We’re happy to be working with our sponsor Yahoo! Mail, who’s helping encourage families to stay connected via email. Which, as we know, is a good thing!

When my first daughter was born, I was pretty diligent about keeping up her baby book. I even had a blank journal that I kept all sorts of notes in as well – first smile, first tooth, first poop in the bath tub (heh). But when I added my second–and then my third and fourth kid– I couldn’t even find the time to jot down notes to myself let alone notes about the kids. Instead, I turned to technology and email to help me keep track of everything that was going on with them, and came up with an idea I’m pretty proud of.

All it took was an email address and I had a digital “baby book” in just a few seconds. I simply set up one account for each of my kids, and then would pop an email to them during naptime or bedtime once a week or so. I included little notes about their development, fun things we did, or just fond memories that I’d love to share with them someday but I knew I’d forget if I didn’t jot it down immediately.

Not to pat my own back, but the solution was kinda brilliant. Think about it: Since email already has a date and time stamp, you don’t even have to worry about putting that information in what you send. And now that we’ve got smart phones, it’s easy to scribble out a quick email about a cute thing your kid said at the park, or enclose that priceless photo or smartphone video of your son with the chocolate ice cream all over his hair. (What? Just my son?)

Then, you can just leave it in email form in their inbox, or eventually print, copy with an old fashioned pen into a scrapbook, or just cut and paste digitally to a real bound baby book.

With four kids to keep track of, I’ve actually found it easier to send an email to a single address, but what I do is put each kid’s name in the subject for easy sorting.

As it turns out, my email baby record is much more thorough than anything I would have kept in an actual baby book. And? Totally free!

I can only hope that my kids appreciate the photos of them throwing their first tantrum at a supermarket when they’re older. They should just be thankful I didn’t whip out the video camera for that one. -Kristen