Giveaway!! My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software

I haven’t posted all week for a very good reason.  I can’t stop playing with this scrapbooking software!  Lol!  What’s more fun than smiling over your kids’ baby pictures?  Let me tell you!  It’s  FINALLY putting those memories into a book! 

My oldest son has a beautiful scrapbook.  My middle son has a shoebox full of photos.  And my youngest son has nothing but computer files.  The sad thing is, I HAVE all the supplies to actually make a ton of scrapbooks.  I just can’t find the time or motivation to drag everything out.  Tell me I’m not alone!?

Anyway, when My Memories asked me to review their newest software, I couldn’t resist.  Since I already have digital photos on file for child number three, I decided to jump right in and create his baby book.

One of my favorite features of the program is something called autofill.  It allows you to select from a number of ready-made theme-based templates, pick out what photos you want to use from a browser window, and then click autofill. 

In seconds, it nestles your pictures in the pages of a beautiful book, ready to print!  (Insert the sound of Angels singing here.)  I kid you not!  It can be that easy.

I say can be, because if you are like me, you won’t be able to resist playing around with each page.  Which is a great way to get a feel for the amazing amount of things this scrapbooking software can do! 

For example, this is one of the pages in the template I chose…

(I took a screen shot of a recreated empty page, because I didn’t think about doing that before I started changing things.)  Anyway, it soon became this…

And eventually became this…Lol!

 

As you can see, it looks nothing like the original page!  Every single item on each page can be altered, replaced and rearranged in countless ways. 

Can you say compulsive-creative-adjustment disorder?  Lol! 

I’ve got it!  Even now, I’m looking at the page above and thinking…I wonder if a darker blue for the background would make things “pop” more? Or what if I used burgundy buttons instead of green flowers?

Help!!!  Lol!

These are all pages from my son’s baby book which I played around with.

I seriously cannot imagine going back to physical scrapbooking.  You really need to try it out yourself to see how easy it is!

The best thing is, everything you need (and so much more) is included with the software.  You can make calendars, photo books, etc., even add audio and video hotspots to them.  And that’s just a tip of the ice burg.

You can save them as simple jpegs and print them out yourself, or have them printed wherever you like.  Here is a spreadsheet of printing prices if you have them printed through My Memories.  I didn’t think the prices were bad at all, especially considering how much scrapbooking materials can cost!

Of course My Memories has tons of other template packs on their site you can download—many of them for free.  But I could use this software as-is for years and never need another thing! 

My only complaint was that it maxed out my processor fairly often.  Which doesn’t make the changes go as quickly as I want to make them!

Wouldn’t you love to give it a try?  YES???  Wonderful!  You are in luck!

My Memories is giving one of my lucky readers their very own copy of My Memories Suite V3, the latest and greatest version of their software.  :)

To Enter:

First entry, (mandatory, at their request) visit the My Memories website and come back and leave a comment telling us your favorite scrap kit.

Then, for Extra Entries: (these are optional)
• Like My Memories on Facebook and tell them you want to win the giveaway at Raise Them Up.
• Follow My Memories on Twitter.
• Blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway. Each can be done once daily.
• Follow my blog.  Seriously, come join us!  I have the sweetest readers you could ever want to meet!

Leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.  Make sure I have a way to contact you! You must enter before midnight, Friday, February 17, 2012.  A winner will be posted Monday, February 20, 2012.

Even if you don’t win, or you don’t want to wait for the contest to end, you can use coupon code STMMMS17380 right now to get $10 off the software, My Memories Suite version 3.  (This IS my referral link, and I am told I’ll receive a small reward each time the code is used.)  I’m not big on things like this, because I don’t write reviews or anything on my blog to make money.  However, I do like the software, and since they are willing to give my (wonderful) readers a discount with the code, I’m including it. 

* * *

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of the software to review.  However, I always give my honest opinions.  :)

Creative Teenager Versus Determined Raccoons

I’m sorry to bore you with another critter post, but this cracked me up.

If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know that we live in the country with deer, possums, coyotes and raccoons. 

Well, it would seem that a family of ill-mannered raccoons have moved into the space beneath one of our sheds.  Again.  Or maybe this new set of pests is related to the rascals we dealt with last year.

Whatever the case, they found our trash cans unsecured over Christmas and they have been ripping into them like clockwork ever since.  They even know when it’s trash day and take their appetite to the curb. It’s INCREDIBLY frustrating.  Especially for my oldest son who often has to clean it up. 

Highly motivated to catch the culprits, he has been setting the trap almost every night.  He uses peanut butter, peanuts, marshmallows, cat food, fish leftovers—you name it!!  You would THINK that any one of these snacks would be irresistible!   However, the crazy little things totally ignore the trap.  Instead, they single-mindedly go for the mystery-treasures in the triple-bungeed trash cans.

Lately, my son has been hiding the cans to try to throw them off.

But all to no avail. 

The raccoons find them every time.

Picking up trash in the yard has remained a daily chore

Until this morning. 

As I pulled out of the garage, I had to laugh at my son’s creative new hiding place!

How long do you think the trash will stay safe here?  …And I wonder what my son plans to do with the other THREE cans as we fill them, lol!  Gotta love his creativity!  :)

Hey, just a heads up.  I’m working on a pretty cool giveaway for later in the week.  If you love to scrapbook, wish you had time to scrapbook, or even if you hate to scrapbook, you will LOVE this giveaway!!! 

Driving In Pea Soup

Several schools had delays because of the fog this morning.  But oddly enough, ours did not.  This is what our bus stop looked like.

Isn’t it creepy looking?

Once we parked, we had to put the windows down so we could listen for the diesel engine of the bus.  It was eerie to hear the traffic on the highway,  but not see a thing!

We all had fun waiting for it to appear out of the grayness!

Three families I know are facing futures which are shrouded just as completely as the road above.  Only for them, it’s not much fun.  One father found himself jobless last month.  The other two see the writing on the wall. 

It’s a scary place to be.  Unlike my carload of kids, who knew what was coming through the fog, these fathers and mothers have no idea what if anything will appear. 

Will they find another job before the money runs out?  Will they be able to keep their house?  Where will they be this time next year, and how will it affect the children?  It’s hard to face the unknown.

We’re praying for these friends.  Praying they have a clear sense of God’s leading through the grayness.  Praying for wisdom as they seek new opportunities.  And praying for God’s peace to settle their fears until He reveals His plan.

“…For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.  Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Luke 12:6-7

Join me today in praying for the many families just like them across our struggling country!

For those of you wondering…Praise God for little blessings!  Our new internet service is up and running!

Woe! It’s not Frosted Glass?

I used to consider my kitchen one of the cleanest rooms in my house. 

Then my boys got some remote control helicopters and discovered their mom doesn’t clean the high places.

They started having contests to see who could blow the most “stuff”  off hanging lights and ceiling fans as they hovered their machines just above them.   

Killjoy that I am, and tired of covering my coffee cup, I set up a no-fly zone and had my husband bring in the eight foot ladder.

I started with the light hanging over our Kitchen table, figuring it was the least dirty.  And do you know what I discovered?  It’s NOT frosted glass!!  SERIOUSLY?? 

I’ve been living here for eight years and always thought it was frosted glass.  Oh my goodness!  I obviously don’t look at this light very closely!   We gathered around and then started cracking up.

How could I have missed this for so long???  For the record, every once in a blue moon, I do swipe at hanging things I can reach with my cleaning wand!

The funny thing is, I had started looking at light fixtures to replace it with because it didn’t throw much light!  Ha!  Problem solved!  WE NOW HAVE LIGHT!  Lol!  I like cheap fixes!

From there, my bucket and I made our way through the house to see what other embarrassing things we could find.  

Please tell me a story that will make me feel better, would you?  Lol!

Our Internet Update:  Tomorrow, the internet service we’ve had for the last three years will be terminated.  We have someone scheduled to come at noon to install equipment for our new service.  We’re hoping it goes smoothly!!! 

I See Normal Through The Tunnel!

I’m alone in a quiet house for the first time in over a week.  And no one needs me urgently.  In fact, no one needs me--  PERIOD.  (Sigh)  It’s a heady feeling.

After a week of cleaning up vomit and worse, my close-enough-to-healthy boy went back to school today.  The laundry is caught up.  The bathrooms are disinfected.  The house is (kind of) in order.  And the floors are (pretty much) vacuumed. 

So what should I do?

I’ve thought about locking the doors, lol!  (And don’t tell me you wouldn’t be tempted if you had a week like I did!!) 

But I’m being a big girl about it. 

I’m going to hem a pair of pants that have been sitting on my desk for a month. 

I’m going to eat a great big salad with lots of cheese and hardboiled egg on top. 

Then, I think I’ll pick an ebook that looks good and actually start it! 

And I’m going to do my best to approach the phone each time it rings withOUT fearing it might be the school nurse calling.  On second thought, that’s probably too much to ask.  How ‘bout let’s say I’ll answer the phone in spite of the fear? 

And later, I’ll pop some chicken in the oven for dinner believing that each member of my family will come home tonight with a healthy appetite—and be totally free from fevers, bugs and toothaches.

Of course, going back to bed for an afternoon nap is another inviting option.  :)

Y-A-W-N.  What would you do? :)

The Bus Doesn’t Smell Like Mint?

My youngest son started with a stomach bug last Wednesday.    It was the kind of bug that hits hard and leaves mountains of laundry (and tired mommies) behind.

By Thursday afternoon, however, he seemed to be over it.  He was playing, eating and fighting with his brothers--just like normal.  And he really wanted to go to school on Friday. 

So I let him.

Thirty-five minutes after I said goodbye, the school secretary called to say he had gotten sick on the bus.

“Oh no!”  I groaned.  “I’ll be right over.” 

Visions of a seat-mate’s worst nightmare flashed through my mind.  I grabbed a garbage bag to put his soiled things in, and dug out his spare coat from the closet.  I briefly wondered if I should bring an extra outfit for the little boy he sits with. 

Guilty thoughts bounced around in my head as I drove.  I thought he was over this bug!  Poor little guy!  He must be a mess!  Not to mention embarrassed! I tried not to speed.

When I got to the office, the secretary directed me back to the clinic.

He was sitting alone on a cot inside the door.  His coat was still zipped.  His gloves were neatly paired beside him.  And his book bag sat on the floor by the trash can—which had obviously been pulled over in case he needed it.

“Hey buddy!  How are you feeling?”  I squatted down in front of him.  His eyes had new shadows beneath them.

“O.K.” he said.  “I threw up on the bus on-accident.”

The on-accident part made me smile.  “I heard.” 

I scanned his coat, jeans, shoes and gloves.  There was no sign of vomit anywhere.  After giving him a quick hug, I asked, “Where did you throw up?”

“I told you.  On the bus.”  The duh was implied.

“I know.  But I mean, I don’t see anything on you.  Where did it go?”

“I did get some on me, right here.”  My little neat freak pointed to a dot on the chest of his coat.  I almost giggled.  The dot was the size of a pea. 

“So you just threw up a little bit?”  Hope sprouted like the premature daffodils growing in my yard.  Maybe it hadn’t been as bad as I thought!

“No,” he said.  “I threw up a LOT.  There was a puddle on the floor this big.”  He stretched out his arms like he was singing the wide part of Deep And Wide.  And the hope began to wilt.  

“Awe, kiddo, I’m sorry.  You want to tell me about it?”

“Well, I started feeling sick after I got on the bus.  So I leaned against the window and tried to get some sleep. Then a little (vomit) came in my mouth like this,” he convulsed like a cat with a hairball.  “I tried to hold it in.  But then a whole bunch just started coming up.  And I leaned over like this.”  He leaned down with his head almost between his legs to show me. 

When he came up, I scrutinized his pant legs and shoes again.  “But I don’t see anything on your pants or shoes.”  I said, amazed.

“I know.  Isn’t that great?”  There was definitely pride in his voice.

“Yeah, kiddo.  That’s amazing!  You are like--the neatest up-chucker ever!  And you didn’t get anything on your friend?”  I had to ask.

“Nope.  Just on the floor.”  His pale little face was just short of smiling.  I let go of the breath I was apparently holding.

“Were you by the window or on the isle?”  I asked as I stood back up.  I was still trying to imagine the scene.  Assess the damage.  Get a sense for how upset the bus driver would be with me for sending a sick child to school.

“I was by the window.  That was a good thing, too, mom.  You know why?”  He didn’t wait for an answer.  “Because then no body had to step in it as they walked up the isle to get off the bus.”

He had a gross--but good, mind you--point. 

I picked up his gloves and book bag, signed him out of school, and walked him out to the car.

“So, what did your bus driver do?” I stretched to see his face in my rearview mirror.

“She stopped the bus right in the middle of the road.  Then she came back and poured this minty-smelling stuff on it.  And then she walked real slowly back up the isle.”

“Did she move you to the front?”

“Nope.  But she said I could get off first when we got to school.”

Lol!  I bet she did!

*  *  *

That afternoon my older two, who ride the same bus but at different times, came in the door complaining about how bad the bus smelled.

“You mean, it didn’t smell like mint?” I asked.

“Mint??  NO mom.  The bus driver said some little kid puked in the back of the bus this morning.  The whole thing stunk!!!” 

“Really?” I said, and winked at my little guy.  That sounds bad.  :)

DVD Winner!

Congratulations to Brook of Living the Life of a Frugal Trophy Wife!  You have won a copy of the DVD A Mile In His Shoes!  I hope you and your family enjoy it!