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Everynight before bed journal in a notebook about the day and tag items that you want to scrap. Include what you wrote on in your notebook about the day/event on your LO. Not only do you have the LO with the journaling but you also have the notebook with your handwriting in it.

two things to ask yourself when journaling:
1. is this honest/the truth? (the good, the bad and the ugly). it seems a lot of people write what they want others to hear rather than what is true.
2. is this something you'd want to know about?
:)

I keep a blog! I actually got the idea from you a few years ago, and it has been so cool to just cut and paste journaling from my blog to my layout. Love it!

Honestly it's JUST DO IT. So many people don't journal because they feel they aren't a writer or don't know what to say. It doesn't matter. Just do it.

My best tip is to just let go of your fears and write from the heart.

Keep a notebook with you where you can write down sayings and events as they happen, in shorthand, and then later use this to jog your memory. I'm starting a baby scrapbook for my newborn daughter, and I plan on pulling snippets from our family blog to put into the book as I have time.

I like to ask my kids about the event for the journaling or use soimething they say as a title.

Journal it/write it like you won't ever be there to tell the story in person. Share what makes your layout or picture(s) important or special to you. Not only will it touch your heart, it will touch others as well.

My favorite journaling tip is to write down stories and thoughts as they happen or shortly after... I even use emails to do this. Updates to grandparents, relatives and friends can be used later for inspiration for journaling on layouts. I also tend to write what I want to say before putting on my page... this allows me to think out exactly what I want to say

I keep a little spiral bound notebook in my purse with a pen so I can jot things down with the dates. That way when I have the pictures I have notes too. It helps a lot! Sher B.

I have a large collection of journals and leave them all over the house. Then when a thought strikes me, I usually have one close by to jot it down. When I need story inspiration for a layout, I can just grab my journals.
CheriA

Do a 'dry run' in pencil first to make sure your journalling fits into the space allocated.

use of the old proverbial journaling notebook...I TRY to whittle it down so I only have 2 going at a time. I also keep lists and other semi-important, brains falling out stuff in there :)
And I like alison-lee above also journal fairly often in my own handwriting on the back of layouts with more info or more of the story. Esp if I wasn't journaling on the front w/ the story itself or the meaning behind something, and I know I'll probably never have time to make another LO using the same photo with the actual story. Plus it captures my handwriting (which I don't like but want documented) and it seems like hidden treasures in our scrapbooks :) sort of diamonds in the rough :) Heidi

I love recounting special moments when scrapping a photo of my children or some memorabilia from our lives. I often find that things we have long forgotten come back to me while I am scrapping a page and thinking about the moment I am working on. I also draw great inspiration from old personal journals we have kept from past holidays and special events.

If I'm torn about how to write about a sensitive topic or I have writer's block, I sometimes write from the perspective of my cats. The year I got laid off, my cats discussed their concern that they would be forced to hunt for their own food because we wouldn't be able to afford their expensive, perscription Duck and Pea food. When my dad, passed away, the cats discussed their concern about what would happen to grandma and her cats. Would they have to move in with us, would they be okay financially, who would take care of them, etc. My cats have an opinion about everything and they are not afraid to share it.

My best tip is to use post-it notes copiously. I don't normally go for conspicuous consumption of any kind, but post-it notes are great for getting ideas out of your head and onto something you can work with later. Jotting a note this way tends to skip over that inner-critic that can keep you from moving forward with a project. They also fit into a regular woman's schedule - you can run to your scrap space, jot down the idea you had in the shower and move on with your day in just a few seconds.
On my notes: Specific quotes, phrases for possible titles, facts I'll probably forget later, lists of gifts or food, connections to song lyrics or books, materials I want to use, photos I want to use, and layout sketches. The notes go where ever the project is - in the file of materials I've already started to gather or in the small notebook I use to scribble ideas and other things.

I ALWAYS carry a notebook with me. You will flip through it to find all my list (home, Grocery, expectations etc) then all of a sudden you will find a date written down with the exact description of what we have done, a quote my daughter has said or a little ditty I thought up. My husband thinks it's hilarious to look through that book and find little glimpses to our lives. Little treasures.

I have found myself as of late using more scripture on my pages in place of journaling. I just did a painted cardboard piece for my son's 24th birthday gift and as I started painting I had no idea what I would end up with. It became an eye and immediately I thought about the song with the lyric "His eye is on the sparrow". I found the scripture that supports that and wrote that on my painting. It turned out wonderful and I think it will be very important to my son. ms.cheryl
ps. I scrap with paper, not digital. Thank you

Keep a journal for inspirational thoughts and always, always write from the heart.

Best journaling tip is to carry a small spiral (at the top) notebook and write down the info. Tear out the page and place it right on your scrapbook page - spontaneous journaling.

Best journaling tip is to carry a small spiral (at the top) notebook and write down the info. Tear out the page and place it right on your scrapbook page - spontaneous journaling.

Keep a journal for inspirational thoughts and always, always write from the heart.

Keep a journal for inspirational thoughts and always, always write from the heart.

I must admit, journaling is the most challenging part of a layout for me...but I'm working at it! I've gleamed a lot of tips from you...one of my favorites is repeating the start of a sentence, like 'today you...'. Keeping it simple is really helpful to me when fitting journaling into my layouts.

Keep a journal for inspirational thoughts and always, always write from the heart.