a few ideas on documenting everyday life
Whether or not you follow my monthly roundup prompts, I hope you have a system for documenting the details of your everyday life. It might seem overwhelming during a busy month or boring during slower times, but it’s worth having some systems in place to help you capture the details.
Here are a few of my suggestions to make documenting an easy part of your routine.
Calendars & planners - if you keep a calendar or planner, that’s a natural place to jot down events and memories. You don’t have to use it only for planning purposes. You can also write down things as they happen. I’ll admit that I’m not using my calendar very much during the pandemic since we hardly have anything scheduled. But I still look back at it when it comes time to create my monthly roundup pages. I also still love using the Momento app!
Take photos - of course, this is basic advice for any memory keeper, but it’s still worth repeating now and then. Photo documentation is a great way to tell your story. Don’t just include the picture-worthy moments. Use your camera (or phone) to record what is going on in the world around you. Be a photojournalist. You can also use it like a visual notetaking tool and snap pictures of signs you want to remember, tasks you need to complete, and meals you ate. Endless applications!
Screenshots - Did you read a news story you want to remember? Take a screenshot! I use these all the time on my monthly roundup pages. This also works great for memes and funny things you find online. It’s a great way to add current events to your documenting.
Use apps - I record all the books I read in Goodreads. Netflix, Disney+, and AmazonPrime give me histories of what I’ve watched. Podcast apps will also give you a history. Let technology do the work for you. You can screenshot the results or write them down as part of your own journaling.
Post memories to social media - Use Instagram or Facebook as a memory journal. If you are worried about privacy, I recommend using a private Instagram account. You will have an archive of photos and journaling to choose from. You can even set up services like Chatbooks to print directly from Instagram. I do want to encourage you to find ways to preserve and share your memories where your family can enjoy them. I love using social media, but I would never trade our photobooks to keep all of our treasured memories together!
Find what works for you - These are just a few ideas. I hope some of them will inspire you to document the daily details of your life and share them with the ones you love!
