How do you organize your children's memorabilia? For example do you scrapbook each year or do an online scrapbook? Do you keep a journal? Do you do baby books? Those of you with more then one child, is it hard to keep up with the same stuff you did with your first?
Also, do you do monthly professional pics or yearly?
Do you do traditional family photos or Christmas photos?
Any ideas/tips on organizing pictures/memorabilia would be helpful!
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8 comments:
I am always looking for new ways to organize...can't wait to here everyone's ideas! :)
I do a few things. I am starting to do an traditional yearly online scrap book with all the major holidays/outings/b-days for each kid. This idea was inspired by Amy! :) My advice is don't start when they are THREE! It is hard to pull it together from three years ago! :)
I do a first year baby book (very behind for the record) for each kid.
I also like to keep a journal for each kid that I am keeping a secret unitl they turn 18. I will give it to them when they graduate.
As far as family photos, we don't have one! :( Wish I could be more on the ball with that. When they are babies, we do newborn, 6 mo. and a year. Then we move to once a year pics.
As far as memrabillia, I was inspired to do a bin for each kid from the organization meeting. So far that seems to be working well.
I find it hard to to the same for each kid...due to being so busy these days. But I am on a mission to be fair and try my best. We will see how it all turns out.
Ohhh one small thing I am doing is keeping a small album of our santa pictures and our christmas cards. Even though I only have three years entered, I find it fun to look back at the holiday fun!
Ok ladies...send your ideas! I know we have a lot of very creative/organized girls in the bunch! :)
Danielle
I do a pregnancy/first year scrapbook and then I'm doing one page of a new book per year--a birthday page until they hit school, then one page per school year after that. that's all I can handle (or afford!) scrapbooking...but also with teh birthday page I journaled about what she was doing at that point and what things she liked etc.
I have heard keeping a cheap journal that you jot things down in--funny stuff your kid does on a daily basis or weird ways they say things--is an easy way to record memories wihtout feeling like it has to be a perfect long journal entry or scrapbook page. I just have to buy a journal...
One idea I gave at the organziation meeting (which btw inspired me to get a label maker which I use WAY too much now--love it!) anyway, I try to think of mementos or photos that can be turned into Christmas Tree ornaments. A friend's crafty mom made her kid's set of braces into a Christmas tree ornament!!! that's a little nuts...but you get the idea. So far I have done Halloween pictures in her costume and of course first birthday party ornaments.
Geese i am totally not on the ball with this, for those who know me, SHOCKER HUH? Actually i had pictures taken of my kids every month for the first year and put into a frame. I have switched all home movies to DVD by the year, also i took the tip of the moms club home organize meeting and use a bin for each my kids and put special things in it for them. i noticed by the 2nd i am a little less on the ball as i was with the first, YIKES if i have a 3rd i hope at least get new born picutres.
KIM
One thing I do is keep a growth chart on the wall of the kids. Every few months I have them stand next to it and mark it with the date and name. They love seeing how much they have grown over time! Funny thing- I noticed that my seven year old started charting her stuffed animals on the growth chart..I had to explain to her that they don't actually grow any taller but it was cute that she marked it and put "Bongo the Monkey" on the wall!!
Samantha
I am new to this blog and want to thank Maria for inviting me! I mainly take photos and home videos of my son. He just turned one year and already has 9 DVD's of video and a billion photographs (I am a photographer).
I keep a baby book complete with all the details and I created a photo album for his first year. I plan to make one every year from now on. I used My Publisher (www.mypublisher.com).The software is FREE and so user friendly. Check out some of my pages from Reece's first year album on my blog (just copy and past the link)
http://melissamooradianphotography.com/blog/?p=1176
I love how it turned out. Of course I maxed the pages out at 100, but was able to get so many of his pictures into it. This book cost me about $115. I would have paid more than that if I just printed 4x6's of all those images.
I am also doing a Mommy & Me Challenge this year. It is basically for me to make myself take a picture with my son 52 times per year - one per week. I wish I would have done a "Family Picture Challenge" so that I have more family pictures. Maybe next year:)
My husband and I started to keep a journal when Reece was first born, but we were trying to do too much of it. It became difficult to write in it regularly. I need to get back into it. Even if it is just once a week or so. Time goes by so fast...you forget the little things.
I love all the ideas. What I do for each child is:
- "hand" scrapbook a pregnancy-12-months book
- after 12-months, I digitally scrapbook each year with the fun events and holidys. I order the pages (scrapbookflair.com) and then buy my own book to put it in
- For the first year, I also do a traditional baby book where I record each of the baby's firsts, etc
I have 3 kids, so it is tough to keep up. I have finished each of the twin's pregnancy book and birth - 12-month book. I am through April for 2008. I am not too far behind, but plan to catch up in July. For my youngest (14-months), I am behind. Hopefully I will be caught up by end of summer.
As for pictures, I burn a CD for each child of all pics. So I actually end up burning 4 cd's with the same pics: 1 for each girl and 1 for me. For videos, I do the same thing. I bought nice CD "shoe boxes" from wal-mart for pretty cheap. I really like them.
As for other odds and ends, I have one container right now, but plan on separating as I gather more stuff over the years.
great ideas from everyone, thank you!
One other thing I really want to start keeping is a log of mis-pronounced words as my toddlers are expanding their vocabulary. They provide such comic relief!
We have finally mastered "swimsuit" after a few months of "soup-soup". Last week I bought Charlotte her first egg of Silly Putty and the next day she asked to play with her "Funny Punny". This morning she asked for "bikini" break instead of zucchini bread :) I could go on and on, as I'm sure you all could!
I love scrapbooking so I have started a book for each kid. I'll admit I'm so behind.
I have a little book for Emma that shows only one birthday picture. I place her invitation and then I write a letter to her each year. The letter goes in a sealed envelope and she will get this on her 25th b-day.
WE also have a Halloween book kinda the same way with pictures of both kids but no letter. I just journal the highlights.
Last year I started one family scrapbook that highlights vacations, special things - zoo, park, family b-days,etc. This has really healped w/ managing time so I don't have to do a page in each kids individual book. I save their special accomplishment for their books.
This was the first year that both of my kids are in school together. We saved lots of art project so I bought (IKEA) under the bed boxed that are colored to match the bedrooms to store projects in. Once a month after we clear off the fridge we look back at the projects and decide who to give some art to (Nana & pops).
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