Friday, November 28, 2025

Vivid-Pix Deep Discount Cyber Weekend Pricing Now thru Tues., Dec. 2, 2025

Vivid-Pix has created two deep discount cyber weekend sales that end Tuesday, December 2, 2025. Use discount code FF2025 to get this pricing.


Deep Discount #1

Memory Station Software Patent-pending software, with intuitive interface and large buttons, makes it easy to scan, restore photos and documents, record memories and combine to create stories. Reminiscing about life pulls memories from shoeboxes and memory banks. Individual and Multi-generational re-living of yesterday and yesteryear provides connection and understanding through photo-based activities that are fun – and provide social and health benefits. 

Rather than buying the computer and the software bundle, this uses your existing Windows computer and scanner (even scanner/printers), and scans in archival quality, combines images with new and imported voice and music recordings, creates audio/video stories, transcribes 130 languages audio to text and saves text into image metadata for preservation and sharing. 

Regular price $199.99 so the 50 percent off Friends Price makes is on sale for $100. 

Not sure? There is a free trial of the software. 

Previous Purchasers, be sure to download the free update and user guide: https://www.vivid-pix.com/download/

Deep Discount #2

The Caregiver Bundle makes a great gift for someone you care for -- and -- someone they care for. The Caregiver Bundle includes Memory Station Home Edition Software, Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) for Families course, and a pre-paid coupon for a 10-pack of Memory Cards.

Purchased separately, providing $319.98 in goods - Friends Price: $149.95 - save over 50%.

FYI: The Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) For Families and Loved Ones – Joshua Freitas, PhD [No Certification] Designed for paid and unpaid caregivers, this course provides instruction to implement pRT – as described by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Reminiscence Therapy (RT) involves the discussion of past activities, events and experiences with another person or group of people, usually with the aid of tangible prompts such as photographs, household,and other familiar items…” Note: it is available as a separate purchase. Regular price is $79.00 for just this course.

A 10-pack of Memory Cards are individualized, professionally printed 5"x7" durable cards you create using a photo and entering in three prompts regarding that photo. Regular price is $39.99.

 

First a caution. Make sure you are seeing the sale pricing you are expecting before clicking the buy button. After adding your item to the cart, go to the cart and click the coupon code and enter this sale's code. The sale price should now show. Did you put in the coupon code correctly? FF2025

The website's Holiday Sale is on its Gift Guide page. That sale runs until January 4, 2026. It has its own discount code, HOLIDAY2025. See our prior post on this sale.

Our Tip #1 is look to the where the home-user level is talked about.


See you soon at our favorite library!
LE


Wednesday, November 26, 2025

RootsMagic 11 Black Friday Weekend Sale

RootsMagic has started its Black Friday Weekend Sale. This sale ends Tuesday, December 2, 2025, 11:59 pm MT.

RootsMagic first-time purchases for yourself or as a gift ...
$29.95 New or Gift regular price $39.95 
so save $10.

RootsMagic prior version owners save on upgrades too
$19.95 Upgrade regular price $39.95 
so save 50%.

These are the prices for the download of the software. For a USB with the software add on $10 plus shipping.

RootsMagic runs on Windows or Mac and is a one-time purchase (updates are included) until the next version is released (an upgrade.) There is free support.

There is also a free-version RootsMagic Essentials that allows you to use the program and see if it works for you. See our post about RootsMagic 11's release back in September.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Sunday, November 23, 2025

Legacy Family Tree Webinars Black Friday Sale, Save 50% on Family Tree Webinars

Legacy Family Tree Webinars has started its Black Friday Sale according to an email received this morning. It is offering a one-year membership to the webinar subscription service (regularly $49.95 per year) for first-time members aka new subscribers for $24.98 -- that is 50 percent off! (Note: This sale can not be combined with other discounts.)

 

This is a limited-time offer! The 50% OFF Holiday Sale begins Nov 23, 2025, and expires Sunday, Nov 30, 2025, at 11:59 pm MT. Don't miss your chance to secure the best pricing of the year!

Surprisingly, the Legacy Family Tree Webinars website does not yet reflect the Black Friday pricing. But the coupon code holiday2025 does appear to work.

Family Tree Webinars Membership gets you 24/7 access to over 2,500+ full-length webinars/classes covering a very wide variety of genealogy-related subjects and the handouts/syllabus to those webinars/classes.

See you at our favorite library!
LE




MyHeritage DNA Black Friday Sale Lowest Price EVER! $25 until Dec. 28 at 11:59 pm

This morning MyHeritage released its Black Friday Sale that ends November 28, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. The autosomal DNA test is regularly $89. It is now its LOWEST PRICE EVER at $25.






There are two options:

MyHeritage DNA test for $25, plus taxes and shipping. Usually there is an offer to purchase two test kits and get free standard shipping.

MyHeritage DNA test plus 30-day Complete free trail* for $25, plus taxes and free shipping.

*After 30 days, you'll enjoy a 50% discount and be charged $299 $149 for the first year. The Complete subscription renews annually. You can cancel anytime.

Remember, MyHeritage ended its DNA uploads of DNA test data from other DNA genealogy testing sites back in August 2025. So now you do have to test directly with MyHeritage DNA.

In October MyHeritage announced it is transitioning to Whole Genome Sequencing of its MyHeritage DNA tests. We mentioned it in this post. Though this morning's email announcing this sale mentions the whole genome sequencing BUT we have found no official confirmations that all tests received are now being processed as whole genome sequencing. It is supposed to happen before the end of the year. We suggest taking advantage of the lowest price ever sale and if possible holding off taking the test and sending it in until we can confirm all DNA samples will be processed with Whole Genome Sequencing.

Of course, if that elder family member or a specific family member and time or availability is the issue, do the test before you can't do it. 

As soon as we hear that all DNA samples are processed with Whole Genome Sequencing we will let you know.

So get your MyHeritage DNA kit on sale and hold off taking it (if possible) until MyHeritage announces that all tests will be processed with Whole Genome Sequencing. 

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

 

Thursday, November 20, 2025

MCGG's December Meetings -- Join Us!

A reminder about our Macomb County Genealogy Group December 2025 meetings.

MCGG meets in-person on Friday, December 12, 2025, at 12 p.m.* 
in the Auditorium B/C of the Mount Clemens Public Library. It is our ... MCGG and Let's Talk...Genealogy Groups Combined Annual Holiday Potluck
.

Bring a dish to share and join the fun! *For this meeting we start at noon.






MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid) Wednesday, December 10, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Comparing Our Paper and DNA Ethnicity Results Update.

Almost all of the genealogy DNA testing companies have recently updated their ethnicity estimates again. Let’s talk about comparing our Ancestor Birthplace Pedigree Charts/Locality Pedigrees to our new DNA Ethnicity Results and why these may not match up. Are the new results better than in 2024?

There is a pre-meeting assignment for this topic so those attending can more fully participate. This assignment will be sent out to our mailing list the weekend after Thanksgiving.



Our plan is that our meetings will be hybrid meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link (or registration link) will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. The link will usually be added the night before or morning of the meeting. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite or a reminder that registration is required for a meeting.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

AncestryDNA Lowest Price Ever - $29 - Until Tues., Dec. 2, 2025, 10 am ET

Ancestry's Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sale on AncestryDNA has started and runs until Tues., December 2, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Remember taxes and shipping are extra. The regular price of an AncestryDNA test is $99.


There are three options with this sale.

Just the AncestryDNA test is on sale for $29.

For new subscribers or those without a current active subscription:

The AncestryDNA test and a World Explorer Membership for $1 has a total sale price of $30.

The AncestryDNA test and an All-Access Membership for $10 has a total sale price of $39.

These subscription memberships will renew at regular prices every three months until you cancel.

*Offers end 2 Dec 2025 at 10am ET. Excludes shipping. Package offers are for new and returning subscribers only and not for renewal of current subscriptions. Limit one $1 subscription per user. Your World Explorer subscription will automatically renew at $99.95 or your All Access subscription will automatically renew at $149 every 3 months until you cancel by visiting your Account Settings or by contacting us. See our Renewal and Cancellation Terms for further details.

See our prior posts on AncestryDNA for the changes in what you can access for your DNA test without an Ancestry member subscription and what you can not. You can also see past sale trends by selecting the topic label in the left column of this blog (for example, AncestryDNA) to see all past posts regarding AncestryDNA.

Good luck finding the sales you need!

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Ancestry.com Gift Memberships are Now 50% Off Until Tues., Dec. 2, 2025, 10am ET

Ancestry's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sale has started and runs until December 2, 2025 , at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time. Save 50% on Ancestry Gift Memberships.


We try to highlight what we have found on sale in the genealogy world but may not write a post about all we have seen. Our best advice is if you are interested in a website or product, check on that website/product frequently just in case they hold a flash sale.

Please take note, wondering minds can always click the labels/tags in our blog's left-hand column to see the sales in past years to get an idea of the sales trends for prior years. Click on the desired topic or the Savings tag/label.


*Offer ends 2 Dec 2025 at 10 am ET. Offers available for new gift memberships only and not for renewal of current gift memberships.

Keep in mind that this is a one-time, non-renewing membership and you will only be billed for the cost of the membership you select.

 

These are the options.


U.S. Discovery Membership
Access to U.S. records
6-months reg. $119 ... sale $59
12-months reg. $229 ... sale $114

World Explorer Membership
Access to records across the globe.
6-months reg. $169 ... sale $84
12-months
reg. $319 ... sale $159
 

All-Access Membership
Access to records across the globe; plus military records on Fold3.com; and articles on Newspapers.com Basic.
6-months reg. $259 ... sale $129
12-months reg. $479 ... sale $335 

 

Good luck finding the sales you need!

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Sunday, November 16, 2025

Family Tree DNA Black Friday & Cyber Monday Sale Ends Dec. 3, 2025

The Holiday Season is here! 

We will try to highlight what we have found but may not write a post about all we have seen. Our best advice is if you are interested in a website or product, check on that website/product frequently just in case they hold a flash sale.

Please take note, wondering minds can always click the labels/tags in our blog's left-hand column to see the sales in past years to get an idea of the sales trends for prior years. Click on the desired topic or the Savings tag/label.

Family Tree DNA
The Family Tree DNA's Black Friday Sale is underway and goes until December 3, 2025, 11:59 p.m Pacific Time. Shipping and taxes are extra which vary depending on where the test is shipped. There is a lot on sale for this sale. See the chart below for pricing of individual tests, bundles and upgrades.
 
Recently FTDNA added additional savings coupon codes on top of Black Friday pricing. Customers can save additional amounts on qualifying orders by applying one of the following coupon codes at checkout:

BLACKFRIDAY20 for $20 off orders of $120+
BLACKFRIDAY30 for $30 off orders of $300+
BLACKFRIDAY50 for $50 off orders of $500+

Only one coupon code may be used per order. Discounts apply to qualifying merchandise before taxes, shipping, and handling fees.

What do you think the odds are of a flash sale on Black Friday or Cyber Monday this year? I guess we will find out.
 

 

Things to Remember: 
  • Family Tree DNA is an autosomal DNA test that either females or males can take.
  • Y-DNA tests are for males-only; it looks at father's direct male line. 
  • mtDNA (Mitochondrial) tests can be taken by either females or males; it looks at mother's direct female line. Males do not pass on their mother's mtDNA so they have to be at the end of the mtDNA relationship chain. 
  • The upgrades available to your DNA test depends on what you have already tested. To order an upgrade you need to sign into that test kit to place an upgrade order for that kit.
 

Family Tree DNA provides an ethnicity (admixture) report, list of DNA matches, chromosome browser and allows DNA matches to contact a match directly if that match allows it. Once tested, DNA samples are stored so that additional test types (upgrades) can be added if desired. So if you have already have a tested person that you want to add another test type that is on sale, sign into that test's account before adding the sale test to the cart. Family Tree DNA is the only genealogy DNA testing company that offers all three DNA test types: autosomal, Y-DNA and mtDNA. No subscription is needed to see/use all the DNA matching features. See our previous post containing some Reminders and Cautions regarding changes with Family Tree DNA.

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

Vivid-Pix Holiday Sale Continues

During our meetings we sometimes refer to the easy color-editing features of the MyHeritage website or the computer software of a company called Vivid-Pix.

Vivid-Pix is advertising it's Holiday 2025 Sale. Holiday pricing ends January 4, 2026. The company has grown a bit since we first talked about it and offers a bit more than its two photo correction software applications. Vivid-Pix has bundles for institutions and the home-user.

Not sure if the Restore software is for you or a loved one? Come into our favorite library's Local History and Genealogy Room and try the Restore software in-person on the new scanning station that replaced the BookScan station. Or, some of Vivid-Pix's software have free trial periods.



First a caution. Make sure you are seeing the sale pricing you are expecting before clicking the buy button. After adding your item to the cart, go to the cart and click the coupon code and enter this sale's code. The sale price should now show. Did you put in the coupon code correctly? HOLIDAY2025

The website's Holiday Sale is on its Gift Guide page. This sale is a little less confusing than last year because it mostly focuses on caregivers and home-users. All three levels (institutions, caregivers and home-users) have bundles with scanning equipment and then just the software packages to add to your existing computer/scanner system. So Tip #1 is look to the where the home-user level is talked about. We'll note below here the mostly likely items on sale that may be of interest to our genealogy members.

Here is a summary of this year's sale.

 

Now don't forget the actual Black Friday and Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday days. Last year there was additional sale pricing "Giving Tuesday" for one or more of those days and they donated a percentage of the sales to an organization. That sale used a different coupon code. A good way to keep informed is to get on the Vivid-Pix email mailing list. We do not know if the Giving Tuesday sale will be repeated this year. We hope so.

What is on sale that interests genealogists?

Vivid-Pix Restore (this is the software) which provides one-click correction that can be fine tuned with sliders for scanned prints, slides, documents and digital camera images focusing on general photography and restoring faded pictures and documents. The regular price is $49.99 but 20 percent off makes it $39.99 for this HOLIDAY2025 sale. Last year's Giving Tuesday sale price was $29.99 -- the lowest price ever. To learn more about the software, check out the company's website and view the overview or tutorial videos.

Vivid-Pix Land and Sea Scuba which provides one-click correction that can be fine tuned with sliders for scanned prints, slides, and digital camera images focusing on general photography and underwater photography. The regular price is $49.99, so 20 percent off makes it on sale for $39.99.

Also for the home-user is: 

Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) For Families and Loved Ones – Joshua Freitas, PhD [No Certification] Designed for paid and unpaid caregivers, this course provides instruction to implement pRT – as described by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), “Reminiscence Therapy (RT) involves the discussion of past activities, events and experiences with another person or group of people, usually with the aid of tangible prompts such as photographs, household,and other familiar items…” Regular price $79.00 so 20 percent off makes it on sale for $63.20.

Memory Station Software Patent-pending software, with intuitive interface and large buttons, makes it easy to scan, restore photos and documents, record memories and combine to create stories. Reminiscing about life pulls memories from shoeboxes and memory banks. Individual and Multigenerational re-living of yesterday and yesteryear provides connection and understanding through photo-based activities that are fun – and provide social and health benefits. Rather than buying the computer and the software bundle, this is the software only to install on your existing computer/scanner system. Regular price $199.99 so 20 percent off makes is on sale for $159.99.

The Holiday Caregiver Bundle includes Memory Station Home Edition Software, Photo Reminiscence Therapy (pRT) for Families course, and a pre-paid coupon for a 10-pack of Memory Cards. It is a $319.98 value package on sale for $249.95 ($70 off)  but with Holiday pricing it is $199.95 when using the coupon code HOLIDAY2025.

Last year the Photo Reminisence Therapy (pRT) for Families and Loved Ones course and the Memory Station Home Edition Software (with no Memory Cards) were bundled on sale for $199.99 but there was additional savings for Giving Tuesday bringing the bundle cost down to just $99.99 -- we do not know if a similar sale will happen this year. But since the Holiday Sale runs for quite a while it might pay to wait and see. Note this bundle's low sale price of $99.99 was repeated for RootsTech 2025.


If you don't have a scanner and are interested in the Vivid-Pix Memory Station Home Edition Bundle (bundle includes: one ScanSnap SV600 Scanner / Software; one Home Edition Memory Station Software; one Vivid-Pix RESTORE Software; and one ABBY® OCR software) the regular price is $899.95 with the coupon code the sale price is $849.95. There are also bundles with different scanners now.

Just to repeat one more time, we are not sure if Vivid-Pix is doing the a Giving Tuesday Sale again this year and what will be included. We will have to wait and see. You can see prior sale prices by selecting the Vivid-Pix Label in the left-hand column to bring up all our posts about Vivid-Pix.

See you soon at our favorite library!
LE


Tuesday, November 11, 2025

Veteran's Day -- Free Access to Ancestry's Military Records until Nov. 12, 10 am ET

It is Veteran's Day, November 11, 2025.

First, MCGG wants to say, Thank You for Your Service!

Second, to let MCGG members and our readers know that Ancestry is having a free-access day to its Military Records until tomorrow, Nov. 12, 10 a.m. ET.


Enjoy your research time.

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

Monday, November 10, 2025

MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy Meets This Wed., Nov. 12 at 6:30 pm; the Topic is Memories: Just Write Them Down or Talk to Your Family -- Join Us!

 MCGG Let's Talk...Genealogy discussion group meets in-person (hybrid) this Wednesday, November 12, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Local History & Genealogy Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Memories: Just Write Them Down or Talk to Your Family.

Let’s share and learn the various ways to record our memories and how to interview our elders/family members to capture their memories before they are lost.




Our plan is that our meetings will be hybrid meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link (or registration link) will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. The link will usually be added the night before or morning of the meeting. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite or a reminder that registration is required for a meeting.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

Friends of Ray Township Library & Historical Society Meets Thursday, November 13 at 4 p.m.

Friends of the Ray Township Library and Historical Society is meeting on Thursday, November 13, 2025, at 4 p.m.


The Society is looking ahead to 2026 and celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America and the signing of the Declaration of Independence

It is exploring new partnerships and collaborations with local organizations and groups to preserve our local historic sites, collect and record history, and improve access to the public. 

The Procter Cemetery Restoration project is one example of preserving a historic site while recording basic information about the early settlers and residents that shaped our community. With the help of the community, we'd like to expand the project to research the individuals in our cemeteries from the earliest burials in 1827 to those recently deceased. Everyone is encouraged to join us to discuss the project at our meeting this Thursday. If you can't attend, send us an email so we can inform you about future meetings and events.
 
The Holiday DeLights Silent Auction will be held in the Ray Township Public Library from Nov 18th - Dec 10th. We are currently accepting donations of items for our baskets to be displayed and auctioned off in the Library. Proceeds benefit the Procter Cemetery Restoration project.

See you at our favorite library!
LE 

Thursday, November 6, 2025

Tomorrow is MCGG's Friday Meeting at 1pm; the Topic: Connecting the Generations through Stories and Oral History Presented by Robert McGarry

 MCGG Friday group meets in-person (hybrid) tomorrow Friday, November 7, 2025, at 1 p.m.
in the Board Room of the Mount Clemens Public Library. Our topic is ... Connecting the Generations through Stories and Oral History
 presented by Robert McGarry.

Want to pass on your genealogy to people who just don’t seem interested? Learn to connect with them using stories and oral history to bridge the genealogical generation gap.




MCGG Members the handout will be emailed late tonight or early Friday morning so check for it before heading to the meeting or signing into Zoom. 

Our plan is that our meetings will be hybrid meaning the meeting will be in-person with a virtual Zoom option. The Zoom meeting link (or registration link) will now be found on our Southeast Michigan Genealogy Events Calendar and our Facebook page. The link will usually be added the night before or morning of the meeting. Members will receive a reminder email with the Zoom invite or a reminder that registration is required for a meeting.

New attendees are always welcome.

See you at our favorite library!
LE

MyHeritageDNA Early Holiday Sale for $29; Lasts 3 More Days Ends about Nov. 9

MyHeritage has an Early Holiday DNA Sale that ends in three days, so about November 9, 2025. The autosomal DNA test is regularly $89.

 




There are two options:

MyHeritage DNA test for $29, plus taxes and shipping. Purchase two test kits and get free standard shipping.

MyHeritage DNA test plus 30-day Complete free trail* for $29, plus taxes and free shipping

*After 30 days, you'll enjoy a 50% discount and be charged $299 $149 for the first year. The Complete subscription renews annually. You can cancel anytime.

Remember, MyHeritage ended its DNA uploads of DNA test data from other DNA genealogy testing sites back in August 2025. So now you do have to test directly with MyHeritage DNA.

And in the meantime, MyHeritage has announced that "The MyHeritage DNA test has been upgraded to use Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS), the most comprehensive method for reading DNA available today. Powered by cutting-edge sequencing technology from Ultima Genomics and processed at the Gene by Gene laboratory in Houston Texas, this upgrade makes MyHeritage the first major consumer DNA testing company to adopt Whole Genome Sequencing at a large scale. The upgrade will deliver greater accuracy in DNA Matching and ethnicity results, and create opportunities for exciting new products in genetic genealogy. Best of all, this technological breakthrough comes at no additional cost to our customers, and with the same strong commitment to privacy that users expect from MyHeritage."

Whole Genome Sequencing is already being applied to most new MyHeritage DNA kits currently being processed at the lab, and will soon become the exclusive processing method for all new MyHeritage DNA kits moving forward.

What this means is: MyHeritage DNA processing is in a transition period at this time 
where some DNA samples are being processed using array technology and others are being processed with Whole Genome Sequencing. You cannot choose how your sample will be processed. By the end of 2025, all MyHeritage DNA samples will be processed with Whole Genome Sequencing.

So get your MyHeritage DNA kit on sale and hold off taking it (if possible) until MyHeritage announces that all tests will be processed with Whole Genome Sequencing. 

See you at our favorite library!
LE