April 27, 2005

On the Case

Here is one of those products that are best to get before the baby comes, because once you're home with that perpetually hungry, fussy and wet newborn, the last thing you'll be thinking about is where to stash his essential documents. This way, when the social security card arrives in the mail, you'll have a safe place to store it -- and one that you won't forget.

The BabyBriefcase, a frosted plastic carrying case sized to fit in most file cabinets, includes 15 durable folders in tot-friendly shades of mint green, periwinkle and peach, so they'll never get mixed in with your old taxes. Six of the folders are pre-labeled with the vital info most parents need: Birth Certificate & Social Security Card, Insurance Paperwork, Immunizations & Vaccinations, Thank You Note Tracker & Gift Registry, Child Care Search, and Pediatrician Visits & Healthcare Receipts. The remaining ones are up to you, from the practical -- Passport, Parenting Articles -- to the less mundane -- Obscenely Overpriced Baby Catalogs, Sushi Restaurants That Deliver 'Til Midnight.

If you're at a loss for categories, the kit provides more than 20 additional suggestions, plus note-writing tips, wallet cards for quick baby stat reference, a framed photo pocket on the outside of the folder to hold your favorite candid, and a pen slot. Everything is there at the ready so when it's time to run out for Junior's checkup, just grab the handle and go.

It's a convenient way to keep all the essential information on hand in one place, which is particularly helpful during those first foggy weeks. And if before baby you couldn't find your head if it wasn't attached -- now that someone's attached to your hip, you'll be glad that products like these are around to make life easier.

Available online at babybriefcase.com.