Capturing Memories - A Bellflower Books Giveaway

dedication page

A Pandora bracelet rests on her wrist, growing crowded with charms mainly representing her children and grandchildren, her greatest treasures. A thin gold band encircles her fourth finger, her diamond engagement ring and band cushioned in a safety deposit box. She wears no other jewelry.

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I wrote about my mom’s Love Lessons on the Bellflower Books blog, an unexpected gift to her, and when she retired (and had a birthday) this summer, there was only one gift I wanted to give to her.

For my mom, a women who cherishes and protects her family above all else, I knew a Bellflower Book would bring a smile to her face in a way that another, less personal, gift couldn’t.

my aunt and uncle wrote about a long-ago visit to Hawaii

Their beautifully bound memory books weave photographs and written words together to create a personalized story for the book’s recipient. Design options abound; you can create a perfect book for any occasion, whether your tastes lean to simple lines and classic colors or whimsical patterns.


My mom would have appreciated a book made of construction paper, photographs glued to the pages by Abbey and Dylan, but that book would have housed only our appreciation, only a small part of our entire family.

The genius of Bellflower Books is that creating one of their memory books means being able to collect contributions from anyone you choose. You simply choose your design and add e-mail addresses for anyone you would like to share in the creation of the book. Bellflower e-mails the recipients with instructions and deadlines, so each person can upload their own photographs and letters for the book.

one of her oldest friends scanned old autograph books & postcards

As the creator, I made the choice about when to stop accepting submissions. Because I know my family, including myself, I extended the deadline several times. When I finally did collect all pages and do a final edit, Bellflower Books had the book delivered quickly.

I cried when I saw the final product.

My mom was overwhelmed.

my letter and a picture from my baby shower

And days later was already talking about making one for my grandmother.
 

If you need a reason above their stellar product, you should know that it's a company owned by childhood best friends who have been in business together since the age of six.  Also, they generously partnered with Just.Be.Enough. to bring their beautiful keepsakes to women affected by breast cancer.  It's truly a business I'm proud to support.

Is there someone you love who needs a Bellflower Book? I’ll be giving away $75 gift code to one lucky reader!!

To be entered for a chance to win, leave me a comment letting me know who would be the lucky recipient of your book (even if it’s yourself!) You can leave a comment each day through the end of the giveaway (next Sunday, January 22nd).

For additional entries, do any (or all) of the following (and leave an additional comment letting me know):

• Follow Bellflower Books on Twitter
• Follow me on Twitter
• Like Bellflower Books on Facebook
• Like Tiaras and Trucks on Facebook
• Tweet out this giveaway

Bellflower Books contacted me when I was in the process of creating my mom’s book to see if I would be interested in doing a review and giveaway. Mentioning that was important to me, because I was absolutely prepared to purchase the book without any incentive from the company, though I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with them to promote their gorgeous books.

*Disclosure: I was provided with a Bellflower Book to review, as well as the opportunity to give away a $75 gift code.  All opinions are my own, as always!

Under the Tree

Long after the Santa myth had been dispelled, I looked forward to Christmas morning. Brightly wrapped boxes held the reminder that there was magic in the world.


My mother has an uncanny ability to shop without a list, finding treasures that are just perfect-books I wanted to read, journals to spill my thoughts, lotion in my favorite scent-treasures that show she pays attention all year long to figure out what I’d love to receive.


Now that I am the one doing the wrapping and know the secrets of the majority of the boxes nestled under the tree, I find that the anticipation of Christmas morning is a little different. My eyes don’t search for the gifts labeled with my name but focus on the expressions on my children’s faces as they pull open paper and tape and discover their own treasures inside.


Finding joy in gifts seems a little like cheating during the holidays; I know there’s so much more to the season than the material things that tumble out of Santa’s sack each Christmas Eve.

But Abbey and Dylan remind me that the magic found in gifts doesn’t have to be about the price tag or the quantity of gifts they get to unwrap. They’re amazed by the paper and the opening and the idea that there’s something they wanted hiding within a box.


Their excitement makes me realize that Christmas surprises are gratifying for the gift giver in a whole other way than they are for the receiver. It’s a way to show you’ve noticed a want or a need and have worked to find a way to grant that wish.


The surprise doesn’t have to be wrapped in paper or tied with a bow. It can be an offer to help make dinner or watch someone’s children for a few hours or relinquishing the remote for the evening.

Surprise someone you love this Christmas. You won’t regret it.

And you won’t regret watching this video. It will infuse a little extra holiday spirit into your day.

This post is sponsored by T-Mobile, but all opinions expressed are my own.

Crossing Off My List

Earlier this week, I undertook a holiday tradition that fills me with both anticipation and dread. Not a visit to Santa or trying to find a parking space at the mall after ten in the morning, but the annual photo calendar making.

We make calendars each year for a few different people on our Christmas lists, people we’re pretty certain like looking at photos of our oh-so-adorable children every day.

Setting up the calendar as a year-in-review has worked well each year, leading to the anticipation portion of my emotional roller coaster.

Last January, my little man turned one, smearing frosting all over before tossing the cupcake onto the floor. His sparkling eyes and few-toothed-grin brought tears to my eyes as I looked over to watch him carefully stacking Legos in a single-stacked tower.

I gathered photos together, Abbey peering over my shoulder, asking about pictures and telling me her own version of the events as they appeared on the screen. I pulled her close, straining to remember when her hair smelled like baby shampoo and not the adult Aveeno we use now that her hair is grazing her waist.

Looking back on the year is my favorite part of the process, seeing their baby faces smooth into toddlerhood, the sparkle of joy in their eyes as they do something new, the silliness of Abbey’s favorite dress-up clothes.

The dread lies in finding the photos I want to use.

Though I try to keep the overabundance of my pictures organized in a way that makes sense, when it comes time for the calendar, my system seems inadequate.

Live On is a fantastic new site that could help immensely with next year’s calendar. It allows you to capture your photos in a timeline of memories-birthdays, vacations, June’s countless trips to the zoo.

I love the idea of looking back at my year as a collection of moments, drawing my favorite photos from the days that meant so much to our family, even if those memories are something as small as a Saturday at the cider mill.

Their promise to keep your memories forever is another factor in my decision to try Live On’s timeline, along with their Time Capsule feature. Capturing memories for Abbey and Dylan is so important to me, and I appreciate that Live On pledges to keep my memories intact for them to look back on years from now.

For those events that occurred before the digital age, you can use Live On Rewind to digitize photos and videos to add them to your Live On timeline.

My dad did something similar for my grandmother’s old home movies, and I can’t describe the thrill of seeing her as a young mother, pearls and lovely dresses making her look a little like Elizabeth Taylor.

Next year, using Live On might make my calendar task a little more jolly!

Interested in Live On Rewind? Use the code HOLIDAYREWIND for 30% off LiveOn Rewind.

Thank you to LiveOn for sponsoring this blog post. Please visit LiveOn to learn more about sharing and preserving your most important memories. I was selected for this sponsorship by Clever Girls Collective. Although story ideas were provided, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Celebrating Victories with Cake

along with a birthday cake, my parents got a new kitchen this September

my dad's birthday celebration happened in the living room

cake tastes good anywhere

My dad is a cancer survivor.

Thanks to successful chemotherapy and radiation treatments, he beat cancer and has been cancer free for over twenty years.

That's more than twenty birthdays and more than twenty birthday cakes since a frightening diagnosis.

The American Cancer Society believes birthdays are special:

We believe every birthday you celebrate is a victory. Another year that cancer has not prevailed. Your birthday means everything to us. That's why we're dedicated to creating a world with less cancer and more birthdays. Thanks in part to our work, 11 million cancer survivors will celebrate another birthday this year. But we can't stop there. With your help, we can create a world with even more celebrations, more laughter, and more birthdays for all. Join us.

Every September 29th, my dad celebrates another victory.  I can't imagine my life without him, and I would love it if you would watch this video (it's under a minute!) and help The American Cancer Society fight for more birthdays.




This post is sponsored by American Cancer Society.
All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

A Circle Around My Heart

Thanks to Duncan Hines for sponsoring my writing. There's no limit to the baking possibilities, so grab your favorite Duncan Hines mix and Comstock or Wilderness fruit fillings and Bake On! www.duncanhines.com

the four of us (plus baby Abbey)

circa June 2008

Over ten years ago, the four of us gathered together with a dinner of appetizers and candy and lounged on a comfortable couch to watch an MTV awards show. We scooped queso dip and nibbled on desserts and talked about who rocked the red carpet and commiserated over fresh-out-of-college jobs and wordlessly comforted whoever’s heart needed it the most that evening.

Filled with food and bolstered by friendship, we decided to meet again the following week, quickly transforming Wednesday from Hump Day to Girls’ Night, and our “eternal circle of friendship” was formed.

Weekend nights could be spent in heels and crowded bars, conversation and laughter strained over the din of music and echoing loneliness; our Wednesdays were about enjoying each other’s company in comfort.

Ten years holds many Wednesdays, and we’ve seen our circle shrink to three and sometimes two, as our living radius expanded little by little until one of us is now living almost 6600 miles away.

Our Wednesdays have included full holiday dinners and sushi and chili cheese fries, enjoyed while sprawled across the floor of one of our living rooms. During our Girls’ Nights, we’ve admired engagement rings and taken field trips to try on bridesmaid dresses, and hung out with a friend on bed rest. Over the years we’ve exchanged hugs, Christmas gifts like MAC make-up that boyfriends just don’t know how to purchase, and tears of both sadness and joy.

With the responsibilities of husbands and some children and growing distances between us, our Wednesdays have dwindled to maybe once a month, often out instead of in, choosing a restaurant in a convenient location, like the one three of us sat in this Monday night.

Perhaps it’s the nostalgia of the holiday season or knowing that the fourth cog of our circle is awaiting the birth of her second child so very far across the oceans, but despite the ease of our conversation and the delicious bursts of spicy tuna and crumbled tempura, I felt a pang for our Wednesdays spent at one of our homes.

I miss kicking off shoes and sometimes sliding into yoga pants, opening take-out bags and spreading store-bought frosting onto ready-bake sugar cookies. I miss the conversation that emerges naturally with E! playing in the background.

I left the restaurant on Monday night, snow falling lightly onto my coat, and I realized a busy schedule shouldn't mean sacrificing time with friends, especially during the holidays.

Time and distance stretch our circle, until our fingers are barely touching, yet I know my friends are there; their presence is a part of my heart.  But sometimes that's just not enough.

I think it’s time for a Girls’ Night In.

Remember to check out Duncan Hines' website www.duncanhines.com to find some great recipes for your holiday get-together! I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective

Does a Smile Fit in an Envelope?

If you walk into my mom’s house, you are likely to find a few of the same things scattered in their usual spots.

Diet pop (or soda, if you please) in the crisper drawer, the book she’s currently reading on one of the family room end tables, and an addressed card or two propped up on the kitchen counter, waiting to go in the mail.

Lots of people send birthday cards, but my mom remembers anniversaries and new babies, weddings and new jobs, and sometimes just a card to say hello.

For a while, I took pride in having a stockpile of cards on hand for any occasion.  I flipped through my address book and sealed with little stickers and dropped them in the mail.  Then our budget tightened, my supply began to dwindle, and I found myself in front of card displays before holidays, mentally choosing the cards I would send.

Hallmark, of course, is the king of cards.  Wandering through their aisles, you see cards for big occasions and cards for small moments.  They have cards with words you wish you’d thought of and cards beautifully blank inside for you to fill with your own.

And thanks to Hallmark, I had the chance to channel my mom for a week.

Hallmark provided me with a packet of cards and stamps, though some of their cards now come with the postage already paid.  Their premise was simple: send a card a day for seven days.

Once again, I settled into my couch, legs underneath me, and opened my address book.

I sent cards that made me smile, signing my name and sealing the envelope with a flourish.  I wrote a note to a friend coming up to a bittersweet milestone with her child and sent away a smile to a blogging friend who makes me feel special every day.  I wrote to my grandma, who we already miss like crazy, and my best friend, and a friend I haven’t seen in far too long.

I received texts and e-mails and phone calls in return; like me, people like getting something besides bills in the mail.  Those little thank you messages made me smile, completing the circle, a hug through the miles that started with a card in the mail.

I also received silence, and I understand that, too.  To-do lists get long, and time slips into nighttime, and phone calls get postponed yet again. 

Still, watching those smooth envelopes slide into the blue mailbox each day, I was reminded of the beauty of a written note, a tangible thought, able to be tucked into a book or a car visor for a later moment. 

I may have to go out for a few more stamps.

their version of a greeting card

Hallmark provided me with a set of cards and postage to cover their mailing, but no further compensation was provided for this post.  All experiences and opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced by Hallmark in any way.