A fascinating article recently appeared in the Miami Herald about the potential therapetic benefits of scrapbooking to those suffering from Alzheimer’s and their caregivers.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common types of dementia. As well as bringing a variety of behavioral changes and progressive intellectual impairment, one of its most striking early symptoms is short term memory loss.

Scrapbooking can help caregivers cope with the challenges of their role by offering a means to preserve important family memories and thus connect with their patients in a valuable way.

The mental stimulation of scrapbooking as an activity can also be beneficial to sufferers and helps them to interact and promote a sense of achievement.

A weekend workshop is planned to educate caregivers about scrapbooking - read more in the article here.

Christmas is a great time for taking holiday photographs, and as with any memorable event, you want to be able to have your pictures and other mementos easily available to enjoy in the months and years ahead.

That’s why scrapbooking is such a popular way to archive material such as family photos. You can create an album around a specific theme or topic and organize your content in a way that matches your memory or experience of a happy occasion.

If you’re just starting out with scrapbooks, it’s a good idea to start small and use a special event to start you off. The holiday season is an excellent example of an event that provides lots of material and ideas to work with.

Christmas themes are popular for scrapbookers, and as the festive season approaches you’ll usually find a Christmas section for scrapbook supplies and materials.

Start with just a few embellishments and keep your album simple. You’ll probably find that you can come up with many decorative ideas and embellishments from everyday Christmas items, such as cards, wrapping paper, gift tags and so on.

If you have family or friends at your house for the holidays — or if you visit others — don’t forget you camera to capture those unplanned moments that reflect the fun and enjoyment of the occasion!