3 Ways to Celebrate Family History Month
"There are only two lasting bequests we can give our children - one is roots, and the other, wings." -- Hodding S. Carter
What a befitting quote because it's Family History Month! It's the perfect time to gather the family and learn more about your genealogy. I happen to find genealogy very fascinating. My mom has recently taken an interest in it too. She's using a software program that makes it super easy to record and store our family tree. Last Thanksgiving, I helped her scan some photos for it and learned a lot about our ancestry.
Have you looked back at your family history recently? Well, whether you are new to genealogy or a pro, check out ways to celebrate Family History Month throughout October (and into the holiday season):
1. Track Your Family History: Tracing your genealogy has gotten a lot easier. There are now many cool software programs that can help you store and organize your family history like these two below:
Family Tree Maker (from $89.00)
Family Tree Maker is one of the leaders in family history software. You can use it to help build your family tree, gather stories and photos and create books to share with your family. This Platinum Edition includes a six-month subscription to Ancestry.com. It's the world's largest online collection of family history records with more than 7 billion ancestors' names.
Family Tree Scrapbook Maker (from $6.99)
If you're like most families, you have plenty of boxes of photos and other family memorabilia. This Family Tree Scrapbook Maker will definitely come in handy. It will help you organize and preserve your family history, so that you can easily pass it on to the next generation.
2. Preserve Your Photos: Set aside time this month to preserve your old family photos. Then you can upload them onto your family tree software program. But first, you'll definitely need a good scanner like either one of these two models:
HP J4580 (from $69.90)
This handy all-in-one-printer copies, scans, and faxes. Plus it's economical and features a lower cost per page than most laser printers.
Epson Perfection V500 (from $170)
You'll find extraordinary quality and versatility in this Epson Perfection V500. It boasts 6400 DPI resolution and an earth-friendly LED light source for greater productivity.
1. Record Your Family Memories: Gather your patriatch/matriach and have have them tell their life story. Record it on video and you'll have your family history to look back on for years to come. Need a new camcorder? Well the large, clunky video cameras are a thing of the past. These two video cameras are small enough to fit into your pocket. They make it easy to record all of your special moments.
Creative Vado (from $39.99)
Capture your family memories with this sleek video camera from Creative Vado.
Recording great video is easy with features like one touch recording, 2x zoom and excellent low light performance. Sharing video is easy too, simply connect it to your PC with the flexible USB plug and the built-in software lets you save videos to your computer or post them directly to your family tree software program.
Pure Flip Mino - 60 Min. Camcorder (from $129.99)
This camcorder is packed with easy-to-use technologies that let you record memories as they happen. No manual settings and instant playback options make this camcorder a fast and fun way to record important events.
