It’s always hard to find the time – and the creative energy – to record special moments and memories when a newborn comes along but I’ve just recently stumbled across one fabulous company that has created innovative and stylish keepsake products to capture life’s special moments. Founded in 2011 by duo Emma Penrice and Samantha Smith, Illustries’ collection of beautifully designed books are fast becoming a ‘must-have’ among style savvy families.
The family collection comprises a range of contemporary and beautifully designed baby record books, brag books, and a family book. Completely unique in design and fun to complete, every Illustries book has been crafted with the modern parent in mind and offer a wealth of ideas on how to record those special and often, easily forgotten memories of every day life.
Hey Baby
The ‘Hey Baby!’ journals offer a contemporary take on traditional baby books to capture the early years of parenthood and promise to be a treasured gift. Fun to fill in, read and relive in years to come, mummies (and daddies!) will be able to record moments in pregnancy and a baby’s first year with cute and comical extracts, without having to fill in pages of endless questions. Features and topics that span the smart, timelessly designed journal include: a birth announcement, shortlist of names, bump nicknames, due date calendar, wishes for your baby, labour countdown, family tree, a guide to being a parent, awards ceremony and a record of their first birthday party. What’s more, there is no need to complete the journal in chronological order!
Brag book
A smaller but just as cute sibling comes in the form of the ‘Brag Book’. A stylish must-have accessory and small enough to fit snugly into a handbag, the brag book is a cute and convenient baby album to share baby snaps on the go with the perfectly petite albums holding up to seven classic 4×6” photographs alongside beautifully designed pages dedicated to the all-important little person details, including birthdate.
We are family
Finally, the Family Book is ideal for families of all ages providing a place to record the details that all too often get forgotten in the whirlwind of family life. From the extraordinary to the everyday, there’s a page to complete for all the little details, milestones, and memories that make a family unique. From favourite films and secret recipes to silly quotes, sketches, and selfies, this is a book that promises to be fun to fill in and read for many years to come.
They really are beautiful and useful books and what’s even more brilliant about Illustries, is that the duo has been kind enough to share some of their tips on how to create and record family memories that ensure you remember all those precious moments and that your child sees themselves growing up.
So, of course in addition to filling in their journals, here are some fabulous tips from Samantha and Emma:
- Draw up a cute timeline of milestones, add to it as it happens and frame it after a period of time or make them into a ‘lifetime book’.
- Create lists of current ‘loves’. Things each family member loves to eat, watch, follow, do and look back in years to come.
- Draw around each member of your family’s hand once a year and watch them grow.
- Record kids amusing sayings in a notebook and read them back to them on their 18th birthday.
- Use a voice recorder or your phone to record talking and bawling, ask them to sing into it as a toddler, record their part in the school play and later a speech or two – listen back in years to come.
- Take regular baby bump photos in the same position, wearing the same clothes and hair the same and then turn it into a flip book or speeded up video!
- Write a letter to your child each year, save them all and hand them over when they turn 18!
- Create a selfie wall of art that captures ordinary to extraordinary moments.
- Take weekly or monthly photos of the children – it’s a really fun way to capture their growth and record all the adorable outfits you dressed them in!
- Keep a treasure box. I (Samantha) have one box that my mum filled with things that she wanted me to remember of my childhood. My siblings and I all had one, and we called them ‘Treasure Boxes’. In mine, there’s a blanket, an outfit, a bath game that I played with and other keepsakes – the things that made us happy.
Giveaway
Aside from these wonderful tips, Illustries is also giving away one Family Book (blue or pink). For your chance to win simply complete the Gleam widget below:
Illustries Hey Baby! Book
What’s more, Illustries is offering a 15% discount on all family products purchased. Valid for one month from the date the blog goes live. Quote, ‘Mummy15’ when making a purchase.
For more information about the wide and unique range of Illustries products, please call 0845 4681610, email hello@illustries.com or visit www.illustries.com.
Follow Illustries on Twitter @illustries or like them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Illustries/214344881919137
Disclosure: This is a featured giveaway
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