Vacations and Sports

Do you think of vacations or team sports as “extras” that you work hard to provide for your family or “essentials” that are simply a way of life? Either way it makes sense to preserve memories of such times so you have reminders that live on forever. Here area few vacation and sport-related suggestions.

Vacation Riches
Most of you see vacations as a valuable investment in family. Yes, they take time away from work. Yes, they’re something you save for months to do. But the experiences shared are priceless parts of growing together as a family. So why let the memories disappear? Document your vacation. With our template selection and your Club HM membership, it’s easy. Studio gives you a wealth of memory-keeping options: here are some of our favorites.



Popular Destinations
If you just got back from Disneyland or Yellowstone Park, you’re in luck. Many storybook designs are available in the Template Gallery for these two popular vacation destinations. We recommend “Magical Memories Vacation Book” by Kari Pieratt, an 11.5 x 8.5 storybook, template 64095 for your Disney vacation or the “Yellowstone Travel Book” by Michelle Bedard, a 12 x 12 storybook, template 64611.



All Purpose Vacation Books
Whether the vacation you want to record involves sand, surf or cityscapes, these two 8 x 8 storybook templates work for just about any topic and are easy to customize. “Vacation Album” by Pam MacPhee, template 55353, is a cleanly styled book with light touches of embellishment that would work for any vacation. “Ella's Birthday Trip“ by Michelle Bedard, template ID: 64606, features a Seattle family vacation but again is so versatile it could be used for any kind of family trip or holiday.





Vacation Activity Book
This unusual “Travel Journal” made by Brenda Kruse from an 8.5 x 11 booklet is a project you make BEFORE the vacation. Template 64396, it helps the kids find and record noteworthy things during the trip. A wonderful way to focus them on their experiences, the journal ends up being a handwritten souvenir of what impressed them along the way. Make one for each youngster in the family before your next trip.

 



Vacation Pages
Put the term “vacation” in the Template Gallery search engine and you’ll find hundreds of templates. While many are storybooks, there is a rich offering of 12 x 12 pages to document smaller slices of trips and travel. Shown here are “Beach Pages” by Wendy Bailey, template 40326; “First Trip to Washington DC” by JesiOstrowsky, template 52033; “Ski Trip 4-Pages” by Ann Perry, template 57459 and “Our Travels - Page 1” by Darcie Toom, template 41998. If your vacation deserves a home of its own, many travel post-bound albums are also available. Enter “travel or “vacation” in the search engine with 12 x 12 post-bound albums selected and you’ll find an entire page of family travel albums to select from.

Inspired to make your once-in-a-lifetime vacation or annual family retreat live on forever? We hope so. You’ll be so glad you did. Get started today.

Sports
Finally find her shin pads? Your turn for team treats? Being a soccer mom or parent of a team player for any sport is lots of work for everyone, not just the child. But the lessons learned, the discipline and the camaraderie are valuable experiences that build strong children. Be sure to document these hard-earned life lessons. Here are some ideas to help showcase your favorite sports hero and his or her teammates.



12 x 12 Pages for the Scrapbook
If you already keep a scrapbook for your child, be sure to include some sports pages. “Sports Day” by Michelle Bedard, template 64530, was designed for more casual sports participation at an annual school sports event. The “Girls Basketball Spread” by Kimberly Keber, template 56117, celebrates a team championship and is a must for the winner’s scrapbook.



12 x 12 Pages for Display
Some 12 x 12 pages were made to include memorabilia. “HM Swim Team Ribbons” by Roxanne Buchholz, template 63474, could easily be adapted for any sport. It has two pages designed for wall display or scrapbook. Sports ribbons attach to special spaces on the page. Also by Roxanne “HM Soccer - Scrap Page,” template 20875, is a natural for the scrapbook or for framing. Similar pages are available for football, swimming, basketball, softball, volleyball and hockey.



Sports Books
To really commemorate your child’s sports year, make him or her a storybook. Books are available for karate, hockey, soccer, baseball, basketball, softball, volleyball, bowling, horseback riding, swimming, cheerleading and football. Each sport has offerings similar to the “HM Karate,” template 50003 or the “HM Cheerleading – Coach,” template 54861, shown here. They’re both 8 x 8 storybooks designed by Roxanne Buchholz.



Coordinated Collections
If you’re looking for gifts for team members or want to make a big splash in your child’s room, most of the items shown earlier have matching pieces. Enter your preferred sport in the Template Gallery’s search engine and find out what’s available. Shown here is an 11 x 14 poster “HM Hockey 11 X 14,” template 51778, and an example of our lanyard template (not shown in proportion to the poster) “HM Tennis Lanyard,” template 44075. The lanyard is made from a 5 x 7 Invitation and fits into a 3.5 x 5.5 vertical badge holder available online at many sporting goods stores on online at www.namebadgeproductions.com. Both were designed by Roxanne Buchholz.

Whether it’s sports or vacations, if it’s worth your family’s time, it’s almost certainly worth revisiting later. Extend the impact and value of these activities by making the memories live on through Heritage Makers products.

Rebecca Brooks
Heritage Makers
Personal Publishing Consultant

Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com
http://www.OurPhotoStories.com

August's Featured Projects: 12 x 12 Storybooks & Flip/Swatch Books

Here at Heritage Makers, we have a wealth of storybooking options. For milestone, special occasion or end-of-year books, choose 12 x 12 storybooks with their room-to-write, spacious pages and luxury gift appeal. But for times when something purse packable is a better fit, opt for smaller swatch and flip books. Luckily for us, it’s the perfect time to try either as both products are 10% off during the month of August. Let’s start with a look at 12 x 12s.

The 12 x 12 Baby Book
To celebrate a cherished child’s first year, make him or her a precious keepsake book. "Baby Boy's 1st Year" template 62683 and "Baby Girl's 1st Year" template 62660 are both by Lynda Angelastro and tell baby’s story from birth to first birthday.




Event of a Lifetime
A 12 x 12 makes a perfect bridal book. Easily change Jill Means’ template 32431 “Love Story Wedding Album” to the wedding’s color scheme. It’s clean, contemporary and elegant and will look just as good 20 years from now as it does today. If your parents don’t have copies of each child’s wedding album, or putting them all out would weigh down the coffee table, consider template 37810 from Elisa Black. Called “Family Weddings,” this 12 x 12 storybook is a space-saving family treasure that captures the highlights of each family member’s wedding.





The Big Trip
Been on a big trip lately? Let the memories live forever by making a book about your vacation. “Disney Vacation” by Michelle Bedard, template 56352 turns the thrill of meeting Mickey Mouse into a memento to last a lifetime. And if a Yellowstone Park or wilderness adventure was the highlight of your family’s year, fill Roxanne Buchholz’s “The Great Outdoors,” template 14426,with those fantastic camping photos.





Year Books at their Very BestDocument your family’s year month-by-month with either of these two well organized and attractive yearbooks. “A Year in the Life - Family Yearbook,” template 50833, by Kelly Wolfer and “Family Annual,” template 50279, by Wendy Bailey each give you a spread for every month. Add more pages for special occasions or photo-filled events you want to commemorate.





Life Stories
When Grandpa, Mom or Aunt Alice have milestone birthdays, make them a 12 x 12 storybook to celebrate a life well lived. “Hats Off to You Grandpa Ben,” template 18428, and “Hats Off to You Aunt Alice,” template 18425, are two tributes you can give with pride to any family member.



Family Foundations
Storybooking an individual Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Hanukkah shows off a small slice of family life, but creating a single storybook about several years’ worth gives a stronger sense of family traditions. We call these broader looks at how your family celebrates a given event “foundation books.” Find birthday, wedding, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Halloween, Hanukkah and love story foundation books in the gallery by searching on “foundation.” Shown here are “A Butler Thanksgiving,” by Elisa Black, template 18305 and “How the Butlers Keep Christmas,” under the HM Signature Templates name, template 18310. Preserve your family’s special ways of spending time together with foundation books of your own.

Swatch and Flip Books
What’s the difference between swatch and flip books? Swatches are bound by a single corner grommet and designed to be read by first reading all front pages, then turning the book over and reading all back pages. Flip books have a double wire binding on the left side and are read page by page like any ordinary book. Both have protective clear covers front and back.



Vacation Mini BooksIf your daughter is still wearing her Mickey Mouse ears to bed, don’t fail to record memories of her Magic Kingdom visit in our “BASIC Disney Vacation ”template by Michelle Bell. The smaller square flip book format of template 58635 can be shown off at school or stowed under her pillow at night! Or record the highlights of your family’s summer in “Summer Adventures” by Michelle Bedard, template 39501. It’s also a square flip book.




Perfect Holiday Mementos
Our square swatch and flip books make perfect holiday or seasonal keepsakes. The “Fabulous Fall Flip Book” shown here by Kari Pieratt is a square flip book, template 62831, designed to show off colorful fall photos. The “Thanksgiving Blessing Book,” template 39767, by Tanja Rigby is also a square flip book, this one to record blessings declared by each family member around the Thanksgiving table.



Take Anywhere ABC BooksWhat could be more cherished by a toddler learning his or her ABCs than a book of beloved faces and places with an ABC theme? The two shown here are “Cousins ABC Flip Book” by Jill Means, template 41307 and “ABC Square Swatch” by Michelle Bell, template 28394; both square flip books.



Small Remembrances of Big Days
Perhaps you plan to make larger bound books and invitations of the wedding, baby’s naming day or other big family event. Add a smaller swatch or flip book to the mix. They’re perfect for bridesmaids or grandparents. Many, like Darcie Toom’s square swatch book “Blessed Wedding Swatch,” template 55622, are coordinated to match the other wedding pieces. “Baby Boy Flip,” template 47587 by Jill Means, is a square flip book to commemorate baby’s special day and coordinates with a matching invitation.



Sports Team Brag Books
“HM Softball Flip Book,” template 63465; and “HM Swimming Flip Book,” template 55638 are both square flip books by Roxanne Buchholz. Part of our full line of sports templates, square flip books are an inexpensive team memento available for basketball, volleyball, bowling, horseback riding, karate, football and hockey.

The Smaller Side of Flips and SwatchesWhile square flips and swatches are 5.75 x 5.75 inches, original size swatches and flips are 5.75 x 3.75 inches. This smaller size is fabulously portable and makes a purse or pocket-packable piece for an on-the-go gift. Here are a few of our favorites.



Sports Autograph Books
“HM Baseball Autograph Book,” template 38665; and “HM Basketball - Autograph Book,” template 37839 are both swatch books by Roxanne Buchholz designed for your favorite sports hero’s signature. In the smaller swatch book size, they can easily be packed in pocket or purse and work just as well for opposing team signatures.



Bitty Baby Books
“Sweet Safari Baby Girl” a swatch book, template 19846, by Lynda Angelastro is thrifty enough to use as a special birth announcement for each grandparent, as well as being a perfect brag book. “Sweet Little Boy” by Michelle Bell, template 44318, also makes an adorable show-and-tell for purse, pocket or desk.



Bag-sized Brag Books“Grandma's Lil Love Bugs” by Lynda Angelastro, swatch book, template 18078 and “Family Photos” by Julie Young, swatch book, template 25767 both have room for loads of family photos. The just-right gift for grandma or mom, each brag book has room for a few lines of journaling and photo titles.



Totable Tools
Swatch and flip books also make the perfect organizers. Check out the “2012 Crazy For You Calendar” by Sandra Dovre, flip book, template 64555. It’s a purse-sized calendar. “Birthday Reminder Book” by Lori Friars, flip book, template 61850 allows you to have that birthday list, with sizes, colors and likes close at hand when you’re shopping.

Large or Small: We Have the Template for You
Whether you’re looking for a gift or memento large or small, check out these featured products at Heritage Makers. Take advantage of your extra special savings with Club HM and publish in August when 12 x 12, flip and swatch books are an additional 10% off. We have templates for every occasion and whatever their size, these meaningful books are a sure to be hit.

Rebecca Brooks 940-453-9192
Heritage Makers
Personal Publishing Consultant

Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com
http://www.OurPhotoStories.com

Make it in moments: Sports Trading Cards

Sports Trading Cards are a fun way to show your team pride and you can make several sets in a few moments. Here’s how.

1. Select your sport. Trading cards are available for basketball, football, hockey, soccer, and softball. Choose softball if your sport is not available. It’s the easiest to change to another sport.

2. Swap out the photo on the back of the card. A team or group photo is recommended. Personalize with team name and colors.

3. Go to PAGE MANAGE and delete all or as many duplicate cards as you can, leaving only one of each.

4. Personalize a single card front by changing to your team colors, swapping out photo for one of your team members and changing the name and player’s position.

5. Go back to PAGE MANAGE and duplicate the newly personalized card so you have four or five, depending on how many play in your team sport.

6. While you are still in PAGE MANAGE, delete all but one each of any remaining not-yet-personalized cards.

7. Repeat STEP 4 until you have 4 or 5 of each of 10-12 different player cards.

8. Use remaining cards for coach cards or other volunteers.

9. Print 2 or 3 decks of cards as needed. Divide each deck up into 4 or 5 team sets and give sets as gifts.

10. Alternately, make several decks each featuring just three or four players, divide into single player sets and allow team members to “trade” cards with each other.

It's fun, it's fast and helps build team spirit!

Rebecca Brooks
Heritage Makers
Personal Publishing Consultant

Rebecca@OurPhotoStories.com
http://www.OurPhotoStories.com