With these baby memory books, you’ll have those special memories forever

We all want our baby’s milestones and photos to be recorded in beautiful baby memory books. But actually doing it…can feel like a chore. But not with these memory keepers! From easy-to-use apps to books with written prompts, you’ll find the right format for you below.

Inclusive for All Families

RubyRoo

With neutral language about families and holidays from several religions included (just remove the ones that don't apply to your family), the RubyRoo Baby Memory Book Baby Journal tries to make itself inclusive to all families. The book covers pregnancy to age 5 and covers milestones, vacations, celebrations and more, including six blank pages for photos and memories specific to your family. There are three covers to choose from: floral, woodland and adventure-themed.

Available at Amazon, $25.

Tinybeans Photo Book

Don't lose any of those special memories! Keep them preserved in a Tinybeans photo book. You'll love looking back at the memories and the book is so easy to create. 

Available at Tinybeans, $20. 

Three Years of Memories

The Quarto Group

Document the first three years of your child's life with this handy baby book. In addition to space to record the basics about your birth and family, there are lots of fun prompts about your home, baby's visitors, daily routines at different ages, favorite activities, holiday celebrations, and friends. There's an expandable pocket at the back of the book for storing keepsakes, with an elastic enclosure to keep things all together.

Available at Quarto Knows, $23.

Gender-Neutral & Gorgeous

baby memory books
Write to Me

This gender-neutral journal covers your pregnancy and the first year of baby's life in style, with a linen cover, gold embossed title, illustrated end pages and a linen box to store the book in. The guided journal features prompts you'll look forward to filling out, including favorite toys, funny things baby is doing and memorable moments for each month.

Available at Write To Me Shop, $65.

Related: Take Your Baby Memory Book to the Next Level

Go Beyond the Book

C.R. Gibson

This baby memory book from C.R. Gibson, "A Book of Baby's Firsts," includes a washable-ink pad so you can document and remember just how teeny your baby's feet and hands were. The Bundle Bright line also includes the smaller and very Instagrammable "Our Magical Memories" ($11), which comes with 25 flippable cards you fill in with baby's milestones. Pages can be rearranged however you like.

Available at Amazon, $21.

Helpful Photo Prompts

baby memory books

In addition to lots of space for your photos, this interactive photo journal from Artifact Uprising includes written photo prompts to help you tell your child's story: bath time snaps, favorite spots to snuggle, the day baby met special people. Thanks to the four-ring binder, you can rearrange or remove any pages that don't work for your family. The customizable construction also means you can add extra pages where you want them.

Available at Artifact Uprising, $99.

Focus on the Family

When We Became Three documents mom and dad's relationship and pregnancy as well as the milestones for baby's first and second year. And yes, there is a When We Became Four book. Clever questions and checklists make this book fun for couples to fill out, which is a big plus for busy new parents.

Available at Amazon, $10.

A Walk on the Wild Side

baby memory books

Record the first 12 months of baby's life with National Geographic's Welcome Little One keepsake baby book. In addition to spots to record baby's amazing milestones, the book includes cute animal photos, heartwarming poems and quotes, and stickers for each monthly milestone. This is one book you and your child will love to page through for years to come. 

Available at Amazon, $18.

Time Machine

baby memory books

Share with your little one what the world was like when they were born with This Is Your Book, by graphic artist and father Ryan Maconochie. In addition to recording baby’s vitals with sleek visuals, this book includes prompts about current events, pop culture, your favorite things and musings on baby, like which names you scratched off the list.

Available at Amazon, $18.

Related: 8 Tips for Surviving the First 6 Months with Your New Baby

The Total Package

The Story of You has thought of everything new parents could want in a baby book. There are prompts you can fill out (about pregnancy, funny moments, and holiday memories), plus open spaces to record special moments and add photos as you like. The binder format lets you add, remove and reorder pages. And you can buy additional pages to record circumstances such as adoption, foster care, a NICU stay, infertility, and a heavenly baby.

Available at Emily Ley, $64.

Scrapbook App

baby memory books

No matter how far away your loved ones are, they can feel like they are with you for all of baby’s firsts with the free Moment Garden app. All those precious moments are backed up and kept private for you to share with those you choose. Want a physical book too? Print a hardcover or softcover book whenever you like.

Available at Moment Garden; the app is free, and a book costs $9-$49.

Black-and-White Dream

The Dreamcatcher black-and-white baby book from Etsy shop Mushybooks offers a sleek, gender-neutral design. Its 50 pages include all the moments you would expect from a baby book (birth story, firsts, favorites. etc.) with an aesthetic that's clean and simple so your baby can shine. Pages can be added or removed as desired.

Available at Etsy shop Mushybooks, $75+.

Mini Brag Book

baby memory books

Take photo books to tiny dimensions with Minibooks from Social Print Studio. Compile all your favorite baby photos into laminated, spiral-bound photo books. Slip them into your purse or pocket, so you always have pictures of mini-you to share with friends and family. This makes a great gift idea for grandparents too!

Available at Social Print Studio, 2 books for $21.

Not-So-Precious Moments

Take a non-traditional approach to memorykeeping and celebrate all of those alternative baby moments with Baby’s First Tattoo, by Jim Mullen. With this humorous approach to baby books, you'll never forget those other important moments, like: baby’s first tantrum in a crowded grocery store or places baby crawls that parents didn’t think possible.

Available at Amazon, $13.

Box It Up

Not every baby milestone fits into a book. The fabric boxes of The Library: Baby Keepsake Box can be displayed like books but hold so much more than a traditional tome. In this handcrafted memory box, you can save baby’s favorite blanket, a lock of hair, the first pair of shoes and more. There are even vertical files for important documents or photos.

Available at Savor, $95.

Related: Turn Your Texts into a Baby Book with This Cool New Service 

Email Reminders

baby memory books

Do you have trouble remembering to jot down those milestones? My Own Little Story is an online baby book that offers free email reminders to help you keep track of baby’s special moments. It even has a snooze button for those milestones baby hasn’t hit yet. Print your book once you have 10 milestones, or wait to create a larger book with up to 36 milestones or 72 printed pages.

Available at My Own Little Story, $30-$79.

Easy Phone Photos

baby memory books

Chatbooks took a candid look at the craziness that is motherhood and offered a supremely simple solution to printing photos from your phone. The app will automatically arrange your photos in chronological order for you. All you have to do is add captions and pick your cover to capture all of baby’s special moments. 

Available at Chatbooks; $5+.

Nature's Approach

baby memory books

With an emphasis on your baby’s interactions with the natural world, The First 1000 Days: A Baby Journal by Nikki McClure lets you record your baby’s birth story as well as their first tree, moon and garden. The bold papercut illustrations will captivate even the youngest eyes.

Available at Amazon, $17.

A Noteworthy Book

The Mom's One Line a Day book simplifies the baby book by letting moms write one short note a day to document an event, experience or that day's feelings. With room for five years' worth of notes, you can document the magic of your little one's early years without too much effort.

Available at Amazon, $13.

Love Letters

Letters to My Baby allows you to write your child letters about your hopes, dreams and memories. Once written, you seal them until your child is old enough to read them. There are prompts for each of the 12 letters to help you craft what you write. 

Available at Amazon, $12.

The Guilt-Free Baby Book

baby memory books
Little Animal Lover Memory Book

No need to spend countless hours creating a scrapbook-like memory book because this book from Lucy Darling has done the work for you. Available in a variety of themes, there's space to document firsts, favorites and monthly milestones amid beautifully designed pages.

Available at Lucy Darling, $35+.

You can easily organize all your sweetest family moments—and share them with your family and friends near and far—with the Tinybeans app. The secure platform puts parents in total control of who sees and interacts with photos and videos of their kids.

A gendered housework study out of the University of Bath is revealing some interesting data on just who bears the brunt of housework, and honestly, no mom will be surprised. Dr. Joanna Syrda’s work, “Gendered Housework: Spousal Relative Income, Parenthood, and Traditional Gender Identity Norms,” studies the relationship between married parents where the mother earns the most, and how this “non-traditional” set-up impacts the housework gap.

In the past, men have traditionally been the breadwinners of the home, leaving much of the child-rearing and housework to mothers who have remained at home. However, more women are participating in the workforce and even out-earning their partners in this day and age.

Given that the main reason women took care of the home in the past was due to a lack of outside employment, it stands to reason that if they became the main family earners, that husbands/fathers would step in to fill the gap when it comes to housework. Spoiler alert: That’s not the case.

To clarify, Dr. Syrda’s study defines housework as tasks like cooking, cleaning, and other household actions that aren’t necessarily related to childcare. Her paper reviews a U.S. study that monitored 6,000 heterosexual couples and the impact of having children on the relationship between housework and spousal relative income.

In a press release, Dr. Syrda shares “I found that the gender housework gap actually gets bigger for mothers who earned more than their spouses – the more they earned over their partner, the more housework they did.” She believes that’s because as a society, we are still entrenched in norms about what moms and dads “should” be doing. “When men earn less than women, couples neutralize this by increasing traditionality through housework – in other words, wives do more and husbands do less as they try to offset this ‘abnormal’ situation by leaning into other conventional gender norms.”

mothers have more housework
Josue Michel/Unsplash

So why does all this matter? Because studies have shown that couples with kids fight the most about housework and its related responsibilities. Obviously, the traditional view families took is quickly becoming outdated as high-earning moms become more common.

According to Syrda, it’s important to address and equalize household responsibilities early on. “How couples divide the increased domestic workload after becoming parents will be an important determinant of earnings inequalities between women and men over the course of their lives – a pattern once settled upon is often difficult to renegotiate. And these norms may be passed to their children.”

You can read the entire study by Dr. Syrda here.

Going green has never been more fun than when you’ve got your own little leprechauns on the loose. From parades to “greening of the fountains,” Atlanta is one lucky place to be. Here are our favorite spots around town to kiss the Blarney Stone.

Atlanta St. Patrick's Parade: Saturday, March 12

iStock

The Atlanta St. Patrick’s Parade, which dates back to 1848, is one of the oldest parades of its kind in the U.S. and longest running event in Atlanta’s history. It returns to the streets of Midtown. The family-friendly event will feature highlights such as the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales and the world’s largest walking flag, which is carried by dozens of marchers. Previous year’s parades were attended by more than 80,000 spectators, so plan to get there early via MARTA.

Where: Peachtree St. and 16th St. in Midtown from 12 noon to 1:30 p.m.
Online: atlantastpats.com

Smyrna St. Patrick's Day Fest: Thursday, March 17 and Saturday, March 19

iStock

Paddy like no one's watching at the 18th Annual St. Paddy's Day Festival at the Smyrna Market Village, and little clovers are welcome to join Thursday afternoon and all day Saturday. 13 years and younger get in free. The weekend will have brew-tiful weather accompanied by live music, the dyeing of the fountain green by Smyrna's mayor (Thursday 6 p.m.), Cornhole ATL, drink specials, and games for the little clovers all day long!

Where: Smyrna Market Village, 2840 Atlanta Rd. Smyrna 
Online: facebook.com

ShamRock The Station: Thursday, March 17

iStock

Central Park will be turning green with free activities and music all day, including musicians, stilt walkers, airbrush tattoo artists, balloon artists, Irish dancers, and bagpipes. 

Where: Atlantic Station, 1380 Atlantic Dr.
Online:  atlanticstation.com

Luck of Avalon, Fri. & Sat. Mar. 11 & 12

iStock

Experience a purely gold St. Patrick's Day celebration during Luck of Avalon! Calling all lads, lassies, and little leprechauns! Join us on Friday, March 11th as we celebrate St. Patrick's Day, Avalon style at Luck of Avalon. Get ready to sham-ROCK the night away in the Plaza with special performances from King O'Sullivan School of Irish Dance + North Georgia Pipes and Drums, live music, Irish flair + of course, green beer.

400 Avalon Blvd., Alpharetta

Online: experienceavalon.com

 

Worth the Drive: Shamrock City (Rock City Gardens) March 12, 13, 19 & 20 

Up for a day trip? Then visit Rock City's annual St. Patrick's Day festival. It's less than a two-hour drive north of Atlanta—and you'll enjoy traditional Irish food (and some non-traditional like green fudge!) plus learn an Irish jig. Take a fun family picture with a St. Patty's-themed costume character. Before you leave, make sure you stop by the Blarney Stone Climbing Wall, where kids can win a "lucky surprise" for reaching the top.

Where: Rock City Gardens, 1400 Patten Rd., Lookout Mountain from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Online:  www.seerockcity.com

—Shelley Massey

 

RELATED STORIES

7 Quick Ways to Show Your St. Patrick’s Day Spirit

Take a break from gold and leprechauns this St. Patrick’s Day and check out this unique and viridescent Irish celebration from mom editors Megan and Ginger of Little Peanut. Flip through the slideshow to see all the decorations, healthy snacks and games the dynamic duo planned for this party that will make you green with envy.

A Healthy Irish Celebration

Start your little one's weekend with some celebrations and healthy snacks. Little Peanut's non-traditional St. Patrick's Day food spread totally compliments it's savvy and chic decor style.

Darling Yarn Wrapped Centerpieces

This uncomplicated centerpiece is made of bottles wrapped tightly in green yarn. For crafty fams, it's also a great project that little fingers can help out with.

Shamrock Streamers

Hanging shamrocks make a great backdrop during photo ops with the kids. With different shades of green, the decorations pop and the room much more vibrant.

Green Milk

Little Peanut grabbed these cute milk bottles and green clover straw from Shop Sweet Lulu, and made the milk green for some extra fun.

Shamrock Painting

Did you know bell peppers also the key to creating perfect shamrock fridge art? Simply cut off the end of a bell pepper, clean out the membranes and use the pepper to stamp a shamrock shape with paint onto paper.

Shamrock Peppers with Ranch Dressing

What a delicious way to get little ones to eat their greens. Thinly sliced bell peppers make it easier for kids to dip them into green ranch dressing.

Rainbow Art

Kids won't be able to keep their hands off this fruit loopy rainbow art. Simply have them form the rainbow arches with each color of the rainbow. Drawing faint pencil lines can help keep the lines round the way you want them. Use Cotton balls for the clouds and glue down all of the pieces.

Rainbow Fruit Stick

These rainbow fruit kabobs are such a delightful treat. Kids at the SLP party had fun naming the colors and fruits.

Pencil Stamp Shamrock

This project from No Little Peanut is elementary for a tot of any age. Kids can fine tune their motor skills by stamping in the lines or free-forming a shamrock!

Skittle Rainbow Sticks

Fill clear plastic candy tubes with a little colorful magic. These make beautiful party favors that'll have guests rattling happily long after they've left your party.

What’s your favorite part of this cool party? Tell us in the comments section below!

—Taylor Clifton & Christal Yuen

all photos by Jessica Peterson, courtesy of Little Peanut

Everything You Need to Trap a Leprechaun This St. Patrick’s Day

21 Easy St. Patrick’s Day Crafts That Kids Will Love

11 St. Patrick’s Day Science Experiments for Kids

If you’re excited to host a larger gathering with friends and family this Thanksgiving, but want to make sure you’re enjoying the time rather than stressing over Thanksgiving dinner in the kitchen, we’ve got the solution. Try outsourcing all or some of the cooking! We’ve rounded up 18 local restaurants and caterers offering Thanksgiving meals for pick-up––with options ranging from smoked, roasted or apple-brined turkey, to prime rib, brisket, Italian, and even paleo-friendly, vegan, and gluten-free feasts! Prices range from very affordable to very gourmet depending on your budget. To save even more time, look for the places that will deliver a decadent dinner straight to your door! Read on for the details.

International Smoke Del Mar

International Smoke Del Mar

Wood-fired and flavorful, Del Mar’s International Smoke is offering a multi-course feast that you can pick up or get delivered.  Chow down on Parker House rolls, curry pumpkin soup, persimmon salad, roasted cauliflower skewers, and a maple-roasted turkey with all the trimmings. Orders must be placed by Sunday, November 21; the meal is $320 and serves four people.

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: Minimal preheating and prep required
Place orders by: Sun. Nov. 21th
How to order: online
Pick up times: Nov. 24th or Nov. 25th 

International Smoke Del Mar
3387 Del Mar Heights Road
San Diego, CA 92130

Online: InternationalSmokeDelMar.com
Menu: InternationalSmokeDelMar.com

Seaside Market

Seaside Market in Cardiff, is known for its mouthwatering Burgandy tri-tip, infamously nicknamed "Cardiff Crack" by locals. And, this Thanksgiving, you can swap the turkey for their Tri-tip Feast which comes with sides like roasted vegetables, candied sweet potato mash, broccoli gorgonzola salad and more. Or, you can keep it traditional with their Complete Turkey Feast and side dishes. Seaside also offers a vegan meal with lasagna as the main dish. Whatever your crew is craving this holiday, you can order it at Seaside Market and sit back and relax because your meal is certain to be an utter crowd pleaser. 

Cost: $249.95 for Complete Turkey or Cardiff Crack Tri-Tip Feast, each feeds 6+ people. $89 for Vegan Feast, feeds 2-3+ people

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: yes
Preparation: Served chilled in aluminum pans with reheating and serving instructions.
Place orders by: 48 hours in advance
How to order: online
Pick up times: Call for pick up times

Seaside Market
2087 San Elijo Ave
Cardiff-by-the-sea 92007

Online: seasidemarket.com
Menu: https://seasidemarket.com/holidays/

The Great Maple

Leave the cooking to the kind folks at UTC's Great Maple by reserving your Thanksgiving meal today. The delicious dinner, made to be enjoyed at home, includes butternut squash bisque soup, thyme, and rosemary turkey breast served with brioche stuffing, mashed potatoes, pan gravy, toasted sage green beans, and pumpkin pie. The cost is $39.95 per person.

Cost: $39.95/person

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: fully cooked, heat and eat
Place orders by: Before they sell out
How to order: online
Pick up times: Thursday, November 25th from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm

Great Maple UTC
8675 Genesee Ave Suite 1200
La Jolla, CA 92122

Online: thegreatmaple.com
Menu: explorestock.com/greatmapleutc

Black Angus

Black Angus

Bring home a Turkey Feast Meal To-Go paired with all the fixings. Available in 3 different sizes for either a family of 4, 8 or 12 servings. Each comes with the classics: roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, sage dressing, sweet potatoes, broccoli with garlic butter, salad, cranberry sauce, their famous molasses bread and pumpkin pie. 

If you just want a whole dessert to go, they have other options a la carte like their well-known big mountain fudge cake, NY style cheesecake, sky-high mud pie, spiced carrot cake or chocolate flourless torte.

Cost: 4 servings for $99.95; 8 servings for $199.95; 12 servings for $299.95. 

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: Hot and ready to eat
How to order: online
Pick-up times: Thurs. Nov. 26th from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Black Angus
1000 Graves Ave., El Cajon
619-440-5055

707 E St., Chula Vista
619-426-9200

296 E. Via Rancho Parkway, Escondido
Escondido, CA

Online: blackangus.com
Menu: blackangus.com/thanksgiving/

Sprouts Farmers Market

Sprouts Farmers Market

Simplify your Thanksgiving this year with fully prepared holiday meals from Sprouts, made with simple and wholesome ingredients like cage-free turkey, no antibiotics ever and organic ingredients. Fully prepared meal options that serve 6-8 include natural turkey, free-range organic turkey, USDA choice beef rib roast or spiral-sliced ham (regular or uncured & sugar-free) come with delicious seasonal sides. Or choose the 40 oz. vegan roast meal with cornbread stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce and a take & bake sourdough loaf. Don’t forget to add one of their award winning pies to your checkout cart, each pie is made with real fruit and are always free from artificial preservatives.

Place orders online for yourself or treat your friends or family to a meal for them to pick up at their local store or have it delivered straight to their door. Sprouts stores will be open on Thanksgiving day from 7am-4pm in case you forget something.

Cost: boneless turkey breast meal for 2 is $39.99; natural turkey meal for 6-8 is $79.99; spiral-sliced ham meal for 6-8 is $79.99; beef rib roast meal for 6-8 is $89.99; vegan roast meal for 4 is $44.99

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: Yes
Preparation: fully cooked, heat and eat
Place orders by: Before they sell out
How to order: online
Pick up times: curbside or delivery with Instacart!

Sprouts Farmers Market
Various locations

Online: sprouts.com
Menu: sprouts.com/shop/categories/434

Urban Plates

Urban Plates

Bring home a fresh scratch-made feast just like grandma used to make. Choose from a Family Feast that serves 6-8 or a Family Meal that serves 4 and you’ll get an herb roasted cage-free turkey breast, mushroom stuffing, homemade gravy, sweet cranberry relish, artisan bread and choice of two sides. Add on a scratch-made dessert made in-house by their pasty chef: mango tart, seasonal pumpkin & walnut layer cake or a Hummingbird Cake, among others.

Urban Plates offers one of the best values with quality organic produce, cage-free turkey and always free of hormones, antibiotics and GMOs. Order early, they sold out last year!

Cost: a la carte sides $13 each; desserts $32-$60; Turkey Plate serves 1, $19.95; Turkey Family Meal serves 4 for $79; Turkey Family Feast serves 6-8 for $139

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: Sides available
Preparation: chilled, fully cooked with heating instructions
Place orders by: Nov. 20th
How to order: online
Pick up times: Nov. 23rd or 24th

Urban Plates
1923 Calle Barcelona, Carlsbad
760-652-5678

12857 El Camino Real, Carmel Valley
858-509-1800

8707 Villa La Jolla Dr., La Jolla Village
858-263-0818

Online: urbanplates.com
Menu: urbanplates.com/thanksgiving

Giardino

Switch up your Thanksgiving this year with an Italian feast, or choose from their traditional Thanksgiving dishes to keep it classic. Their Thanksgiving day specials include prime rib, short ribs, butternut squash ravioli or oxtail cannelloni each with complementary sides, but you can also choose from their extensive menu of gourmet pasta meals, pan seared salmon, eggplant dishes or chicken marsala among others. Your taste buds will delight in their Italian sweets like the tiramisu tray, Limoncello cake or Nutella cheesecake. If you can’t decide, just order the dessert sampler and everyone will be happy.

Cost: meals serve 6-8 people – prime rib meal $85, short rib meal $75, butternut squash ravioli meal $60, oxtail cannelloni $60

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: call for details
Place orders by: call for details
How to order: online
Pick up times: based on store hours

Giardino
8131 Broadway, Lemon Grove
619-825-7112

Online: giardinosd.com
Menu: giardinosd.com/HOLIDAYtogo

 

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market

Celebrate the season with Whole Foods Market catering menu with offerings for everyone. You’ll find the classics like organic turkey,  and prime rib with all the sides, but also paleo-friendly paleo and vegan-friendly options. Holiday appetizer platters are also available. 

Cost: classic roast turkey meal for 12 is $299.99; beef wellington meal for 4 is $139.99;  prime rib meal for 8 is $229.99; you’ll find other serving sizes and options online

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: Yes
Preparation: fully cooked, heat and eat
Place orders by: All Holiday Selections orders must be placed a minimum of 24 hours ahead of pickup date and time
How to order: online
Pick up times: Nov. 19th -25th from 8 a.m.-8 p.m

Whole Foods
711 University Ave., Hillcrest
619-294-2800

8825 Villa La Jolla Dr., La Jolla Village
858-642-6700

2600 Via De La Valle, Del Mar
858-436-9800

Online: wholefoodsmarket.com
Menu: shop.wfm.com

Chart House

Chart House is big on holidays, which means you can expect a mouthwatering Thanksgiving dinner without having to lift a finger, except to carry the bags into the house. The Chart House Thanksgiving To-Go offers a choice of slow-roasted prime rib or turkey, stuffing, cranberry dressing, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes and pecan or pumpkin pie.

Cost: serves 4 people for $105 for turkey, or $130 for prime rib

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: call for details
Place orders by: Nov. 19th
How to order: online
Pick up times: based on store hours, delivery available

Chart House
1201 1st St., Coronado
619-437-4474

2588 South Coast Hwy 101, Cardiff
760-436-4044

Online: chart-house.com/
Menu: chart-house.com/event/thanksgiving/

Rancho Valencia

@ranchovalencia

Bring the good life home from Rancho Valencia to enjoy a Thanksgiving feast in the comfort of your own home. This year they’ve launched “Rancho-To-Go” where you can choose from a full a la carte menu of canapés, starters and soups, choice of meats, sides and sauces; completed with pies and desserts. You can also choose from their a la carte items like crab cakes, empanadas, truffle arancini, poached pears, charcuterie boards and so much more.

Cost: full meal serves 4 for $265; or buy everything a la carte - minimum order $350, all items sold are in portions of 4 unless otherwise noted

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: Yes
Preparation: fully cooked, heat and eat
Place orders by: Thurs. November 18th
How to order: online
Pick-up times: Wed. Nov, 24th between 9 am - 1 pm.

Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
5921 Valencia Cir., Rancho Santa Fe
858-759-6216

Online: ranchovalencia.com
Menu: form.jotform.com/213005244091139

 

Giuseppe Catering

Mix and match a cornucopia of delights by choosing all of your Thanksgiving dishes a la carte. Choose from roasted & carved natural turkey and such sides as Focaccia-leek & pistachio stuffing, squash skewers, butternut squash soup, caramelized Brussels sprouts, truffle parmesan mashed potatoes or a poached pear salad among other options. It might take you a while to decide what’s for dessert from Frangelico chocolate truffle lollipops to Meyer lemon bars or pies.

Cost: Varies based on a la carte items ordered, roughly $160 for 6-8 servings

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: fully cooked, heat and eat
Place orders by: noon on Monday, Nov. 22nd
How to order: online
Pick up times: Pick up or delivery on November 24th 

Giuseppe Restaurants & Fine Catering
7853 Herschel Ave., La Jolla
858-581-2205

Online: grnfc.com
Menu: grnfc.com/thanksgiving-catering

Elijah's Restaurant

@elijahs.deli

Having your Thanksgiving meal delivered doesn’t get any easier than this! Order your classic Thanksgiving meal from Elijah’s and they’ll bring it right to your front door. Choice of turkey, beef brisket, or ham served with 2 classic side dishes to choose from and add on an apple, pecan or pumpkin pie for only $14.95 extra.

Cost: all servings are for 10 people - $165 for turkey dinner, $165 for beef brisket dinner and $165 for spiral ham dinner

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: all dinners are freshly cooked for your pick-up time, no reheating required! Just put it on the table and eat.
Place orders by: 48 hrs notice
How to order: call
Pick up times: schedule with restaurant, delivery available for an additional charge. 

Elijah’s Restaurant
7061 Clairemont Mesa Blvd., Clairemont
858-353-5528 or 858-455-1461

Online: elijahsrestaurant.com
Menu: elijahsrestaurant.com/thanksgiving

Ranch 45

Ranch 45

Ranch 45 adds a gourmet twist to all of your favorite traditional foods. Just some of their offerings are butternut squash soup, roasted rainbow carrots, wild rice with butternut squash, herb-crusted prime rib, red wine braised short ribs, smoked turkey legs… and much more online. Don’t forget traditional desserts; are you team Apple or team Pumpkin pie? Or maybe an alternative GF carrot cake is more up your alley.

Cost: all items are ordered a la carte; approx. $160 for 3-4 servings

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: Yes
Preparation: fully cooked, heat and eat
Place orders by: Sunday, November 21st
How to order: in store, by phone, online
Pick up times: 10 am - 3 pm on Nov. 24th

Ranch 45
512 Via De La Valle, Solana Beach
858-461-0092

Online: ranch45.com
Menu: ranch45.com/holiday-pick-up-menu

 

Ruth's Chris

Take the hassle out of Thanksgiving Dinner this year and order out from Ruth’s Chris Steak House. They have a family meal that serves 4 and includes roasted turkey and all the trimmings, including 4 personal pumpkin cheesecakes.

Cost: 4 servings for $175

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: chilled, fully cooked to heat and eat
Place orders by: 48 hours in advance
How to order: online
Pick up times: Wed. Nov. 24th, 12 pm - 6 pm

Ruth’s Chris Steak House
11582 El Camino Real, Del Mar
858-755-1454

1355 N Harbor Dr., Downtown/Embarcadero
619-233-1422

Online: ruthschris.com
Menu: ruthschris.com/menu/thanksgiving

 

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

Celebrate at home with Fleming’s 3-course dinner for the family. Meals include Herb-Roasted Turkey paired with all the fixings, salad and a cinnamon pumpkin cream cheesecake with orange cranberry sauce. You can also substitute the turkey for petite filet mignon or prime bone-in ribeye each with peppercorn sauce or add on delectable sides like lobster mac & cheese, cauliflower mash or crispy Brussels sprouts with bacon.

Cost: $53/adult and $23/children, dishes available a la carte also

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: fully cooked, heat and eat
Place orders by: call for details
How to order: online
Pick up times: call for details

Fleming’s Prime Steak House
8970 University Center Ln., UTC
858-535-0078

380 K St., Downtown/Gaslamp
619-237-1155

Online: flemigsssteakhouse.com
Menu: flemingssteakhouse.com/thanksgiving

Del’s Hideout, Pioneer BBQ or Coaster Saloon (Cohn Restaurant Group)

@delshideout

Bring this Thanksgiving BBQ Feast to your table this year from either of these 3 restaurants from Cohn’s. Choice of whole smoked turkey or brisket, 3 family size sides (bacon potato salad, coleslaw, stuffing, mashed potatoes & gravy, killer beans, candied yams, mac & cheese, collard greens or green beans) and cornbread or dinner rolls. Add on pecan or pumpkin pie for dessert. You can also buy the main course a la carte (whole smoked turkey or brisket) and fix your own sides at home.

Cost: serves 6-8 servings for $189.95; add on a pie for $219.99; or even buy the main course a la carte: $114.95 for turkey or $129.95 for brisket

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: no
Preparation: fully cooked, heat and eat
Place orders by: 3 p.m. on Mon. Nov. 22nd
How to order: call
Pick up times: Thurs. Nov. 25th between 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

(all 3 Cohn Restaurants share the same Thanksgiving menu options)

Del’s Hideout
5351 Adobe Falls Rd., Del Cerro
619-255-8175

Pioneer BBQ
8622 Lake Murray Blvd., San Carlos
619-825-7787

Coaster Saloon
744 Ventura Pl., Mission Beach
858-488-4438

Online: cohnrestaurants.com/delshideout
Menu: cohnrestaurants.com/dels-hideout-thanksgiving-feast-togo

Nutmeg Bakery

Top off your day of eating this year with a non-traditional Thanksgiving pie from Nutmeg Bakery. They’ve got all kinds of cream pies: Chocolate, Banana, Boston or Coconut; as well as Key Lime and Maple Pecan (gluten-free). But if you want to go the traditional route they’ve got you covered there with Apple Lattice, Apple Crumb (GF) and Pumpkin (avail GF). Now if you want a Thanksgiving cake, well they’ve got plenty of options too with everything from Carrot Cake (avail GF) to chocolate chip cookie dough, vanilla (vegan) or lemon raspberry, orange cranberry, lemon blueberry, coconut rum (GF, V) hummingbird, Italian cream and oh so many more.

Cost: $20-$35 per pie

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: Yes
Preparation: call for details
Place orders by: 72 hrs advance notice
How to order: online only
Pick up times: based on order

Nutmeg Bakery & Café
12640 Sabre Springs Pkwy, Sabre Springs
858-486-8863

Online: https://nutmegsd.com/

Pop Pie Co.

If you want to have your Thanksgiving pie and eat it too, there are plenty of options from Pop Pie Co. That’s all they do and that’s why they’re the best. Choose from Salted Honey, Honey Bourban Pecan, Pumpkin Pie, Salted Caramel Apple Crumble or Apple Crumble (vegan).

Cost: $35 per pie

Vegan/Gluten-Free options: Yes
Preparation: pies are baked fresh the morning you pick them up
Place orders by: Sun. Nov. 21st or until they’re sold out
How to order: online only
Pick up times: Wed Nov. 24th from 11 am-5 p.m. or Thurs. Nov. 25th from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Pop Pie Co.
4404 Park Blvd., University Heights
619-501-4440

270 E 17th St., Costa Mesa
949-524-3015

Online: poppieco.com
Menu: poppieco.com/thanksgiving-pies-pre-sale

––Aimee Della Bitta & Bonnie Taylor

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Whether you’re hanging out at home this year or planning a night of trick or treating, you need a pair of cozy jammies to celebrate the season. From glow-in-the-dark skeletons to Mickey Mouse, to matching family pajamas, here are 10 adorable sets perfect for Halloween night.

Ghosts & Skeletons PJ's

Maisonette

Creative kids can express themselves even at bedtime! These adorable ghost and skeleton prints come in non-traditional colors and are super comfy.

Sizes: 2-14Y

Buy them here, $48

Glow-in-the-Dark Skeletons from Kohl's

Kohl's

Perfect for your little monster, these pajamas stand out in a crowd, especially since they glow in the dark!

Sizes: 2-5T

Buy them here, $20.

Mickey Mouse Pajamas

ShopDisney

Have a happy haunt in these cheerful Mickey Mouse jack-o-lantern pajamas! Made from 100% cotton.

Sizes: 2-10Y

Buy them here, $20

Family Pajamas from Primary

Primary

Known for their simple but oh-so-comfy clothes, Primary has an adorable family pajama set for Halloween! All material is made from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton in an environmentally sustainable and socially responsible way.

Sizes: Newborn-Adult

Buy them here, $20+ 

Mummy Pajamas

Old Navy

Made from soft-knit cotton, this onesie will make mummy happy when she sees her little ones ready for some at-home fun. 

Sizes: XS-XL

Buy the set here, $30

Newborn Pajamas

BuyBuy Baby

For the newest pumpkin in your patch, this adorable Burt’s Bees organic cotton sleep and play footie suit are too cute to pass up. 

Sizes: Newborn-3 months

Buy it here, $14

Peanuts Pajamas from Hanna Andersson

Hanna Andersson

What better way to watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" then wearing these adorable family jammies?

Sizes: Newborn to adult

Buy them here, $12+

Too Cute to Spook Pajamas

Twinkle Twinkle Tees via Etsy

These pajamas are too cute to spook! Made from 100% cotton, they’re perfect for a night watching Halloween movies.

Sizes: 12M-14Y

Buy them here, $34+

Marauders Map Pajamas from PB Teen

Pottery Barn Teen

Your Hogwarts-obsessed tween won’t think she’s too cool to hang with the family when she’s got a pair of these Marauders Map fitted pajamas from Pottery Barn Teen. 

Sizes: S, M, L, XL

Buy them here, $59.

Family Ghost Pajamas

Target

How fun is a set of family ghost pajamas? Pick a Halloween movie, hide candy around the house, make a Halloween-themed dinner and call it a successful night! 

Sizes: 3 months-adult

Buy the set here, $15 & up

—Gabby Cullen & Karly Wood

 

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Calling all grads! Krispy Kreme is bringing back its sweetest deal yet: the Graduate Dozen.

From May 10-16, anyone can purchase the graduate dozen via the Krispy Kreme app, website, drive-through or in-store. Even better, seniors can grab the dozen for free on May 13 just by wearing “Class of 2021” graduation gear!

Dave Skena, Chief Marketing Officer for Krispy Kreme, “It’s been a tough year for this year’s graduates, marked by virtual learning, canceled sports, limited school activities, altered or eliminated proms and non-traditional graduation ceremonies. But the class of 2021 persevered through it all. We admire them, we’re proud of them and we want to celebrate all of them by giving them a special Graduate Dozen completely free at their local Krispy Kreme.”

The 2021 Graduate Dozen includes an assortment of classic varieties: Chocolate Iced Kreme Filled, Strawberry Iced Kreme Filled, Cake Batter Filled, Original Glazed White Iced and Yellow Iced Original Glazed Doughnuts. 

The limited time deal is only available May 10-16 at participating shops.

—Karly Wood

Featured photo: Krispy Kreme

 

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Photo: Stratford School

Among the lessons of the pandemic is that family matters—more than perhaps we ever realized. To be sure, over the past year many of us found creative ways to stay connected with family in other cities or countries, hosting holiday Zoom sessions and virtual family reunions, posting smart-phone videos of graduations, and other rites-of-passage to our preferred social media platforms. But flat-screen interactions by their very nature lack a third dimension,  meaning depth—depth of feeling, of understanding, of intimacy. The months of enforced separations and make-do virtual encounters have heightened our appreciation for the value of face-to-face interactions and the comfort of human touch.

Prolonged separations of the pandemic have been especially hard on grandparents, whether they live in the same neighborhood as their grandchildren, or an ocean away. Between the enforced travel restrictions and their own increased vulnerability, many, perhaps most, grandparents have had to step away from familiar, sometimes frequent, and always cherished, interactions with grandchildren. With vaccines in arms and restrictions lifting, grandparents everywhere are reuniting with their families, returning to the warm embrace and open affection of their grandchildren.

While the second Sunday in May is Mother’s Day, we thought it was a fitting month, and an opportune time, to also honor grandmothers—and the interdependence of generations—in our May book choices. The selected stories feature traditional and non-traditional grandmas (storytellers, protectors, and confidantes) and the children who love them—in beautifully written prose that all will enjoy.

Grades Kindergarten to Second

Have Fun, Molly Lou Melon written by Patty Lovell, illustrated by David Catrow
Young Molly Lou is reminded by her grandmother that when she was little, she made her toys and fun out of nothing. The fun came from her mind and the simple things around her like cardboard boxes and nature. Molly Lou experiences this same fun and when a new girl, Gertie, moves in next door. Molly shares the fun and Gertie is amazed. The main theme of the book is written on the back: “The Best Thing to Play with Is a Huge Imagination.” A good message about the value of being resourceful, versus heading straight to technology. The beautiful pictures work well to present a cute and simple lesson on the value of good old-fashioned play, just like Grandma used to do. Enjoy the entire series of Molly Lou Melon books.

Grades 3-4

Strega Nona written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola
This timeless Caldecott winner is written and illustrated by the legendary Tomie dePaola. Nona is translated into grandmother, and that is what this woman is to one entire town. She helps single young women find husbands, cures warts, and provides fellow villagers with ongoing support. She comes across goofy Big Anthony, who she offers a job as well as a place to stay with her. Strega Nona trusts him, but of course, he fails, and she is there to protect him and teach him an important lesson at the end. This funny, meaningful and exciting tale shows the importance of respecting one’s elders, and the value of a village matriarch. There are many sequels to this tale worth reading as well.

Grades 5-8

When the Sea Turned to Silver  written by Grace Lin
This breathtaking, full-color illustrated fantasy inspired by Chinese folklore was a National Book Award Finalist and is a companion to the Newbery Honor winner Where the Mountain Meets the Moon. The main story follows Pinmei—her grandmother is a storyteller, and people from near and far come to listen to her seemingly endless tales. But one day, the Emperor imprisons her. Legends are interspersed throughout, here retold by Amah, to her stonecutter cellmate, and also by Pinmei, to those she meets on her journey to rescue her Amah. This beautiful tribute to storytelling, the power of folklore, and how, through stories, we can find truth and inspiration.

Chirp written by Kate Messner
When Mia moves to Vermont the summer after seventh grade, she’s recovering from the broken arm she got falling off a balance beam. And packed away in the moving boxes under her clothes and gymnastics trophies is a secret she’d rather forget. Mia’s change in scenery brings day camp, new friends, and time with her beloved grandmother. But Gram is convinced someone is trying to destroy her cricket farm. Is it sabotage or is Gram’s thinking impaired from the stroke she suffered months ago? Mia and her friends set out to investigate, but can they uncover the truth in time to save Gram’s farm? And will that discovery empower Mia to confront the secret she’s been hiding—and find the courage she never knew she had? In a compelling story rich with friendship, science, and summer fun, a girl finds her voice while navigating the joys and challenges of growing up.

feature image via iStock

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Keira Pride is the Head Librarian at Stratford School, the leading independent private school founded with a vision of creating a unique, multi-dimensional, educational foundation for children. As Stratford's Head Librarian, she manages the library services department across campuses throughout Northern and Southern California. 

A recent survey of more than 1,000 Americans found that 40 percent of hopefully soon-to-be parents believe more resources or support would have helped them in their fertility struggles.

The survey, which was collected by OnePoll for Clearblue’s #Conceivinghood campaign, also found that 15 percent of TTC parents say their journey to a baby, “has been a struggle.” Of the parents polled, 32 percent also believe the struggle to conceive is too awkward to talk about—with 10 percent admitting they hadn’t told anyone about their fertility issues.

photo: Nappy via Pexels

OnePoll and Clearblue ranked the top 10 list of “What’s it like trying to conceive?” The answers were:

“Exciting” – 41%
“Fun” – 41%
“Sexy” – 37%
“Stressful” – 25%
“Impersonal” – 20%
“Boring” – 18%
“Repetitive” – 17%
“Frustrating” – 17%
“Upsetting” – 15%
“Difficult” – 12%

Dr. Fiona Clancy, R&D Senior Director, Swiss Precision Diagnostics, said in a press release, “Society always talks about motherhood, fatherhood and parenthood, but there’s a blind spot when it comes to discussing that delicate stage of trying for a baby.”

Along with the survey responses, OnePoll also asked the TTC parents about their individual perspectives on fertility and the road to parenthood. One participant said, “It takes time, especially for non-traditional families. It feels like you are alone in a world of people who have it easy and complain about problems when they don’t understand how easy they have it. But hold on because there are others of us out there.”

—Erica Loop

 

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Photo: Amy Fields

In our house, you will find that we are a blend of solutions in discovering what works best for our kids. You will see things you are used to seeing like medications, equipment, that sort of stuff. Alongside that, you will also see some non-traditional things as well like essential oils, my giant textbooks of herbal medicines, and maybe some familiar equipment used in different ways.

You see, I’ve had to stretch and grow to figure out what works for my kids. We don’t all come out of the same cereal box and things that work for others don’t always work for us. Things aren’t always black and white. They are often various shades of grey. Recently my son was accepted into a unique study. A worldwide research project was being conducted to see if a unique treatment can be beneficial for kids like Marvin. It could help with some of his dietary woes and we were excited to try it. The practitioner had recently relocated and gave me her new address. When we arrived this is what we saw.

As I drove around the building, I began to wonder if it was a joke. There wasn’t a handicapped-accessible spot anywhere. So I called the provider and let her know we were here and the building had no access! She came down and her first words were, “I wasn’t thinking about your daughter.”

Their last location was accessible and we were able to get my daughter, Cary Lynn, up and down. Despite the fact that we had seen this person in her previous location numerous times and my daughter was with me every time, for some reason, it escaped this person’s attention that my child was in a wheelchair.

The next words weren’t much better, that this was, “A pro bono treatment.” And that “Maybe I could find someone who needed community service hours to help with one kid.” I was rather steamed and wanted to offer a shovel while they were burying themselves.

Instead, I said, “Look, I feel like we need to have a conversation here. You may not think about my daughter or the 2.2 million people in wheelchairs or the 6.5 million people who use walkers, canes, or crutches to get around but maybe you should. I’m not saying that every home needs to rush out and become accessible but I would like you to think about how it feels not to be included. How hard it is on our family and others like us because our kids can’t go places. You may not be able to fix your home but how about finding a place that everyone can go to. If you are practicing medicine or holistic treatments think of the large population you are limiting. The people who would probably benefit the most from your treatments have no access to you. Clients that would pay you for your services if they could reach you will take their dollars and go someplace else. Bottom line, it’s not OK and no amount of apologizing is going to fix that piece of my heart that just got a little more battered. It’s not OK to justify the lack of accessibility by saying that this is a pro-bono service. Free does not mean that you can get away with whatever you want. That would be the equivalent of me saying I could rob your home and take your valuables because I am giving you free babysitting. It’s a ludicrous argument.”

We drove for a while in silence. Marvin piped up, “Mama are you upset?” I told him I was, but I would try to think about our options. “Well, I don’t really need to do this. I’d rather go someplace that is nice to my sister. Maybe we can find something more fun to do, like legos!”

The study would have been awesome, but you know what? My kid already is awesome. Both of them are. If people can’t see that then they are the ones with the real handicap.

This post originally appeared on Many Kinds of Families.

I'm a momvocate with a dash of sass and a huge helping of grace.  When I'm not blogging I'm solving life's great mysteries, like do missing socks come back as Tupperwear lids?