Journaling/scrapbooking Ideas...

I'm not sure if this would appeal to you or not, but I really wanted to keep up with everything that happens in my son's life and we also lived far away from family, so I wanted them to stay up to date as well. So about 4 months before he was born I started a blog. I update at least once a week, with pictures and text. At the end of each year I get the blog printed, which was not super-cheap, but I believe the books we have are about 140 pages each and they were about $50 for a hard-bound book with an image wrapped cover (hard bound with dust cover is cheaper and softbound is even cheaper than that). My blog is on blogger, which is free and very easy to use and the website I used to make the book was blurb.com. (You can send me a message if you have specific questions.)

He just turned 2, so I printed a book at the end of 2009 and another at the end of 2010. He loves to look at them like storybooks and point out all the people he knows and tell me about the baby (him). It doesn't have the hand written aspect, but I'm pretty sure down the road he'll feel like it is just as personal. Whatever you decide I think it's great that you are trying to document all of this for him!

i wish i had kept up with it, but i bought a pretty journal, that had lined pages because i hate my wriiting on unlined ones, and then everynight before bed i would jot down a quick note to my son. sometimes just an i love you, sometimes something cute he had done. I didn't put picutures in it at all but I suppose i could have maybe with those corner things that hold photos in.

I'm sure he loves it now and will apprecate your efforts even more when he is older.

Hidden journaling blocks in the scrap book pages... if you don't understand contact me.. I do not sale any scrapbook company so no fear but could give you better description... or check out some scrapbook sites and find the hidden journaling techniques.

My husband and I both do different things: he's NOT going to scrapbook, where I have more time and like the "art project" aspect to doing what I do...it's a creative outlet that I find relaxing and fun. For my husband: I got him a nice leather journal with lined pages, pretty big, and he writes notes and thoughts when he's inspired to do so (and on certain days throughout the year, every year). He'll post a few pictures that really rocked his world or that he thought were really part of what he was thinking / writing about in the book here and there, not many....but I think it is in keeping with his "dad style" and so in that way, it looks good to us.
I do a little scrapbooking but not as amazing or fancy as some of the things I've seen others do. I "need" the large size scrapbook (don't know the size in inches, but it's the big square size at Michaels or wherever). I've done a few things (not as much as I'd like, but with time short for me I do what inspires me and I feel is a "priority" right now, and can fill in some others later as able). Lots of people do journaling style scrapbooking, and you can get some neat ideas by flipping through some books at the library, even magazines. I've done some pages that I thought were obvious to do for both boys (each boy has a song that really meant something to me during my pregnancy: my oldest was "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed, my youngest was "I Saw God Today" by George Strait): I did a page with the lyrics typed in handwriting font in the center of the page, a couple pictures of us and some thoughts written out on what that song meant and how it pertained to them. I have a 2 page spread for each boy with their sonograms, and I had a "he said / she said" section for the oldest where we both wrote our initial reactions to the very first sonogram and how we felt months later knowing he was a boy. I printed this in handwriting font, but did it that way so it could be smaller and all fit. The note from dad is in blue font, attached to one portion of the first page (around a couple sonogram pictures) and then on top of that is a decorated flap attached by a couple decorative studs that said "He Says" and then on the 2nd page among some sonograms are my notes, in pink, on a flap that says "She Says". I made a card holder for each boy out of 3 different papers for all the baby cards, each holiday, some special events like a riding the Polar Express or whatever. But there are some lessons that I wanted to have done in a special way so they can look back on it as something I really wanted to pass down to them (a dream that changed my life and the story and lesson there, a really neat lesson on our value and worth and how that does not change, things like that). Those, I wrote out and decorated in neat ways, not so cutesy but quite lovely. I like the scrapbooks because I can change it around as needed, if needed. Right now things are all in 1 book for each child but later I may want to add or rearrange something, and because it is a post-bound book I can add an extension (already have for the oldest boy) or remove something and put it in a different book. For example, as they get older, I may want to take out the pages that are more journaling to them or lessons and put those in separate books, maybe keep 1 scrapbook for chronological memories and a story of their life and another book for messages I want to pass to them....or I could take out the birthday pages and make a book dedicated just to birthdays, or whatever. I like the freedom to change things around however I please, and these large post bound books work well for that.

I've been scrapbooking now for about 10 years sort of and on. I have a 5 year old Son and I want to do the same thing as you. I do journal in my scrapbook, cause the memories, feelings are important to write those down. Pictures are great and scrapbooking is great, however after you are gone, what you are left with is just pictures and maybe the date and info on the back of the picture. The cheaper photo albums or books, aren't always acid free and that's not a great thing if you are wanting your pictures to be around for a long time. If you do scrapbooking and journaling along with your pictures, than that in my opinion is much better for everyone, especially long term wise for preserving your photos, memories, feelings,etc...

Creative Memories really likes for you to journal. I have friend who sells Creative Memories and she has taught me to journal in my scrapbooks. You might want to try out a class or go to one of her crops! If you want more info on her and Creative Memories, I'll be glad to give you the info on it. I also have a catalog if you would like to look at it of Creative Memories, just let me know. I'm not wanting to pressure you or anything like that. Wanted you to know that this company is available and products are there to help you with your journaling/scrapbooking.

I journal, however I don't take up a whole page of the scrapbook. I tell about the event or things that are going on in the picture. I also describe my son's age and emotions/feelings,etc... I've only done my Son's baby book and journaled in the scrapbook. I've done a lot of other scrapbooks where I have journaled. What you may want to do is to balance the picture/pictures with the journaling. Journal part of the page and part of the pages be pictures. If you aren't using a lot of stickers,embellishments and that sort of thing, then yes you have more room for pictures and journaling. I would just say don't get too carried away with the journaling, if you want pictures in the album.

Yes, with kids you end up with tons of photos! I have a ton of my Son. However, you don't want to put all your pictures in your album or even picture albums. Of course, there is bad pictures and pictures that don't turn out very well or the sun is an issue,etc... You have to pick out the best pictures of your child and showcase them. I pick out my best pictures and put them in the scrapbook. I don't use all my child's pictures, cause that would be too expensive and buying too many scrapbooks. This is my opinion and what I would do. It is totally up to you and the way you want to do it. Buy another scrapbook or you can even make your own scrapbook, if you want to. You can use Cardstock and punch holes in it and put a rings around it, if you really want to save money. You could laminate it, if you want to protect it from the dust,etc.. That is the cheaper route of doing it that way. Scrapbooks do come on sale at Michael's, Jo-Ann's and Hobby Lobby. Also, they offer coupons- all these places do in the newspaper. Jo-Ann's sends out coupons to me, if you join their mailing list. You can buy a scrapbook on sale and use the coupon, possibly or buy it at regular price and use a coupon for 40% or more.

I'm in 2 meetup groups for scrapbooking, if you want to join us, you are welcome to join us in our groups. We meet for crops and that is when we do scrapbooking, going thru pictures, journaling, and etc.... We meet at a different house each time. If there is a cost to the meetup group it is $5 or $10, I believe at the most per year. The reason why there is a cost with meetup, is there is people actually working behind the scenes at meetup headquarters and they do the computer work, website maintenance and work hard to make meetup a better website for everyone. The Organizer has to pay so much per month to be a part of Meetup, as a meetup group. Anyway, the Organizer needs help in paying for that cost each month. That is why there is a cost to the group. It is a great way to meet other women who scrapbook/journal,etc... You also get other ideas from other women, which is neat. You learn new things and it is fun too! We usually have a pot luck and we each bring something to eat. This may or may not be for you. You may prefer to do journaling/scrapbooking on your own, which is ok too.

That's great that you are doing this for your Son. All Mom's should do this sort of thing for their child! Not everyone has the time or the creativity or the patience to do this type of journal or scrapbooking.

I wouldn't use regular paper in a composition type book, that's too casual looking, plus it won't preserve your precious photos many years from now. You should definitely use acid free paper. Acid free paper is important, because if you don't use it, then your pictures and paper will turn yellow over time. You don't want to happen! Make sure anything you buy that it is acid free or archival type free/safe for preserving photos,etc.... Definitely do it in a scrapbook or make your own type of scrapbook with the card stock.

I'm not sure how much journaling you are doing, but you might want to do a small paragraph or a couple of paragraphs each page. I usually do a paragraph and sometimes it is long paragraph. I use my stencils that have lines on it and a nice looking circle and oval shape around the lines. Creative Memories makes them and I have several of them and they are great. What you do is put the stencil down on the paper- some are really big, some are small and you trace the lines, or you can do both the lines and the circle around it. I have fancier one with a scrolly type of look that looks really pretty for journaling. This makes it so much easier for journaling! It looks pretty once it is done and not just plain old writing on the paper. Of course, you can use a ruler, if you really want to do that way. It is totally up to you and what you want to do with this.

Have fun and good luck!

I bought a polaroid camera and take pics of everything DD does. I write her notes about our day in a journal and I print the pics from the camera and stick them in. They print on sticky back paper (2X3) so they are perfect to put into the journal. I am sure you could dress it up, but mine is pretty casual just my (horrible) handwriting and the pics. Kids love these printouts too as keepsakes when they come to your house. It is called a polaroid pogo and not too cheap (150 or so when i got off amazon) but cheaper than a lot of cameras/printers and so easy.

Good luck

Instead of putting the pics directly in the composition book, just add a colored paper square slightly bigger than the picture.

For my son im making a beautiful scrpabook of every important day of his first year of life, and i also have one of those books you fill with all the info and the dates, my book can use pictures, so for me this are to separete projects...

what you can do is put more pages on your scrapbooks, most of them are made to grow....you just have to use the things that come with the new pages....

if yours doesnt have this option, why dont y get an standart 12x12 scrapbook and convert the old one into this size, and u can add as much pages as you want!

I'm using a baby book called Pikeno (http://pikeno.com) for journaling and it's been working wonders for me and my family. My in-laws live in another country , so having a website that they can go to see their grandkids latest developments is great.

I thought at scrapbook stores, they had little 1/2 inserts that would fit in between pages for journaling. Also, I have used Mailing labels...just type one after another and flip the pictures and write on a new label ect... different fonts, color, to add color and match the page. Then print them out and stick them on the page..... easy as pie.