While the premise of lovingly recording your baby's every "first" milestone is nice in theory, for many modern moms, the reality of finding the time to do so simply isn't an option. Luckily, there are plenty of hi- and lo-tech options out there to ensure that Mom's busy schedule doesn't mean that her kids' memories will be forgotten. Here are eight of our favorite ways to preserve your family's monumental (and day-to-day) moments, even when you're always on the go.
If you've spent any time on our favorite procrastination tool, Pinterest (and if you have, then make sure you're following us there!), then you know that infographics are the latest trend in information sharing. The colorful, visual representations of everything form grocery shopping trends to moms in the workforce are burning up our feed, so it's no surprise that some talented designers are creating versions tailored to tots. From the hippest birth announcements to wall art showcasing the highlights of baby's first year, check out these infographics specifically created for lil ones who are too small to even read them!
Introducing baby to books is a big moment for most mamas, who realize early that their lil ones are naturally attracted to books' bright colors, fun pictures, and chewing potential! Eliminate the drool and bite marks by adding these five soft books (great for travel!) to your collection. Your baby will love the textures, page-flipping potential, and cool extras (teethers!) of each.
Summer's about to become little more than a memory, meaning it's time to turn our thoughts to more indoor activities. With the kids back in school, and books on our mind, we've got our eye on a few fun finds that will keep everyone entertained when the weather turns cool. From a funky downloadable book both parents and tots will enjoy to a baby journal every mom has time to fill out, here are LilSugar's items to snag for September!
Are picture books passe in America? According to a recent article, sales are down 15 percent from last year and many stores send huge shipments of the texts back to the publishers. Parents are forgoing the big-print books for tomes with chapters and more-complicated plots so their kids don't fall behind with their reading. Picture books provide great illustrations and have the ability to spark a child's imagination. I've rounded up current and past winners and honorees of the Randolph Caldecott Medal, which honors the best picture books each year. Check out the 2008 through 2010 selections.
For a peek at additional charming picture books, read more
Grab a box of tissues and one of these books before putting your baby to bed! Children love a good read, but some of their favorite board and picture books are quite the tearjerkers for postpartum or weepy mothers. Love You Forever is the tale of how a mother's love for her son never ceases. The story ends with a role reversal as the grown man cares for his elderly mom.
Check out five other tear-jerking texts that sensitive moms might want to permanently shelve, when you read more
Putting memories to paper. 50 percent of you told us that you take the time to fill out a baby book for your child. While the actual process can be time consuming, when your lil looks back and sees the date of her first smile, a lock of her baby hair, and how quickly she outgrew her three-to-six month outfits, you will know that it was time well spent.
Finding a baby book that reflects your style, and guides you to account for the milestones you care about can take some time. Check out the slideshow that features five of our favorite books.
With your first tot, you probably wrote down every little thing, from her first smile to her first step. But when the second and third lil ones arrive, life becomes a bit more hectic, and it's hard to find the time to fill out those pages. Do your tots have baby books?
Baby books only go so far in providing space to record your lil one's achievements and many moms have trouble remembering when they last ate, let alone when their tot jumped for the first time.
This is where Tiny Tales kits come in handy. They are designed to fill in where the baby book leaves off. Their Toddler Tales kit ($25) includes a recipe box with two notepads filled with cards to record your toddler's latest discoveries and achievements and four dividers to be used to organize the cards by your child's age (ranging form one to four years). The company also makes kits for recording pregnancy and newborn experiences, so you never have a reason to blame pregnancy brain for a forgotten first kick in-utero.
My daughter will be four next month and I'm embarrassed to say that she still doesn't have a baby book, though she does have a younger brother. Which means I'm now two books behind!
Aside from juggling work, kids and everything else — I don't have the patience at this point to sit down and scrapbook even though crafty friends and relatives started stunning books for both my children. I'd like to put the same care and effort into finishing the books once my kids are in college.
But in the meantime, I need to tackle this task and the stacks of darling photographs and CDs that are spilling out of the closet. Momento Press creates stunning flip and coffee table books for upwards of $30. Located in San Francisco, the business serves the entire United States.
All a busy mom has to do is scan her pictures or download the CDs and type the captions. Momento Press takes care of the rest and ships the finished work to your door. Since the company buys me time and rids me of guilt, I think it's well worth the average $100 price for a large decorative display piece.
