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.

I remember her in a wheelchair, fully dressed every day, in that big apron with the pockets on the underside where she kept her snacks and her .32 pistol. When I was three or four years old, she was my babysitter while my mother was at work. She was also my protector when I misbehaved.

Had I seen these leather-bound books before? Five of them, each with “A Line A Day” embossed in gold on the cover? I must have during at least one of the four packing/unpacking sessions of my parents’ recent downsizings. But, I don’t remember them at all.

“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.

“So, Jiffy, how do I work with you and Pixorium?”

Someone asked me that question recently. Someone I was sure knew the answer. Wow.

If he didn’t know, then I had explaining to do!

“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.

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

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.

During big gatherings, grandparents can often fade into the background. To keep the conversation going as a group and share the moment as a family, consider asking some questions about the family history.

Why should you put preserving and sharing old pictures and family stories at the top of your “to do” list?