Tuesday, October 27, 2009

My Blog in Print

Ever since I started blogging I have wondered how I could preserve what I write here long term. Let's face it, the Internet is likely to gone the way of eight tracks by the time our kids are grown. I knew I couldn't just save them in electronic form, computers and the software they run are obsolete faster than I can inhale a small chocolate bar (oh what I would give for a chocolate bar followed by a Carmel latte chaser right now - the elimination diet is not going well can you tell?).

I did a post about this about this very issue back in June. Some suggested Shutterfly where you can make a fancy photo book including your blog posts. I started that and realized it would take me hundreds of hours to make it worth anything and frankly, for the amount they may get read, it just wasn't worth my time. Also, the lack of patience I possess would have had me rocking in the fetal position suckling a bottle of vodka like a newborn partway through my posts from 2006, also the year I began this here blog.

Then someone pointed me to Blog 2 Print. I remember who but if it was you I am laying a great big wet smack on your cheek right now. That ought keep anyone from fessing up, no?

This service, well let's just say it's the next best thing since sliced bread. It pulls it all together FOR YOU. All you do is give your URL and specify the dates for the posts to pull and it spits this out to you, mailed right to your door.

Blog 2 Print Blog 2 Print Blog to Print

Now, I can't lie, it wasn't that easy. I decided that I wanted to separate posts about the boys from posts about me. To remove the posts I didn't want pulled into the book I just went through and unpublished all the posts I didn't want - don't worry, they are not gone, merely saved as draft to be re posted at a later date. I made a book for each year except for 2007 which I split into two books because there were too many photos. The first one came in the mail the other day and it's pretty neat to have a book to flip through.

It allows me ample opportunity to reminisce over my little baby boys. They were aged five and two in 2006 and ever so wee compared to now. And then I cringe over the hideous "writing" and the overuse of smiley faces and exclamation points. They grow physically, emotionally and intellectually, my writing has grown (I think). We'll call it even.

I am very happy with this book and the 2007 and 2008 ones are being shipped shortly. I will then begin the process of republishing posts about me and unpublishing those about the boys so I can have my very own narcissistic book titled "1 2 3 All About Me". It will be handy when I am old and have no memory. I can read about this crazy woman who overused exclamation points with two adorable boys and had hormonal issues. I can't hardly wait.

And last but not least, Blog 2 Print is doing a fall promotion. If use the code fall4b2p to purchase a book before November 9, 2009 you will receive 20% off. They told me to share it with my friends and my friends, they are you!

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14 comments:

teeni said...

Awesome! I think I have seen this once before but I forgot about it again. I know I'd have to do a lot of clean up before I could use such a service but I know it would be a great way to immortalize the heart of a blog! Good find, Kami! Looks like yours came out wonderfully! :)

Laski said...

I so need to do this!

And, just so you know--there is NOTHING wrong with your use of exclamation points!

NOTHING!

Cheryl said...

I love that idea and will order one up for my IVF and pregnancy journey.
Thanks Kami!!!!!

Angella said...

I've been MEANING to do this for two years. Maybe I should finally do it!

Unknown said...

that's awesome...but i'd have to do TONS of editing if I really wanted a book about my kids... lol.

oops. :)

Loukia said...

Fantastic idea and one I will absolutely do soon! I'm just wondering, couldn't you just tell them which dates you wanted them to publish, so you don't have to through the trouble of putting the posts you don't want in the book as draft? Wouldn't that maybe be easier? I woudl love to do this!!

nicole said...

Cool! I was rereading some old posts yesterday (trying to find out when I started showing last pregnancy, to compare to now--vain much?) and I think my writing has gotten worse! Even my random posts were better written than the slop I serve up these days. I'm never reading my archives again.

Kristin said...

Really cool! Thanks for sharing! I love this idea!

Unknown said...

Wow, so cool Kam! This could make up for my TOTAL lack of scrapbooking lately. I will have to look into it, someday....

Ashley said...

Thanks for sharing! We are absolutely going to do this!

Ed said...

This is cool. I'm hoping it will support my blog as I've got neither blogger, wordpress or typepad.

BeachMama said...

Awesome idea, perhaps I should print some off before it becomes even more overwhelming.

Kami said...

Such a cool idea!

Karen MEG said...

I'd read about this a while ago too, but I never saw the results of anyone who'd had them printed. Yours look great! I wish I could get organized by Nov. 9 - I've got almost 5 years of stuff- accckkk!!!