Blog posts

Centimorgans explain how DNA testing sites measure family relationships. Learn what a cM number means and how it points to real cousins and relatives.

Step by step instructions for downloading your raw DNA data file from AncestryDNA and 23andMe, plus how to store it safely once it is on your computer.

Learn how to use GEDmatch tools, including One-to-Many matching and Admixture calculators, with a plain English guide to five free features.

Learn how to organize cloud photo storage with 7 practical steps for sorting, naming, and tagging photos so your family's memories stay easy to find for years.

A plain English guide to mitochondrial DNA testing for genealogy, what an mtDNA test can and cannot tell you, and when it is actually worth ordering one.

Learn how to clean a tombstone safely, why household cleaners damage old stone, and why you need permission before you start restoring a grave.

Learn how to store old family letters the right way, from removing rusty staples to choosing archival folders and transcribing them before they fade.

Learn how to preserve an old family bible with archival safe handling, cleaning, repair, and storage tips that protect its pages for generations.

A beginner's guide to FamilySearch Full-Text Search, showing how to search unindexed land, probate, and court records using wildcards and filters.

See what a real grocery bill cost in the 1900s, from six cent bread to butter at forty cents a pound, based on official government price records.