It was December 30th when I realized we didn’t have our 2013 calendar ready. I spent a few hours on New Year’s Eve morning and a couple more the next evening putting together our fourth homemade calendar. As always, we’re sharing the file so you can download it and swap in your own photos and quotes to personalize it—just like we did in prior years.
Over the years these calendars have become more decorative than strictly functional and have turned into a bit of a tradition. It began in 2010 and each year we’ve followed a similar, narrow format with brightly colored text. In earlier versions we used inside jokes and quirky phrases, then tied month numbers to personal facts, and in 2012 we introduced photographs—black and white snapshots chosen to echo a moment from that month the prior year.
This year’s edition blends the best of past versions: humorous lines, personal touches, and black-and-white photos. I’m probably biased, but this is my favorite so far. It makes me sentimental about our little girl—those clipped quotes from her (gathered from the “Clara Conversations” posts) are hilarious and sweet. The Instagram photos paired with each quote weren’t always taken at the exact moment the words were spoken, but together they create a nice portrait of our chatty child. One of my favorites is when Sherry said, “Helmets keep the head safe,” and Clara replied, “Helmets keep the head face!”
As in years past, I created a stripped down Photoshop version of the calendar for you to download. Each layer corresponds to one month, so you can show a single layer, add your photo and quote, print that layer, then move on to the next. If you’re new to Photoshop there are many tutorials and resources available to help you learn the basics.
Below you can see all twelve months at a glance.
Because some of Clara’s quotes are hard to read at that size, here’s a clearer list of the twelve lines featured in the calendar, starting with January:
- “Mommy’s awake! Now I can scream!”
- “He has pretty hair like a lady.” (Originally said about Scar from The Lion King)
- “It’s Cinderinda!” (What she calls Cinderella)
- “I’m a little teapot, short and shout. Here is my cupcake, here is my shout.”
- “Don’t be shy. Be friendly!”
- “I smell like strawberries!” (Her response when we suggested she smelled like she had a dirty diaper)
- “Helmets keep the head face!”
- “Baa baa, black sheep, have you any chickens?”
- “We have to go to Home Depot to change your diaper.” (Said to one of her dolls)
- “I don’t have a beard. I just have a little chin.”
- “Daddy’s workin’. Don’t bobber him.”
- “Her name will be Santa Claus and she will bring me toys.” (Said while pretending to have a little sister)
To assemble the physical calendar we print each page on cardstock using a home printer (we use an HP Photosmart C4780), trim the edges, punch a hole at the top, and it’s ready to hang. Simple materials and a little time make a charming, personal calendar you can enjoy all year.
How about you—what kind of calendar are you using this year? Do you keep a decorative paper calendar for the home and a separate functional planner, or do you rely entirely on digital tools for date-keeping?