Monday, February 11, 2013

Smashing Travel Journal

Okay, so I've decided to do a travel journal of our upcoming trip to Banff, Alberta! My boys (hubby included) are super excited - they have never seen the mountains and we are going to SKI in the mountains! I do have to work a few days while there as the reason we are going in the first place is that I am attending a conference/professional development, but I'm certainly not complaining since we are going to get to SKI in the mountains - did I say we get to ski? Confession - I am totally pumped about this opportunity too! I skied growing up but never at a big resort and never in the mountains, so this is BIG! And...super...cool!!!

When I wrote notes to the boy's teachers about their upcoming absence from school, my youngest was asked to keep a travel journal as part of his homework. Gee, I thought, that could be FUN!!! Hmmm, maybe one of my SMASH books would make this really fun! Then I got thinking of all the fantastic, quick and FUN travel journals I've seen over at Lauren's Bergold's blog ...all the GOOD blog names were taken and I thought, yep I can do that!



So having had some prompting, I decided to just get started. I am trying really hard to just DO IT and not over think it which slows me down and keeps me from doing projects like this. I apologize for the quality of the photos, but I was out of daylight and wanted to do a post.

Here is my quick and straight forward first page. I have ideas in my head for the next few, but the most important part will be to have everyone write some stuff in it while away. I am going to add a few prompts before we leave so that if we have time waiting here and there we can pull it out and add. Doesn't it sound like a FUN way to get your homework done while travelling? 

I think this Smash business is going to be a great way to use supplies, ie. stickers, with abandon and without thinking so hard. It was a bit hard to get started, but once I did, it was really fun! No right or wrong, who cares if it is all matchy, matchy? And yes, I did cut up a real map to make this, but only because I had one that had sat in our garage a few years and was wrinkled and torn. I had used part of it to wrap up a teacher's gift creatively awhile back, but happened to still have the Western Canada section - glad I kept it, lol!



Better run, hubby took boys out to dinner to give me some quiet - maybe I can get my next page done before they get back!

Hope you've had a great start to your week! As for me, I'm just glad the work day is over. It was one of those super busy, rather stressful ones, so I was glad to see the end of it.

Thanks for visiting!
Shanna :)

p.s. If anyone has advice about what we MUST see in Banff or what we can skip, I'd love to hear it. Would also love recommendations for family friendly restaurants that won't cost two arms and both legs. Thanks!

7 comments:

  1. Really cute...I haven't tried smash booking. Have a blast on your ski-cation!! Lee-Ann :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. oooh how exciting, have a great trip and I look forward to seeing your completed travel journal/smash book, love that you incorporated the map already!Debxx

    ReplyDelete
  3. Fabulous Smash Book! I haven't tried one but my daughter loves hers!

    Your trip is going to be amazing and our weather should be nice! I love seeing the white mountain tops from my house! We might actually do a day trip to Banff this weekend :) There is a great candy store there called Welch's Chocolate Shop...it's awesome. LOTS of fudge places. It's expensive everywhere though :( Doesn't stop us from day trips for lunch...lol. We just love it there!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Love the first page of your Smash Book. This is going to be a fun project for you.

    ReplyDelete
  5. ooh! ooh! OOoOOoOOoOoh! miss shanna you are soooooooooooooo rockin' the travel journal!!! absolutely ♥LOVE♥ what you've done and YES, isn't it fun to just go wild with stickers and stamps and things?! i think you've really been smart to customize an existing book and set up as much as possible BEFORE you leave, it really does spur you on to have it READY to fill in! i think you're going to love adding to the book while you're on the trip... i love that this will really be a project for the whole *FAMILY* and predict that once this one is completed, you will never again be allowed to go on a trip without all of them saying, before you leave, "hey! did you make a travel book for us?!" b/c it turns out even the really non-crafty men of the world (aka LHJ!) looooove collecting "the stuff" whilst on a trip! so consider yourself warned, ok?

    ps: have an ♥♥♥AWESOME♥♥♥ fun, safe, amazing time!!!

    pss: FAB use of that map!!! swoon!!!!! ♥♥♥

    ReplyDelete
  6. What an awesome idea to remember your trip! I love your journal:I think the Smash Idea is fabulous (my daughter has one!) Have fun on your trip!

    Kristi♥

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting! I love to hear what you think of my work! :)