AboutOne — an online organization tool for home managers — provides one place to organize your family’s health, education, and possession records and precious memories and syncs your information with its calendar, address book, document filing, and reporting tools.
You can access your information from your phone, a computer, or any other device with Internet access, no matter where you are, whenever you need it. All your information is stored with bank-level security.
Always forgetting things? You can set up your account to give you alerts and reminders. Plus, you don’t have to worry about losing your information in case of a computer crash; AboutOne expertly handles backups and security for you.
My favorite thing about AboutOne is that you type in little daily memories. I’m not very good about keeping journals or baby books (okay, confession time: I don’t have baby books for any of my children. I tried with Kathrynne and never even finished the first few pages, so I finally gave up and now just stick with doing photo books!), but I always wish I had an online place to keep track of the funny little things my children say, the milestones, and all those things I don’t want to forget as a mom.
I was excited to see that AboutOne can be a sort of online baby book–I can type in a short little memory or funny saying or milestone from the day every day on AboutOne. For someone like me who can’t seem to figure out how to pull off the baby book thing (all you moms who update your child’s baby books consistently are my heroes!), this is a wonderful way to still not forget and feel like I’m at least doing something to remember these precious moments!
Want to try AboutOne yourself? You can get an absolutely free one-year subscription right now. Just use coupon code MSMFREE and it will take off the purchase price of $30. This code is good for one free AboutOne subscription and doesn’t expire until August 12, 2011.
Just an idea. I have a calendar on the wall in my kitchen always. I write at the top or on the sides all the cute and funny sayings when I hear them and out to the side just put their initials. My older kids help and ask, ” Mom, can I write that one down.” At the end of the year, I type it into the computer then cut and paste it into my newlsetter for our family and friends. I get the most comments on that part of our newletter! The older people LOVE to read the cute sayings!
Oh I am with you! I was good with my first until he was about 2 and then it went down hill from there. I love the ‘newsletter’ feature. Since my husband’s dad lives in another state and never sees my kids, it would be great to share with him a monthly newsletter on what he boys are up to, photos and accomplishments. Great service!
what I love is that I use this scanner app on my iphone and I can scan ANYTHING and then e-mail it to my [email protected]. So far I have scanned letters from my son’s teacher’s, the rental docs for my house, receipts for my new phone… I like that I just scan it and when my son is taking a nap I can go in and file things away. I haven’t even started checking out the baby book possibilities- I am getting come good ideas here!!
Oh, good, then I’m normal! Four babies, no baby books. I do have a little wire bound notebook where I have jotted down weights/lengths for each child at certain months, cute sayings, when they started doing certain things etc. I guess it’s a baby book in some kind of weird, kind of country bumpkin’ kinda way. I need to start doing photo books. That is a great idea!
Thank you so much! I am totally loving this. I have two kids, two unfinished books, and get so busy I forget to write the cute stuff down. I really hate that I can’t remeber some of the cute stuff my almost 6yr old said when he was 2-3.
This is really going to help with that, and its awsome that its on the computer, it’s there, fire flood whatever happens. Planning on using this as part back up for alot of our family pics etc. So neat!
I haven’t done so hot either. One thing I did was put a canvas, that you would paint on, on the wall and I write stuff the kids say on it with a sharpie. It’s convenient and the kids can’t reach it :). I wrote “out of the mouth of babes….” across the top.
Baby Book??? What’s a Baby Book??? 🙂
No baby books here either. I always wanted to but just never got around to it…I guess the sleep exhaustion, breast feeding, playing, cleaning, and all the other joys of motherhood just crept in the way…;)
I do have tons of pictures so maybe when the kids get older and I have more free time I will put something together. But I do wish I was a little more organized with it early on.
But no worries you are definitely not the worst mom ever…far from it girl!
Don’t feel bad mines the worst ever. lol Baby book for my older sister and younger brother none for me. All kinds of photos of my sister and brother when they were little…there are like 2 of me.
Well, at least you have photo books. 😉 I don’t even have those. Just boxes and boxes of photos or memory cards. I do have some photos on my computer though. I am so unorganized when it comes to photos.
I do have a baby book started for my oldest ds who is 12 and I did start one for my twins who are now 9, but never have finished them. Sigh! I used to write funny things they said as a toddler down in a notebook but I can’t find it at the moment.
You’re NOT the worst mom ever. I have four kids and no baby books. I don’t even have photo albums put together. One of these days when I’m not busy being a mom…..
I don’t have baby books but I have kept an online journal for my kids. I can get a lot more information down when I type it and have managed to get a lot of events in because of that. And besides, I have not given an ounce of creativity. I guess, once they start losing their teeth, I can print their journals out (all 70 plus pages so far) and glue it on one of the pages =D. That would be creative enough. I can even write “tooth” and draw an arrow =).
But yes, I’ve had fun with the journaling part since I tend to think a lot when I’m typing and one day my kids will find their novels interesting things to read. I hope. =)
When I was pregnant with my oldest, I wanted to remember my pregnancy, so I wrote updates in an email to myself. When I wanted to add something, I just found the same email and forwarded it back to myself every time. I continued it with my baby’s milestones and started a new email for pregnancy #2. Now when I make a yearly photobook online, I bring up the email and there are all the milestones I need to type into the photobook!
I had 4 kids in 5 years. For my third one, I was too busy with diapers and such for a book so I just kept putting everything in a brown paper bag for “when I had time”. At his first birthday, my sister bought me a baby book and told me it was time!
Thank you for posting this. I seen this last month on a daily deal site for $15, thought it was cool but decided not to do it. I for some reason thought it was $30/mo there after and did not think it was worth that.
So glad you posted this, because not only was I wrong about a monthly fee, but because now I get it for free. Thank you for all that you do!
I am filling out my info now and plan on doing a review on it shortly.
I’m so glad you were able to get in on this freebie! I hope you find it helpful!
Far from worthy of a worst mom award! I have no intention of doing a baby book for my kids and just hope I can keep on top of preserving the memories in photos and videos. Scrapbooking and that kind of thing is just something I’ve accepted that I don’t do (think Time Management 101). Also, I currently have one child and as I do things for him, I try to anticipate whether or not I will be able to do it for future children too. No fancy baby book for him because if I managed to get it done I know there is NO WAY Baby #3 or 4 or 5 or 6…? would get one!
baby book? I guess I am late to that party. 🙂
My son had a baby book but I gave up on it and didn’t even bother with one when I had my daughter. Baby number three is on the way and no baby book for her too!
I have come to terms with the fact that having a baby book is just way too organized for me. And am I the only one who gets annoyed when other mom ask me when my children hit certain milestones and when I don’t know the exact age I get a look like I am a horrible person? I mean come on- I remember their names and to feed and clothe them; isn’t that enough ; )
Over 20 years ago I gave a baby book to an expectant teacher of my kids. She either didn’t know I was there or something but she said “does anyone really use these things?”
Your memories will stick with you and the rest will be captured in pictures.
As far as I can tell people get so caught up on recording moments that the time passes and they haven’t actually experienced those moments. I have a baby book of all my congratulations on your new baby girl cards mom put in a scrapbook and I don’t know who half the people are 50+ years later.
No, my mother is the worst (I’m kidding!!!). Turns out I have two baby books, one complete and one partially done. My younger sister has none. I told her she could borrow one of mine any time she wants. We all get a good laugh out of it!
Is that a typo? Does it expire in aug 2012?
Oops, thanks for catching that!
OMG THANK YOU!!! I found about one earlier this year and did the trial and loved it. I have tried every contest trying to win a year! It’s a great service and I can’t wait to really get involved with it! I was able to use the code to upgrade my existing account! THIS IS AWESOME!
I don’t have baby books for either of my kids either! But I love how convenient it is to take a pic on my phone and email it to [email protected] and viola! The picture goes right to my AboutOne account. I also use the inbox for emailing receipts, etc. It’s so easy and saves me tons of time!
AboutOne is such a great time and money saver, and it was a real life saver when my daughter got sick while we were away from home on vacation and I was able to give the doctors all her health history details.
I make sure I jot a note down immediately when those cute things happen or silly things are said. I just keep an open draft in my email that I add to whenever. It is so fun to look back at the funny things the kids said or did way back when… like eating “bra” carrots (instead of raw). 🙂
I don’t know if you are on Facebook but I’ve found it incredibly valuable when it’s time to fill out the baby book. There are apps on there that let you go back a few years and pull up all your status updates. I would be missing about 90% of my baby milestones without that. Now that they are faithfully transferred to the actual baby book no one needs to know I was just musing on Facebook instead of deliberately recording them.
Could you list the name of one of those apps for pulling old status updates? I would LOVE that. I’m definitely a member of this baby book slacker club.
I’ve used a few different ones and some seem to be defunct. Try status history or year in status. Or just search the apps for those terms and find one you like. Some are better than others. 🙂
I never did my kids either. I bought one and finished the first couple of pages of the first kid. Number 2 got a book but never started it and 3,4 and 5 never even got the book. It’s nothing to feel bad about in my opinion. I think our kids will know we love them.
oh thank goodness, I am with you all completely. I really thought I was the only one. My mom had a huge baby book full of stuff for me, and my sisters was a little lighter but my mom still did it. I tried so hard with both of my kids, 3 and almost 2, and just could not keep up with it. I too have not a crafty bone in my body so that was a hindrance as well. At this point I don’t remember exact ages or dates that some milestones happened.
As I said though, I take some comfort in knowing I am not the only mom that couldn’t keep up with it.
Y’all are a step ahead of me. You atleast have a baby book. I have 2 paper boxes with all the girls stuff and no clue what to do. I am not sure what to do with all the beautiful artwork. Someone suggested scanning them but I do not have a scanner.
Take pictures! Lay it on your table and use the macro setting (usually a flower) on your camera.
I have a first year calendar for my second. For my first, I have nothing. Lots and lots of pictures though. When I had my second, my mother in law brought a calendar to the hospital and told me she would keep it and fill it out for me. Some of you may not like that, but I LOVED it! I knew I wouldn’t do it myself, and every now and then she would ask me if anything new happened, or I would text her when we saw a tooth, etc… It was the best gift ever. If any of you have grandbabies, I thought it was an awesome idea.
I love this idea. It helps you keep intouch with your mother in law as well.
I also love using [email protected] to store my four boys artwork, their funny quotes and videos of all their little memories and milestones…I even got an automatic baby book, so all four have one..
I am not the only one, thank god! I have 4 pages done in my 6 year olds baby book, my other 2 kids have nothing….
You sound like my twin! 🙂
Yes, I think so! I have always felt so bad about myself, I am FREE now knowing I am not alone and also not a horrible mother 🙂
Don’t worry, you’re not the worst mom ever! My oldest is adopted by me, so she has no baby book or pictures or anything from before she was 5 years old. My middle child is 2, and she’s got 3 huge scrapbooks full of pictures and things. My youngest is almost 4 months old and I haven’t written down thing one for him!
When they get older and ask where their baby book is, you can always say, “I was too busy doing things with you to write them down.” 🙂 I have tons of pictures and Facebook updates and stuff, but nothing in a tangible book. I think in 18 years, online content and digital pictures will be more important than physical books, anyway.
I’m stealing your line from you! Love it! 🙂
I knew I was going to be bad about the baby book, and I was right! Instead, I try to write a note to my kids on the first day of each month. My daughter is only 9 months, so she gets a pretty long letter talking about what she’s doing and where we’ve been. My son gets one letter for every three months, updated every month to add new things. This is a new thing now that he’s three and not changing as much. After each birthday, I load up pictures and these letters into a book-making program and wait to print it until a coupon code comes out.
My son loves looking back at his “yearbooks.”
I LOVE this idea and am totally going to do something like it for my kids!
Crystal,
That is so like me. I have 4 unfinished baby books with a bunch of pictures and mementos saved, but I am just not a ‘crafty’ person.
We could start a support group. The non-crafty mom group…lol
I’m so in! 🙂
LOL! Right there with ya. Didn’t even buy one for this baby… poor kids. Eh, neither of us have ’em from when we were little.
I have two unfinished baby books and didn’t even bother with my last two boys. So, yeah, I’ll join this club!! 🙂
My daughter has a baby book, but only the pages you can fill out before baby is born are actually filled out. Didn’t even buy a baby book for number two. Though, when my cousin was selling a memory box at our family garage sale, I did snag that to stick his hospital bracelets and pictures and such into. Now we’ll see how long it takes for that stuff to actually make it in there.