The Dilemma:
My son is 18 months old and he has recently started attending daycare. I love that he is learning to share and he is making friends with other babies. However, I have to admit that my favorite part is seeing all of his little artwork they send home each Friday. At first it was great to display one or two on the fridge. But now we have an entire folder full of his little masterpieces. I can’t imagine throwing them away. I mean, what if he is the next Michelangelo? Initially, the clutter is cute. But then what? I have listed a few ways that you can preserve their memories, not only for you, but later for them to see.
The obvious thing to do is buy a plastic box, throw everything inside, and store it in a closet. However, if you are anything like me and you have to make everything into an excel spreadsheet or powerpoint presentation, then you probably want to sort things by school year or age. So, here are the top five best ways I have found to preserve the memories affordably and professionally.
The Solutions:
1. Shutterfly
Shutterfly has the option for one FREE instant book per month through their app. You will get a custom made 6×6 hardcover book. The first 20 pages are included free, so you will have to pay more for each additional page, as well as shipping and handling. But, since this is a monthly book and I rarely have the need for more pages, this works out well. Not only can I upload pictures of my son but I can also take pictures of his artwork and upload those into the book as well!
2. Collage Frames
Buy a collage frame and hang it in their room or somewhere in the house you would like to have it displayed. (A playroom or basement could even be ideal!) You can, again, take photos of their art and then print them out on photo paper or at your local Walgreens in the size of the photo frame. Then, all you have to do is write the month and year on the back and keep rotating the photos as you get new ones!
3. Arkive
Artkive is another great resource with several options for your little Picasso! Their niche is that you don’t have to scan anything. All you have to do is drop the artwork into a box provided by them and ship it to their warehouse. From there they do all the work.You can opt for a hardback photo-book or you can transform them into a framed picture with custom captions. In addition to these options, you will also have access to your digital images on the website and iOS app.
4. Keepy
Keepy is like a digital version of a keepsake box. It’s less personal, but it’s also a much better way of organizing all of your important memories. Another cool feature of this app is that you can share your child’s account with family so they can post comments on what has been shared. I find this method to be much less invasive than social media.
5. Little Davinci Frames
Little DaVinci frames can be found on Amazon. These open and close easily with a latch while the frame is attached to the wall! You just open the frame door, add your newest creation to the spring-loaded compartment, and close the door. These frames hold up to 50 masterpieces at a time!
I hope these resources help you as much as they have helped me. Looking back on everything he has created in the last few months, I can already see my son’s progress. It’s exciting to know there are so many ways that allow me to admire and preserve his memories and milestones.
