As a new parent, finding practical items to commemorate, document and further cherish your new bundle is important. With baby #2 on board, I was on a mission. I knew what I liked, what I would use and what was worth the money and required time investment for such items. What good is a journal with only a few pages filled in or a beautiful book too overwhelming to tackle? Below are my top picks for keepsake goods you will use, want to save and find value in. Not expecting but need a thoughtful baby gift? Any new mom would be thrilled to unwrap one of these special items.
Lucy Darling A Simple Book of Firsts
A lot happens in a baby’s first year. Having one place to centralize these milestones makes sense. Luckily, graphic designer Haily Meyers has created the most beautiful options featuring everything you need in one place. A Simple Book of Firsts features pages for baby’s newborn stats, footprints, their first scribble and much more. Additional pages include each month of the first year, holidays and milestones, plus birthday details for the first five years. Lucy Darling offers nine different themed books to fit your individual esthetic and each page is artfully designed with stylish illustrations and fonts. For my daughter I opted for the Little Artist’s Memory Book and picked up Little Camper Memory Book for my baby boy on the way.
Available: Lucydarling.com
Ellie Avenue Each New Step Childhood Memory Book
I’ll admit it, I did a happy dance when I found this book by Ellie Avenue! The reason why? It’s a simple, one-book solution for 18 years of your child’s life! This covers all your bases with journal prompts to record basic memories from birth, school days, holidays and firsts along with funnies and memories to joy down along the way. It’s built to last with a hard cover, small coil binding and metal corners for durability. I discovered these after my daughter was already two and getting it up to date has been a breeze. The midnight blue book is on deck for baby boy’s arrival! EllieAvenue.com
Letters to My Baby
Maybe it’s because we live in such a digital, text-messaging time but letters, especially handwritten ones can be really special. Created by artist Lea Redmond, Letters to my Baby contains twelve envelopes and stationery with prompts for parents to record memories, hopes, advice and more for their new bundles to open later. The outside of each envelope includes the date the letter was sealed as well as a postmarked date parents wish their children to open each note. Prompts include things like “My wishes for you are…” and “What I want you to know about me…” for a special type of time capsule.
Available: Leafcutterdesigns.com
Funny Things My Kids Say
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Kids tell it like it is, which in turn can be pretty hilarious. Instead of looking at your partner and mentioning that ‘we should really write this stuff down’ next time something humorous happens, grab your Funny Things my Kid Say journal and actually write it down. You won’t regret savoring the details of funny quotes, stories and memories for years to come. This little journal features a linen cover filled with 96 pages of FSC paper, to fill with all laughable moments.
Available: Writetomeshop.com.
Mom’s One Line a Day Five-Year Memory Book
Motherhood brings a whole new level of tiredness which means tedious scrapbooking for your kiddos is out of the question. Mom’s One Line a Day is a five-year memory book with enough space to record a single line, thought, quote or special event, daily. Without stress or a long time commitment, floods of memories can be restored as you look back on each year to discover milestones and special experiences. As you progress each year, it’s especially fun to reflect on the memories from just a year ago and/or beyond as you write each night. Available: Chroniclebooks.com
TwinkleinTime Star Map
Having a baby is one of the most memorial, special days in parent’s lives. Oftentimes the details of that special event remain fresh and close to the heart. Star Maps by TwinkleinTime further preserve your child’s first birthday by displaying the constellations of the specific date and location they were born. The company uses data from the International Astronomy Union (IAU) and The Pan-Andromeda to show you an accurate star map from any date from the past, present or future from any location in the world. These high-quality, individual prints come in a 18”x24” size with options to customize text, color and design. Snag one for a any special day – wedding, first date, etc!
Available: twinkleintime.com
NameStories
What’s in a name? Everything! Naming your baby is a massive deal, it’s one of those things that will stick with them their entire lives. NameStories outlines your child’s name, it’s meaning, origin and essence in an inspiring piece of art they look to in childhood and beyond. Available in two sizes and a variety of colors, each print combines typography and artistic expression to tell the story of the name with adjectives related to the name, based on numerology. A wonderful daily reminder for children to remember just how special and unique they are!
Available: namestories.com.
Fun Ideas to Try
In addition to the seven keepsakes mentioned above, here’s a few more ways to savor precious moments with your little ones:
– Use milestone blankets or letter boards to document your baby’s growth and/or special events and holidays. These can be purchased through many sites; Etsy has several fun options.
– Take the same photo every year. Dress your child (or entire family) in something simple, like blue jeans and a white tee-shirt and take the same photo on your front porch or in front of a special tree around in the same time each year. Watch your littles sprout up year, after year!
– Choose a special, inspiring book (we love Oh The Places You’ll Go by Dr. Suess) and purchase two copies. One copy can be kept at home and read often. The other should be saved and given to special teachers, mentors and coaches throughout the years to write memories and words of encouragement in. This special copy can be gifted at their graduation as a sweet surprise.
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