Scrapbooking with Christmas Cards

Save Your Photo Holiday Cards
(photo by morguefile.com)

After the holidays, most people scoop up all the Christmas cards and holiday letters they received and toss them in the trash along with the wrapping paper and other holiday waste.  However, there is an alternative that will bring you and your family joy for years to come.  Create a special Christmas scrapbook, using all your favorite holiday cards, particularly the photo greeting cards.

Pick out a wonderful red or green scrapbook, or one with a holiday motif.  On the first few pages include any old Christmas photos you can find, going back as far into your family history as possible.  Once you have the scrapbook started, begin to add your own Christmas photo card and holiday letter each year.  As you write your holiday letter, keep in mind that you are creating a family history.

In addition to your own photo greeting cards, add those from other members of your family, as well as close family friends.  If you want additional enhancements to your Christmas scrapbook, add some holiday stickers or little notes that explain who everyone is, or what they are doing.  After 10 or more years, you will begin to realize that you have created a wonderful family keepsake.

As your children become adults, make color copies of the pages in your scrapbook, use them to start new scrapbooks, and give one to each of your adult children.  They can add their own pages, and your family history will continue to grow.  Using your Christmas cards in this way will create a family treasure that will be valued for generations to come.

If you are a Baby Boomer or a retiree who is looking for information on how to make your senior years more satisfying, you may want to bookmark this blog or continue to follow it at http://baby-boomer-retirement/blogspot.com

Top Toys for Grandkids

Barbie is Still A Popular Toy
(photo by Amazon.com)

What are the best toys to get your grandchildren?  If you are like most grandparents, this is a difficult problem since you only buy gifts for your grandchildren a couple of times a year. Fortunately, Amazon comes to our rescue with their periodic list of the Top Toys for Kids which is very helpful when you are looking for gift ideas.

This year, Amazon has put forth their list of toys that are popular for Christmas 2011.  You can purchase them directly through Amazon, or you can purchase them in most large toy stores, whichever is more convenient for you.  Even if you decide to purchase them at a local store, you may want to check them out online first, to compare prices and see if they look like something your grandchild would want.

According to Amazon, here are the Top Toys for Kids:

The Barbie Collector 2011 Holiday Doll
Real Construction Deluxe Tool Workshop
Vtech InnoTab (Child's Tablet "Computer")
Qwirkle Board Game
Simon Flash
Crayola Model Magic Jewelry
Disney Princess Ultimate Fairytale Kitchen
Spy Net: Stealth Video Glasses

Here Are the Top Electronic Gifts for Kids:

Philips Rich Bass Neckband Headphones
Alfred's Kid's Guitar Course Starter Pack
Kodak PlaySport Zx5
Parrot AR. Drone Quadricopter

These are The Best Gifts for Babies:

Cloud b Twilight Constellation Night Light
Prince Lionheart Wheely Bug
Tiny Love Move and Play Gymini
Baby Einstein Count and Compose Piano

Simply type these names into an Amazon search box, and you can get complete details on each of these items.  On many Amazon toys, you can even read parent's comments before you make a purchase.  In addition, Amazon will also show similar products, if you wish to compare them.

Don't forget to check with the parents before purchasing any gift for a child.  They may already have it!

If you are a grandparent who is retired or planning to retire, you may want to follow this blog for more up to date, relevant news stories that could affect you.  Follow by email, or bookmark, http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com/

Tips for a Happy Marriage for Baby Boomers

Tips for a Happy Marriage
(Photo by photoxpress)

The marriages of many Baby Boomers have been strained to the breaking point during the past few decades.  In fact, marriage problems have caused the divorce rate for our generation to be much higher than the divorce rate for our parents.  Divorce among people who are in their 50's has become so common there is now a name for it ... grey divorce.  However, after 40 years of marriage, my husband and I have discovered that there are things you can do to strengthen your marriage, and these actions may reduce the chances that your marriage will be one of those that fail.

First, many of us Baby Boomers began our relationships without a strong commitment to the idea of marriage.  We were the first generation to live together before marriage in large numbers.  Today, some of that lack of commitment is still causing couples to give up on their relationships at the first sign of trouble.  Of course, if you are in a relationship that involves what is known as the three "A's" ... abuse, addiction or adultery ... you may be wise to leave.  Otherwise, simply believing that a committed relationship is important may be very effective in reducing the chances that your relationship will flounder.

In addition to commitment, we all need to accept that there are no perfect marriages. As much as the movies still depict the concept of "happily ever after," we Baby Boomers need to realize that relationships are complicated and messy.  Your partner will have some irritating habits; you do, too!

Communication is another important factor in maintaining a healthy marriage.  My husband and I have known couples that have gone to a marriage counselor for years, in order to keep the lines of communication open.  My husband and I have not had to go to that length, but we have found it important to sit down and simply chat once in a while.  Honesty and the willingness to listen are important factors in healthy communication.

Have fun together and separately!  While it is important to have date nights, and spend time together doing things you both enjoy, it is also important that you both spend time separately.  There is nothing wrong with the husband playing golf with his buddies, or the wife going off on a girl's weekend once in a while.  Like everything else in a marriage, there needs to be balance ... time together as well as time apart.  This may be especially important after you are both retired.  Baby Boomers need to take heed of this.  Too much time together can actually increase the strain on your relationship!

Split the chores fairly.  There is no such thing as "man's work" or "woman's work."  She can take out the trash, do the gardening or hang a painting.  He can cook some of the meals or do the dishes and laundry.  Especially as the two of you become empty-nesters and, eventually, retirees, it is important to be flexible about your roles.  Do what works best for the two of you, without preconceived notions.  You'll both be happier and more relaxed. 

Finally, never forget to show each other affection and respect.  Both are essential for a loving relationship that lasts for decades.

If you are planning your retirement, you may want to check out the tabs or the pull-down menu at the top of this page for links to hundreds of additional articles on relationships, where to retire, financial planning, medical issues and more.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com.

Photo credit:  Photoxpress.com

Copy a Photo Album as a Unique Gift

Photo Albums Make Cherished Gifts
(photo by morguefile.com)

Photo albums are often passed down through families, lovingly enjoyed by future generations for decades.  In fact, owning the photo album of a favorite or famous relative can even cause family conflict, when everyone wants to own the album after the relative's death.

However, thanks to color copiers, this no longer needs to be a problem.  One of the most cherished gifts you can give someone you love is a copy of a favorite family photo album.

Give the Gift of a Copied Photo Album

Below are examples of some of the ways I gave photo album gifts to our adult children and other relatives.

*  Eight years ago, I made color copies of the baby books I had put together when my adult children were infants, inserted the copied pages into new photo albums, and gave them each a copy of their baby books.

*  When our children were in elementary school, I decided years ago to make a photo album of the school photos and major events in their lives.  I gave our daughters a copy of my photo album about each of them as a Christmas gift five years ago.

*  Four years ago, I made color copies of my Christmas photo album for each adult child.  This photo album contained copies of all our holiday photos, Christmas cards and Christmas newsletters for the past 40 years.  All of our daughters now have a brief history of our family.

*  My father-in-law was an Olympic gold medal winner in the 1920's.  He received a number of other sports honors as well.  I put together an album containing copies of a variety of his sports memorabilia and gave it to my daughters, as well as my nephew who was also descended from him.

*  When my sister-in-law was in a flood and lost most of her childhood photos, I copied photographs that my husband had from their childhood, and put together a photo album for her.

Why Photo Albums are Ideal Gifts

Of all the gifts that I have passed on to our children over the years, I'm sure the photo albums will be the gifts that they will hold onto the longest.  In fact, these are the gifts most likely to be passed on to their own children and grandchildren.

There are other reasons for sharing these photo albums.  If we ever have a house fire I know that all the treasured family photos of the past will not be lost.  In addition, during these times when so many people store their photos on their computers, it is nice to have a real photo album that you can enjoy with your grandkids, while you share stories about their ancestors with them. 

Knowing that I will share our photos with the rest of the family has also encouraged me to look for new photo album ideas.  For example, a photo album of all their grandkids went to my parents;  other small photo albums have been sent to family members.  It seems there is always someone who would enjoy having some of our old family photos.

If you are looking for loving and unique gift ideas, the easiest and most thoughtful gift of all may simply be giving a loved one a color copy of a cherished family photo album!

If you are a Baby Boomer looking for retirement ideas, information about building relationships as you age, health facts, and more, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this page for links to hundreds of additional articles.

You are reading from the blog:  http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com