Smilebox Blog » Smilebox of the Week

Blog of the Week: The Barbie Doll

Hanna — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 17:31:59 +0000

Barbie is a drill team director from Pearland, Texas. On her blog, The Barbie Doll, she shares stories and photos about her life and family. Check out this adorable scrapbook she recently posted of her grandson, John, playing in the park. What a cutie!

Calling all bloggers! Our new Smilebox Blog of the Week program wants to feature your blog. From the hilarious tales of busy mothers to inspiration and ideas from avid scrapbookers, Smilebox want to put your blog in the spotlight. Each week, we will highlight one of our favorite blogs that uses Smilebox and post it right here on our own blog to share with others. If you are interested in being featured, e-mail a link to your blog to community@smilebox.com to be considered!

Blog of the Week: The Oliver’s Twist

Hanna — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:04:14 +0000

This week’s Blog of the Week comes to us from Brandi Oliver, of Keizer, Oregon. On her blog, The Oliver’s Twist, Brandi shares her family’s journey and experiences with Rubinstein-Taybi Syndrome (RTS). Brandi’s son Nathan was diagnosed with Rubistein-Taybi Syndrome when he was only two days old, and since then he has been experiencing symptoms of the disease such as facial anomalies, narrow air passages and obstructive sleep apnea.

Despite what may seem like a difficult journey, the Olivers still find time to enjoy life everyday. Watch this Smilebox that Brandi made of her family’s recent trip to the pumpkin patch. We are truly inspired by the Olivers’ story!

Smilebox Blog of the Week: The Gumdrop Kids

Hanna — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:43:04 +0000

This week’s Smilebox Blog of the Week takes us on a wild road trip across America, as Mike and Norene enjoy retirement by traveling, exploring and camping all over the country. In 2009 alone the Squint’s took 5 trips, spent 143 days on the road and visited 24 states- wow! The Squint’s current fall trip finds them heading West, stopping to hit various balloon and music festivals across the country. Following their love of dulcimer music, the Squint’s ended up in New Mexico at the first annual New Mexico Mountain Dulcimer Music Festival. Check out their Smilebox to see pictures and hear music from the event. You and read and see more highlights of their trip on their blog, Gumpdrop Kids, where the Squint’s regularly write (and Smilebox!) about their travels. Enjoy!

Blog of the Week: This Beautiful Place

Hanna — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:03:55 +0000

This week, our featured Smilebox Blog of the Week brings us to the magestic wetlands of Mastic Beach, New York.

On her blog, Alison Toon shares pcitures, stories and reflections upon life amidst the wetlands of Long Island’s Southern Shore. She describes this beautiful place as one of Long Island’s “best kept secrets” (until now!). Check out Alison’s breathtaking photos in the Smilebox below, and learn more about Mastic Beach on her blog.

Introducing the Smilebox Blog of the Week

Hanna — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:18:21 +0000

This week, we want to congratulate Dawn Lares of Farmington, Minnesota for being our first Blogger of the Week! On her fun and light-hearted blog, Mom-A-Logues, Dawn shares her entertaining experiences and stories about being the Mommy of two spunky little girls, Alexa, 5, and Lillian, 2. See how the Lares family has been enjoying summer in their Smilebox below and be sure to check out their blog to learn more about them!

Do you use Smilebox on your blog? Email your blog link to community@smilebox.com to be considered as the Smilebox Blog of the Week!

Heather Schichtel Smileboxes for a cause

Hanna — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:40:33 +0000

The stories that people choose to tell with Smilebox constantly surprise, amaze, and inspire us. We recently received this Smilebox from Heather Schichtel of Loveland, Colorado. Heather uses Smilebox as a fundraising tool as she trains to participate in a 155-mile benefit bike ride for Denver Children’s Hospital (THC)- a home away from home that the Schichtels, especially daughter Samantha, have become all too familiar with.

Samantha was born almost four years ago, to proud and excited parents. As the new family of three left the hospital with a seemingly healthy baby in hand, Heather couldn’t shake the feeling that something was “off.” She reassured herself of what the doctors had already told her: yes, Samantha was premature and a little small, but she would catch up to normal development in time, not to worry. So Heather shook off what she thought was just “new mommy jitters” and began to settle into her role caring for Samantha.

But after months of difficulties eating and no smiling or eye-contact from Samantha, Heather couldn’t ignore the feeling; she knew something was wrong. When Samantha started having seizures, doctors agreed too, but they couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was happening. Years of hospital visits and testing went by. THC, where the Schichtels so frequently spent sleepless nights, turned into a home, Samantha’s doctors grew from consultants into dear friends, and hospital beds turned into princess thrones.

Now, doctors believe that Samantha suffers from a mitochondrial disease, which means that her cells don’t produce enough energy for her body to function properly. As a result, Samantha experiences many reoccurring symptoms such as seizures and developmental delays. She also uses a feeding tube to help with nutrition, and can become very ill from just a common cold.

Heather has dedicated her life to caring for Samantha. Whether that means singing her to sleep when she has a fever, driving her to the hospital to have her feeding tube changed, or writing about her trials and successes on her blog- Samantha has become the largest part of Heather’s identity.

As part of Heather’s journey caring for Samantha, she has decided to ride in a 3-day, 155-mile fundraiser bike ride to benefit THC. Heather explains, “we give to Children’s because we are a part of the TCH community the same as they have touched our family. Because when Samantha needs to be there, I can’t imagine her in safer hands and because they truly do, love our girl.”

If you would like to watch her Smilebox. Thanks, Heather, for sharing your story. Your courage reminds of the unconditional strength of a mother’s love. We are so inspired by all that you do!

A glimpse of rural Haiti before the earthquake

Alicia — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 17:54:02 +0000

The stories that people choose to tell with Smilebox constantly surprise and delight us. Following last week’s tragic earthquake in Haiti, we received a Smilebox from Light For All (LiFA), a small, non-profit organization, that truly inspired us, and we’d like to share it with you.

Founded in 1997, LiFA has helped build and support a small school in Lhomond, Haiti, a very rural village south of Port au Prince. They have provided education and health care to this village with tremendous results; academic scores are superior to Haitian national schools and U.N.-run schools, and they have all but eliminated the occurrences of typhus and dysentery among children through vaccination and water pasteurization.

At the time of the quake, none of the Americans who work with LiFA were in Haiti, although their Haitian liason’s house in Port au Prince was destroyed. Fortunately, the village escaped major damage, and there are reports that the people of Port au Prince are flowing into Lhomond as a safe haven away from the dangers of the city.

This Smilebox slideshow features photos of the school that LiFA has helped maintain in Lhomond prior to the quake that devastated the capital. Says Communications Director Cathy Kelley, “We are quite proud of our work in Haiti and feel the slideshow tells a story of hope. Once the rubble is cleared away, there is hope for Haiti.”

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Smileboxes of the Week

Joanne Smilebox marketing — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:53:09 +0000

Here are three of our favorite Smilebox creations recounting 2007 and the holiday season from Sheri, Holly and Sandy. These show us that some of our favorite photo memories can be the candid snapshots we “accidentally” get like the those of Sheri’s kids doing Christmas crafts or of the baby gazing adoringly at his big brother in Sandy’s creation.