I think it’s safe to say that we all grew up during the days of film and disposable cameras, when a trip to the Walgreens printer was just another errand and each of those photos was carefully placed between the sticky pages of the family photo album. Then came the digital days, when smartphones replaced cameras and thousands of photos could be stored in albums right on your computer without taking up any extra space on your book shelves. The blog has replaced the baby book. Think about it — when was the last time you actually held a recently-shot picture in between your fingers? Also, what if the internet explodes one day and your precious blog is reduced to a sad mound of pixel dust?
I don’t think it’s possible for the internet to explode, but if it does, (GOD HELP US ALL) I’ve devised a plan.
1. Get a shoebox or something like it (I got mine for $1 each at Michaels). Get one for the whole family or get a few to categorize things (one per kid or year or season, etc.).
2. Download the Postal Pix app (or a similar app) onto your handy dandy smartphone.
3. Create an album on your computer of all the photos you want to print, then sync that album to your phone, then upload those photos to the app that you just downloaded and place your order. (I guess you could also do the Walgreens thing, but that just feels so 1992.)
4. Twiddle your thumbs until the UPS man delivers your package.
5. Place your fancy new prints in your fancy new boxes and voilà!
This is less for the sake of preserving memories and more for providing a tactile interaction with them. My kids are still so young that being able to touch their pictures is much more exciting than looking at them in a book. I make it a point to write the date and a caption on the back of each photo, and to keep other things in these boxes, too, like birthday cards and quotes from my two-year-old written on scraps of paper. So, if you’re feeling remotely crafty, give this idea a shot. After all, if it can snow in the Valley, the internet can totally explode.
How do you keep your memories?
You are so smart. My poor family needs some good ole fashioned prints to cherish.
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