Starting To Plan For Week In The Life

One of the things I worked on this past weekend was finalizing some of the things I will be using for my Week In The Life project that gets underway next week.

If this is your first year documenting a week in your life, welcome! If you are still on the fence, there's always time and there's always modifications but there is never a perfect week.

Thinking About Supplies

I've decided to go with the same format for my album as last year: an 8.5x11 album with regular sized page protectors (a 2-page spread for each day) and a baseball card page protector for each day (7). You can get baseball card page protectors at office supply stores, specialty card stores, and even Toys R Us (that's where I grabbed mine this year).

I also ordered some more 8.5x11 white cardstock - I'll be using that for my base again.

Scrapbook-dot-com_2097_35091162-1
To spice things up this time I'm going to use a red We Are Memory Keepers album (I know, really spicy).

One nice thing about getting your album organized in advance is that you can use it as a storage place as you collect things over the seven days. You can also grab seven envelopes and use those, labeling one for each day of the week.

Right now I'm working on a new design to hold my photos and journaling for the week. Last year I used The Story of Today overlays. Look for something new from me, both printable/hybrid and fully digital/layered template later this week (available this coming weekend at Designer
Digitals
).

Today's thought:

Is there something specific you want to document this year?

Last year I did running tally/list of what was happening over the course of the day as my journaling. You can see an example here and what the end result looked like here. As you will notice I tended to have much more information early in the day and much less later in the day.

In other years I've emphasized different categories that I made sure I documented each day: food, gratitude, work, etc. I asked on Twitter and Facebook last week what three things people really wanted to document in 2010. Some of the things mentioned included:


  1. a photo of your outfit each day (I definitely encourage getting a photo of yourself each day)

  2. routines

  3. activities

  4. ups & downs

  5. conversations/overheard/quotes from kids, family, etc

  6. things that made me smile

  7. hometown

  8. what you're watching/listening to/reading (tv, music, internet)

  9. mundane tasks

  10. observations

  11. weather

  12. pets

  13. what things cost

  14. etc


Other ideas? I'd love to hear what you are planning on documenting?

I'm planning to solidify my personal category choices later on this week. What you choose to document will be up to you.

No Better Time For Spring Cleaning

Over the next five days I'll be encouraging a bit of spring cleaning before embarking on this project. Not necessarily all over your house (Simple Mom has a great series planned on that this week), but in your craft area and in your mind as you get ready to take the time to document seven days in your life.

I'm getting excited!

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77 thoughts

  1. Annika says…
    04/12/2010

    That is a great opportunity. I have almost 4 weeks until our first child will be with us! I will start documenting the last weeks of pregnancy, and then her first year or so. I wanted to take one photo a week to see her grow anyways, why not document her whole growing process. EXCITED!!! Thank you for the push!
    And: Spring cleaning? My husband is away for work during the week. I usually clean the house while he is away, so he can come home to a nice organized home and enjoy us for the weekend. But spring cleaning is a bit more intense! I want to clean the whole house from top to bottom. Windows, etc! As long as I still can! I am totally motivated! Give me a broom and I´ll sweep off! :-)
    Have a great day.

    Reply 0 Replies
  2. Danyale says…
    04/12/2010

    I think this must have been a sign, LOL! I have to take my Mom to MDAnderson for her first series of treatments there for the week, so it will be just us two girlz! How amazing will it be to capture all the things that will be happening as we go through these next steps to share with family that can not be there. I am prepping an album this week for easy travel, but wonder if it won't turn into a book...ACK! I hope there will be ideas on how to stash or use all those papers/reciepts we manage to pick up daily too. We will turn this bad life experience into good!

    Reply 0 Replies
  3. Jill says…
    04/13/2010

    Love that album. Maybe I'll have to get one for myself....

    Reply 0 Replies
  4. Kimberly Minyard says…
    04/13/2010

    okay i have been back and forth on this all since you first mentioned it a few months back. I have decided to do it. i hope i can keep up and i am starting tomorrow. Wed thur Tuesday. so here goes and wish me luck!

    Reply 0 Replies
  5. patty says…
    04/13/2010

    maybe i will give this a go next week...like you said there is never the "perfect time."
    A*L*I...what page are you featured in the real simple april issue? i am having trouble finding you.
    thanks!
    patty

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  6. Kota says…
    04/13/2010

    Dear Ali,
    I love your articles and miss them each month in CK, I have to be content with looking at old issues. I have ordered your mini album book but am having trouble locating your Life Artist book. Even if our styles are nothing alike, our thinking definately is. thanks for all the inspiration, hope to meet you one day!
    Kota
    Centurion
    South Africa

    Reply 0 Replies
  7. linda says…
    04/13/2010

    This year will be my first time joining in and I really want to focus on me, me, me... okay, a bit too much? I just like the idea of capturing a week in the life and doing this every year, I can see the differences and progressions...that's the idea anyway! One thing I always have trouble with is providing enough journaling space...or too much. It's hard to estimate what you might have to say per day, because I want to use similar layout for each day. Just using A4 papers in half with pockets to keep things and to work on top of!

    Reply 0 Replies
  8. Denise Laborde says…
    04/13/2010

    Ali:
    This year your project begins on the the last leg of our 6 week trip so I will not be able to attempt it. I have been keeping a week-by-week chronicle of our trip (no doubt inspired by past WITL projects) that I plan to make into an album once I'm home. I'll be reading along and looking forward to the inspiration.
    Denise

    Reply 0 Replies
  9. Laura says…
    04/13/2010

    I'm actually going to be on vacation next week, as it is spring break for our school district and we're going to travel. It's always fun to "play along" and be part of a community for things like this, even if I'm documenting an out-of-the-ordinary week instead of an ordinary one. Do you have any digital products that are more geared toward vacations?

    Reply 0 Replies
  10. Laura says…
    04/13/2010

    Elisa, if it makes you feel better, I am still putting together my December Daily album, in between making cards and the rest of my life. :-) I have all my materials, took lots of pictures and did a lot of journaling in December, so it's really just a matter of getting the rest of the pictures printed up and putting the pages together. Maybe by Christmas 2010? ha, ha I chose to do a 12 x 12 album instead of a mini-book -- I can really see the wisdom of doing something smaller this year.

    Reply 0 Replies
  11. kimberly says…
    04/13/2010

    Ready to take my toe out of the water and jump into this project with both feet!
    I was finally swayed by the number of women who have said that their Week in a Life album has become one of their most cherished, looking forward to joining in next week!

    Reply 0 Replies
  12. Linda says…
    04/13/2010

    This is a huge transition year for us. Lots and lots of lasts. Our oldest son's last year of grad school, our oldest daughters last year of college...and her commissioning as an officer in the The first months after my Father's death and my Mothr's finding her feet as a widow. All HUGE transitions...and I want to focus on the simple moments I'll miss most. Mr. Rogers in the morning, the cribbage board that no one has the heart to use without Gpa, the last Vanderbilt ROTC pass and review that I will be attending. I realize much of "our life" now might slip pass undocumented...but....it isn't often in life when you realize your doing something for the last time, and I don't want to miss it. (Let's face it if I had realized I had picked up my older children and carried them to bed for the last time....or any of the other lasts that slip past in life...it would have been unbearable.)

    Reply 0 Replies
  13. linda says…
    04/13/2010

    oops..I should have added the twins last year before elementary school. No, I am not watching Mr. Rogers with my college age chidlren. :)

    Reply 0 Replies
  14. Ali Edwards says…
    04/13/2010

    Page 220 :).

    Reply 0 Replies
  15. Ali Edwards says…
    04/13/2010

    Hi Kota - stay tuned...Life Artist will be available as a PDF soon.

    Reply 0 Replies
  16. Ali Edwards says…
    04/13/2010

    :)...so excited for you Kim.

    Reply 0 Replies
  17. Tracey Chalk says…
    04/13/2010

    Think i'm going to document all the things my son has eaten that are actually inedible, aged one. It's a long list and getting longer by the day!

    Reply 0 Replies
  18. Tracey Chalk says…
    04/13/2010

    Forgot to say, Seb is the same age as Anna. He was born last February. Not sure if its because he's a crazy boy or whether Anna is like that too?!

    Reply 0 Replies
  19. Susan says…
    04/14/2010

    I plan on documenting all the important people who have touched my life, but taking pictures of their hands.

    Reply 0 Replies
  20. Fanny says…
    04/19/2010

    I am very excited to start this project along with you from the other side of the ocean! This is a great idea! I love your work.

    Reply 0 Replies
  21. Connie says…
    04/19/2010

    Can't wait to join in this year. Will be some great "normal" things in addition to my normal scrapping.

    Reply 0 Replies
  22. Nikki Attuso says…
    04/19/2010

    I think this is a wonderful idea. These days it hard for families to get together. Everyone is so busy. I think grandparents and great grandparents have so much to offer and so many stories to share.

    Reply 0 Replies
  23. Teresa says…
    04/19/2010

    This time I am going to see this through. I have taken the photos before but never got any farther. Thanks for all your encouragement along the way Ali.
    Something about me.... I am patient. I think:) And sometimes that patience means forgiving instead of snapping back.

    Reply 0 Replies
  24. Tracie Gambino says…
    04/20/2010

    After celebrating my 5th year cancer free last October, a friend of mine told me about this project and I thought it would be really cool to do as a start to a new life of living cancer free! I started out strong but have started dwindling; time is my enemy in one way but also my savior in another. I'm definitely going to try and get back on track! Thank you for continual inspiration!

    Reply 0 Replies
  25. Lisa Aukeman says…
    04/20/2010

    Still finishing the journaling on my Project 365 so not really "doing" this project but I qm watching closely!

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