I love looking at the world through my camera lens. When my daughters think back on their childhood, their memories will undoubtedly include me with a camera in my hand. They have a love/hate relationship with the Mamarazzi. Occasionally they tell me to stop taking pictures. But more often, they instinctively look for the camera when they are doing something cute. I remember when they were still strapped in five-point-harness car seats. As we pulled out of the driveway on our weekend adventures, Genevieve would remind me to bring the clicker (her word for camera).
One of my favorite family traditions is to rotate “seasonal” displays of family photos. With a little planning, it’s easy to do. I frame my favorite photo each year from my daughters’ birthday, Valentine’s Day, summer, the first day of school, Halloween, and Christmas. I stock up on inexpensive frames from craft stores or Old Time Pottery, and I rotate the photo displays seasonally. When it’s time for the next display, I wrap my framed photos in tissue paper and store them in a labeled plastic container. I tried unsuccessfully to use one set of frames and replace the photos several times a year. I found this to be too time consuming, plus the frames started to break from the wear and tear.
My daughters love to compare the photos to see how they’ve grown. They have memories to share about each one.
The First Day of First, Second and Third Grade
Photo magnets are also an easy and inexpensive option for chronicling family life. In our old house, Shutterfly magnets covered our refrigerator. Now that we have a stainless steel refrigerator, I use a magnetic bulletin board to display our magnets. Our Halloween magnets are my favorite. My girls get a kick out of seeing their old costumes and remembering what we did each Halloween.
Halloween Magnets
The possibilities are endless – just pick your family’s favorite milestones and start framing!
