Welcome to the This is Me Challenge!

Welcome to the TIMC! 

 

This blog is my personal history brain child--something I came up with trying to get my parents to record their personal histories for me.  I started off doing email questions, but then I figured there are probably plenty of people out there who also want to get their parents, grandparents or even their own personal histories recorded.  So I decided to start this little blog in an effort to help anyone who wanted to get their stories recorded before they got forgotten!

After 3 years of diligently doing the challenges and recording many facets and facts of my life, I found that I no longer had the time needed to keep going on...plus so much was already covered that I couldn't really think of many more questions.  I decided to call it quits on the new challenges, but I've left the blog up for any newcomers.

Here's a quick explanation of the different things you can find on the blog:

If you would like to do the challenges as I gave them out, I'd suggest starting with the Challenge Link List.  It has all of the questions written out, plus a link to the original post so you can see what I and my team members came up with to give you ideas!  Some of the challenges are different questions than the norm.   There are also 10 bonus questions as well!

If you are itching to record your history in a timeline/subject format, check out the Personal History in Depth page that goes through all the questions you could use to record an in-depth personal history.  You can also use the list for interview questions when visiting an elderly relative.  Get out the voice recorder and ask away!

If you have children, you can start recording their histories with some ideas found on the Personal Histories for Kids page.  Lots of fun ideas there to remember some of those special milestones!

The idea of this blog was that not everyone likes to record their stories in the same way.  Some like to write, others are comfortable with video, and still others are into scrapbooking.  There are many more ways to record your story.  Check out some of them and maybe get an idea for how you'd like to record your story on the Ideas for Completing the Challenges page.

If you like just short, simple and sweet questions, check out Fast Fact Fridays!  They were five little questions I gave out on Fridays for those who just wanted to record their lives in quick and simple ways.  At the end, I started using questions from the personal history in depth to help people get their histories recorded quickly if they wanted to. 

And last but not least, if you find you are loving these challenges, share the blog with your friends who may also like a fun way to record their stories! 

Thanks for stopping by!  And enjoy recording your history!  -Emily

Challenge #74—The Best Year Ever

Have you ever tried explaining to someone how the world has changed since you were born?  Well, if you haven’t or even if you have, today’s challenge is a good way to document the big changes that have taken place in the world!

What was happening in the world when you were born?

You can do this about the day you were born, the month or the whole year.  There are many different things that you can record.  Here’s a list of some things you could include:

The weather on the day you were born
Famous people (don’t forget things they did)
Movies or TV shows that were popular
Songs, albums and musicians who were at the top of the charts
Companies that started and are now successful
News events that happened all around the world
What was going on in your home town or with your family

To find info on what was going on, try doing a search like “what was the number one song on (insert date)?” or “world events in (year)”.  I found quite a bit of information from 3 sites, and I was blown away by the things I learned! 

Also, don’t forget to ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, or anyone else close to you who may remember what was going on.  They may even have pictures to share with you!

This is also a good challenge to do with kids right now while it’s easy to find pictures and info.  Plus I know my kids would love to see what was going on when they were born even though it was only a few years ago. 

Here are a couple of examples for you:

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What Laura did:

Laura typed up some of the events that were going on the year she was born and put them on a Word document.

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What I did:

I made a digital scrapbook page with some of the information I found online and put them into categories.  I also copied a few pictures from a site and inserted some pictures that I got from my mom which showcase a little bit about the era (like my fancy stroller, he he). 

Supplies: Paper and embellishment, Persnickety Prints.  Fonts, Lane-Narrow, CK Groovy.  Pictures, peoplehistory.com and Mom. 

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Now I challenge you to record some things about what was going on when you were born! 

Challenge #72—Personal Records

Our first challenge of 2014 is finally up!  (Sorry, I’ve kind of been out of the habit, so it’s a day late.  Please forgive me…)

If you read the last post, you know that we are only going to have 4 more challenges and then we’ll be done with new challenges.  So, I’ve come up with four fun challenges that I think and hope will round out anything that we’ve left out.  This one was a bit of a challenge at first for me, but the more I thought about ways to do this challenge, the more excited I got!

What are some of your personal records?

Here are some ways I thought of completing this challenge:

*Record one thing that you’ve done that was a record and tell about it in detail.  Maybe you won a pie eating contest, or did the longest plank at the gym.  It could be something you did a long time ago—like winning a softball throw in 2nd grade or getting a 4.0 your entire high school career. (No, I haven’t done any of those things…these are just examples to get your mind going.)

*Record as many personal records that you remember setting.  (If you can remember all of them, that is a record itself!)  They can be serious records, like miles run in a week, or silly things like the ability to touch your tongue to your nose!  Be creative and think outside the box!

*Record the records you’ve set within a certain time period.  It could be this last year, or during college/high school/summer camp/etc. 

Remember that you can complete this challenge in any way your heart desires!  Write about it, do it in pictures, write a poem or song about it, scrapbook it or any other way you can think of!

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What I did:

I decided to record some of my records for 2013.  I thought it’d make a nice little wrap up of my year!  I think I will do this every year too, so I’m going to keep track of some things this year to record about.

I just made a digital scrapbook page of 7 records I set this year.  (I blurred out my kid’s names, just in case you’re wondering what those weird gray marks are.)

Credits: Digital template: Scrapping with Liz.  Patterned and solid papers: Meredith Cardall.  Fonts: Century Gothic (journaling), Bombshell Pro (title), Georgia (year). 

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As you can see, this challenge is a fun one! 

Now I challenge you to go and record about some of your records! 

Challenge #68—Yum, Yum

Food.  We all eat it!  We all enjoy some or a lot of it! So, this is what today’s challenge is:

What are some of your favorite foods?

You can go about this a few ways. 

• Focus on your very favorite food, whatever it may be, and go into the details of why you love that food. 
• Make a list of all your favorites.  You can even add things you don’t like if  you want. 
• Focus on your favorite meal for each time of day  (“My favorite breakfast is ________.  My favorite lunch is ________.  My favorite supper is ________.”).  Or you can focus on just one meal you would eat a lot if you could. 
• Don’t forget dessert and drinks!  If you have any favorite desserts or drinks, you can add those as well!

Here are a couple of examples for you. 

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What April did:

Fonts: Bodoni, Benguiat, Goudy Catalogue Italic
Page Embellishments: Chandra Element Pack by DesignerDegitals, Misc. Embellishments
Papers: Kitty Dots, Shabby Princess-DiamondPaper, Promise Paper-CreamDots

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What I did:

I made a list of my favorites in each type of category.  (Also some of my least favorites mixed in there as well.)  This would be easy to do by hand or type up quickly if you’re short on time.  Remember, just get it recorded somewhere, somehow!

Fonts: Wish I Were Taller, CK Higgins Handprint. Template: Scrapping With Liz. Paper: Creativity By Crystal. Photo Source here—lots of great ideas on the Clean Eating way of life (which I am personally embracing and loving!).
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Now I challenge you to record this little bit of information about you!

Re-Challenge #9

This post was originally published on June 14, 2011.  If you haven’t done this challenge yet, now is a good time to do it!  If you’ve already done it, see if it needs some updating! 

P.S.  This is our last re-challenge!  Next week we will start on some brand spanking new challenges two times a month, plus I have many Fast Fact Fridays planned to help you record your life story before Christmas!  That will be every Friday starting next week!  Awesome!!!  Now, on to the re-challenge!

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No, this isn’t a fairy tale challenge! But close…enough.

This week’s challenge: Make a timeline of your life!

This does sound hard, but in fact, it is quite easy! Think of the most important dates of your life and just put them in order! I recommend starting with the dates you know in your head already (even if it’s just a year): birth date, HS/college graduation, wedding, children, etc. Start with the big things—the things that really have made an impact on your life! Next, fill in with the smaller things: moving, jobs, religious ordinances, etc. Obviously, the older you are, the more you will have to fill in!

You can type this in a document, make a scrapbook page of it, scan some pictures and turn them into a slideshow with music and dates on them, write it in a blog, or whatever else you can think of to do!

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What I did: I opened up a new Word document and did my timeline vertically as opposed to horizontally in the picture (which I just totally made up for the sake of having something visual on this post). I started with the dates that I knew by heart, even if it was just the month and year. Then I filled in the smaller things that I thought might be important. I saved it in my “This is Me Challenges” folder. I wanted to do it this way, because I can add to it as I go. (Hopefully that will be a long time!)

I am not posting a picture of what I really did, due to the sensitive, personal nature of it. (And I recommend that you don’t publish it on your public blog if that’s how you’re completing your challenges.) Here is a basic look at what mine looks like:

(Date): Born in (City, State)

(Date): Moved from (address to address)

(Date): Started High School

(Date): Graduated from ________High School

(Date): Graduated from _______ University

(Date): Got married to __________ in ___________

(Date): Bought 1st house in _________

(Date): Had first child

(Date): Moved to _______

etc.

Now, I challenge you to make a timeline of your life! You might be surprised at how fun it is to see all that you’ve done in your life in one little place!

Re-Challenge #20

I must admit, it’s been fun for me to go back and see these challenges again.  And though I’m taking the summer off from recording challenges, it’s made me really want to go back through and do some of them again, just because things have changed that much and I want to record the now as well!  How grateful I am that I recorded the things I did when I did.  And yes, when I have a spare minute, I will do some more recording! 

Here is this weeks’ re-post of challenge #20:

 

Not one single person in the whole entire world is like another.  We all have different physical features, different likes/dislikes, different habits and talents.  Even identical twins are individual and unique!  So, here’s to uniqueness:

The Challenge:  What are some of your funny and unique habits and talents?

In this week’s challenge you can focus on just one funny or unique habit or talent.  You can make a list of every unique thing about you.  You can focus on some of your funny talents.  Complete it how you want to!

This week’s challenge would be a fun one to do with the whole family—get them all together and have everyone write what they think all the other’s funny and unique talents/habits are!  It would be a fun game!

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What Kim did on her private blog:

This one happens to connect with my soccer days as well:
In high school we had to jog in place while passing the ball back and forth to a partner for warm ups. It was part of our daily routine.
To this day when I play soccer (which is only once or twice a year now if I am lucky) I still find myself jogging in place when either passing the ball against a wall or to a partner. I've noticed that when I pass it to another person they will look at me like I am crazy because they are just standing there passing it back and forth, but my feet just won't stop jogging!

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What I did:
I had a busy week, so I just made a quick list of one thing for each member of my family.  (For the kids, this is just a look at them now—phases if you will—because we don’t really know what cool talents they have yet.)  I am dreaming up a scrapbook layout with a picture graph of each person and one talent and one habit.  Someday…  Here’s a quick look at what I have finished, to give you some ideas of things!  (Or just laugh at...!)

Quinn:  Can touch his tongue to his nose!
Emily: Can arch one eyebrow—on both sides!
C: Can make new friends anywhere he goes.  He pretty much tells them his life story in 5 minutes.
T:  Goes from the worst kid that makes us scream to the sweetest, world’s best kid in 2 minutes flat.
R: Has to take his “Dog Dog” stuffed animal EVERYWHERE!  (That thing is nasty.)
C: Can talk like Tarzan on his vowels!

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Now, I challenge you to record your “you”niquenesses!

Re-Challenges #7 and #34

Okay, here’s another two re-challenges for you…sorry that I didn’t get any up last Wednesday or the one before that.  We went on vacation to the beautiful Black Hills area of South Dakota, where apparently there aren’t many cell phone towers for me to get on to the internet.  And on top of that, we camped at campgrounds, so no free wi-fi for some reason.  ;)    So, here are the challenges I’d planned on doing, but forgot to schedule before we left.  Oops.  Sorry. 

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Re-challenge #7:

Have you ever seen a magazine article or an ad with numbers in bold, and then some information that is pertinent to that number? Well, that is the inspiration for this week’s challenge!

The Challenge: What numbers best represent you?

You can do this a couple of different ways. You can make a list from 0-10 (or even to 20!), and think of something about you for each number. You can also write a list of some things you’d like to share and figure out the numbers for each thing.

I’ve thought about some things to give you a jump-start:

Places I’ve lived.

Years I was in formal schooling.

Years I have been married/dating.

My age.

Number of children/grandchildren/nieces/nephews/brothers/sisters/etc.

Pairs of shoes/ties/jeans/sweaters/etc. I currently own.

Bedrooms in my current home.

Times I’ve been a patient at the hospital.

Pets I’ve had.

Times I’ve been outside the U.S.

Hours of sleep I get each night.

Minutes I spend getting ready for the day.

Projects I’m currently working on.

Vacations I’ve been on this year.

Traffic tickets I’ve gotten.

Accidents I’ve been in.

Childhood friends I’m still in contact with.

Countries I’ve visited.

Continents I’ve visited.

Boyfriends I had.

States I’ve lived in.

Countries I’ve lived in.

Continents I’ve lived on.

Boys/girls I kissed.

Cavities I’ve had.

Years I was/have been in the military.

Years at my current job.

Years playing instrument/sport.

Hobbies I’m currently passionate about.

Paid jobs I’ve had.

Years until I retire.

Foods I’m allergic to.

Cars I’ve owned.

Eyeglass prescriptions I’ve had.

Minutes/hours I read each day.

Mountain peaks I’ve climbed.

Times I’ve been bungee jumping/skydiving.

Times I brush my teeth each day.

Times I change my clothes each day.

Minutes/hours I spend on the computer/facebook/blog/etc. each day.

And yes, the list can go on and on…!

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What I did:

I went through this list, and decided which things I wanted to highlight. I made a 12x12 scrapbook page, similar to a magazine ad I saw. I wanted to put a cute picture of me on there too, but alas, I am always the one behind the lens and I seriously couldn’t find anything but the picture I already used on a challenge.

Here’s a look at my page.

This is just another version, using only the numbers 0-10.  Scrapbook Credits: Paper, scallops and stitching: Creativity by Crystal, Fonts: Cooper Standard, Pushkin, and CK Higgins Handprint.

You don’t have to make a scrapbook page though—you can just write it down in a journal or word processing document. You can write a simple poem or jingle about it. You can even take pictures that represent these things and put them on your blog or make a slideshow with music if you want! The possibilities are endless on how you can record this week’s challenge! Now, go write down your own numbers!

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Re-challenge #34

This challenge was originally given in December, but I though it’d be fun to bring up again in July, since most people have fun summer traditions to record then too!  (Well, at least it’s summer here on the northern hemisphere…)  What are some fun summer traditions you have?  Family reunions?  Summer activities like boating, camping, hiking, a certain vacation spot?  Certain holiday get-togethers?

Every time I hear the word “tradition”, I can’t help but sing the same titled song from “The Fiddler on the Roof”!  A lot of traditions are deep-rooted, and have been around for too many years to count.  Other traditions have just been started, or are a few years old.  It doesn’t matter how long it’s been, it’s still fun to record it!

What are some of your favorite holiday traditions?

You can record some of the traditions you’ve had your whole life, some you had growing up, or some you have started recently.  Make a list of all the traditions you can think of, record one favorite from each time period of your life, or even focus on all the ins and outs of just one.
Here are some sub-questions to help you get thinking:  How did it start?  How long has it been going?  Have you changed the tradition at all through the years?  How long do you foresee this tradition continuing?  What do you hope your family will remember about it?  How has it helped your family grow closer to each other? 
Here’s a couple of ideas of things that we did, and there will be a few more next week from the rest of the TIMC team! 

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What Laura did:
For the past few years, I’ve put together a December Daily album*.  I’ve approached it a few different ways.  Last year I also participated in a month-long photography workshop where I was prompted to take a different picture everyday in December.  My journaling for my book last year didn’t necessarily go with the picture that I took, but at least I got journaling written and a different picture taken for every day.
This is the page that I put together for last year’s mini-book.

And the journaling:

I love the traditions that we do share as a family, even if they aren’t extravagant.  I think everyone’s favorite in our house is the night we watch The Polar Express.  We make a big bowl of popcorn and enjoy the movie and being together as a family.
(*If you’ve never heard of a December Daily Album, check it out on Ali Edwards’ blog here.)

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What Rachel did:
I took some time to reflect this week about some of our family Christmas traditions and where they came from. I could have made some many layouts just on this topic. I picked a couple traditions that we do with our kids and took pictures of them. In addition to what I have on my layout; we also go to our church Christmas program, read and watch Christmas stories all month, read the bible Christmas story on Christmas eve, have a special family Christmas meal…I love the holiday season and everything about it!

Credits: All paper and embellishment are from the kit “Christmas” by Albums to Remember. Pictures by Rachel.

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What I did:
My husband and I got married 4 days before Christmas, which meant we were on our honeymoon for our 1st Christmas together.  I thought it’d be fun to buy a Christmas ornament to remember it by, but then it became a tradition!  Most every place we go on vacation, we buy a Christmas ornament, or something that we can make into one.  We all love reminiscing about the places we went and who went and how old the kids were as we decorate our tree each year!  I decided I wanted to scrapbook the story of our ornament tradition!

Credits: All designed by me.

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Well, there you have it…a little bit of something fun to record.  Take some time to record some fun summer traditions and a little bit about you by the numbers! 

Re-Challenge #16

This is a repost of a previous challenge.  Laura has now done this, so I added her finished challenge to the post. 

Today’s challenge is one that I’m sure you will just LOVE to do, because sometimes it’s nice to vent, isn’t it?

What are some of your pet peeves?

There are a few ways you can do this—you can record the things that bug you most, you can focus on just one thing that annoys you and go into detail on why it bothers you, or you can pick a subject (say, crazy drivers) and list all the pet peeves you have just for that.

When I gave our team members this assignment, part of it was to keep it light and positive for the blog—I didn’t want anything negative on here.  Now, you don’t have to do this, you can be as mean and ornery as you want, but remember that whoever reads it will also see it in that way…so, you may want to keep it as positive as you want as well!

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What Laura did:

Supplies:  patterned paper - Bella Blvd; card stock - Bazzill; arrows - Studio Calico; letters - Simple Stories

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What I did:

To keep this in a positive direction, I made a list of things that are opposite of my pet peeves on a digital scrapbook layout.

Credits: Fonts: CK Becky (“opposites”), Sketch Rockwell (“pet peeve”), Pea Valerie (“my” and journaling).  All other elements and papers by me.

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What Rachel did:

“When I was given this assignment to write about my pet peeves and to keep it positive, I had no idea what to do! I thought about it for a week or so, and then it hit me! I could mention some pet peeves but then think of something good about them instead of griping about the negative. So, my pictures and journaling are pretty self-explanatory. I realized after the fact, that I kind of have a thanksgiving theme with my layout. “

Credits: My Memories Suite 2 software. Papers and Embellishments are “Walk in Splendor by Becca” and “Fall for Autumn by StoryRock”. Top two pictures taken by Rachel.

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What Kim did: 

I am actually a pretty patient person; I don't get too annoyed with the little things that don't matter. The one thing that annoys me is bad drivers, so here is my road rage tangent...

1. When people don't turn left on a yellow light when there are no cars.

2. When people drive under the speed limit.

3.When people tailgate me.

4. When people cut me off.

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Now I challenge you to record some things that annoy you!

Re-Challenge #4

Today we have another re-challenge for you!  This is an oldie (challenge #4), but a goodie!  (Because honestly, who doesn’t like to play?)

 When you have a few minutes or a few days, what do you like to do in your “play” time?

You can share what you do now, what you used to do as a child, or even what you’d like to do when you retire! Make a table showing the things you’ve liked to do to play in different periods of your life.  What has changed or stayed the same? Why do you like to do those things? You can expound on this, or keep it simple! This is a challenge that would be fun to do with kids too—have them record their favorite activities a few times in their lives or once every year.  Wouldn’t that be fun to see later?

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What I did:

I explained a bit about what I like to do now: create things. I made a two page digital scrapbook layout about how I love to create things, and the individual things I take time to do to “play”. I added in some pictures that I already had on my computer of some of those things that I wrote about.

Credits: Template: Scrappin’ with Liz, Blue circle, and black & white paper: Summertime Designs.

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The challenge is now yours! Now…go PLAY! (And record about it!)

Challenge #64—Secrets No More

Sorry this challenge is a little late—for some reason I always forget about the challenges when the 1st is on a Wednesday.  

I know everyone has little things about them, that not many people know—so here’s today’s challenge:

What are some things about you that not many people know?

These can be things you’ve done in the past, little characteristics that you hide most of the time, foods you do or don’t like, etc.  There is no limit to what or how you record.   If you can only think of 5, then that’s fine.  If you can think of 50 things, all right, go for it!  

Some ideas for you…
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What Laura did:
Laura just moved, so she did quick and easy today!  (And that’s what I love about these challenges—do more when you have more time, but when you don’t, just recording it is better than nothing!) 
What you might not know about me ….
•I cannot eat macaroni and cheese … can’t even test the noodles to see if they are cooked enough (bad experience as a child that I still can’t get out of my head)
•I do not know how to do a cartwheel
•I love chocolate-chip mint ice-cream, but it has to be green for me to eat it
•I love to sing (even though I can’t sing well) – especially when driving
•One of my pet peeves is when someone doesn’t use their turn signal
•I have always had a desire to learn to play the piano (and my son would love to learn too)
•My iPhone never leaves my side … except when I’m in the shower
•My favorite color was green for a long time, now I really like orange
•I LOVE books and reading – especially love autobiographies
•Putting puzzles together is one of my favorite pastimes
•I don’t really like to talk on the phone
•I like to drink milk with ice-cubes
•I cannot draw to save my life … can’t even draw a good stick figure
•I HATE the cold weather
•I have been working in corporate America for over 20 years
•Taking pictures is one of my passions, right up there with scrapbooking
•I am now a resident of Ohio
What a fun list—I learned a lot about Laura! 
 
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What I did:
I made up a quick scrapbook page. 


Supplies: Paper—Sandy Lion, Die Cuts With a View, Scrapbook Wizard Paper Co.  Number Stickers and brads—SEI.  Flowers—Prima.  Fonts—Janda Stylish Script, Lane—Narrow.
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What Kim did:

We actually just played a game like this at a baby shower that my friends threw for me this past Saturday.  It was a lot of fun to hear things that I didn't know about my friends.
(Again, I just record these on a private blog that I have and add pictures if I have time.)

1. I never missed a day of school from K-12 grade.
2. I've never broken a bone.
3. I HATE feet!
4. I think Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg) is hot. (mostly cause he reminds me of my husband)
5. I can barely read cursive. 

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Now I challenge you to record some fun facts about you that others may not know! 

Challenge #62—We Need a Hero

First off—I’m sorry that I totally spaced the Fast Fact Friday.  Again.  I’m trying to do better, but seem to only be getting worse at it.  I even have a reminder on my phone.  Life is just crazy and busy. 

On to the new challenge: 

Who is your hero?  Why?

You can focus on one person who has done something (or a lot of things) that you admire.  You can talk about a few different people who have inspired you to become better.  You can make a list of many people and the ways they inspire you.  It’s totally up to you.  

Think of close friends, family, community or religious leaders, or even someone you don’t know personally, but admire because of their exemplary life.  Think of people who’ve been heroes in different ways—someone in the military, someone who speaks of peace and serenity, or someone who has beat all the odds.  Keep it simple or make it elaborate—however you want to record it, it’s your story! 

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What Laura did:

Laura made a simple layout showcasing four people she views as her heroes.

Supplies - cardstock - Club Scrap; patterned paper - unknown; letters - AC Thickers; journaling spot and embellishment – Jillibean

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What I did:

I really wanted to just make a list of all the people who are my heroes, and tell a little bit why…then I found this cute paper and happened to have a picture that I could use and ended up making a real scrapbook page.  I have gone mostly digital, but still really love “getting my hands dirty”, so it was fun to do something simple with my hands instead of my finger on the mouse.  

Supplies: Paper: Die Cuts with a View.  Letter stickers: SEI.  Washi tape: unknown. 

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Now I challenge you to record about your hero too!

Challenge #61—Your First Story, Ever!

I am so excited about today’s challenge—it’s one that you may have never even thought about recording—your first story, ever!  This is the story of YOUR birth!  So…

What is the story of your birth?

I knew my birth story from the time I was young—because it was unique.  Awhile ago, I was reading some of my grandma’s journals and wanted to read about my mom’s birth because it occurred to me that I didn’t know much about that day.   My mom had never told me much about her birth story, and I have never really told my children about mine—so I thought this would be a great challenge to do, so they will know my story!  (And your children and loved ones will know yours now too!)

Ask your parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or sibling what they know about the day you arrived.You can go into details or record the general idea of that day.  Were there any special circumstances?  What went wrong or right?  How did your parents feel?  What was going on in the world at the time? Who came to visit?  

*Now would be a great time to record your children’s birth stories if you haven’t!*

Here are a couple of ideas for you:

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What April did:

It was fun doing this page because I didn't know all the facts about my birth. When I asked my parents for my story it was fun for them to reminisce about the crazy things that happened when I was born. At first Dad couldn't remember anything other that he was in the room and it was a happy experience. But then once he and my mom got together to talk about it, they both remembered things that the other didn't. Doing this page makes me see the importance of writing things down. I think I will go and do my son’s birth story next since it was only a year ago, before I forget all the little details that I make birth stories so special!

Fonts: Basic Class A156a Bold, Helvetica Bold.  Other designs by April.

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What I did:

I also made a scrapbook page, though I didn’t go into a lot of detail, just the basic story that I’ve heard many times.  Plus I added a few fun facts.  My picture was originally in color, but it was so orange that I changed it to black and white so it didn’t clash. 

Supplies:  Template, Scrapping With Liz.  Papers, Jessica Sprague and Persnickety Prints.  Fonts: Janda Script and CK Higgins Handprint. 

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Now I challenge you to record your birth story!

Challenge #59--Personality

It's time for another new challenge!  First of all though, I'm sorry I was a couple days late getting this up.   I had two kid's with science fair projects due Thursday, and I was in charge of our Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet last night, so I've been super busy getting everything ready for those...plus teaching in the twin's co-op  preschool, babysitting the neighbor and just all the other things that are involved with being a mom of 4.  Whew.
Well, enough of me, this is about you getting your story written!

How would you describe your personality?  (How would others describe you?)

This one is a fun challenge--I think mostly because those who are not in our immediate circle may not really know our true personalities.  Also, it's fun because I know I think of my personality as being different than other people do.

Remember, you can do this anyway you choose!  Also, don't forget that your personality is as much the bad things and habits as it is the good.  I love it when people are humble enough to admit what they do wrong--it makes them seem more real and human.  :)   If you need some help thinking of what some of your personality traits are, find some good lists here, here and here.

Here are a couple of ideas to get your wheels turning.

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What April did:

I have been feeling like I need to change who I am and what my priorities are in my life. I have been studying from an AMAZING man, Kirk Duncan. Kirk loves to help people find the obstacles that they face and show them how to get through them. One of his tools he teaches is a project called "Who I Want To Be". He says this tool is the first and most important step a person can take in their life. I am free to choose what I want to believe and what I want to experience. And my life isn't over; I still have time to adjust, improve, change and build my character and personality. I decide what it is that I am made up of. I choose the skills, the attitudes and the abilities that I have always wanted to have. So in this project, I had to draw an image that resembles me and then place words that I want to be a part of me or who I want to be. I then had to post my collage in a place where I can see it daily and be reminded of whom I want to be. I thought that this project went perfectly with this week's This Is Me Challenge. I choose what my personality is and how I see myself and how I portray myself to others. What an amazing experience this has been! I have learned a lot about who I want to become and saw the strengths that I already have that I want to continue to be a part of me.


Credits:
Photoshop Brush: Banner Sized Brushes #14 by Mutsie
Fonts: LD Mischievous, LD Demure, Gill Sans Ultar Bold, LD Gregarious, LD Fill In, Freeze!, LD Hang Ten, Curly Cue



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Isn't April just amazingly talented?  I absolutely love what she did!  So unique, and true to her!

What I did:

Well, with my crazy busy week, I just had time to type up a quick answer.   I thought it would be fun to just write a few words that described me, and what better way than to do that, than with the letters of my name?  Quick and simple, plus this would be a fun way to have kids describe themselves too!

E--Energetic.  Though I'm shy around strangers and big crowds, I feel confident and energetic when I'm in familiar surroundings.  I love being happy and showing that energetic vibe!
M--Modest.  I am modest in my dress and manners.  Some would call it up-tight, but I like to think of it more along the lines of moral cleanliness.
I--Impatient.  Something I'm always working on doing better in, but I still have too many moments of impatience with slow lines, bad drivers, when something is too slow for me, or when my kids don't listen to me.
L--Loving.  I do feel that I'm a loving and thoughtful person.  I sometimes don't act on it, but I often think about things I can do for others to show them that I love them!
Y--Yearn to learn.  I love learning new things and am always trying something new whether it be a craft, a skill, or an educational aspect of something.  
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Now I challenge you to record a little bit about your personality!  :)

Challenge #57--My Space

Today's challenge is one that I've wanted to do for a long time, but it seems to always get pushed back on the list.  Not anymore! 

What is your favorite room of your house/apartment?

Now, this doesn't have to be your most lovely decorated room...I want you to think of the one room in your house that you love to spend time in, or just makes you smile when you open the door to it!  (Most guys would probably say the bathroom!  He he.)  It can be a closet full of shoes, a TV or theater room, a game room, a bedroom, a pantry, a den, etc.  It can be the best decorated room, if that's what you love to do.  It can be the loft where you read to your children.  It can be the kitchen you love to bake in!  Walk around your house and think about it!  Think of why you love the room.  Is it the details?  A special something from someone?  Does it have a special meaning?

Remember that you don't have to scrapbook this (just because we did).  Just snap a picture, write a paragraph, write a novel, post it on FB, Twitter or Instagram, tell all your friends, etc.  It doesn't matter how you record it...just do it!

Here are a few ideas of what you could do:

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What April did:

Fonts: ITC Beesknees Std, Oz Handicraft BT
Page Embellishments and Artwork on Walls: Michael’s “Rockets N’ Sprockets” Scrapbook Line
Background made with pre-loaded Photoshop Brushes

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What I did:
I made a scrapbook page of my office/scrap/craft room.  Where I spend as much time as I can!  I actually made a scrapbook page just on this room a few years ago, and it's so fun to see the changes!  This is definitely a challenge you could do every few years!

Here's the new page:

Template: Jessica Sprague.  Papers: Me.  Fonts: Janda Stylish Script, CK Higgins Handprint.

And the original:

Supplies:  I have no clue...

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Now I challenge you to go record about your favorite place at home! 

Challenge #56—Holiday Happenings

Happy New Year everyone!  It’s hard to believe that 2012 is over.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, and wish you the best year ever. 

While talking with my dad a few weeks ago, I remembered a fun story about myself as a kid and told him about it.  He said, “You need to record that!” and I took that to mean, “you could make a fun challenge that goes along with that”, so I did! 

What is one of your favorite holiday memories? 

You can focus this challenge on something you just did this season, or a fun little memory from when you were a kid.  You can focus on just one, or list a few that you’ll never forget.  To give you some help, here are some ideas!

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What Laura did:

Laura made a fun scrapbook layout of a time when Santa came to her house—something she’ll never forget!

Supplies: Cardstock – Bazzill; Patterned Paper – Echo Park and also unknown; Photo Corners, transparent words – Heidi Swapp; Sticker Words – 7 Gypsies; Snowflakes – Cricut (Home Accents cartridge); Font – Comic Sans; Title – Bella Blvd

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What Kim did:

Kim just wrote down one of her favorite childhood Christmas memories—when she got her very own dog!  Short, simple, easy.  And now, recorded!

One of my most memorable Holiday memories was when I got my very own dog for Christmas.  I was about 8 or 9 years old.  I remember my parents driving up in our big Dodge Ram Van on Christmas Eve.  I went out there to see what they had gotten and inside the van was the cutest black dog I had ever seen.  Everyone in my family said he was the ugliest dog they had ever seen, but I didn't care, to me he was the cutest dog ever because he was my very own dog. And he was my buddy!

Source

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What I did:

I made a digital scrap page of the story that inspired this challenge—my sister and I trying to sneak into the living room early on Christmas morning.  (I’m still not able to get to my old pictures, so yes, pictures will have to be put in later on this one too…if there even is one…sigh.) 

Credits:  Template, Scrapping With Liz.  Papers and candy cane embellishment, Carina Gardiner.  Fonts, Mom’s Typewriter, CK Daydream, Georgia. 

Now I challenge you to go record one (or a few) of your favorite holiday moments before it becomes lost! 

12 Ways To Help You Record Your Life This Year

This year, I thought I would help you all start the new year off by sharing a compilation of ways to help you document your new year!  





I know lots of people say they will record what goes on later (honey, are you reading this?) but I also know that time dims memories.  How many times have you read something that you wrote down just a few months or years earlier, and you smile because you totally forgot?  (I will raise my hand to that one!) Well, I hope this year, we will make a resolution to do better at recording your life!

You can use these ideas for personal or family history.  These are not my ideas (except one), so I’ve included the links for you to click on if you wish to see more!  These are not in any specific order, just in the order I found them.  Ready?  Here we go!

#1:  Perpetual Journal.  You just write the day on top of the card, and every year you write a bit about what you did that day, then start over the next year on the same cards.  I found this here on the Design Sponge blog. 
I’m going to do this with my family starting in a few days, and I’m so excited for the years to come…and what fun it will be to see what we did that same day on the previous year(s).   I didn’t cut my cards in half, and I want to make or find a fun little container for it still.  (I will have to post it on here when I get it all done.) A fun and ready option would be to buy those index cards that are already bound together.  There won’t be 365 cards, but you could have 3 or 4 sets.  Another idea I had was to buy the 4x6 index cards and put them in the 6 spot page protectors, but that would require a little extra work in taking out and putting in, but it would also protect from dirty hands and make for easier viewing.

#2:  A Journal Jar.  One of the TIMC readers, Robin, made a whole jar where you pull out one question a day and write the answer. 
This is great for someone who has a bit more time and wants to record things from the past.  Robin has even typed up 366 questions (go here) that you can get via email for just $5, and print them out.  Write or type up your answers!

#3:  The One Line A Day—A Five Year Memory Book.   If you are short on time and want something all in one place that is easily portable, this looks like a wonderful option! 
The days are already there, and you just write a bit a day!  The journal is $16.95 + shipping.  Check it out here.


#4:  Project Life. I’m sure most of you have heard about Becky Higgins’ amazing brain child, Project Life.  If you haven’t, basically you take a picture each day and do a bit of journaling.  I’ve done this for 3 years now, and I love that it really showcases the regular things we do each and every day…basically, life! Becky says, “Take a picture on each of the 365 days this year. Some pictures will illustrate bigger moments and some shots will be routine stuff in your life. It all adds up to paint the full picture of your life right now.”  (Don’t know what you would take a picture of everyday?  Check out Becky’s list here.)
There is the physical version, the digital goodies to make a digital version, or you can even do it through a photo book.  Check out the details here!

#5:  3-A-Day.  This one is actually my own idea…I have written in my journal faithfully for almost everyday since I was 10, but I went through a period of time when life was “boring” (aka, I had 4 kids and stayed at home all day long feeding said children and changing diapers) and I felt I didn’t have much to write about, nor the time.  So, I decided I would just jot down 3 things that happened that day, and they had to be positive, even if it was a positive spin on something bad that happened.  Now, I don’t feel like I have to do this everyday, so if I have a day where I want to write, I can!  I found a few pages from my journal that doesn’t give away too much, and this is what it looks like.

#6:  Peaks, Pits, Praises & Prayers.  It’s similar to what I do…this is where you write something good that happened, something bad, a praise to God, and a prayer that you have about something in your life or for someone else. 
This is something that you wouldn’t have to do on an everyday basis, but it would be fun to do on a weekly or monthly basis if that is more keen to your style and time available.  You can see how Deana did it here.

#7:  Year in Review Jar.  (This is an idea from Pinterest without a good link…sigh…this is why Pinterest etiquette is GOOD!)  This one had a picture, and I’m posting it on here, though I don’t know who to give the credit to.  (If you know, please let me know and I will put it on here!)
For this one, you have an empty jar and when something happens you want to remember, write it down.  Then at the end of the year, go through and read them all!  I thought this one would be fun to do as a family!  You could write down things kids say, good news, bad news, funny things that anyone does, etc.

#8:  365 Things I’m Grateful For Journal.  Simple and easy…just write down one thing that you are grateful for everyday!  I’ve seen these all over Pinterest, and I’m sure you have too!  They range from super scrapbook-y types to a simple store-bought journal.  I did find one journal by Monika Wright that I really loved here.  Plus you can link through to her store and buy your own journal just for this. 

#9:  A “Currently” Journal.  I thought this was a really fun idea, and I’m totally doing this one this next year!  You have a random list of things or topics and record once a month what you are currently doing/wanting/liking at that time.  Then you compile it at the end of the year and have a cute little album of your life!  It doesn’t have to be scrapbooked…it could just be written or typed up. 
Check out Paula Gilarde’s blog here to see this in more detail. 

#10:  25-Day Photo Challenge.  This is a wonderful alternative or addition to Project Life.  Photographer Katie Evans came up with this wonderful list of ways you can document your life right now in just 25 photos.  You could do them all in one day or one week if you don’t want to do just one a day.  This looks so fun, plus it can help you improve your photography skills!

#11:  Fast Fact Friday.  Of course I couldn’t make this list and not include what we do here on this blog!  The 2nd and 4th Fridays of every month (minus December) we have what is called “Fast Fact Friday”.  It’s just 5 questions that you can answer as quickly or as in-depth as you would like.  If you do every F.F.F. this year, you will have approximately 130 facts and/or stories recorded about you and your life by the end of the year! 




#12:  This Is Me Challenges.  Yes, the whole point of this blog is to help you record about you…because sometimes we forget to do that.  The weeks that there aren’t Fast Fact Fridays, there will be a challenge question to help get your mind going about something that you can record about.  Plus, there are always ideas from Team Members and sometimes there are freebies to help you out!  We hope you’ll join us in writing your story!

Well, there you have it!  Which idea(s) are you going to do this year to get your history written?  I’d also love to hear about any other ideas that you may have, so feel free to leave a comment/link about something that you do that others may benefit from!

Happy New Year, and remember to have fun recording your life!