Year in Review Mini Tips and Tricks

Tips & Tricks:

• You don't have to include EVERY photo you took last year – just pick a few of your favorite (or perhaps one from each month)
• This is a year in review MINI – it doesn’t have to be huge and it doesn’t have to take a ton of time to make.  I have made ones that are big (like this year’s) and have took hours and hours to make and I have made ones that are tiny and took only an hour or two.  The mini I made in 2009 was a small paper book very similar to my “one sheet wonder” – need ideas of how to make simple minis?  Check out my tutorials (see link at top of this page).  File Folder minis or children board book minis would be great for this project too! 
• Try to include at least one photo of everyone who is important to you. Have 4 kids? Make sure to include all of them - don't leave a kid out! (ok so I don’t have kids but I guess that was probably an unnecessary tip haha) 

• Use the mini you make to help you determine what photos to focus on for the next year.  After you are finished with this book you will see gaps in the subjects you are choosing to photograph.  For me this year it was the month of December – yep I didn’t take a single photograph during December!!  How crazy is that?  Also I frequently see that I don’t take many pictures of myself or my husband.  My book this year was about 90% pictures of my nephew – which is ok because he’s adorable of course!  But maybe next year I will take a photo or two of someone else in my life!!
• Get others in on the action!  Have each of your children (or your husband) to create a page – include a photo of them and have them right down their favorite moments from the year. 
• Photo editing software is your friend!  I use Picasa – its free and super easy to use.  My favorite function of the software is that it allows me to create photo collages.  This is great for small (5x7 or 4x6 size books) – take only two photos and create a photo collage – have it printed at your local photo printer and now you have two photos for the price of one and the smaller sizes lets you include more photos in your book.
• Let your photos be a page!  Try gluing two 4x6 photos together and punching holes in them letting them be a page in your mini.  By gluing them together you create a quick and sturdy page.  I usually alternate between these and cardstock pages – it allows me to include more photos without feeling like I have to make more scrapbook “fancy” pages.   
• Most important - it's YOUR year in review.  Include the things that are important to you!!  

Possible things to include in your mini:

• Big Events - birthdays, holidays, graduation, family reunions - make sure to get this big moments from the year!
• Trips you have taken - that big trip you took to Disney last summer - make sure to include it!
• Pictures of you - make sure you include a picture of you - it is YOUR album after all!
• Everyday life - things that you did every day - places you go (the gym, school, etc) or daily rituals (morning coffee, nighttime story, etc) - maybe even write out a typical day in the life
• Things you liked/loved/were obsessed with:  have something you couldn't live without this year?  (starbucks coffee, ipad, American Idol) - make sure to document it!
• Places you frequented - In 2010 we spent Saturdays at the local Farmer's Market - I made sure to include it in my mini.
• Hobbies - include a picture of your craft room or other hobbies you have - or list them.  Enjoy a good book?  List out the books you read this year!
• News Headlines- this one is my favorite!  Include some of the big headlines from the news and pop culture for a fun look back later!
• Friends - they are a part of your life so remember to include them in your book.  Have a weekly coffee with your BFF or a monthly girls night out?  Make sure to include them.
• Picture of the place you live/town you live in - include a picture of your house or your town - you never know when you might move and it would be fun to remember where you were living at the time.

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