Tag: Back to the Basics

June Updates and Mid Year Refresh

I have been slow in posting here lately as I am sure you all have noticed. The changes and shifts to our routines the last few months seem to be constantly changing and hard to keep business as usual these days. I did want to come to you today with a few updates and reminders as we wrap up June. Don’t forget that any text highlighted in Blue below is a link that will take you to more information on that item whether it is another blog post or a website link.

Monthly Back Up Day

It is the last Saturday of the month so that means it is a great time to doing a little backing up of our digital photos and projects along with the digital art we use to create with in Artisan. For P2P members, I suggest you start with Downloading & Backing up our Blueprints since new ones were just released by Pixels2Pages today, then Download any digital content your recently purchased and make sure your Art Kits and projects are backed up too. We touched on this 3 step process back in February – you can catch a refresher on the original post: Download, Backup 1, 2, 3 . This is a great thing to do before you join our next Virtual Photo Fun Day so you are ready to make progress with your photo projects right away.

If you want a refresher on how to back up your photos too, check out the post called Back up, Back up, Back up

Clean & Simple Photo Projects

I am loving the simplicity of the new options with Forever to create simple and quick photo projects right from the website. With the amazing sales recently, I have taken photos from friends and family and have put together a simple AutoBook in minutes. I had it shipped straight to the recipients so they could enjoy a little fun mail. Do you need a gift for under $25 or want to brighten someone’s day? Take a look at AutoBooks or our Design and Print options and remember that Done will be Better than Perfect in many cases! You can use this same link to explore ideas on Wall Decor or to order Photo Prints to frame and share.

Photo Fun Days – Going Virtual

I am excited that we have had a few successful Virtual Photo Fun Days now and are getting the hang of what that looks like for us each month. I hope to be back to in person group events one day but for now we are making the most of virtual opportunities for everyone’s safety and peace of mind.

Our next Photo Fun Day event is scheduled to be Saturday, July 11. This event will be Virtual Only. As we continue to have these Virtual events, I wanted to share what you can expect.

Everyone is welcome!
Right now these Monthly Virtual Photo Fun Day events are a FREE way to connect and learn but I ask that you do Register.
You can expect these events to be a chance to connect with each other. I will be there to support and encourage you throughout the day too.
We will have several dedicated “Break-Out” Sessions throughout the day. During the 2-4 scheduled “Break-Out Sessions”, I will share demos, showcase new products, share specials sales I am offering on Discontinued Products I have in stock. Sometimes we will have guests join me (typically fellow CM or Forever team members).
We open up the event through a Zoom Call at 10am and will close it down at 10pm. Other than the scheduled Break-Out Sessions, the rest of the time is open for questions and fun along the way.
You can choose to come and go as you wish or just pop in for the scheduled times.
One of the break out sessions will be a walk through of a Project Recipe featuring a new tool or paper pack. You do not have to pre-purchase the kit to participate however if you wish to purchase the kit, I will have them available prior to the event for Porch Pick up or after the event. Typically these Kits are between $7-$10. The kit is included in our Photo Fun Club Member’s offerings.

For July’s Project Recipe we will be featuring Electric Summer Paper Pack and the new Flip Flop Border Maker. I have a few remaining kits available for $6.50/each. Message me ASAP to reserve yours!

Staying Connected

I continue to offer porch pick up and love a quick visit with those that I am able to see when you stop by. I continue to be only a phone call, e-mail, text or zoom call away if you need help with a project or have a question.

If you are on Facebook, you can find me in a couple of places. Take your pick of the ones that interest you most.

Public Business Page – Elizabeth Goodson’s Photo Solutions: https://www.facebook.com/Elizabeth.PSPage/

I post general Photo Solutions info on this public page. You can follow or like it to keep updated here.

Private Forever Customer Group – Elizabeth’s Forever in 15 Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Elizabeth.ForeverGroup/

This is where I share more about upcoming events, specials and unique opportunities for my current Forever customers. We focus on how you can tackle photo project in as little as 15 minutes a day.

Private Creative Memories Customer Group – Elizabeth’s CM Customers: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Elizabeth.CMGroup/

This is where I share new product sneak peaks each month plus other specials and unique opportunities for my current CM customers.

Ready to place an order, reach out to me or you can go directly to either Forever or CM’s website. If you want to be sure your order is connected to me, you can use these links too:

Forever Website: https://www.forever.com/ambassador/elizabethgoodson
Creative Memories Website: https://www.creativememories.com/user/ElizabethGoodson

Have a great Saturday and be sure to have a little fun with your photos each day whether it be capture life with photos or celebrating past moments through your photos!

5 years ago

Download, Backup, Repeat

It is the last Saturday of the month so that means it is time to Download & Backup our Blueprints, digital content and projects with our 3 step process from last month. You can catch a refresher on the original post: Download, Backup 1, 2, 3 . This is a great thing to do each month before our monthly Photo Fun Day so you are ready to make progress with your photo projects right away. Sadly our in person April 4th Photo Fun Day has been canceled but the good news is that we will gather next Saturday by video chat to share ideas, a project recipe and enjoy catching up with each other for a bit. More details will be coming soon so check back here before next Saturday to learn how to join in.

If you want a refresher on how backing up your photos, check out the post called Back up, Back up, Back up

Be sure to comment below with any questions or thoughts on this process. Are there any other systems that you would like to learn more about next month?

5 years ago

Our New Routine

I know 2 posts in one day is a bit crazy but the other post was a regular post and I have been working on this one all week. Welcome to our new routine with a bit of grace and change around every turn.

Has your routine been rocked? Are you juggling more things than you thought you could imagine a few weeks ago? Have you learned new skills – maybe homeschooling can now be added to your list? Is your home extra noisy these days with kids at home and parents working from home and you are searching for a spot to be still and quiet? Or maybe your house is like mine, it is so quiet these days you dream of the days for people, laughter and chatter to fill it again?

Wherever you are, I imagine your routine has changed. For me, I spend my days at my kitchen table working from home. I take conference calls and participate in Zoom Meetings while working on other projects in between. I am trying to take time each day to connect with family and friends through calls, texts or dropping a note in the mail. I have made it a priority to go for a walk outside each day and am taking advantage of my time at home to do some of those small projects that just don’t get done very often when I am on the go all the time. Last week, it was fixing a light bulb over my stove that broke in the socket and this week it was getting a few bags of mulch spread.

I am also taking some time here and there to work on my photos. Not as much as I would like but still making some progress here too. Last weekend I was able to try out the new Forever AutoBooks. It is a “automagical” way to take your favorite photos from a trip or time and put them in a simple book FAST. I had worked on my 2019 Favorites Album last year with the Little by Little approach that I described in a previous post so when it came to doing a book of all of my 2019 favorite photos, I was able to do a short review of them to get the total number of photos in that album under 400 and then hit one button and all my photos were in a book like magic. I tweaked a few pages and added my journalling and ordered. I expect my book will be here this weekend so I can enjoy. Can you imagine what photo book you would like to have ordered this week so you and your family can enjoy it next week?

Would you like to join me in a Stay Home Photo Challenge where we gather, organize and create a photo book while we are at home these next 3 weeks? I know you have so many more things you are doing these days but if you can set aside 15 minutes 3-5 times each week (that is less than an hour each week), you will be amazed at how much progress you can make, have a few more days or times you can work and you can see a year’s worth of photos organized in as little as 2 weeks. You pick the pace, your project and whether you choose digital or traditional style books or you choose your 2019 book or a family vacation book, it is completely up to you. We are gong to take this off of social media and do it through a few simple text messages to remind you, encourage you and inspire you over these next 3 weeks. Ready to get started?

Text SIGNMEUP to (919)205-5212 . This is a special text number I am using for this challenge and a few other updates. E-mail, message or call me with questions through our usual ways too.

As we find our routine over the next few weeks, we may adjust and tweak things but know that one thing that is constant is that I am here to help you with your questions and photo projects. If this a time that you want to make progress on your photo projects, I am here. If this isn’t a time you can add one more thing to your plate, know that it is OK too, we can connect once the dust settles a bit.

Be safe and take care while you Stay Home this week!

5 years ago

Time – what will you do this week?

The last couple of weeks have been hectic for me with an amazing retreat last weekend and then the reality that many of those in my office may need to shift to a work from home approach for several weeks so we can maintain the highest level of service and safety of our staff and community in the coming weeks. I am sure I am not alone in feeling like this feels a bit weird but we will continue to do the things we can as we adjust other aspects of life being different than usual.

First, let me share a brief update about the great time we had in Hillsborough last weekend. We had 9 of us in attendance at a unique retreat house that was designed with crafters in mind. We had large tables, comfy chairs and good lighting to work on our projects whether they be traditional scrapbook pages or work on the computer for photo organization or digital photo project creation. Our sleeping space and working area were all under one roof which was great for our group. We did a Card Class break-out using the Creative Memories Just Saying Card Kit. Each participant created 6 cards and got to experience just how easy it is to do our card kits. We also did a Project Recipe with the Magic Awaits Creative Memories kit in both traditional and digital and discovered how versatile this pack of products is even if you aren’t going to a theme park. Each participant also got a Forever Gift Certificate to use on any item they wished. Some uses of this gift certificate were – printing photos, ordering permanent storage, ordering a Media Conversion Box, getting Forever Artisan and then there is always our beautiful Forever Digital Art. Forever really has something for everyone. There were also a few goodies for attending that included non-photo project surprises. As with any of our retreats, there was plenty of yummy and comforting food to enjoy and keep you fueled through the days. I know that each of the attendees will join me in looking forward to our next time in Hillsborough. If you are interested in joining us next time, be sure to Save the Date – October 9-11 . More details will be coming later this summer. As with this event, I expect the October one will sell out quickly so be sure to jump on registration as soon as it is opened.

As I returned from the retreat, it has been a bit of a whirlwind as we absorbed the ever changing news about the spread of the COVID-19. I am sure you are like me and having to react to an adjustment of our routines as many of our commitments and schedules are shifted. Although there is a lot of uncertainty, I am reminded that there are many things I can do at home that I haven’t had “time” to do recently. Some of you will be dealing with entertaining others in your household while some of you will find yourself with lots of time to yourself. Here are a few of the things I plan to do with my change in routine:

Instead of commuting every day to work, I am am hoping to get a walk in more often and enjoy some of these warmer spring like days.
On the days I am home working, I am hoping to eat a few healthier lunches rather than picking up something out.
I also plan to be intentional about what small businesses I can still support during this time and how to be intentional when I do get out or order for shipment to my house.
There are also many projects I have at home – cleaning out that bathroom cabinet, sorting that pile of old clothes that need to be donated, determining what supplies I need for the yard so I can freshen up the flower beds are just a few.

What projects are on your list, what projects can you do with your family during this time? Are photo projects on your list? This is a great time to gather photos and media for a media conversion box, a great time to spend 15 minutes a day working on organizing a few of your digital images with your Forever account or pull out that traditional project and spread it out and see where you left off, what you need to finish, etc. It is also a great time to go back and read a few of my recent posts here on my blog about how to get started with a photo project with a Little by Little approach.

Remember that I am here to help you with those photo projects when you are ready. We can video chat or talk by phone during this time with any questions. I am also planning on doing some screen sharing events in the evenings where I can show you how to use your Forever Account or Artisan in new ways while answering questions you may have. Have kids that take photos on their phones that are stuck at home, we can teach them about this too and make that time on their phones a bit more productive too.

For now both Forever and Creative Memories are still open and operating their facilities so we can place orders and send media conversion orders to them. If this changes it will be posted on their websites but for now, there are many things we can do keep those projects going that we have already started or plan ahead for what we may want to do next. I would love to hear what you are doing over on our Facebook Page where others can be encouraged and inspired too.

I look forward to our time to gather in person again but until then, let’s encourage each other virtually through the technology that we have at our fingertips.

5 years ago

2020 Favorites – Monthly Catch up

Remember that post about Little by Little progress on our photo projects. It is the first of March and now is a great time to make a little more progress on your photos. If you already set up your 2020 Favorites Album and put January photos in it, then you are ready to move on to February. If you haven’t joined us yet with this, go back to the Little by Little post and start there.

As we enter a new month, it is also a great time to look at your calendar for the upcoming months and sign up for the events you are interested in joining us so you can make even more progress on those projects. We will be headed away on our 2020 March Retreat this weekend but now is the perfect time to sign up for any of our sprint Photo Fun Days by checking out the Events Page.

5 years ago

Download, Backup 1, 2, 3

Happy Leap Day and Happy Final Day to my 16 Gifts for 16 Years series. I didn’t quite get each post out on time but we have 16+ great gifts that have been shared and I look forward to continuing to use this website and blog posts as a way to share more with you.

With the p2p Team sharing Blueprints on the final Saturday of each month I want to take time today to share my process and encourage you to create a routine for keeping your Forever Artisan projects and digital content safe and secure.

Download Day is my reminder to download the latest Blueprints from the p2p website as well as back up all of my digital content whether it be from p2p Blueprints, Forever Digital Art or CM Digital Content and my completed projects. Here are my steps:

Log into the Pixels2Pages website and Download the latest Blueprints under Recent Posts. If you are interested in learning more about the P2P community for Forever Artisan and Historian software users, you can check out here for this Premium Training Resource:
- Once I have downloaded the latest Blueprints, I file them away in my Blueprints folder. Here are the simple steps to remind you but for details instructions you can go to the P2P page for helpful tips on Downloading Blueprints:
  1. Download the Blueprints to my Download Folder
  2. Unzip the folder from the Blueprints folder using Extract All option
  3. Open the Unzipped folder and copy contents
  4. Paste in my Blueprints folder under Documents (or in the location where I save my Blueprints)
  5. Delete the unneeded folders from my Downloads folder.
Go to my Forever account and verify from my order history if I have any orders with digital art that I need to Download and install:
- There are helpful instructions in the e-mail confirmation on How to Install your Digital Art.
- Once I have downloaded any recent purchases and added any new Activation codes, I go to Artisan and select Manage Content (from the Welcome screen). Choose Activation Codes from the top of the screen and then Make a Back up of my codes.
- This will create text file. Save it on your computer or where you keep your Art Kits.
- In addition to this file, I also convert to a PDF file by clicking on File > Print to PDF and save that file as well. I always put the date in the file name so I know which one is most current and can delete any extras if needed.
- I upload my PDF version of my file to my Forever Account so I have it backed up there as well.
Steps 1 & 2 are about mainly about Downloading, this step is where I back up 3 groups of files. I back up my Artisan Projects, Blueprint files and Digital Content on an External Hard Drive (EHD).
- I have a folder for each of these on an External Hard Drive (EHD).
- Simply plug in your EHD and then in your File Browser, go to the location on your computer (typically under your C: drive) where you save each of these types of documents and copy the whole folder.
- Go to the folder you have on your EHD and paste the new contents in that folder. If you do the whole folder each month, you can delete the past version once you know the information is safely copied for the new file.
- Keep your EHD in a safe place – best if it is not kept with your computer.

By doing these simple 3 steps each month, you will not have to worry about lost files or projects if something happens to your computer. With the project files and content, if you have to buy a new computer (or rebuild from a crash) then you will have everything you need to reload your projects to keep working.

If you want a refresher on how backing up your photos, check out the post called Back up, Back up, Back up

Now for the Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years:

Here is a recap of the gifts for Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years plus the new one for today:

On the first day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I went back to where it all started with a Creative Memories product that I LOVE – one person can get the CM bookcloth album of your choosing for 50% off. Available until claimed!

On the second day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I am reopening the 2020 Photo Fun Club until the end of the month for the 2 remaining spots in the 2020 Photo Fun Club ~~PLUS for the first person who replies I am offering 1/2 off one of our upcoming 2020 Photo Fun Day – FULL day registrations.~~ Message me if you wish to sign up and I will share the details or answer any further questions.

On the third day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I am offering to the first 2 people who respond, 10GB of Forever Storage for 1/2 off.

On the 4th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I am offering Buy One Get One 50% off on those supplies you never want to run out of – Refill Pages with Protectors, Tape Runners, and Tape Runner Refills. There is no limit on how many people can take advantage of this offer however all orders must be placed no later than Feb 29th and pick up at my home in Apex or at my next Photo Fun Day or Retreat. Please use the form in the original post here!

On the 5th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I want to help you get those family recipes or photos of your community gathered around the table scanned and digitized so you can share them too. For the first 5 people who complete the form on the original post, I will offer you up to 16 of your favorite photos or recipes scanned with my next media conversion box for FREE.

On the 6th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I want to keep the sharing theme going and share FREE shipping on any CM order over $50 placed before the end of the month. All orders must be placed directly through me in the form on the original post (and not on my CM website) and picked up at my home in Apex or at one of my upcoming Photo Fun Days or Retreats in March or April.

On the 7th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I will create your panel for you with Forever Design and Print and have it shipped straight to you for 50% off the retail price. Take a peak at the Forever Design and Print options so you know what you might want me to create for you. To take advantage of this, please use the form on the original post

On the 8th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, Share a blog post & comment on the original posts with your favorite snow day activity and earn an entry into my $10 Starbucks drawing. Drawing will include all entries as of Feb 29th at 5pm and must include a share AND a comment below.

On the 9th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, Join with fellow customers and when your online orders equal $200 or more in one day, I will a drawing for a $25 Gift Certificate. Available with each CM and Forever orders.

On the 10th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I am offering the first 3 people who upload (up to 16) your favorite photos, I will have them printed for you with Forever for FREE and available at our next Photo Fun Day or retreat. Check the original post for details.

On the 11th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I always enjoy helping my customers and friends with their projects. Do you have questions and want to meet for a FREE 30 minutes coffee chat with me? Today is your day – the first person to message me will get a Coffee Chat in the next month to get any of your questions answered.

On the 12th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, One idea that I learned from a friend sharing with me was how to use Forever’s Artisan software to create luggage tags with our ornaments. For the first person to reply to this message, I will create a customized luggage tag just for you.

On the 13th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, As a member of my team, I am always here to support you in your own goals for your business but for those that join my team in February, I will partner with you for a joint event in March to kickoff your business. Message me for more details.

For the 14th & 15th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I want to help you tell your story through printed and digitized photos so I am offering the first 2 people who want to take advantage of this offer. Order a media conversion box from Forever (don’t forget the coupon code for 20% off through 3/9) and I will send you a Gift Certificate to use on your next order or to apply to any additional items you may include in your box over the allotted credit. The Gift Certificate increases based on the size of the box:

Personal Box – $10 Forever GC
Value Box – $50 Forever GC
Family Box – $100 Forever GC

For the FINAL day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I am going to take everyone who has participated in the 16 Gifts for 16 Years Celebration in some way prior to 10pm tonight 2/29/2020 and do a drawing for a SWAG Bag of Forever and CM goodies. This may be logo items or products but the gift bag will be full of surprises. I will do one drawing for each 10 entries we have in the drawing so help me spread the word so increase the number of drawings.

THANK YOU for joining me in this celebration of 16 years of my business!

5 years ago

Family History

Part of why I spend time with my family’s photos is that I love learning about our family history and capturing those stories in a place where others can enjoy too. Whether it is stories about my life or those that have come along before me each story is precious to me.

I was recently visiting one of my grandmothers and she reminded me of a story I had heard over the years. It is a story that reminds me of the joy I bring to my family and the fun adventures we have had through the years.

When I was a just a baby there was a day in the middle of the week when my Granddaddy was in town for a business meeting. When he got out of his meeting for the day, he surprised my mom at the house for a short visit and from all versions of this story, he was really there to see me. While there, he cooked up a plan to take me home with him for a visit. Mom called Dad at work to bounce the idea off of him but in the end everyone was game for a big trip for the grand-baby to go home with Granddaddy and surprise my Grandma. Mom tells how I was ready for a nap so she helped pack me in the car and off I went with Granddaddy with the hopes I might sleep a bit as we traveled.

The next part of the story is the part my Grandma tells where she had no idea what he had cooked up but she was busy at home when he arrived. She tells of the grin on his face that was ear to ear as he showed who he brought home to see her. The tells of what all I did and who I saw over the next few days are fun to hear but the best part is this is a story, I have no way of remembering myself but the intentional effort of my family to retell this story to me over the years has made it where it is one of my favorite “memories” too.

I have a few photos from around this time of me with my Granddaddy and whether they were taken on this visit or another one in the same time frame, the remind me of the great love he had for me.

What story to you hold that a child, grandchild, niece, nephew, or friend’s child might like to know one day. Whether it is through a traditional scrapbook or through a Forever account capture that story while it is still fresh and pass that memory of love and joy on to the next generation.

We will do 2 posts today to catch up from the end of the week and for those who have place orders or claimed other gifts, I will be in touch with you shortly with further details.

Here is a recap of the gifts for Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years plus the new one for today:

On the third day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I am offering to the first 2 people who respond, 10GB of Forever Storage for 1/2 off.

Personal Box – $10 Forever GC
Value Box – $50 Forever GC
Family Box – $100 Forever GC

Don’t forget that the Value Box is the perfect size to send a CM Scrapbook (or the pages) to be scanned and shared.

5 years ago

Fresh Start

For those that have followed my blog and journey over the last couple of years, you may remember a post in 2018 titled Turning the Page… where I was changing jobs. I have found myself in a similar place closing that chapter and starting fresh again this month. As you read this message, I will be embracing a new “day job” this week and with that comes the perfect time to freshen up my work supplies.

Do you have a favorite pen, notepad, snack or tool you keep at work to bring a little happiness and joy to your work day? Here are a few of my must haves for office supplies or tools that I have tucked in my bag for the new job this week.

I love having my Painted Pearl 2020 Watercolor Miniature Calendar on my desk. Since I knew I was likely changing jobs earlier this year, I waited to open my 2020 Mini Calendar until I started the new job so I am extra excited to pull out my new one and add it to my desk for the last part of February and rest of 2020.
My go-to work pen right now is the Pentel EnerGel Medium Point Pen, typically in Blue but I love fun colors too. Be careful if you ask to borrow one, I might be a bit possessive or ask for it back before you leave.
My TI-82 Calculator – yes I still have the calculator I got for high school math class. It has been with me for decades now but is still going strong and will be heading to the office with me this time too.
For those times when I need to focus and work without interruptions, I will have my Bose Headphones tucked in my bag and a few of my favorite playlist queued up on Spotify.
And last but not least, there will be a bag of Dove Promises – Dark Chocolates to put in my candy dish. This has become a favorite of friends and visitors through the years. The conversations that come from sharing a piece of chocolate with a coworker on a crazy day or sharing the message of encouragement that Dove puts on each of their wrappers are a perk of having this simple candy dish on my desk.

Do you have a item on your desk or in your office that brings you joy or puts a smile on your face when you see it? I would love to know what your favorite office items are too.

Now for the Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years:

On the third day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I am offering to the first 2 people who respond, 10GB of Forever Storage for 1/2 off.

On the 7th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, Another thing that can bring joy and make you smile is to take a favorite photo or quote and create a simple canvas or wall panel. Would you like to make the walls in your office or home bring a smile to your face? For the first person to reply here with your e-mail, I will create your panel for you with Forever Design and Print and have it shipped straight to you for 50% off the retail price. Take a peak at the Forever Design and Print options so you know what you might want me to create for you.

5 years ago

Sharing is Caring

There is nothing like a sweet 5 year old to put things into perspective with his words – “Sharing is Caring”!

It was a Sunday after church and I had arrived at McAllister’s for lunch a few minutes before our family and dear friend with her sweet 5 year old son were going to join me. To help make sure we had a table when the restaurant got busier, I had gone on through the line, ordered my lunch and found a table large enough for our group. About the time the rest arrived, my food was already being delivered to the table. I had soup and they had put a few tortilla chips on the side of the plate. As our family likes to say – they put just enough to garnish the plate, rather than the serving you might like to accompany your meal.

As I sat there waiting for our group to make their way through the line to join me, my friend’s son came to wait with me at the table rather than stand in the line with his mom. He had no more climbed up in the chair when he snagged one of my precious few chips. I teased him and said he better not eat all of my lunch or I would have to share his. With those precious eyes looking up at me, he said without missing a beat, “Sharing is Caring” and helped himself to another chip. As I looked back at him, I knew that this moment needed reinforcement of this message that he clearly had been learning recently and was still navigating just how it applied. So I shared my few chips with him and chatted a bit more about sharing while we waited for the group to make their way through the line and join us.

Whether it is a lesson like this with a child or sharing in other ways, I know that there is truth in this message. When we share what we have in our possession, what we have learned previously or even of ourselves and our time we are showing that we care for those around us and want them to experience the best we have to offer.

My business over these 16 years has been about sharing something I love and have found to be useful with those around me. I am blessed by those of you who help me extend this by sharing with your friends and family too.

I am thankful for each and every referral you send to my business. Did you know….

You can share with a friend my Creative Memories link: https://www.creativememories.com/user/ElizabethGoodson so that they can place an order for Creative Memories right from my website.
You can use your own Forever Refer a Friend link and share Forever with a friend and earn a coupon to use on your next purchase (It is $10 this month). Your friend also gets a welcome coupon to use on their own first purchase.
If you are not already connected to me with Forever, you can use my link: https://www.forever.com/ambassador/elizabethgoodson to connect yourself and get your own welcome coupon.
You can share our upcoming events and invite a friend to join us by pointing your friends and family to this site. Don’t forget that I offer a FREE after 3pm Option for our first time attendees – Use the link on the Events Page to sign up for our next Photo Fun Day!

Thank you for being the Heart of my Business for so many years! I look forward to sharing more with each of you!

Now for the Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years:

On the third day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I am offering to the first 2 people who respond, 10GB of Forever Storage for 1/2 off.

On the 6th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I want to keep the sharing theme going and share FREE shipping on any CM order over $50 placed before the end of the month. All orders must be placed directly through me in the form below (and not on my CM website) and picked up at my home in Apex or at one of my upcoming Photo Fun Days or Retreats in March or April.

5 years ago

Food & Community

At a recent gathering of friend over dinner, I couldn’t help but realize how much Food and Community are tied together for me. There is something special about sharing a meal together. Whether they are family gathered for a holiday, longtime friends who haven’t connected recently or new acquaintances, the time around the table or standing in someone’s kitchen builds a unique sense of community. I believe we all value community in some way but I know that spending time with “my people” around a table of food feeds more than my belly but fuels my heart too.

One of the projects I started years ago when I first began digital scrapbooking (Forever Artisan) was to take some of my favorite recipes and create Recipe Cards with them. Many of these are “Go To” family recipes we use so often I can almost quote them by heart while others may have only been tried once or twice. Each time I made the card, I printed it as a 4×6 photo with a few extra copies to share and tucked it into a photo album that I keep in my kitchen. This album has pockets for 4×6 photos like the Multi-Pocket Pages that Creative Memories offers (you can find them on my CM Website under Shop > Pages & Protectors).

Having a few extra copies of my most favorite have come in handy more times that I can count. Whether it is a when a friend is over for dinner and asks for the recipe of that dessert I just served or I am taking the dish to a pot luck or to someone’s house who is having a baby or surgery, I can pull it out and hand it off. Another tip I will share is that now that I have these in a 4×6 photo format, I also have them in my Forever Storage account where I can access them while I am out at the grocery store picking up ingredients or out of town and want to make it on vacation. I also have found myself not pulling out my photo album Recipe Book as much these days and instead pulling it up on my phone and cooking with that version of the recipe out. The best part of having this access to my recipes is that when I don’t think to grab a copy of the recipe, I can pull it up on my phone and share in a text or e-mail right while I am talking about it.

I have my Favorite Recipes Album available in the public side of my Forever account that you can check out by going to my Profile Page to get a few ideas for how to make your own recipe cards.

Do you have a recipe card that is written by someone you love dearly? Would yo love to capture those precious handwritten cards in the same way? Did you know that you can have those recipes scanned and uploaded to your Forever Storage account as well and do the same thing that I have described above? Forever’s Media Conversion Services take a white glove approach to our precious photos and documents when they scan and digitize them.

What recipe would you want to create a card so you can share it more easily? Join us at our next Photo Fun Day to learn more about how to create these in Artisan yourself.

Now for the Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years:

On the third day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I am offering to the first 2 people who respond, 10GB of Forever Storage for 1/2 off.

On the 5th day of Elizabeth’s 16 Gifts for 16 years, I want to help you get those family recipes or photos of your community gathered around the table scanned and digitized so you can share them too. For the first 5 people who complete the form below, I will offer you up to 16 of your favorite photos or recipes scanned with my next media conversion box for FREE. I will coordinate with you on the details after you submit your request.