our brains crave storytelling

I recently read an article called "Why Our Brains Crave Storytelling In Marketing."  It begins by talking about cereal, but because the article is about STORY you can probably imagine how much of it leaped off the page at me.  I mean, my job is about storytelling!  My job is to encourage and teach people to publish their photos WITH THEIR STORIES, and give people an avenue to do it.  We take every photo for a reason.  That reason is the story behind the photo, the memory.  When we get our photos out of digital form so that we can actually interact with them, something truly magical happens.  Connections are made.  Memories become stronger.  {Recalling happy moments actually improves happiness in the present.}

The author of this storytelling article, Rachel Gillette, points out that numerous studies over the years have shown that our brains react better to storytelling, to connections, than plain old facts.  Our brains want a connection.  She wrote, "When reading straight data, only the language parts of our brains work to decode the meaning. But when we read a story, not only do the language parts of our brains light up, but any other part of the brain that we would use if we were actually experiencing what we’re reading about becomes activated as well."

Talk about PRESERVING MEMORIES!!  I find this fascinating, but I mostly find myself wanting to BEG everyone who owns a camera to please, please get those photos out of digital form.  Store them that way, sure, but publish them to love them and to share them and let other people love them.  And when you do publish them, TELL THEIR STORIES.  Please, please, tell their stories.  If you don't, the events just won't be remembered in the same way, and maybe not at all. 

This graphic from Ms. Gillette's article is geared toward marketing, but as you look it over, see how much of it translates to photos and their memories, to scrapbooking, to journaling.  It's very interesting!

Publish your photos with their stories.  We call them "memories."

Your storytelling doesn't have to be perfect.  You don't need to be an author or a poet.  You just need to record memories.  

What made this moment funny or happy or sad or interesting?  What happened right before you took the photo?  What happened right after?  Who is in the photo?  Where are you?  What's the date?  Why will you love this picture 10 years from now?  

Think about who will be loving it 50 years from now.  Write to them.  It will make a bigger difference than you can imagine.

Get started right here.

Chore Charts and Meal Planners from DIY Scrap Pages

This post was updated in 2025; the company I designed & printed these items with at the original writing of this post a decade ago is no longer extant.  However, these updated designs can now easily be ordered with a couple of clicks so that you can order and even gift these pages!  I created them using Artisan by Forever so you can just order and frame.

Wow, there are really a lot of possibilities when you can essentially DESIGN YOUR OWN SCRAP PAGES!  I have done so many creative things like this to personalize my own home decor, make my own planners and charts, and more.

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.

CHORE CHARTS

These are some fun charts I just made for a craft fair where I'll be a vendor.  These are made from 8x8 scrap pages and framed so you can write on them with a dry erase marker!!  Love. 

(designed and printed in 2015; not available now--but keep reading!)

Be sure you order a frame with a thin edge, like this one. 

In 2025, these newly-designed options come in Blues or Rose Gold.  Easily order at the links below the photos.

Get your own without doing any of the design work here!

Get your own without doing any of the design work here!

Note:  If you'd like to personalize something like this, changing colors or adding a child's name, I do hire out to make projects.  Something like this wouldn't take me long.  Reach out and we can chat about it.  Or, if you'd like to design yourself using Artisan, you can learn more about the software program here and here.  After designing, you can submit your projects for professional publishing at Forever Print, which is perfect because the quality is amazing!

MENU BOARDS

The other household charts I made are equally awesome, in my opinion.  :)  These are meal planners.  Same idea, two different styles.

(designed and printed in 2015; not available now--but keep reading!)

(designed and printed in 2015; not available now--but keep reading!)

Again, these 11x8.5 scrap pages get framed so you can write on the glass with dry erase markers. 

In 2025, there is a newly-designed option similar to my original designs shown above, and there is a new style, too.   Easily order at the links below the photos. 

Get your own here without any of the design work!

As I mentioned, the two updated chore charts and the meal planner above are printed on digital scrapbook pages, so you'll just order, wait for the gorgeous professional printing to come in the mail, and then buy thin-edged frames at any local store so you can write on the glass with a dry-erase marker.

Or, to skip a trip to the store, this Tabletop Panel is an excellent option.  It's 8x10, and it comes with a stand (which you can see in the side view below).  The glossy surface is perfect for a dry-erase marker.

This designed-for-you Tabletop Panel menu board can be ordered with a click here.

I'd love to see your chore charts or menu boards in use!  Email me a picture at photoandstorytreasures@gmail.com or post it in our Facebook group so our whole memory-keeping community can ooooh and ahhhhh together!

And talk about a unique and fun gift idea!

Save and share this unique idea by Pinning this image, or use the 
social media share options at the left to share on Facebook, X, and more.

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CRAFTING: address label Hershey Nuggets

Did you know that traditional-sized address labels wrap just perfectly around Hershey Nuggets??

I call them Hershey Nugget Sticker Wraps.  😁

Just think... Valentine's Day treats, wedding favors, graduation party favors, birthday party favors, etc. So fun!!

The possibilities are endless.  Thanks to Team Wise member Marcie Mitchell for sharing these photos of the address label favors she's made!

 

These are such a fun way to celebrate anything!  

2023 UPDATE:  The website used for these darling labels in 2015 when this post was originally published is no longer available.  I have since discovered a way to create something similar using my favorite scrapbooking software, Artisan by FOREVER, which I was introduced to in 2021.  You'll  So there are now two ways for you to get some personalized labels like this.  

• If you own Artisan, I can email you the basic template for Nugget wraps that I created (I'll send the .a6proj file) and you can open it using Artisan where you can edit labels and personalize as you like using whatever fonts and digital art you already have (or want to explore at FOREVER). From there, you can print from home on full-sheet sticker paper.  You will need to:
• 1. Download the folder I email you.
  2. Cut and paste the folder into your Artisan Projects Folder.
  3. Extract the files.
  4. Open Artisan.  In Artisan, click "Open Project" and select the .a6proj file from the folder.
  5. Add/replace digital art, fonts, etc.  
• If you don't own Artisan (or just prefer an "easy button" option), use my For-Hire services.  I'll create whatever labels you'd like, then send you a link for the completed project that you can print on full-sheet sticker paper then cut apart and wrap around Hershey Nuggets.  

Email me at photoandstorytreasures@gmail.com to request this template for
Hershey Nugget Sticker Wraps that you can personalize for any occasion and print!

And as long as we're looking at updates to this original post, here are some other Hershey Nugget Sticker Wraps I've made over the years, since Marcie and I first started playing with possibilities a decade ago: 

birthday, business, baby shower, Valentine's, Mother's Day, Father's Day

Really!  The possibilities are endless!

NOTE:  I am a Forever affiliate called an Ambassador (a decision I made because I love it so much), so you will find affiliate links in this post. I earn a commission from anything purchased at my website, and being your Ambassador means I'm here to help you with questions, too.

If you design something yourself with Artisan, you may want to check out my little video tutorial to show you how to save it as an image so you can print it at home.

But here's my contact info if you don't, and if you'd just as well tell me what you want me to make and have me make it for you!  My hourly rate is there, too, if you scroll down a little--this is such a quick project I'm sure it wouldn't take me long.

Tell me in the comments what you think this fun treat idea would be perfect for!  Then share this post with someone who is looking to make a celebration, party, or event a little more personalized and unique!   

Save and share this post using the social media share buttons at the left,
or Pin this image to Pinterest.

Follow Photo & Story Treasures on social media here:

  

my vacation photo album (storybook)

Summer time is coming to an end!  Did you take a trip this summer?

Our family took a special one, and I've captured the memories and preserved the photos in this lovely 12x12 storybook.  I didn't use a template for this book because I had specific things in mind that I wanted to do, so this is all "hand-crafted" by me!

One thing that really converted me to digital scrapbooking is the fact that I can get multiple copies without extra work.  This is going to be the Christmas gift to everyone who went on this trip with us!

(Oh, and that photo reminds me of another thing I love--a library-quality binding.  YES!!  No glue involved, so the binding won't crack and yellow, causing the pages to fall out.  That's a huge deal.)

See what makes this method different from the usual "online photobook" options out there here.

What memories and photos do YOU have that need saving?

  There's no time like the present!  Get started right here--and choose from three different options, including beautiful pre-designed templates and fully creative and flexible digital scrapbooking.