I have been thinking for a while now, about how we are going to celebrate this moment. I want to create a special way to recognize all the hard work that my daughter (and soon, my son) has put into this past year. I want to acknowledge her efforts and give her something back - and something to look forward to at the end of each school year.
This year, we are getting together with other homeschoolers in our area for an end-of-the-year bowling party. Yay! Fun, fun.
But I also want something that will last. Something she can look back on years from now and see not only how hard she worked, but also see how important her education is to us. So a while back, I came across a little article about homeschool yearbooks (Remember? I shared it on my Facebook page.), and I decided this would be perfect. I tried investigating on my own where I could have one published. I wasn't thrilled, really, with anything I found. So I finally contacted my friend, Marta, whom I secretly call the "Homeschooling Genius."
She quickly steered me in the direction of Shutterfly.
The end result is incredible! (I told you she was a genius.) And after slaving away every night for a week, I finally have my final draft ready to publish. My "slaving" was mostly a result of my own lack of organization. I had photos saved all over the place: in multiple files on my computer and on an assortment of SD cards.
The actual process of creating the album online is super easy. Shutterfly has a built-in program that allows you to upload your photos in a snap. The program offers two versions:
The Simple Path: Instantly makes your album for you. It arranges the pictures for you and then you can easily rearrange them and add captions.
Their NEW Custom Path: Allows you to move, add, and resize pictures and text anywhere. It includes a variety of backgrounds, layouts and embellishments for you to choose from. You can even take your own photo and make it a background for one (or all!) of your pages. And you can do it all with a simple click-and-drag method.
Your book may contain up to 1000 pictures, and up to 25 per page. The albums are available in a variety of sizes and pages, so you can find one to fit your budget. And their prices are VERY reasonable. I'm buying an 8" x 11" padded photo cover with 22 pages for $36.19. (I actually added a few extra pages to my album, so it would have been cheaper.)
Your book may contain up to 1000 pictures, and up to 25 per page. The albums are available in a variety of sizes and pages, so you can find one to fit your budget. And their prices are VERY reasonable. I'm buying an 8" x 11" padded photo cover with 22 pages for $36.19. (I actually added a few extra pages to my album, so it would have been cheaper.)
But let me tell you, after putting this whole album together, I had the opportunity to purchase a $58 album from another company. This company actually has "professionals" who put your album together for you. But after looking at their samples, I realized that I liked the one I created better! So I decided to just stick with Shutterfly.
And the best part? They are having a Father's Day Sale right now. All albums are 30% off and you can get free shipping. It ends Thursday, though. So you'll have to act fast!
And lastly, I want to let you all know that I have not been contacted and/or compensated by Shutterfly for writing this article. (But they can if they want to!) I found them on my own, through my friend Marta, and I am now in love. So you know that everything here is the real deal.
Con mucho cariño...
Did you enjoy this article? Are you thinking about homeschooling your child? Let me help! My book - The Latino Family's Guide to Homeschooling - covers everything you see here and more.