Some of our family members live far away – across the country, even across the world. We created a “family album” to remember the joy of simple moments we share when we are together.

I wanted this to be my 5-year-old’s book, based on his experiences, and the things important to him. Pop on over to Let’s Lasso the Moon today to hear about how we decided to honor the simple moments.

Below is a tutorial on how we made our album:

• List each family member. We included grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and great-grandparents.
• Identify experiences to highlight. I guided our discussion a bit on this, asking questions such as “what do we usually do for breakfast with Grandpa?” (eat bagels). Otherwise, the activity for every family member would be “build with LEGO pieces.”
• Select Pictures. I selected 5-10 per person to show my son. He made the final selection of which to print.
• Gather Supplies. We used card-stock, ribbon, photo-safe glue, and stickers to create our album.

Create the album:

1. Punch holes in the paper.
2. Lay out the pictures, glue them to the paper using photo-safe glue.
3. Write out the sentences for each person. We used simple words my early-reader either knows or will begin to recognize.
4. Decorate. We put each person’s name on the page using letter stickers, and scattered sparkly stars and smiley face stickers liberally throughout.
5. Bind the album by lacing ribbon or yarn through the holes. Be sure to allow enough give when you tie the ribbon so that the book can open without tearing.

Once your album is complete, place it in an accessible location. Ours sits on our coffee table, where we frequently page through it and share stories.

Do you use photograph to stay connected with loved ones? I would love to hear your ideas in the comments.

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About Carolyn Elbert
Carolyn can usually be found with a cup of tea or a camera in her hand.
She writes at The Pleasantest Thing. It is a site focused on play, laughter, and learning.

Join in their fun by connecting with Carolyn online:
Blog | Pinterest | Facebook | Google | Twitter

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Are you considering abandoning your project altogether (or maybe already have?)

We want you to know that you will not be booted out of our project for not having a full 365 photos. We promise.

Have you considered changing the scope of your goal? How about a weekly photo? A monthly photo? There are so many creative projects available and all are welcome in our group.

Consider one of these fun projects instead:

Project 52: 1 photo a week. Maybe have a different theme for each week or focus on one theme for the year.

• 52 weeks of thankfulness
• 52 weeks of joy
• 52 weeks of happy family moments

Once a Month: Try a series of 12 photos to capture your life throughout the year. What one photo could you capture that represents this month in your life?

• 12 self-portraits
• 12 candids of your kids
• 12 shots of the same nature spot in your yard
• 12 miniature love letters to your children

Periodic mini projects:

• 14 days of Love as a Valentine’s project (see the awesome Instagrams for people who’ve taken this on for themselves at #14DaysofLove)
• 30 days of silly faces from your kids
• 1 week of photos during a birthday week
• 1 day a month to document a “Day in the Life” of your family

The trick is in finding ways to make ordinary tasks you’ll be doing anyways fit in as photo subjects for you. This above photo was taken while my husband did our annual yard clean-up duties. Finding ways to fit photography into your busy life can work if you remember that your average day in and out is exactly what you’re trying to capture!

One of my favorite things about our Project 365 is seeing photos from all around the world. Traveling is something I did a ton of pre-baby and I’m so excited that my kids are finally big enough for us to start dipping our toes in the water together. Seeing your images from the places I’d love to visit only gets me more enthused to pack our bags and hit the road.

You might be interested in the following posts I’ve shared about travel in the last year:

• 10 Tips for Traveling Solo: Raise your hand if you’ve ever boarded a plane alone! Think your woman enough for the challenge?
• Gearing up for travel, 7 photography essentials: What’s in my camera bag on a trip?
• Our first southern adventure: Digging in and learning about our new home.
• Travel from your couch: For those of us without the time or budget, we can still daydream and explore!

And if you like that, stay tuned for more. Our family is ready to embark on some adventure in 2013 and I can’t wait to share it with you!

Nobody tells people who are beginners… Yeah, I’m not going to tell you either. Watch the video. I’ve literally watched this interview at least thirty times. This is the section that resonates with me. Do you feel this way about your creative project?

It has ambition to be good, but it’s not quite that good. But your taste, your taste is still killer. And your taste is good enough that you can tell that what you’re making is kind of a disappointment to you.

Do you look at other people photos in the Flick Group and then wish your photos could capture your child’s energy better?  Do you want to write a book or a blog, but don’t feel like you can compare to the other work that already is out there? Do you want to paint, knit, quilt, dance the ch-cha… but are too nervous to learn something new? Do I have to say it again? Watch the video.

Sometimes the first step is admitting, in public, that you have a creative goal. I was so honored when one of our community members shared her lifelong goal with us all on Facebook last month:

“I want to write a children’s book and get it published. I know it’s pretty much impossible to get one published unless you are a celebrity but I at least want to try. It’s something I’ve wanted since I was a little girl writing stories in my bedroom.”

That took courage, but you are strong, too. You are HERE. You are part of this group because your taste is killer. That is the first step my friends! Let’s work together to close that gap. Beginning is hard, you just have to fight your way through it.

What do you want to do this year? What do you want to learn?
Join the conversation on Facebook or let’s chat in the comments below.

PS: This video is based on an interview with Ira Glass on story telling. You can find the full version on YouTube.

What does love mean to you?

Join us as we kickstart capturing 14 Days of Love. How you approach this challenge is up to you. Find an image a day right up until Valentine’s or simply one powerful one that sums up your thoughts on matters of the heart.

You could use this as an opportunity to write your family a love letter in images. This year don’t tell them how loved they are, show them!

Love is all around us if we only dare to look for it. If you need a bit of inspiration, enjoy our contributions to the theme below or join the conversation here.

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Love is laughter.

Love is midnight cuddles with a sick baby.

Love is art.

Love is looking for the school bus to bring big sister home.

Love is a sunset.

Love is sharing room at the sink.

Love is a patient game of chess.

Love is one bowl of popcorn, two movie watchers.

Love is all around when you look for it.