I find when I am regularly documenting my family’s life together and making the effort to put photos and words into scrapbook pages, that I am a better mom. I have three children 6 and under, and I don’t feel amazing at this mom thing every day. Actually, most days I feel pretty tired! I often let things get by me when I’m not intentional about documenting. So, I use Project Life to help me feel like and actually be, a better mother.
Project Life helps me gain and keep perspective. As I put photos into digital scrapbook pages, I see the passage of time. And time, as we all know, flies. As I scroll through my album I see how quickly my precious babies have grown and changed, and it reminds me that I only get them this age for a short time! Keeping this perspective in mind, or at least reminding my self often by scrapbooking, helps me to be more patient, more involved and more attentive to the moments I have with them.
Project Life helps me appreciate my children. As I review the things that are so precious about them, the funny things they’ve said and the cute things they’ve done helps me to keep all of the things I love about them in the forefront of my mind. It helps me appreciate who they are as individuals, and how they enrich my life as their mother. Without reviewing that, I can forget so easily in the shuffle or hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Project Life helps me use my creativity. As I take time to sit down, and intentionally create something, I give my creative juices a little exercise. Taking time out for myself is not something I’m naturally good at – which surprised me! I am working on it, and documenting our lives is one way I can do that. And I don’t feel one bit selfish! Every mom needs to take time out to do something that fills them up. Sometimes for me, it’s a nap. Sometimes it’s watercolour painting, a girls’ night, or reading book. And sometimes it’s scrapbooking!
When I found Project Life, I actually started documenting my life with children. Prior to children, I had made traditional scrapbook pages, and I had also done a lot of nothing with my thousands of photos. I have always been a photo-taker. But with Project Life, I discovered a way to actually DO something with my photos without feeling behind and overwhelmed. And, Project Life has helped me to be a better mother by giving me that renewed perspective and helping me appreciate all the little things that make my kids so awesome.
