9.25.2017

Make it Monday // 4 Halloween Planner DIYs

We've still got a week left in September but now is the perfect time to get our Halloween themed items in line for October.  100% I am going to do a Halloween each week in October!  I just love it!
All of these DIY's can be used for any planner.  I'm currently using a mini Happy Planner & personal size inserts still fit perfectly!

Personal Size Halloween Countdown Insert

I am printing this ASAP!  I love this little guy because it has a list on the back of movies to watch this October!  If you make this guy yourself you can add places to go or a Fall Bucket List to the back...or maybe a Halloween Bucket List.  You don't have to be a professional designer to use PicMonkey to create awesome inserts.  Grab the printable or learn to make your own here.

Halloween Note Pages

Speaking of inserts....who loves to pick out themed or seasonal notepads from the Target dollar spot?  I do, I do!! But you only use one or two of them because they are too pretty to actually write on.  Well, in this DIY you can make your own so that you don't feel guilty hoarding notepads.  Just print as many as you'd like then store them in PicMonkey's cloud storage system Hub or on your computer until next year.  Best thing?  You can make them in your own colors!  Grab the printable or learn to make your own here.

DIY Halloween Planner Band

This is such a fun & freaky DIY.  All you need is ribbon, elastic, a fabric flower, and some freaky faces...and you've got a fun planner band.  Adjust the elastic to fit around different planners (and you can even wear it as a hair bow if you're down!  Check out the post here.


Printable Halloween Countdown Stickers

If you want to countdown to Halloween another way, print out these stickers.  These are great for bigger planners like an Erin Condren or Happy Planner.  Check it out here.

I do hope you have a frightful month!  I'll be sharing some Halloween inspired marquee stickers too so you can mark all the Halloween movies you'll be watching, so keep a look out for those.

How do you mark Halloween in your planner?  Any specific spreads you're looking forward to?

xoxo, Moe

9.22.2017

How to Expertly Blend Essential Oils // Fall Edition

Today marks the Autumn Eqiunox.  During each equinox - one in the spring & one in the fall - the length of the day and of the night are nearly equal.  It officially marks movement into fall and gives you the proper permission to wear those boots you've been wearing since September first.  And you can officially hang your fall wreaths and sneak in Halloween decorations (don't worry, I do it to!)  If you'd like to get a little woo woo, this day also marks the start of Mabon one of three harvest holidays of the Wheel of the Year.  This holiday asks us to make time to express gratitude & observe balance (as night and day are nearly equal).  Since this is a harvest time, we can celebrate our successes or reap what we have sown through the past year.  We can also reflect up on what hasn't worked for us - what crops, ideas, or projects may have fallen short.   
Ultimately this time is a great big full moon.  If you follow along with the lunar cycles the New Moon (Spring) is a time for setting intentions, the First Quarter Moon (Summer) is a time for action, the Full Moon (Fall) is a time for gratitude and realization, and the Last Quarter Moon (Winter) is a time for reflecting & releasing.  Mabon marks the realization phase where we can celebrate the accomplishments towards our intentions or goals of the year.  Kinda like a check in with our resolutions.

You may be wondering why I'm throwing some woo woo into this blog post (or woo woo into this blog in general). I've found that honoring cycles to be the best thing for my mental clarity right now.  Since mindful has been my word of the year, I've connected so deeply to it.  Mindfulness is being aware.  Connecting to this word has made me realize that there are cycles to everything.  I mainly focused on this word in order to get a hold on my emotions and to swing fluidly through their cycles instead of getting overwhelmed and lashing out.  I want to experience and express the full range of emotions I am capable of feeling in a controlled, mindful manner.  I've realized there are cycles to this range of emotions.  Stress and overwhelm at my job, if not dealt with head on, will result in a manic uncontrollable episode where I am unable to control what I am feeling & end up exploding and running to the bathroom in tears.  This has happened multiple times.  The lighter emotions I can deal with, it's the cycle of the darker ones that I have trouble with.  So working with these cycles has become important to me it just so happens that there are already naturally occurring cycles - the moon phases, for example, as well as the seasons - that I can work with in this personal growth.  It just so happens that these cycles happen to fall into a traditionally woo woo area.  So this is the woo woo I bring into the blog because I believe this woo woo can help us all in our personal growth to our highest good.  Now onto the real meat of this post....essential oil blends!

Essential Oils for this Season

The best type of oils to work with during this season are ones that bring warmth, are grounding, & are uplifting.  Spicy & herbaceous oils like cinnamon, clove, basil & oregano will bring in warmth.  Grounding oils like root, wood and tree oils - cedarwood, vetiver, and fir oils - will connect you to the earth.  And citrus oils are uplifting, so mix in something soft & bright, like orange.  These are all the types of oils you can mix and match this season.

Warm Oils

There are several oils that are considered 'warm'.  This is for a multitude of reasons, but we're going to focus on two primary reasons - they can physically feel warming to the touch or their scent can evoke a sense of warming.  This is most commonly associated with spicy oils like cinnamon or clove, but can also extend to herbaceous oils like oregano.  Since we're going to diffuse these oils, we're not too concerned with a skin reaction here.  But be sure to use essential oils safely when applying them topically.

Diffusing different oils will have different emotional effects:
Spicy oils are known to affect the Sacral Chakra and evoke or balance energies associated with this center.  Spicy oils give connect us to our sense of self & our sense of empowerment and help us feel supported and protected in our community.  The Sacral Chakra has both to do with our relationship with ourselves and our relationship with others.  The spicy oils I like to use are the On Guard blend, Cinnamon, Frankincense, Ginger, & Clove.
Herbaceous oils connect with our Heart Chakras and evoke or balance energies associated with this center of love, kindness, & forgiveness.  Oils like Basil and Oregano are oils of emotion & contentedness.  Something I love to think about with these types of oils is that they come from herbs that we use to cook.  When cooking we're infusing our love & caring into the meal.  These are oils of nourishment and work great with the idea of harvesting crops.

Grounding Oils

These oils are made from roots & trees.  Because these oils are harvested from trees & roots, the emotional association is grounding, balance, and support.  Grounding oils connect with the Root Chakra.  This center connects us to the basic needs for life, it connects us to the earth.  Perfect for this season where we grow fond of the changing leaves and walks in nature.  Oils in this category for this season are Cedarwood, Vetiver, and Douglas Fir.

Uplifting Oils

Most citrus oils are bright & uplifting.  Uplifting oils connect with our Solar Plexus Chakra to bring a feeling of happiness to us.  They bring spontaneity, excitement, and creativity to us.  Warm, uplifting oils to use this season are Wild Orange, Kumquat, Tangerine, & Citrus Bliss.

Blending Essential Oils 

Diffuser blends are rather easy to create & the best ones come from a bit of experimentation!  A blend of 3 oils is best to begin with, and honestly the simplest blends often work the most effectively.  To start, choose 2-3 oils (one from each category) and unscrew the caps.  Hold the bottles towards your nose and move them around so that you're inhaling a blend of each of the scents.  You may find that two of the scents blend well together while the third may make the whole blend seem off.  You may choose to stick with just those two, or keep subbing in a different third oil until you find a blend that smells divine.  You may want to make a note of the blends you like so you can refer to them later.
When it comes to adding the oils to your diffuser start off with 2 drops of each oil.  If you want one scent to be more powerful, add more drops.  If a scent is too powerful, reduce the number of drops.  For example, I love Douglas Fir but I find the scent can be overwhelming so perhaps starting with one drop is better.  I find this same effect with Oregano.  Be sure to record how many drops you've used so that you can recreate your blend in the future.

Another tip when creating blends is to think about the emotions you'd like to align with & how you personally identify with each oil.  I've generalized the oil groupings here in this post, but you can use this as a base to research the emotional associations with each oil.  Or you can throw that all out of the window and go with your gut!  The later is my favorite way to work with oils!

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Feel free to add in any other oils you feel called to add when creating these blends.  Cypress, Peppermint, Juniper Berry, & Myrrh are great oils to add into this season.  I get my oils from Doterra to ensure they are of high quality.  If you'd like to learn more about getting started with the spiritual & emotional ways essential oils can enhance your life, I'd love to talk to you!  We can even get you set up with a Wholesale Account so that you can start to save some moolah on your essential oils!  If you're just looking to dip your toes in the water. join the email list below and grab your free copy of the ebook Getting Started with Essential Oils - Practical & Spiritual Uses.


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Even if you only get a wonderfully scented home from this post, that's enough for me! My goal is to share with you how essential oils can enhance your life....your job is to take that info and make it your own!  If you'd like to find more essential oil posts on the blog, find the articles here.  And don't forget to join the Five Sixteenths Blog | Live Creatively group on Facebook for more creative inspiration + some other fall blends!

xoxo, Moe

Ready to get started on your Essential Oil Journey?  Click here to learn more about doTERRA!

9.20.2017

Tarot Diaries // Tarot Birth Cards & Life Path Numbers

If you haven't noticed, there's been a lot of woo woo around these parts! Especially over on my instagram.  Tarot & oracle cards have quickly become my go to way to align myself and focus on my highest good. (oh and working with my Chakras! The Connected Chakras Affirmation deck is available here!)  There are a ton of ways to work with Tarot cards beyond choosing a spread, asking a questions, and reading or interpreting them.  For example, choose a specific card that appeals to you - like the 7 of Swords - and bring the meaning into your life.  Study it, work with it, journal with it....and then in the next week or month, choose another!  Today, though, I want to share with you Tarot Birth cards and why I love working with mine!
this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.
Tarot can reveal to you a lot about yourself.  I've said before that to me Tarot is not a predictive tool but rather a reflective tool.  Tarot reveals to us what we may not be seeing in our current situations.  Working with your Tarot Birth card can reveal a lot about who you are and where your path might be in life.  Coming back to these guys when you're feeling down, confused, and misaligned will help you remember your purpose & nudge you back on the right track!

What is a Life Path Number?

Your life path number is determined by adding the month + the day + the year of your birth.  For example:

March 29, 1978

Month : March is the third month, so 0 + 3 = 3

Day : 2 + 9 = 11, then continue to add the numbers until there is a single digit. 1 + 1= 2

Year : 1 + 9 + 7 + 8 + 25, continue to add the numbers until there is a single digit. 2 + 5 = 7

Life Path Number : 3 + 2 + 7 = 12, continue to add the numbers until there is a single digit. 1 +2 = 3

This persons Life Path Number is 3!

Each number has an assigned meaning based on numerology.  Each number can give an individual an idea of their life purpose as well as any challenges, obstacles, opportunities, and habits that may appear in the their life.  These numbers are reduced to single digits, though there are resources that list Life Path numbers as including both 11 & 22 as master numbers (this also comes into play with your Tarot Birth Card).  My favorite resource for reading more about your Life Path Number is Astro Style because of how in depth, but clear the outline of each number is.  I also love that the site shows you what alignment with your number looks like and what being out of alignment looks like!

Now that you have your Life Path Number you can translate this into your Tarot Birth Card.

What is a Tarot Birth Card?

Your Tarot Birth Card is three things - firstly it is the card of your Life Path Number, secondly is is the card of the numbers that create your Life Path Number, and finally it is only pulled from the 21 Major Arcana cards of the standard 78 card deck.  Most often the Fool is excluded..though I have see that used as 22 in some cases.  So from the individual in the example above has the Life Path Number of 3.  This means their Tarot Birth Card is the Empress, the third card in the Majors, but also the Hanged Man, the twelfth card of the Majors.  This is because 3 = 1 + 2, so 12.
So, your Tarot Birth Cards can also be a way to help you discover your purpose in life.  They can reveal the combination of archetypes that will be prevalent in your life.  Another thing to mention is that in the persons example above, the first birth card for this individual is 12, and the second card is 3.  Some find this unimportant but if you'd like to sort it as the primary theme and then the secondary theme, this will help.  So if the sum of your birthday reduces down to a single digit first, that number is your primary birth card.  Then the numbers that make up that number is your secondary card.  Hope that makes sense!

Working with Tarot Birth Cards & Life Path Numbers

My life path number is 7, which is the Chariot & the Tower.  The Tower scares the crap out of me and when I realized this was part of my Tarot Birth Card combo....it all sort of made sense.  This also goes a long with my Zodiac signs too, but that is another post!  I first learned about Tarot Birth Cards from the Biddy Tarot Podcast (part 1 & part 2) and found this article about the card pairings on one of my favorite Tarot blogs, Labyrinthos.  I also tend to use my personal Tarot associations as I work with my birth cards.
Working with your Tarot Birth Cards & Life Path Numbers can be personal to you but journaling can be a great way to connect with your numbers:

Start & Keep a Journal
Designate a place to keep all your information, reflections, and realization when it comes to your numbers.  Start off with the basic info you have about your number & your cards and build upon that foundation as time goes buy.  Use this as a place to reflect on how these numbers are showing up in your life.  Journal about how you feel aligned or out of alignment with these numbers.  Keep track of all the times you feel you're on your path & all the times you're off.  You can even journal about how you may feel this is bullshit too!  But chances are if you're journaling about it....you're at least a little bit open to it.

Gather Your Cards
Pull out your Tarot Birth Cards from the Major Arcana and pull out all of the cards from the 4 suits that match the single digit number.  So, I'd pull out the Tower & the Chariot as well as all of the sevens.  Keep these cards, or images of these cards, in your journal in order to have physical reminder of what each card looks like.  It might even be helpful to find the cards in multiple decks as the imagery of one deck may speak to you more than the imagery of another.  My two favorite decks to work with are the After Tarot & The Wild Unknown.  The imagery between the two is vastly different but comparing two decks like this can bring information forward that you may not identify in one deck by itslef.  Begin to work through & journal about the meaning of that number in each of the suits.  You can get started by reading more about connecting with the Tarot Card meanings here & downloading the study guide in the same post.

Implement What you've Learned
The most significant way to become aligned with your Life Path Number & your Tarot Birth Cards is to release what isn't serving you in order to get in line with your highest good.  If anything, these numbers give us a reason to be a better person.  These numbers allow us to strive to be our best selves.  It may be helpful to set intentions that will help align you with your path at the New Moon in order to form new habits.  Working with the moon & moving with the lunar cycle has really helped me discover more about myself!


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The whole point of these numbers is to be our best selves.  Here's the thing, there are some people out there who have no problem living their best life without things like Tarot cards, mediation, essential oils, and crystals.  But for me all of those things are physical reminders of the person I'd like to be.  They help me to switch into the mindset I'd like to be in.  And that is why I find things like this important.  We all want to live the best life we can, I just want to share with you reflective ways we can do that!

Lunar Newsletter

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If you'd like to learn more about working with the lunar cycles, consider signing up for the newsletter!  You'll get lunar advice every new & full moon as well as other important 516 info through out the month.  I'd love to have you join the creative community over in the Five Sixteenths | Live Creative group too.  There you'll find creative inspiration, resources, & lunar guidance to express your authentic self!  Can't wait to see you there.

If you'd like to read more about Tarot & my Tarot Journey, find all the posts here.

xoxo, Moe

9.18.2017

Make it Monday // DIY Traveler's Notebook from Scrapbook Paper

This past lunar cycle journaling has become my go to creative & self care outlet.  I love to sit and reflect, I love to decorate, and I love to see my page evolve!  In fact, over on the Printable of the Month Club on my Patreon page I shared a printable insert designed for a standard size traveler's notebook!  This has been the size I've been using recently and I love it.  It is perfectly portable but big enough to really feel like I'm getting some where. 
this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.
Today I want to share with you my take on this video tutorial on making your own traveler's notebook.  When I found this video, my mind was blown!  I couldn't believe she was able to make her own notebook!  There's even a tutorial on the popular B6 size now.  Not sure if I'm down for that size yet...but that's an option.  I've even created a cut file for you to use with a beautiful cut out in the front!  Let's jump in.
supplies // scrapbook paper, 3 mil laminating sheets, laminator, Cricut Explore, elastic, scoring tool, bone folder, scissors,  crop-a-dile big bite, planner charms (optional), adhesive pouch (optional), pocket page inserts (optional)
Start by choosing the scrapbook paper that you like.  You can create coordinating inserts by using a full paper collection or mix & match to your hearts content.  Double sided scrapbook paper works great for this project but I chose the Wildflower paper pad from American Crafts that I had in my stash.  This pad had some cut-a-parts which would be great to create a cohesive look.
Upload the SVG images to Cricut Design space.  Each file has a different sizing so make sure you size it properly - size the pink notebook cut file to be 10.5 inches wide, size the blue folder cut file to be 9.5 inches wide, size the yellow rectangle cut file to be 8.25 inches high.  Keep the proportions locked so that when you size one side, the other automatically sizes properly.  This part is also important - set all of the black lines to score.  Select the elements of each file & click attach.  This will make sure the score lines stay with the correct group.  Select Make It in the top right.  Place your scrapbook paper on your mat & let the machine cut it out.
Heat up your laminating machine and place the notebook template just cut by the Cricut Explore into the 3 mil pouch.  Put it through the laminator a few times until it is sealed.  You'll noticed I didn't to my standard 'laminate first then have the Cricut cut' because I like the look of the lamination on this project!

DOWNLOAD THE CUT FILES HERE!


Remember, the printables & files offered on the blog are for personal use only.  Do not pass this cut file or resulting project off as your own.  This project is not for commercial use.  As always, thank you for playing nice!
Trim down the laminated cover.  Be sure to leave a small outline of the laminate around the book.  Don't cut down to the edge of the paper.  Using the Crop-a-dile, repunch the holes in the spine.  The big bite is the best for this because you will be able to reach the center hole for the elastic that goes around the notebook.  Next, gently rescore the scorelines using your scoring tool ensure they are easy to fold.  Fold up the project and use the bone folder to crease the fold.

To thread the elastic into the notebook follow these instructions.  If you read slowly and thread with out distractions...you should be good to go!

Starting from the inside of the notebook, thread the elastic through hole 1 to the front of the notebook.  Thread the elastic from the outside of the notebook to the inside through hole 2.  Thread the elastic from the inside of the notebook through hole 3 to the outside of the notebook.  Thread the elastic from the outside of the notebook through hole 4 into the inside of the notebook.  Thread the elastic from the inside of the notebook through hole 5 to the outside of the notebook.  Thread the elastic from the outside of the notebook to the inside of the notebook through hole 6.  Thread the elastic from the inside of the notebook through hole 7 to the outside of the notebook.  Thread the elastic from the outside of the notebook through hole 8 to the inside of the notebook  And you're done!  You can now tie a knot.  Make sure that the elastics aren't too tight.  This may take a little bit of adjusting, so just fidget with it and be patient!
Now add the center elastic that binds the whole book together.  Cut a length of elastic and thread the two ends through the center hole from the outside of the notebook.  Measure it against the side of the notebook then tie a double knot so that the knot doesn't slip back through the hole.

Assemble the folder using the bone folder to crease each fold.  Glue the flaps down.  I use binder clips to keep the folder together while the glue dries.  I tend to use a corner rounder to make notches in the fold of the folder to better sit on the elastic.  But that is personal preference!

To create a mini dashboard or photo pocket, trim the binding off of a pocket page and fold it over.  Use the bone folder to crease the edges.
The final little embellishment is a little pocket on the inside back cover.  If you hoarded the Target Dollar Spot adhesive pockets, now is the time to bust them out!  Works perfectly!
You can make your own notebooks if you feel so bold - that's why the rectangle cut file was included!  As I mentioned above, if you're a part of the Patreon Printable of the Month Club you get access to an awesome planner insert!  I'm using mine for memory keeping.  If you'd like to join the Printable of the Month Club, it is only $3/month and as long as you're a patron you'll get access to an ever growing library of printables!!  Join here!
So, you can bind your own notebooks with this tutorial if you'd like or just staple them.  I don't own a long arm stapler, but I need one!  This traveler's notebook will fit any standard size notebook inserts so you don't have to bind your own.  The best part of this guy, though, is the wild & free cut out that shows the pattern on your first notebook!  I love it!  Here's how the book looks all put together:

Phew.....that was a long one!! But I hope it was helpful! I am going to make a thousand of these!  This is a great way to work through your paper pad stash too.

As always, I can't wait to see what you make!  Be sure to join the Cricut Ready Stickers group on Facebook to get your Cricut on and join the Five Sixteenths Blog | Live Creative group on Facebook to get your creative inspiration on!

xoxo, Moe

9.14.2017

How I Print Photos at Home for Memory Keeping

I haven't been doing too great a job at memory keeping this past year.  Honestly it all went down hill after the election, and I'm not even afraid to say that.  I just could not get back into my memory planner at the end of last year & I even have a whole new Erin Condren planner that went unused this year!  But memory keeping is important to me, no matter how long I put it off, so I've started to document our 2 trips this year in traveler's notebook inserts and have even started another mini memory keeping notebook/gratitude journal in my traveler's notebook.
this post contains affiliate links, please read my full disclosure here.
Printing pictures for these guys is the hard part for me.  I'm 100% a picture hoarder.  The fact that I can take 300 pictures of one thing on my smart phone means I'm left with 300 images with unnoticeable differences....but I'm afraid I'll choose the wrong one to use.  Size also really stresses me out.  When I was doing standard 6x6 Project Life albums I'd have to plan out all my photos for the month I was working on so that they would fit properly.  It became way too much for me! I also want to give another go at documenting on the road...that was a big failure for our Japan trip so I'm hoping I can salvage the notebook I was using and actually finish the project!

Anyway, printing pictures is the biggest point of memory keeping right?  And dealing with what pictures to print & the sizes...it's just much easier to print at home.  So here are my 3 ways I easily print my photos at home for my scrapbooking projects :

Polaroid Zip

This guy was an unexpected gift from Zach way back a year or so ago.  He was looking for something in the mail when he was out of town one week and I found a package, assumed that's what he was looking for, then bam Polaroid Zip!  Unfortunately I ruined the surprise but I was able to jump into the Polaroid Zip train.
This guy prints out about business card size pictures on glossy, sticky back paper.  It uses no ink so you don't have to worry about refills and it is super portable.  The paper packs are sold in individual packs of abut 10 sheets though you can purchase multiple packs of this paper in a bundle.  It connects to bluetooth and comes with a charging cable so that you can use it wirelessly once it is charged.  I keep my printer, the cord and a few extra packs of paper in a pencil pouch.  This printer is so small and portable you can carry it with you everyday if you want!  A lot of shops also sell custom decals for the front of these guys to make them extra spiffy!
The downside is that the print quality is not that great.  In order to get a decent print, you'll need to lighten or brighten your photo as the printer often prints darker.  For me, that results in printing multiple copies of the same image to make sure it looks alright.  Images that are already light work great but even white backgrounds turn a bit yellow when printed through this app.

All in all this guy is great for on the go memory keeping - I brought him to Japan and it was amazing to be able to print and stick my pictures down in the hotel room (and that hotel room was small!)  If I needed to charge it I could plug it into my laptop with the USB cable charger so no wall mounted charger was needed.


Canon Selphy

The Cannon Selphy is another rather small, portable printer made to make printing photos at home a breeze.  I purchased mine from Joanne's because they had the gold Teresa Collins edition (#aesthetic) but you can totally get this much, much cheaper from a place like Amazon. 
This guy is much, much larger than the Polaroid Zip.  It's a little brick!  It prints out 6x4 photos onto glossy paper.  It does have an ink pack that you install after so many odd prints.  Honestly, I just keep using mine until I notice the print quality diminishing!  The paper packs are sold with the ink cartridges and you can grab up quite a few packs at a time.  This printer connects to wifi instead of Bluetooth so you can't be on your device doing other things while you're printing pictures.  The image quality of this guy blows the Polaroid Zip out of the water, but it's still not true to color.  Instead of printing like an inkjet printer would, this guy lays down each color in layers.  Yellow, then blue, the pink, the green, then a top coat/sealant.  So you don't get as true to color photos as say with your home printer or from a professional printing place.
There are a few other downsides to this printer, in addition to having to connect to wifi.  One being the printer is not wireless.  You can purchase a battery pack for it, but it seems that it will make the printer a bit bigger and therefore less portable.  As it already is the size of a brick (kinda) & that means you'll have less space if you're going on a short trip or would like to take something like this to a planner meet up or crop.  I mean to each his own, I've seen others with this printer at planner meetups...it's not a big deal.  But traveling to some place on vacation (like Japan) makes this guy not the best option.  You have to bring the cable cord too, which has a large power converter type deal.  It just isn't as portable as it could be.
With those points being made, this printer is my favorite printer for memory keeping.  It is portable enough to take places I need to take it (like from my desk to the coffee table lol), the print quality is the best of the portable printers I have seen, and in the long run the paper is more affordable!  If I were traveling far, I would not bring this guy.  But documenting at home or at a crop/planner meet up, this is by far the best.

Print to Size + My Printer

Now if you don't have either of those guys I want to share with you how I printed photos before I had them - using my home printer.  The best part about your home printer is that you get to choose the paper finish.  I can't find any matte finish paper refills for either printer mentioned above.  I also can't find any generic refills which would make printing so much more affordable.  You can also buy in kand paper locally (though I save a butt ton on ink by purchasing through Amazon!) so you're not limited to specialty shops or online orders.
Previously I would print my photos by making collages and printing through Picasa.  Google has since phased out this editing program (so sad!) so now I use the app Print To Size on my iPhone along with other collage apps like PicFrame.  Print to Size allows you to size photos exactly as you'd like them to be printed by displaying the ratio, inches & DPI right on the screen.  Be sure not to enlarge your photos too much, 300 DPI is the print quality you're looking for in order for the images not to appear grainy.  You can also fit multiple images on your 8.5 x 11 inch canvas.  You can also choose the size of your canvas in order to print on a different sized paper.
When you're ready to print, the app should connect to your printer as long as you are on the same wireless network.  Simply select the printer & print!  You can also export as a JPG or PDF or even save the canvas to work on later.  If you're traveling to a friend's or family member's house and are able to use their printer you have a good shot of being able to memory keep easily on the go.  They may have a problem with you using up their ink, but other than that you should be good to go.
In this final photo, you can see the quality differences between the three different printers.  With the Zip, you have to crop the photo super narrow, the images are dark & grainy, and the colors are slighly off.  With the Selphy, you'll need to make a collage to print smaller photos, the color can be washed out but it tends to perform well with landscapes, & the image is not too dark.  With the Print to Size app + your home printer, you'll need to collage in order not to waste paper, the color depends on the quality of your printer, and it's not as portable.

I find that the only way you're really going to do something is if you have the tools available to you to actually do it.  When I try to print pictures through print apps or even at Walgreens I feel I have less control over what pictures I'm printing.  I need them to fit in the proper spot and the best way to ensure that is to print at home!


I hope this post was helpful for you and that you're either inspire to grab up one of these portable printers or to just actually print your photos from your phone if you're a photo hoarder like me!

How do you print your photos?  How do you memory keep?

xoxo, Moe