Let us create family treasure that generations after us will enjoy.
This has been on my mind for a couple of years. Yes! But I have not implemented it yet. One of those lovely ideas that have waited patiently on the back burner. But this coming year, I solemnly resolve to do this. Because you, know, when you say, “I solemnly resolve to…” it becomes official. Like the constitution of a country.
Will you join me this 2015 and make it really really happen for you too? If you agree, comment, “Aye” below! 😀
HERE IS WHAT YOU NEED TO DO:
1. Create a free blog or journal. You can do this online or in a written journal. Blog makes it easier to publish your book if you want to publish it. Or you can hand bind a written journal. Or create a scrapbook, if you want that. If you want to go the free blog way, you can create a free blog at blogger.com or wordpress.com or weebly.com. They are all very easy to use.
2. Each day of the year take a picture of something, someone, someplace….anything that you find beautiful that day, anything that makes you smile, anything that makes you happy, anything kind you did for someone or some animal, anything kind someone did for you, any accomplishment of your own or someone you care about….you get the idea, right?? You are creating a collection of little magical moments. This has to be done everyday! You can even take more than one picture for a day if you have more than one thing you want to mention in your book for that day. You can use your super high end camera or your phone camera….whatever is convenient for you. Just make sure that the picture is at least 1 megapixel, so it prints in good quality.
2. Here we combine our gratitude journal too. Under each day’s picture, write why you are grateful or happy about it. You can also include other things you were grateful for that day. I write at least 5 things every night in my gratitude journal. Make it fun! Do it with someone so you stick with it.
3. At the end of 2015, create your book. Here are some options:
i) You can get it printed online using a service like http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-books, http://www.mixbook.com/photo-books, https://www.mypublisher.com/photobooks, or any of such services. Or find another one you like. Just google “photo books” to find such services. I am not affiliated to any of these sites, nor will I get anything if you use them. I just googled and chose a few.
ii) You can get your blog printed as a book using one of these services: http://www.blurb.com/blog-book,
http://blog2print.sharedbook.com/blogworld/printmyblog/index.html,
http://www.blogbooker.com/,
http://blog2print.sharedbook.com/blogworld/printmyblog/cutestblog/index.html, or any such services. Just google “blog book”. Once again, I have no affiliations to anyone. I just googled and took the first few.
iii) You can hand bind your own book: http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-bind-your-own-Hardback-Book/, http://soapdelinews.com/2011/10/handmade-journals-for-the-love-of-writing-as-a-past-time-and-how-to-make-your-own.html, http://howdidyoumakethis.com/stab-bound-journal/, or google “hand bind your own book”. You can also search on Pinterest.
And tada!! You have your own “My Beautiful Life: 2015” book. You can do it with friends, or your kids, or your spouse, and make it even more fun. Imagine having year after year of such books. What a treasure they will be for you!
HERE IS WHAT YOU ACHIEVE FROM THIS:
1. You have a years worth of proof that you actually DO have a beautiful life.
2. You get into the habit of looking for beauty in your life. You get into the habit of recognizing happy moments. We often keep ignoring these small beautiful moments every day that are scattered like wild flowers in a field. We keep waiting for big huge moments of happiness. Big huge moments are rare. If you keep waiting for those, you will hardly ever be happy. When you get into the habit of being aware of little happy, beautiful moments, you realize that your life is actually beautiful.
3. When you, your friends, your family create these books year after year, they become a treasure not just for you to look back upon and smile, but you also create beautiful family treasures that generations after you will LOVE to look at and read. Don’t you think??
So what do you say? Will you join me in 2015 and create your book? Comment below and let me know.
If you like this idea, please click the share buttons above and below, and share this idea before the next year starts. Share it on Facebook, Twitter, email, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and do our bit in creating a world of happier people.
How do I start one?
I have given the steps in the blog. Each step is outlined there. Start with taking a great picture each day from the new year and putting it in a dedicated blog. :-).
What a lovely Idea! I am going to start one for 2015! So many milestones and so much to be grateful for. 🙂
Thank you Sharonda! I hope you will share the picture of your book with me when 2016 begins and you have your book ready 😀 <3
Shared this lovely idea on my wall and Fibro? Now Let’s Be Positive :-).Tempted to give this a try, or something similar. Thanks for the inspiration Swati!
Hope you do it! :-))))
This sounds awesome, as I have a child with a disability and to take time and really treasure our moments would be awesome, I’ve herd of a email for ur child and then when their 18 give them the email address and password and send them pics and other stuff every day so it becomes special to them….but I love this idea so much more
I’m so glad you will do this for your child ((((hugs))))
Love this idea! Doing it!
I’m so glad you will do this!! :-)))
Love the idea wonderful
Hope you will make one for yourself this coming year :-)))
A lovely idea. Might try this myself although I’m on my own and don’t have children or grandchildren. I’d be doing it just for me, but maybe could publish it online. Thanks for this idea.
You can do this all by yourself. I do gratitude journal with my child. But I am wondering how to do the book with him because he can’t take photos everyday. He might…or might not. We’ll see. I will do it anyway 😀
Pure Angel Guidance! This morning I was speaking with my son about starting a Treasure Map for what all he wants to invite into his life and this afternoon I find this beautiful idea! I’m going to do a gratitude journal with my son for 2015!
I’m so glad you’ll be doing this with your son. I love doing this with my son too :-))
Great idea. I am certainly going to try this as sometimes we do not appreciate or wonder what we do or have that makes us happy. Thank you.
You’re right. We often do not pay attention to things that make us happy :-))
Thank you for the great idea. I am certainly going to try and do this in the new year.
So glad you’ll be doing this with me! :-))))
<3 this ideal Thank you i might try yhis also sharing on facebook 🙂
Why “might”? :-)))) Let’s do it Teresa!
That is an amazing idea! Yes life is made up of those small precious moments but we let life go waiting for those big moments to appear! Thanks.
Yes, you are right Nimmu :-))
I am definitely going to do this. I have grandchildren that I would love for them to see Grandma’s life and what little things made me happy. Thank you so much for this suggestion!
So glad you will do it! :-))))
Brilliant Idea Swati Aye
Yayyyy!! You said “Aye”! :-))))
what a wonderful idea… 🙂
So glad you like it! :-)))
Thank You! 🙂 It’ll be nice to put this together, I’m having very happy feelings about doing this, and about having it completed.
Yayyy! I’m having a great time doing this too :-))