems to be just out of my children’s hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

And please don’t forget the Playdoh Travel Pack, the stocking stuffer this year for mothers of preschoolers. It comes in three fluorescent colors and is guaranteed to crumble on any carpet making the in-laws’ house seem just like mine.

If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don’t mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family; or if my toddler didn’t look so cute sneaking downstairs to eat contraband ice cream in his pajamas at midnight.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don’t catch cold.

Help yourself to cookies on the table, but don’t eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always, Mom

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Around our house, Thanksgiving is extra busy because my youngest son was born just a few days before the holiday. This year his birthday fell on Tuesday, so while most folks were busy getting ready for Turkey Day, we were knee deep in tween-age boys, birthday cake, presents and your general birthday chaos!

It’s also hunting season … and around our house, that’s significant. Let’s just say my husband chose Lewistown first for the hunting & fishing, second for the job. So pretty much everything revolves around the last hunt, the current hunt, the next hunt … you get the idea.

So as I write this on the eve of Thanksgiving, my husband has already packed a lunch for tomorrow and gone to bed, with the alarm set for 5-something so he can get out to his favorite spot before sunrise. Even though it is after 10 p.m., my house is crawling with my very awake nieces and nephew, who managed to sleep a chunk of their 6-plus hour drive over here with my parents and are now raring to go for a while yet.

There’s a thawed out (I hope) turkey in the fridge, four pumpkin pies stashed in the back porch (no room in the fridge), and a new layer of toys, popcorn, shoes & other “stuff” strewn across my all-day cleaning job.

So rather than concoct some clever Thanksgiving layout to share on this site for this Thanksgiving Day … or create some other appropriately-themed post, I decided to instead share a couple birthday photos before shifting focus away from the computer and on to the family.

Which is exactly where I hope you are on this wonderful holiday as well.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with you and yours … and we’ll catch up again after the turkey’s all gone!!

Click on “comment” below to share your thoughts…

It’s time again for our weekly roundup of inspirational “real life” scrapbook pages from around the Web!

"Enjoy" by mummytothree

“Enjoy” by mummytothree provides a snapshot into this family’s life just days before the birth of a new baby. We tend to take tons of photos and scrapbook memories right after a new little one arrives, but it’s nice to have this reminder of what was going through mom’s head just before such a life-altering event.

"Spontaneity" by Miracle's Momma Designs

I love how Miracle’s Momma Designs used a quote as a springboard in “Spontaneity,” but then added a few thoughts of her own to make it a bit more personal and help connect us to what was happening in the photos.

"The Beatles Rock Band Influence" by aromachock

“The Beatles Rock Band Influence” includes both a song list and a series of notes about the memories associated with the musical side of this cute little guy.  Aromachock didn’t write a ton of journaling, but she didn’t need to – this page still tells a lot about this stage in her son’s life.

"Thankful 4 Books" by gonewiththewind

Gonewiththewind describes her love for books in her beautifully designed “Thankful 4 Books.” I love how she included lots of little tidbits in her journaling, from how books are a part of her daily routine to the types of books she likes to how she loves to open a book and smell the paper and ink. I can totally relate!

"My Wish" by Jule

Though I don’t really understand the journaling in “My Wish” by Jule because it is written in German, I was quickly attracted to the design of the page and the photos. She mentions in her layout description that the page is about her dream of someday being a photographer. Such a nice reminder to document not only what we are doing today, but what we’d love to do in the future.

"First Shave" by MelissaL88

The play-by-play account in “First Shave” by MelissaL88 sounds so much like something that could easily happen in my house, especially with two boys who are growing up way too fast! Someday when this youngster is all grown up, this page and its detail will transport this family right back to the sights and sounds of this time in their lives – real life scrapping at its finest!

"Jack's Apple Pie" by Emmy

I like this page by Emmy because it doesn’t scream “school page,” yet documents “Jack’s Apple Pie” and how it resulted from a favorite unit of study in kindergarten. Doesn’t Jack just look so proud?? I bet he’ll be even more pleased to see that mom took the time to document this for him and recognized his achievements.

"Thankful" by AjaAbney

I absolutely LOVE this page – “Thankful” – by AjaAbney because it is a beautifully scrapbooked reminder of something I am so guilty of not doing often enough – simply slowing down and enjoying the moment, especially when it comes to my kids and family. This is the type of page that would be perfect framed and hung on the wall as a daily reminder to simply “be present.”

"Special" by LiJo14

“Special” by LiJo14 struck a chord with me because this mom took that extra step to describe all of the little details that make this adorable little guy special, rather than just writing the word “special” on the page and leaving the rest to your imagination. Who wouldn’t enjoy hearing about all of those little ways someone thinks they’re wonderful?

"Create" by LauraLiz

I think most scrapbookers can relate to “Create” by LauraLiz. I love how she describes the “ideas coming out of my pores” and shares examples about how creativity is simply a part of who she is and how she lives. I definitely need to lift this one someday soon …

"Thankful" by Ace's Wild

As someone with more “virtual” friends than those I can actually see and sit down at a table with, I love that Ace’s Wild took the time to document why she is “Thankful” for her online community of friends. If those around her don’t really “get” her connection to her Internet friends, they just might have a better understanding after reading her journaling. Another page that would be good for me to do someday soon … then maybe my own family would quit giving me so much guff!

"Free Spirit" by g8rBeckie

Take a close look at “Free Spirit” by g8rBeckie. Don’t you just feel like you KNOW this little guy after experiencing this page? His little personality just shines through in the photos and the fun design … and then the journaling really pulls it all together. Such a fun way to end this week’s Story Board.

That’s it for this week! I don’t know about you, but I now have the itch to do some scrapping!! It’s been far too long … hope you get a chance to play a little yourself!

Today’s Story Board brought to you by …

Interested in seeing YOUR business, store, Web site or favorite designer promoted here? Sponsorship opportunities are available … to find out more, inquire through the Contact Us page.

It’s Friday and that means it’s time once again to highlight a page posted this week in our Layout Gallery that illustrates “real life” scrapbooking at its finest.

This week’s Layout of the Week by MamaBee uses one of my favorite real life scrapbooking tools – answering a series of prompts, or questions, that reflect life in the moment and give us a picture of every day life “right now.”

"Me Right Now" by MamaBee

The trick, of course, is finding a way to scrapbook this without letting the list of questions overwhelm the page. MamaBee does a wonderful job of just that … the journaling really takes a backseat to her little visual snippets that flesh out the story. Yet, there is a ton of information on this page, and after reading it and studying it for a bit, I feel like I have a pretty accurate picture of this person’s life in this moment – and we’ve never even met, at least not in “real” life.

I love the variety and relevance of  the images used here … logos, magazine covers, photos and icons … they all come together to really give the flavor of “today.” You may not give it much thought right now, but in 20 or 30 years, those little details are likely to fascinate someone looking at this page.  Just think about how many cover re-designs some of our longest running magazines have gone through over the years – or how much product packaging has evolved – and you’ll see what I mean.

Documenting your “right now,” your everyday life, is a big part of what Log Your Memory is all about. And prompts such as those used in this layout are one of the primary tools utilized in our core product – the Scrapbooker’s All-In-One Memory Logbook. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to take a closer look at this book. Better yet, order yourself a copy now so you’ll be all set to document your everyday when the New Year rolls in.

Congratulations MamaBee! And thanks for inspiring and reminding us to capture the little things.

“Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things.” ~Robert Brault