With the Super Bowl just a couple of weeks away, now is a good time to think about sports and how they relate to family history. Whether you have athletes in the family, sports fans, or both, it is very likely that at least some family members have an interest in sports. If you think about your relatives and what sports they like to play or watch, you may see some similarities between family members. You might also see some major differences of opinion, which can make for memorable family events if there is a game on television featuring the … Continue reading →

Genealogists might notice that there are certain habits that seem to run in your family. Some of these things are learned, and some seem to have a genetic basis. Have you noticed that some of your relatives have a tendency to steal ketchup packets, or sugar packets, from restaurants? There could be several reasons why they do that. When you go to a restaurant with your family, you will notice that the restaurant has put out certain things that you can use without being charged for them. Often, this includes things like the little packets of sugar, (or sugar alternatives), … Continue reading →

Whether you are a parent or there are grandchildren, nieces, or nephews in your life, you know the value of photographs as a way to preserve the story of a child’s growth and development. Unfortunately, even the most well intentioned among us often end up with a collection of snapshots that capture select moments from a child’s life story yet somehow fall short of preserving the entire journey. Here are a few tips for taking pictures of children which will tell their stories long after the children have grown. Instead of focusing only on portrait style pictures or only on … Continue reading →

This holiday season, I realized that one important communication skill is essential to surviving many a holiday gathering. Those of you that read this blog regularly know that I love words, so I am excited to inform you that this magical skill has a name – tact. Tact is a word that refers both skill in dealing with difficult or delicate situations or a knack for knowing what to say or do in order to avoid offending others. In a time where people often pride themselves on being “uncensored”, letting their opinions be known, or saying what is on their … Continue reading →

Each family has its own unique set of holiday traditions. Whatever the traditions in your family, it is likely that you can look back through the years and see how certain things became a part of what your family does. For example, my father’s side of the family has always gotten together on Christmas Eve. I think that this tradition started when my cousins and I were born because each set of new parents had two sets of grandparents to include in their Christmas visiting schedule. Instead of trying to have each set of cousins make it to two sets … Continue reading →

At this time of the year, when many of us are shopping for gifts for relatives, we are learning a lot about what the current trends for toys and fashion are. A fun idea for a family history scrapbook is to focus on what the trends were when you, your parents, and your grandparents were growing up. Looking at old photographs is a great way to get started, and you can also find a lot of great information online. For example, I was born in 1978 and my sister was born in 1980. Certain toys stand out in my mind … Continue reading →

Want to try something a little bit unique at your family gathering this Christmas? You could serve some of the foods that are mentioned in lyrics from popular Christmas carols. This could lead to a family sing-a-long, or a culturally interesting set of appetizers. Christmas music evokes strong emotions in many people. You are either someone who loves it, (and cannot get enough of it), or you are someone who hates it, (and rushes to change the radio station whenever a carol starts playing). Either way, it is very likely that you have memorized the lyrics to several Christmas carols, … Continue reading →

  For many families, Christmas Day is not the only celebration of the season. For example, in my family for as long as I can remember, Christmas Eve is a big deal for my dad’s side of the family. All of the aunts, uncles, and cousins gather in one place (my aunt’s house) for an evening of Chinese food, delectable desserts, general rowdiness, and plenty of gift giving and getting including a Yankee Swap. I consider it to be a can’t – miss event, and last year was the first time that we did not make it to Massachusetts for … Continue reading →

People started sending Christmas cards to family and friends in 1843. This is a tradition that we still do today, and not all that much has changed about the content of a typical Christmas card. The newest innovation with Christmas cards comes in the form of eCards. Sending a Christmas card to a relative through email is a good way to keep in touch. There are two basic styles of Christmas eCards. One is the type that feels somewhat traditional. These are the ones that show nativity scenes, and images of snowmen and Santa Claus. The other style is absolutely … Continue reading →

There will always be some people in your family that are difficult to buy gifts for. If you are a genealogist, then you will intrinsically know what the other genealogists in the family would want for Christmas. Those of you who are not at all interested in genealogy may want to select a gift from this handy list. If the family genealogist is somehow not already using Ancestry.com, then it would be a great idea to get that person a Gift Membership to the website. Ancestry.com is probably the most popular genealogy website of them all, so, you may want … Continue reading →