Life with baby is filled with so many special moments and milestones, and luckily, there are a variety of ways to preserve those memories. One of the latest I've discovered is absolutely precious, and the perfect addition to your family's Christmas tree: the Milestone Keepsake Ornament, available at Maisonette ($19). A unique and affordable first Christmas or baby shower gift, the handmade polka dot glass ornament comes with a cork and 12 little note papers and golden seals. Simply write a memory of your child from the past year on the enclosed paper, roll it up and close with the gold seal, then put the note inside your ornament. Sparking a new Christmas tradition, just imagine how valuable all those memories will be to read with your child 12 years from now.
The keepsake ornament is brought to you by Gemma Broekhuis, the CEO behind Milestone, a company that specializes in finding clever and beautiful ways to preserve baby's first months of life (their popular baby's first year photo cards are another sweet baby shower gift idea). Like most great ideas, Gemma's product line was born out of necessity. Looking for a way to document the first time her baby rolled over, Broekhuis decided to write a card, add the date, and take a picture of her son with it. She replicated this when he slept through the night, crawled, ate his first solid food and achieved additional milestones. When she realized how precious those pictures were, she turned her idea into a product, and the rest, as they say, is history. These days, Milestone's full line of products are enjoyed by new parents in over 40 countries. So amazing, right?
While baby books are still a popular and useful method for recording baby's information (this one by Artifact Uprising is one of my favorites), I think Milestone's keepsake ornament is a unique way to preserve a special every day memory, whether it is baby's first word, the first time your child takes dance lessons, or a funny memory from your family vacation. After all, while I like keeping a record of how much my children have grown over the past year, at the end of the day, it's the little moments that matter the most. And by jotting down a quick memory and storing it away in this beautiful ornament, you're creating a family tradition you'll have for years to come.
As your child grows, I imagine he or she will start bringing you the ornament every holiday season, knowing that you have a little project to complete. But don't let them peek! Then, after Christmas, store your keepsake ornament in the included high quality box and it will be ready to go for next year. Here's to beginning a new Christmas tradition while looking back on the year with your child. So many things change, but your love remains the same.
