Where to see us in the first half of 2019

from the Family ChartMasters Calendar

Save the Date

We are looking forward to 2019! When will we see you? 

  

27 Feb - 2 Mar 2019 RootsTech in Salt Lake City.  We just received word that we have a great spot up front to show off our charts in the vendor's hall.  We're super excited to display our 2018 favorites and all of the new trends we are working with to show off your family history.  I'll be giving a new lecture "Heirloom, Documentation or Junk"

3-6 Apr 2019 New England Regional Genealogical Conference in Manchester New Hampshire.  We love New England and we're always so excited to see this conference roll around again.  I'll be giving my super popular Archiving Lessons From My Great-Grandfather's Family History Records lecture as well as the 6 Steps to Choreograph Your Research Across the Internet.  I have to leave this conference a little early so we're actually looking for a little help in the booth.  If you are planning to be close by (or know someone who is) and want a free ticket to the conference and some extra money, let us know in a return email.  

1-4th May 2019 Ohio State Genealogical Conference in Mason Ohio.  We haven't been back to Ohio for a while so we're super excited about this one.  I'll be speaking on Where to Start When You Get Stuck, and Heirloom, Documentation or Junk.  Will we see you there?
30 May-1 Jun 2019 Southern California Genealogical Society Jamboree in Burbank California.  It's the 50th anniversary of one of our favorite conferences so we'll be doing something special there to celebrate.  Stay tuned. 

Family History Puts History in Context

From our newsletter.

We've done charts for some amazing families this holiday season.  All families are amazing, but there were a few details this year that were striking.  We did one for a mob family that was fascinating.  We created a chart for a wealthy, self-made American family that married into one of the great European dynasties with lots of intrigue and difficult situations.  And my personal favorite--one of our charts included an astronaut who had died--the place of death listed was not on the earth.  It is such an honor to be able to help display these family histories.  

Without giving too many details, I have to tell you how striking it was for me to see history within the context of a family.  To see the photos of the humble beginnings and how each family had changed and shifted through time was amazing.  And seeing where each family is now, the relationships they've developed and the great heights and depths they have gone through was so moving to me.  And I'm not even a member of these families.  With every chart we send off, we hope that the family loves it as much as we do.  

Whether or not you can look up your family members in Wikipedia, seeing your own people and the way your family has moved through time is much more spectacular than all the examples we could ever show you in our gallery.  And our talented designers always come up with incredible, personalized designs for each of our client's incredible families.  Let us know when you are ready for a family history masterpiece.  We're excited to help you show off your incredible history too. 

Holiday Family History Activites

The kids are home from school for a couple of weeks.  Or maybe you have grandkids visiting?  I'm sure you'll do some fun things together, but I hope you'll also incorporate your family history.  As I've said many many times before, family history is the one thing that your family shares, that no one else shares with you.  It brings so many healthy benefits to your descendants and it is the best team building exercise there is.  So here are a few ideas about how to incorporate a little family history into your holiday break.  

And speaking of breaks.. we will only have a skeleton staff on call until we all come back into the office on January 8th.  Our team has worked incredibly hard this last couple of months to make sure all of our clients have the perfect holiday gift.  So we feel that they really need and deserve some time off to spend with their families.  If you need a chart soon, feel free to send your information in for a free consultation at https://familychartmasters.com/consult but just know that we'll be a little slower through the holidays.  If you need it soon though--feel free to tell us what your deadline is.  We'll always work really hard to meet any deadlines you have.  

And now on to the ideas...

1. Watch your family history together.  Ready for a nice relaxing movie all wrapped up in blankets and drinking cocoa?  How about picking one with a family history theme?  Maybe there is a show with ties to your family history.. such as Fiddler on the Roof or Gone with the Wind.  Or you could choose a show that celebrates family history such as Disney's Moana or Coco.  

Make a gingerbread house of a historic place in your family

2. Cook your family history together.  I've shared many times how much my family's holiday cooking takes in our family history.  This year I bought some Krankenkake molds and we're going to try this new recipe together.  As you cook together, or eat together, make sure you pass on the history behind your tradition.  

 

3. Fill out a chart together.  With our new 2019 on-trend designs, you can inspire descendants to new genealogical heights as you work on a chart for their own home together.  Filling out a chart can prompt story telling and explanations that may not come up otherwise.  The perfect takeaway from Grandma's house.  

4. Talk about the heirlooms you have (and maybe gift them to family members).  Maybe you have some holiday heirlooms on display.  Or maybe you have a box set aside that needs to be organized.  Get your family involved in family history by giving them ownership and helping them see the interesting assets you have in your family.  

5. Check out more ideas in our Zap the Grandma Gap books.  The Zap the Grandma Gap books and workbooks are chock full of ideas for family activities that work with kids of all ages (even my Dad)  Order the physical books or get them quickly in eBook form at zapthegrandmagap.com

Let me know how it goes at janet@familychartmasters.com.  And watch the blog--I'll report back too.  Have a wonderful holiday break!

Gift Certificate Sale

familychartmasters.com/christmas 

We've come to the end of the shipping window and we've sent out some AMAZING charts.  We love helping family history researchers display the information they have gathered.  It is so spectacular to see how families move and change through time.  So many beautiful photos and so many heartfelt memories.  We are so honored to help you display and share your history.  

Sometimes people are intimidated to create charts for others because they either don't have access to the files themselves or they aren't sure which lines to include/exclude, or they are worried that what designs their family and friends would like. Have no fear. Gift certificates were invented for these very reasons.

If you didn't get a chance this year to create a chart hand in hand with one of our designers, there's still hope.  We have a fantastic year-end sale going on for 20% off our immediate print- and-give certificates.  Our new gift Certificates come with all of the instructions on how to create an amazing chart:

Save $25 on the $100 certificate and $62.50 on the $250 gift certificate 

and you'll be all set to work with one of our designers to create the perfect chart.  

Get yours at

familychartmasters.com/christmas 

Gift Certificates are also available in smaller denominations at 20% off at https://familychartmasters.com/gift-certificates. 

 Just use the code "HolidayGC18" at check out.

Sale ends December 31, 2018

The time is now

Just a reminder....

We're swamped and I don't know how many rush orders we'll be able to accept this year.  So the sooner the better.  Otherwise, we'll be delighted to help you after the holidays.

Family History for the Holidays. Roundup of the best ideas...

Family History for your Holiday Gatherings: Best Ideas

from our newsletter

We've been blogging at The Chart Chick now for over 10 years, and Zap the Grandma Gap for 7 years, dishing out great ideas about how to share family history with your family.  Over that time, we've talked about how to utilize family history in your family gatherings to create more unity and strengthen your relationships.  And what better time to have a family gathering than during the holidays?  Whether your family is getting together for Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Three Kings Day, Chinese New Year or all of the above, be sure to talk about your family history together.  Here are some ideas to help:

1. Share Heirloom Family Recipes
We've shared many of our ancestors family recipes over the years, on our blog and in our Zap the Grandma Gap books, but a family favorite for this time of year has to be Kim's Mother's Cranberry Salad Recipe.  It is super simple and super delicious.  You can find it on our post at "Happy Thanksgiving from our House to Yours" and see the video my kids made about it on our YouTube channel.  While you are cooking this year, ask your family to help create a video to share some of your family recipes with extended family members and record them for posterity.  

2. Decorate With Your Family History
We're all about decorating with family history charts aren't we?  If you haven't created a chart with us yet, we'd love to get you started with a free consultation.  But we've also got lots of ideas about decorating with your photos.  You probably have family heirlooms that have to do with the holidays too.  Make sure you are sharing the stories behind these items as your family gets together this year.  Check out our posts about family history table decorations, the ChristmasTree my daughter made, and decorating using family heirlooms for ideas.  

3. Talk about Your Family History
Get the conversations going during the family gathering with our articles on 10 Questions to Ask Around The Table, or 20 Questions for Your Table.  The holidays are a great time to interview older relatives, create videos, and take lots of pictures.  Make sure you are capturing the resources you have now to preserve your history.  

4. Capture the History You Are Creating Now
One of the best ideas we have shared for a family activity during the holidays is to create a time capsule. Intentionally creating an heirloom for future generations helps you be thankful for the time you have now. It could be a collection of artifacts you store for a year, or 10 years but it will be a treasure in a very short time.  Check out our hints in our Time Capsules post for ideas of what to collect and how to store it.  

We hope you have a wonderful time together as you celebrate the winter holidays coming up.  We wish you all the best, from our families to yours.  

All New 2019 Fill-In-The-Blank Chart designs

The designers at Family ChartMasters have been hard at work lately coming up with all new fill-in-the-blank designs for 2019.  Ready for you early for the holidays.  Take a look:

Boston 4 generations 20x24

Branson 4 generations 20x24

Concord 6 generations 20x24

Dublin 6 generations 20x24

Fairbanks 7 generations 20x24

Fresno 6 generations 20x24

Milan 6 generations 20x24

Monaco 7 generations 20x24

Montreal Green 5 generations 20x24

Montreal Red 5 generations 20x24

Ottawa 7 generations 20x24

Savannah 7 generations 20x24

Seattle 7 generations 20x24

Stockholm 4 generations 20x24

Vienna 5 generations 20x24

Sydney 7 generations 20x24

Tacoma 6 generations 20x24

Topeka 6 generations 20x24

Look at these adorable new circle charts too:  First, perfect for a nursery...

Brussels 5 generations 20x24

Burssels 5 generations 20x24

And these beautiful new bright on trend circle charts.  Fill in with different colored markers or metallics for a fun family history display...

Cordova 7 generations 20x24

Marseilles 4 generation 20x24 blue

Marseilles 4 generation 20x24 Desert

Marseilles 4 generation 20x24 Pink

Marseilles 4 generation 20x24 Purple

We've added different sizes too with some beautiful styles.  Check out the 23x36 collection...

Denver 8 generation 24x36

 Mesa 8 generation 24x36

Montreal Couple Green 5 generation 24x36

Montreal Couple Red 5 generation 24x36

Vienna 5-7 generation 24x36

And then we come to the large charts--for serious family historians who want to put everything out where they can see it.  Lots of room for notes and extra relatives.  Check these out:

New York 9 generations 24x74.  Perfect for the back of an office door.

Oslo 9 generations 36x36

Oslo 11 generations 42x42

Paris 11 generations 42x60

Tokyo 11 generations with room for notations up to 15 generations  42x96

Place your order now at https://familychartmasters.com/blank-charts.  Until November 30th, all blank charts are 50% off with the code "FILLIN2019"