Hellobee

In today’s high-tech world, there are so many strategies out there for streamlining the old school “baby book.”  As technology evolves, I worry about putting too much stock in maintaining memories through digital sources, in case we progress past what we currently use once our kiddos grow up (I’m talking about you, ancient VHS home videos). For me, nothing can replace something you can hold, touch, pore over with mom and dad and then cherish once mom and dad aren’t around anymore, but still, our family has all sorts of “memory maintaining” strategies, both online and off. For those who are just having babies, here is a round-up of a whole bunch of methods for keeping records and memories for your little one.

First, of course, is the traditional baby book.  One of my first posts as a blogger on Hellobee was about creating my own handmade baby book. Of course, since not everyone is a scrapbooker, this certainly isn’t for everyone (and I won’t lie – I occasionally curse myself for doing this, since it is not so likely that I’ll have the time to dedicate to this for my second child, and heaven help any future kids beyond that, if that happens). The beauty of making your own book is you can include anything you want, there are no gaping holes or half-filled pages where you leave things out, and it is designed exactly to your taste. For those who are not the crafty type, there are a bunch of great options out there, from very traditional to more unique. Here are some of my favorites, from the best by Amy Krause Rosenthal, to a unique book for adoptive families to a handmade Etsy creation and more:

One.  Two.  Three.  Four.  Five.  Six.  Seven.  Eight.

For baby’s first year, I love a “baby memory book,” but once life is more about experiences and less about tracking milestones, the challenge becomes more about doing something with all. the. photos. Way back when, my mom would order prints from the film she shot and then she took the time to physically assemble her albums. These days, the upgrade to digital photography is a blessing and a curse, both in weeding through so many more photos and taking the initiative to print them when they can so easily live on your memory card, computer or phone. While it takes organization and effort, printing photo books is something that can be done easily at almost any budget.  From inexpensive options like Shutterfly, Snapfish or even Chatbooks (check out Mrs. Bee’s review here), to higher quality books from Blurb, AdoramaPix or MyPublisher, the only wrong choice is to not print anything (although I will admit I am behind on this task).

Baby books and photo books are the most obvious ways of keeping and maintaining memories, but not every memory revolves around photos and statistics. Mr. Confetti and I each maintain a journal where we write periodic letters to our son. Mr. C’s mother kept a journal like this, and after she passed away during Mr. C’s youth it became one of his most prized possessions. I like writing in a journal a few times a year, because it will give him little glimpses into what life was like for him that will paint a picture filled with love over time. Another journal we are starting is a “Funny Things My Kid Says” journal (like this one) now that our son is old enough to have funny things to say, since I know that by the time my little guys become parents themselves, I won’t have nearly enough ammunition for embarrassment if I don’t write these things down now to help me remember.

For those who prefer more high-tech methods, something many of my friends have done is establish a Gmail account for baby, and use the email account as a place to send those sweet keepsake messages (monthly, quarterly, yearly – whatever) with the intention of giving the child the address and password when they are old enough to use and appreciate it.

Another digital space that could be an option is a personal blog. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. Simply hopping onto Blogger, you can create a personal blog in just a few minutes, without worrying about the costs of hosting and setting up the site. The beauty of a blog is that it is a great way to fuse photos, milestones, memories, letters and more, and as an added bonus, it’s a great way to keep family and close friends in the loop about your growing family. I started a simple family blog when I found out we were expecting our first, and now, as we are about to welcome a second child, it’s an easy way to keep our families apprised of the latest Confetti family happenings without overposting on Facebook and in other social media outlets.

I’m trying to find a balance between maintaining memories that my child(ren) will appreciate in the future and trying to keep up too many methods and failing to keep up with everything.

How do you maintain photos and memories for your child(ren)?  Are you a high-tech or low-tech person when it comes to these sorts of things?