Preserving Memories With Once Upon a Family {Baby Keepsakes Review}

I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how awesome it is to have a baby enter your life. I’ve heard time and time again how kids grow up so fast and to cherish the newborn and baby moments. Rissa is now almost 16 months old. I can barely fathom that! It is flying by (yet going slow at the same time). I already miss her newborn self but am totally in love with her developing and growing self (even when she frustrates, tests and challenges me!). But, as much as I want to hold onto those memories, I am failing at recording them.

I am so ashamed to admit it, but I am behind on her baby book. That shouldn’t happen with the first child! I have tons of time (ha!), why isn’t it getting filled out? Well, thankfully I find cherished memories in more than just answering questions and gluing photos in a book. Her baby book has it’s place, but it’s not the only way for me to preserve those memories.

The family behind Once Upon A Family get this, they totally do! They understand that parents and family members want unique ways to capture life and provide meaningful conversations. I was very excited to receive the opportunity to work with them, but it was hard to narrow down my choices! I finally settled on there three items:

The Precious Handprints Book is a simple, yet creative idea. It is a book made for placing handprints with space to record all the details such as name, age, etc. I want to start using this each year as one of Rissa’s birthday traditions. The pages are thicker, so I’m not worried about ink seeping through the pages. It is a very nice bound book that will be a beautiful baby keepsake. Well, it will go beyond the baby years, so I think that is really neat. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten her first set of prints in there yet! I didn’t have the book until recently, so obviously I missed her first birthday back in October. But, I couldn’t believe how difficult it has been to find an ink pad or ink of some sort in order to GET her hand prints! I considered using finger paint as an alternative but had issues finding that in a local store too. I know they are out there somewhere and I WILL find them!

The Tiny Treasures Box comes with three small organza bags to help keep track of small items such as hospital bracelets, locks of hair, first lost tooth, etc. It’s perfect for fitting on a shelf and holding the small momentos safely inside. I put Rissa’s hospital bracelets in as well as mine, and her room card from the hospital bassinet. I plan to add her umbilical cord and a lock of hair when she gets that first cut.

The Baby Keepsake Box is fabulous. It’s a very nice sized box with handles and a latch. It reminds me of a fancy footlocker (but not as long) or a hope chest. It comes with a few larger organza bags and is perfect for holding special items from birth through preschool (or however long you want to save outfits, art work, etc!). I was able to easily fit the Precious HandPrints book inside along with the Tiny Treasures Box, Rissa’s coming home outfit, and her baby blood pressure cuff from the hospital. I will be adding in her baby book (finished or not) as well as the newspapers from the day she was born and other larger items that don’t fit neatly into the baby book.

Favorite: I really like the Baby Keepsake box more than I thought I would. I wasn’t sure about the style, but it has ample room to fit the rest of Rissa’s treasures inside. I think the blankets made for her can fit in their too.

Least favorite: I wish there was a latch on the Tiny Treasures box and I wish there was a way to add a padlock to both boxes.

Conclusion: These items are very nice quality, are unique, and make great gift ideas. I would recommend/suggest these to women everywhere! From single and loving it (some days) to married with grown kids and everything in between! They make great baby shower and holiday gifts!

Where to buy: You can purchase a variety of one-of-a-kind keepsakes ranging from baby to christenings and birthdays to Christmas at Once Upon A Family.

Darcy Zalewski

Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.