What a day it has been. From the time I woke up this morning I've been busy getting things done, yet at the same time I'm not feeling rushed or stressed. It's kind of nice. Instead, I'm managing to feel like I can wrap up what I'm working on and not worry about it for the next few hours. The kids will be home soon, and there will be homework to do, a trip to Walmart and haircut that need to be taken care of, and then dinner and time to play before bed. But the sun is out, the sky is beautiful, and things are good.
Did I get everything done on my list? No, the dishwasher still needs emptied, the laundry folded. The painting project is still not finished. Yet, there is another day just around the corner. I used to roll my eyes (don't tell my daughter) when people would say enjoy them while they are young, they grow up so fast. I did enjoy the kids, but at the same time it seemed the next stage was always one to look forward too. Well the next stage has happened. Zach and Katie will spend the next several years in school the majority of the day. So... I'm punching out at 3:45 because when they get home, I want to be there for them to talk to and spend time with.
The jobs can happen between 8:30-3:45 but after that my time is Mommy time.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Our Kindergarten Star
Katelyn started Kindergarten yesterday, and we just found out this evening that she was a part of a video that can be seen at http://www.cleveland.com/news/pdvideo/flash/index.ssf?082807_kinder_video
She had such a good day yesterday. Her favorite part was playing with playdoh. At least until we showed her the video clip. Now her favorite part is that she got to be in a movie! From preschool to movie star...ugh! She really likes school and has made a few new friends.
Hope you enjoy the video. She melted my heart with her response to what she wants to be when she grows up.
She had such a good day yesterday. Her favorite part was playing with playdoh. At least until we showed her the video clip. Now her favorite part is that she got to be in a movie! From preschool to movie star...ugh! She really likes school and has made a few new friends.
Hope you enjoy the video. She melted my heart with her response to what she wants to be when she grows up.
Power Up!
We are so busy in today's society. I sometimes wonder why that has happened. We have all these tools to help things to run more smoothly. From dishwashers (oh, yeah got to empty it again!), to computers. That's just it, the more stuff we have to help us the more we have to do. While it may be faster to send a friend an email, instead of a handwritten note, it takes us time to weed through the annoying emails from those we don't even know before we can actually write the friend we went on line to email in the first place.
So what should we do about our lack of time? I think Tim the Toolman Taylor was on to something several years ago. We need more power!
Creative Memories has been onto something in the power area too. From power sort boxes, (designed to quickly sort photos), to power layout boxes (for quickly laying out entire album projects), to power palettes (paper and stickers designed to work together perfectly). The power sort box is amazing. It holds 2400 photos- trust me on that one! It has allowed me to group my photos in the way that I intend to use them. From my home improvement album project to the photos set aside for my children's schools PTA album. All of my photos are organized so I can simple pull out the section I want to work on and not be overwhelmed by the other stacks of photos I have. We even have a computerized version of this called Memory Manager 2. Having trouble with digital photos, this is the software for you. It helps you to sort, organize, crop, enhance, and get rid of red eye. It has many more functions as well.
Power layout boxes are also wonderful. These simple boxes with their guide pages allow me to plan out an entire album project in one sitting. I simple layout my pictures, stickers, paper and other items I want on each page and then flip to the next page and keep it all together in one place until I'm ready to mount it down on the actual pages and do my journaling. I actually have found that I can store my whole Power Palette in my power layouts box and take it with me to work on at any location.
So what are Power Palettes? They are paper packs in both monochromatic colors and designer prints, 4x6 photo mounting paper, journaling boxes, titles and stickers that all are in the same color scheme. I have been working on albums for over 7 years and I have never had my current years family album so up to date. All of the photos I want to scrapbook from January-May are in the album. I almost always was a year to a year and a half behind. Now I'm less then 6 months behind. It is so neat to be able to actually show people your photos in the album, instead of flipping through them on the computer or in a pile on the table. The color options are great too. All can be seen on my website www.mycmsite.com/sites/kropwithkathy
So, what's next in the power line? I can only imagine it will be as powerful as the rest. As for my power plan...2007 family album will be done and on the coffee table at Thanksgiving! Now that's powerful.
So what should we do about our lack of time? I think Tim the Toolman Taylor was on to something several years ago. We need more power!
Creative Memories has been onto something in the power area too. From power sort boxes, (designed to quickly sort photos), to power layout boxes (for quickly laying out entire album projects), to power palettes (paper and stickers designed to work together perfectly). The power sort box is amazing. It holds 2400 photos- trust me on that one! It has allowed me to group my photos in the way that I intend to use them. From my home improvement album project to the photos set aside for my children's schools PTA album. All of my photos are organized so I can simple pull out the section I want to work on and not be overwhelmed by the other stacks of photos I have. We even have a computerized version of this called Memory Manager 2. Having trouble with digital photos, this is the software for you. It helps you to sort, organize, crop, enhance, and get rid of red eye. It has many more functions as well.
Power layout boxes are also wonderful. These simple boxes with their guide pages allow me to plan out an entire album project in one sitting. I simple layout my pictures, stickers, paper and other items I want on each page and then flip to the next page and keep it all together in one place until I'm ready to mount it down on the actual pages and do my journaling. I actually have found that I can store my whole Power Palette in my power layouts box and take it with me to work on at any location.
So what are Power Palettes? They are paper packs in both monochromatic colors and designer prints, 4x6 photo mounting paper, journaling boxes, titles and stickers that all are in the same color scheme. I have been working on albums for over 7 years and I have never had my current years family album so up to date. All of the photos I want to scrapbook from January-May are in the album. I almost always was a year to a year and a half behind. Now I'm less then 6 months behind. It is so neat to be able to actually show people your photos in the album, instead of flipping through them on the computer or in a pile on the table. The color options are great too. All can be seen on my website www.mycmsite.com/sites/kropwithkathy
So, what's next in the power line? I can only imagine it will be as powerful as the rest. As for my power plan...2007 family album will be done and on the coffee table at Thanksgiving! Now that's powerful.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
An Empty Nest
Today our littlest robin climbed aboard the big yellow bus and rode off to school. Seems so strange that she is old enough to go to kindergarten. Amazing how quickly 5 years can pass. Her backpack hung way down her bag, even with the straps tightly fastened. She seems so tiny but off she went.
Two years ago I cried as her brother boarded the bus. I was in shock that our first born had grown up so fast. Today was different. I'm a little sad that she won't be around the house any more. And the house does seem strangely quiet. In fact, I think I can hear the crickets outside. Just the same, watching her and the neighbor girl jump up and down with excitement as the bus approached I know she is ready, and I am ready too. You can't hold on to them forever, so now the goal will be to hold on to them in the time that they are at home. To make the most of the time I have with them, and enjoy every second they are with me.
What to do now is the next question. The list is endless. It's only the beginning of the day, and I've already had time to go for a walk, come back and take the dog for a short walk. Read my bible, make a business call and check email. The biggest challenge I'm facing is how not to get over involved in everything that is available just because I'm home. I own my own business and I need to spend some time working on that. It's an exciting adventure just waiting to be explored.
Today's mission- 10 business calls, placing my order, working on reorganizing my files for work, 2 calls for church ministry, and straighting up Katie's bedroom so she can keep it clean. Of course that's after I run up to the school...they honestly need some help with Kindergarten lunch time.
Two years ago I cried as her brother boarded the bus. I was in shock that our first born had grown up so fast. Today was different. I'm a little sad that she won't be around the house any more. And the house does seem strangely quiet. In fact, I think I can hear the crickets outside. Just the same, watching her and the neighbor girl jump up and down with excitement as the bus approached I know she is ready, and I am ready too. You can't hold on to them forever, so now the goal will be to hold on to them in the time that they are at home. To make the most of the time I have with them, and enjoy every second they are with me.
What to do now is the next question. The list is endless. It's only the beginning of the day, and I've already had time to go for a walk, come back and take the dog for a short walk. Read my bible, make a business call and check email. The biggest challenge I'm facing is how not to get over involved in everything that is available just because I'm home. I own my own business and I need to spend some time working on that. It's an exciting adventure just waiting to be explored.
Today's mission- 10 business calls, placing my order, working on reorganizing my files for work, 2 calls for church ministry, and straighting up Katie's bedroom so she can keep it clean. Of course that's after I run up to the school...they honestly need some help with Kindergarten lunch time.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
My Parents' House
Have you seen the show My Parent's House on HGTV? I saw it once and had to laugh. Not because the show was funny, rather because I'm living in what used to be my parent's house.
I remember my first house 10 years ago. We bought it all excited to make it our home. We started small, then quickly found ourselves replacing windows (all 15 oversized of course), adding central air, and building closets. We were going to stay there for years to come....WRONG! We decided we needed to move closer to family after our first child arrived. At the time we thought we needed to move back to city life, as the small town we were in just didn't have all we were looking for. (Funny, I think the small town has more to offer now then I did then, but that's another entry).
Then we moved to our second house. Still young, and ok stupid! We once again did windows, siding, waterproofed, and of course painted and redecorated most of the rooms in the house. Again, we were going to stay there for years to come. Then the school district became an issue for us and with our oldest less then a year away from kindergarten we decided maybe we should think about moving. We looked for houses, and decided we couldn't afford to move. Smart choice at the time. Then we casually mentioned to my parents that should they ever decide to move we would maybe consider buying their house. I don't know that we ever really pictured ourselves in the house. It was more a statement based on the stress my parents were having taking care of the yard and the fact that the school district they lived in was better then the one we were living in.
Suddenly, Dad and Mom decided it was time for a change. We were shocked. We spent a lot of time praying that if we were suppose to move the right house would be available. We prayed that we would know for sure if we were suppose to make a change. Funny thing with prayer. When you truly seek God, you tend to find Him working in ways you would never imagine. We began to realize that the house they were offering was perfect for our needs. No more windows to replace, or siding to put on. Interior issues, well it was built in the late 60's, but other then that it would not really need much. We also found ourselves selling our house in 13 days! From what our Realtor tells us we were one of the last houses sold before the market slumped in our area.
So now here we are living in our house, which used to be My Parent's House http://www.hgtv.com . The show is actually about adult children who go back and change one room of their parents house. Current count for us is as of a few hours ago 8 rooms. We've been here almost 2 years. In that time we've taken huge, brown, barnyard like X's off of the family room walls and repainted and carpeted that whole area, updated the den from dark to bright making it my home office, added color to walls that were white more whole life, and tore down all of the wooden spindles that blocked off the living room and dining room space. Went from mint to sage in the kitchen. Redid the kids rooms into fun spaces designed specifically for them.
Now, we're in the midst of changing the playroom in to Hockeytown. The mauve/pink/peptobismal color has been replaced by the lovely white of primer and we couldn't resist opening up the red paint and trying it out on a few places on the walls. Soon the Detroit Red Wings memorabilia that got put in the garage from our last houses home office will find a home inside. It will be fun place for the kids to hang out, and will blend more with our color scheme then the old color. I even found the perfect place to hang the Everyday Display Board that Creative Memories came up with. It will be just right for changing out the photos from the games that we are hoping to attend in the future.
Of course...now the laundry room and downstairs bath need some HELP! Well at least it's not the windows and siding.
I remember my first house 10 years ago. We bought it all excited to make it our home. We started small, then quickly found ourselves replacing windows (all 15 oversized of course), adding central air, and building closets. We were going to stay there for years to come....WRONG! We decided we needed to move closer to family after our first child arrived. At the time we thought we needed to move back to city life, as the small town we were in just didn't have all we were looking for. (Funny, I think the small town has more to offer now then I did then, but that's another entry).
Then we moved to our second house. Still young, and ok stupid! We once again did windows, siding, waterproofed, and of course painted and redecorated most of the rooms in the house. Again, we were going to stay there for years to come. Then the school district became an issue for us and with our oldest less then a year away from kindergarten we decided maybe we should think about moving. We looked for houses, and decided we couldn't afford to move. Smart choice at the time. Then we casually mentioned to my parents that should they ever decide to move we would maybe consider buying their house. I don't know that we ever really pictured ourselves in the house. It was more a statement based on the stress my parents were having taking care of the yard and the fact that the school district they lived in was better then the one we were living in.
Suddenly, Dad and Mom decided it was time for a change. We were shocked. We spent a lot of time praying that if we were suppose to move the right house would be available. We prayed that we would know for sure if we were suppose to make a change. Funny thing with prayer. When you truly seek God, you tend to find Him working in ways you would never imagine. We began to realize that the house they were offering was perfect for our needs. No more windows to replace, or siding to put on. Interior issues, well it was built in the late 60's, but other then that it would not really need much. We also found ourselves selling our house in 13 days! From what our Realtor tells us we were one of the last houses sold before the market slumped in our area.
So now here we are living in our house, which used to be My Parent's House http://www.hgtv.com . The show is actually about adult children who go back and change one room of their parents house. Current count for us is as of a few hours ago 8 rooms. We've been here almost 2 years. In that time we've taken huge, brown, barnyard like X's off of the family room walls and repainted and carpeted that whole area, updated the den from dark to bright making it my home office, added color to walls that were white more whole life, and tore down all of the wooden spindles that blocked off the living room and dining room space. Went from mint to sage in the kitchen. Redid the kids rooms into fun spaces designed specifically for them.
Now, we're in the midst of changing the playroom in to Hockeytown. The mauve/pink/peptobismal color has been replaced by the lovely white of primer and we couldn't resist opening up the red paint and trying it out on a few places on the walls. Soon the Detroit Red Wings memorabilia that got put in the garage from our last houses home office will find a home inside. It will be fun place for the kids to hang out, and will blend more with our color scheme then the old color. I even found the perfect place to hang the Everyday Display Board that Creative Memories came up with. It will be just right for changing out the photos from the games that we are hoping to attend in the future.
Of course...now the laundry room and downstairs bath need some HELP! Well at least it's not the windows and siding.
Friday, August 24, 2007
The crown's come off
Thursday morning I drove my son and daughter up to the elementary school for the start of a new year. Apparently, the picture queen that I am, should have been aware that the proper prodical is to put your kid on the bus and then hurry and drive up to school so you can take pictures of them as they get off the bus. Funny, last year I simply stuck him on the bus, snapped a few photos and went home. I never thought about meeting him up at school. The only reason he even got a ride up to school this year was because his sister had her kindergarten testing shortly after school started. So, I guess I've been temporarily dethroned as the picture queen. Realisticly, the crown's going to have to stay off for a while I suppose. I'm planning on taking a ton of pictures on Monday at my daughter's Kindergarten Open House, but then on Tuesday I'm sticking her on the bus with her brother and going home to the quiet of my house with no children present for the first time in 7 years! I'll take a lot of pictures as she gets on the bus. I'll probably even cry a few tears realizing that my baby is now big enough to go to school all day. Then...I'll head home. While I'm looking forward to the time alone, I know in another week I'll be wondering why it's so quiet and missing them a great deal.
So, what to do while I miss them???? Well, for starters I'm actually going to go to the gym that I've been a member of with my family for the past 2 years. Come home and spend time working my business and finding more ways to help people celebrate their memories. I plan on finishing painting the soon to be hockey room, and maybe even get caught up on my magazines that are stacking up on my end table. Should make for an interesting week.
So, what to do while I miss them???? Well, for starters I'm actually going to go to the gym that I've been a member of with my family for the past 2 years. Come home and spend time working my business and finding more ways to help people celebrate their memories. I plan on finishing painting the soon to be hockey room, and maybe even get caught up on my magazines that are stacking up on my end table. Should make for an interesting week.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Digital Scrapbooking
Wow is about the best word to describe Creative Memories Storybook Creator and coming soon Storybook Creator Plus. The first one is a FREE download from my website. www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy. It has the ablity to make a digital album, with various templates and themes and various fonts for journaling.
I'm still in amazement of all the things this software can do. Both the FREE version and then the version that needs to be purchased can create quick, beautiful book quality albums. At first I was skeptical. I love to make albums myself, why would I want to do it on the computer? Then I tried a book. I did one on family, that I'd been wanting to do for a while. It took me 2 hours to do an entire album, with journaling. Then I did an album reflecting the whole year for my in laws in just an hour. Talk about a quick Christmas gift! After that it was a gift for my son's hockey coach from the whole team. Finally, I made a storybook while on vacation in Iowa. I worked on it a little bit every night with my friend we were visiting and when we returned I was able to quickly upload the book, order two copies and have a thank you gift for her and a completed vacation album for my family.
I'm not ready to do all my albums digitally. For me smaller themes work best. Coach gifts, Christmas albums, a camping adventure. I can hardly wait for the new software to arrive next month. It's going to be exciting. With the kids in school, I'll even get to play with it.
I know some who are upset that Creative Memories has really taken on the digital age. They have vowed to never do away with traditional album making products. They have proven that they will continue that line. Now, they are also on the cutting edge of the digital age too, what better place to be.
I'm still in amazement of all the things this software can do. Both the FREE version and then the version that needs to be purchased can create quick, beautiful book quality albums. At first I was skeptical. I love to make albums myself, why would I want to do it on the computer? Then I tried a book. I did one on family, that I'd been wanting to do for a while. It took me 2 hours to do an entire album, with journaling. Then I did an album reflecting the whole year for my in laws in just an hour. Talk about a quick Christmas gift! After that it was a gift for my son's hockey coach from the whole team. Finally, I made a storybook while on vacation in Iowa. I worked on it a little bit every night with my friend we were visiting and when we returned I was able to quickly upload the book, order two copies and have a thank you gift for her and a completed vacation album for my family.
I'm not ready to do all my albums digitally. For me smaller themes work best. Coach gifts, Christmas albums, a camping adventure. I can hardly wait for the new software to arrive next month. It's going to be exciting. With the kids in school, I'll even get to play with it.
I know some who are upset that Creative Memories has really taken on the digital age. They have vowed to never do away with traditional album making products. They have proven that they will continue that line. Now, they are also on the cutting edge of the digital age too, what better place to be.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
What's new?
Sitting in Panera right now, trying to figure out how it has possibly been 9 days since I've posted anything. I guess I should appologize again, but heck this could end up being an endless post of appologies for being busy with the kids, or work and not doing one more thing. So, sorry if you were expecting an appology.
What's new? So much has actually happened in the last 9 days. Zach has been placed on a mite 3 travel hockey team. He is so excited, we are too for that matter. Already have received his first practice schedule. Next week Wed, Fri, and Saturday. I get the feeling we will be spending a lot of time at the ice rink. Hope they have a wireless connection out there. Kids are getting geared up for school. I feel like I've accomplished a huge task in only spending $90 on school clothes. I guess it helps when your older sister gives you a lot of clothing. So, really I only bought each kid 2 pairs of shoes and 1 new outfit. I could really put each child in an outfit that they've barely ever worn for several days. I guess I should add clearing out the closets and giving stuff away to my list of things to someday get done.
School starts in 5 days for the oldest and 8 for the youngest. It's a weird time. I'm looking forward to the break, but at the same time after about a week the house I'm sure will seem quiet. I'm just hopeful that I will really be able to jump into my Creative Memories Business, volunteer at school, get caught up on house work and be available when the kids get home. At least for now those are the goals.
What's new? So much has actually happened in the last 9 days. Zach has been placed on a mite 3 travel hockey team. He is so excited, we are too for that matter. Already have received his first practice schedule. Next week Wed, Fri, and Saturday. I get the feeling we will be spending a lot of time at the ice rink. Hope they have a wireless connection out there. Kids are getting geared up for school. I feel like I've accomplished a huge task in only spending $90 on school clothes. I guess it helps when your older sister gives you a lot of clothing. So, really I only bought each kid 2 pairs of shoes and 1 new outfit. I could really put each child in an outfit that they've barely ever worn for several days. I guess I should add clearing out the closets and giving stuff away to my list of things to someday get done.
School starts in 5 days for the oldest and 8 for the youngest. It's a weird time. I'm looking forward to the break, but at the same time after about a week the house I'm sure will seem quiet. I'm just hopeful that I will really be able to jump into my Creative Memories Business, volunteer at school, get caught up on house work and be available when the kids get home. At least for now those are the goals.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Memory Manager, beyond the post it note!
I love organizing things. I like the order of things, and knowing where everything is. Funny, I don't think my mother would have ever thought that I would like to get things organized. My idea of organization as a child was "let it land where it falls, I know where it is." Now things are different. I try to put things back where they go and have tried to teach the kids the same thing. Some days it works better then others.
When it comes to remembering things though I live in a to do list/post it note world. I keep track of a variety of things, but I truly do my best when I write it down. Plus I really enjoy crossing things off of the list. Memory Manager does that for me. I could spend hours sorting through pictures, and then resorting them for certain projects. Or, I could spend a few minutes going through my photos and referencing them in various folders for later use. I love it!
I have found that when I think of Memory Manager like a library, with all of the photos showing as I go through the door I can then wander the aisle and find just what I want. It's so quick, easy and completely organized. It even logs which photos have been printed, just in case I somehow forget what I've sent off to print. It also allows me to make notes for each picture so that I can always remember the story that they are telling.
The biggest hurdle with Memory Manager is getting it installed. It's not that it is hard to install it just takes a minute or two, but there is something about getting it and not taking it out of the box that can happen. Once it's installed it is so easy to load in photos, and other memorabilia and sort them into categories. I have also found having my photos organized in such a way has saved me money! That's right, if you have them all together, it is easier to pick the 4 or 5 best photos for a page and only print those. I can still find the other ones if I need them, since I know right where they are, but now I don't print them all.
It is one of the best tools I have ever used. Time to go organize those photos from Showcase.
When it comes to remembering things though I live in a to do list/post it note world. I keep track of a variety of things, but I truly do my best when I write it down. Plus I really enjoy crossing things off of the list. Memory Manager does that for me. I could spend hours sorting through pictures, and then resorting them for certain projects. Or, I could spend a few minutes going through my photos and referencing them in various folders for later use. I love it!
I have found that when I think of Memory Manager like a library, with all of the photos showing as I go through the door I can then wander the aisle and find just what I want. It's so quick, easy and completely organized. It even logs which photos have been printed, just in case I somehow forget what I've sent off to print. It also allows me to make notes for each picture so that I can always remember the story that they are telling.
The biggest hurdle with Memory Manager is getting it installed. It's not that it is hard to install it just takes a minute or two, but there is something about getting it and not taking it out of the box that can happen. Once it's installed it is so easy to load in photos, and other memorabilia and sort them into categories. I have also found having my photos organized in such a way has saved me money! That's right, if you have them all together, it is easier to pick the 4 or 5 best photos for a page and only print those. I can still find the other ones if I need them, since I know right where they are, but now I don't print them all.
It is one of the best tools I have ever used. Time to go organize those photos from Showcase.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Check out this goalie!
Zach's spring league hockey coach just sent us this great link. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdf4GeT4ELA. He's been gathering information about goalies when he came across this. It is too funny! I can't wait to show it to Zach in the morning!
Soaking wet
About a week ago my neighbor was watching my kids. It was a hot sticky day and they were playing badmitten in the front yard. One of them noticed that the hose was laying out and went to pick it up and help her put it away when they accidently fired the water straight at my neighbor. Being that she was already hot from working in the garage she simply laughed and they spent the next several minutes getting soaking wet. She rang the bell to let me know she was returning the kids and there they all were dripping. I just laughed, and thanked her for watching them.
She actually called later to apologize and I told her that none was necessary. I see far too many people these days who are not willing to have fun, and I greatly appreciated that she was always up for playing and that my kids loved it! Of course I did mention that next time she should have one of them run back to the house so I can grab my camera.
Well, it's been a week or so since then, and it was another hot and sticky day. The kids didn't really want to play outside, but Zach thought it would be fun to move the play house to another part of the yard. With all of the rain we've gotten lately he wanted to wash it down first. So we moved the hose to the back yard and started the process of washing down the playhouse and all of the outdoor toys. And, oh yeah, each other. We all ended up laughing and dripping wet. What are summers for anyway? Only this time, I snuck into the kitchen and grabbed the camera!
She actually called later to apologize and I told her that none was necessary. I see far too many people these days who are not willing to have fun, and I greatly appreciated that she was always up for playing and that my kids loved it! Of course I did mention that next time she should have one of them run back to the house so I can grab my camera.
Well, it's been a week or so since then, and it was another hot and sticky day. The kids didn't really want to play outside, but Zach thought it would be fun to move the play house to another part of the yard. With all of the rain we've gotten lately he wanted to wash it down first. So we moved the hose to the back yard and started the process of washing down the playhouse and all of the outdoor toys. And, oh yeah, each other. We all ended up laughing and dripping wet. What are summers for anyway? Only this time, I snuck into the kitchen and grabbed the camera!
New Catalog smell
I brought a new catalog home with me from Creative Memories showcase. I have looked through it several times now. I love the color, the layout, and the quotes. I really enjoy the fact that it is inspiring just to look at. I never noticed until my downline came over today that it had the new catalog smell too.
Just like a new car it is full of great things, new materials, new experiences and new adventures waiting to be capture. Just like a new car it can take you places you could only dream of, and get you there faster with the brand new digital and picfolio tools. So, I guess it stands to reason just like a new car it should have it's own smell.
Breaking the catalog open it starts with our co-founder Rhonda Anderson http://www.creativememories.com/MainMenu/About-us/Our-story. Her life, a husband 4 children, 2 grandchildren. Her story and her way come next. We all have our own life, our own story and our own way. Creative Memories for me has always been just the tool that has helped me get my story into the albums. Now, as my buisness I'm able to help others do that same thing.
I've heard a lot of people comment how scrapbooking is not for them, they don't have time, they aren't "crafty" enough. Honestly, album making is not all about scrapbooking. It's about telling our story, of our life and our families. Putting it down in words so that others that come behind us will know their legacy. This new catalog, just unveiled at the Creative Memories convention this past weekend, is just one step in finding the right tool for each person to tell their story. Some people are digital, they want to do it quickly and easily using the computer. Some want to just write a few things here and there and get their photos into albums quickly. Picfolios are great for them. Still others do enjoy the traditional album making style. While some may just want to showcase their families memories on the wall. Whatever someones style it would be hard to find someone who couldn't find something CM has to offer to help showcase the best in their life. I can't wait to look through the catalog again, and I'm even more excited to get out and help others to Celebrate their lives! I'm not a scrapbooking consultant...I'm a memory celebration consultant.
Just like a new car it is full of great things, new materials, new experiences and new adventures waiting to be capture. Just like a new car it can take you places you could only dream of, and get you there faster with the brand new digital and picfolio tools. So, I guess it stands to reason just like a new car it should have it's own smell.
Breaking the catalog open it starts with our co-founder Rhonda Anderson http://www.creativememories.com/MainMenu/About-us/Our-story. Her life, a husband 4 children, 2 grandchildren. Her story and her way come next. We all have our own life, our own story and our own way. Creative Memories for me has always been just the tool that has helped me get my story into the albums. Now, as my buisness I'm able to help others do that same thing.
I've heard a lot of people comment how scrapbooking is not for them, they don't have time, they aren't "crafty" enough. Honestly, album making is not all about scrapbooking. It's about telling our story, of our life and our families. Putting it down in words so that others that come behind us will know their legacy. This new catalog, just unveiled at the Creative Memories convention this past weekend, is just one step in finding the right tool for each person to tell their story. Some people are digital, they want to do it quickly and easily using the computer. Some want to just write a few things here and there and get their photos into albums quickly. Picfolios are great for them. Still others do enjoy the traditional album making style. While some may just want to showcase their families memories on the wall. Whatever someones style it would be hard to find someone who couldn't find something CM has to offer to help showcase the best in their life. I can't wait to look through the catalog again, and I'm even more excited to get out and help others to Celebrate their lives! I'm not a scrapbooking consultant...I'm a memory celebration consultant.
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
Hockey Tryouts
It's that time of year. Zach took the ice again tonight for day two of tryouts. He was so excited to be at the rink. He had a little trouble believing that Mom knew how to get his equipment on. I guess that is what happens when Dad is the one who usually gets him dressed. In the end I managed, I even thought to go get his skates sharpened. My only failure, tying the skates tight enough. Luckily for me Coach Jeff was there to save the day.
Zach played defense, center and wing tonight. He looked good, and had good speed. Another coach's wife even stopped to point out how fast he was. The hard part for all of us is watching from the window of the second floor while the coaches and advisers sit in the stands and critique how they have done. Rumor is that all the boys will make it (oops I should say kids as there are several girls). Which team and which level is the big question. Zach was on top of the world tonight when we left and he was told he was being moved to another team for the last game. We're not sure what that means exactly, only time will tell. But for now there is one excited hockey player upstairs in bed. One boy that will be proudly wearing #5 in honor of Nicholas Lidstrom(Lidstrom, Nicklas (D) ) this fall as he takes the ice on his first mite travel team. Only time will tell if he will be able to reach his current dream of playing in Detroit some day.
Zach played defense, center and wing tonight. He looked good, and had good speed. Another coach's wife even stopped to point out how fast he was. The hard part for all of us is watching from the window of the second floor while the coaches and advisers sit in the stands and critique how they have done. Rumor is that all the boys will make it (oops I should say kids as there are several girls). Which team and which level is the big question. Zach was on top of the world tonight when we left and he was told he was being moved to another team for the last game. We're not sure what that means exactly, only time will tell. But for now there is one excited hockey player upstairs in bed. One boy that will be proudly wearing #5 in honor of Nicholas Lidstrom(Lidstrom, Nicklas (D) ) this fall as he takes the ice on his first mite travel team. Only time will tell if he will be able to reach his current dream of playing in Detroit some day.
Monday, August 6, 2007
Showcase the Best in Life
Wow!!! Even with the busyness of summer I did manage to find time to head off to Creative Memories National Convention! I'm so excited about all the new and exciting things that are going on. I learned so much and I can't wait to share what I've learned with my family, friends and customers.
20 year anniversaries are a big deal, and Creative Memories made sure that they made a big deal out of it. As a consultant we were treated to incredible meals, fantastic seminars, and free products! CM is quickly becoming a company about Memory Celebration, and I can't remember which speaker said it but "we are not your Mother's scrapbooking company anymore" They have vowed to never do away with the traditional album making products, but WOW the new product line is unbelievable. Traditional, digital, slip in, framing!!!!! If you take pictures there is something for you to celebrate the memories you have just created.
I plan on adding more information daily about different new and exciting things. Of course all the new products can be seen on my website www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy. First though I feel it is important to explain something I learned about myself while I was in Minnesota.
I am a wavy frame! What in the world does that mean? Connie Podesta (www.conniepodesta.com/main.html) was our key note speaker. She describes people as squares, triangles, circles and squiggly lines. I fall very much into the square category. Organized, detailed, OK annoying to anyone who is not organized and detailed, BUT I also found that I fall into the caring aspect of the circle, and the idea aspect of the squiggly line so...I have found that I have become a wavy frame. (check out the product line and it will be apparent how I came up with that)
She was fabulous! She reminded me that it is good to know what you do. I own my own business. Sometimes I feel like I have to say that I'm a wife and a mother first, and those are very important. Know longer will I apologize when I say "in addition to be a wife and a mother of 2 I am a business owner. I help people celebrate their memories!"
I want my family to know how proud I am to be able to be there for them, and how excited I am to share with others how to celebrate the memories they have with their families.
20 year anniversaries are a big deal, and Creative Memories made sure that they made a big deal out of it. As a consultant we were treated to incredible meals, fantastic seminars, and free products! CM is quickly becoming a company about Memory Celebration, and I can't remember which speaker said it but "we are not your Mother's scrapbooking company anymore" They have vowed to never do away with the traditional album making products, but WOW the new product line is unbelievable. Traditional, digital, slip in, framing!!!!! If you take pictures there is something for you to celebrate the memories you have just created.
I plan on adding more information daily about different new and exciting things. Of course all the new products can be seen on my website www.mycmsite.com/kropwithkathy. First though I feel it is important to explain something I learned about myself while I was in Minnesota.
I am a wavy frame! What in the world does that mean? Connie Podesta (www.conniepodesta.com/main.html) was our key note speaker. She describes people as squares, triangles, circles and squiggly lines. I fall very much into the square category. Organized, detailed, OK annoying to anyone who is not organized and detailed, BUT I also found that I fall into the caring aspect of the circle, and the idea aspect of the squiggly line so...I have found that I have become a wavy frame. (check out the product line and it will be apparent how I came up with that)
She was fabulous! She reminded me that it is good to know what you do. I own my own business. Sometimes I feel like I have to say that I'm a wife and a mother first, and those are very important. Know longer will I apologize when I say "in addition to be a wife and a mother of 2 I am a business owner. I help people celebrate their memories!"
I want my family to know how proud I am to be able to be there for them, and how excited I am to share with others how to celebrate the memories they have with their families.
I think I just blinked!
Well it is now August 6th. Quite a bit of time has past since my last post. I was excited about what was going to get accomplished this summer. I had these great dreams, and plans. Many of them did get accomplished and many, well many just fell to the wayside as I tried to focus on my kids and keeping my home and buisness running smoothly. I read a poem once called Excuse This House. The author is unknown, but I found it in Keeping It Simple for Busy Women by Emilee Barnes.
Excuse This House- author unknown
Some houses try to hide the fact that childlren live there.
Ours boasts of it quite openly. The signs are everywhere.
For smears are on the windows, little smudges on the doors;
I should appologize I guess-for toys strewn on the floor.
But I sat down with the children-and we played and laughed and read.
And if the doorbell doesn't shine, their eyes will shine instead.
For when at times I'm forced to choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife-but first I'll be a mother.
I guess that speaks to how things have passed between May and August. There have been plently of times that I could have sat down and ignored the children. Plenty of times to tell them to go play, or watch tv. Sometimes I did do that, as owning my own buisness means there are certain things that have to get done. There was still laundry and dishes and other household things that had to be finished. Yet, when asked to choose to organize a closet or take care of jobs that could honestly wait until tomorrow I choose the waiting until tomorrow.
In just 3 short weeks the kids will be back in school. This year both of them will board the big yellow bus and be off for a day of learning. I'm partially excited to think of all that will get done. Then the thoughts of not being able to stop and read, or cuddle longer in bed come and I realize how precious this summer and these moments need to be. So...if the windows don't get cleaned, and some paper work sits on my desk waiting to be filed that will be OK. Until then I want to focus on teaching my youngest how to ride her bike, and finding time to go fishing or bike riding with my oldest.
Enjoy the next 3 weeks!!! Each moment is a memory waiting to happen, and housework and paperwork will be there again the next day anyway!
Excuse This House- author unknown
Some houses try to hide the fact that childlren live there.
Ours boasts of it quite openly. The signs are everywhere.
For smears are on the windows, little smudges on the doors;
I should appologize I guess-for toys strewn on the floor.
But I sat down with the children-and we played and laughed and read.
And if the doorbell doesn't shine, their eyes will shine instead.
For when at times I'm forced to choose the one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife-but first I'll be a mother.
I guess that speaks to how things have passed between May and August. There have been plently of times that I could have sat down and ignored the children. Plenty of times to tell them to go play, or watch tv. Sometimes I did do that, as owning my own buisness means there are certain things that have to get done. There was still laundry and dishes and other household things that had to be finished. Yet, when asked to choose to organize a closet or take care of jobs that could honestly wait until tomorrow I choose the waiting until tomorrow.
In just 3 short weeks the kids will be back in school. This year both of them will board the big yellow bus and be off for a day of learning. I'm partially excited to think of all that will get done. Then the thoughts of not being able to stop and read, or cuddle longer in bed come and I realize how precious this summer and these moments need to be. So...if the windows don't get cleaned, and some paper work sits on my desk waiting to be filed that will be OK. Until then I want to focus on teaching my youngest how to ride her bike, and finding time to go fishing or bike riding with my oldest.
Enjoy the next 3 weeks!!! Each moment is a memory waiting to happen, and housework and paperwork will be there again the next day anyway!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)