Select Region
Follow us!


Stuff We Like: Thanks for the Memories


Thanks to camera phones and social media, it's now easier than ever to capture and share precious moments with your family. Instagram is fun, but we love more physically permanent means of saving memories. NYMetroParents editorial director Dawn Roode shares a few of her favorite ways to hang on to the everyday happenings you never want to forget.  

Share-Worthy Stuff

one page at a time

There are plenty of options on bookstore shelves that direct would-be writers to chronicle their days with questions and other prompts, but none quite as satisfying or quirky as 1 Page at a Time: A Daily Creative Companion by Adam J. Kurtz (Perigee; $15). It’s a book for using a pen in an age of Instagram, sure—but who’s to say you can’t pin, tweet, or gram pictures of your wittiest daily musings? Ideas in the pages: send snail mail to Internet friends; “write it huge;” sit with a friend and write notes to your future selves; and one I bookmarked: “Draw yourself a grid, then check off each box like a tiny accomplishment. That feels so good!” A great gift for a youngster who has graduated from lock-and-key diaries but rolls her eyes at ‘serious’ journaling (better yet, buy it for yourself).

 

Out of the Mouths of Babes

milestone mini cards

If you’re not a blogger, chances are, like me, you forget most of the amazingly original, witty, and surprising things your kids say every day. I can’t recall what my 5-year-old said yesterday in the car that cracked me up, no less the gems that came out of his mouth when he was 2! I can (painfully) browse through my Facebook history to find a few that I had time to share on the spot, but going forward I’ll be jotting down my guy’s funny-isms on these handy playing-card size Milestone Mini Cards (100 illustrated cards in set; $19.99).



 

Sign Me Up

love wall decal

This retro-chic wall decal (30x22 inches; $29.99), bold and personalized, looks painted on but peels easily away when your child wants to rearrange her room. It’s a nice option for older kids away at college, too.

 

Pass It On

letters to my baby

When I was pregnant I wrote letters to my baby. Some were long missives about my hopes and dreams for him (though I didn’t yet know it would be a “him”) or what type of mother I hoped to be. Others were tiny cards with fleeting thoughts I’d had and wanted to share. I lovingly created a scrapbook for my unborn child and then morphed that into my DIY baby book. I cherish what resulted, but admit there were times I didn’t feel like “scrapbooking” it all together. Enter Letters to My Baby (Chronicle; $14.95), a ready-made book of graphically wonderful envelopes with fold-out pages bound and just waiting for your thoughts. Add this to your list of go-to baby shower gifts now, and imagine the cherished gift it will become once baby is all grown!

More Articles:

NYPL Announces Best Books of 2022 for Kids and Teens

Just in time for the holidays, The New York Public Library has rolled out its picks for the best books for kids and teens that were published in 2022.


Latest News:

The Top 23 Halloween Stores in NYC, Long Island, and Westchester County

Here are some local Halloween stores in NYC, Long Island, and Westchester County, NY, where you can find decorations, costumes, and everything else yo...


Family Activities:



Have a Laugh:

Best Memes of the Week for Parents

Here are the funniest parenting memes from Instagram, Facebook, and Reddit this week.
Meredith Hirt

Author: Meredith loves pizza, polar bears, and pop culture. When not writing, she is reading on the subway, online shopping, and seeking out new corners of New York. See More

Featured Listings:

Kate Tempesta's Urban Golf Academy

Kate Tempesta's Urban Golf Academy

Kate Tempesta’s Urban Golf Academy (UGA) brings golf to children as young as 3 years old! Check out their weekly programs in on the Upper East Side or...

ProHEALTH Dental

ProHEALTH Dental

ProHEALTH Dental was founded in 2016 in Lake Success to break down the historical barrier between medicine and dentistry. Our goal is to improve oral ...

Long Island Nets Basketball Games

Long Island Nets Basketball Games

Uniondale , NY Professional basketball is back on Long Island! The Long Island Nets are the official NBA G League affiliate of the Brooklyn Nets playing from Novembe...

Kids Country Day Camp

Kids Country Day Camp

Mount Sinai, NY Kids Country Day Camp is a sports, adventure, and recreational day camp for children 3 - 12 years of age. We are located on 10 beautiful acres in the ...