Week in the Life 2014

Welcome, December. You are quite possibly my favorite month of the year.

Today begins December Daily, an annual practice I've come to love, in which I snap at least one photo a day from now until December 25th. 

It's all about documenting the stories of my life leading up to Christmas.

Today, Brian, Noah and I unpacked all of our Christmas decorations, and I had so much fun flipping through my previous December Daily albums, reminiscing and laughing and reflecting and "awwing" at how little Noah was (in 2012 & 2013).   

Usually by now, I have a December Daily album started, but not this year.

The good news is that I've ordered bits and pieces from Simple Stories' Snapbooking Christmas Cozy line, and I'm super excited to bring it all together later on in the month. (Simple Stories also has a December Daily kit available in case you're interested.)

Before I embark on my December Daily, though, I want to share my Week in the Life album.

In this album, I used Simple Stories' SN@P everyday collection, which I serendipitously discovered at Michael's recently.

Seriously, it was love at first sight. 

I was drooling over the bright colors, the hearts, the stripes, the polka dots, and the chevron patterns. They are SO me.  And of course, the camera graphics are awesome, too.  

SN@Pbooking is similar to using Project Life, but on a much smaller scale. You buy the divided page protectors (they come in a variety of sizes), stuff them full of photos + journaling cards + ephemera, and place them in an album.

Scrapbooking simplified. #totallyrad 

Here's a look at my Week in the Life 2014 album:

I learned a really quick and easy way to create a 4x6 layout that includes (1) 4x4 photo and (2) 2x2 photos without using Photoshop.  

Using the PicFrame app (which costs 99 cents), I was able to quickly create 4x6 layouts, fill them with photos from my camera roll, save them to my iPhone, and then upload them to Costco's website for printing. 

(If you need step-by-step instructions, check out this awesome tutorial!)

This process was so much faster than PS, and I loved that I could do it all on my smartphone.   

 As you can see, I kept the journaling pages super simple. I didn't want to spend extra time decorating them; for me, it's all about the words.

About one-third of the photos were taken with my Canon 5D (examples: the four 4x4 photos above) and two-thirds with my iPhone 5S.

 I adore that "winking" photo of Noah.

That jack-o-lantern photo above is just screaming for some word art down the left side. Definitely want to add that in and reprint.  

Again, a super simple journaling page with lots of words.  I used the "some days" prompt to include a look at our daily activities.

 Celebrating Halloween with two toddlers: In a word, magical.


I wrote this letter to Zoey (above) detailing the happenings of her birthday party (since she won't remember it), and I'm also planning to print out this blog post and slip it into the album.   

Another week in my life lived and documented.  Feels good.

My Thoughts on Week in the Life 2014

"For what is joy if it goes unrecorded, and what is love if it is not shared."

This quote from last season's final episode of Call the Midwife really resonated with me. So much so, that I paused the DVR, jumped off the treadmill, grabbed a pen and paper, replayed the scene, and jotted it down word for word. I then reread it out loud and thought, Yes, yes, yes!  

I didn't have a clue what I'd do with the quote, but I loved it.  It articulated two things I wholeheartedly believe: 1) That documenting life matters; and 2) That loving others is one of the main reasons we are here on this earth. 

It seemed fitting to share these words today because this coming Monday, I will be recording my joys and loves during Week in the Life, a 7-day documentary project started by one of my favorite scrapbooking gurus, Ali Edwards.
 
If you've been reading my blog for a year or more, you know that this is not my first rodeo. I participated in this project in 2013, 2011, and 2010.

I love looking back at the photos + words from those weeks, reminiscing about what life was like back then, and taking note of all that has changed from then to now. 

This year, though, with everything we have going on, I considered not taking part. But after looking through the photos + words from past years, I've decided to do it. Why? Because I think it's important to document what life looks like for us right now.

No matter how crazy it is.

How imperfect it is.

It's our reality.

It's our story.

And the great thing about this project is that I can make it anything I want it to be. I can choose to make it as big or as small as I want.

This is the attitude I've adopted this year: Something is better than nothing. I'd rather take a handful of photos and scrawl down a few words than have zero photos and no words at the end of the week.

With that said, in an effort not to get overwhelmed, I'm going to focus strictly on shooting and writing next week and leave the rest (the photo processing and blog posts and possible album making) for future weeks (okay, more like months since the holidays are fast approaching).

Here's my game plan:

1. Shoot every day--with both my iPhone 5S and my Canon 5D Mark III.

2. Post at least one photo each day on Instagram. #weekinthelife #weekinthelife2014

3. Jot down some of my thoughts; they can be related (or unrelated) to the photos.

4. Hand the camera over to Brian, so I will be in some of the photos, too. (First, I need to show him how to use back button focusing.) 

Here are my ideas for possible photos:

• A pair of Noah's and Zoey's shoes

• Their favorite toys

• Their potty chairs

• Most requested bedtime books

• Bath time (take the shot sitting on the floor)

• Music Together fun

• Costumes (shots taken during the day for better lighting)

• Zoey and her mom

• Pumpkin carving (with Brian)

• Kids gazing at the jack-o-lanterns in pitch black (may need tripod)

• Baking the pumpkin seeds

• Just Brian and me

I'm sure I'll think of more ideas when I begin shooting with my Canon 5D. I'm pumped to capture our daily routines from behind the lens. To detail on paper the little things happening in our lives. To slow down a little bit and take stock of all that I have--all that I am grateful for.
 
In the meantime, I'll be charging up my camera's batteries and gathering up some paper and a few pens. 

Who's with me? Will you be participating in WITL this year? For more information, check out this post by Ali Edwards.

Happy documenting,

Week in the Life 2013 | Sunday

On Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, we camped at Bodega Dunes.  It was our first time camping as a family near the Pacific Ocean, so naturally I took a ton of photos, both with my iPhone and DSLR. 

What follows is a look at Sunday's words + photos.  (I'm also planning to write a blog post about our adventures on Monday, but that probably won't happen until next week.)  


Sleeping in the truck on the way to Bodega Bay.  It took us almost four hours to get to the campground because of traffic from a car accident, a detour around a burning van, and a gas stop.  Noah didn't fall asleep until 4:15 pm, which was 3 hours and 45 minutes into our trip.  While Noah didn't sleep much in the truck, he did sleep pretty well that night, which was a huge blessing.  

 

Playing with cars in the trailer.

Watching daddy cook hamburgers.  (Brian did an awesome job planning and cooking nearly all of the meals!)   


 Exploring the sand dunes.


Walking.  Running.  Smiling.  (I don't know why, but in this particular photo, Noah looks so tall, so big, so toddler boyish.)

 
Saying "hi" to daddy in the campsite.




















Taking a night ride in the truck.   

Getting ready for bed.  "Nigh-nigh" as Noah says.

A big thanks to all of you who have come along with me on this Week in the Life documentary project.

Last week, I saw this sign (pictured below) in a local shop and immediately thought, That's what Week in the Life is to me. 

It's about slowing down a little.  It's about looking around at the people and activities and things surrounding me, and making a conscious choice to document them through photography and words.  It's about carving out time to think about what I'm happy with in my life.  It's about having the courage to consider what I'm not so happy with.  It's about being grateful for it all. 

I can't wait to participate again next year!

     

Week in the Life 2013 | Saturday

Hello again!

Here's a look at our Saturday in photos + words.

 
Waiting at the door for daddy.  {Lucy: almost 10; Noah: 20 months; Rudy: almost 8}

Taking my vitamins.     

 Packing for our upcoming camping trip. 

Looking forward to trying out this product, Sand-Off!  (Thanks for recommending this, Tina!)

Hanging my apple wreath on the front door.


Saying "No, thank you" and "Run, Noah, run" and "Good job" and "Boo" to Noah.

Hearing Noah say "No" and "I know" and "Owl" and "Elmo."

 Cheering on the Notre Dame football team.

Washing my face with this Avon cleanser.  I started using it about six months ago and I'm really pleased.  It's a great product, especially for a thirty-something like me who still gets breakouts. Did I mention it's only $5.49?  And you can order it directly through Avon's website.        

We're heading out on a short camping trip this afternoon, so look for my Sunday photos + words later on in the week. 

Week in the Life 2013 | Friday

I stayed up quite late on Thursday night editing photos and posting them to my blog, so by early afternoon yesterday, I found myself super sleepy. 

Thankfully, Noah took a good nap (2.5 hours), so I was able to sneak in a little shuteye, too.

Turns out, my hubby did the same thing, but at the fire station (they had a rough night with lots of calls).

Here's a look at my Friday photos + words:

Singing "Good morning to you" to my Noah Bear while he sits in his crib.  (I really wish Noah's eyes were in focus, but I just loved this shot too much not to include it here.) 

 Reading books while waiting for mommy to make breakfast.


Playing at the park.  And interviewing a second candidate for the babysitter position.  {iPhone pic} 


Heading home from the park.  That's Noah in the mirror on the left hand side.  {iPhone pic}


 Blending (windows part way down, air on) in the car.  {iPhone pic}   

 Peek-a-booing in the front yard.

Munching on Sun Chips. 

 Pointing to the gnome's nose and saying "n-o-o-o-se."

Shopping for a second compact flash card for my Nikon D700.

 
Checking on the growing persimmons (which won't be ready until winter) and throwing rocks into the creek. 

What were your favorite moments today? 

Week in the Life 2013 | Thursday

Happy Friday, everyone!

I'm still plugging away at Week in the Life and having fun.

Here's a look at my Thursday photos + words. 

Coloring.


Reading three children's magazines that I'd like to write for...one day.

Dusting.


Studying the vacuum.  Noah is fascinated by it when it's off, but when it's on, he runs in the opposite direction.  Smile.


Chatting with my sister, Katie.  Can't believe she's getting married in six weeks!  {Photo taken in September 2012.}

Listening to Pandora radio.  Right now, I'm loving songs by Philip Phillips.  He sounds so much like Dave Matthews.  

Welcoming our babysitter, Marilyn.  


Figuring out how to buckle his belt, all by himself, followed by "yays!" and clapping from Brian and me.  Let's hope Noah doesn't learn how to undo it anytime soon.  

 
Tickling with daddy. (Generally, I stick with the same group of RadLab filters when editing, but with this photo, I went wild.  It's certainly a different look, but I'm digging it.)  


Buying these Snoopy pumpkin push-ins for my Peanuts-loving grandpa.  CVS also had Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Pooh Bear push-ins, so I may be going back for another set for Noah.    

Folding laundry.


Watching four turkeys meander around on our property. 

Viewing before and after photographs on MCP's new site, Show and Tell.