Our summer was certainly full of fun: outdoor barbeques, neighborhood cookouts, making ice cream, 4th of July parades, a trip to grandpa’s house, sleeping late, moving my oldest daughter into her first apartment… It never seems like the season is long enough to do everything we want to do.

Now that the summer is almost over, how do we preserve these memories? Take a few minutes before the busy routine of school begins to put together a family album of summer keepsakes. Whether it’s in a scrapbook, photo album, or shoebox, these mementoes chronicle tidbits of family life that often become lasting traditions. Your kids will love showing friends and family how they spent their summer vacation.

And don’t forget to snap a picture on the first day of school. We take a photograph in the same spot every year. My daughter left for her first year of college. In the opening page of her scrapbook were all of the pictures we had taken on the first day of school. From the scared preschooler with the little lamb name tag, to the confident, beautiful young woman she blossomed into, each picture was truly worth a thousand words.

Want a quick and easy way to make a time capsule of your summer vacation?

Find a large, clean, wide mouth jar (mayonnaise jars work well) to hold your treasures.

Gather together pictures, ticket stubs, sea shells, maps, souvenirs, pressed flowers or anything that has sentimental value from you

Write names and dates on the back of photographs. Place all of your items inside the jar. On brightly colored paper, write a few notes about each event. You may want to interview other family members for their thoughts as well.

Preserve your summer stories in a place of honor. Kids will enjoy getting their keepsake jar down to tell stories for many summers to come.

You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, free of charge, provided that each article is:
1. Printed in its full form with no changes
2. Includes an active link
3. A courtesy copy of your publication is sent to the above contact
4. And the following byline appears at the bottom of each article:
About the Author: Rondi Hillstrom Davis is the co-author of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out her website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit http://www.togetherparenting.com

About the Authors Janell Oakes and Rondi Davis are co-authors of the award winning book, Together: Creating Family Traditions. They want to give you the most important gift you can give your family. You can be a part of an irresistible offer available for one day only.
http://www.TogetherCreatingFamilyTraditions.com

They’ve asked several of their friends to join in making available hundreds of dollars of complimentary gifts as a special present to you.
http://www.TogetherCreatingFamilyTraditions.com

We don't want you to miss out on this amazing 24 hour offer.

• Seven Gift Ideas for Scrapbookers


• The Quick and Easy Formula For Pottery Buying


• How to Remove Stitches


• Are You Sure You Know Where You Are Stitching When You Sew?


• Hardanger Embroidery: What is it, and How Can I Learn it?


• The Lanyard Legend


• Top 10 Quick and Easy Kid Activities For Those Long Weekends


• How To Buy Your First Sewing Machine


• Threading Your Machine, Filling the Bobbin and Adjusting Tension


• Metal Detecting - Understanding the Technology Is Important


• Holiday Wine Glass Coasters


• Organizing Digital Photos for Scrapbooking


• Rock and Gem Hunting Provides A Healthy Parenting Aide


• Heres A Fun Hobby The Whole Family Can Enjoy


• Top 5 RC Car Accessories