When I was pregnant with Lainey and started thinking about buying baby gear, I wasn’t particular about a lot of things except when it came to a baby book. I wanted a really nice baby book. Always a bit of a documentarian, I cared a lot about the structure of where I’d store milestones and memories. And if the baby book is the last thing you thought about when you were pregnant, I totally get it. Most people laugh about the fact that the first three pages of their kid’s baby book are filled with details and photos and all the things, and then crickets for the rest of the book. I think a lot of “failed baby books” are due to standards we set that are way too high as well as poorly structured baby books prompting you to tediously record details of things you’re not going to care to recall someday. You don’t need to remember what date your kid’s lateral incisor came in, Gina. And by Gina, I mean me because look what I wasted time writing when Lainey was a baby. A diagram and everything!
After having Nella and understanding the beauty of “Delayed milestones don’t really matter!”, I have a whole new perspective on questions like “When did Baby roll over?” or “When did Baby sit up on her own?” These kinds of questions also make it likely for you to fizzle out on documentation. If you miss recording a couple months of these, it’s hard to go back and write them down later and easy to close the book and quit recording for good.
So what are things that are important to write down? What are you going to wish you recorded? I’m not an expert on baby books, but I have really enjoyed keeping them for each of my kids and can at least tell you from experience how I eventually tapered things down to preserve really special things I know my kids will be happy to read someday. When I say “tapered down,” I mean I figured out by the third kid that not everything is worth saving. See Figure A:
But first, let’s start with the basics: How do you choose a baby book? What should you buy?
Tip #1: Splurge on the Baby Book
If you are at all into the whole documentation thing (and no worries if you’re not–skip it, your kid will be fine!), splurge on a baby book. Strollers and car seats and cribs cost a pretty penny these days, and yet you’ll only use them for a few years. A baby book? It’s the one baby item you’ll actually use and save forever. Spend the money to buy one you’ll love and be motivated to use.
Tip #2: Buy a Baby Book with Loose Leaf Pages
I highly recommend 3-ring binder style baby books with loose leaf pages. It gives you a lot of control over the book and allows you to add your own pages and slip in things the book prompts may have left out. I have added so many of my own pages and clear pocket sleeves that make great places to store all the overlooked things that are fun to save–things like hospital badges from visitors who came to see the baby.
My kids’ baby books are made by Marcela, and I love them. I bought them from a local boutique where I was able to customize the insert pages (I had the pages from another book taken out and swapped with the cover I wanted–more likely allowed at a local boutique where they’ll work with you). Another great loose-leaf baby book is Artifact Uprising’s The Story of You – clean, simple and beautifully laid out. C.R. Gibson offers a more inexpensive loose-leaf option.
Tip #3: It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect!
Say it with me, perfectionists: You can keep writing in your kid’s baby book even if your hand slipped and that H looks like an A. You can keep writing in your kid’s baby book even if you started with a blue pen and now all you have is a black pen. Make mistakes and write a little bit messy right away so you set the tone for easy, soulful documentation and not perfection. See look! Mine’s sloppy and carefree! But there’s gold in these scribbles and crooked envelopes slapped on with whatever tape I could find.
Tip #4: Use Envelopes
When you use a 3-ring binder type of baby book, you can slip in blank pages. A lot of these blank pages in my books have envelopes taped to them. This is a great way to store the family Christmas card, birthday invitations, folded pictures they drew, hair they cut out themselves, photos, ultrasound pics, etc. I tape a lot of photos down in my books as well, but the envelopes are great for storing multiples of photos as well as cards.
Tip #5: Create a Baby Book Writing Ritual
The best way to not fizzle out on keeping a baby book is to make it fun. If it feels like a chore, forget about it. The only reason my kids’ baby books are filled is because I loved the ritual of doing it. For their first year of life, I worked on their books once a month (in between, I’d jot things down on paper and just shove it in the book to store it until I dedicated the time to write it in the book). I’d make sure any photos I wanted to include were printed ahead of time and then I’d gather the book, the notes I had scribbled, a couple good pens, some tape and a glass of wine; and I’d put a movie on and enjoy the process of catching up on the book. After the first year, I worked on the books more infrequently; but to this day, I still shove scraps of scribbled notes in each of their books until one night when I’m feeling nostalgic and return to put it all in its proper place.
Tip #6: Record the Things You Would Have Loved to Have Known About Yourself When You Were Little and the Things You Would Have Loved to Have Known About Your Mom’s First Year of Motherhood
The big question is–what to record. If you’re going to make the space to write down things about your baby’s life, let them be important things. First of all, the first year of a baby’s life isn’t that much unlike the first year of any other baby’s life. We all think our own babies are so special and full of unique personality, but there’s not that many things you can say about babies that don’t apply to all babies. I actually have a paragraph in Lainey’s baby book under “Month 1” dedicated to her amazingly unique personality trait of “likes to eat.” Um, every baby likes to eat. She wasn’t a shining star. A more interesting and unique approach to recording the first month would be to record Mom’s new take on motherhood. Looking back on my own baby book, I give ZERO effs about the fact that I woke up at 2:00, 4:00, and 6:00 (who am I kidding–it was 1978, and I’m the last baby–I didn’t even have a baby book). But I would have loved to have known what overwhelming postpartum moments made my mom cry or what the first song she sang me to sleep was.
So here’s the things I’ve recorded in my kids’ books that I’m so glad I have written down. I don’t consider any of them milestones. I consider them little love stories.
Favorite Toys and Toy Stages – The kids love hearing about these, and they will be fun to come back to someday at the Thanksgiving dinner table when they’re all in their twenties. “What was that toy Lainey was so into in second grade? Mom, go get the baby book! Oh my God, Squinkies! That’s right! I forgot all about those!” Even better, save those most loved toys. I have a little box with all of the small toys my kids were once obsessed with. One rubber band loom bracelet Lainey made, three Squinkies, a handful of Shopkins, the green bean rattle Dash loved as a baby, a squishy laced with strawberry-scented chemicals and Nella’s original Barbie, Poop I.
Places We Visited and Loved – At the end of each month’s page in my kids’ books, there’s a prompt that says “Places We Visited.” I didn’t realize how special this prompt was until I recently looked back at some of the early years and noticed how many special outings I would have completely had forgotten about. It’s also a great way to prove to yourself how much you really do get out when it doesn’t feel that way sometimes. Our lists include things like “Third Street Farmer’s Market, Vanderbilt Library, Brunch at First Watch with Mommy’s friends, Captiva Island day trip with the family.”
Unique Favorites or Dislikes- Funny little quirks are always fun to remember. Think beyond my genius “likes to eat” documentation and get specific. You love when we rub the little space above your nose between your eyes, and it always makes you fall asleep. You love my yellow earrings with the dangly beads and always try and rip them off when I wear them which is why we’ve put them away for a while. You love the Elmo pop-up book and have ripped his eyes off three times, and we keep taping them back on.
Stories Behind Firsts – The dates on firsts don’t really matter, but you’ll want to remember the story behind them. Where were you when they took their first steps? How did you react? How did Dad react? I don’t know when Lainey lost her first tooth, but I definitely remember we were at the fair, and it fell into a pile of teeth-looking white shell bits. I remember her crying that we wouldn’t be able to find it (we never did) and then convincing her that we’d sell the tooth fairy on a piece of broken shell that looked like a tooth. Record the stories. You will think you will remember them, but unless you write it down, you’re going to forget more than half.
People in Their Lives – Who came to their birthday parties, who their favorite friend in preschool was, which neighbor they always want to stop and talk to on family walks. People come in and out of our lives. I love looking back at my kids special moments in life and remembering who played a role, who showed up, who made an impact.
Letters – If you fill out nothing else in the baby book, write them letters. Tell them what you are learning, how much you love them, what you worry about, how special they are.
Funny Things They Say and Mispronunciations – This one might be my favorite thing to remember and what our whole family loves to talk about the most…the funny things our kids said, invented phrases they coined, mispronunciations, imaginary friends (Lainey had one named Sankalinka), what they named their fish. You’ll forget if you don’t write them down. Dash could have a three-volume book on these alone. I posted something on Instagram a couple months ago asking what favorite mispronunciations your kids have, and I swear I’ve never had so many comments on one post. We love this stuff. We want to remember it. Just yesterday, I wrote down 2 things Dash says right now that I know I’ll forget if I don’t write it down. “Pizuzz” for “Because.” “Yoom” for “Room”
And if all this feels overwhelming? Skip the baby book and buy a beautiful memory box. Scribble whatever you want on scraps of paper, date them and throw them in the box. No rules.
Is there anything you’re glad you recorded for your kids that I didn’t include? Do you wish you would have written down more? Less? Kept a baby book in a different way? Do tell.
*I edited the photos in this post on an old computer that desperately needs its screen recalibrated, so apologies for the off colors.
Most of us have every intention of creating gorgeous family photo albums to have as a keepsake. But finding the time, the right type of book or even knowing where to start can be tough.
Here’s a list of some the best photo book options out there – and what makes each one great. Whether you want something quick and easy to put together or are all about the design and style – there’s something to check all the boxes for every parent out there.
Easiest to Use
Making your custom photo album is a breeze using Mixbook’s app or desktop browser. In the app, the “Automagic” feature finds and groups related photos from your camera roll into photo books that are easy to edit and share in just a few clicks. Choose the perfect theme, pick your favorite photos, add fun extras like backgrounds, stickers and captions, and choose your cover type, paper finish, and book size, and your book will be on its way to your door in no time!
I’ve ordered from Mixbook before and was super impressed with the design process and overall quality of the books. Their site often has promo codes, so keep an eye out for a great deal. Start designing your Mixbook here.
Be sure to use the code MIXPC50 to get up to 50% off Mixbook – sometimes, the promos they are running on the site are even better, so check them both. (see below for the nitty gritty.)
50% Off $129+, 40% Off $99+ or 30% Off PLUS Free US & CA Standard Shipping on orders $70+: Free U.S. & Canada Standard Shipping applies to orders over $70 within the continental United States or Canada only.
This offer is only valid with coupon code MIXPC50.
Order must total $129 or more before discount, shipping and tax is applied to qualify for 50% off discount, or $99 or more before discount, shipping and tax is applied to qualify for 40% off discount.
This offer cannot be combined with other coupons, vouchers, Groupons, or applied after an order has been placed. 6x6 photo books are excluded from this offer. Discount applies only to completed projects. No adjustments on previous purchases. Taxes will apply. Offer expires 07/31/2023 (11:59 pm PT).
Best Subscription Options
With Chatbooks, you’ve got two basic options for a high-quality photo book. You can either have your books created on auto-pilot and sent to you regularly, or you can make them custom. Your options for subscriptions are Monthbooks, which are Softcover ($10) or hardcover ($15), 5x7”, 30-page photo books or Monthly Minis, which are 5x5”, 30-page books ($7).
I love the stunning designer covers from brands like Rifle Paper Co. and Ampersand Design Studio. Chatbooks are my go-to grandparent gift every year for birthdays, Christmas - you name it. They’re easy, affordable, and a hit every single time. Check them out here.
Great Design Options at an Awesome Price (for Costco Members)
Shutterfly has been in the photo book biz for a while now – and it remains one of the most popular choices out there.
They’ve got loads and loads of ‘scrapbook-esque’ design and style options and a few different paths to choose from. “Make It Manually” and you can choose every little detail yourself or pick “Make It Fast” to autofill your photos and check out design suggestions and new features.
Their “Kids” section includes special themes like Disney photo books, kids and baby photo books, children’s board books and personalized story books. Looking for a certain je ne sais quoi but je ne have the time to put it all together? Hit up the Make My Album Designer Service to have Shutterfly’s experts do the work for you. Best of all, you can take the credit and nobody’ll ever know. Get started here.
Great for Hardcore Designers
Another great site, Blurb, offers up books with excellent quality, plus the option to choose pre-built templates or free reign to design your own using BookWright, their free design tool.
This site is really great for those of us that like to start with a blank canvas and have a lot of creative freedom. You can import images from Instagram, Facebook, Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, or your computer – and it can be as easy as dragging and dropping. And if you want to get fancy, you can also design your own cookbooks, kids’ books, travel and yearbooks. Check them out here.
Best Eco-Friendly Option
Paper Culture’s photo books are made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper, feature a foil-embossed stamp tree ring, and a personalized book jacket. Just like with all of Paper Culture’s products, a tree is planted with every order. To create your personalized photo book, you just choose a book theme and then upload your favorite photos into the easy-to-use editor to create the perfect gift or collection of memories. Check them out here.
Best Site to Score a Deal
The nice thing about Snapfish is that, like Shutterfly, they offer you the ‘scrapbook feel’ to their photo books.
You can choose your design theme, arrange your photos, play with your backgrounds and even add embellishments like frames, stickers, quotes and more. It gives your book a ‘designy’ look with a nice personal touch. Choose extras like layflat pages, matte finish hard covers and glossy, quality paper pages to take your book to the next level of coffee table couture.
Don’t miss their Deals tab to save a few bucks! Get your Snapfish photo book here.
Best “Hand It Over” Option
Artifact Uprising has a really unique and handy photo book service for folks who just don’t have the time or energy to curate an album on their own - their designers do the work for you!
Share your vision on your album and then upload your photos. From there, a design team will create your book and send it to you to preview and proof it. Once you’re happy with the layout, you can add the finishing touches by choosing your photo book size, quality, and any special extras like premium paper options, cover material and lay flat pages.
Also, check out their popular “The Story of You” books for years 0-1 and 1-5. These interactive photo journals give you prompts to help document your little’s first years including their birth story, mini-milestones and more.
These books come with a code for a free set of Everyday Prints to get you started. Head over to Artifact Uprising here.
Cutest Board Books for Kids
Looking for a totally unique gift for any special occasion?
These adorable customized board books are so cute and one of a kind – they’re the perfect way to capture a few of your favorite baby photos. You can make your own custom photo book design in the board book format, or go the personalized board book route and make your baby’s photos into a little story. Either way, they’re a baby-proof, cute, sweet way to save your baby pics. Head over to Pinhole Press to start making yours!
Best “One Stop Shop” Option
Tinybeans is super-cute because it’s not only an online baby journal you can share with your family – it’s also a great keepsake of photos. (I have a review on them here.) It lets you keep all your little memories and notes in one place and then capture it into a photo book. Simple and easy to make (a must when you’ve got a wee babe). Start building yours here.
Most Budget-Friendly
For something easy to make, great to look at, and cost-effective to buy, Walmart’s got you covered with lay flat, softcover and hardcover photo books that you can pick up in-store or have delivered to your front door. For something a little different, they also have a video photo book with a 7” display that holds up to 75 photos. In a hurry? Walmart can whip up an express photo book in-store that can be ready the next day. Check out Walmart’s photo center here.
Best if You Already Have a Membership
Costco has recently partnered with Shutterfly to take your photo experience to the next level and save you some moolah in the process. Costco members get 51% off every Shutterfly order and also get free shipping on orders over $49. Find out more about ordering your Shutterfly book at Costco prices here.
With all the photo book options available, making an album your family will love forever is easier and more affordable than ever. If you’re looking for a site that makes photobook building a breeze at a decent price, I’d recommend checking out Mixbook first.
Related: Best Online Baby Photo Journals
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