Having a blog is a wonderful way to document the ongoing events and memories in daily life and it comes in very handy later on when you are ready to recap those experiences on a scrapbook page. I’m a big believer in blogging and I have some tips to share if you are just getting started. I have been posting entries on my own blog at scrapbookladypages.com for more than six years now, I run a toy blog, and I’m also a contributing writer at thedailydigi.com, so you might be surprised to find out that I maintain another blog just for my family. Even though I share plenty of personal information in my public writing, there are many reasons why I believe in keeping a more private blog for our family to enjoy.
Supplies used on my blog are from The Lilypad collaborative kit “Wicked Smart."
Many blogging programs will allow you to password protect a blog if you want extra privacy. Even if you choose not to use a password, you can choose who you want to share the address with, but realize that anyone might be able to find the blog utilizing internet search options. Whether or not you have a password in place, take safety precautions and don’t post your home address or too much identifying information. Also, use care in posting pictures that might be embarrassing or information that would harm someone.
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I use a password-protected blog for family purposes because I like to use it as a travel log while we are on vacation. At the end of each day of a family trip, I take a few minutes to blog about what we did and add pictures. My parents love to see what we are experiencing and it gives us something fun to talk about with them. It’s also a great way to keep up on journaling that I will later use for scrapbook pages! I don’t like to announce on my public blog where we are traveling for safety reasons, so the privacy of posting just for family gives me plenty of freedom to document life as its happening. |
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On my Scrapbook Lady blog, I don’t share pictures of neighbors, friends and extended family members unless I have their permission. I don’t worry about this on my family blog because the pictures won’t be made public, they are just for our personal enjoyment. It’s important to respect the privacy of others. Also, there are some memories that are more personal. I prefer to keep our religious activities and political views within the family realm. I’m also careful to not embarrass my children by blogging about all of their experiences where the entire world can read them. Family videos are also reserved for close family since they are the ones who will usually enjoy them the most anyway. |
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Perhaps my favorite reason for keeping a family blog is so that I can freely express my feelings of love and gratitude for them. I brag about my children’s accomplishments, I share my husband’s successes and I express my hopes and dreams for the future. I have made it a tradition to do special posts on each family member’s birthday where I share past photos of them and talk about my fondest memories with them. This is far more meaningful than any material gift I could give them! |
I truly believe that anyone can keep a personal blog and that the people in your life will be very grateful for the time you take to share your precious memories with them. I was thrilled when my own parents decided to start their own blogs a few years ago. Their posts are treasures to me!
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Katie Nelson (aka “Katie the Scrapbook Lady”) has been sharing her passion for memories for more than six years at scrapbookladypages.com. She is also a contributing writer at The Daily Digi and co-host of The Digi Show podcast. |
Katie……love your blogs and amazed at how much work you do with all of them. I have a blog but do not keep it faithfully, I will keep trying! You are so inspiring, thanks a bunch!
Katie – have quite a few posts in my drafts since I can’t publish them publicly! I may have to think about a family blog too.
Thanks so much for sharing!