A Busy Mom's take on Digiscrapping.....

First off I need to declare that I am an imposter, sorry, that should read a guest blogger.

I've hijacked Amanda's blog to give you a busy Mom's take on digital scrapbooking.

My name is Catherine and some of you will know me maybe from the Reece's Rainbow FB page or perhaps from Amanda's own FB page.  My alter ego is CatDesignz which is my digital baby - the Child of My Heart if you will.  That's the name of the kit that Celeste Lombas and I used to give Amanda's blog a new look ready for the children coming home - a little digital nesting if you will!

Amanda asked if I would make some layouts of the children which I was delighted to do - you can see them in the left hand side bar.  You can even pretty your own adoption blog up in the same way.

Who, me?  I hear you ask?

Yes, You - you too can digiscrap.

And here's the gorgeous proof

This is Amanda's very first digital layout - and I promise it won't be your last Amanda.  Before you know what's happening you will be teaching the children to make their own layouts!

 ' But I'm too busy to figure it out......'

If you want something done give it to a busy person!!

Before I met Amanda I thought that I was a busy Mum (thats British for Mom BTW!).  I work full time managing a Shopping Mall, volounteer as a School Governor, care for my hubby who is disabled by PTSD, raise our 11 year old son and work a second job as CatDesignz, mainly selling my product at My Memories. Oh, and then I blog, tweet, have a Facebook page, an Etsy store and generally try and stay digitally active

Yes, I seriously thought I was busy until I met this amazing lady and her equally amazing hubby Brent who parent their rainbow family of 13 and are making room for another 5.  Now I really understand what a busy Mom is!!  You are fantabulous Amanda and I am so blessed that our paths have crossed.

When you said you had no time to figure out how to digiscrap I knew that I had already thrown down the gauntlet without saying a word.......and, yes, I am right and you are wrong on this one - he he!   'Cos you figured it all out yourself!!

And if time challenged Amanda can produce a stunning layout so can you and I'm here to show you how  to get started - mainly in response to comments on FB and in emails to Amanda about how you wish you could do it too.

As I mentioned, in my spare time I work for this amazing company called MyMemories - thats where I sell my digital creations.  And though I declare an interest they really are a great starting point for would be digi scrappers and particulary busy Moms.This is not a hard sell because you can actually get started for free

As well as selling digital kits for folks to use they also have THE most popular and easiest to use software.  Its called My Memories Suite V3 and there is even a free trial version available. 

You do need some kind of graphics software to be able to use graphics files - thats your pictures, backgrounds and cliparts

Oh, and heck, I am bursting to tell you this, My Memories giving away a free photobook at the moment and you could use the offer without even having to buy the software - just use the free download version!!!

If you click on this link it will take you to the My Memories home page where you will find the link to the free photobook - there is also a little snippet of footage from the Lifestyle programme which shows you how fast you could fill an album.  This is where it gets really interesting for busy peeps because you can use a pretty pre designed template and just plop your pictures in - simples!

Have a look at these gorgeous photobook  templates - literally one for every occasion.

There are also album templates that you can use if you don't want a full photobook - wherever the grey spaces are you can add your pictures by dragging and dropping them in

Like I said you can use the free version of the software to order your free photobook - there are even free templates with the trial version too so you don't have to spend a cent except for postage.  (look for the free trial button on the right hand side of the page)

 Here is a short video which explains a little about how to get your free photobook  - its the first of 3 video clips but Lisa, the presenter is a great tutor who is really easy to follow



Once you download the software you will want to use it for all your pictures, I promise you!  The programme opens up on your computer - you don't have to be on line to use it - you can use it any time.

To help you with using the software there are a bunch of video tutorials and written tutorial  files that you can download and print out.  I found these priceless for teaching me how to use the software one easy step at a time.  Have a look at this one and you'll see what I mean


There is also an amazing and supportive community on Facebook where you can show off your creations, look at other peoples for inspiration and even ask for digi help and advice

I do need to warn you though.......

IT'S ADDICTIVE!!!!!!

and just to prove how quickly you can become proficient with this software here is Amanda's second layout

Of course the layout is not quite perfect - there are not enough children in the picture - I should say another 5 would just about do the trick! And Amanda will soon fix that please God!

And should you like what you see and decide you want to buy the My Memories software please, please  don't pay full price.  I have a discount coupon for $10 that you can use.  I also have a little surprise for Amanda who doesn't know about this......if any of you buy a copy of the My Memories version 3 software before the end of April using my code  I will donate $20 to the Littlest Unroe fund for each copy of the software sold.  The code to use is STMMMS26788.  Just type it into the coupon space ( or better still copy and paste) before you pay.  This will discount the software down to $29.97 for you.  I will get an email telling me you bought a copy and then I'll donate $20 to little Keith's funds.  Does that sound like a good deal? Oh, and you also get a coupon code for $10 worth of free kits too!

Of course there are lots of other programmes that you could use, like Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro and Photoshop Elements most of which also have free trial versions but they all have a mighty steep learning curve too.  My Memories V3 is far and away the most user friendly that I have found.

Feel free to pop over to my CatDesignz Facebook page and say hello - thats where I showcase all my kits and templates - you never know - you might just catch the bug!!

Happy Scrapping & don't forget to leave Amanda some love for her lovely layouts

Catherine x

ps, be kind to me, this is my first ever guest blog spot - thanks Amanda

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Aleshia's Bag for Trip #1

Aleshia is a few months older than Julianne and also 5 years old.  Aleshia is not able to currently do the same things as Julianne though.  She is unresponsive and requires assistance to roll over even.  Who knows what God has in store for my beautiful girl!  Maybe it will be to show huge improvements and overcome the obstacles and rough start she has had.  Maybe it will be that God plans for us to love her and never get a response.  Either way we are going to be so blessed to have her here with us soon!

Here is her bag of things:

Aleshia's Snacks

Aleshia's Crib Toys

Aleshia's things to do that won't attach to her crib

Her bag is pretty full.  We wanted to be sure and take plenty of things that Brent can leave attached to her crib.  For a child who is not mobile in an institution, a bad is there nearly constant place to be.  We don't know about this specific institution, but we do know that with it being winter where she can't be "wheeled" outdoors, it is likely that she is spending most of her time in the crib.  We want to make it as bright and cheery as we can for her while she waits for Mommy to come for her.  The toys in her bag light up, sing, play music, vibrate, and rattle.  I'm not going to go through each one individually, because I honestly don't even know what to call some of them. 

She also has all of her snacks for the week (most likely unless Brent learns something else while he is there) in that bag.  He should have 5 morning visits with her during that week, so there are 5 containers of the fruit puree.  He should have 4 afternoon visits with her, so there are 4 package of fruit and yogurt snacks that melt in the child's mouth.  There is a fruit stick in there in case they were to say that she chews, but none of our info up until now has lead us to believe that she would chew anything.

Brent will be visiting with her the 3rd week that he is there.  I will let you know how it goes when the time finally arrives!

Ahnja's Activity Pack

I'm not going on trip #1 (yes, I could cry, but I am going on trip #2).  I do want to make sure that the visits with the kids goes well.  Trying to get Brent ready for a trip lasting an entire month, pack orphanage donations, and pack stuff for them to do is a BIG JOB.

I know one of the things that I have asked people and one of the questions I always have had is "what to take for them to do".  I thought I'd share our ideas with everyone, so you might have some ideas for your own journeys.  It will also let you know what Brent will be doing with the kids.  :)

I have packed each child's things for visits in a separate bag with their name on it.  The girls also have a princess purse inside the bag that I think they will enjoy.  There are other items that Brent will be using for multiple children and I'll get to those in another post.  A huge factor in all of this is space.  Imagine trying to take everything you need for a month, stuff to visit with 5 children and entertain them, and orphanage donations in the luggage that one person can handle alone!

Ahnja is our oldest over there so I thought I'd start with her. 

Here is her "bag".

Here are the snacks that I'm sending and

I've given him instructions as to what else to pick up while he is there.

Here are her activities and things that I hope please her.





It was important to get as many things as possible to keep her busy as long as possible into a very small space.  He will not be taking all of the items on the same day so that there will be "new" things each day. 

What's in the bag?

• Small soft doll (most girls love dolls)
• 2 pair of sunglasses (girls love to dress up and she is SO beautiful!)
• Princess doll with clothing (it has rubbery clothes to change into and it will give me some ideas to her ability to pretend play as well as her fine motor skills, bc those clothes aren't easy)
• 6 bracelets (back to that dress up thing!)
• a Chinese yo-yo (it is small and my kids find them amusing)
• a purple ball (it lights up, bounces, and has an interesting texture)
• a package of rings (more dress up, bc I want her to feel special)
• a package of princess silly bands (she goes to school and I'm wondering if she has seen them there, but it is back to "dress up" too)
• a slinky (fun and small)
• a noise stick (small and it makes a noise when you turn upside down)
• Dora stickers (motor skills again, plus it will help decorate paper that is in one of the other activities packed separately)
• magic write on board (small and maybe she'll show Brent some of what she learns at school)
• 2 fruity sticks
• 3 packages of fruit snacks

Brent will pick up juice boxes, fruit, crackers, and/or cookies once he is there for more snacks. 

I'll let you know on week 2 when he is visiting with her how well this "bag" goes over!

Recordable Books

I bought these recordable books that I am going to record myself reading.

I am not going on trip #1, but I will be the one picking them up.  I thought this would give them some comfort if they get use to my voice.  I'm also going to talk in English with the exception of maybe adding the Bulgarian word for "love" along with the English version.  I figure it will help them get use to my wierd talking!  :) 

I realize that they may or may not see it again after Brent leaves, but it is the best I can do.  All I can do is try and leave it in God's hands.  Brent can look at it with them at the very least and they have music that goes with the words too.  :)

Still Waiting and Another Item for Waiting Kids

Well, we still didn't get the good news that we were hoping for.  :(  I am praying that it comes Monday.  I know it is in God's hands.  I am trying so hard to be patient.  It is getting more and more difficult to be patient though.  I am trying to just focus on the "planning" to make everything as perfect as possible for when Brent goes to them and even for trip #2 and when they get home.  Those are the only things that I can do anything about right now.  

Here is another one of the "personalized" items that I ordered from Sam's online photo center for Brent to take to them. 

The t-shirts have Brent and my pictures on them.  I am going to try and find the proper translations to put something similar to "Mommy and Daddy Love Me" on them in Bulgarian.  I have gotten pretty good with fabric paints over the years.  :)

I don't know that each of the children will fully understand it.  I doubt that they can read it, even with it in Bulgarian (though Ahnja may read a little since she does go to school and may recognize some words).  I also doubt that they fully even understand what "Mommy", "Daddy", or even "Love" mean, since they have never had any of the above.  :(  I do think that the staff there will know what it means.  It may make them think of my babies as someone's children!  It also may make them think about the fact that parents travel all that way to adopt the children that society in Eastern Europe often thinks of as "less than". 

I surely do hope that they can start to look at my babies and realize that to me they are "Priceless Beloved Children" who are longed for every moment of every day.

A Bear of a Wait

The waiting is horrible.  I am hoping to wake up to news that we have that written referral!  Please keep praying for that referral, a fast process from here on out, and for our kids who are waiting.

One of the things that we have for Brent to take to each of the children is a BEAR.  It has a picture of their new family on it.  :)  You can order them on Sam's Club's online photo shop if you would like a special bear for a child that you are waiting to make an official part of your family.  Here is a picture:

I'll keep showing more of the things that Brent is taking for them as we go.  :)  I think I found some pretty neat things to help them understand a little and at least get a "picture" of us in their heads.  Tonight we worked on each of their picture books as well.  Dayton and Jose had a good time helping me put them together.  Things are so much faster when you have lots of hands!  

We Should Have It By

We are already suppose to have the signature that we need by the end of the week!  Keep praying.  We really want to ship Brent over there so that he can check on my babies.  That will also put us one step closer to them being in my arms and no longer orphans. 

The pictures that I ordered for their albums are in, but I need to find a way to label each one with the Bulgarian word for "mommy", "daddy", "brother", "sister", etc.  Anyone have any great ideas??  I did order pictures of each of my 5 Bulgarian Blessings as well.  I am going to put those pictures in the albums as well.  I figure that they will serve two purposes.  One, it will give them a glimpse of their siblings that they will be travelling home with.  Two, it will help them to see themselves as a part of our family.  They already are in our hearts - that is for sure!

I have some other cool things planned for Brent to take with him that should help them to get use to seeing our faces.  :)  I'll take some pictures and share that with you all soon!