Baby’s First Journal by Glowbaby

Baby’s First Journal by Glow Baby is a cute little 7.5″x5.5″ spiral-bound notebook that offers a way to keep track of baby’s growth, feedings, diaper changes, sleep, vitamin use, baths, and offers space for any other notes you might want to take.  I was really pleased when Lindsay, the owner of Glow Baby, contacted me and I found out that she’s Canadian.  I love reviewing products from Canada!

The first thing that struck me upon receiving Baby’s First Journal was the packaging:

I know, right?  SO DAMNED CUTE.  I love unwrapping things, and I’m one of those people who is meticulous with unwrapping — no ripping apart paper and throwing around ribbons for me! — so I quite enjoyed that Baby’s First Journal arrived all bound up and prettified.  Yes, I can be easy to please.

Inside the front cover is a little “Introduction” page.  Although I had read about Glow Baby on the company’s website already, I found it really charming to have an introduction to Lindsay, her reasons for starting her company, and the motivation behind this product all right there in my hands.  It felt really personal.  And at the back cover is a page for Contacts, which is really thoughtful.

I requested the journal in green, although it also comes in pink and blue.  Each page has a space for the date, columns to be filled out for Breastfeeding, Bottle feeding, Diaper, and Sleep, as well as check boxes for Daily Vitamin and Bath, and a space for notes:

I appreciated the little checkbox for “Bath”.  I know, a silly thing to highlight, but honestly? Sometimes I forget which days Maia’s had a bath and which she hasn’t.

Now, shortly after Baby’s First Journal arrived, my husband and I discussed how best to use it.  Was it meant to be used chronologically — that is, filling out the feeding/diaper columns as things that happen between sleep times — or meant to be used just for tracking — so each column and space stands as its own record?  The sample page Lindsay has filled out at the front would indicate the latter, but I argued for the former, and I won’t lie, Chris and I got into a ridiculously heated argument over it.  However, fortunately, Baby’s First Journal was at hand, so I beat him down with it and made him shut up.

(Seriously? Somewhere, Lindsay is wondering, “What kind of psycho did I send this book to?”)

Related to using Baby’s First Journal for things it’s not intended for, the paper is acid-free.  This means that when Maia chewed on it, BECAUSE SHE DID, I didn’t have to worry about her poisoning herself, which is pretty nice.

Anyhow, I enjoyed having this product around. I like putting pen to paper — I think it’s a very sensual experience, something that’s kind of becoming forgotten.  And Baby’s First Journal would make a great baby shower gift, whether for a first-time mom or a mom who’s been there before.  Its size allows for easy packing, the spiral binding is sturdy and wide enough to tuck a pen into, and it’s just altogether cute.

I must admit, though, that I would have gotten a lot more use out of this product in the early days of having Maia around, when I was more sleep-deprived and uncertain.  When I received Baby’s First Journal she was just over five months old.  As a work-at-home mom, I find that our days have a natural rhythm to them and I rarely need to ask myself “When did she last eat? What side did she eat from?  How many diapers has she soiled?”

I absolutely recommend Baby’s First Journal by Glow Baby as an organizational tool and a great gift for new parents.

Pros:
- Really well put-together and laid out
- Would make a great gift
- Acid-free paper, if your baby decides she needs something to chew on.
- Comes in three colours
- Small, Canadian mom-owned business
- Great size for tucking into a diaper bag

Cons:
- Messy/ugly to correct your mistakes
- Not immediately obvious how to the columns are intended to be used
- I would have liked hard covers, to make it easier to write on

Now, for my readers:
Interested in obtaining a Baby’s First Journal in your choice of colour?  You can enter to win one the following ways (please note, you must leave a SEPARATE COMMENT for each of these):

1) Tell me the names of Lindsay’s daughters (hint: peek around the GlowBaby.ca site!)
2) Follow me and Lindsay on Twitter
3) Join the Glow Baby group on Facebook
4) Follow the Glow Baby blog.

US & Canada only.

Giveaway winner selected at 11:59am on Sunday, August 30th. Good luck!

Congratulations to @rbryanna on winning this journal!  Enjoy!