Everyday Celebrating

SmileBooks METREAT 2011

Let me tell you about something NEW....

As a blogger, I spent last year at several different blog conferences.  And while those were fabulous, definitely,  I wanted to create something new this year.  Really focus in my time on an aspect of my life that I've been neglecting.

I felt like there just wasn't time to see FRIENDS.  Being a wife and a mother and an employee and blogger and gosh knows what else, women tend to put friends last.  In the heirarchy of life, it just slides to the bottom.  You figure they'll always be there.  We'll catch up later.  And then months roll by, even years and the catch up never comes.  Sound familiar?

Earlier this year I decided to reprioritize some, slow down on blog conferences and create something new.  Where, for one long weekend, I'd focus on celebrating friendships.  To really do what it took to make it happen, for me.  I began talking this over with one of my best friends NakedJen and the METREAT was born!  

What is the METREAT?  
It is taking time out for yourself to reconnect with those you normally let slide.  It's about taking the time to create memories and inside jokes and to celebrate life and the amazing things in your life you have to be thankful for.

For this first METREAT, SmileBooks came on as the title sponsor and you've heard me talk about them before. They help you create amazing photo books with ease!  Not only that, they have a design service that will design the book FOR you because they realize that not everyone has the time or maybe they'd like to spend that time creating MORE memories!   

As a sponsor of the METREAT, SmileBooks is offering a 40% discount on photo books through 9/30/11.

Just follow the link to learn more and get started.  Their photo books are perfect to create documentation for your summer memories such as:

• a baseball season
• graduation
• summer vacation
• trip to the grandparents
• July 4th celebration
• Back to school
• boating season
• fishing tournament

and of course, birthdays and other celebrations!

Do you have questions about how to create books or other questions to ask the SmileBooks team?

I'll be hosting a Twitter party on Thursday, August 4 at 8pm EST.  Use the hash #METREAT. I'll be joined by Tracy of the SmileBooks team and she'll be on hand to answer any questions you have about creating your own photo books.  We'll be chatting about taking time for yourself and documenting those memories and also how to upload your books to Facebook to share!

In the weeks to come, I'll tell you more about the METREAT and show you the photo book.  In the meantime, here's one of the great photos from the weekend!  

Thank you to SmileBooks for their support of creating new memories!

 

Back to School celebrations!

Hey... C'mon over!

I'm over at Everything Mom talking about fun back to school celebration ideas!   Simple celebrations and easy food ideas to kick off the new year!

Everyday Events: Teacher themed baby shower

  

When your best friend is a teacher, why not throw a teacher themed baby shower?

Katie of Bower Power put together this beautiful shower for her friend featuring an all-american red, white and blue palette and super cute details.

I love how she named the menu after school details.

 

Beautiful cucumber sandwiches with bits of the peel pushed through toothpicks

and the beautiful apple cupcakes!

 

Usually I don't like shower games, but this shower had some really great games.  Like each guest writing the mommy a note so she'd have encouraging notes every month for the first year.

 
Cute snack bags for the guests to take home included juice boxes and a bag of chocolate chip cookies.

 

A truly simple and beautiful shower that was truly fitting of an amazing teacher.

Everyday Events: Milk and Cookie Birthday

I'm thrilled to show you another Milk and Cookies themed birthday.  Why?  Well, my friend Dianne of Colorblind Productions threw the first Milk and Cookies themed birthday a few years ago and since then, the theme has REALLY taken off.  She and I both smile every time we see another party featuring the theme.  And this one is super adorable!

This party added a twist.  This was a milk and cookies and BEDTIME STORIES theme!  Check out the cute invitation from Tiny Prints.

 
of course.. there was a cookie buffet

Strawberry, chocolate and white milk...

rainbow swirl cookies

  

The children were asked to wear their jammies.  The parents cleared out their playroom and set up a mini theatre complete with movie snacks:



And finally... LOOK at this CAKE!  The chocolate chip cookie cake! Yep, it's a CAKE!
 


Visit Heather's blog for more photos of favors and other details!  

New year, new calendar!

 

 

It's a new year and that means... a new calendar!  I want to tell you about this great calendar that really provides a way to keep up with many aspects and schedules in your life.

The Busy Body Book is a weekly planner with a grid system.  For every day, there are 5 sections.  You can keep up with 5 different aspects or people in your life.  For example:

• each child would get one column
• if you're a blogger, you can use one column to plot out your posts
• volunteering or church activities
• spouse schedule
• work commitments

In my calendar, I would use the following columns:

1. Work - work appts
2. Personal - personal appointments and birthdays and special occasions
3. Blog - plotting blog posts and other blogging activities
4. Projects - various projects I'm working on 
5. Husband - my husband works a non-traditional schedule and it changes weekly.  This column is great in coordinating schedules

I do have a son, but he's 3, not yet in school and so we don't have much to coordinate with activities and such just yet but this calendar is perfect for those with children.

You can also use it for personal goals like below or this calendar is even good for students to use each column for a different school subject.

 

  This calendar has many other features including, places for notes, bookmarks, pockets, removable shopping lists and more.  It has a sturdy, heavy plastic cover and tough spiral.  

The Busy Body Book can be purchased through the website and also on Amazon.  It makes a great gift!

Here's to more organization in the new year!

Disclosure: I was given one Busy Body Book in return for conducting this review.  My reviews and recommendations are always products I believe in.

Smilebooks at BlogHer!

 

You may have seen the button on the sidebar there.  This one:

That's one of the largest blogging conferences in the United States and it's sold out.  As always.
I'll be there representing several sponsors and one of them is the fine folks at Smilebooks.com

SmileBooks helps you turn your favorite digital photos into treasured photo books. Within minutes you can download SmileBooks free software and begin creating permanent photo book memories.  When you're done, fill out the order form and within days you'll receive your incomparable quality photo book.  Create memories that last a lifetime, in no time at all with SmileBooks photo books.

They have several sizes to create and also great templates if you're not that creative.  However, if you do want complete control over the design of your pages, you have that capability. 

I found the software to be easy and self explanatory.  The preview was clear and I loved how it would immediately tell if your photos were not going to print at a high quality level.

To show you an example, here is one of the booklets that Smilebooks prints.  What you are seeing here are the custom designed idea books I'll be passing out at the BlogHer conference.  Please leave me a comment if you're going to be at the conference.  I'd love to meet you and load you down with some swag!  :)

If you click on the photo, you can see more detail.  The pages are a beautiful gloss and really are coffee table quality.  They make beautiful hardcover books that are perfect gifts or a great way to celebrate a special occasion such as an anniversary, birthday, graduation or wedding.

Stay tuned!  Smilebooks and Everyday Celebrating is going to be having a fun competition through this blog with lots of fun prizes!

But for now.. Smilebooks wanted to celebrate blogs and the people that read them by giving a 25% discount to readers.  Simply type in the code Blogher25 at checkout to receive your discount! 

So get busy creating a book of memories! You don't need an occasion.. how about making a Summer Fun book or a book with your vacation photos?

Don't forget!  If you're going to the BlogHer conference... leave me a comment!

Enjoy!

VistaPrint - Sitewide discount for EC readers!

Vistaprint has come on board as the official print sponsor of Everyday Celebrating!  VistaPrint is well known in all worlds as printing amazing quality product quickly and with amazing pricing.  I've never received any order from VistaPrint that didn't thrill me.  Any marketing pieces I'll have with me at BlgoHer 2009 will be a product of VistaPrint.

Also, ALL of my readers get a 25% discount at VistaPrint. Sitewide!

Yep, even if you don't go to BlogHer! 

Just go to this website  http://www.vistaprint.com/everydaycelebrating to place your order!

Many thanks to the folks at VistaPrint!

50 free prints!

Now's the time to stock up on prints!
Get 50 free 4 X 6 prints at Shutterfly by using the code:

FREEPRINTS

(shipping and handling and taxes are not included)

Don't forget!  Mother's Day is approaching on May 10!
Hurray!  Offer ends April 27.

DIY: Coffee table book - Blurb book

Have you created a Blurb book yet?   You should!  You may have happened upon a photographer's blog or a wedding blog which featured one of those super cool coffee table books that are available now.

You can do those yourself now!  With your own photos, layouts, etc.

Let me back up.
I'm a two blog kinda girl.  I have this blog and then I also have a blog that features photos of my son. Every day.  Well, almost every day.  Above is a shot of the coffee table book I made on Blurb for the first year of his life.  Basically over 300 pages of his daily life - in color.

Blurb lets you create your own book with downloadable software they provide for free.
It's super easy and if you have a blog, it will even "slurp" your photos and text and drop it into layouts automatically, if you'd like.

My son's book (above) is 8.5 X 11 horizontal. Hard bound.  It came with a beautiful color jacket that I designed.  There is also a soft cover option as well as many options on sizes.

When I was creating this book, several people asked me about the quality of the inside pages and I was nervous about that as well.  But I was thrilled with the outcome.  Here are a few photos of the inside:

 

As you can tell, the pages are photo quality.
They are exactly like any high end coffee table you'd find in a bookstore.

This book made a great combined Mother's/Father's day present for my parents (Keaton's grandparents).   They follow his blog religiously, especially since they are out of state and while they knew I was producing the book, it was a surprise to them to receive a finished copy as a gift. 

If you haven't checked out Blurb, I encourage you too.  Your book doesn't have to be 300 pages.  It can be 10 and just celebrate one special occasion, etc.  It can document a baby shower or a wedding or your child's first birthday.  I had a blog while pregnant that included thoughts on the journey as well as several ultrasound photos that I hope to turn into a Blurb book someday. (One of the many things on the looonnng to do list.)

Blurb has a bookstore where you can check out the first few pages of other people's books.  It's a great inspiration on what can be done with your book.

Make a book that can be passed down!  Can you imagine how special this book will be to Keaton?  To show HIS children?