Fortunately, there are a couple services that will let blog owners print a book from the material and pictures hosted on blogs.

Blog2Print

One site is called Blog2Print which uses your blog login information to access your blog posts and pictures.  You can then organize the blog posts, pictures, etc. and create your book.

I’m not a fan of letting other websites have access to login information from different accounts, so my suggestion is to change your blog password before and then after you use the service.

Pricing for Blog2Print is about what you’d expect for self-created picture book.  If your blog has hundreds and hundreds of posts that you think will probably fill up a number of printed books at large cost, you could try their feature of priting to a PDF.  You could then take the PDF and have it printed somewhere else.

Blog2Print Website

Blurb BookSmart

With BookSmart by Blurb you download software to your computer that helps you organize the information from you blog.  You can then create your book.  Pricing is pretty good with this option, but you will need to install the software on your computer.

If you have a lot of posts which would equate to a lot of pages which in turn would mean more costly a book, try creating your book with the Black and White option.  The prices are much lower compared to the color books.  Save color for your printed photos if you’re planning to use your blog and print it as a journal.

BookSmart really does provide a rather wonderful selection of book types and pricing options which makes their service quite competitive.

Blurb Website

Other Book Printing Websites

There are other websites that you can use to print books but that don’t have the integration to pull information from your blog in an integrated and easy way (that we could find at least):

Lulu (a great service)

Lulu is a major printer/publisher.  If you have your book ready, Lulu can print your book, allow you to sell it from their or your own website.  Another great thing about Lulu is that you can start by purchasing just one copy of your book, but if you want more copies later, they can print it up.  It’s print on demand.

Lulu Website

MyPublisher

MyPublisher is used often for photo books.  You can receive discounts for MyPublisher by searching for MyPublisher Coupons on the Internet.  If you have a Costco membership, you might be able to get a discount as well (at least you could in the past from the Costco website).

MyPublisher Website

BookSurge by Amazon

BookSurge is similar to Lulu but integrates very well with Amazon.com if you are looking to sell your book/journal online (maybe you’re a movie star and lots of people want to read it or something).

BookSurge Website

No matter which option you choose, be selective of the types of posts you put into your book.  If your blog features more pictures of your cat than it does of you or your family, your family might not get as big of a kick out of reading the book.  So, keep the content interesting and original, and you’ll have a great book!

Below are a few ideas on how to keep going and to find what you’re looking for

1. Take a break - Believe it or not, but taking a break can be one of the best things to keep you moving forward.  Returning back after a break can help you with new insight and approach your research in new ways.
2. Enlist help – Getting the help of others when you’ve come to a dead end can be a crucial step to finding what you’re looking for.  Obviously, the easiest people to get help from are your immediate family; however, it’s possible that their information is similar to you own.  Go to the oldest living relative in the line and see what they know.  They may have old records in the home that they forgot about.  You can also go to your local family history library and ask for help.  Another method is to try to get help from people across the Internet.  There are plenty of sites such as genealogy.com and ancestry.com where you can connect with other researchers. 
3. Use online tools and databases – You’ve probably already done this in your search, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it.  If you cant find your records at ancestry.com or familysearch.org, try doing Google searches.  Search for the name of the person, put quotes around the first and last name as an option to find records on the Internet with an exact match.  Try including any dates or approximate dates you may have.  Many individuals have posted their family records online; they may have posted something about a common ancestor that you share too.
4. Go wide - It’s possible that the record you have isn’t the name that the person used or it is spelled differently.  Try widening your research to include a wider date range and various spellings of the name.
5. Visit the location where the records may be – Lots of towns have records but are not posted online.  If you’re up for a trip, try locating cemeteries, churches, and state buildings in the city where you think your ancestor lived.  Ask all over for places to get records.  Find the family history library in the vicinity (helps to do this in advance) and ask for help there.

Whether you’re a veteran researcher or a newbie, taking different and unique approaches can sometimes pay off big.  Good luck, and happy searching.

First, you’ll need to upload or enter some of your family history information into the Ancestry Family Tree Program (on the web). After entering or uploading information for a few relatives (you’ll need locations in what you enter), you’ll be able to see information for a relative on a map.

This is not only helpful for understanding the areas where your ancestors may have lived, but you’ll also be able to see if a certain event took place near a cemetery, school, church, etc. where you might be able to search and find new records.

To get started with your family tree: Start Your Family Tree

To get started with Ancestry’s other features: Free Trial – Ancestry.com World Deluxe Membership

Remember the wall that Sirius Black had in the Harry Potter book Order of the Phoenix?  We’re talking about something like that, just a little more compact to fit 510 names of ancestors.

I came across The FamilyRoots Circle Pedigree a while back and started filling out the chart as a personal challenge.  I have to admit that I have one quarter of the chart that I haven’t gotten to, but I’ve been able to fill out about 280 names so far.  

It’s interesting to see how far back you can trace one line while perhaps another, only a few generations back, has no records you can find.  It seems like if a bunch can be traced back nine generations, then the few that stop only 3 or 4 generation in shouldn’t be that hard to track down.

Filling out a chart like this also helps you to see the commonality of names in your family tree.  We had an exorbitant number (okay I’m exaggerating, but we do have a lot) of ancestors named Elizabeth in my family tree.  So, when our first daughter was born, what did we do?  We carried on the tradition, so that someday nine generations into the future, someone can look back and name their child Elizabeth as well (or maybe not).

The chart allows for room to put dates and locations.  If you have any Puritan roots, it’s fun to see names such as “Thankful” and “Content” in the family tree.

If you feel up to the challenge, you can purchase the FamilyRoots poster (it’s 37″ by 37″) and start filling out your family line (see http://familyrootsorganizer.com/lessons/charts.htm or http://www.123genealogy.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=3)

To get started, there are a couple places where you can find information on your family line (with any luck, one of your distant cousins, may have done a lot of the hard work for you.  Don’t you wish you were nicer to them at the family reunions?  Oh never mind).

- Great Family Tree Research Tools -

FamilySearch.org – FamilySearch.org has millions and millions and millions of names, and you can browse the names in a pedigree or “Family Tree” format.  Access to the data is free; however, you may need to start a few generations back in your search results to an ancestor that you know of that has already passed away.  I used FamilySearch to get a lot of the info I needed for my chart.  We downloaded the information in the the Personal Ancestral File program (PAF) which is made freely available as well.

Ancestry.com – Ancestry.com is another great resource.  It requires a subscription, but if you’re looking to find more than just names (such as digital copies of newspaper articles, birth certificates, war records, etc.) you’ve come to the right, and perhaps the best place.

So take the challenge, see if you can get 510 ancestors on your wall (well, at least their names).

Multiple people can add notes to a picture. For example, say you have a scanned photo of an old family photo but don’t know who’s in it. Upload your picture, and ask Grandma to identify who the people are in the picture by clicking on the people in the picture and adding a short description.

When you put your mouse cursor over the updated picture, the comments appear.

There’s not cost to uploading the pictures, and you can upload an unlimited quantity.

Vietnam Memorial Project

The site also has recently launched the Vietnam Memorial project in which visitors to the Footnote website can search for names on the Vietnam Memorial Wall and see details about the names, places and battles.

Search the wall by name, home town, enlistment type, or service branch.

Visit Footnote.com

Al Caholic, Anita Bath, Sloth Washington, Mayor Bland, and Gamble Moore are just a sampling of the names some poor folk had to endure during their lives.

From the database at Ancestry.com,
comes a book that reveals bad baby names throughout the century. The names have been taken from census and other records. Some are pretty hard to believe.

You may find some strange names in your family genealogy. If you have puritan roots you may find “Thankful” or “Content” but hopefully, you won’t find any as bad as “Doctor Love”, “Seymour Butz”, or some of the other wacky names parents have actually used.

Read the feature on the Today show or watch the Today Show video about the names/book below:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23631411

Take the book on a road trip and enjoy the fun. The book is available at Amazon.com: Bad Baby Names: The Worst True Names Parents Saddled Their Kids With, and You Can Too!

There are a few simple tips when taking pictures of family members to keep in a family history book or file.

Photo Tip #1: Zoom In

Your pictures will look ten times better if you zoom in or get closer to the person you are photographing. By taking a picture that encapsulates your subject head-to-toe, you lose a lot of facial detail and expression. If your subject is not a body builder or super model, they’ll probably appreciate a facial portrait rather than a full body shot.

Full shots are great, and you’ll definitely want some in your collection, but for family history purposes, you’ll probably want to capture more the essence and expression of your family member/subject.

For instance, the photo below is a great artistic photo. It makes good use of “depth of field” and is a fun composition with the flowers and the family holding hands.

It’s a great photo, no doubt about it. However, if you take a look at the picture below, you’ll see why zooming in or moving in closer to your subject greatly enhances the picture. There’s no fancy foreground or background in the picture (there’s actually no background), but you can really get a sense for the people in the picture.

Your pictures will instantly look better if you just move in a little closer. You’ll also avoid the “I-feel-uncomfortable-standing-in-front-of-the-camera-and-I -don’t-know-what-to-do-with-my-arms-syndrome.” How many times have you posed for a picture and just felt uncomfortable the way you were standing? You just didn’t feel natural and didn’t know what to do with your arms…at the side, folded, hands in pockets, etc. (One way to avoid this is to put weight on one foot and not equally on both.)

Photo Tip #2: Get Good Light

Too bright, and your pictures will be washed out, too dark, and you won’t be able to see anything–lighting is key to taking a good picture. Taking pictures outside in the morning and evening hours provides good natural light. Taking pictures at noon and early afternoon makes lots of unhappy squinters. Go for soft, natural light. If you have to take pictures during the day, try placing your subject in the shade.

Try different angles. The light can come from the side. If you have a removable or adjustable flash, try bouncing the flash off the ceiling or from the side. This will help eliminate harsh shadows behind the subject.

Photo Tip #3: Compose In 3rds

You don’t always have to place your subject smack-dab in the center of the picture. Put them to the right or left side of the frame. It will ad variety and a different dynamic into the picture.

Photo Tip #4: Small Group Shots

If you’re taking pictures of a group, you normally have to scoot way back to fit everyone into the frame. That’s fine for a single shot, but try taking pictures in smaller groups and zooming in on the faces of the individuals (see tip #1). If it’s a family picture, take the group shot, and then split the group up by taking a picture of the parents with each child. You’ll also want a picture of just the parents alone and each child alone. It’s great to have sister, uncle, brother, cousin, etc. in the pictures, but a few generations down the road, descendants will be mostly interested in the individual they are most closely related to.

Since digital pictures really don’t cost anything (unless you print them), go ahead and take a bunch. Your posterity will thank you.

That should be enough to get you started, but once you have your pictures, remember to organize them and name them.

Many people have wondered where they can search the genealogy information found in the Indexing Project. As of this writing, the information can be found at the “Labs” section of FamilySearch.org.

Create an account for free to view and search the records. Among many types of records, you’ll be able to search are:

• Census Records
• Court Records
• Vital Records
• Military Records

Information has been indexed from various countries including the United States, England, Mexico, Canada, and many others. Search the indexed information or even browse the images of the original documents.

The interface is fairly intuitive and is not cluttered by too many links or instructions. The site appears to be using some sort of AJAX or AJAX-like programing which means the web page doesn’t need to be refreshed each time you click on a link or enter information. This saves a lot of time if you’re on a slower Internet connection and it makes for a better look-and-feel for the website.

This search site will probably graduation from the Labs section at some point, but it’s great to have access to the records even while the project is still in its beginnings.

Occupations such as yeoman, wright, longshoreman, cooper, whig, yatman, and more are probably going to be pretty hard to find on someone’s business card today.  However, in the past, and on ship and census records, you may come across terms like these more often.  It’s fascinating to see the definitions of the various occupations.

To help you out in finding and defining occupational terms, choose from the links below which detail many “old” occupations and their definitions (perhaps you’ll find an old term that you would like to adopt for yourself):

• http://www.familyhistory101.com/encyclopedia/job-A.html
• http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgwkidz/oldjobs.htm
• http://genealogyfix.tripod.com/jobdesc.html
• http://www.genealogy-quest.com/glossaries/occupations1.html

If you find a job title that you can’t understand in your research, you can also visit Dictionary.com to look up the definition. Another source for discovering more about a certain type of occupation is Wikipedia.

Ancestor occupations can provide tremendous insight into the life of your ancestor. A coal miner is going to have a much different life experience than an ancestor that worked in an accounting office.

Take special note if your ancestors left their country of origin to seek a new life and switched occupations.  In today’s world, people change occupations quite frequently.  A few hundred years ago, it might take several generations worth of the same occupation until a change was brought about.  Consider the hardships that an ancestor may have had in changing occupations and you’ll appreciate even more the struggles they went through to build a better life and future for their family.

A strong family will help ensure a family history worth keeping and a desire to make the most of it. There are many ways to strengthen the family and to better your family history. Spending time together and staying connected when apart are key to building a good family and memorable family history.

Spending Time Together – As simple as it sounds, spending time together with your family will help strengthen your family and your family history. One side of my family gets together for family reunions (these are big events). We enjoy the events and loads of family history info has been shared and swapped as a result. Unfortunately, on the other side of my family, it’s been decades and decades since the whole clan got together. There has been little shared in the way of family history. It’s not too late for us, but if you get started early, sharing family history will be much easier down the road, and hey, you might just have a more fulfilling family life.

Below are a few ideas of things you can do to strengthen your family ties. These are simple ideas, but the simple things are what can make the most profound difference if enacted on a regular basis:

• Eat a home-cooked meal together (with your immediate and extended family).
• Do yard work together (we have a “Help Grandpa Day” that is simply fantastic).
• Perform an act of service to the community together.
• Make a family video with pictures and music.
• Share family pictures during the holidays of what each family has done during the year (a 2-5 minute time limit isn’t a bad idea for this activity).
• Take a family vacation with the extended family.
• Visit the National Parks or State near your home.
• Turn that television off and go enjoy the out-of-doors with your family.

Staying Connected When Apart – Since we can’t always be together as families, there are many tools that we can take advantage of to stay connected with family while apart. It’s a shame not to take a part in some of these fascinating tools we have.

Email - If you don’t have or use email very much, I suggest you reconsider. Writing letters can make a big difference and are a treasure when saved, but writing emails is a great option because they are delivered much faster than conventional mail, it’s free to send, and it’s easy to store and preserve.

Many folks have an email address set up with their Internet Service Provider (the company that you use to receive the Internet). Getting your email through your Internet service provider isn’t such a great idea. I’ve had plenty of family members that keep changing their email address because they keep changing their Internet Service Provider. It’s a hassle for everyone. Try getting a free email account from Google’s Gmail. You’ll get plenty of storage space for your pictures and no advertisements will be placed in the bottom of the emails that you send to others (other free email accounts do this, but not Gmail).

Webcam - Using a webcam (camera hooked up to your computer) is a great way to stay connected with family members. If Grandma can use it, so can you. Just ask the resident “geek” in the family (just about every family has one) to help you set it up. Try using Skype for your video conferencing using your webcam. Skype is a free video conferencing software. You can also make national and international calls with Skype for well below the rates you’ll pay with your telephone company. The calls can be made from your computer’s microphone or from a special Skype phone that hooks into your computer. We had a family member do this on a trip to Asia and it worked better than calling on the regular phone!

Phone Home for Free – My favorite pick is ooma for staying connected to family by phone. With Ooma, you make a one time purchase of the Ooma Hub. You plug you Internet connection into the Hub and your phone into the Hub as well. You now have no more phone bill because your calls are routed through the Internet. That means free long distance to family members and you can still use your regular phones (no need to purchase a special phone). The person on the other end of the conversation doesn’t need to have any special adapter to receive your call.

I have an Ooma box, and I love it, love it, love it. The voice quality is great. The Ooma service will store voice mail for you, and you can even check and listen to your voice mail online after you log into the Ooma Lounge.

You can check to see if your current phone number is “portable” which means you can transfer your number completely over to Ooma from your old service provider without a break in service. If your old number can’t be ported for some reason, you can still use the land-line backup option which will retain your old number for you. You can also select the option for a brand new phone number.

Eliminate Your Monthly Phone Bill with ooma!

Whether away or at home, have fun, and stay connected. A better present-day family relationship will make for a better family history now and in the future.