I'm so confused about what to do with my scrapbooks... as far as organizing them. See, before kids (BK), I just kept them in albums by the year. Meaning, 2003, 2004 etc etc. When Porter was born, in 2006, he dominated 99% of my layouts so I just kept them in an album (err...actually 2). My 2006 album: really tiny. Porter's albums for 2006: overflowing.
I then thought I'd do this: Porter gets a "First Year" album (actually 2) and then after that all pages go into chronological albums... ie... by the year- 2007, 2008 etc.
Now, that would work fine, only we have another baby coming into the picture. So, I could do just a 1st year album for BBB#2 (that's Baby Boy Barczak #2... don't go thinking we named him B___ B____ Barczak LOL!), and then after his first year continue on the chronological ordering.
However.... during each of their first years, the "family/chronological" album dwindles... how do I separate what goes into the "family/chronological" album and what goes in just their first year album?
Then, I came up with idea #2, which is somewhat how Ryan thinks I should do it....
-Both boys get their own albums, in which all pages that relate to them go in there
-We have a family album that is for pages that document family gatherings/holidays etc
This would be a good idea, but then what about pages that have BOTH boys in the picture? What about pictures of the 4 of us... do the boys' albums just not have those pictures in it? Do I print doubles of family pics and do duplicate pages? What about holidays... the boys' albums would just not have holiday/family pics in it as those would go in the family album?
Ugh. I just don't know how to keep this all organized.
So, let me recap:
Idea #1: All albums are organized by year, all pictures go in corresponding year album. Each child will get a "First Year" album in which it includes layouts from their first year.
Cons: How do I decide what layouts during their first year to include in the family/year album so that the family/year album isn't void of that child's pictures during his first year?
Idea #2: Keep albums separated: Each child gets their own albums and the family gets another album.
Cons: How do I separate family layouts from kid layouts.... what if the layout includes pics of dad and Porter... does that constitute family or Porter book? What about pics with both boys? What about holidays... how do the boys' books not end up void of holiday/special event layouts?
I'm coming out of lurkdom to share! :) We now have three kids and I had the same problem! I put the family photos in albums according to the year. I also make each child an album, including pictures with their siblings and parents. I want them to have those memories when they get older. If that means that I print doubles and triples, then I do that. I would think that my kids would want a book with pictures of their family, rather than a book full of pictures of just themselves.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, your layouts are beautiful! I'm sure your boys will treasure an album, no matter how decide to make it!
no matter what way you decide to do it (by year or by child/family) you could always make a similar page for the albums you want that event/holiday in - so it's not exactly the same, but it is documented in each? if i was going to do it, i would probably do a yearly album, but have each child have their 'first year' album. once that year is done, then you're back to just your main album to document everything in.
ReplyDeletegood luck figuring it out!
I like the first idea the best. It seems like it would be the easiest to organize. I am so far behind on my scrapbooks! I'm actually fixing to sell ALL of my scrapbook stuff in a yard sale and just start keeping picture albums. So many of my pictures are on my computer, so it was so much work to print them, etc.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you're keeping up with yours! Go you!
Hmmm... I seem to remember writing about this exact same dilemma just a year or two ago...
ReplyDeleteI pretty much decided (although I haven't gotten any further on the printing and "paging" pictures since then) to do each a first year and combine after that. I'll scrap each of the kids' first year (or first year in our family for those that might be adopted) and I do a scrapbook each year of "our marriage" with highlights, vacations, milestones and major things like that for each year of our marriage that mainly focuses on the two of us and the family as a whole. Then I also do a scrapbook for the Christmas holiday stuff and other than that, the family pictures and older kid pics I just stick in albums chronologically with mainly just a bit of journaling, not much full-on scrapping. If I scrapped all our pics, I'd go nuts and we'd need a whole room with just shelves for scrapbook albums. Scary!
Oh, I forgot: each kid also has a birthday book... A few pages for each birthday with lists of things they like/are into at that age, pics of whatever we did (bowling, party, etc), people who were there and I also shove in the birthday cards. So then they'll have a complete book that's easy to look back on changes from year to year and keep their birthday memories.
ReplyDeleteI think either way will work out ok whatever you decide! I just thought i would chirp in though about how do you put together pics together. In both of my kids scrapbooks they just have added pages of the two of them together and I love it because it just seems to fit, they are both such a big part of each others lives that its nice to put some in each book.
ReplyDeleteFirst, for my 3 kids, I set it up so that each of them has their own 'Baby Book' that goes up to age 5. There are single photos, group photos AND siblings only photos. ALL of those pictures were made in triplicate so each child has the same ones in their books.
ReplyDeleteTHEN, I gave all 3 kids their very own (personal) scrapbook with areas for holidays, special events, school stuff, sports or groups and so on as they grow up.
Lastly, there is the family photo album that I arrange year by year with all of the photos that I have taken. That's mainly just an album for all of us to look back on.
It works out for me because it's easy to keep up with, the kids each have an equal amount of photos and the 3 of them won't have to take 18yrs of albums with them when they finally move out!! ;P