My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software Review & Giveaway!

I was contacted by My Memories to share a review with my readers and (the best part) to host a giveaway.  

My Memories is a site that is devoted to digital scrapbooking.  But because I've never scrapbooked in my life, I honestly thought I'd download the software and think, "Oh, that'd be neat for a scrapbooker."  

Um no.  It's so much more than that!  EEK!!

Look at this Valentine's Day card I'll be mailing out to friends and family!  I'm having it printed on card stock.  I'll fold it in half, leaving the inside blank to write a sweet little "thinking of you" message.  

This scrapbook software is so amazing and it's so user friendly.  Here's a screenshot of the software right before I saved this card.  

On the right side, (if you squint) you'll see the control panel.  It contains all the little things you'll need to go crazy.  I used two different background papers and then added the cute little pink ribbon & birdy embellishments.  Then I added text and a photo of the cutest little boy I've ever seen.  Done!  

For my son's school v-day cards, I decided to use this idea that I found on Pinterest.  I think it will be a fun project that my little man can help with, and hopefully the kids will actually use the crayons.  (Plus, it's ONE less piece of candy they'll eat on that day.)

Picture Source

Rather than handwriting out the phrase, "Happy Valentine's Day for "crayon" out loud!" like the creator did above, I decided to see if I could whip up something using my My Memories Suite software.  

Here's how it turned out.  Feel free to email me if you'd like to use this.  

Even though it doesn't look like it here, this is actually a 5 x 5 square.  (That's another great thing about the software--you can pick the exact size of your pages and/or album.)  I think that after I print them on card stock I'll cut around the outside, making it a circle.  

Seriously, the possibilities are endless.  And don't worry.  If you don't want to start "blank" you don't have to.  There are TONS of pre-made albums and pages for you to use too if you'd like.  

And, although this digital scrapbook software comes with a lot of designs, embellishments and everything else under the sun, there's also a page on their site devoted to free digital scrapbooking kits that designers make specifically for their software and there's no limit to how much of the free stuff you can add to your software.  Holla!  

Okay, so you get the point.  Just know that if you want more information on the software, this page on their site has some great information.  

Now to the super fun part!  My Memories is giving away its scrapbooking software to one of my blog readers!  And because the software is downloaded from their site, there's no wait for a disk to come in the mail!  YAY!  

If you're not the lucky winner of this giveaway, can't wait, or want to buy this as a gift for someone else, use the promo code STMMMS32327 when you checkout and you'll receive $10 OFF your purchase of My Memory Suite.

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY BELOW!  GOOD LUCK!

If the Rafflecopter widget is not appearing below go to the top of this blog post and click on the title.

For some reason, landing on my homepage is not allowing some to view the widget.

If you encounter any problems trying to use this widget, please contact me!

Dear Santa

Santa, I've been a very good boy this year.  

Thank you for the presents.  Enjoy the milk and cookies.

This was his first ever handwritten letter to Santa.  

See that look of pride on his face?  It doesn't even compare to the look I was giving him behind the camera.  <3

"Candy Wrap" Gift Certificates Using your Wrapping Paper Tube: DIY Tutorial

Let's face it, sometimes things get done a little more last-minute than we'd like.

Tonight I printed off the gift certificates I'd purchased for my mother and sister as Christmas gifts only to realize I hadn't put much thought into how I was planning on wrapping them.

Yes, you heard me right. I wanted to wrap gift certificates. I'm a big kid and I love seeing someone tear open wrapping paper before getting their gift. It's part of the fun!

So, I walked around the house looking for boxes to throw them in. I strongly considered using granola bar boxes, before it hit me...

I could use the wrapping paper tube that was laying in the floor. Then I got excited because I realized if I did that 1) they wouldn't realize they were gift certificates and 2) I could wrap them to look like candy!

So, here's how I did it & how it turned out....

Each tube could be used for three certificates at 8.5 x 11 each.  Since I only used two, I'll be stashing the other piece with my wrapping paper to use again in the future.  

Since we started recycling earlier this year, I've tried my best to reuse materials whenever possible.  So, besides how stinkin' cute these are, I'm also thrilled to be reusing something that would have just been thrown away other wise.  

I will never look at a wrapping-paper tube the same again, ever.  

And I couldn't be happier about it!

I Don't Understand Either

I've been a fan of Post Secret for a while now.  In case you don't know, Post Secret is an extremely popular blog that is comprised entirely of the anonymous postcard submissions mailed in by fans each week.  Each week (on Sundays) 10 of the postcards are posted on the blog.

I'm very inspired by Post Secret on many, many levels and have decided to start a regular Secret Sunday here on the blog.  My goal is to take the postcard that stood out to me the most (either because I can relate or because it got me thinking about a specific topic) and giving my perspective on why it was significant to me.

This week's post surrounds this submission:

Picture Source

I can completely relate to this poster.  I don't understand either.  

I feel that I'm at a unique age where I'm young enough to be sensitive to the necessity of a certain amount of political correctness in our society but am old enough to remember when everyone just said, "Merry Christmas."  In fact, that doesn't seem like it was too long ago.

Could it have been that 10 years ago there were no atheists?  

Did nobody celebrate Hanukkah?  

Surely not, right?  So what's changed?  

In my opinion, we've crossed a line.  We've gone from being aware of other cultures and belief systems (which, as a pretty liberal individual, I'm ALL about) to being afraid to just say whatever comes natural to us.  

Tell me Joyous Kwanzaa, please.  I'll appreciate the sentiment.  Don't be afraid to offend me.  

If it's more natural for you to say Merry Christmas, then haye... I'll take those well wishes also!  

And of course, if you prefer to say Happy Holidays, have at it!

There's a great difference between being socially aware and being socially inept, yet the line between the two seems to be blurring more over time.  

Don't purposefully offend anyone.  But don't freak out over the thought of accidently saying 'the wrong' blessing to someone during the holiday season.  

When you fumble around searching for the most politically correct phrase, any genuineness in your intent is lost in those few seconds I saw your mind flipping through its pages trying to ascertain what to say.  

Maybe I'm the only one, but it's somewhat more offensive to me when people try so hard not to be offensive.  I find myself thinking, do I come across as someone who would get upset over a 'Happy Hanukkah?' 

We're all trying to be kinder, especially this time of year.  But I don't expect for anyone to 'tiptoe' around my beliefs (or lack of).  And, I think if you took a poll, most people would agree that they would not be offended by you wishing them a blissful holiday season in the terms and expressions that mean the most to you, whether Merry Christmas or Happy Hanukkah.  

It's more human that way.  It's realer.  It's authentic and personal.  Let's keep that part of the holidays alive.  This generic 'one-size fits all holiday mumbo jumbo' isn't doing any of us any favors--at least not in my mind

I'd ask if I'm alone in this, but ya know... Post Secret made me realize today that there's at least one other who agrees with me.  

Anyone else?

Secret Sunday is a series of posts inspired by the weekly submissions to Post Secret.

Click here to visit postsecret.com OR click here to visit other posts by this author in this series.

I Miss Her So Much

On June 29, 2010 I lost my great grandmother.

I knew I'd miss her long before she left us, but I could never have guessed how much.  Looking back I was crazy not to have realized how much of a hole she'd leave in me.  After all, she was a part of every special memory in my life.

Every Easter I that I can ever remember was spent in her backyard.

Granny would sit on the porch and watch the children go wild.

Everyone would hunt eggs....

....and spend time with their cousins, aunts, uncles, and siblings.

Our last Easter together, she wasn't feeling well so I'm thankful to have snagged one photo with her.  

Every Halloween we'd stop by to make sure she saw our costumes.

Every Thanksgiving, it was her house the whole family flocked to in order to fill up on turkey and dressing.

And every Christmas Eve, it was her tree that everyone always gathered around to pass out gifts.

She hadn't been herself months before she passed, but two days before she left us she gave us all one last special gift--the gift of her company.  

She was very alert and ready to talk to everyone.  

She even smiled.  Oh, she smiled.  

And she even gave us a hard time and all of us laughed.

I'm so thankful that she gave us one last day to soak her in.  When I get too sad about her not being with me anymore it's these memories, and many more, that I try to focus on.  I'm so blessed to have had a relationship with this strong-willed, opinionated woman that I often see in myself.  

The day she passed was a very bad day, even though we knew it was coming.  And this past year has been difficult for my family as we seek out a new way of coming together to celebrate without her.  In many ways, she was our family's center of gravity and we've all been off balance since her passing.  

But thankfully, she left a little bit of herself in each of us and that gives me the hope I need to know that no matter what, we'll get stronger everyday.  

I miss you granny.  

This post idea came from Mama Kat's Writing Workshop.  Be sure to stop by there for creative inspiration!

**While you're here enter my current giveaway

for a chance to win $30 to spend on Frigidaire accessories!**