I did a tiny bit of Christmas shopping today, if you can call it that.
I made iPhoto calendars for the coming year. I can’t believe I put it off until today. They won’t get here in time to put under the … er … nothing … but I should be able to send my mother-in-law and parents home with one.
I also finished up and ordered the photo albums from this summer’s family reunion. My mother-in-law treasures them and I like to give one to my sister-in-law as a thank you for hosting the giant clan yet again.
I don’t consider it so gift giving as being a family historian. Someone has to make those albums.
My dear friend Elizabeth told me about her wonderful tradition. Her husband has a gigantic extended family (six siblings!) so her tradition is to make photo album from the year. It is opened on Christmas morning and everyone looks through the book together.
I used to make three or four albums a year but that got very expensive. Each one is about $100 and while cheaper than buying a scrapbook and printing out each photo and pasting it in, it adds up. Especially when I print an extra one so each of my sons can have their own copies as adults.
I’ve kind of given it up as a result.
But one book for the entire year? That I can do. I’m going to crib Elizabeth’s idea.
Happy holidays, enjoy your family, friends, pets and loved ones.
My God! How did you get that Santa outfit onto TFC?
Elbow grease.