The Most Thoughtful Baby Shower Gift That They’ll Use For Decades

Baby registries are wonderful. They make gift-giving easy when that shower invitation arrives and you want to give the honoree a gift you know they’ll love for their little one.

But for those times when you want to give something extra-special that will be used and cherished for decades, I’ve got an awesome idea. It takes a little preparation, but it isn’t hard at all.

It’s what I call a Grow-With-Me File Keeper.

It’s a file box with hanging file folders that are labeled for each year/grade of a child’s life until they reach adulthood. I made my own for each of my kids. Here’s a photo of my daughter’s so you can see what I mean. (I put the current year’s folder up front for easy filing during the year.)

 

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • A plastic file box
  • Hanging legal-sized file folders
  • Labels for the folders (my labels go yearly from Pregnancy through College with other specialty folders like Extracurriculars and Medical Records)
  • A vinyl decal of the child’s name (or you can stencil it or just leave it off altogether)

I bought my own file box and hanging file folders, but I ordered this kit from Etsy for simplicity’s sake. (The version I ordered came with the printed labels and I got a name sticker from there as well.) Feel free to design your own labels if you’re crafty. Since the box is completely customizable, you can include the baby’s name or use particular colors. The sky’s really the limit here.

I love having these file keepers for my kids. I actually have two boxes for each child, one box with file folders for papers and another box for larger items like special clothing and keepsakes. They’re great places to keep things safe and together when you aren’t quite ready to put together a scrapbook.

ADDED BONUS: Living in a hurricane-prone area like ours, these boxes are a great way to easily evacuate with your child’s most important papers. (And while we’re on the subject of hurricane evacuation and important papers, make sure you get your family’s hurricane binder prepped well before hurricane season.)

What are your favorite non-traditional baby gifts?

Joey Yearous
Joey is a New Orleans native, Dominican alum, and LSU grad who joined the ranks of motherhood in the summer of 2019. She and her Colorado born-and-raised husband, Phil, left their Mid-City apartment for a house on the Northshore about ten days before they welcomed their son, Sam, into the world. A short 19 months later, their daughter Sloane arrived and their caboose Nicholas completed their family 17 months after that. Though she’s always had a passion for writing, it’s her work in whole-home generator sales that pays the bills. Her 3 kiddos keep her busy, but when she’s got a free moment, you can find her cooking, trying new restaurants, and listening to true crime podcasts. A consummate Pinterest fanatic, she’s always looking for her next DIY project or recipe to try. She believes good senses of humor and random acts of kindness make the world go ‘round.

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