School Year Keepsake

Things such as pictures, artwork, school work and knowing what your child's favorite past time once was helps keep memories alive. Our kids grow so fast and it seems as though another year passes in a blink of an eye. Preserving the memories of what has happened in a year's time is imperative so you can look back and re-live a precious moment. Even the largest moments that we swear we will never forget seem to loose detail as the years go on, but looking at a picture or an object from that event helps to rekindle that happiness and keeps the memory alive.

The best time to create a Memory Keeper:
At the start of a school year
After a child's birthday

But whichever way you choose, only make a new Memory Keeper at that time next year so that each MK holds a years worth of your child's growth and development. I like to do a new one at the beginning of a school year so that you can keep a year's worth of personal child growth at home and also the development of your child's growth in a certain grade.

Things to put on the cover of your MK:
Your Child's Name
A Current Picture of your child
The Year (ex: 2012-2013)
The School your child is attending/Your child's birthday (depending on when you start the MK)
Your Child's Favorites List (since it will change over the years and its always fun to look back)

Favorites List Examples:
Favorite Color:
TV Show:
Food:
Sport:
Activity:
Best Friend:
Toy:
Season:
Holiday:
Book:
Animal:

Be creative and do whatever you want, I'm just giving suggestions. =)


What to put in your MK:
Pictures
Artwork
Schoolwork
Favorite Toys
Favorite Books
Class Picture

Not only is this a great way to immortalize memories, but; it is also going to be a wonderful experience for your child to browse through their childhood memories when they get older and they will find the MKs priceless.

Paper Coterie is a great website to make a Memory Keeper online. The cool thing about them is that you can add pictures, clip art, text, background, etc., it is completely personalized to your standards. You can look at their products here.
Make sure to check around for any coupon codes that can give you a percentage off or even free shipping. Current codes that you can use are thankyou for 25% off or celebrateparty  for 35% off (there is no given expiration date on these codes).

You can always get a much more affordable Memory Keeper by making your own! Either by putting things in a shoe box for storage and decorating the box or by keeping a binder of your child's progress and decorating the front of the binder. Note that if you decide to do a binder you should get page protectors to put documents in and also it would be nice to have a binder pouch as well to store loose items or handmade toys.
Binder Keepsake Supplies:
Binder
Page Protectors
Binder Pouch