I love to scrapbook with pictures taken from all of our family travels and girlfriend getaways, but sometimes it is hard for me to find the time to sit down and place them all in one book. One year, my mother gave me a scrapbook that highlighted parts of my childhood, milestones in my life, and my travel memories. I know she spent months putting all of this together. And she didn’t just do it for me, but for my brother also.
A collection of photos or a picture slideshow DVD makes a special gift and highlights important life events. Plus, there’s a 75% chance that the recipient will get a little weepy. I know when I put together a DVD of pictures for my brother’s rehearsal dinner, my mom, and the bride’s mom (as well as some various aunts and cousins) had to dab at their eyes while watching pics of the couple.
When a representative from CVS offered me the opportunity to check out the Kodak Picture Movie DVD process and their in-store photo books, I thought I would see what the big deal was about.
Personalized Photo Books
First you bring in your digital pictures on a memory card, CD, or USB flash drive to your local CVS Pharmacy Photo Center photo kiosk. Select “photo book” option. You can rearrange the photos, their sizes, and add text and various backgrounds. Each book is 10 pages long and can showcase up to 54 photos total in the 6” x 8” size. Ten additional pages can be added for an extra charge. I would suggest calling your local CVS Photo Center before driving there. The actual photo processing part takes an hour after you finish designing the book. The binding portion can take a little longer, depending upon if an employee is available for that aspect of the process. I went to my CVS at 12:30 pm and was told the book would be ready after 4:00 pm. That is still not too bad for such a nice gift.
4 x 6 holds 36 pictures – $5.99
6 x 8 holds 54 pictures – $12.99
8 x 10 holds 72 pictures – $14.99
Kodak Picture Movie DVD
I’ve made numerous musical slideshow DVDs over the years and I’m just going to let you all know that $14.99 for this product is really worth it. You just bring your digital photos and choose up to 40 to 60 of your favorites, and then add some of the pre-selected songs. The entire design process took me about 30 minutes because I played with it, zooming and panning out from different photos. After the design process, the DVD takes about 10 minutes to be processed and even comes with a personalized cover.
Either one of these products would make great and affordable Christmas gifts or just that added special something to commemorate a life event. And just as a little tip, if you don’t have a passport yes, CVS takes passport photos for HALF the price of the US Post Office. You can find your nearest CVS Pharmacy here.
One lucky reader can win a coupon for her (or his) very own 6 x 8 photo book from CVS. Just leave a comment telling us what special time in your life you would like to have documented in a photo book.
Regular TravelingMamas.com contest rules apply (US Citizen, no TM relatives, one entry per email address). Contest ends Tuesday, October 22, 2008 at midnight. Winner will be announced sometime on Wednesday October 23.