Take the photo – you won’t regret it

‘Tis the season for endless family parties and get-togethers. We have loved partnering with Ancestry this month for the #MakeitMeaningful challenge to make an intentional effort to learn more about our family history! Throughout this month we have covered:

• Table topics: How to improve the conversation around the dinner table and go far beyond talking about the weather. Ancestry has created a pack of easy to take with you questions and if you want to see a bunch of them check out this blog post.
• Ancestry Gallery Wall: How to DIY your own gallery wall at home filled with meaningful photos and mementos of your ancestors.
• How to get DNA results and compare them with family members

We gave each other the same thing for Christmas

We hope your Christmas was full of fun and family this year. We definitely made each other laugh when we realized we gifted each other the EXACT SAME THING! Twins man, it is ridiculous how much we think alike sometimes. Now I know that you are wondering what we gave each other, we both gifted the other with a monthly subscription for Infinitely Loft. Loft’s new clothing rental service. So we will both be looking GREAT in January haha!

Framed recipe from my grandma

Aside from the subscription Britt went above and beyond for me and snagged adorable leopard print shoes for me and then made a framed recipe of one of my grandmother’s recipes! I absolutely LOVE IT and it quickly found its new home next to my kitchen sink.

If you are looking for a quick and meaningful gift next year, bookmark that one! Britt said it was pretty simple to put together. But like I said, I will treasure it forever and love to have a little piece of my grandma in a place I see every day.

The final part of the make it meaningful challenge

And now for the last part of the challenge. During this winter break, we are making the effort to snap more pictures of the holiday festivities with family.

The picture does not need to be perfect

A few guidelines when taking pictures during the holidays:

• Make sure to snap a few candids, those are usually the most fun to look back on. Especially when kids are involved!
• Don’t fret about every detail being perfect, just try to capture the essence of the moment
• Be sure to include your older relatives in the photos. I am so glad that I got a picture with my grandma last year at our Christmas party that is now a treasured memory after she passed away in June. I also love to try and do four-generation photos like the one above.
• Large group shots are possible. My husband’s family broke some sort of record this year by snapping a photo with more than 80 family members in it! However, they had set the equipment up beforehand which made it quick and easy.

Get in the photo

After my paternal grandmother passed away this June I have tried to take a good amount of photos with my maternal grandmother who is 91. From her stylish outfits to her warm smile I want to document it all for future generations. Make sure you get in the photo with your grandparents, the love they have for their grandkids always shines through.

Looking back on memories

This year my maternal grandmother finished her life history and bound it into a beautiful 40-page book. I absolutely loved reading through it on Christmas and I learned a lot about my grandma – including where she was born! I thought I knew all these years, but I had it wrong.

During this partnership with Ancestry, I have been able to dig into some statistics they have put together over the years. For example, the fact that more than a third (39%) of Americans don’t know where their grandparents were born shocked me. That is until I read my grandmother’s life history and realized I was one of them!

What is the meaning of your last name?

For some homework this week I am diving deep into the origin of my maiden name, Graham. Over the years I have been told that it is of Scottish origin but I now have the desire to learn more and really dig into my roots.

I challenge you to dig into your family’s roots and find out where your last name came from. Who knows what you will discover! I have found that discussing DNA results can be really fun in a variety of settings with friends and family. And if you still have not gotten your DNA tested, do it already! Click here for the link and it will be to your house in no time.

Thanks as always for following along on this challenge, it has been really meaningful for us this December. The January challenge will be announced shortly!