In the digital age of parenting, our phones are increasingly filled to the brim with photos and videos from some of our children’s biggest milestones. Whether it’s a first birthday, the first day of school, or the first loose tooth, it can be hard (and, let’s face it, overwhelming) to find the time to thoughtfully document the moments we cherish the most.
That’s why Chase Simmering and co-founder Paul Straw created Nestnotes, an app that helps parents easily — and securely — record and share life’s most important moments.
“Nestnotes is a safe place to archive family memories and generate print keepsakes to help create a bridge between your digital life and your analog life,” said Simmering, mom of two daughters.
Nestnotes, which launched in September 2017, offers a unique and streamlined way for families and friends to stay up-to-date with their kids’ latest milestones. Different from photo-storing apps like DropBox or Google Photos, Nestnotes provides an interactive and personalized experience that’s tailored to each family’s lifestyle, helping them remember the fun and sometimes mundane routines (but hey, that’s part of childhood) of everyday life.
I was easily able to sign up in under a minute and create a profile for my family, including my 4-year-old daughter. As I continued in the app, I began answering questions about my daughter, one of which I found to be particularly timely: It was asking who her best friend is. Recently, we’d a playdate with my daughter’s best friend from preschool and I was able to upload a photo of the two of them from over the weekend and record a few fun details from our day.
You might think you’ll always remember these moments, but the details can be easy to forget between work, school, errands, and everything else.
I found Nestnotes to be especially helpful because users can invite their family members and friends to their “nest,” where they can privately share photos and videos, and answer questions about the kiddos — for examples, what their favorite lullaby is, the story of their first airplane ride, and what arts and crafts they’ve made. Being a mom myself, I was intrigued by the idea that I could have a safe space to upload my daughter’s special moments and still be able to share them with loved ones. I’m not an oversharer on Facebook by any means, but I definitely feel more welcomed in the Nestnotes space.
Once friends and relatives are approved to join a family’s “nest,” those users can add to each memory by creating a library of the child’s moments. (Note: Within your family’s Nestnotes account, you’re able to set individual permission settings for each person you invite to your nest.)
The app also has a section called, “Guided Moments,” where users can record family moments — something Simmering refers to as the “rhythm of your household” — like a snippet of their child’s bedtime routine, their kid describing the different personalities and traits of each family member, and what’s on the family bucket list.
Also within the app, users can choose to use their uploaded photos in a variety of professionally designed custom print products like birth announcements, first-year posters, thank you cards, and more. It’s great because not only does it save time but the designers are selected (and sometimes created) by Simmering whose background is in graphic design.
Once you’re in the app, you’ll see that Nestnotes offers three monthly membership plans:
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“Starter” – Free: 5GB of storage space; access to create custom print products with your photos.
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“Plus” – $5: 100GB of storage space; 10 percent off all photo and print purchases.
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“Premium” – $15: 500GB of storage space; 15 percent off all photo and print purchases.
According to Simmering, Nestnotes can also be used for pets (I added my two dogs —the original babies!), as well as other members of the family. (She had originally designed the app with her 98-year-old grandmother in mind.)
“I wanted to capture her memories and stories so that my children aren’t just inheriting stories about themselves, but rather they are getting an interactive family tree and a comprehensive picture of their family,” she said. “It’s a great way to build your family history.”
Although it may sound like just another app to add to your social media rotation, Nestnotes is anything but. Nestnotes offers its users a safe, secure place to archive family memories and generate print keepsakes. More importantly, it gives families an unique way to keep their loved ones up-to-date on all the cool things their little ones are doing — and in real-time. So, no matter whether your relatives are in your neighborhood or 3,000 miles away, Nestnotes will help them feel like they’re right there with you for every special moment.
“It’s much more comprehensive than social media, which is really more about instant gratification and isn’t designed to be long-lasting,” said Simmering. “Users can continue to use the same effort they would for social media but the return is tenfold. Nestnotes is more of a family network than a social network.”
Find 10 minutes a day to keep your Nestnotes account updated and share with friends and family. For me, I like to add my updates in after my daughter has gone to bed and I’m winding down for the night.
Nestnotes is available for iOS download and can also be used by visiting the Nestnotes website.
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