Valentine Prep | Create a Photo Collage

Create a Photo Collage | Digital or using prints | Valentine Day |

For Today’s Valentine’s prep create a digital photo collage that tells a story, captures a vibe, or highlights a theme. Here’s a practical guide you can use right away, plus ready-to-use ideas.

The Basics:

Have a Purpose: Decide what the collage should convey. A memory? A mood? Pick what idea you want to share with the collage.

Choose a Format: Pick the size for the collage. A size that your printer can print makes collaging and framing easiest.

Mix photos to have a variety: Mix the types of photos you are using -wide, medium, close-up. Include both people and context to balance the collage.

Be Cohesive: Use a limited color palette or a single filter, if you are making a digital collage, to make images feel connected.

Text placement: Add a short caption or date if it helps tell the story, but don’t overdo it unless text is part of the collage.

Photo selection tips

8–15 photos is a good starting range for many templates; fewer for a bold, simple look, more for a full narrative. Include:

1 main image

3–5 supporting images that add context or contrast

2–6 detail shots (textures, objects, places)

Make sure to have a Balanced number of people, places, and things in the photographs to avoid a photo‑heavy collage that feels lopsided.

Choose at least one wide establishing shot and one close‑up or candid moment for the collage.

Check variety in lighting and color to avoid a jarring collage. For examples look at Pintrest or Adobe Express.

Layout ideas

Grids: Equal-sized images in a clean grid; good for social posts.

Main photo and a grid: One large center photo with smaller images radiating around it.

Timeline strip: A horizontal or vertical line of images that tells a chronological story.

Overlay and caption: One image with a semi-transparent color wash and a short caption/date. Easy to create with a digital file.

Design and editing tips

Aspect ratio: Decide early (square for IG posts, 4:3 or 16:9 for prints/wallpaper).

Color: Apply a unifying filter or adjust white balance so skin tones look natural and colors don’t clash.

Borders and shadows: Soft white/gray borders or subtle drop shadows help images separate without feeling busy.

Text: Use 1–2 fonts total; keep captions short (dates, locations, a few words). Ensure readability against any image.

Spacing: Leave consistent margins around images; avoid crowding—negative space helps the collage breathe.

Resolution: Export at least 300 PPI for prints; 1080×1080 or 1920×1080 for social, depending on platform.

Tools and templates to try

– Canva: Large library of collage templates; great for quick, polished results.

– Adobe Creative Cloud Express (formerly Spark): Easy templates and text options.

– Google Photos: Simple collage maker built into Photos app; fast for quick sharing.

Step-by-step easy workflow for a digital Collage

1) Define purpose and size: choose your final format (e.g., square 1080×1080).

2) Gather photos: pick 8–15 images that tell the story; grab a main photograph.

3) Pre-edit: lightly crop to the target aspect ratio; adjust exposure/white balance if needed.

4) Choose layout: pick a template or sketch a simple plan (hero center, others around).

5) Arrange and tune: place images, adjust sizes, add a subtle color wash if desired.

6) Add text only if it adds meaning: date, location, short caption.

7) Export: save high-resolution for prints; export optimized size for web.

8) Quick check: view on a phone and on a computer screen to ensure readability and balance.

February 3, 2026February 3, 2026

Create an Origami Note for your Loved One

Here is the link to the full article about Creating a Note for Valentines Day. Share the note today, February 3.

The full list of Valentine Countdown Activities | Today’s Article about Writing Notes

Simple origami note style you can create for Valentine’s day

Origami-inspired note formats are an interesting way to make the act of keeping a note feel special and decorative. Here are two simple ideas you can try today while writing a love note for Valentine’s day.

The pocket origami note

– What you need: a square sheet of paper (4 x 4 inches works well).

Instructions: Folding the Note.

1) Write your note on one side of the square.

2) Fold the paper in half horizontally to make a rectangle; crease well.

3) Fold the top edge down to meet the bottom edge, forming a smaller square; crease.

4) Fold the left and right edges toward the center to create a little pocket at the bottom.

5) Tuck the folded note into the pocket so you can pull it out when you’re ready to read it.

Why it’s worth creating an origami note: you get a tactile note you can carry in a binder or planner that invites you to keep it.

Idea 2: The origami bookmark-note

– What you need: a rectangle sheet of paper.

– How to fold:

1) Write your note on one side.

2) Fold the sheet in half lengthwise to create a long card.

3) Fold the top and bottom edges toward the center to form a slim, flat bookmark with a pocket in the middle for a small slip of paper containing your note.

This note doubles as a bookmark and a note carrier, so you can make the card again for different books or as your loved one finishes a chapter. The card is special but is still simple to make.

January 25, 2026January 25, 2026

| Packing for a Trip | Health Storey Newsletter 4 |

Daily goals to get you travel-ready and eating more vegetables this February.

As you plan trips and look toward a healthier routine, this week’s newsletter brings you a practical, easy-to-follow prep plan. We’ve lined up daily goals to get your space, your packing, and your meals on track—plus a February veggies spotlight to keep your plate vibrant even while you’re on the go.

This Week’s Daily Goals

– Monday, January 26: Empty Trash from House

– Tuesday, January 27: Organize a Drawer

– Wednesday, January 28: Vacuum the House

– Thursday, January 29: Prepare to Leave on a Trip

– Friday, January 30: Organize Travel Bags, Clean Them

– Saturday, January 31: Travel Luggage for a Weekend

– Sunday, February 1: February is About Eating More Vegetables

Healthy Travel Prep: Quick Tips

– Hydration on the go: Carry flavour packets. My favourite drink mix contains 3 grams of electrolytes that hydrate and add flavour to city tap water or bottle of water you purchase at the store. If you are packing light, you do not need to bring your own drink containers on your trip.

– Smart Lunch options: Before lunch or dinner, eat a handful of nuts to add protein to your meal. While traveling, your meals may not be as balanced or may contain less protein than at home.

-Focus on Neat Movement: You will be on a flight, spend the time at the airport standing or walking around. Track your mileage on your phone. Make sure to use the bathroom before getting on the plane and limit what you eat while flying. Grab a beverage when you land to drink while going through customs and picking up your luggage.

Sleep: Take ear buds and a travel pillow. You can buy a travel pillow at the airport for around ten dollars and give it to someone as a gift. Once you are at your destination, stay awake as long as you can to avoid jet lag. Carry a compact eye mask, earplugs, a small pillow, and a reusable tote for day trips.

Travel health kit: Grab the first aid kit you created for traveling and make sure it includes: basic bandages, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, any personal meds, homemade ginger candy.

Focus of February 2026 Daily Goals

Vegetables

– Veggies of the Month: Bok choy Mushrooms, Peppers and Lettuce. Each week the focus will be on adding vegetables to our rice for breakfast and lunch.

Topics for Feb: Quick Prep for Veggies, Storage ideas and nutritional information and research on different vegetables being added into the Daily Story month.

Category: 2026