• Our sound machine, as well as this white noise lamb for Esther. It's portable, which means it can help block out sounds- like enthusiastic siblings- when we're traveling. 
• We don't use a lot of pain medicine, but I always make sure to pack some if we're traveling. There's nothing worse than needing it at 3 a.m when everything's closed. 
• I have friends with sensitive skin, whose children break out with different kinds of sunscreen. If that's your case, I would always pack it (in a ziploc within another ziploc if you're flying) to make sure you have it. I've been surprised what's hard to find from one place to another. 
• An extra pair of shoes, whether that's flip-flops or crocs, just in case the first pair get drenched, muddy, or you lose one in the lake (Another true story.) 

DISCLOSURE: This post includes "affiliate links". This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we may receive a small affiliate commission. Regardless, we only recommend products or services we would use personally and believe will add value to our readers. (full disclosure) 

BIRD SEED FAVOR RECIPE

1. Spray cookie cutters with nonstick spray and place on baking sheet. Lay newspaper on a flat surface, large enough for all ornaments. 
2. In a large bowl mix the flour, water, gelatin & corn syrup until combined.
3. Add all birdseed to the wet mixture at once. Stir until birdseed is coated well.
4. Spoon birdseed mixture into cookie cutters, using the back of the spoon (fingers work, too) to press mixture down and pack it smoothly.
5. Poke a hole through top of each with a drinking straw. To use one straw over & over- poke a hole, then pinch that bit of birdseed into a bowl to throw outside. Small sections of straw can also be used, which is helpful when making them with kids.
6. Carefully move cookie cutter to newspaper and gently press ornaments out. If they're not sliding out easily, you can let them set-up on the counter for a few hours first (although we don't usually need to).
7. Let ornaments "cure" overnight.
8. Pack in lidded airtight container until ready to gift. We will thread with yarn or ribbon for gifting and place in small plastic gift bags. 

  

• Include only one, or two, from a "series": I took over thirty pictures of this smiling cutie, which I pared down to a single shot. Was it easy? Not at all! I liked most of them and even loved a couple. But scrolling through multiples doesn't let me focus on the memory like a single, perfect image can. 
• Take advantage of photo editing apps: Once your photos are minimized, it's much easier to edit them. For editing, I recommend the Camera+ app (a small fee) or VSCO (free). It's simple to upload pictures into them for editing too. 
• Sometimes a large screen is helpful: For photos you really like, email them to yourself in full resolution & edit in Photoshop Elements instead. It's also helpful for adding type:

• Self-filling options: Few things are harder than a blank page! Use Shutterfly's self-filling options, especially for scrapbooks, to get a starting point.
• Work on projects ahead of time: By chipping away at projects using the same thirty minute timer strategy, you're ready for special deals- rather than staying up all night creating a scrapbook at the last minute.
• Print off extra pictures for kids: Especially if there's a great sale! Giving kids pictures for their own scrapbook nurtures autonomy and helps build family connections. (Adding picture captions is also great writing & literacy practice)

• "Thank You" Cards: Designing cards together, usually with their picture on it, is an easy way to get kids excited about writing thank-you's!
• Art Cards: Printing pictures of kids' artwork is a fun way to share them. To create notecards, glue paper or pretty cardstock onto the back of photos and trim off excess.
• Art Cards II: Printed off photos look lovely on the front of cards. We've ordered these blank cards three time already, so we use them a lot! You can glue photos down, or page corners look pretty and allow for easy removable. 

L is for Leaves

• ABC Photo Books: These are great gifts, especially for cousins. We'll use family pictures to create a photo book with a page for each letter. We choose the whole page format so the picture is large, then add a simple sentence at the bottom.
• Changeable Displays: We're trying to figure out more ways to hang pictures in our house. Changeable displays like this one are a fun way to enjoy pictures (then you can put them away in a scrapbook later).
• Instagram Frame: Putting square prints into a frame like this one is a great way to group informal shots together.

• Quote Prints: A nice way to create quotes for your Instagram frame or glue onto a notecard is Picmonkey (free) on your computer: Quick and Easy Video Tutuorial. They're also nice for sticking into pick-me-up friend mail.

If you have any time strategies or projects to add, please share in comments below. 
I'd really appreciate the extra ideas! Almost as much as that shower :) 




DISCLOSURE: This post includes "affiliate links". This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we receive a small affiliate commission. Regardless, we will only recommend products or services we would use personally and believe will add value to our readers. (full)