As another school year starts to wind down Heather, the guest blogger for today’s Establish a House post, shares some ideas for keeping track of the memories that have been made. Welcome, Heather!

We’re nearing the end of another school year, and if you’re like a lot of parents, you’ve taken your fair share of pictures. Whether of dance recitals, basketball or soccer games, birthday parties or something else entirely, our kids’ school years tend to get packed with events – and there we are, the “mamarazzi,” snapping away with our iPhones or cameras.

Many of us promise ourselves we’ll bust out our old scrapbooking supplies and craft glorious creations from the photos taken – but then, life inevitably gets busy. So what should we do with those photos after the memories are made? Here are five ideas that don’t take as much labor as physical scrapbooking.

• Photo books. If you can’t find time for physical scrapbooking but just love the way they tell a story, why not create a digital scrapbook and have it printed? Photo books look and feel like a personalized yearbook – and with predesigned templates and fonts and colors that can be customized, they don’t take nearly as long to make as physical scrapbooks. Plus, you can share your favorite memories for just a fraction of the cost, since all of supplies can get fairly expensive.
  
• Calendars. If you’re one for sentimentality and keeping track of special events, create a calendar each year with photos from the previous year. Calendars are more functional than scrapbooks, after all – you can display them over your desk each year and then keep past creations somewhere special for memories’ sake.
• Photo mugs. You know you’re going to drink coffee everyday – make it even more fun by designing a photo collage mug featuring your favorite school-year pictures. Sure, it’ll be a reminder that your kiddos are growing up, but creating a mug every year will make for a pretty great collection for years to come.
• Photo box. Some people still like physical photos they can print and hold in their hands. If that’s you, consider covering a shoebox with decorative paper and organizing the box with sections for different photos, including sports and other activity photos, family photos, friend photos, etc. Design a fun label to fix to the top of the box.
• Slideshow or video. Maybe you love watching your photos set to music. If so, create a slideshow or video that features your favorite pictures from the school year. You can even interject with text or actual video. When you’re done, load the video to your YouTube channel, where you can either share with friends/family or keep private for your own viewing whenever you want.

Preserving school-year memories doesn’t have to be difficult or extremely time-consuming. Hopefully you’ve been inspired. Time to get your craft on!

Heather Hewitt is a seasoned writer and guest author who enjoys connecting people with thoughtful products, services and ideas as they relate to crafting, photography, gift giving and personal expression.