I like shortcuts. Today I took a "shortcut" to my friend Rachel's house that got me there only 2 hours late! But usually shortcuts are meant to SAVE time. And here are a few that really do.
1. Page Kits
I did something I've never done before. I picked up a page kit at a recent scrapbook expo that visited my town. I figured, what the heck, I'd try it. And it was indeed super fast. I didn't follow the exact page design because I had an extra photo to squeeze in, but having all the pieces pre-cut and absolutely NO product choices to make was really quite refreshing for a change.
I dare you to try it! Pick up a page kit at an expo or at your local scrapbook store, and just try it on for size. I've noticed that page kits can be somewhat hit and miss; there are some really cute designs, some that make you go "hmmm?", and others that will send you right back to 1998 (and not in a good way). Styles can vary widely even from the same company. I chose a kit from My Scrapbook Zone, which had several winners in their booth. For example, check out this sweet and simple design here, or this very seasonally appropriate one here, or a cool school design here, or a "cute as a button" design here.
2. Digital Frames
Bias alert! These frames were my idea, my husband designed them, and they're now for sale at ellapublishing.com. Thus, I couldn't be more biased in favor of the Retro Digital Frames pack unless I had physically given birth to them. But come on, aren't they cute? (Not to mention time-saving!)
Hey, how did she get that masking tape on my computer screen?!? Oh, it's digital. I get it. Total time on this one? Less than 3 minutes. Four of the cutest dudes ever, all munching apples from grandpa Jeff's tree. From left: Payton, Tenderheart Bear, Travis, Derek, and Brock.
Now I'm getting fancy. This one may have taken me up to 9 minutes to complete. First I colorized the apple, thanks to tricks I learned from Renee Pearson's amazing NEW eBook, Special Effects for Digital Photos, which was released earlier today! Then I dropped it into this faux Polaroid frame, which has a vintage wash applied to the photo window. Too cute. (Feel like you've seen that photo before? It was on the Ella blog yesterday.)
These frames would be super fun to use on blogs, digital pages, and even to print out and use on physical layouts! I promise the process appears much harder than it actually is. And to make it even easier, we included a set of very specific instructions for how to use the frames with every download. Again, here's the link.
3. Brushercize
Because I think it's important to have at least three things in every list, here's another extremely useful shortcut for you. Do squats or leg lifts while brushing your teeth, a feat I have just dubbed "brushercizing." I do this almost every night. Having something to count (the leg lift repetitions) helps force me to keep on gently brushing for the requisite 2 minutes. Otherwise, the duration of the brushing is excruciatingly long. Tone those quads while you attack that tartar!
I've also tried reading my scriptures while assuming the dreaded plank position, but this I don't recommend. Perhaps one shouldn't excercise one's soul and one's abdominal muscles at the same time.
Now go forth and save some time!
p.p.s. I included a record TEN HYPERLINKS in this single blog post. Yowsers. How many of them did you actually bother to click on? I don't blame you if it was only one. Because seriously, who has time to follow all those darn links? I bet if you do squats while following the links, you'll feel much better about the time you spent online today. Try it.
