Tag: Lighten the Load

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.

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

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.

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:
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!

2020 Favorites – May Day!

It is the first of May!  Remember that post about Little by Little progress on our photo projects from earlier this year.  Have you been keeping up with us each month?  If so jump in with those April photos and make a little more progress today.  If you haven’t joined us yet with this, go back to the Little by Little post and start there.

The beautiful thing about this approach to our photo projects is that we get to see how just a little bit of attention each month can make a difference in a project that seems so overwhelming.  As we slowly check off one month, we gain a bit of momentum.

Don’t forget to check out the Events Page for any upcoming events you want to attend.  Did you have an order you wanted to place?  You can always order your products directly through the CM or Forever websites or E-mail me with your order no later than 1 week prior to a Photo Fun Day and I will make sure I add your CM order to mine for pick up at the Photo Fun Day that month.

2020 Favorites – Making Progress

Remember that post about Little by Little progress on our photo projects from earlier this year.  It is the first of April so let’s keep going and make a little more progress on our photo projects.  If you joined us in previous months and already have your January and February photos in your 2020 Favorites, then you are ready to move on to March.  If you haven’t joined us yet with this, go back to the Little by Little post and start there.

Don’t forget to check out the Events Page and sign up for any upcoming events you are planning on attending.  Did you have an order you wanted to place?  I am still offering porch pick up for CM orders of items I have in stock.  Did you know that when you place the order directly with me and pick up at my Photo Fun Days or through my Porch Pick Up option you get to take advantage of the discounted shipping since we split it among those who place the order.  Typically it is 6% of less but the larger my order the smaller the shipping is each month.  E-mail me with your order.

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?

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!

 

Grace & Making Progress

I thought of all of the lists and ideas I could share with you about those photo projects that we can do while practicing social distancing right now but the reality to me is that the shift in routine is not like any of us can anticipate.  I don’t have an abundance of “extra time” but it is more of a shift in the time and places I spend it – some things are harder as we navigate them remotely, some are just different.  I imagine each of you may be like me as we let a bit of the dust settle while we figure this out.  I want to take a minute and remind you it is OK to not have the perfect picture to this time, it is a time to extend yourself some grace as well as those people around you, those you do business with and even those who are making decisions about schools, businesses and offices.  We are all trying to figure this out together and it is likely going to be a bit bumpy.

My best advice as we figure this out together, keep the things you can as normal as possible while taking advantage of these changes to make a little progress somewhere you wouldn’t normally be able to.  Don’t set too high of an expectation of what you will accomplish but strive to make the best of this time.  For me, the last few days of working from home have allowed me to spend time with my Write the Word journal a bit more, keep the laundry going a bit better without forgetting it in the washer or dryer, take a short walk each day, cook more meals at home, talk to a few friends by phone and help a few customers & team members who are working on photo projects.  I am making progress on my full time work projects too and making lists of other things I need to do when we are able to meet together in person again.  Things are moving forward, a bit slower than expected but it is OK there is still progress and I am thankful each day for my health and the ability to keep these things moving forward.

From my photo business side,  I like many of you am having to weigh whether or not to keep events on the calendar and how best to support my customers and team members.  I want you to know that for now I am not making any determinations about my Photo Fun Day Events in April or beyond but will evaluate those starting next week and we will adjust if needed.  I know we will all be anxious to be together again soon and when it is appropriate to do that I want to be ready and able to provide a place for us to reconnect in person.  In the mean time, I want to share that I am opening up some times where we can do a video/screen sharing type event to ask questions and share information on both Creative Memories and Forever projects.  I am anticipating offering two types of events virtually: 1) Office Hours will be a time when I am available online (video conferencing if possible) to connect with you on any photo questions or topics you might like to chat about.  This will be a pop on and off type event and will likely be 1 hour at a time 2) Mini Workshop or Class type events which are more topic based and will be more of a demo and then Q/A time at the end.

As I determine times and topics, I would love to hear from you what you are most interested in and when it would be most helpful to join.   This is with the thought of the next 2 weeks where many schedules are cleared and many are home more than usual.  I realize that your availability may shift but I want to offer this at a time that is best for this season we are in.

When would you most likely pop on a call if I offered it during these times? Please check 2-3 that are ideal for you in this season.(required)

What topics would you be interested for the Mini Workshop/Class type events? Here are a few ideas I have but if you have others, pop them in the next comment area.

Both Forever and Creative Memories stay committed to being open as long as they are able to without interruptions and providing us with the products and services we need for our photos now and well after this season is behind us.  You can visit my website like for each of these companies with latest specials and status or reach out to me directly anytime.

Creative Memories: https://www.creativememories.com/user/ElizabethGoodson

Forever: https://www.forever.com/ambassador/elizabethgoodson

 

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out through phone, text, e-mail or comments on any of my posts.

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.

 

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.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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!

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 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

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