Holidays In Hand with Jessica Sprague

Don't miss out on this wonderful FREE class given by Jessica Sprague... Holidays In Hand.

The FINAL class of 2009 began this morning, but there's still time to toss your hat into the ring!  

FREE registration will end tonight at 11:59pm, so go claim a spot!

This class will help you capture the hopes, memories and wonderment of the holidays.  This class helps us focus on what's important during the holidays.

We'll be making a great project to help you tell your holiday stories both past and present.  This class is for EVERYONE. Since you don't have to know Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, grab a friend to join you in class!
Registration is easy and free!

• Go to JessicaSprague.com.
• Copy this code by highlighting it and typing Ctrl-C (Cmd-c on your Mac): HIHFREE2009

9-12 Personal Project Journal

Remember the way we were on September 12^th? We weren't Democrats or Republicans, we were just Americans, banded together. Flags were waving and people were coming together in the spirit of all things American. Reclaim that spirit while you chronicle your own personal 9-12 journey. Chronicle your journey through each of the 12 values from the 912 Project. This 28 page journal will feature your own notes, photos and artwork on each page. Each value page features a quote from one of our founding fathers. This journal is a Hardbound 5x5 bound book.

Do you agree with at least 7 of these 9 Principles?
Then you're a nine-twelver.

1. America is Good.
2. I believe in God and He is the center of my life.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
5. If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
6. I have a right to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.
   

12 Values

Honesty
Sincerity
Reverence
Moderation
Hope
Hard Work
Thrift
Courage
Humility
Personal Responsibility
Charity
Gratitude

To purchase Your 9-12 Personal Project Journal Click HERE!!!!

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009 - Week 14

If you're new to the Family Yearbook Challenge click HERE & then HERE

Don't forget to leave a comment and check in...I'm keeping track of all the comments posted in the Family YB Challenge for a big giveaway at the end of the year....so go back and check in each of the FYBC posts if you haven't done so.

Homework April 27 - May 3:

Today, April 27th, is National Tell a Story Day....quite fitting for our project! Tell a Story Day celebrates story-telling of all kinds. It doesn't matter if its fiction or non-fiction, a tall tale, or folk lore. Stories can be from a book, other written material, or from memory. So homework this week:

Have each member of your family share their FAVORITE story of all time. It can be real, made-up, from a book, a story from a grandparent and even the scriptures. Try and capture an image of the book or a picture from the event or place this story happened....even better, if you have children they can draw the pictures.

Our Favorites change over the years, but they also help define us and tell so much about a person. So make sure you capture the favorites of '09. When you look back on this in about 10 years every one's favorites will probably be different. One of my most favorite Cherish Bound products is the Favorites Journall!! I've given them to my children and spent time "interviewing" them and letting them tell me all about their favorites! I even had a great time doing my own Favorites Journal. Click HERE to purchase the journal and for this week ONLY, all FYBC participants can get 30% off the journal!!

Now COPY and paste any photos that you have that go with these events and questions into a new folder titled April and create another folder for May. If you'd like to rename the photos you can with Apr 1, Apr 2, Apr 3, or May 1, May 2, and so on and so on. If you have any memorabilia that is NOT digital, scan and save as a jpg. minimum 300 dpi to your April folder, named and labeled. If you have a "story" you can hand write it or "type" it into a document and save in the same folder.

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #32: My First Video!

Finally....my first Cherish Bound video is done! This video is a little glimpse into my Cherish Bound world...What it is, the process, and how you start! It's my first video EVER so don't laugh! Stay tuned for the next video where I show you my favorite books and what the final product looks like!!!

Also, Click here to go to my new Cherish Bound Story Store!!!

I'm An Author Giveaway!

If you haven't heard me yap about Cherish Bound's I'm An Author program yet...
WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

Take 4 minutes...okay 5 minutes and watch this YouTube video of our I'm An Author Program.

IAA is a children's writing and publishing class that was created and put together by an amazing team of teachers, storytellers and Cherish Bound. The IAA program gives children confidence through written and oral storytelling as well as a creative artistic outlet. The class is beautifully simple and so rewarding for children and the Cherish Bound consultant.

At the end of the session, children receive their books and put on a wonderful and exciting culminating event we call "The Author's Fair". You'll see it in the video!

IAA has been taught in schools, after-school enrichment programs, homeschooling programs (co-ops and in-home), summer camps, weekend retreats, gifted and talented programs, etc. If you're interested in learning more about the I'm An Author program please let me know. All active Cherish Bound consultants can teach this class, which is a great source of income for anyone looking for some extra cash flow. Please let me know if you're interested in getting it started in your area by emailing me or commenting.

Okay...watch the video! And then check out the giveaway below...

GIVEAWAY!!!!!!!!

This great little Author's Gift Pack is sure to bring out the storyteller in any child! You can see a sample of one of my little author's books (not included). Your children will love the fun little compact art set, deck of Child Chat Cards and a "My Adventures" Story Starter. $35+ Value!

To enter giveaway....

1. Leave a comment on a story your child, niece, nephew, grandchild, etc....would love to write... and/or leave a comment letting me know if you'd like to learn more about the program and receive info to start the program or have your children be apart of IAA.

2. Tweet about it! of Course! Come back and leave a Separate Entry!!

3. Blog about it on your blog for 10 extra entries! Come back and leave the link in a separate comment.

Of course always make sure I can contact you via email or through your blog bio. US residence only. Giveaway will end on Sunday, March 8th 9pm EST.

Tuesday Tradition #40 Writing & Sharing Your Love Story & Giveaway!

I just realized this is the 40th tradition that I've posted...wow! I have to say I'm ever so slightly proud of myself. We've got quite a collection of traditions here. There are plenty to go around and enough to last the entire year. I hope you enjoy them all and please feel free to share and pass on all of yours as well.

With Valentine's Day knocking on the door, L♥ve is in the air. What a prefect time to reflect, write and share your Love Story. Many people never take the time to write down the details of a love story. We all have a love story....some are fairytale-like and others...well, let's just say lessons can be learned.

Take the time to sit down write a few words in your journal or "type" them up and tell about how you met, your first kiss, when you knew "he" was the one. Or how about the first time your eyes met? The first time your boyfriend met your parents? You can't help but have those sweet feelings flood your heart again and put a smile on your face.

Need some help remembering those moments? Well, I have the perfect tool! By using Cherish Bound's "Falling In Love" Story Starter, you'll be prompted with over 50 ideas and questions about your love story. With room to jot down your thoughts you'll organize and collect all those memories in one place. Something fun to do is have your hubby answer the same questions and create a "He said, She said" version of your love story. My hubby and I did this...Oh, it was fun!!! And let's just say we both remember our Love Story VERY differently...but I so remember his adorable perm, checkered Vans, and gray parachute pants with safety pins all the way up his calves.......beautiful!

This is one of our most popular Story Starters for good reason. Read through the questions with the one you love and write your story to share with everyone. And when you're done collecting those memories...You can put them into this adorable "Love Book" from Cherish Bound. It's the cutest 5x5 book with pink and brown accents. SOOO CUTE!

Would you like a chance to WIN the Falling in Love Story Starter?

• Then share with us one quality that made you fall in love with your husband by leaving a comment. I know there are so many, but pick one...or two and share them.
  
• For a second chance to win, follow my blog! If you already follow leave a second comment to remind me or let me know you're a new follower.
  
• Make sure you leave an email if you don't have one in your profile. Giveaway closes Friday, Feb. 6th @ 9pm! Winner will be drawn by random.org.
  

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #25: 2009 Family Yearbook Challenge

Today's confessions is all about helping you find the easiest ways to capture your family's memories from 2008. Some tips, tricks, and ideas for 2009 as well....

& the announcement of the

Family Yearbook Challenge 2009!!!!!

With 2008 coming to a close and 2009 already underway, now is the time to remember and record all of your family’s 2008 adventures. There are 100’s and 100’s of events and moments worth recording from just one single year. So how do we organize and and stay on top of all those stories? How do record and pick out the most important events?

1. Don’t wait! Get a jump on your family yearbook as soon as you can. Have a goal to finish it by January 31 of the new year. Use the buddy system for find a group of friends that want to do it with you...doesn't matter, just get it done!!

2. Get your family involved. Have your husband, children, grandparents and friends share their favorite memories, stories and photos. Ask them about their favorite events, memories and stories from the year.

3. Do an A-Z book. When you’re “chronologically” challenged, resort to the A-Z style. Pick a few favorite pictures and memories that work with the intended letter. I've done quite a few A-Z books....I'm not 100% perfect with organization of any kind, so I resort to the A-Z style often. Plus my KIDS LOVE THEM!

4. Use your calendar from the previous year. Sometimes flipping through your old calendars will help remind you forgotten events. Calendars of all kinds, whether electronic or paper, hold most of our important memories without us even know it. It's a great tool to use!

5. Try out Cherish’s Bound Family Yearbook Story Starter. I use one of these every year. With it’s pages of questions and room to write, our year is organized and ready in no time at all. It's broken up into sections to help you write stories about all different areas of your family's life, events, and it's a great tool to interview your children, spouses, family and friends to get their two cents as well. There's room to write in it too!

6. Don't feel the need to have EVERY SINGLE picture in your book. It's the stories that count. The photos are the bonus....so don't waste too much time hunting down photos. Your family will thank you for the collection of "stories" as you watch them sit around the couch and READ about their family's adventures.

7. Keep it simple. Less is more…

Now here's a FANTASTIC idea that I stumbled on yesterday over at Robin's Life. She's a Scrapper, digital scrapper, yes, that's okay.....anyway, she's doing something every week of the year. So each week she'll have a page or two done of the events that happened. By the end of 2009, she'll have all her memories and ideas captured and ready to share. BRILLIANT!

I'm so inspired by this idea that I'm going to start a weekly "Yearbook Class" to help you capture your families memories WHILE THEY'RE HAPPENING!! Monday Morning I'll post the first Class and every Monday in 2009 after that. Spread the word...I'll have a button for you, prizes, giveaways, and at the end of the year, one lucky follower and classmate will get their family book PUBLISHED FOR FREE! Yep! For free. I'll have all the details on Monday. But we're going to need to get started quickly to catch up with the 19 days that we'll be behind on....so get ready!!

This will not be Digital Scrapbooking....I'm no expert in it and have absolutely no right to subject you to my skills....I can do it, but can't teach it. (Does that make ANY sense at all....)This will be a class about collecting the stories writing it or typing it...organizing your photos and getting them all in one place. They'll be in a "file" system on your computer where you can watch your family's story unfold and then share it with them. If you're a digi scrapper....have at it! You'll know what to do :O) Robin has great ideas too!

So....Who's in?

Hope these simple tips will help motivate you and help you tell your family’s stories year after year. And don't forget to spread the word about our Family Yearbook Challenge 2009!

Happy New Year!

Storytime ♥ Dirty Joe the Pirate

This book will be every little brother's favorite!
From what I hear...the tale of "Dirty Joe the Pirate" is a true story.....

Author and storyteller Bill Harley writes another amazing book and Jack E. Davis illustrates wonderful pictures that drifts the imagination off on a wild adventure. I've had the pleasure of meeting Bill Harley and listening to his memorizing storytelling on more than one occasion...and he's BRILLIANT!

"Out upon the briny deep where the wild and wet winds blow,

There sailed a cruel and evil man, the pirate Dirty Joe.

He sailed upon the scummiest craft that ever left the docks

He roamed the world and seven seas in search of dirty socks.

So begins the tale of Dirty Joe the pirate. But he is about to meet his match---

“It's Stinky Annie” someone said, “and her band of smelly varmints.

She captures every boat she can and takes their undergarments.”

The war for socks and underwear has now begun"

I just ♥ this book! The clever rhyming and brilliant story make this a great book for families and little brothers!!

Kicking off the New Year ♥ Giveaway!

Today was "half" normal....I thought we started school today, but apparently I missed the memo in all the chaos over the past few weeks and we actually start tomorrow...huh? Whatever...

Anyway, I spent all day cleaning and organizing and catching up on all the household things that have slowly fell apart since December's roller coaster ride started. It felt great too! Big deep breaths, clean house, clean windows, laundry almost done, kids bathed and in bed....and I decided it was time to come home to my blog. I've missed it!

It's funny how you get on a rhythm with blogging. I feel so "out of the loop" and completely lost right now. My mind is a little blank, board, but refreshed too. I have A LOT of catching up to do too. For those of you who have "awarded" me and tagged me...I'll get on it soon! Please remind me if you don't hear from me...and THANK YOU!!

Anyway, to Kick off this year I'm going to just throw out a giveaway and make myself feel right at home. I'm going to giveaway a Cherish Bound Family Yearbook Story Starter. I don't know about you, but I'm ready to get 2008 in the books and DONE! Lots to remember and so many stories to be retold and pictures to be shared. This great Story Starter helps you organize and write your family's stories throughout the past year.

Just leave a comment and share your most memorable story from 2008. If you post about it on your blog and/or tweet about it I'll give you 5 more chances to win!! Giveaway ends on Sunday, January 11th @ 11:59 pm. Make sure you leave your email in your comment if you don't have a blog!

Happy New Year Friends!

$200 Giveaway! Merry Christmas To You ♥ From Me!

DON'T MISS MY BIGGEST GIVEAWAY YET!!
I ♥ my bloggy friends! I'm so Thankful to have found this amazing world that I didn't know existed just months ago.
So I want to give you a Thanksgiving/Christmas present you can't live without!
Staring today and running until 11:59 pm on Friday, December 5th, I'll be giving away my best giveaway yet! Cherish Bound story products, story starters, chat cards, and even publishing!!
Don't miss out!!! You'll love everything in this giveaway!

$200 of Cherish Bound goodies!!!!!!!!

♥Gathering Chat Cards♥
♥Child Chat Cards♥
♥Sassy Binder♥
♥Notebook Pages♥
♥Writing & Publishing Guide♥
♥Vacation Dailies♥
♥Looking Back, It's My Life, A First Time For Everything Mini Story Starters♥
♥Recipe & Top Ten Mini Story Starters♥
♥Best Friends, Reflections of a Parent, I Did It, & All About Me Story Starters♥
♥Photo Bracelet♥
♥$29 in Cherish Bound Publishing!♥

Here's how you can enter!!

1. Leave a comment & tell me a story you would love to tell your family
   
2. Follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/cherishbound176
3. Sign up for my newsletter (see top-right sidebar, already get it, just remind me in your comment and it counts!)
   
4. Post on your own blog about the Power of Story and how Cherish Bound can help you tell your stories. (5 entries for every post!! Just make sure you link back and let me know in the comments!)
   
5. Add me to your favorites (top-right side bar-I'm already a favorite? Remind me...and It counts :O)
   
6. Refer a friend and have them mention you in their comment (5 entries)
7. Register at my Cherish Bound home page (VERY bottom) www.findcaptureandshare.com (if you're already a customer it won't let you do it twice ;O)
   

There you GO!! I can't wait to give this amazing gift package away!
GOOD LUCK! And many blessings to you and your family!!
US Residents only. And PLEASE don't forget to leave your email!! You have to be able to give your shipping address if you win!!

Dinner Blessings #1

Dinnertime for families is such a rare occasion and for many families it doesn't even exist. It's such an important part of life for children and parents and it provides a special time to talk, tell stories, laugh and connect in ways that can't be done anywhere else.

After my post last week about Family Day I couldn't let an entire year go by until the next celebration of "Family Day- A day to eat dinner with your children". We should be setting aside at least 3-5 nights a week (if not more) to eat and spend time with our children. Many families are too busy or have other commitments, but maybe it's time we all step back and take a good look at our family time. Are we sitting down together for meals? Do we allow our children the time and attention they deserve by having dinner together weekly? Whatever your answer may be I think we all know how important is and that it's a must to fit it into the schedule.

So that's why I decided to start "Dinner Blessings". My love for family, and the understanding I have about how important it is to sit down together as a family and enjoy each other's company is my reason behind "Dinner Blessings". Sometimes it's as simple as 10 minutes of chatting, joking and turkey sandwiches, and other times it's making time for a game after a 4-course meal. We are an extremely busy family, but each time we sit down together for dinner our children open up, they talk, they let us talk too, and we learn more and more about each other and how our family works.

Each Monday I'll share a "Dinner Blessing" that you can use in your own family. I'd love for you all to share your ideas too! Maybe it's a dinner tradition of cooking together on Sundays, dad BBQ'ing with the kids, storytelling, a creative activity or game the family can do at the dinner table, a surprise for special occasions, special desserts or even eating dinner together in the backyard. It doesn't matter. Just share it! Pass along your ideas and let's help each other create bountiful blessings for our families by encouraging each other to sit down and have dinner together!

I'll also be giving away some great prizes that encourage family dinner time & great meals! Just leave a post each week and I'll draw from the comments posted and you can add my button to your site and get 5 extra chances!! This week I'll be giving away the first prize!

It's a deck of Cherish Bound's Family Chat Cards. We use these in our family. As a family we LOVE to listen to each other's stories and we love that everyone has their own version too. Each card in this deck has a question or two on the back of them that helps get the stories flowing. It's fun to pick a card and tell, but it's also exciting to hear what everyone has to say. Some questions are "How do your mom and dad show you love" or "What is your greatest dream". We can spend hours at the table just story swapping from one single question. I love that my children would rather be at our kitchen table telling us a story than upstairs on a cell phone.

Use Mr. Linky and post a Dinner Blessing on your own blog! Add my button (over on left sidebar) and get 5 extra chances to win!! Don't forget to leave a comment for another chance to win!!!

Happy First Day of Autumn!

It has finally arrived...yes, the much anticipated beautiful season of Autumn. However, as I look out my window I can tell it's going to be another warm, humid, sticky day here in Florida. Boo-hoo....I'm such a "Seasons" girl!

I love the changing of leaves, the clean crisp air and the hype of the holidays. Since I can't go out and spray paint all the leaves in my yard I'm going to have to set the "Autumn bomb" off in my house and on my porch. Yes, the "Autumn Bomb"....

January to September my house looks normal. Typical. But come the first day of Autumn, WATCH OUT! It's time to haul out the plastic bins, hay stacks from the attic, scarecrows on sticks and get this house festive!! (I must find everything first....we moved over the summer)

Jen over at 100 Days to Christmas has a fabulous challenge going on that started last week. She's helping us stay on course and organized so that the holidays will be enjoyable and successful. Yesterday's challenge was to get out the Fall/Autumn decor. It's time to Prepare the Home For Fall. Today's tip, Falling for the Fall! She offers the advice of Creating a Memory! Ahh...right up my alley Jen! So those of you who need some ideas she has a great list called "Favorite Fall Things To Do" at her other blog List Mama Blog. (One of my most favorites)

Cherish Bound offers a great Story Starter from the Seasons and Holiday Collection called "Fall". This Story Starter will help you and your family find, capture, and share the beautiful memories of Fall. With Jen's ideas and lists of things to do and a Fall Story Starter from Cherish Bound you will have plenty of Autumn traditions that you can start up within your own family. Embrace this time of year. It's truly a season that leaves behind some of the most precious memories we have as children and adults. Enjoy this beautiful day and celebrate the season of Autumn!

What are you giving for Christmas this year?

Can you believe the holidays will be here in just a few short months...actually weeks! (I consider the holidays officially underway on October 31.) So what are you giving this year to all the special people on your list? Giving the same-old-same-old....New underwear? Oh, wait, a coffee cup? I bet you give ties, right? Hum....how about switching up the gift giving traditions this year. How about actually putting some thought in to it and giving a gift that will not only change you, but change the person you're giving it to. What gift is that? The Gift of Story.

Can you picture this.... Yeah, go read that real quick and then come back. A little tear? Hit a little close to home? I bet it did. That is the power of story. That is what can happen at each and every family Christmas party. That is the emotion and love that can be shared throughout your holiday season. With a little help from me and Cherish Bound you'll create a holiday tradition of story that will forever change your heart and those around you.

So what gifts can you give through Cherish Bound? The list is endless and the recipients are...well, just about everybody! But here is a list to help you get started.

Mothers, Fathers, Mother-in-laws, father-in-laws, sisters, brothers, cousins, best friends, aunts, uncles, daughter, son, grandmother, grandfather, niece, nephew, teachers, bus drivers, neighbors, pets....okay. You get the picture right?

So what can you give them through Cherish Bound?

1. Family Recipe Books: Create a book filled with family favorites and add images of family, scanned in original recipe cards, pictures of the food, stories about where these recipes have come from and the memories that have been made while enjoy those yummy foods.
   
2. Tribute to Mom/Dad/Grandparents: Tell the important people in your life just how much they mean to you. Give them the gift of story by reminiscing about the past, present and the future you have because of them. With added photos and your text this story is sure touch the heart of everyone who receives it.
3. A-Z Books: A-Z books are SO much fun! There are 1000's of ideas that you can do with A-Z's. Here's a few....The A to Z's..... of why we love (whoever), of 2008, child's favorite things, holiday memories, family traditions. There are so many ways to share the love through the ABC's.
4. Sports/Hobby/Collection books: Create a book just for the sports lover in your family or highlight their great achievements or special hobbies and collections like fishing, dirt biking, camping, coin collections, baseball cards, etc.
   
5. Family Traditions: Have each person in your family write about their favorite traditions and memories from the holidays. Grandma's love those!
6. Photo Brag Books: No time to write? How about a book filled with snapshots and photos off all your adventures or best pictures throughout the year?
7. Family Yearbook: If you're like me, you live far from family and you don't get to share your amazing adventures with them as much as you'd like to. So put together a family yearbook from the past year. Get the kids involved, the hubby too and together as a family create a yearbook that you can share with all your family!
   

So there are a few "Book" ideas to get you started....but there are so many more! Just think about the special people and why you love them. Something will come to mind. But wait..there's more! Cherish Bound has an AMAZING product line. Here are some more ideas!

1. Chat Cards: LOVE THESE! Chat Cards come in three different types, Family Chat, Gathering Chat & Child Chat. They are a deck of 50+ cards that have TONS of question on them to help promote great storytelling and conversation. Neighbors will love a deck for their kitchen table, Gathering Chats are fun to use at your own family parties, and teachers will LOVE the child chat cards....great for the classroom!
2. Journals: Heritage, Traditions, Favorites and Gratitude. Pre-published 5×5 hardbound journals with questions, spaces to write, room to attach photos and memories. (MY favorites!) Need to connect with a Teen? Get them a "Favorites" journal, take them out to dinner alone and ask them all about their favorites. Find out what THEY like and what makes them tick. Start a gratitude journal in your home or share it with your sister's family. Heritage journals are a prefect activity for your children at the holidays. This journal will help them interview their grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles and anyone else who has a history.
   
3. Lifeprints are a great product to have at the holidays...especially the Family Gathering Lifeprints. This set of 16 leaflets all have the same set of questions and room to write. Each family member can answer the questions about their favorite family gathering memories, food, people, etc. All the information can be collected and turned into a great family gathering yearbook!
   
4. Story Starters are little booklets full of questions to help you explore a particular theme of story. With space to write and places to jot image ideas, Story Starters help you organize and write your stories. You can also give the gift of story to someone else by picking some Story Starters out and adding a publishing gift certificate to the package. Let them write, create and design their own stories.

Again, there are so many ideas with Cherish Bound. Make your gift list now and get started! If you'd like to learn how you can get FREE publishing for Christmas please email me at tarabrown at cherishbound dot com. You can hold ONLINE gatherings and workshops at www.momchats.com You can invite your family and friends to join us in the chat room and we can share story from the comfort of our very own computers!

End the stress and chaos of looking for the perfect gift! Cherish Bound has the perfect gift for everyone on your list!

More Convention: Story Style Profile & FREE-FREE-FREE "Prizes"

"If your family is always telling stories - or never tells them, Cherish Bound's Story Style Profile will help you find ways to share more stories in your home and get your family talking."

--Cherish Bound

Cherish Bound developed an amazing profile to help families and individuals make the most of their own personal, unique story style. There are 4 different "styles".

Hot Off the Press
Long, Long Ago
If You're a Dreamer
Once Upon a Time

The styles match up perfectly with each individual/family. Each family/individual is given a description of what they're style means. There is a list of recommended Cherish Bound products and tools, along with a complete profile. There are great starter packs and kits to help you find, capture, and share your stories with "style".

If you'd like a printed tri-fold Story Style Profile (they're quite pretty), email me at tarabrown@cherishbound.com and I'll send you one to use with your family. The Story Profile would be a fun activity to do with the entire family.

Want to get some of your recommended Story Style Products for FREE?? Go take the online profile, come back and comment on which style you and your family are. Then you'll be entered in a drawing to win some products that match your Story Style!! Contest ends October 31, 2008 11:59 EST.

Where Do I Begin...

"If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive."

—Barry Lopez

I don't know where to begin! After attending the Cherish Bound convention and Timpanogos Storytelling Festival I can honestly say that I have once again come away a different person. I'm a better woman mentally, spiritually, as well as in business...and even physical. (Yes, lots of great food). My soul is so enlightened and my heart is full of gratitude and excitement!

My experience is almost impossible to explain or share. It's one of those "things" in life that can't be told, it must be felt. This will take a few days to tell, but I'm going to do my best to make sure I can share as much as possible with as much detail and feeling as I can. Just sitting here thinking about those days makes my throat get a slight lump and my eyes are starting to water. AHH! Get a grip Tara!

First I'll start with Convention....day one. Our convention was held in the beautiful Mt. Timpanogos Park in Provo Canyon, Utah, among the beautiful white tents that housed 1000's of story lovers and tellers celebrating the 19th anniversary of the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. We had our own large tent nestled in the corner of the park where we met as consultants with our company's founders and corporate directors.

I arrived a day early and made my way to the empty park to meet with the 4 other national leaders and founders for a private leadership training. As I stood on a small hill in the park that overlooked the valley I couldn't believe what I was doing. I literally thought in my mind, "How lucky are you? How did I ever deserve such an opportunity?" I shook my head and found my way to our meeting under a beautiful wood pavilion that was warmed by the mountain sun where we officially began our conference.

The theme of our convention this year was "This is the moment...a moment you won't forget." Those words have never been more true! I kept repeating them in my head over and over again. I knew the very second I walked up the path and into the park that this would be a moment I would never, ever forget.

Day one of our scheduled convention was opened by our Co-Founder, Carol Rice. I could post 100 posts and still not be able to tell you how truly amazing this woman is. But for what it's worth, she is someone that I will continually strive to be like in all ways. She ranks among my most favorite people in the world...probably a hero. She spoke on "Ten Lessons from the Trail". She shared her personal experiences that she's had while hiking weekly in the local mountains. She related all of her trail lessons to those we can use within our business. Her simple lessons had a huge impact on all who listened in. She shared this beautiful quote..."There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few that will catch your heart...pursue them."

We were instructed on great basic business practices, one of the many great bonuses Cherish Bound consultants are blessed with. The business is basic and efficient, but the support from corporate makes it that much more attainable.

One of the most anticipated agenda items is always the unveiling of new products and programs! Oh, that's my favorite! I love to see what they've been working on and the amazing product ideas that they come up with. Just when I think we've tapped into every part of story, family, and publishing, they release more! Here is a list of new Cherish Bound product and tools that were officially released on Friday, August 28.

• Music Story Starter: This is the first of 3 Story Starters in the new Hobbies Collection. This story starter helps you to share your appreciation for music no matter your talent level and guides you through the writing process.
• Scouting Story Starter: Tell your scouting stories and memories with ease.
• My Collection (Series of Firsts): Only someone who shares your passion can truly understand what your collection means to you. Help your family and friends gain an appreciation for your obsession with this mini story starter.
• Places I've Called Home (Series of Firsts): This new addition to the Legacy Collection helps you remember all those special places and special times. The place combined with the moment is what made it important and deserves to be shared.

2 pre-made hardbound journals were added to complete the Journals collection.

• Favorites Journal: Our "favorites" define us; they help us claim our identity. Knowing our favorites reminds us that joy can be found in the little, simple things of life.
• Gratitude Journal: There's no question that an attitude of gratitude is beneficial. This small book will help you create a habit of gratitude in no time at all.

We also officially released our new Consultant Video. You can catch a link to view it right here. CLICK ME! You can meet me personally in this video... (wink-wink) We also released our new catalogs, opportunity brochures, and some other great consultant tools. VERY excited to use them all! We broke for lunch and then took our first adventure into the storytelling world. I have been to other festivals, but for some consultants this was their first time. It didn't matter if it was the first, second or third time, every single consultant and guest at the festival was swept away....I'll get into the storytelling more in a day or so. All I can say is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! We finished our night with a YUMMY dinner together and then celebrated our achievements and awards. I was quite surprised and pleased to find out that I was Top Recruiter, Had the most gatherings for the year and second in personal volume next to my wonderful, beautiful SIL (who is another one of my most favorite people in the world). It was an amazing year....but I think this year will be 100's better.....wish I could tell more.

Continued tomorrow...Day two of convention and the storytelling.

Remembering Kindergarten

This rite of passage comes far to quickly! It feels like yesterday baby #3 arrived and he'd be at home with me forever! As fast as this much anticipated event arrived, I know it will go by even faster as I immerse myself in the normal daily routines and schedules. And not just for me, but for my son too. Life changes every day for a kindergartner.

The first few days were down right pathetic. He's taller than your average kindergartner, looks like he's heading into the 2nd grade or so and probably comes across as a "tough guy". But don't let it fool you....days one, two, and three, were a pretty sad sight. Anxiety the night before, crying all the way to the bus stop. It was a mother's nightmare, but luckily for me, he's #3 of five so my skin is a little thicker than your average first time mom. But man, that sad little face pressed up against the bus window just about did me in. It was bad enough that the bus driver actually honked to get me to turn around, opened the door for him to give me one last hug. It was priceless. I tried not to giggle because he was focused and trying really hard to be "all growned up", but he was just too cute.

Today started the second week and in just seven days he's made an entire 180! Woke up a few minutes early, got ready without a tear, and ran to the bus stop excited for his day to begin. I was pleased and relieved, but it also reminded me that time is going to fly by. If I don't capture his stories fresh with emotion (and my own memories) right now, it'll be too late. The stories will either change and not be capture correctly or we'll just never get to it.

Remembering Kindergarten can seem like a daunting task, but following a few easy steps and tips will help you capture those most important memories and stories straight from the kindergartner. I see too many times "mom's" version of the story, and while I think we should have some say, it's their version that is the most memorable. It's their version of the story that is real. No mother can retell a story like a kindergartner can.

5 Easy Steps for Remembering and Capturing Kindergarten Memories

1. Keep all photos in a file on your computer labeled Kindergarten

2. Keep ONE small plastic bin for favorite art work, writing samples, etc. These bins get full quick, so let your kindergartner pick their favorites each month. You can pick a few too if you really need to, but let them pick their favorites. It's their memories! Scan them as you pick the favorites so they're already stored and edited in your picture folder.

3. Start writing down the stories NOW! Don't wait. Keep a note book or a document file in your picture folder on your computer that you can write or type funny sayings, stories or events right when they happen. Details fade after a while. And get your kindergartner's version of the story as well.

4. Ask him questions. What are his favorites? Who are his friends? What is he learning? And so on and so on....these will change from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. Find out the answers to these and other questions now. If you need some ideas, Cherish Bound has a great Story Starter just for kids called "My School Days". You can interview your child and write the answers right there in the book.

5. At the end of the school year you're organized and ready to published your child's first year of school in a beautiful hardbound book. Compile all the photos, classwork & art, and stories in digital format. Drag and drop everything into a Cherish Bound book for publication.

I can promise you that these memories will stay alive forever if you preserve the stories, get your child involved in the process and publish them in a Cherish Bound book. The smile on his face will be priceless! There's nothing better than watching your own child hold a book all about them, written by them, just for them!

Tell Your Baby's Stories...From the First Kick to the First Steps

Being pregnant and giving birth to each one of my children is among the happiest days of my life. The stories, memories and emotion are placed deeply in my heart. As mothers, we are the ONLY ones on this planet that can tell our children's story. We are the ones that can tell our children how it all began.

Cherish Bound's Birth to 18 Months Story Starter can help every mother and father tell their stories and share their memories about the memorable days of our new babies. With the help of this story starter you can write your child's story in less than 2 hours whether they're 6 months old or 16 years old. The Birth to 18 Months Story Starter is tool used to help you write this story. It is filled with TONS of questions, story prompts and ideas in chronological order to help you organize, write and remember the story.

Everyone loves to tell their story, but everyone loves to hear their story too. Tell the stories that changed your life and brought ultimate joy...tell them to your little ones. Keeping it simple and beautiful is the goal. You have everything you need to tell this story...it's inside of you.

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #20

I've had lots of emails and interest from many of you wondering how writing our family's stories and publishing them in Cherish Bound books can be a "group" effort or done with friends. Some of you come from the "crop night" world, and look forward to getting together with your friends to do some memory keeping. It becomes a monthly ritual and there is NO WAY you're going to miss it...not for anything! I was once a regular attendee of monthly crop nights. I enjoyed getting together with my friends, meeting new people and I really enjoyed the adult conversation.....and I loved getting something done! I really hope that the general scrapper population gets more done than I did at crop nights. It took me an hour just to unload and get situated, another to catch up on the latest gossip, and then I'd get about 2 or 3 spreads done in a six hour span....yippee!

Even though I've changed my "memory keeping ways" I still love an excuse to get together with friends that want to preserving our family's memories and stories. Story and Technology Workshops are now replacing the "crop night". As a Cherish Bound consultant, I hold monthly and sometimes bi-monthly Story workshops and Technology workshops. These workshops provide a quiet place for my friends and customers to come and work, chat, eat and get things done!

My Story Workshops are usually theme-based so everyone is working on the same story theme. I can usually get people through an ENTIRE STORY in less than 2 hours....usually an hour and a half. By using the Story Starters, sharing and pairing their stories, writing within time limits, everyone leaves with their story done and organized. It leaves plenty of time for chatting, eating and enjoy our friendship. The best part is they come and accomplish a task, they're leave knowing they can return again the next month and continue building their family's library.

Technology workshops are done with laptops and computers. Everyone learns how to use Cherish Bound's online publishing center for creating and publishing books. We also go over basic scanning, editing and photo tips. It's fun to see how everyone catches on so quickly and how creative people are! I love seeing custom designed pages from the pros and simple, beautiful photography from the rookies.

I'm hoping to start some online workshops for those of you in far off remote places with no consultants to hold workshops. It would be a fantastic way to help you get your stories organized and ready for publishing!

Table Decor from my Best Friends Workshop!

Holiday Planning Party!!!

Christmas and Hanukkah are less than 150 days away!

Friday, August 8th @ 11am
www.momchats.com

Have you started planning your holiday gift giving list? Join me at www.momchats.com and get started with your holiday planning through Cherish Bound. Get some awesome gift ideas for personalized books and calendars, Publishing Gift Boxes, and Unique products. Organize your lists: who to buy for, what should I publish, make & buy, how much do I want to spend, and how can I get it all for FREE! I promise you will LOVE the ideas and I'll help you get started now and finished before Thanksgiving arrives! Plan now so you can enjoy the holidays!

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #17

If someone would have challenged me to "Scrap" 7 scrapbooks with photos, stories and all the cute stuff in a 7 month period (back in my scrapping days) I probably would have gotten "7 pages" done....TOTAL! For one, I took too long because I used too many embellishments and I'm a perfectionist. Two, I'm too busy. I can't sit and work on a scrapbook, clean it up, get it back out....and so on and so on. And Three, I'm extremely competitive and I would have NEVER even take the challenge....don't like setting myself up for failure.

Well, Cherish Bound challenged it's consultants to join the "Story Club". In order to be apart of the "Club" and receive a GRAND PRIZE at convention we have publish 7 small 5x7 Story Books by the time convention rolls around at the end of August. Each book "theme" had to come from one of eight different Story Starter collections. Guess what? I did it....okay, I'm almost done. I have 2 more to go!

The eight Story Starter Collections are Love Collection, Family Collection, Legacy Collection, Giggles & Giddy-up Collection, Butterfly Collection, School Collection, Holiday Collection, and Early Childhood Collection.

So far I've completed and received my wedding book coming from the Love Collection. My son's Preschool book coming from the Early Childhood Collection as well as his T-Ball book from the School Collection. And my most recent arrival was the Christmas Traditions book we did as a family from the Holiday Collection. I just completed a 2007 Family Yearbook book from the Family Collection and I'm currently working on a Hero's book from our Legacy Collection. (Can't say who that's for....secret!) The final and 7th book will be a children's book from the Giggles & Giddy-up Collection.

I loved this challenge for many reason. I'm been able to complete some fairly large memory keeping moments that have been weighing on me. I've also experienced first hand how easy it is to complete simple story/photo books. It doesn't have to be big 100 page life story books. Everyone can simply tell their stories in small "chapters" and create a beautiful collection of books.

As soon as I get my entire collection and my "Grand Prize" I'll be sure to post a picture of my newest library!