I am a scrapbook enthusiast. When I found out I was pregnant, I was in scrapper's heaven. What better subject to fuel my scrapbooking addiction than the pregnancy, birth, and growth of my child! Boy was I in for a reality check.

When my son was born, I learned exactly what it takes to be a parent: an investment of lots and lots of time. Between taking care of my son, the house, and myself, scrapping became an even lower priority on my list of things that needed to be done. Instead of planning my next pages, I began watching the pile of pictures grow and wondering when I would find time to even organize them, let alone add them to a scrapbook.

After 3 months of trying to fit scrapbooking into an already full daily schedule, I became distraught. Even when I'd schedule time into my day to scrapbook, something would happen and I wouldn't be able to keep my appointment with myself. What was I going to do? I wanted the time to myself, but I also didn't want to neglect my son or inconvenience my husband. There had to be a compromise.

It took another week before the topic was brought into conversation. I asked my husband if he would mind watching the baby for a couple of hours so I could get a few pages planned or some photos sorted. The big date came, and my time was constantly interrupted with cries of help from my husband.

Finally, I talked to a friend who had the same problems with her first child. She offered some tips to help me fit some 'me time' in without feeling like I was stealing time away from my son or inconveniencing anyone.

1. You can do a lot in 15 minutes. It might not seem like a large amount of time, but four 15-minute spats in 1 day is an hour. In 15 minutes, you can sort more than a handful of photos, or crop your sorted photos, or mount, or journal, or embellish. 2. You don't have to finish it all in one sitting. Some of my best scrapbook pages have actually taken several 15-minute sessions to create. Before it has the chance to be completed, I've walked away from it and came back with a fresh perspective or new ideas. 3. Schedule evenings to get together with friends and crop. I found I was less likely to get interrupted by my husband if I had a friend or two also working on their scrapbooks with me. Also, if you go over to a friend's house, you're avoiding the interruptions altogether. 4. Work on the basics first, then go back and embellish. I figured out that getting the photos on the page and the journaling done was the hardest part. Once the basics of the page were put together, it usually took me little time to add the embellishments. 5. Take your photos with you to crop. If you have a doctor's appointment, or have to be some place that requires some period of wait, what better way to spend that time then by cropping your photos? I purchased a trimmer specifically for photos sized 4" by 6". It fits in the diaper bag or my purse and is ready to pull out at a moment's notice. 6. If all else fails, get your children interested in your hobby. While my son is still too young to do this with, many children love telling their side of the story. Asking your 5 year-old to journal about her last birthday party is a great way to preserve the memory for her in later years as well as assist you in getting those pages in her album complete. Besides that, you're passing on a wonderful hobby and legacy to her that could carry on to future generations, along with spending that much needed quality time with her.

Following the tips above not only helped me better manage my time, but has also helped me to become a more efficient and organized scrapbooker. And making weekly dates with friends to scrapbook has also given me some much needed adult interaction time. So whether you're a stay-at-home mom or your life is consumed by other demands, you can find the time! It just takes a little bit of organization, some determination, and you will rid yourself of the exasperation of having your scrapbook projects pile up on you.

About the author:

Melissa Williams is a wife and mother of a beautiful baby boy. She is an avid scrapbooker, card maker, crocheter, and all around creative person. She lives in Michigan, and aspires to start her own business selling handmade cards and scrapbooking services. Melissa is an author on Writing.Com ( http://www.Writing.Com/ )