We’re in that Spring and early Summer mania – school year endings, graduations and weddings, summer camps and vacations. We’re too busy for another thing in our 24!

Hey, I know BUT I boldly suggest these three simple habits. No extra time – just smart use of it:

Many of us inherit a family recipe collection. What an opportunity! Your recipe collection is a great way to save and share favorite family recipes with family stories and photos. Like these books created by our clients, Liz and Anita.

Your legacy is now definitely digital -- Apple, Facebook and Google, to name only a few. What happens to your data when you die? Who will have access after you’re gone?

Scanning photos and memorabilia – I’ve said alot about it over the years. Spurred on by the contents of a client’s Samsonite suitcase, I thought I’d answer the seven most common scanning questions. But first, the story.

Help! My photos are taking over my phone! I scroll and scroll in Photos and I can’t find the one I’m looking for. Plus, I’m running out of storage space.

“Legacy” is following me. I see it everywhere – in emails, conversations, podcasts, articles. And legacy is not being at all sneaky, but making itself known at every turn.

“Help me find my story. I’m not sure I have one.” Yes, you do. They’re hard to see in your own life. I often hear, “Really, what have I done? I’ve just lived my life.”

“Help me tell my story in a book that’s loved, not just sitting on a shelf collecting dust.” Sure thing! A loved book always has your reader top-of-mind. A loved book is intentional in all aspects – what you say, how you say it, how it looks, how it feels.

I love dogs. And, I love to have at least one dog in my family. As of this writing, I’ve had seven in my adulthood, often two (and once three!) at a time. No question – I am a dog person. It’s part of my family story.

Can I scan my photos on my printer? Short answer is yes, but should you?

What is DPI? What is PPI? Are DPI and PPI the same? If you’re confused by image size terminology, that’s no surprise. These terms from pre-digital image days are still used to describe our digital image world.

Ordering personalized photo gifts online doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it should be one of your go-to gifts every year. Anyone can give a new skillet, cashmere sweater, or tea pot—anyone. The most special gift you can give are creative gifts with photos.

Disaster struck and you weren’t prepared: your photos have been damaged by water.

Whether there was a flood, a leak, or a burst pipe, it is possible to salvage water-damaged photos, with just a bit of effort.

Most printed photographs, photographic negatives, and color slides can be cleaned, air-dried and saved in just a few steps.

Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, New Year’s: These are the times that families get together and tell stories. But conversations with family members can sometimes stay on a superficial level; it can take a few storytelling, memory-sharing, history prompts for family members to get to the good stuff.

This is Part Two of a behind-the-scenes look at my making of a photo book to celebrate 17 years of Maine summer vacations with dear friends. Quick recap of part one: How I chose the story.

A photo story is more than just photos in an album, digital or otherwise. It’s more than just a photo book, though a photo book can be used to tell a photo story.

A wet photo emergency is the terrible moment when you discover that your photos have been damaged by flooding, a leak, a burst pipe, or spilled coffee. You are freaking out and you also need to figure out how to save wet photos from being totally ruined.

You only want to scan your photos once, so do it well. Here’s what I think you should know about cost, digital files, scanning options and choosing a scanning company.

Your photos may be stored safely in plastic bins in zip-top bags (or maybe they aren’t, in which case, read this post about how to safely store your pictures in three steps), but you might still be overwhelmed by all your family photos.

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to celebrate family coming together and spending quality time together.