Tag Archives: memories

Single Parent Holiday Memories

It is not always the trips to Disneyland and the “perfect” family holidays that our children remember with fondness. Since I have been a single parent for such a long time (or so it seems to me), I can look back and when I’m reminiscing with my kids–some of their most pleasantly memorable holidays are the ones that are far from perfect… The first “single mom year”–my kids were rather young–first grade, kindergarten and preschool. I was working full time after having been out of the full time work force for a few years and I was also going to … Continue reading →

How Will Our Children Remember Us?

When I am tempted to get snarky and bitter or say something about my children’s father that I may regret, I ask myself a simple question: How do I want my children to remember me as a parent? While I understand that I cannot control everything and certainly will not be able to dictate how my kids think of me years from now, I can make personal choices now that may cause them to remember me with fondness and respect. It is easy to get caught up in the moment and say whatever comes to mind. Not to mention, we … Continue reading →

Memories Can be Made at the Strangest Times

My two daughters and I spent the better part of the day at our local Festival of Trees, and then did a little shopping and had lunch. It is strange now doing things with my nearly grown daughters since they are, well, nearly grown. We decided that since this had been the first time we’d done the Festival of Trees together in a couple years, we should commemorate it by buying an ornament for our tree. It took the bulk of our outing time trying to find and agree on the perfect ornament… It is strange how some of the … Continue reading →

Should You Keep Items from an Ex?

Through our dating years we collect all types of things from our mates. You may have love letters, gifts, movie tickets, cards, and more. These types of things are often saved as memorabilia from your relationship. So what happens to all of those things after your relationship is over and you marry someone else? Sometimes those things are kept. Often times they are thrown away. Should you keep items from your ex relationships after you are married? I think that it greatly depends on the nature of what you are keeping and how your spouse feels about the ex boyfriend … Continue reading →

The Positive Side of Creative Memories

After all of the negative complaints I offered that seem to be common amongst non-Creative Memories scrapbookers, I thought it only fair that I share the positives of the company. It all started in 1987 when Rhonda Andersen met a group of ladies and was surprised to learn that they kept their pictures in shoe boxes and not in albums like she did. A late night call to Cheryl Lightle sparked a new business and the first consultant signed in July of that year. To read more of the story visit here. The company started out simple and has expanded … Continue reading →

What is the Deal With Creative Memories (3)?

There are huge debates everywhere about Creative Memories. Message Boards are always a huge source of negativity surrounding anything that is CM related, and the CM advocates usually come out in full force as well. But to dispel any of the myths or give credit to any of the facts, one must first understand what the complaints are/were to begin with. In the first two articles I have presented two common complaints. With this article, I will present the last common complaint I hear. Probably one of the most often debated complaints, has been that of the contraband. If you … Continue reading →

What is the Deal with Creative Memories? (2)

Scrapbooking has been around a long time, which is what I discussed in the first article in this series. Creative Memories has been around since 1987 and while having thousands of devoted followers, equally has thousands of people that really dislike the name. So what is the big deal with Creative Memories anyway? Aside from their claim that they invented scrapbooking, there have been other problems with the products, and consultants from day one. This is not to say that I dislike Creative Memories at all. I am only relaying what the problems others have faced are. I do not … Continue reading →

What is the Deal with Creative Memories (1)?

So what is the big deal about Creative Memories and why does everyone always seem to be asking about it all over the Internet and on Scrapbooking Message Boards? I will try to explain in a totally general way. First, Creative Memories is a home-business selling scrapbooking supplies. They are, I believe, the first company to actually offer a home based scrapbooking business. This is important to realize because it comes into play later when we discuss what the big deal is. As a leader in the scrapbooking home-based business, one of the draws to creative memories is the fact … Continue reading →

Remembering The Memories

When I am teaching journaling classes, I am often asked, how I go about remembering the memories I’ve created. It really is not difficult. With any amount of time that goes by, you are sure to forget details and not remember something you might wish you had. There are a few things to help you along. First, if you hear something funny or that you wish to remember, write it down. On a napkin, or a piece of paper, or whatever you happen to have around. The actual act of writing it down, can sometimes etch it into your brain … Continue reading →

Favorite Toys

I’m feeling nostalgic today. My oldest recently moved downstairs to the guest room. In the process of moving his things, a lot of his old toys got boxed up. Some we saved and some got boxed to give away. He’s thirteen so he doesn’t need his talking Arthur, his stuffed Pooh Bears or many other toys. Boxing up the toys made me sad, and made me miss the little boy who carried that Pooh bear everywhere. A week later my sister-in-law forwarded an email to me called “If You Were a Little Girl in the 70’s”. It showed all kinds … Continue reading →