life story binders

i'm the mom so that means i'm also the family historian. and it just makes sense for me to be the historian because, if left up to the mister, our family history would be tucked away between the driver's seat and center console of his car. 

i have TONS of random papers, report cards, particularly awesome school work, certificates, etc. that i've collected since isaiah started preschool when he was two. i've always just stuffed them into a folder in my file cabinet as they came through the door. but i'm starting to find that his folder is bursting at the seams and i've been thinking for a while now about how i can compile it all. 

i love to scrapbook, but that method of compilation is just not sensible nor practical. i'm a perfectionist when it comes to my crafting, so i've never even attempted to start a scrapbook or baby book for the kids because i just know it would never get done and i'd fall farther and farther behind. i don't have the time to sit scrapbook anymore.

i recently found an idea on pinterest for a life story binder. it's basically just a binder with a ton of sheet protectors and you just slip in all the papers that you want to hang onto. i've even seen it made with one binder per school year, which makes sense, but that would be way too many binders after four kids. i decided to just start a binder for each child and see how many years i can fit into a binder. 

i put isaiah's together this morning in about 30 minutes. i loved that. time is money, people. well, i guess not really since i don't make any money...but whatever.

i had fun and got a bit nostalgic while going through isaiah's papers and art. this kid has lived A LOT of life in just a short seven years. i can't wait to see what the future has in store for him.

his kindergarten "all about me" poster is tucked into the front cover. 

yes, i know the binder is pink. but i work with what i have on hand, friends. i wasn't going to go out and buy a new binder when i have a perfectly good {pink} binder sitting in my garage.

preschool photos.

preschool graduation photos and program.

kindergarten. i saved one of his homework packets and wasn't sure why at the time. now, i'm glad i did.

random art and crafts from kinder. 

awards and ribbons.

sports.

more sports.

and because life and grade school is not all rainbows and butterflies, i even saved one of those "notes home". 

i also started a life story binder for mikey.

and liam! that turtle is the first image he ever tried to color.

i'm happy i thought to save so many of these little things. and now i will surely continue to do so for all of my boys. childhood is fleeting. and soon enough, it will be over. these memory binders will be all we have to hold onto and remember their childhoods with. i hope that one day, when the boys get older, we can look through these books and they will see what a wholesome life we tried our very best to give them. and even though we are nowhere close to perfect parents and they will only remember how mean we were for not letting them go to their friend's house after school, we did everything we possibly could for them and loved them with all of our hearts.

WHAT? you scrapbook?

Yeah...I never would have believed it, either! But, gone are the days that I don't have time to do things outside of the realm of work and home...so I had to find SOME way to occupy myself. And, let me tell you, scrapbooking has done the trick. Sadly said, I am now guilty of overspending at Michael's and Joann's instead of Macy's and Nordie's! LOL Who woulda thought that day would come?? When Shawn and I get into arguments about who spends more on what...his vice is still all his manly (said sarcastically) boxing and cycling stuff. But now, he says to me, "well, you spend on scrapbooking!" I can't help but laugh to myself thinking...'that sounds ridiculous!' LOL But, it has become my therapy, allowing me to work without thinking, per say, and just DOING. Not to mention, letting my creative juices flow!!!

But, I can't take all the credit! My beautiful scrapbooks were made from kits designed and compiled by one of my super creative and talented mommy friends. You can visit her etsy site here, though it doesn't seem like she's updated for a while now. She supplies everything you need to get the basic design going and you just take the stuff and run with it....This helps for me because I am not creative by nature, but I'm working on it!

And since I love Starbucks, this coffee break book is my favorite of my faves. The one on the left (err, top, because I couldn't get the pic to rotate) is my rendition and the one on the right (bottom) is that of my friend, Stephanie. The details are awesome: each page is a folded up Sbux pastry bag, the front on mine is a Sbux gift card holder, and the hanging Sbux logo is from the frap cups! I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!

I also love how one of those cards for filing index cards slips out of each bag, giving room for journaling. How freakin cute is that?This is my "smile out loud" book, which is the same deal, made with a kit designed by Jill. And lastly, but of course not leastly, is a book that Isaiah and I are working on for Shawn. He is the backbone of this family, but doesn't get nearly enough credit for everything he is and does. This book is actually already done, as far as cropping and gluing. I just need to add the pics, but I'm being extra picky choosing which ones to put in it; I just want it to be PERFECT. I'm excited to see the end product.