DIY: Family Memory Journal

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family-memory-journalSometimes I think it would be easier to go back to the days of film cameras and good old fashioned, “Baby’s Firsts” journals. When I was a kid my parents took pictures on their only camera and had them developed or they instantly popped from the Polaroid and that was that. There were a finite number of pictures and what you got was what you got. My mom recorded milestones on a calendar from Hallmark or jotted them down on a piece of paper that may or may not have stood the test of time.

Now we have so many devices that can be used to capture sweet memories of our children and record important milestones. I am so grateful for the constant and instant access to remembering their little faces and recording their first words and other memorable moments. What I have struggled with is then managing the thousands of pictures, videos, notes jotted on my phone, recorded as a Facebook status, or texted to my husband, so that I don’t forget the one funny phrase my three – year – old uttered. I get so overwhelmed by the data and my type – A personality wants it all organized and accessible for them, for me, for our family. I want to be able to preserve the memories – stress free!

img_2371I’m still working on the photo storage and staying on top of that. Eek. So. Many. Photos. If anyone has a great system for this, I would love to hear it! What I have been working on for our family is a family memory journal. I purchased a hard bound, blank sketchbook from an arts and crafts store and I already had plenty of fun pens, stickers, Washi tape, etc. at home. I am keeping the journal in an easily accessible spot. We are using the middle of our kitchen table for now, because sharing about our days at dinnertime gives us plenty of memories to record. When my baby has a “first” I can grab the book, record the date and special milestone. When my spunky three – year – old entertains me with a particularly amusing antic…I can easily record it in the book. I have also let my daughter draw pictures in the book and I’m recording my baby’s monthly stats, likes, and dislikes. I started a list of favorites this year with my three – year – old, to record every year on her birthday. Things like her favorite movie, book, toy, place to go, color, etc.

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I like the simplicity of the book and the fact that’s it’s all together. With so many devices, memories were recorded in several different places. I wanted to find a place to keep it cohesive and easily accessible – and something that we will actually flip through and reminisce with, years down the road. Keeping a journal isn’t a new concept but hopefully this makes you think about adapting that idea to fit your family and to create your own memory journal.

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Allison Leland
I am a wife and mommy to two sweet girls ages 4 and 10 months. I work from home part-time as an art teacher for a local online school. As a Cincinnati native I love this city and am so thankful to be raising my family here. I love getting creative with my four year old and letting her run wild with paint and lots of other art supplies. I am passionate about encouraging creativity and art making at any age. When I am not crafting or having adventures with my little girls, I love organizing, decorating, shopping for a bargain, exploring new places for family fun around the city, cooking, and searching for local restaurants with great food. I also run an Etsy shop, be tees. by AJB (https://www.etsy.com/shop/AuroraJanesBoutique), with my sister selling screen printed baby and toddler apparel.

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