Sharing Your Life Stories...

I have to share this list with you...someone emailed this to me and I thought it was perfect to share with you all!!

"I'm a totally ordinary person," you shrug. "I'm not famous. I haven't done anything important. In fact nothing really outstanding has ever happened to me. Why would I want to share my life story with anyone, and, for that matter, why would I want to listen to or read the life stories of other ordinary people? And why on earth would I want to write my life story? It's so boring! Memoirs are for celebrities."

Fair questions. Here are a few possible answers. At least 55 reasons why you might consider reflecting on, sharing, and even writing your life stories and listening to the experiences of other people. You may have--or find--additional reasons…

1. You'll learn something from reflecting and from remembering.
2. You'll learn something from telling, both orally and in print.
3. You'll learn something from hearing and/or reading the life stories of others.
4. You'll practice listening skills, boost empathy, deepen relationships.
5. You may experience some cathartic pain, which is often good for the soul.
6. You may heal old wounds--or soothe current pains.
7. You'll deepen appreciation for your life characters--family, friends, coworkers.
8. Those who hear or read your stories will better understand the real you.
9. You'll recapture memories and experiences you assumed were lost.
10. You'll trace and uncover some important threads through your life story.
11. You'll reveal something of what's important to you, what you deeply value.
12. You'll share--and spread--vital values, through what you tell (and don't).
13. Life review may reveal patterns, connections, hidden insights.
14. You'll more deeply appreciate your own heritage, culture, ethnicity, roots.
15. You'll understand, appreciate, and connect with people different from you.
16. You'll find you have a special gift to give that only you can give.
17. You may bring genealogy to life, humanize and honor your ancestors.
18. You will clarify the cultural context, history, and settings that impact your life.
19. You may clarify family and ancestors' cultural context, history, and settings.
20. You'll more deeply connect with your past and your people, living and dead.
21. Paradoxically, You'll more deeply connect with others' past and people.
22. You'll have a good excuse for a healthy cry or two, and lots of laughs.
23. You'll have a great time, enjoying the exploration and the sharing.
24. You'll get a powerful educational tool to share across the table or across time.
25. Your struggles and triumphs, however small, may inspire others.
26. You may inspire yourself.
27. You may surprise the spouse, child, kin, or friend who "know you well."
28. You may increase others' understanding of "people like you."
29. You may prove that there is no one exactly like you.
30. You may wonder at the miracle of our common humanity.
31. You may have a precious written gift (whether book or one-page memento)
32. You can leave a valuable legacy, before it's too late!
33. You can make photo albums and scrapbooks far more meaningful and fun.
34. Brief stories can add meaning and value to heirlooms or artifacts.
35. Your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews will learn "real" history.
36. Family may see you as more than merely Mom, Dad, Gram, Aunt, or Uncle…
37. Family may come to understand their own rich connections and contexts.
38. Family may get a kick out of making fun of you and the "olden days."
39. You may answer some questions that have been nagging you.
40. You may raise questions to spend the rest of your life answering.
41. Past experience may suggest how to best live your future, however long.
42. Your past could help others learn how they might best live their future.
43. Your mistakes may help others avoid some of theirs.
44. "Mistakes," "losses" re-examined may turn out to be blessings in disguise.
45. Opening your senses and imagination will enrich and enhance each day.
46. You'll build, enhance, deepen relationships with folks living and dead
47. You'll build, enhance, deepen relationships with folks known and unknown.
48. If you write it or have it written, you'll have interesting reading.
49. All your life, you can continue learning from rereading. And write more!
50. If you write it or have it written, you may achieve a sort of immortality.
51. You'll illuminate your perspective on culture, religion, places, people, life.
52. You can show appreciation for those who have enriched your life.
53. What you know, care about, feel, and think won't die with you.
54. You may grow spiritually, feel more kinship with humanity, a oneness.
55. You'll discover you aren't so ordinary after all! (Who is??)
    

It's a Celebration! Happy Day to Me - Giveaway!

Well, there is much to celebrate here at my blog this week!

1. This is my 400th post!
2. My Birthday is next week - July 23rd
3. My Blog Birthday is Monday
4. My Wedding anniversary is mixed in with it all too

So I'm doing a big fat yummy Giveaway in celebration of all these things...

• To survive 400 posts, even if I blog to myself is huge...for me! How many hours have at sat staring at this blog?? Too many to think about ;o)
  
• And I love birthdays...I'm not afraid of turning 35...Yes, I'm 35 next week, can't believe how young I still am! It's incredible... (apparently, I have no idea how old I am. I'm turning 34. Just figured that out - 07/16/09 @ 9:16pm EST.
  
• My 2nd Blog Birthday is Monday, and again, that's a big deal for me because I have ADD and the only thing I've stuck with longer than this blog is being a wife and mother.
  
• And of course my wedding anniversary is arriving again....the 15th one! Can't believe we've managed to survive these amazing 15 years....but to be completely happy is worth celebrating! Right?!

So lots to be happy about....

Yesterday on my Wordless Wednesday post you saw those YUMMY delicious HOMEMADE cinnamon rolls that I made right? I'm a wannabe baker, and I'm okay with that. I'm finding myself in the kitchen a lot more these days, but I'm loving it, not fighting it. I love to bake. I've always loved to bake, but have been intimidated by mixers, yeast, sifters, temperatures...you know all the "stuff" that goes with baking. Well, I've discovered that it's actually harmless, it's very hard to get hurt baking, and there are amazing products out there that make baking...enjoyable and easy for people like moi!

Cinnamon Rolls happen to one of my most favorite things to EAT! I lose total control when cinnamon rolls arrive...I have NO guilt, NO limits, NO worries. So when I finally made a batch that worked and tasted good all by myself....I had to share and celebrate! I'll share the entire recipe next week.


I'm going to give credit where credit is due though...without these two products ain't NO WAY it was going to happen. I'm wanted for killing yeast all over these parts, so I pretty much gave up on anything that required the use of that small, single-celled plant. Until....I found this!

SAF Yeast by Red Start

You CANNOT KILL THIS STUFF! It's "tara-proof"...that's saying A LOT! If you're looking for ways to make baking with yeast more enjoyable and successful, look no further! You must get this yeast! Also, they have GREAT recipes, ideas, and other yeasts for those that need gluten free or specialty yeasts as well over at www.redstaryeast.com

Second...I'm all about making from scratch, but I love buying "mixes". I love having some fun varieties to play around with, but I'm also into building my family's food storage in the event of an emergency, disaster, even a job loss and income change. You just never know...

One of my favorite sites for stocking up on Food Storage is the Food Storage Depot. They have a great selection of Food Storage products AND their prices are very affordable. They have lots to choose from from basics to gourmet and monthly to yearly supplies.

• Emergency Food
• Dehydrated Food
• Home Food Storage
• Freeze Dried Food

They also have my favorite MIX! Aunt Kate's Quality Roll Mix! That's the amazing mix that helped me make those delicious cinnamon rolls! They have truly revolutionized food storage!

So what am I giving away...Can you smell the rolls??

• Food Storage Depot has generously offered one of my readers a bag of Aunt Kate's Roll Mix.
  
• The winner will also receive a 16 oz. package of SAF yeast from Lesaffre Yeast Corp. Woo!
  
• And...the winner will also receive a Mini Cherish Bound Recipe Story Starter from ME
• $29 publishing credit to make your own 5x7 recipe book from ME!
  

That's right.... The winner will get ALL OF THIS!

So wanna know how you can win ALL OF THIS? There are TONS of way to get in on this!!

1. Leave a comment letting me know what your FAVORITE thing to bake is (1 entry)

2. Follow My Blog (1 entry)

3. Tweet About this Giveaway & leave the link (1 entry)

4. Put my Button on your blog (1 entry)

5. Post about this giveaway on your blog. Make sure you share your favorite thing to bake and then link back here to the McLinky FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES!

Make sure each entry is a separate comment. US Residents only. Giveaway ends on July 22, 2009 at 11:59 pm. I'll announce the big winner on July 23 (my birthday)! Make sure you leave your email in your comments if you don't have a blog or your email in your profile.

Free Yourself From Photo Clutter!

Whether you’re "digital" or "paper" we can all use a little Photo Freedom! If you're paper, you probably have a box, drawer, or maybe even a pile of pictures stacking up. And if you're digital, your hard drive can look much the same. I've been a victim of both... Organizing photos may seem overwhelming, but, but you can free yourself from photo chaos with a few simple ideas and tips. This process won't happen overnight. It's a process...and ongoing one, but before you know it you can be enjoying beautiful photos from your walls to storybooks.

Not All Photos Are Created Equal

Step #1 -Weed through your pictures

• Toss out/delete all the bad, blurry pictures.
• For paper pics, set duplicates to the side in a separate pile.
• Keep only your favorite, quality images/pictures and throw the rest out!
• For paper images make a pile for pictures that you'd like to frame and/or send to friends and family.
• For digital images make a folder for pictures you’d like to print and frame and/or send to family and friends.
• With an acid-free photo pen, label the pictures on the back of the photo’s edge. If you can recall the date, names, and place, add those details.

Keeping Things Simple

Step # 2 – Organize

• Make pile/folder by themes – By date, years, events, people.
• Pictures can be kept in photo-safe boxes AFTER they're sorted and organized.
• On notes cards, used as dividers, write down notes, stories and memories about each theme of photos.

Share Your Photos

Step #3 – Sharing and Displaying

• Send copies of your photos to friends and family regularly. Have a stash of pre-addressed envelopes so they're ready to go out every few months. Not everyone has access to the computer.
  
• Build digital photo albums online or keep a BLOG and send notices to friends and family when they're updated.
• Intricate albums with details and captions can be…well, wonderful? If you have the time, money, and more time and more money… scrapbooking can easily become an overwhelming and time-consuming hobby.
• Photos and stories combined are what create family traditions and heirlooms to be passed down. By choosing a special event, such as a wedding or new baby, you can create beautiful family story and photo books with Cherish Bound.
• Print and frame your pictures. Get them up on the walls, on your shelves, and out so they can be seen! Choose only your best photos. Be creative…string them from cute wire clips, use bulletin boards, memo boards…that way they are easy to change out and update.

Keep Up The Good Work

• Once you’re caught up (yes, that can happen) keep up and control your photos! Organize your photos as soon as you download or develop.
• For paper pictures, keep a VERY SMALL photo/shoe box out. As the box begins to fill, sit down with the family and sort through the photos, share the stories, write them down and prep them to be scanned and loaded into a photo/story book.
• As soon as you download pictures, delete the bad ones! Label folders with dates and event names if possible.

And here’s my shameless plug –

The Cherish Bound process can help you stay on top of your photo chaos. By simply adding story and a few photos, you can create meaningful storybooks that can be shared with everyone who walks through the doors of your home. The entire family can be apart of the process. This is no longer MOM’S job! It’s a family thing.

The Cherish Bound publishing tool is simple to use with an easy drag and drop system. You can upload your story text, images, and scanned images into a book template of your choice. End result, a beautiful soft or hardbound book will arrive on your doorstep by carrier within 15 business days.

Organizing your photos can be a daunting task. So keep it simple. These are priceless memories that can be easily enjoyed and relived for generations to come. You can join in on my Family Yearbook Challenge to help you stay the course as well.

Essentially, the goal is make sure our stories, memories, traditions, thoughts and values can be passed on. Don't lose focus.

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #35 - It's a Giveaway! I ♥ Vinyl Lettering!

I ♥ Vinyl Lettering. I do.

I'm just going to come right out and admit it. I don't care if it's a fad or if it's a tacky. I don't care. I think vinyl is cool. So I made you something... Well, I made ONE of you something. ;o) I made myself one....and then I made one for you...

SO EASY to make too! Well, my friend has one of those cool Cricut doohickey things. Awesome little machine....she uses it for card making and such....she's an "EX" too. ;o) You likey?? Well, if you want one of my homemade-vinyl-lettering-picture-frame-decor-things, you've come to the right place!

It's a giveaway!

Here's how to enter this giveaway!

• For one entry go to my Cherish Bound store by clicking HERE. Visit the Story Starters (list on top left) and tell me what story you would love to capture and share. Oh and notice the sale I'm having this weekend! Leave your email if you don't have a blog profile or I will pick another winner (i'm saying it nicely)
• For a second entry follow my blog. If you already do, great. Just leave a separate comment.
• For a third entry Tweet about it and leave your link

US entries only. Giveaway ends on Thursday, July 2 @ 11:59pm. Winner will be announced next Friday. Please leave your email if you don't have a blog profile with your email listed. Winner will be picked by random.org

One more thing... EVERYTHING in my Cherish Bound Story Store is 20% off!!! Don't forget to check it out! ;o) okay...I'm done.

Calling all UTAH Friends!

If you are a blogger in the Utah area.... YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS!

Cherish Bound is teaming up with some of our best friends, one of the country's premiere storytelling organizations - Timpanogos Storytelling Festival and the queen of "make a wish - make it happen"... Kelly Anderson from Start Up Princess to bring all of our blogging buddies a night filled with the magic of storytelling....and it's FREE!

the fairytale event

Cherish Bound is teaming up with one of the country's premiere storytelling organizations—Timpanogos Storytelling Festival—to bring social media moms and blogging buddies a night filled with the magic of storytelling. The event takes place June 25 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the enchanting storytelling wing of the Orem City Library.

the happy ending

During the evening, you'll be entertained by some of the areas brightest storytellers, Bruce Jensen and Wendy Gourley. They'll spin a tale all while the fabulous folks from the Blue Lemon fill our tummies with yummy treats. Each guest will receive a goody bag with these fun things $200 retail value:

• Cherish Bound book.
• Story Starter.
• Chat cards.
• Syd Lieberman Storytelling CD.
• Blue Lemon gift certificate.
• Weekend family pass to the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival (Labor Day weekend).

the requirements
In addition to providing you with an enchanting evening of storytelling fun, Cherish Bound is hoping to publicize both its product and the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival. To participate in this event, please make sure you are able and willing to meet the following criteria:

• Redeem your coupon for a free Cherish Bound book and publish it by July 24.
• Write a post about your Cherish Bound experience by July 31. This post should include your experiences in publishing the book as well as information about the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival (details will be provided).
• Publicize the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival on Twitter, Facebook, and via e-mail between August 1 and Labor Day (details will be provided).
• Attend the Timpanogos Storytelling Festival (September 3-5 in Orem, UT).
• Write a post about your Timpanogos Storytelling Festival experience by September 14, including promotional information about the Mid Winter Conference (details will be provided).
• Publicize a discount coupon on your blog, on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or via e-mail.
• Hold a Cherish Bound giveaway on your site (optional).

the fine print
We only have a limited number of spots available, so please RSVP no later than Thursday, June 18 by clicking HERE TO REGISTER! Spots will be filled on a first come, first serve basis.

This event is by invite only. If you have other friends in social media or who blog that you think would like to take part and can meet these requirements, please feel free contact Jyl at 801.971.9335 or at jyl.pattee@comcast.net.

-I won't personally be at this event, but I will be at the Timpanogos Story Festival during Labor Day weekend!! I'd love to meet you all!

Build Your Family's Library - A Peek Into Publishing

Take a brief tour of Cherish's Bound publishing center to see how easy it is to start building your family's library! Our book building program is easy to navigate and works with simple click throughs and the drag-n-drop system. Take a peak to see how easy it is to get started.

Free online screencasting tool

Thank you to the amazing Kari for letting me share this great tutorial she put together! ♥

If my dad was a superhero he would be....

"He would be Mr. Incredible"

....that's what the Z-man said about his daddy, Shrek.

"Because he's strong, and he's awesome, and he teaches me how to fish, and he takes me camping...oh, and because he can win everything and he's the boss."

I chatted with Z-man in the car and asked him what he wanted to get his daddy for Father's Day and he told me he wanted to take him to the movies to see Transformers 2. I told him that would be awesome....but we'd have to wait until July to go...so he thought some more. And said, "I want to make him another book!" Ah-ha! That's my boy!!!

So we decided to make him another Cherish Bound book. He's done one for his daddy for the past 3 years....the A-Z's of Camping, Just Me and My Dad and The Top 10 Reasons I Love My Dad. Amazing gifts, dad cried every time...

This time I asked him to finish the sentence:

If my dad was a superhero he would be...

And that's the title of his next Father's Day book. He's drawn some pictures and had me be the scribe for him as we typed his story into the Cherish Bound Publishing Center. He's so excited to come home and work on it after school...I can't wait to show you pictures of it!!

So do your kids need a creative and unique Father's Day gift??

Yes! They do, right! Not another tie.... Let the kids touch his heart through the power of story.

If you'd like your kids to make their daddy a Superhero Story Book I'm here to get you started! They can create a 24-page, softbound, 5x7 book for only $29 (before shipping*). It's the perfect gift and EVERY DADDY WILL LOVE IT!

Step 1: Pre-Purchase your $29 publishing HERE

Step 2: I'll set up your Cherish Bound account and you'll go into the publishing center and begin typing in their story, thoughts, messages...whatever they want to say. They can create their own superhero if they want...there are no rules! Then begin adding photos and/or scanned images of drawings too.

Step 3: Submit for publishing by June 1st. I'll even check over your book, make sure everything looks prefect. Cherish Bound will print, bind and ship you your book in about 10-15 business days.

It's Easy and Affordable! Give the gift that keeps on giving...Story is powerful and I promise it will be the BEST gift your kids could EVER GIVE THEIR DADDY!

*shipping will be paid by customer upon publishing submission.

Stories in the Mountains

Everyone at some point in their lives hopes for or waits for a life- changing experience. Jonesborough, Tennessee was that moment for me—a life change experience I’m truly grateful for.

So how can traveling far from home, leaving my family behind to head north to some back country in the mountains of Tennessee be a life changing experience and have such an impact on my life? I’ll tell you, but first let me give you some insight on “Pre-Jonesborough” times.

When I joined Cherish Bound I had many reasons why I wanted to join…great business opportunity, believed in the concept, wanted to find a “job” that I liked, feed my habit, success, and the list goes on. I wanted Cherish Bound in my life and in my family’s life and I wanted to successfully share it with others. I created an atmosphere around myself that included Cherish Bound. I have always known that it was no accident and I truly believe I have a mission with Cherish Bound.

So I won a trip to Jonesborough, Tennessee to the National Story Telling Festival for being the top Consultant that year. This was going to be an adventures...an experience that left me walking away a different person.

I had a picture in my mind of what I thought the adventure would be like…little airplanes from hell, small creepy town, lots of walking, and you should know...I was 6 months pregnant with TWINS! As I arrived at the Atlanta airport to saw Bruce and Carol, Cherish Bound's Founders, waiting for me at my gate. I knew at that instant this would be four days I would never forget. The quality time I was able to spend with these two amazing people was priceless. Not very many people have been able to have this type of quality time with them. They were able to teach me, be examples and give me confirmation that what I’m doing with Cherish Bound is right.

I was able to meet people who were well-known in the Storytelling industry, have dinner with an author and receive and share knowledge and experiences with them. This time spent validated me as a credible resource for those with a passion for storytelling. It now gives me the right to say, “I’ve been to Jonesborough. I know what you love,” and I can now relate to this amazing world.

The main focus of this Jonesborough trip is this small little town, riddled with white tents and a beautiful mysterious history...not to mention there were over 10,000 story lovers gathered in one little place. I had no idea what I was in for. From tears to hysterical laughter, to deep thought, those storytellers entranced my mind hour after hour. Listening to the men and women lay their hearts and souls in the streets of Jonesborough gave me so much inspiration for life and motivation for my business.

I have walked away ready to conquer the Cherish Bound world. I learned from these tellers so many elements of story and why we are sharing Cherish Bound's message with the world. They were able to take very small, but significant moments in their lives and bring them to life right before my heart. I learned I can teach my customers to take a small and simple moment and turn it into a life-changing story for those they love. Sharing story is something that brings a little more light and a little more peace to the world around us.

If I can share anything with you at all it is that I hope you can grasp a small part of the passion that has stirred in me. Share it, tell it, live it! There truly is a magic in storytelling. Find out about storytelling festivals in your own area and go enjoy them with your family! It'll be come a new tradition that everyone will look forward to.

(This is a re-post from about a year ago,
when I was the only person who read my blog...maybe I still am the only person ;o)

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #33 - Video #2 Cherish Bound Books!

Video #2 is here! Watch this video to see different types of books, styles, and options with Cherish Bound's growing book options and designs!!

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!!!

Another Business Giveaway & a few others...

Did you miss out on the last Cherish Bound Business Giveaway??

Well, the amazing Cindy over at Skip To My Lou is doing another one!!

Click here to check it out!

And 2 other giveaways I stumbled on today....

My favorite-favorite-favorite quote in vinyl lettering on tile....I really want this! Over at Hannah's Blog.

And a fanatic opportunity over at Not Entirely British to win free publicity in a new Internet magazine called MultipliCitymag.com That would be so awesome!

Winner of the Cherish Bound Business Giveaway is....

Well, after 80+ entries the winner of the Cherish Bound Business Kit giveaway was selected by random draw....and the winner is....

Lolli from Life is Sweet!!!

Congrats Lolli girl!!! So excited for you....I was crossing my fingers for ALL of you. I'm so excited to work with ALL of you. Remember, everyone wins in this giveaway. If you entered the original giveaway please contact me at tarabrown at cherishbound dot com. I'm also going to be contacting everyone as well via email and blogs tonight and tomorrow so I can get you the updated information about starting your new Cherish Bound business because EVERYONE wins in this giveaway!!!

For those of you who entered the giveaway, please email me your contact info ASAP so I can get your starter kits in the mail by the end of the week first of next week. I want to start a series of conference calls by next week so we can "meet" and get all 50 of you on your way to Cherish Bound success! I'm so excited about what is in store for you and can't wait to share everything with you.

Thank you everyone!

912 Project - Putting It To Work!

Over the past week, I've witnessed a new passion intensifying across this country since Glenn Beck's 912 Project launched. You can click HERE and HERE to catch my other posts... I personally connect with this movement in so many ways...because it's not about politics, Republicans, Democrats or which side you're on. Glenn encourages families, neighbors, communities to turn inward to each other, look for spiritual guidance, and serve and help those around you. I've listened to his thoughts, ideas, and truths, and they're beautifully simple and familiar.

This is Cherish Bound's mission too! Our products, tools, and workshops encourage families, friends, communities to gather together, find themselves around the kitchen table again, and share their passions and dreams through the process of story. A perfect fit to help teach and instill the principles and values of the 9-12 Project.

You know when you just know you're supposed to pursue a thought, feeling, inkling...well, I'm having that "feeling" about this entire movement and so I'm acting on it...I'm not going to ignore it. My mind has been running with 100's of ideas...so I'm going to do something about it. I want to do it for MY kids, for YOUR kids, for our communities and ultimately this Country that I love dearly.

Putting It To Work...

• Make time once a week to gather with family, neighbors, and/or friends on a weekly basis.
  
• Pick a night, morning, day, whatever works with your schedule.
• Schedule NO other activities or interruptions for that specific time every week.
• Devote this time to teaching values and principles.
  
• Talk, instruct, teach, pray, motivate, encourage, help, serve...

I will provide a themed "lesson" every week that I will post on Tuesdays, starting March 24. Lessons will focus on the 12 Values and touch on the Principles that are aligned with this project. They'll be appropriate for families with or without children, neighbors, communities, etc. Come here for your motivation, Q&A, comments, encouragement, a place to share your thoughts, ideas...Make this a standing appointment with your families, a new tradition.
Join me and let's inspire our families, strengthen our homes, and preserve our Country through Principles and Values. Leave a comment and let's me know you're IN! Tell everyone about it, invite your friends and family. Come back Tuesday to grab your first lesson and a button to put on your blog. Together we can make change!

LUCKY DAY! Business Giveaway UPDATED!

Many of you have entered HERE to win a Business...a Cherish Bound Business! Well, ladies today is Your LUCKY DAY!!!! Wanna know why???

Our president and Co-founder, Carol Rice, read through your comments and realized that every single one of you would make our company better, and you all deserve the chance to have the Cherish Bound opportunity and make your life better!!!! Somebody Pinch me! I'm Serious!

So....Even if you don't win the $99 Kit, everyone who comments by March 20, 2009 @ 11:59 pm will become Honorary Cherish Bound consultants FOR FREE with the same benefits and rewards as all consultants...just as if you signed up the traditional way with a purchase of a kit!! Instead of having to buy a kit, you'll receive one Story Starter of your choice, a Cherish Bound DVD, a catalog, business materials, and ME.... FOR FREE!!!!

I'm so excited!!! I'm so happy for every single one of you who has poured your heart out to me!!! You have no idea what is about to happen and how this opportunity will change your life! So please go...

HERE

and enter if you haven't....if you already can you please leave me another comment with your email or email me tarabrown at cherishbound dot come and let me know you saw this update and you're ready to join me!

Breaking News: I'm Giving Away a Business!

UPDATED 3-17-09!!!!!!

BREAKING NEWS!

I'm giving away a business! Who wants it?

Many of you know I have a business that has something to do something with books... and stories...and memories...

I'm a National Founding Leader for Cherish Bound. An amazing direct sales company founded 5 years ago by 2 amazing people with a vision for traditions, stories, and families. Outside of my family, Cherish Bound is my passion and my life. I've been waking up for four and a half years thanking God for this amazing opportunity. I find myself thinking, "Is this for real? Can I really be so lucky...so blessed to have this opportunity?" Yep! It's for real.

I want to share this opportunity with all of you....So here's the scoop!

Basically, we know we have a good thing going here at CherishBound and would love for more people to know about us. We receive great feedback from our customers about how preserving memories and paying attention to the story has changed their lives and improved family communications. We want to help more people, especially during these hard times... so we are looking to add 400 people to our team in the next couple of months.

Won't you join us?

I'll tell you a few of the reasons why I decided to join Cherish Bound:

• I wanted to be home with my kids
• I wanted to work for MYSELF!
• I love photos and stories. I realized I could organize my stuff like I never could have with scrapbooking (and for those that have never done anything at all you'll luv this even MORE!)
• I wanted to find a group of women...powerful, passionate, women to surround myself with and become friends with.
• My passion for being a teacher was put on hold, and this became my outlet through the I'm An Author Children's Writing Program...I know I'm making a difference not just for my family and future generations, but for other families in my community.

We're confident you'll fall in love with all that we're doing...with the founders, the other consultants, storytelling and all the ways it will open opportunities for your family. Help us get the word out and ride the wave Cherish Bound is creating!

Drum roll please.....

• I'm giving away ONE FREE, no obligation, Cherish Bound business kit!
• $99 kit worth over $250!
• You will be the next Cherish Bound consultant.
• You'll automatically have a 20% discount on all publishing and products.
• You'll have access to Cherish Bound as a consultant, the publishing center and can run your own business.
• Cherish Bound does not have monthly or quarterly financial quotas!
  
• You can choose to run your business as a hobbyist or aspire to be a national leader with me!

Whatever your passion, it's up to you....but I'm giving away a business!

So how do you win a Cherish Bound business...it's easy!

1. Comment about why you want this business! Just tell me what you want out of it...that's easy!
   

For extra entries:

1. Tweet about it!
2. Follow me
3. For 5 extra entries blog about it on your blog!!
   

For those that would LOVE to win this, but do not get picked... You'll get 50% off a business kit if you choose to sign up by March 31! THIS IS EVEN BETTER!!! Everyone who posts a comment on THIS POST that doesn't win will become "Honorary" Cherish Bound consultants FOR FREE!! Yes, you'll be honored in just like ANY OTHER CONSULTANT!!! Just the same as if you won or if you purchased a kit.... And it gets better my friends!!! You'll get one Story Starter of your choice, DVD, catalog and all the business info you'll need to start a business for FREE!!!!! {I can barely breath....I'm so excited!!} Our president and Co-founder, Carol Rice, read through your comments and realized that every single one of you would make our company better, and you all deserve the chance to have the Cherish Bound opportunity!!!! Somebody Pinch me! If you don't win the kit YOU Must email me at tarabrown at cherishbound dot com by March 31, 2009 and let me know that YES, you're ready to join me!!! US residents only. Remember... NO obligation, just see if CB is a fit. The giveaway for the free KIT will end on March 20th 11:59 pm. Winner will be announced Monday here on my blog! PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEASE leave your email if you do not have a profile or blog!

So what do you say?? Wanna join me and start a business??

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.

Confessions of an Ex-Scrapbooker #27 - FREE Photo/Story Book Publishing!

Cherish Bound is so much more than a photo book! You can create books to find, capture and share the stories of your life...As a blogger, I have endless stories and I've found a place to publish them and save forever in the physical form.

You can do so much with Cherish Bound...create books, enjoy amazing products to help you organize your stories and even an opportunity so you can make money from home. We are ramping up for some big things this summer and are looking for fun people to join the Cherish Bound family. You can be a part of the movement we're creating with some great specials and deals going on right now. You won't want to miss out! And who couldn't use a little extra money these days - especially doing something we already all love!

With Cherish Bound you can...

Capture your Story. Using our online publishing tool, you will upload your story text, photos, and scanned images into a book template of your choice. With our ever-growing selection of colors, borders, and fonts, finding the right format for your story is easy. The tool is web-based so you don’t have any software to download or update – all of that is done for you!

Submit your Story. With your book completed you are ready to submit your project to Cherish Bound online. All you do is press the submit button and we take it from there. Your book will be printed and bound using cutting-edge, archival processes and materials. You can order as many copies as you like, whenever you want. Your finished book is digitally stored in their archives indefinitely.

Share your Story. Your completed book will arrive by carrier in approximately 15 business days from date of submission so that you can begin the tradition of sharing story in your family.

Teach others about Story. Cherish Bound is growing. Kind of an "odd" thing to hear given the circumstances of our economy and how this little world of ours is turning. It doesn't surprise me. Many people are finding comfort and joy in our products, the stories that are being shared between family members and friendships that are being created between consultants and customers. It's a beautiful thing...

Many families are struggling, maybe it's your family. Many families just need an extra few hundred dollars a month in order to survive and others need a bit more. Cherish Bound is here to help those families survive this wave and find some comfort.

There are millions of reasons why we're bracing ourselves for this amazing opportunity and we want to extend the invite to all who would like to join in on this dream! If you or someone you know could use a little extra cash, friendships and an opportunity of lifetime...you have found it.

So would you like Free Publishing From Cherish Bound?

I'm looking for people to post about Cherish Bound on their blogs. If you'd like to help out you'll receive $47 in Cherish Bound publishing. Yes, you can publish for FREE just for blogging about Cherish Bound's amazing opportunity. If you'd like to participate, please email me at tarabrown{at}cherishbound{dot}com for detailed information.

And I have one more way for you to help! By adding a special button and posting it on your blog you can earn $10 in publishing for every 10 hits!! So email me for information and the button code and you'll be on your way to publishing your family's stories for FREE!