How I Saved Decades Of Family Memories To Digital So My Family Can Watch And Share Everything Online

Now you can stream your family home videos and photos to any modern device

Sometimes the best memories are the ones you didn’t even know you had… or thought you’d never see again.

I remember visiting my mom a few years back when she gave me a couple of boxes filled with a bunch of black and white photos, some negatives, and a reels of old 8mm film. Many were of her and her brother and sister when they were kids but there were also quite a few original photos of her parents and grandparents. They were timeless!

She shared that these were the only pictures left as many family heirlooms had been lost in a house fire in 1973. My mom was concerned that by the time her grandchildren were old enough to appreciate the photos and film of their distant relatives, everything would be too faded and deteriorated to enjoy.

Mom had good reason to be concerned, too. Videos, movie film, photos and slides all degrade over time until eventually they can’t be restored — lost forever.

She wanted to do something with them but like most people, she just kept putting it off because she was overwhelmed and didn’t know where to start. She actually put everything in plastic Zip-loc baggies hoping that would help preserve them.

It was clear my mom needed help, and sadly the clock was ticking.

Together, we dug into the boxes to start sorting. That’s when we found a photo album at the bottom of a box buried under some old hand-knitted blankets and embroidered doilies. I guess my mom must’ve forgotten about it because she had never shown me the pictures inside — old photos of my dad and mom before my sister, brother and I were born. My dad passed away when I was 4 and I barely remember him.

We cried together as we flipped through the album. At that moment, I knew I wanted to share everything with my dad’s sisters who were still alive, my brother and sister, and my kids too. But with everyone miles apart, it just wasn’t possible.

I had to find a way to preserve our precious heritage for our family and future generations.

I knew that I could digitize them myself, but I would need expensive equipment to do it right — not to mention hundreds of hours of scanning, cropping, retouching, color correcting and editing. Who has that kind of spare time and energy? I sure don’t.

I knew there are places that will do it for you, but I didn’t know who I could trust with all these precious, once-in-a-lifetime memories. Not to mention where do I start? How do I sort and organize them? If I ship them to a company, where do they go? How do I know they’ll get there safely?

I quickly realized why my mom never got around to doing anything with them — the project felt impossible and I was completely overwhelmed just thinking about it…

But I knew it had to be done!

On a mission for my family

While doing some comparison shopping and research to answer my questions, one company instantly stood out from the rest. It was a company located in Scottsdale, Arizona called iMemories.

Here are a few of the things that caught my attention right away:

• I wouldn’t need to organize or label anything ahead of time
• They work with all formats, including VHS tapes, camcorder tapes, film reels, photos, slides, and negatives
• iMemories digitally enhances faded and degraded photos and film for FREE
• They upload everything to their secure servers online, where you can stream everything to your computer, smartphone, tablet — even your TV — and easily share with your family. It’s like the “Netflix” of family memories.
• Since the company was founded back in 2006, they’ve digitized over 15 million memories for over 500,000 families and they’ve NEVER lost or damaged a single one. That is impressive!
• Their prices were very affordable and considering everything they do, I’m honestly surprised they don’t charge more for their services. (You can check out current pricing HERE.)

I knew I had the right company after watching this…

iMemories made the process easy and worry-free

Once I decided iMemories was the company I could trust, I decided to also have them digitize some photos and VHS tapes of mine along with the stuff my mom gave me.

The hardest part of the whole process was overcoming my own fear of letting all those memories out of my site — especially my mom’s! But iMemories made it so easy to track my memories every step of the way, that I never lost sleep wondering where they were or if I’d ever see them again.

Here’s how it works:

• I ordered their SafeShip Kit to send all my photos, film and VHS tapes in. The kit includes a crush-proof box, waterproof bags and protective bubble wrap.
• I put everything I want digitized in the kit and ship it for FREE using the free UPS shipping label they provide.
• I got an email with a FREE quote and link to my account to view everything I sent in to make sure it’s all accounted for.
• They digitize everything and the best part is, they provide FREE enhancements where needed.
• I got all my originals back!

Now I'm sharing and re-living memories with my family

Since getting all those incredible memories digitized, I can’t tell you how much enjoyment our family has gotten out of them. During my research, I read something pretty powerful. Someone said, “If your family photos and film are buried in boxes and those memories are never remembered or shared, do those memories really exist?” And it’s kinda true when you think about it.

It used to be I only flipped through my photo albums whenever I cleaned my closet or garage. I’d take a quick minute to reminisce and then that was it. Pack them back up and forget about them for another year or two.

Now, when I’m feeling nostalgic or our family is together and someone brings up a “hey, remember when…” memory, we can easily watch home video clips and pull up old photos right from my phone or tablet to re-live those moments.

It’s so fun! It really is like the “Netflix” of family memories!

Plus, I’ve finally been able to share my favorite memories on Facebook, which has been a great way to strengthen our family bond — no matter the distance — and keep our history alive.

I’m planning on using the iMemories app to create a family legacy DVD to give as a Christmas gift to everyone this year. I know it will be a huge hit and a treasured heirloom.

Mission accomplished!

Thanks to iMemories, my mom will never have to worry about any of our family’s memories fading away — both literally and figuratively. They’ll always be preserved now for her grandchildren — and her grandchildren’s grandchildren to enjoy!

I can’t thank iMemories enough for taking what was once an impossible task and making it easier than I could have ever imagined. The results were far better than I expected and I’m beyond grateful.

If you want to do what was once impossible — instantly sharing decades-old photos and film with friends and family anywhere in the world so you can laugh and cry together — then iMemories is a MUST! Learn More

iMemories Reviews

It may be helpful to know that I’m not the only one who’s had a good experience with iMemories. I went looking for Facebook comments and here are a few that I found: