The Many Benefits of a Photo-Themed Bridal Shower (with freebies!)

A friend of mine just held the most creative bridal shower that gave her daughter such a unique gift:  her wedding photos preserved for generations to come!

My friend's ideas were brilliant, and I'm so excited to share with you what she did.

Her daughter's bridal shower was photo themed.  The event itself was a digital Make & Take.  Guests brought laptops and created photo gifts at the Forever website--created digitally and then ordered with professional publishing.  

And here's the trick:  The bride-to-be used her referral link for her own Forever account, which matters for a very important reason. 

 

When someone opens their new Forever account using your referral link, you get a $20 coupon as a thanks for referring them.  AND they get a $20 coupon, too!  

I know there's a lot going on here, so let's get back to the bridal shower itself so I can explain how this whole awesome idea works.

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post, from which I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

The Photo-Themed Bridal Shower

PART 1

Guests arrive to the photo-themed bridal shower.  Hugs are exchanged and goodies are eaten.  And then, instead of bridal shower games, everyone sits down with their individual laptops.  Guests are given the bride's referral link and open their new Forever accounts.  (Anyone who is already a Forever user can still participate but won't receive a coupon.)  

Next, everyone creates chooses a photo item to create.  This part of the bridal shower can go one of two ways.

Option 1:  Let guests create something on their own, kind of like a parting thank-you gift that will be delivered to their homes in a week or two.  Maybe a mug or blanket or ornament.  Maybe a canvas for the wall.  Maybe a steel water bottle or a calendar.

Option 2:  Let the guests create something for the bride!  If you go this route, it's best for the bride to come with a wish list (complete with prices; check current sale prices) and photos she would like used in the projects.  Maybe the couple would like a gallery-wrapped canvas like this

or a set of cork-backed coasters like this

Because everyone will be creating these top-quality items using a free, simple software platform right at the Forever website called Design & Print, there's nothing complicated about it.  There's nothing to download or install--you just need an internet connection.  

The learning curve for Design & Print is almost a straight line.  You can see how easy it is to use at this video tutorial about making canvases or this one about making yearbooks.

Once everyone has created their photo items, they need to check their emails and claim their new account coupons.  Guests can use those coupons to order the items they've just created, paying any difference at checkout.  Then they can order their items.    

And that's when the coupons start rolling in for the bride.  A Forever $20 referral thanks coupon is generated once the person who opened their new account places an order of at least 1 cent, after their own welcome coupons were applied.  

PART 2

Maybe the bride-to-be just got some gifts that her bridal shower attendees made for her, but maybe it was just a fun party where people made cards, calendars, water bottles, or books for themselves.  Either way, every order placed (or at least 1 cent) generated a $20 coupon for the bride.

So, if--let's say--12 guests attend the bridal shower (and use the bride's referral link to open a new Forever account and spend at least $0.01 on the order), the bride will receive $240 in referral rewards coupons.  She has 60 days to use the coupons, and there's a lot she can do with them!  Keep reading to see options for the bride-to-be to use the coupons.

By the way, an item on the bride's wish list could also be a Forever gift certificate.  Gift certificates are available in increments from $5 - $1000.  The bride would receive an email like this:  

Before I get to the two big things the bride can use all her gift certificates for, let's talk about the big thing you're probably wondering.

So, how can I make this happen?

You may be wondering how you can pull off such a fun idea!  Whether you're a bride or someone who would throw the bridal shower, don't worry.  I'm the best free resource you'll ever have!  I can help with the bridal shower in any way you need, from the logistics of how to give everyone the referral link at the shower to how to guide guests through creating a photo project.  

I've hosted too many events to count, so trust me when I tell you I can help you with all the set-up.  I could even be on speed dial (or Zoom!) during the shower if you have questions.  Contact me with any questions you have now.  Because this is an amazing bridal shower idea!

How to Use the Coupons from the Bridal Shower:  Preserving Photos in Print and/or Digitally 

You won't be surprised when I tell you that wedding photos and videos should be preserved with care.  (Not unlike the rest of our photos, truth be told.)  

What most people don't know is that there are two ways to preserve photos.  One is digitally, and the other is in print.  In fact, photo experts always suggest print as one of the best ways to preserve photos and memories.

So the bride can use her Forever coupons (and gift certificates) for either or both.  (Reason #276 why Forever is the best at memory-keeping.)  Anyway, I'll tell you a little about both.

Print Photo Preservation with Forever

WHY YOU WANT IT:  Forever uses the highest-in-the-industry binding so pages never yellow and fall out (unlike most companies who use glue in the bindings) as well as archival-quality ink and papers.  Forever print products come with a 100% satisfaction guarantee.  When you create books with Forever, you'll also have a digital version (a PDF) saved in your account as well. 

With a handful of guests, the bride is likely to get her wedding book (or guest sign in book) free using the Forever referral coupons she gets.  

While it's true that photo professionals recommend saving your photos BOTH digitally and in print, it is equally true that there's just nothing like having a tactile book of your memories to physically hold in your hands.

Print is easily accessible (has your laptop or phone ever run out of battery or had a cracked screen?) and is recommended by professionals because photos printed with high quality can last upwards of 200 years.  Printed photos also have the benefit of space to write, and writing memories that go with your photos truly brings the photos to life.  You get to tell your story!

It's the story that gives your photos meaning!

You could certainly use Artisan, Forever's amazing digital scrapbooking software (my fave!!) for its creativity and flexibility, but I find that people who want to get their books done in a snap while still getting top quality really love the Design & Print templates and software.  

You can see how easy it is right here:

Digital Photo Preservation with Forever

WHY YOU WANT IT:  Just like not all photo printing products are created equal, not all digital photo storage is created equal, either.  It really makes a big difference which services you trust your photos to.  

These are some hints on why the bride would want to use Forever for those precious photos and videos from the wedding--and from a lifetime together moving forward.

And this article covers why it's so very important to know what you're signing up for with digital photo storage.  

And it's not just about storing your photos.  It's about being able to easily share them, too.  There are so many perks to Forever Storage.

In fact, Forever Storage is very unusual, which makes it a pretty big deal.  It's the safest place for your wedding photos and videos.  Here are a handful of the benefits:

• You can save photo files, video files, audio files, and PDFs in your Forever Storage.  (If you don't think you have audio files, think about special voicemails you'd love to keep forever! Learn how to save voicemails here. PDFs include your print projects in digital form, which makes them both shareable digitally and re-printable.)
• Anything saved in your Forever Storage is guaranteed for your lifetime plus 100 years, and you can appoint an administrator to your account to make sure your loved ones always have access to your photos.
• It's storage you own.  You don't "rent" it by paying a monthly fee like many other digital cloud services.  Because of this, Forever can't discontinue their services like other companies reserve rights to.  In addition, it's something you can pass down to another generation without any maintenance fees.
• Forever retains no rights to your photos, will not/cannot sell or delete them, will not mine your data.  (This is not true for the majority of digital cloud photo services, including Google.)
• Forever triple-backs up everything in your Forever Storage using bank-encrypted security and employs a security team to continually monitor its safety.  (My photos are much safer in my Forever Storage than they are on my computer at my house!)
• Organization in your Forever Storage is easy (see this short tutorial video), and you can set albums to be visible in three settings:  Private, Friends & Family, and Public.  For Friends & Family, you need to "friend," to borrow Facebook verbiage, other Forever users you know who you would like to be able to see your albums.
• You can get the free Forever app for easy photo uploading from your phone or tablet (and even choose the auto-sync option if you want).

You can even add a description and tag photos in Forever Storage, too!  You can see here my description and the tags I've added to this photo.

The bride can use the $20 coupons and/or the gift certificates to buy Forever Storage!  Choose 10 GB, 25 GB, 100 GB, or even a TB!  

Place the storage package you wish to purchase in your cart, and then enter all the coupons in the "use a coupon or promotional code" field.  Click the "Deals" tab along the top to see the current sale price on Storage, and copy and paste the code in this same field as well.  If you have gift certificates, use those codes in the "use a gift certificate" field.

Forever Club is optional but would give you an additional savings on both digital photo storage and print photo storage (your wedding album book) of 5% on top of any other current sales.  Learn more about it at that link. 

Wouldn't this make a creative, fun, and unforgettable bridal shower?  It's an important and useful way to throw a bridal shower, but also so enjoyable to see, share, and preserve precious photos and memories. 

A huge thank you to Carol and to Hunny & the Bee (the bride and groom) for sharing this absolutely brilliant idea!  

Using all the perks and benefits of Forever to preserve a wedding couple's photos and memories for them for free (or at least discounted), while giving guests a chance to enjoy their own shower-made photo goodie, is a win-win!  Let me help you do it for that special bride you know (or are)!  :)

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Three Answers to "What if My Kids Don't Want My Photos?"

The first time I heard this, I couldn't believe it.  How could your kids not want your photos?  

I think of the photos I've inherited, and they're cherished and priceless!  I have pictures of my grandparents, pictures of my mom in college, and so many other treasures.  They're treasures, in part, because I don't get to see those faces any more now that they've passed on.  How could I not want those photos?

But "What if my kids don't want my photos?" is a real question asked by more people than I previously imagined. 

My 19 years as a memory-keeping consultant have led me to 3 answers to this question, so if this is something you're worried about:  take heart and read on.

Answer #1:  They may yet want them.

It may be that your children do not yet feel a sense of nostalgia.  Christopher McAfee wrote in his wonderful article Why We Preserve that while keeping something for the simple reason that it belonged to someone else doesn't seem particularly logical, keeping our history close to us is nostalgic, and nostalgia is good for us.  He calls nostalgia "an antidote to the stresses of today," and notes that nostalgia is strengthening.

In fact, McAfee recounts, the word nostalgia was first used in the late 1600s as a medical term!  The root of the word means "an aching for home."  It is, essentially, homesickness.  Back then, the cure for the condition "nostalgia" was to send the person back home.  And guess what.  It worked.  Going home cured the illness.

Certain things, like family keepsakes, actually give us a sense of belonging and connection, as I wrote in Telling Family Stories with Keepsakes.  McAfee says they keep him "connected to humanity."

This is what pictures do.  In fact, I believe that's what pictures are for.

And there's some good news about nostalgia.  It changes.

So if you don't think your kids are nostalgic, I'll say once more:  maybe not yet.

A psychologist at the University of Surrey, Erica Hepper, found that nostalgia is very beneficial to young adults as they navigate life changes during the turbulent times that accompany becoming independent.  Nostalgia then plateaus during the busy family-career years.  However, nostalgia is rekindled as we age.  We miss those who have passed on, we long for the days when everything was simpler, music was better, and someone cooked our favorite food.   

So if your kids tell you they don't want your photos, don't be so quick to believe them.

Answer #2:  Paradigm shift:  Maybe they're not for them.

Another answer to the "What if my kids don't want my photos?" question may be a paradigm shift. Have you ever considered:  What if your photos aren't for them?  What if they're really for YOU?

Now, granted, the photos of my grandparents that my parents have are definitely for me.  There are certainly photos that are a part of our family history, our family's stories, that are for all of us.  But speaking generally, what if your photos are for you?  Let me explain what I mean.

OUR photos mean something to US.   To you, this might just be a pretty bad photo of something somewhat unrecognizable.  But it means something to me.

Did you know that at the Outer Banks of North Carolina, ghost crabs pop out of the sand at night?  Yup!  If you take a flashlight out at night, you can see them!  We had a great time doing this at a family reunion a couple of years ago.  

So this photo means something to me.  It's attached to fond, fun memories.  I've recorded those memories in my family yearbook next to this photo.

Does that mean my kids have to love and want this photo?  Not really.  If they have the same reaction to this photo as I do, I imagine they would want to keep and preserve it.  If not--if there are other photos that mean more to them--that's okay.  They get to choose their favorite photos to preserve just like I do.

Which leads us to the final possibility of the answer to our question.

Answer #3:  Let them choose their favorites.

We do have a lot of photos these days--no one would argue that.  So it's possible that your kids are overwhelmed at the thought of having all YOUR photos in addition to all THEIR photos.

Maybe you have 50 photos with your grandma in them.  Your kids should certainly have a photo of your grandma, but what if they just chose 2 or 3 favorites?

What if you took 150 pictures at Disneyland when your kids were little, but they have 10 favorites and only want those?

Paring down is OK.  In fact, in the 21st century it's necessary for us to enable us to stop having more pictures than we can even look at.

Offering the "just choose your favorites" approach may alleviate the overwhelm--if that's what your kids are feeling--and it may make them a little more interested in your pictures now.

Try This!  Digital and Print Solutions

REDUCING OVERWHELM WITH DIGITAL PHOTOS

Here's my best advice for sharing your photos with your kids while also allowing them to choose their favorites.

First, preserve them permanently and securely with a company with public interest (meaning, they can't just change their policies when they feel like it, like Shutterfly did in what I call The Great Shutterfly Debacle of 2023).

Forever guarantees your photos to be private and your account to be accessible for your lifetime plus 100 years.  You actually purchase cloud photo (and video) storage so that you own it--forever.  And nothing will change.  It's brilliant, and there's nothing else like it.  If you haven't guessed, this is why I recommend it and so happily use it myself.

Here's how your kids come into play.

There are a *couple of ways to share photos digitally via Forever, but the end result will be the same:  you can let your kids download individual photos and videos that mean something to them.  They don't have to inherit all of them if they don't want to.  They can choose what means the most to them.

*Your kids could access your Forever account on their own computers or phones (using a web browser, not the app) and download individual photos or videos.  You'll need to give them your login information, but it's a really simple way to share photos.  Another option would be to have your kids open their own Forever accounts, and then connect them as "Friends and Family," in which case they can see whatever photos/videos you set to "Friends and Family" view.  They can easily download from there.

To do this, just open your (free) Forever account here, then follow the uploading photos directions in this video.  You can organize really well in your Forever account, too.

Your account comes with 2 GB of free photo storage, and you can buy more here--either in monthly payments or just one.  Most people need at least 25 GB of cloud storage, but you can always buy more if you find out you need it.

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post, from which I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

REDUCING OVERWHELM WITH PRINTED PHOTOS AND OLD SCRAPBOOKS

And guess what!  You can preserve, store, and share not only photos and videos in your Forever Storage, but PDFs, too.  That means if you have a digital version of your scrapbooks (in PDF form), you can keep them safe (and share them digitally!) in your Forever account, too.  

This is something else that may help your kids not feel overwhelmed about keeping all your photos and memories.

You can see one of my digital books here.

Don't have digital photo albums or scrapbooks?  That's ok!  You can scan (digitize) them safely and securely here, or you can create them here if you haven't yet--all 3 of these options are highest quality in the industry:

Sometimes big, bulky scrapbooks of the past seem overwhelming to take on, so scanning them can ease the "but where will I put it all?" thoughts your kids might be having.  

Digital versions of those books are fine, but I personally think it's important to print them in a book.  A printed book will take up much less space than the big scrapbooks do.  In fact, these two books cover roughly the same amount of time:

Plus, the hard copy of your memories doesn't need a full battery in order to access it!

Don't want the expense of getting your digital book professionally scanned?  Here's a wonderful way to easily put the scanned version of old scrapbooks into a slimmer hardbound book. 

In The End

Whichever of these 3 possible answers is the answer to your "What if my kids don't want my photos" question, don't worry.  Nostalgia will kick in eventually, YOU get the amazing benefits of your photos no matter what, and they can always just pick their favorites if that's the best fit for them.  

It will all work out well in the end.

Really.  

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Help! My Photos Are in Too Many Places!

You're not alone.  If you've got photos on your phone, your computer, in Google Drive and Dropbox (and maybe some other places too), it can be a little overwhelming to organize them.  And it's a common problem.

Luckily, it's a common problem that can be solved easily!

I accidentally changed someone's life a few months ago with this idea for how to get them all in one place easily, so get ready to let it change yours, too.

If you're feeling overwhelmed with your photos because they're in too many places to locate and handle (or overwhelmed with your photos for any reason, really), it can be easy to get stuck in overwhelm.

You've probably never thought about this, but Photo Overwhelm is dangerous.

Why Photo Overwhelm is Dangerous

When you're overwhelmed with photos, you miss out on all the good-for-you benefits that interacting with your photos gives you (which have been proven in studies, by the way).

You miss out on increased happiness and relaxation.  You miss out on increased perspective, purpose, and belonging.

You miss out on decreased stress.

So getting out of Photo Overwhelm is a really big deal for your own well-being!

Why Having Your Photos in One Location Matters

You probably don't need to be told this, but having your photos and memories scattered in multiple locations contributes immensely to overwhelm.  It also makes organizing your photos much, much harder (maybe even impossible).

It's so important to simplify your photos by having them in one location.

When your photos are in one location, you'll be able to find them.  And see them.  And share them.  And enjoy them.  And use them.

Think about it this way:  Imagine trying to organize a child's toys.  Except the Legos don't have a bin and the dolls are in the basement but the doll clothes are at Grandma's house.

If you have one toy cabinet or closet with different drawers, shelves, or compartments, you can keep everything in one location, and everything has a place to go.  When you want to find the puzzles, you know where they are.

It's pretty similar with photos.  If some are on an external hard drive and some are in Google and some are still on your camera, you won't be able to find a photo, let alone know what you have.

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post, from which I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

How to Easily Get Your Photos into One Consummate Location

Remember how I told you that I changed someone's life with this suggestion?  Here's what happened.  

I was teaching a photo organizing class, and I was talking about the best way out there to store and organize your photos in the cloud.  (That's only one way you should preserve your photos, by the way--experts recommend two digital ways, one onsite/at-home and one offsite/cloud, as well as one way in print!)

That "best way" is Forever Storage.  There's nothing else like it.  

As we talked about organizing your photos in Forever Storage where they're private, secure, triple-backed up, and guaranteed for your lifetime plus 100 years, one of the gals in the class lamented that her photos are in so many places that it would be super challenging to get them all in one place in order to upload them all to Forever Storage.

She asked if I had any advice.

I told her to go the other direction.  Instead of getting them in one place first, just open a Forever account (it's free), then go to all your different devices and open your Forever account on each one.  Then upload photos to your Forever account from each device.   

So easy!  It solved her problem in a snap.

Remember that advice I mentioned from photo experts?

Once all her photos are in her Forever Storage, they are saved in Digital Way #1--they're preserved offsite (in the cloud) in case of onsite disaster (anything from a flood to a computer crash).

From there, it was so easy for her to download her photos to one computer.  And just like that, her photos were stored in Digital Way #2 (onsite/at-home).  

One thing that is important to know is that downloading your own photos from Forever Storage is free (which you don't always get with some cloud storage companies!) and you get your photos back at full resolution, meaning the same quality you took them at. (Some other cloud storage companies store lower-resolution versions of your images, lowering the quality.)

She didn't have to figure out how to transfer all her photos between devices.  She just accessed Forever Storage from all her various devices and uploaded what was on them.  

It was a simple way to get all her photos into one place, both in the cloud and later onto one computer.

Your Photo Solution in 2 Easy Steps 

Let me walk you through the 2 easy steps you'll take to do this same thing.  Getting your photos into one location is the first step to eliminating your overwhelm and allow you to find photos easily so that you can love, share, and enjoy them.

1. First, open your free Forever account here.  Your free account comes with 2 GB of free photo storage, so start filling it up!  It also comes with a $20 coupon, which we'll use in Step 2.  This tutorial I made on how to upload and organize your photos in Forever Storage will probably be very helpful.  You can also watch this video on editing photos in Forever Storage and this one on how to use the "tags" tool to find a photo fast!
2. Second, use your $20 coupon to buy additional Forever Storage.  The great thing about purchasing it is that you OWN it, so you're not "renting" it with monthly fees.  You'll get additional Forever Storage at this link where you can also determine how much you need.  Click on any package and you'll see details on how many photos you can store.  For example, 25 GB is 3,750-12,500 photos, depending on the file size of the photo.  I ended up buying a lot more storage once I got my old VHS tapes digitized and wanted to save them Forever, too.  You can choose a one-time payment or 24 monthly payments, but either way you OWN the cloud storage and can access it from any computer, phone, tablet, etc.   

Yet another perk of Forever Storage for your photos and videos!

People often ask me for advice on how much photo storage to buy.  It's hard to say since file sizes differ and some people take more pictures than others, but I would say if you are an average photo taker and you've been taking pictures regularly for 10 or 20 years, you probably need 50 GB.  This will be different if you also want to store videos in Forever Storage because video files are bigger.

You can buy some now and buy some later--whatever works for you--but notice that it's cheaper per GB the bigger the package you can get.  I heard someone say once that you can't buy too much photo storage since we're always taking more pictures, which is a good thing to consider.  

Also, once you've purchased Forever Storage in any amount, you may want to check out this great way to keep getting free Forever Storage.    

Once you've gotten the app and Forever Storage, you can start uploading and organizing your photos.  Here's a quick tutorial on how to do that:

Another Benefit of Eliminating Overwhelm 

And there you have it!  If your photos are in too many places, organizing them can be overwhelming--so much so that you might not do it!  So use Forever Storage as your secret weapon to get your photos into one place and get them organized so you can access them, see them, share them, and use them.

Then you're ready to finish up that expert advice we looked at earlier.  From Forever Storage, you can easily put those photos (and even videos using this fun method) into photo-memory book pages!  Then you'll always have access to your memories without worrying if your book is low on battery.  

Forever Print has something for everyone, from quick and easy books to fancy digital scrapbooking, so find your favorite kind here:

And then tell someone you know about this amazing solution!  It really can change everything.

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Start a Photo-Preserving and Memory-Keeping Habit in 10 Minutes a Day

Yes, really.  I'm going to give you some simple directions here to get a handle on your photos--to see, organize, access, preserve, and enjoy them--in just 10 minutes a day.

Find the video version of this post below.  You'll also find a free printable with all this information at the end of the post!

Developing a routine leads to a habit.  Maybe you have heard that a habit can be developed in 21 days or 28 days.  According to the Harvard Business Review, building a habit isn't that cut-and-dried--there actually isn't a certain number of days or repetitions required to develop a habit because there are too many variables.  One variable, they noted, is that it depends on if the habit is fun or not.

For example, I'm very confident that I could start a new habit of eating a Ferrero Rocher chocolate every night preeeeeeetty easily.  They're delicious, it takes no additional work aside from buying them at the grocery store when I'm already there, and it would take me about 15 very enjoyable seconds to complete.

You might think that taking care of your photos is a lot harder than that.  Actually, it isn't.  For 2 reasons.

#1 It's as good as chocolate.  Actually, it's better.  Studies show that spending time with your photos boosts mood 10 times more than our traditional go-to mood boosts of eating, drinking, listening to music, and watching TV or movies.  This same study found that looking at their pictures relaxed people--more than drinking wine and eating chocolate!

So, as I like to say, memory-keeping makes you happier than chocolate.  

Reason #2 that you will find that memory-keeping is an easier habit to build than you probably think is this simple concept:  momentum.  Starting is actually the only hard part.  Because once you get going, you'll be enjoying your photos, remembering good times, and finding that you're having a lot of fun with it.  You'll look forward to it.  And remember with The 10 Minutes Daily Photo Plan I've got for you, you'll be doing all this in manageable bites.  That makes it entirely doable!

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post, from which I earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no extra cost to you.

The 10 Minutes Daily Photo Plan 

This plan will probably take you 5-10 minutes a day--and I'd like to offer you a challenge.  Do this for 6 weeks to help you begin a memory-keeping habit.  See how you feel after 6 weeks.  (And, then--please!--let me know!)

The 10 Minutes Daily Photo Plan is based on this advice from photo experts to preserve your photos in two ways digitally (as files) and one way in print.  The plan also takes advantage of technology that provides you (and me!) with both convenience and quality, all the way around.  More on that shortly, but first:  here's the plan.

SUNDAY:  Cull photos from the previous week.  Delete duplicates, out-of-focus photos, and photos that aren't very important.  Save favorites.

MONDAY:  Upload those photos from the previous week (the ones you just went through yesterday) from your phone or computer to Forever and to your computer/external hard drive.  (More about this in the Using FOREVER section below.)

TUESDAY:  Add tags and descriptions to photos in Forever.

WEDNESDAY:  Find a page/pages in your book to preserve the photos in.  This is only deciding and preparing!  (More about this in the Using FOREVER section below.)

THURSDAY:  Put the photos in the pages, adjusting them as needed.  

FRIDAY:  Add details to the photos.  This is sometimes called journaling or story.  Your memories are what make the photos worth something. 

SATURDAY:  Catch-up! If you didn't finish anything this week, finish it today.  OR set aside an hour or two to follow this same process for older pictures from last year or last month that you haven't preserved yet.

Of course, I'll give you all the details (with tutorial videos, too, if you need them) on how to do each step, but first let's think about how to find 10 minutes every day.

How to Find 10 Minutes 

Sometimes we feel so busy that we aren't sure how we can find an extra 10 minutes in a day.  There are lots of great ideas here for giving yourself more time if you need them.  For now, let's just consider where 10 minutes might be lurking.    

• over lunch--fork in one hand, technology in the other
• first thing in the morning
• while dinner is in the oven
• every evening at a certain time (6:30, 9:00, whatever works best for you)
• 10 minutes less of Facebook/Instagram/TV/etc.

Where else do you think you could find 10 minutes?

Or, how about this similar idea?  If you enjoy a little dessert or coffee after dinner, make that your memory-keeping time, too!

Using FOREVER for Memory-Keeping:  Here's How To...

As I mentioned earlier, we're going to use some technology that's not only convenient but comes with some top-quality print products, unique photo storage guarantees, etc.  So, these are the details behind the seven daily steps above.

TO CULL (Sunday)

• You don't need anything special for this (unless you need some perspective about downsizing photos--this is a good reference with some tips), so I'll just add:  Remember to cull from both your phone and camera if you take pictures with more than one device.  

TO UPLOAD (Monday)

• Today, save your photos two ways digitally, as experts recommend.  One should be onsite (your house) and the other should be offsite (the cloud).  If both are onsite and there's a disaster--anything from a fire or flood to a computer crash--your photos are sadly gone.  So we'll take care of both digital ways here.  I have an "easy button option" to simplify these two parts as well.
1. Upload them to your computer.  If you need some help with this, this basic article can help and so can the video posted below.  If you prefer, you can save your photos onto an external hard drive if your computer doesn't have enough space.
2. When choosing a cloud service, you'll want guaranteed privacy and security.  Many people don't know that common cloud storage providers including Google, Dropbox, and Shutterfly, reserve rights to your photos and your data (meaning, they can sell them!) and also reserve rights to change their policies at any time (meaning, they can discontinue their services, delete your photos, etc.).  It's best to buy--not rent--your cloud storage (here's why!), so taking all of those things into consideration, you'll want to open your free Forever account there to make sure your photos are safe.  You'll start with 2GB of free cloud storage for your photos and videos, but you can buy more as needed.  You'll be able to organize your photos any way you want in your Forever Storage--watch the How to Upload & Organize video here to see it step-by-step.

NOTE:  You can upload photos at the Forever website on your computer, phone, or tablet, or you can get the Forever app, which makes this step and the next super easy and convenient.  This short video gives you more information about the app:

EASY BUTTON IDEA:  I have personally found it very easy and convenient to just upload all my phone photos to my Forever app and THEN open my Forever account and download them to my computer.  It's just faster than uploading twice.  Forever saves your photos in full resolution (some photobook companies reduce the file size and therefore the quality), so the ability to download back is a great backup for my computer, too!  And my photos in Forever are triple-backed-up, so there's that!

TO ADD TAGS AND DESCRIPTIONS (Tuesday)

•  Photos without names, dates, places, and details are worth very little.  If you don't know who is in the photo or why it was taken, the photo loses its value.  You might think you'll always remember, but trust me:  you won't.  Memories fade faster than we want them to.  Plus, the babies in those photos will grow up and have no memories of the events at all--make sure you can pass on your photos WITH VALUE.
• We'll add details (value!) to our photos in print pages later, but for now, you can quickly add them to your digital files in your Forever account.  You can Tag your photos (like put a tag called Bob on all the photos with Bob in them), and you can add Descriptions (names, dates, places, details).  Start this video at 6:45 to see how.  It's super easy!  Again, this can be done straight from your phone if you want.
• This is what it looks like in your Forever Storage.  You can see the Description I added at the right (it's kind of a paragraph) and the Tags in blue at the bottom right. 

TO CHOOSE A PAGE IN A PHOTO-MEMORY BOOK (Wednesday)

•  Whether you're a "scrapbooker" or not has nothing to do with this, so don't worry!  
• Putting photos and memories in pages is so important!  Experts always say that no matter how you save your photos digitally, print remains one of the safest places to store photos.  Plus, you can easily add all the memories and details when they're on a page, and you don't need an expensive device like a phone or computer to be able to access your precious photos!  A book makes a great gift and really isn't the same as an email with pictures.
• Books from Forever are printed at the highest quality in the industry, so they last, plus a PDF of your book is automatically saved in your Forever Storage, so you have a digital version of it, too.  (So easy to share!)   Find a book template you like here (I suggest searching either "yearbook" or "classic").  Click "start my book" and then you'll choose a page or two that you'll put photos and memories (journaling) in tomorrow.  This video gives you a quick rundown of how to change page layouts.  So, if--for example--you have 9 photos this week that you'll be saving in pages tomorrow, look for a page or two that will hold 9 photos. 

TO PUT PHOTOS IN PAGES (Thursday)

•  Put photos in the template's photo place holders, as you saw in the video above.  Adjust them within the photo space as needed.  Feel free to choose a different page layout if it turns out the one you'd chosen before doesn't fit the pictures how you like.
• NOTE:  Using a Design & Print template is the quickest and easiest way to preserve your memories in pages, but if digital scrapbooking with full creativity and flexibility on pages is more your thing, use Artisan instead.  It's what I use, and I *love* it!  Learn more about Artisan here to start, and find my whole Artisan Quick Tips with Jennifer series here.

TO ADD DETAILS IN PAGES (Friday)

• Click the text boxes on the pages you've just put photos in so you can add details.  This is sometimes called journaling or story.  Your memories are what make the photos worth something.  Refer to the Yearbook Template video above if you need a refresher.

TO CATCH UP (Saturday)

• If you got behind on any part for any reason this week, catch up today!  If you're right on track, use this time to work on photos and memories from previous weeks, months, or years.  
• If 10 minutes isn't enough to catch up as much as you'd like, set aside some time on your calendar, or join our quarterly Photo Rodeo: Rein in Your Photos for some dedicated work time online (and I'm there for questions if you have any).
• Some weeks, you'll take more pictures than other weeks.  On an average week, I take 0-5 photos.  However, I spent 6 days in Ireland last spring and took about 50 photos a day!  It was pretty easy to cull photos each night at the hotel, especially with the app, but that's really all I had time for then.  So, I set aside time on my calendar (before I left!) to come home and do these other steps.  Use this "catch up" time for whatever suits you best, and add more time as needed for non-average weeks.  

Now you're ready!  You can start a photo-preserving and memory keeping habit on Sunday! Keep in up in just 10 minutes a day.  

Find your free printable here, with an overview of all the steps of the plan and the details you need to follow them.

I suggest getting everything ready to go for Sunday NOW by doing those things that require some set-up under the "Using FOREVER..." section.  You can peruse some savings information here so you're ready for Sunday, too.  It'll be a great day!

Keep up The 10 Minutes Daily Photo Plan for 6 weeks, and tell me what you think!  What changed for you?  What did you discover?  How do you feel after 6 weeks with your photos and memories?  Tell me in the comments below, or email photoandstorytreasures@gmail.com 

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