Digital Overload??? A Free Photobook and a Giveaway!

Last night I posted about the free bracket books you can get from My Memories Suite. Well, it turns out the digital goodness does not end there!

To go along with My Memories Suite being featured on the Mother's Day Special for Lifetime Television's Show the Balancing Act, they are offering a FREE Photobook! Wahoo! I have taken advantage of other free Photobook offers and they are so fun! I made my first one for Hunter when he was really little and he LOVED looking at all the pictures of himself. :) Anyway, you can get in on that action RIGHT HERE. Don't forget to use the code when printing your book: BK6FRE


AND did you know that they have a free digital kit on Facebook every week that you can download for FREE. :) Like them on Facebook here. I am such a fan of free. Are you? If so...


I also have one FREE copy of My Memories Suite Software to give away to one lucky reader. :)


It's a good software whether you're starting new, or do a lot of digital scrapbooking. I use it to make cards and pictures for Neil to take to work for his office. There are so many options with it. and I'll say it again, the layout is so convenient! I gave a better review last night, so instead of repeating myself, you can go read it here.


If you don't want to wait for the giveaway to take advantage of the FREE Photobook, you can purchase the software here. Use code: STMMMS96392 for $10 OFF Plus $10 Credit toward anything in their digital store.

Source: mymemories.com via Diane on Pinterest

They have some cute digital designs that you can get in their digital shop. You can see some of my favorites that I've pinned on my Pinterest board here.

Source: mymemories.com via Diane on Pinterest

Here's how to enter the giveaway:
all are optional but you must do at least one to be entered. :)

1. Go visit My Memories and tell me which is your favorite digital item from their store.
2. Follow my blog and leave a comment letting me know that you do.
3. Like My Memories on Facebook and come tell me that you do.

I'll pick a winner on Monday Aug 6th.

Some Digital Goodness

If you've been around my blog for a while you might have seen some of my dabbling in Digital Scrapbooking. (rolling my eyes. I'm horrible at it. lol.) But I do think it's fun! I really need to do something with all the pictures I take with my kiddos, and with three small ones there is no way I could ever do real scrapbooking and not have my paper and pictures end up all over the house. So digital it is!

One program I use is called My Memories. It's actually really cool. Way cheaper than Photoshop, and I REALLY like how it has all the customizing options on the side, as well as being able to have your folders open on the other side so you can easily add pictures without always having to have an "open" box covering your project. Basically, the layout is really nice.

See:

:) I think I'll print this out and give it to the man to put in his office at work.

Ok, enough for a sales pitch. Not really, I just like it and I'm telling you why. :) Anyway, onto the good stuff... Every few weeks they come out with some different free downloads that I can share with all of you. Sometimes I don't really like them, and sometimes I'm too lazy to blog about them, but this week they are actually REALLY cute! So... I am going to share them with you so you can go download them. You don't have to buy the program to use them. They are compatible with any software, though you can download them to use with this software.


This time around, the downloads are bracket books!

Kit 1:

http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_1

Kit 2:

 http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_2

Kit 3:

http://www.mymemories.com/store/share_the_memories_kit_3

These links are only good for 2 weeks (from Monday) and then they will be something else. Just so if you find this later and these aren't there, you'll know.

If you are interested... these can be downloaded right into the software and then you can customize them any way you want. Otherwise they are just a jpg that you can print and use, but you won't be able to manipulate them in a different program. SO, and this is an affiliate link and I will get benefits if you use this code, but if you want to buy the software, you can get $10 OFF plus $10 CREDIT to their digital store for more goodies IF you use this code at checkout: STMMMS96392


The software comes with tons of goodies already, so you never need to buy anything else if you don't want to. and if you want to know, it costs $39.97 at regular price.


Anyway, I have some good tips and tutorials for how to put these together, but I don't know if anyone is interested in that. If you are I can post them - so LET ME KNOW. Because otherwise I won't. :) And maybe I'll share some more goodies in a few weeks!  

All-righty then. I hope everyone is having a great week! 

Let me know if you do digital scrapbooking.

 I would love any tips on what works for you. 

I am creatively challenged when it comes to that. ;)

Our Story: Sunday Post {3.11.2012}: Reason 497 Why Parents Should Not Stay Up Late

To avoid napping longer than your little boys and waking up to Hunter sadly telling you, "Fishy went down the drain." :(,,,  oooh. How sad!!

You can read the rest of the story, as well as a few other moments to remember, here.

and my Sunday Scrapbooking:

this week I learned how to fill text with paper. (as well as add a border to the text - which I really wanted to learn how to do! score!) :)
I changed a few of the elements for the page... I guess it looks alright. Hopefully I'll get an eye for that as I learn all the photoshop techniques. I'm not expecting perfection just yet... still just learning. :)

Digital Scrapbooking Anyone??

I don't know if any of you are into digital scrapbooking, or perhaps you like to use the digital papers and embellishments for other things (cards, tags, art work, and all that good stuff)? If so, boy do I have a deal for you! :)

There is a site called rak scraps that has loads and loads of digital items and kits. There is also another site, My Memories, that has a great software program as well as plenty of digital items in their store. If you don't have photoshop, and don't want to pay the higher price for it, this software is actually pretty good! I really like how you can import everything into their nice, organized folders! (I like being organized!) Anyway, they have teamed up to give you a super deal!

First deal, you can buy the software - use code: "STMMMS96392" and Save $10! You will also receive a $10 credit toward items in their digital store. That's $20 savings!

When you receive your receipt for the software (make sure to use the code!) Forward that email to me, and I will email you a gift certificate for a ONE YEAR FREE membership for the RAKStar annual membership! 

What is the RAKStar membership?? It's a program where you get a free digital kit every month (full of papers (24), embellishments & an alphabet or word art collection) for free (when you join), plus there are loads of other bonuses, like $25 credit to their store, more digital kits, etc. The whole package is a $249 value. Or you can get the membership for $20 now (I don't know if that is a limited thing or not?)

Does this sound like an ad? Ok, it kind of is. But I'm only posting it because it's such a great deal!! ...if you are interested. If you're not, I'm sorry. :)

and I will be honest, I do have an affiliate account with My Memories (because I like their software. Although I do love Photoshop, there are those times that I like to use it over that. AND before I had photoshop I used it for cards and some scrapbooking (which I didn't do a lot of before) and other things all the time. just fyi.), so when you use my code, I do get a little bit of money too. The code doesn't ever expire. Basically what I'm saying is that if you want to give it a try, I'd love to save you some money, and since we're all BFF around here and like to help each other out, you can help me out too! :D That's all. 

So, if you're looking for a deal, this free membership deal is good on the software purchases ONLY until March 31st. 

the end.

p.s. Don't forget to go enter the Cash Envelope giveaway!! You've got until tomorrow night to enter &/or link up your wallet!! 

Our Story: Scrapbook Sunday {2/26/2012} ...or The Sunday Post

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
I made another Scrapbook Page! I'm going to try to keep this up along with a little family journaling every Sunday. :)

I am particicpating in Jessica Sprague's Photoshop Friday. Trying to learn some digital scrapbooking techniques, as well as spruce up my photoshop skills. :) This is my first week! So far so good! (It kind of bugs me that all the videos are in PSE, and that I have to search around for how to do it in the full version of Photoshop. (She does list the different approaches, so it's not so bad. But still.) Anyway, maybe it will help me remember it better... or not. We'll see. :)

You can read more about our life here. :)

Happy Sunday!

Life in all it's glory + Digital Scrapbooking?

For some reason when I'm in bed,  all ready to go sleep, I decide that I should do something else. Why? I mean it's not like I woke up at 6 am with crying kids, didn't get a nap, am sick sick after taking care of three other little sick one's, ...of wait. That's exactly why I should go to bed. Well, anyway, last night was one of those nights where I decided not to fall asleep. Instead I decided to try and tackle some of my 1,000+ posts in my google reader. (don't worry, I think I only read about 10.) :)

I came across this post: http://jonesdesigncompany.com/thoughts/on-being-a-mother-of-four/   from Jones Design Company. If you are a young mother with young children, or remember what it was like to have young children, or even if you don't have any children, you should read it. It made me cry. And it made me happy. Happy that I'm not the only one that feels like that. Whenever I visit her blog I get the picture of her being so put together and perfect and happy, and that dream family that everyone wants. So to hear that it's hard for her too just makes me take a deep sigh of relief. I of course don't rejoice in her hardship, nor does her post lessen my opinion of her in anyway. In fact it makes me think that she is even more amazing.

I have three very little one's (when the youngest was born, the oldest was 1 week shy of 3 yrs). And I won't hesitate to tell you that it is hard. I love love love it! But that doesn't mean it's easy, or that I always enjoy it. I, unlike some, don't brave the public with all of my children. :) I think Tuesday was the 2nd time I took all of the little one's to the grocery store by myself in 9 months (my youngest is 9 months old). Well, besides taking them to Walmart, which has double carts that I can strap everyone in at the same time. I don't mind strolling around the store with 3 screaming kids, but I would never brave a restaurant or anywhere where they weren't all trapped! ;) Did I ever tell you about the time I took them all to the post office? Mabes was in the car seat, Jacks running one way, Hunter another, a huge pkg. under my arm... I am NEVER doing that again. lol.

Anyway, it's getting easier. and I don't remember exactly why I am typing this. I guess just to say that, "I hear you!!! and Kuddos to you!!!" :)  meant in every good, loving, positive way! I hope that one day I will brave the outdoors with my wild bunch. heehee. I guess it's all part of the experience, right?! I'm grateful for good examples. :)

On another note... I decided to take on another project. lol. Yes, I give you permission to all roll your eyes at me. ;)

I am going to try my hand in Digital Scrapbooking! :) I am not a scrapbooker, and do not have one ounce of scrapbooking creativity in my body. But I'm determined to start doing something with all those fun pictures of my beautiful wee ones. They are too cute to not remember. ;) lol. I'll keep you updated on my progress. First I need to figure out a plan... so I can actually succeed at this.

Want to see my first attempt?!

Pretty amazing, eh?! lol.

(this picture was taken on Sunday. Can you believe this was the 1st real snowstorm??? crazy winter.)

 All I did was copy everything from the Digital Quick Start video at JessicaSprague.com (it was free). She is pretty good. :) I would love to take more classes from her. It was a little tricky as Photoshop is a bit different than Elements, as well as Mac from Windows (which I am thinking that she uses?) but with a few google searches for how-to's, I figured it out. :) I'm excited to try some more!  Stay tuned for some - what I'm sure will be quite interesting - digital adventures! :D