Are you like me and do you have a computer full of digital images of your kids? Images just idling on your hard drive (and hopefully backed up somewhere smart too)? I used to be really good at printing pictures and putting them in albums, but now I have about 4 years of pictures languishing on my system. I need a solution that is efficient and not time consuming.

Enter the photo book. These have really taken off in popularity, and I am totally on the bandwagon. There are a number of companies out there, online and in stores, that will take your digital photos and arrange them artfully into a professional looking bound volume. Pretty sweet, hey?

This weekend I’m trying out a new service (new to me) – Elephoto – to make a photo album to commemorate our first trip to Disneyworld this past October. Elephoto is a Canadian company, which I love. Supporting Canadian is important to me, and not having to potentially pay duties or brokerage fees for a US product is a bonus.  Elephoto is owned by The Printing House, a family-owned company that has been in business for over 50 years, so you know you are working with experience.  All products and processes are environmentally friendly, using papers sourced from certified responsibly-managed forests.

The process of building your photobook is really simple – Choose your album size; Choose your design; Upload your images. You can choose to have Elephoto automatically fill your album, or you can place and edit all images yourself. I went with the latter option, which takes more time, but fits nicely with my control freak nature. Individual images can be zoomed, cleaned up, moved around, re-sized, and cropped. It was fun to play with my pictures and get them just the way I wanted them. The drag and drop feature made the whole process very straightforward.

Album choices include 8.5×11 landscape and portrait orientations, as well as 8inch or 12inch squares.  Page designs for different occasions are available, including Canada Day and Valentines. There are wedding and baby templates, and many more!

I chose an 8×8 book, which starts at $29.95 for 20 pages. I ended up with 44 pages in mine, and picked a brown leather cover. My total was $41.  Elephoto is committed to printing and shipping photobooks within three days. That’s fast! The estimate for standard shipping is that you will have your product within 6-8 days of ordering; just 4 days with their express shipping option.

Photobooks make great gifts, especially for grandparents or any relatives who live far away. Sharing your memories in pictures can make everyone feel closer. You can order an Elephoto photobook with express shipping right through Dec. 20 and receive it in time for Christmas. The turnaround and delivery time from this Canadian company is super!

Or maybe now is the time to start thinking about keeping holiday memories alive by creating a photobook of images from your 2011 Christmas or Hanukkah celebrations.  Available templates include lovely Christmas and Winter options for a special look.  And Elephoto is generously offering a 15% discount for PracticalMum readers, good on orders placed by January 31, 2012. Just enter the offer code PRACTICAL15 at checkout. This is a great opportunity to try out their service, at the perfect time of year!

Click here to win a $50 credit at Elephoto to make your own book!

For more information on Elephoto, and to browse their other photo gift products, please visit their website, or connect with them on Facebook or Twitter.

About Deborah Coombs

Deborah is a busy mom, step-mom, wife, friend, and 9-5 worker, surrounded by a little too much testosterone with a 5 year-old son, 16 year-old step-son, plus a husband to look after. Whew! In her never-ending quest to keep her kids entertained and her house reasonably safe from appearing on an episode of Hoarders, she is always on the lookout for new products and ideas and is delighted to share her experiences with anyone who wishes to listen. You can also find her blogging at Raising My Boys.

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