Having just celebrated the turning of another page, at least on our calendars, it is a natural time to make some promises to ourselves about the direction we would like to take in the coming year. However, no matter how well intended these goals may be, they have a tendency to fall by the wayside all to often as the year progresses. Hence, people interviewed on the street these days will tell you, "I don't make resolutions because I have always broken them." One way to keep from sliding into this pattern of failure is to set attainable goals, which are followed with specific objectives. As one applies this method to scrapbook resolutions, the seemingly lofty becomes attainable. What are your plans for your scrapbooking this year? Do you have specific goals in mind? Have you laid out several objectives which will help you work toward those goals? This article is a "How-To" for those of you who wish to keep your scrapbooking resolutions.

Here are three quick tips to help you get excited about working on those Chirstmas scrapbook pages for which you now have plenty photos.
Tip 1 - Mix it Up: If you find yourself in a scrapbooking rut, take a second to mix up two elements on your next layout. Do you always put the title at the top and the journaling at the bottom? Then try switching them on your next page. This week's feature layout puts the journaling box at the top of the page.
Tip 2 - Pop it Up: Pull out your double sided adhesive foam tape squares or dots and add some "pop" to your next layout. Select elements of the layout that you want to lift from the background just a bit and you will add that "little something extra" to your scrapbook page. Simple embellishments that you can make yourself, like the poinsettia shown here, look great mounted on foam tape on your scrapbook pages.
Tip 3 - Find a Focal Point: The best way to make a quick scrapbook page that still looks great is to really make sure that you have selected a focal point photograph. Design the page around that photo, let it tell the story, and you will have a fantastic scrapbook page. For help on ways to create a focal point read "5 Tips for Creating a Focal Point on Your Scrapbook Pages."

The holidays are such a busy time for most scrapbookers that it is almost impossible to get any scrapbooking done. So instead of trying to carve out time for scrapbooking, over the next two weeks, just make sure that you take lots of pictures. Plan ahead so that you get photos of everything that you will want to include in your scrapbook later. Use these ideas to get started:

Christmas Eve and Day Traditions - Does your family have something that you do every year that makes Christmas extra special?

Christmas Decorations - Take photos of your favorite ornaments or decorations and then you will be able to create a scrapbook page that tells why those are important to you.

Opening Presents - Have each child or family member hold up their favorite or most special gift and take a photo. In January, you can make a page that lets them tell what they loved about that gift.

Pick some favorite sketches now that you want to use on scrapbook pages later. Store these with paper colors and embellishments and you will be able to put pages together in a snap.

The number of days until Christmas are quickly ticking down. If you are like me, you still have way too much to do and too little time and money to do it. This week, I thought you might like a reminder of the free resources here on About.com Scrapbooking that you can use to create gifts, and make cards and gift tags.

Christmas Tree Card Patterns: This gallery includes 9 ways to make a Christmas tree on a greeting card, tag, or scrapbook page.

Scrapbook Ornaments and Cubes: Here you can find patterns for two different types of scrapbooked ornaments and also the instructions for the adorable wooden scrapbook cubes. These make a great gift for your children's grandparents.

Scrapbook Gift Ideas: From mini books to decorated wooden words, here you can find a wide variety of projects that you can complete in time for the holidays.