Starting To Plan For Week In The Life

Dear Ali,
Just wanted to drop a note to say that I saw your past post about "A week in the Life" and thought I'd skip it this year because I had too much going on (a monthly scrapbook for both my kids and Project Life) and have a hard time keeping up with projects. Then I read today's post and remembered my 1st attempt at this when you did it back in 2008? Although I did not complete an album, I'm so grateful that I jumped in and took pictures of our family that week. Looking back now and remembering the routines I had with my son and my daughter (who was just months old back then) has been an eye-opener for me...I can't believe how many details of our lives I've already forgotten! The pictures I took that week are one of my most prized possessions in the legacy I want to give my children and I'm so grateful I did it. Thanks for motivating me again to do it this year...it will be nice to record and compare how our lives have changed since then. Also, thanks for the reminder that no week is perfect...and even if I don't complete an entire album I will be joining you and recording our lives (even if by picture only) again!

Hi Kelly - this isn't a class that you pay for. I will give you information this week, next and the week after to help people along the way. You can do it how I do it (or how I have done it in the past) or make up your own version. It's more a chance to do something with others at the same time...
That said I do offer products for sale that I will be using in my album. You can read more about the project here: http://www.aliedwards.com/a-week-in-the-life.html

I am VERY excited to do another Week in Life. My first one was in Oct last year and was such a fun experience. I actually missed taking pictures of all the daily details when it was done. I'm still trying to finish my December Daily so that will be on hold while Week in Life takes over. Until finding Ali, I was never able to have an excuse to do an album for myself. The week in life is so manageable and really fun. Thank you Ali!!!

I love this idea.. But where I am a bit stuck is that I am already doing project 365 ( well I call it 365ish, since I get it most of the time but not all.. In reality it's probably more like project 52 as I do a semi digital gathering of info and pics from each week.. ) I am trying to decide if I just slip a week in the life into the 365 or do a different thing for it.. hmmmm .. Really new to scrapbooking, so want to push myself a bit but not go into a panic mode!

I am going to document my little one potty trained. I am thinking it's quite interesting to see how long she does..

I am looking forward to next week's week in the life. ( I had a blast doing the december daily album). So, thank you for this post to help prompt me to which direction I want to go in journaling and documenting my family's week.

Very excited for this to start.
Hoping it will help me sb more than
just major events in my family's
life. I found the sheet proctectors
you mentioned at Scrapbook.com: http://store.scrapbook.com/wr-50030-8.html

I am excited to join in this year. I must admit I wasn't going to do it but then I found an wonderful brown 8-1/2x11 album with protectors and exactly 7 baseball card page protectors in my stash! I decided it was a sign that I should make the time for this project.

Hey Ali,
I hesitated even considering doing "A Week in The Life" after having done the December Daily, which I found a little tough during the holidays, although it's pretty much completed except for the embellishments. However, after you announced that it would be for the Week of April 19th, my second daughter's first birthday, I realized, how could I resist? I haven't decided my formula yet, but am getting ready for the challenge. Thank you, as always, for the inspiration!

You know, I've watched this album being put together the last few years and thought I'd never be able to do it because not that much happens--every day seems so "rinse and repeat". But this year--THIS YEAR--I'm inspired to find SOMETHING about every day that's meaningful. I've got a soon-to-be 4yr old who always has something to say and we're in contract on a new house. If I can't find something inspiring with all of the blessings I've encountered lately, well...
Anyway... thanks for doing this each year and reminding me that there's more to life than just the day to day.

I really want to join in this year but I am worried I won't have enough time. I will keep watching your blog to see how you organize it all. Do you just keep notes and take pictures then put it all together the following week? We will have lots going on at our house. A baby shower for the new baby we are expecting, my 17 year old's birthday and her prom, as well as gardening!

I so love this idea...Ive started this week though (Tuesday here in nz now, so started yesterday)Im doing this week and next week collecting things etc, I know its a week in a life, but I wanted to do a week with my daughter home as its school holidays and then a week when shes at school as the routine my son and I have is very different when shes at school as he has playcentre 2 days a week....i may just end up putting one week into the album yet Im not sure but no harm in doing them both and then going from there....also im putting a pocket at the back of the album to hold the front page of the herald and out local paper the couties news and also going to do the kids hand prints and there age and height and weight on it and then the tv guide as i mark what i want to watch in the week....lol lots of extras but i think they will be interesting to look over in years to come....when my kids were born i kept the herald paper as well so one is 10 years old and one is 2 years old, great to read back on.....love all your projects Ali - thanks for the inspiration

That's usually how I do it Marilyn. One week for collecting and then one week or so for putting it together. Since I am blogging about it I do it all right away...some people may wait a bit before putting it all together in an album (or some people who are doing it digitally work on it each day as they go). Definitely up to you.

I often think that the beauty of life is really in the "rinse and repeat."
You can do this :).

Hi Ali,
Thanks for info. I think I will actually attempt this. 7 days sounds easy enough.
Jen

Ali - I am super excited! I've finally decided to commit and do the week in a life project with you!! It'll be my first time. :)
Question, I'm not a digi scraper at all. I don't even have Photoshop. I have a MAC, but only use picasa to edit my pics. Will you have templates similar to "The Story of Today" that I can just print out and use straight from my printer?
Also, why did you decide to use 8.5X11 pages? I also usually scrap 12X12 and am not sure what I want to do for this project.
Thanks!!!

Such a great idea, and thanks for the push to get it going.

Hi Ali
I am joining in again for the thrid year running. I keep a daily journal so choosing what I will record for the whole week is a bit of a challenge for me to make it stand out from the rest of my journal. Some things I do record are
- the puzzles that I complete - sudako or crosswords,
- any comics or pictures I find in the papers that make me smile,
- word of the day and it's meaning from dictionary.com,
- the major news item on Sunrise (our morning talk show),
- a recipe from one of the meals I cook through the week
- parts of any phone conversations that I have
- any small pictures of sketches that I draw
- a snippet from my uni work
Just to name a few things that I will be recording.
Look forward to seeing the different pages created.
Emma

Got my album today and a pack of page protectors. Love that idea. I am very excited!!! Challenges are a big help to me to get something done...a finite commitment. :D

Molly, I'm just going to add the pages to my regular Everyday album -- the album where I keep all my layouts that are about everyday things and routines we do.

Every day Izzy and I make sure to spend some concentrated one-on-one time with each other. Once in a while it's just to sit and talk at the end of the day. Often we leave the oldest in charge after dinner so we can go get a drink together. Or he'll play guitar while I sing along. Sometimes we bake or play games or read to each other. I'm excited to give those together times their own little place in my pages so I have a document of each of them.
I also take a daily Me-time where I write or do something artistic. I plan to give my Me-time a daily place, too.

Every night at supper we all go around the table and tell our high and low of the day.
Our youngest is 3 and she even participates.
So one of the things I want to document is each person's high and low every day.

Ali - how are you taking the shots of you during your week? Checked out your previous posts, and wondered if you have a helper, or are you just using a timer? Thanks!

I have to admit, I wasn't going to participate. It is a funny time with finals right around the corner, etc. Then reading this post- it dawned on me! I graduate in May, after 7yrs I FINALLY graduate, what better way to document this last chapter? So, long story short- I'm in!

I'm going to a weekend crop April 23-24. I've never taken photos at a crop before. Now I have to! We're also moving a piano that weekend. The rest of the week is "mundane," but that's the attraction to doing this project. I'll be paying special attention to my health each day. I've got lupus and never know which are going to be my good and which my bad days. This project will help push me to open up about my illness.