This post was created in collaboration with Bonus Print.
It’s easy to write off 2020 as the worst year we’d all like to forget, but it was still a special year and filled with moments we’ll remember forever.
This year has been small in many ways, with big adventures replaced by microadventures. Things that seemed important suddenly became insignificant and we realized that family, friends, health, and home are the most important things we have.
I am very happy that I was able to take many photos in 2020. Most of our family photos are taken during vacations, but we forget to capture everyday moments. You end up with hundreds of photos from birthdays and trips abroad, but nothing at home. I used to have a tendency to get dust on my camera, but this year I tried to use my camera as much as possible. I also put a lot of effort into printing out my favorite photos. More about that in the photobook I created with bonus prints at the end of this post!
2020 has definitely been a year of microadventures for us. Most of our microadventures were in the form of walks somewhere new. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never taken so many walks!
In fact, it was a great opportunity to discover many places you can visit close to home. There are so many places I didn’t even know existed, and with the help of social media and knowledgeable local friends, I’ve found some new favorites.
Here are some of my favourite microadventures from 2020
portmeirion
We started the year by spending a night in Portmeirion in mid Wales to celebrate Sam’s birthday. We stayed in the castle and spent a lot of time eating, drinking and going for rainy day walks before returning to the comfort of a roaring fire. Ah, bliss.
Combermere Abbey
Our next trip in 2020 was to Combermere Abbey in Cheshire, where we stayed in a beautiful and cozy cottage. The weather was bad that weekend, but the cottage was so nice that it was okay to stay indoors.
tenerife island
Our next visit was to spend a week in sunny Tenerife celebrating my mother’s 60th birthday (and George’s 5th birthday on the same day!). We rented a large villa in Playa del Duque and had a really special week. I returned home when lockdown started, so I was really grateful for squeezing in a last-minute trip.
spring in the garden
My memories of the early days of lockdown revolve around the garden. We were very lucky to have that beautiful, sunny day and made the most of it by planting seeds, gardening, and enjoying our outdoor space. I don’t think I’m the only one who thinks those hours would have been really hard without the constant sunlight shining down on us.
Abersock summer
Our static caravan in Abersock finally reopened in July and we spent a wonderful 6 day weekend at the beach. We had been waiting for this moment for months and we were so happy to be back in our little sanctuary on the Llyn Peninsula.
Sam won a jet ski and I bought a paddleboard so we could spend lots of time on the water and have long sunny days at the beach. This six-week period for him was definitely the highlight of the year.
new experience
We were lucky enough to work with Curious Cymru at the end of the summer to try out two Airbnb experiences locally. The first was an introduction to beekeeping and the second was a historic bike ride around Anglesey.
Both are incredible and a great reminder of how much there is to see and do in our local area.
We also took the kids to Alton Towers for the first time and despite some coronavirus restrictions, Sam and I found it to be just as exciting as we remembered. I was so happy with how magical it turned out!
autumn walk
Autumn has begun and we are back in lockdown here in Wales, but schools remain open and we have made the most of our local woodland walks and autumn activities.
One of my favorite fall activities is visiting Magical Woodland, the most amazing light and sound show in the woods. As the name suggests, it was truly magical to see the forest come to life.
cozy christmas
Christmas was a little different this year, but with three young children, it was magical and exciting all the way. There was no party, but we had a great time at home. I felt so cozy and comfortable, and I was so grateful to have my family close by and to be safe and healthy.
Making a 2020 photo book with bonusprint
After having children, I became addicted to making photo books, and I make several every year. I make a new one for my mother every Christmas. She has an ever-growing stack and it’s so fun to look at it and watch the kids grow and change. I usually create one or two from my favorite holidays or important events or times.
What keeps me motivated to make it is watching my kids walk through it. They love to see themselves as babies and reminisce about their favorite adventures. It can also help you remember fond memories, especially when you were younger.
Top tip for family photo books: I make some of my “best” photo books and store them on a shelf where my sticky little hands can’t touch them. But I’m also making some books for kids so that if I’m around, they can look at the pictures without having to worry about the corners turning or the pages getting dirty!
This year I made a 2020 photo book using bonus prints and I love it.
i chose an extra large portrait book (27cm x 36cm) and created it on the Bonus Prints website using online tools. You can also download the software and create offline, which opens up more creative possibilities, but I’ve found that the online tool has more than enough features to create a simple photobook.
I created a folder on my computer desktop containing 88 of my favorite photos. In fact, the most difficult part when creating a photo book is choosing which photos to include!
Past experience has taught me that less is more, and it is always better to select the best than include everything.
Phone photos vs camera photos?
Photos taken with a camera look much better than photos taken with a mobile phone. You can’t tell the difference when you look at it on your phone, but when you print it out, you can see a huge difference in quality. We still print cell phone photos because they often capture candid moments in everyday life, but cell phone photos are now smaller and don’t take up the entire page of a photo book. I try to do so.
Once you have a folder of photos, we recommend using the smart assistant feature in Bonus Print to upload all your photos and automatically place them in your book. Arrange them well and ensure a variety of gorgeous layouts on each page.
You can adjust your photo book and rearrange its layout as needed. You can also prioritize your favorites and change the order of some photos. You can also add frames, clipart, masks, additional layouts, and more. I like to keep it simple so I can experiment!
that’s all. After confirming your order, your photo book will arrive in the mail. I promise to cherish it forever.
It’s competition time!
If you would like to win a photo book like this from the bonus prints, visit my Instagram page and enter!
As always, thank you for reading my blog and following my microadventures. We wish you all the best in 2021 and hope to see more microadventures to come!