Submitted by Candace May

I went to the mail box yesterday and was surprised to see… not one… but four Heritage Makers cards! Two of the cards were to congratulate me on a new baby boy, one card was for my upcoming birthday, and one was addressed to my 2-year-old from her grandma! I just loved receiving these custom-made cards! They were sent with a lot of thoughtfulness and care.

I always use Heritage Makers for all my thank-you, congratulations, birthday etc. cards. But to receive the cards was an eye-opener. They made me realize how wonderful our Heritage Makers card service is. 

On January 1^st I made a New Year’s resolutions to send my dad a Heritage Makers card every month. I wanted to help him feel connected to me and my little family. My dad doesn’t have an email account and he has no clue how to blog or twitter, so a card in the mail is perfect. Sometimes I use a photo from our past, when I was a little girl, and sometimes I use a photo from a recent family event. I write a little update message in the card and hit “direct ship.” Then presto, the card gets on its way! The cost is wonderfully inexpensive, less than purchasing a generic card at the store and mailing it. 

If you haven’t experienced “direct ship” and the wonders of Heritage Makers greeting cards, I challenge you to give it a try. Wait until you feel the little prompting that says, “She could really use a boost” or “I haven’t talked to _____ for a long time.” Then go into your Heritage Studio and make a card to delight the recipient. You will be glad you did and, like me, you might just get addicted.

Storybook Corner

Summertime just wouldn’t be the same without some fun adventures. This year, with the ever-looming economy and busy schedules, we decided to do something a little different. Instead of a big and grand vacation, I created a “Summer O’ Fun” list. This list included fun, inexpensive, and close adventures we could take as a family.

Most of our adventures took us to places we see everyday, but really don’t pay attention to. We traveled to the Icelander monument in the town next to us, went to the lake, supported local minor league baseball teams, created our own 4th of July firework celebration, and took many, many trips to the beautiful canyons to roast hot dogs and s’mores. It’s been such a fun summer! In fact, my five-year-old nephew told me this is the most fun he’s ever had. With his stamp of approval, I consider Summer O’ Fun a success.

But all of these adventures would be in vain if I didn’t record and document for our future generations. That’s where Heritage Makes comes in. I created some fun and festive 12×12 scrap pages to document our adventures. After a peek in the Template Gallery, I found many beautiful templates that would work perfectly for my little project. I got the templates, uploaded my pictures, and in less than an hour I had pages for three of our summer adventures.

I had so much fun creating the scrap pages that I plan to create a storybook at the end of the summer to give to my family as Christmas gifts.

Summer O’ Fun 2009 has been so much fun that I’m positive this…along with Heritage Makers…will become a yearly tradition.

Storybook Corner

Submitted by: Heidi Arave

Do you have a family reunion this summer? Here are some great ideas of fun things you can do at your family reunion to strengthen your family’s heritage!

1. Family Treasures Card game: This is a fun family game that has a playing board (laminated poster) that goes with it. To view the instructions click here.

2. I AM a Heritage Maker Activity Book: This is a great way for your kids and their cousins to get to know their heritage in a fun activity book.

3. Personalized Card Deck: Does your family like to play card games? Create your own custom deck of cards with pictures of grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. There are lots of templates to choose from in the gallery (rook, old maid, go fish, face cards, etc.)

4. FAMILY LAND: This fun game is just like Candy Land, but with your family name and the family activities you enjoy doing together. It will keep the kids entertained for hours! Also, it has a deck of cards to go with it.

5. Family Cookbook: If you have time before the reunion, have family members send you a favorite recipe and a picture. Put together a family cookbook. Take the cookbook to the reunion and if family members would like a copy, you can take orders. If you don’t have time to put it together before the reunion, have your family bring their picture and favorite recipe to the reunion. Then put the cookbook together later.

6. BINGO: Create your own Bingo cards with pictures of grandparents and other relatives. This is a great way for the young kids to learn the names of their great grandparents.

Make and Take:

Do you need fun craft ideas? Here are some that are simple, fun, and affordable!

Special Memories Box: This is a great way to keep all your favorite cards, notes, letters, etc. all in one place. This is made using 2 12×12 pages and a 7 inch craft box ($2 at Walmart).

Family Clock: Super easy and a great addition to your home. This is made using 1 8×8 page and a 9 inch clock ($4 at Walmart).

Blocks: Create your blocks to say whatever you want. Does your reunion have a theme? If so make a block per family or per kid with the theme or family motto. 1 12×12 page will make 5 blocks. Cut a 2×4 into 7 inch blocks.

Tiles: Create a tile with a picture of an ancestor or of grandma and grandpa that includes one of their favorite sayings. 1 12×12 page can make 4 tiles. Get 4 6×6 tiles at Home Depot or any home improvement store.

Scanning: If you have a scanner, offer scanning services to clients in your area who will be attending reunions. Have them ask each family member to bring the pictures they have of great grandma, great grandpa, etc. (The pictures don’t leave their sight). You can scan everyone’s pictures while at the reunion and then everyone gets a copy of everyone’s pictures. It’s a win, win for everyone!

Storybook Corner

Submitted by: Candace May

A new consultant named Kelly said to me recently, “Ever since you told me about Heritage Makers I just feel sad reading my kids storybooks at bedtime.” She went on to explain, “As I read about princesses and such, I think to myself how they should be hearing the stories of their grandparents. I can’t wait to get those books written.”

Kelly’s words inspired me. Tonight I told my girls they could pick a storybook out of the basket in their room. But after that story we would get to read a storybook about daddy’s grandma and mommy’s grandma. We finished the cute book about monsters and delved into the books on their great-grandmothers. First, we let Gabi (age 2) point to her grandpa’s photo and we explained that this story was about grandpa’s mommy. And she pointed out the image of “Emma” and declared proudly, “This is my poppa’s mommy.”

I only read the part in the book about when Emma was young-how her family couldn’t afford toys and how they played with bones left over from boiling in the soup pot. The long bones were fences and the short bones were the pigs and horse. The children learned about what life was like 90 years ago.

Then we read about my grandmother’s childhood. When I wrote the book, years ago, I did not intend for it to be so funny; but it was. It really showed my grandmother’s humor and zest for life. For example, my grandma liked to play a game when she was little called “Uncle Apley Come Pack a Woo Woo Home.” That alone made Ryleigh (age eight) laugh so hard I thought she was going to have an accident.

Once Ryleigh got control of herself we read the next story that sent her into fits of laughter again. Ryleigh Ruth was named after this amazing, fun-loving woman. I wonder how Ryleigh felt when I tucked her into bed tonight. I think she had that special “tucked in feeling” that comes from the magic of reading and sharing Heritage Makers storybooks.

Happy storybooking everyone!

Storybook Corner

Submitted by: Candace May

I met a wonderful new friend at a Regionals training in Calgary, Alberta. Her name is Linda Kutchall and she lives in a small town in Saskatchewan. She is also an owner of a scrapbook store and a mother of three daughters. She admits to being a scrapbook addict from the time her first child was born some 10 years ago. But I soon learned that as much as Linda loves scrapbooking, she calls “storybooking” the next generation of scrapbooking, with the onslaught of digital cameras, photo enhancements and a generation that is more likely to preserve history like never before!

Linda chose Heritage Makers because the unbelievable creative component we offer is what she was seeking. Linda got busy creating her own family storybooks, and the more she used the system the more she loved it. Now Linda shares the magic of “storybooking” with her large client base.

Here are some reasons why Linda is now a storybooking addict (in her own words):

1. No mess! I could, within minutes, cover an entire table with papers, embellishments, glue, pens, pictures, and still not have everything I need to complete the perfect page. I can now sit on my couch with my laptop, while my kids watch a movie, and create all I want.

2. No need to go back through the years of scrapbook pages to fill in the story gaps I left because I didn’t want to handwrite the story and the computer wasn’t handy. Journaling is just as fun as the rest of it now!

3. No more trips to the photo store to resize, recolor, or reprint pictures. I can do it all with the mouse. What took 3-5 pages of scrapbooking can now fit into 1 or 2 page layouts!

4. All-inclusive pricing. The cost of Premier account includes all the embellishments, alphabets, paper, etc. that I will ever need. No need to stock up on flowers, ribbon and the like. A lot less waste. And it’s cheaper in the long run!

5. I don’t get bored. I could get bored quite quickly with a computer program that doesn’t change, or that is one dimensional that you can’t learn anything new from. I love the tutorials in Heritage Makers and the opportunities to learn new techniques and features. It keeps me hooked!

6. I can fill gaps in my traditional scrapbook with digital pictures from Heritage Makers. I can drag and drop into a template those events that perhaps didn’t warrant a little extra time to scrap. I can do a page in 8 minutes with this and it looks fab!

7. It warms my heart to make a book for my mother of her grand-daughters. It warms my heart to know that my children will have a sense of history in a storybook that will last a lifetime.

Linda, you had me at #1: No mess!

I want to thank you for your inspiring words and for carrying on the storybooking movement in your corner of the world. You are making a difference one storybook at a time!

Storybook Corner

Are you looking for something fun to do this weekend? Why not create greeting cards! In just a couple of hours, you could have your entire year’s worth of birthday, holiday, and “any time” cards all finished. Plus, with Heritage Makers, you can have completely customizable greeting cards.

Gather some friends together, browse the Heritage Makers Template Gallery for some fun templates, swap ideas, and create some beautiful cards! You’ll have a great time bonding with your kids, creating memories with your girlfriends, and getting organized for the rest of the year. Think of how great it will be when grandma’s birthday rolls around and you’ve already got an adorable card created for her. Gather your neighbors, call your friends together…don’t forget the chocolate…and start making cards!

Storybook Corner, Storybooking

Submitted by: Lisa Nelson

Growing up, I had a special relationship with my Uncle Brian. Many people had a special relationship with him; he was the type of person who made you feel like you were his best friend. He had a belly laugh that was more like a giggle than a laugh, and it would go on and on. He was the biggest fan at our basketball games, cheering louder than all the others, telling us to shoot more, telling the referees to think a bit more about the call and keeping his own set of stats at each game. He was our farm’s most dedicated employee, even though he insisted on taking his lunch break during Days of Our Lives. He was the best with phone messages because not only did he take the message, he reminded you to call them back until you did. Many people have great memories of my uncle Brian.

Brian also had Down’s Syndrome.

When he passed away, the entire family gathered in his hospital room while he was dying, and though he was basically unresponsive, we wanted to be there.  When I arrived, he woke up, gave me the biggest smile, which let me know he was waiting for me and was glad I arrived, then went back to sleep.  To this day, that is the best smile I have ever received.  

At Brian’s funeral, some of the comments made by friends and family were:

“I am so proud to have him as my uncle.”

“Brian was a true friend to me, and I am a better person because of Brian.”

“The world would be a better place if we were all a little bit more like Brian.”

Because his life impacted us all so much and we had such fun memories, at his funeral each of his eight nieces and nephews gave a short tribute to him.  We took those tributes and put them in a Heritage Makers book.

A few years ago, I was traveling home from a business trip and my discussion with the lady sitting beside me turned to Brian.  I happened to have his book with me in my carry-on bag, and when I showed her the book she said, “Oh, I’m sure he loved it!”  That phrase has always stayed with me, because if anyone would have loved a book written entirely about him, with all the funny stories and memories, it would have been Brian.  She’s right, he would have loved it.  Sadly, we didn’t think to write it until after he passed away. 

This was a lesson to me, and should be to all of us.  May we take the time now, before it’s too late, to let our loved ones know we love them, why we love them, and that their lives are important to us, while they are with us, so they can enjoy it as well. Whether it’s a tribute or help to someone to write their life story…whatever format we choose to write…the book is something that says, “Your life was significant, and we want your life to be remembered for generations to come.” 

I’m excited for the day when my children start telling people stories about “Our Great Uncle Brian.”

Storybook Corner

Submitted by: Heidi Arave

What does it mean to have a Heritage Home? I used to think it was just displaying fun Heritage Makers products in my home, but I recently realized it is much more than that. A couple weeks ago I was interviewed by Jeanette Bennett for the Celebrating Women magazine and she asked me a really great question, one that I hadn’t really thought about. She asked me, “What do you want your children to remember about living in this house?” After thinking about it, I realized that the reason I put pictures of them on their bedroom walls with positive quotes and sayings is because I want them to grow up believing in themselves and knowing that they are the stars of my life. I also want them to feel a sense of belonging and know without a doubt that they are loved.

What we have is so powerful! We can connect our children to their grandparents and great grandparents by displaying posters, family folds, storybooks, and other great Heritage Makers products in our homes where they can see them daily and be reminded of where they come from. We can also build our children’s self esteem by displaying 12×12 pages, posters, etc. around the house, reminding them of their talents, abilities and dreams.

I hope this month we make it a priority to fill our home with heritage. Make at least one product that will help strengthen your family heritage… and then add to it every month.

Storybook Corner

Submitted by: Sharon Murdoch 

While on the recent Heritage Makers cruise in the Caribbean with Candy (my daughter and author of the first storybook), we had a chance to get to know Lisa Klipfel, an HM director from California.  It didn’t take us long to realize that we had more than one common interest.  Sitting at the counter of a very popular restaurant, Johnny Rocket, we began to share, laugh and plan together to see how many different ways we could integrate the idea of story to enhance the self-esteem of high risk teenagers, children and adults with medical and developmental disabilities, and individuals with mental health issues.

Candy and I shared with Lisa the story of my grandson, Teague, who at six years of age fought a rare form of cancer for some eight months in the Seattle Children’s Hospital. During that time he was very despondent to visitors as everyone, including the medical staff, asked the same question of the little guy:  “How are you today?”  We understand that it is nearly impossible to ignite a conversation with a sick child, so we searched for many different venues to help Teague feel important and needed.  Candy and I returned to what we know best: story and its ability to create real heroes.

With the help of his mother, Teague created his own storybook about a robot who survived cancer and broke free of all his medical lines.  When visitors arrived, his storybook was the first thing seen upon entering his room.  Interestingly enough, the conversations began with:  “Are you the author of this book?  Can I read your story?  Are you going to write a sequel?”  Teague was happy; we all were happy as we saw another real hero emerge from the pages of his book.

I was excited to learn that Lisa has been a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California for 10 years.  I found her words below to be an excellent inclusion in workshops and HM conversations to help others realize what the power of a story can do.The power of story is so much more than we realize.  When a parent or caregiver takes the time to sit and read to their child, the nurturing time creates important bonding. Bonding is essential for a child’s development, and parent child bonding increases a child’s security, confidence, self esteem, and independence.  Reading to children gives them your undivided attention, elevates their importance, helps them build listening skills and expands their attention.  Now imagine that the book of choice was a real life story-
a story of heroes, of love within the child’s own family.  How riveting for a child. Because the story is about him, his family, and his roots, the story is internalized at a deeper level and the family bonding will be even stronger.  Cornerstone books are like a dose of prevention.  I encourage every parent and caregiver to write a cornerstone book, as the long standing positive effects for their children can be seen in the power of story.

I am going to continue working with Lisa to see how we can reach this unique group of individuals and families. We welcome your thoughts and ideas. I would love to hear about your experiences with story, real heroes and building self esteem for individuals and family.  Please send me your thoughts to sharon@storybookingheritage.com so I might share them with others.

Storybook Corner

Submitted by: Candace May 

My favorite song on the radio right now is one called, “Like Johnny and June”. It is about the love story of the famous Johnny Cash and his wife June….

Here are a few lines form the song…

And when there gonna be no tears to cry,

Only memories of our lives,

They’ll remember, remember

A love like that.

One of the things I really love about Heritage Makers is that we can all celebrate a love like Johnny and June. We all have someone with “a love like that” in our family.

My grandparents had a love like that.

My parents had one.

And I like to think of my relationship with my husband that way as well.

I once made my husband a canvas poster that says “I would rather have a tent and a crust of bread with you than be queen of all the world.”

It is my greatest hope that my children find a love like ours as well. It’s not a love full of worldly possessions…it’s a love that is comfortable, happy, secure, and passionate. This is one of the reasons I wrote mine and my husband’s love story…so my children can have a bed time story that indeed ends in “happily ever after…” What better way to teach them about love?

I have the most darling friend from college. She and her husband were our very first couple friends. We experienced those poor married student days together…scraping enough money together for Chinese take out, etc. We also experienced first babies together. Sadly, this sweet couple’s marriage ended in a divorce. As their children grew up and experienced the life so many children experience growing up in a divorced home, I mentioned to her that she should STILL write her love story. Is there any reason not to? Didn’t they fall in love, deeply and madly in love? Did they not have a wonderful courtship? Did he not get on one knee and pop the question? Did they not have a fairytale wedding? Did they not become parents together, a time of complete joy? Yes they did and just because the ending wasn’t perfect, it is still a beautiful love story! In my opinion it is a love story that needs to be told for the benefit of their two beautiful boys, ages 8 and 10 now.

So this Valentine’s Day I will not seek for roses or chocolates, but it is my gift to help my friend write her love story for her two sons so they might know of their parent’s love and someday hope to have “a love like that…”

Storybook Corner