Why I LOVE Scrapbooking

Think about a special photo you have. Maybe it is with family or friends or could be a solo picture of someone very important to you, maybe a reminder of a trip you took. When you look at that photo there is a 95% chance that it is going to fill you up with all the good feels. Why would you not want to spend time reminiscing about all those good times? Why would you not want to keep all those positive, cup filling moments in a special place where you and your family can look at them over and over again? For me, it is all about those memories and keeping them close to my heart and my kids.

As anyone who knows me well can tell you, I do not have a good memory. I will not remember your birthday, I will not remember where you live, I will not remember the details from some amazing party we went to 2 years ago... I wish I did, but guess what, the photos help. If I take a picture, it reminds me of the events of what happened and the more often I look at them the longer I remember it for. The photos my mom has in her albums make me feel like I remember, even though I know it is not a memory, it is simply a photo that has allowed me to feel like I know part of the history that happened.

I want to make sure that my children also remember all the cool things we did when they were little. Looking back, wow... we did do a lot of stuff. A variety of things, no single event may stand out, but when you see the whole thing in its entirety it helps me feel good about my role as their mom - we did a good job with a lot of things! My daughter often grabs the albums and looks through with friends and although her brother doesn't necessarily go to the albums on his own, he almost always has a comment about a photo when he does look in them. Devin is like me, he doesn't remember the details as much as Jasmine does, so it is fun to hear her retell the stories and he has the visual photo to go with it.

So yes we have the actual memories and that is the key reason I wanted to do it in the first place and keep taking photos, but the community I have gained from scrapbooking is monumental. One of my very dearest friends, Linda, has come to me from scrapbooking. She first came to a class because her friend Amy thought she would enjoy it. Was Amy ever right. Linda and I have been in each other's lives for 20 years now and I cannot imagine what life would have been like without her sage parenting advice. She has kept me grounded and going more times than she will ever know.

Scrapbooking has also made me closer to friends I already had like my friend Pam. We went to university together and started scrapbooking at the same time pretty much, but with all the 12 hour days of scrapbooking we have pulled off, how could we not get to know each other better. Plus I think her kids are in like half of my photos and vice versa - lol! Scrapbooking has also brought friends back into my life. After 15 years of parenting and chauffeuring children around, we haven't been able to scrapbook. Now that I am an empty nester I had time to start again and most of my friends are coming to the same place. This has allowed dear friends like Sandi to come back into my life. We have stayed "friends" on Facebook and during Covid we helped each other online a few times, but now we have been able to rekindle things and I realize how much I have missed her.

Being a demonstrator for a home business, 20 years ago Stampin' Up! and now Creative Memories, has opened new doors for me as well. Yes, I get a commission so the money helps pay for my scrapbooking habit which takes away a bit of the guilt of spending - ha, ha! And yes, it makes me feel good because I get recognition for the good things I do from my downline and her larger network - like last week, I was in the top 5 sales in all of Canada - that feels good. Now I also have a downline who I get to mentor and help build her business - can you say teacher? It is what I live to do in some capacity, help others learn about something I am passionate about. I have met an incredible amount of capable and successful women through advisor workshops and continue to be inspired to achieve and set goals for myself. Did I tell you that I achieved the "wild card" spot for the trip to Jamaica? I have a 1 in 20 chance of winning 3 days from all the work I did and I set that goal with the help of my upline, Trish at the beginning of the year.

My heart was full after I spent the day with this group of amazing ladies at Croptoberfest. We laughed, learned, shared and preserved our memories- it truly was a great time

AND after all of that, one of my greatest loves is the actual moments with all "the girls" in my basement when I see them make a page that they love or share a memory they are proud of or teach another club member how to do something I previously taught them... it simply brings me all the feels and fills my cup with joy! I helped create something that is bringing memories, joy, community, learning to other people and it is a wonderful feeling.

What do you do that brings you joy? Where do you feel successful? Where do you feel you are part of a community? What photo brings you delight every time you see it? Share in the comments, I would love to hear your answers.

All the photos in this gallery are brought to you by my life as a scrapbooker. Look at all those people and smiles. I love it!