Saying Goodbye to 2012
It won’t be long now before 2012 comes to a close. It’s been a great year at Sort Your Story. We have reached out to more family historians who are now using our software to save their histories. We collaborated with Jennifer Holik at Generations and created Companion Guides for the Mac and Windows versions of our software. Then we joined forces when we sent a newsletter this fall. We are reaching out to schools and children with more intensity that last year.
2013 will bring many changes and we’ll be sharing more information on research tips and resources. We’d love to hear from you! Do you have a story to share regarding your family history or using Sort Your Story? Please share with us.
We wish you a fabulous 2013! Happy New Year!!!
© 2012 Lorel Kapke, 19201 Sonoma Hwy. #341, Sonoma, CA 95476-5413
5 Ways to Save Your Stories
The holiday season is upon us! How did you spend your Thanksgiving? Were you with family? Did you record the stories shared?
The holidays are a wonderful time to gather together with family and friends, share stories and photographs, and make new family memories. Are you saving these memories and stories? Here are five ways to save your family’s stories and memories.
1. Use Sort Your Story to create profiles on your ancestors and living family members. Record the stories you hear within the profiles. Add photos and documents to enhance the stories.
2. Encourage children to become involved. Give them a disposable or digital camera and let them take lots of pictures of family gatherings.
3. Have a family writing activity. Give each person a sheet of scrapbook paper and a pen. Ask them to write a favorite family story.
4. Create a memory jar and fill it with slips of papers with discussion topics such as Christmases past; favorite ornament; family recipes; family traditions; and any other topics you wish. Pull a topic out of the jar and talk about it. Record the conversation with a video camera or digital recorder.
5. Start a holiday journal. Pass it around during the holiday season at family gatherings and ask people to write their favorite memories. You can add photos and other things to the journal if you wish. Then store the journal with your holiday decorations and bring it out next year.
These are just a few ways this holiday season to record your family memories. Do you have others to share?
© 2012 Lorel Kapke, 19201 Sonoma Hwy. #341, Sonoma, CA 95476-5413
5 Reasons Kids Should Use Sort Your Story
There are many great things about the Sort Your Story software and many adults are using it to organize their genealogical research. Did you know it is an excellent program for kids? Here are 10 reasons why your child should be using Sort Your Story.
- Easy to use. Kids can create a profile on themselves or an ancestor in just a few clicks. This is a great first step using software as a child enters the world of genealogy.
- It is colorful. Sort Your Story is very visually appealing. Lots of colorful icons are available for all record types.
- It is printable. Once a profile is created and records and information have been added, you can print the information and share it.
- It will keep you organized. Sort Your Story has a folder for every record type you need. Images can be stored in these folders for easy retrieval.
- You can use it for school. Sort Your Story allows you to write notes to accompany each record you enter for an individual. You can transcribe records or write a story. All of this information can be copied from Sort Your Story and pasted into a Word document to write a report for school.
What do you think? Are you ready to share Sort Your Story with your child?
© 2012 Lorel Kapke, 19201 Sonoma Hwy. #341, Sonoma, CA 95476-5413
Family History Expos – A Great Educational Opportunity
Have you heard about the Family History Expos that are held across the United States? Sort Your Story blogger, Jennifer Holik will be presenting three lectures at the Illinois Family History Expo this weekend. Her kids’ and adult genealogy curriculum books will be on sale through Family Roots Publishing at the Expo. If you purchase one of her books, find her and ask her to sign it! She also has Sort Your Story puzzle piece magnets to give away either on a freebie table, if there is one at the Expo, or she will be carrying them with her and put them out at her lectures.
If you are looking for a new genealogical educational opportunity, there are still several this year. Visit their website to learn more!
Illinois Family History Expo 2012
Crowne Plaza Springfield
3000 South Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, Illinois 62703
August 03 – 04, 2012
Midwest Family History Expo 2012
Holiday Inn Convention Center
110 South Second Avenue
Kearney, Nebraska 68848
September 07 – 08, 2012
October Salt Lake City Family History Library Retreat 2012
Salt Lake Plaza Hotel
122 West South Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah 84101
October 22 – 26, 2012
Georgia Family History Expo 2012
Gwinnett Center
6400 Sugarloaf Parkway
Duluth, Georgia 30097
November 09 – 10, 2012
