The gorgeous personalized children’s book above is by Sarah of Party Perfect. She used objects familiar to her baby to help teach first words. Ever since I saw it, I’ve been thinking about how nice it would be to make a photo book specifically for Hank.
I wanted an idea that would have the maximum impact if it was personalized. Because Hank seems intrigued by feelings lately, I decided to go with that. I’d really like him to learn early on how to identify his emotions and then do something constructive with them, and he already loves to talk about how his toys are “so happy” or “really cross” (thanks Thomas the Tank Engine).
I love the end result. Here are some examples of what I put together:
Shutterfly bought some ads on Mighty Girl, and they let me try their photobook service to lay out my book and print it. It actually ended up taking more time to choose the photos than to make the book. If you’d like to try it yourself, Shutterfly is offering codes to twelve Mighty Girl readers to let them print books for free. You can enter the drawing by leaving a comment about what you’d like to make.
The contest will run through August 24, and I’ll announce winners here. One entry per person please, I’ll have to delete duplicates for fairness. Good luck!
Mighty Girl 
I would make a book of family and friends for my daughter who is leaving for a college very far away.
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I’ve made a Shutterfly book each year since my 3.5 year old was born (just family pictures, chronologically, to show the highlights of the year), and since my husband got laid off a couple of weeks ago, a free book for this year would allow me to continue a tradition without worrying about the cost. Win win!
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I LOVE your idea. Thanks for that inspiration. And thanks for this opportunity!
I’ve been wanting to make a personalized picture book for Simon ever since he turned one. His book would contain pictures and personal thoughts of him (or the idea of him) we (his mom and dad) had before he was conceived, while he was in my belly, and since he’s been out. 🙂 But it wouldn’t be all sweetsy sweetsy perfectly darling…. well, I mean, there would be some of that, of course, but it would also include little snipits of honesty that aren’t always documented….like how we were afraid we would totally suck at parenting; how, when Simon was born, I had fear that he wouldn’t like me; how when, not long ago, he came to me with his finger pointed outward and chimed, “booger!” I was SO proud! Because he actually had one on his finger, and how did he know how to say booger? And how did he know that a booger is called a booger? 🙂
Yeah, that would be Si’s book.
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I would love to make a personalized alphabet book for my daughter who is turning one in a few weeks. (I know, not so creative, but certainly a fun and doable project!)
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What an excellent book. I’m a nascent speech-language pathologist and we frequently use this same kind of feelings book with children who are figuring out their feelings and appropriate reactions to them (called “social stores”). Though absolutely none of them are as gorgeous as yours!
I was just going to comment on that, but I suppose I’ll throw my name into the ring for the contest as well. I would make a book about our honeymoon to Alaska. Which was two years ago. Oops!
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I LOVE your Hank book! It’s perfect! Have you seen the book, “On Monday When it Rained”? Similar concept, and a lovely photo display!
Anyway, I’d love to do a photo book through Shutterfly!
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Would love to get a jump start on my second daughters 1st year book. This would help alot! 🙂
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Oh yes, please! I’ve got nieces who are suitable for publishing!
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I’m stealing this idea from another blog, but I’d love to make an ABC book of photos I took…possibly of the city where I live.
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I would use it to document the growth of my baby. Which is due today. Which hasn’t arrived yet. Little stinker.
And also to document the journey my husband and I are embarking on as first-time parents.
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Oooooh. I love this.
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I’s love to make a book of my family through the years…parents are now divorced and my brother died so it would be great to have a “happy” book
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Inspired by Maggie, I have my own life list (with the rather macabre title “100+ Things to do Before Dead”) My book would be a record of the things I have accomplished thus far. First page? A photo of me, completely naked on Gassworks Hill in Seattle after the Fremont Solstice Naked Bike Ride.
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What a neat idea! Syl would love it!
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A birthday book for my mom..
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i would love to make a book about our two kids and all the wonderful people who love them!!
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I moved really far away form my family and I always thought it would be awesome to make them a book of pictures about where I live now, and my life. So they know I am in a wonderful place and I am happy, even though I miss them tonnes. A little slice of m life to do us until we can see each other again!
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Oh, my goodness. This is one of the best ideas I’ve ever seen. What inspiration! And I love the ideas that some of the commenters have made, too. I would make a book for my baby, I think maybe about virtues and how she displays them (Courtesy! Saying “please” and “thank you”! Assertiveness! Telling me what’s on her mind! Kindness! Taking care of an animal. Courage! Her trying something new, etc.)
Thank you so much for this lovely idea.
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I would like to make a photo book for my husband to document our move to Austria.
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I would make a book of photos of my cat, Delta, unhappily wearing various handknitted items (knitted by me, obvs)
…how can you tell I don’t have kids yet? Ha!
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^^ I would call it “Puss in Socks”
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I would love to make a photo book of this, the most glorious and stressful summer of my life! 10 weddings down ONE more to go!!!
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Love your book! Funny – just tonight I saw a book my friend made for her husband, also from Shutterfly. Kismet? Maybe! Hopefully it means I’m lucky this time.
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I love the questions you pose to your readers. At this point I’d probably just make a book of my son’s life so far. Or, maybe, in an attempt to teach him to stop relying on “Da!” and pointing, I’d make a book of simple words like the one in this post.
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A Year in the Life of … our first child – I’ve been taking a picture a day since she was born & would love to compile it in a book for her to have some day. Love the other ideas you & others have shared!
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A book of colors where the pictures are of my son’s favorite things, green:grass in the garden, brown:rasin, blue:backpack and so on
Also, Maggie, will you please tell Shutterfly to begin offering board books. Paper is so flimsy when you are a toddler with a firm grip.
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I would make one for my dad about our trip to Longwood gardens. He picked up every seed off the ground and kept them in a little handkerchief in his pocket. At the end of the day, he could name every one of the seeds by their latin names.
This is what happens when you take farmers off the farm!
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Great contest! I’d make a book for my girls with photos of our Wisconsin relatives (we live in SC) so they can stay familiar between visits.
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I would use our photos from traveling (to Latin America, Egypt, various European countries, Israel/Palestine, and Malawi, Africa) to celebrate how different people are (*seem*) from around the world.
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What a genius idea! I’d love the chance to win this – I’m getting married in November and I’d love to create a book of memories of myself and Taher, the love of my life, that will be a gift for both of us on our wedding day, filled with out moments together and quotes and phrases that mean a lot to us as a couple. I’d also use photos of both our families, just to how how much of a new unit we’ve become by taking this huge step together, and declaring our love so publicly. All sounds a little corny, I know, but it’s so not, it’s the most sincere, genuine feelings I’ve ever had, and the biggest most important thing in my life for me to believe in. Wow, didn’t know I’d come baring my soul 😀
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Love your book and would do a teaching book for my girls 3 1/2 months and 25 months. Letters, feelings, colors family relationships..ie auntie uncle cousin. Love your site, up for a midnight feeding with the little one and always happy to find a new post!
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I’d love to make a book of my 15 month old girl and my 3 dogs. They are always together! I have so many great pictures of them all.
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I have been wanting to make a photobook for my cousin’s wedding. It’s been a long time coming, and the bride and groom are so excited. I think it would be awesome if they both had a personal touch to add to their photo albums. Either that or create a story around Emma Faye, my niece!
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I would like to make a Shutterfly book to give my parents. It will have pictures of a recent trip my husband and I went on. The conclusion will be ultrasound pictures of their first grandchild. They don’t know we’re pregnant, so it’s a pregnancy announcement of sorts.
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I’d love to make a book! I’m due with my 3rd in 6 weeks, and maybe I could make a gift for my other kids for when the baby arrives.
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Oooh, I would love to make a book. I use Shutterfly each Christmas to make my mother a book about Audrey (my 4 year old). It’s great, and so much more useful than just stray photos.
I would make an Easy Reader about the pets that Audrey wants: “a black puppy, a cat, a guinea pig, mice (just one, she adds), and two sheep, a mama and a baby.” I have heard this list at least 4 or 5 times a day for the past couple weeks. I think she means it.
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Perfect present for Sam’s 3rd birthday! (fingers crossed)
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I would love to make a travel book showing off some of the beautiful places in the world I’ve been lucky enough to see in person; although I don’t have kids of my own (yet), I often buy books for my friends’ little ones. It would be really fun to give them a book I made through Shutterfly!
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I’ve promised a self-made photo album to my parents and in-laws of photos from my recent wedding, and while I was planning to use the site Blurb like I have in the past, I’d love to try out Shutterfly!
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Ooh – we’ve been wanting to make a book about our summer – vacation, camp etc – I bought my son a camera for his 6th birthday (went ahead and got a decent one, not a kid specific one – just tried to choose something really sturdy – so far, so good) and he takes pictures all the time. It’s interesting to see his perspective, and he’d have a really good time putting a book together.
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That’s a great idea. I’ve been wanting to make a book of our wedding. This would surely help! Thanks!
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I like to make a book every year summarizing the past year’s events. I’m not a scrap booker but I love these photo books.
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I would love to make a book of the great places I have seen this year!
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I have first day of school pictures K-5th and am getting 6th next week. Her elementary school goes through sixth so after this year a new start. Would like to make a book of those photos.
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Oh, my neice would love a book like this! Or maybe I’d actually put together the family cookbook I’m always thinking about.
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I would make a book about the friendship between my son Ian and his dog Mason. They are best buds and it would be fun to make a story out of our many pictures of them together.
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I’d like to make a photo book from the 6000 pictures I have taken of my now four month old. How do people stay on top of all these pictures!?
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I’m not entering the contest, just commenting to say your book is BEAUTIFUL and made me cry.
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I had a lot of photos from when my grandparents were young and dating, I’d like to make a book documenting how they met and their life together.
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I would either make a book for my nephew or for me and my boyfriend as a journey of our lives together.
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