Photo sharing made simple and safe.

OMG, your baby is so cute.

Seriously. You know it. I know it. Your parents know it. Truth be told, they probably think your baby is cuter than you were, though they might not admit it without a couple of glasses of wine in their system.

I’ve been there, a ridiculously adorable baby in one hand, smartphone rapidly filling up with pictures in the other, and completely understand your desire to shout it from the rooftops.

So what do you do?

Social media has made it incredibly easy to blow up everyone’s timeline with a baby’s first blink, grimace and smile with people all over the world, but this system isn’t without flaws. On the extreme end, there are reports of pictures being stolen and used for nefarious purposes, while on the less scary side of things, navigating Facebook or Instagram can be a real doozy for grandparents who still use a rotary phone.

Enter Tinybeans.

Tinybeans is a secure online journal allowing you a space to store and edit photos, track baby milestones, order custom photo books, and share updates with your album followers.

With unlimited photo storage, friends and family can swoon over however many photos you choose to share, no matter how mundane or repetitive the picture is. (Is there anything more precious than a sleeping baby? According to the 200 pictures of my sleeping son on my phone, the answer is no.) And because they are close family and friends, THEY LOVE IT. Grandparents literally cannot see enough pictures of your baby, so the more the merrier.

What separates Tinybeans from other photo sharing sites?

In a nutshell, it’s just a super comprehensive and versatile tool for new parents. Unlimited photo storage, photo editing, social networking (without the social networks), memory and milestone tracking – really it brings so much to the table that new parents could find useful.

Here are some other features that set it apart:

• Email updates – After uploading photos and videos, friends and family automatically receive daily email updates alerting them to new moments, meaning no extra effort on your end to keep everyone in the loop.
• Social media free – No social media has to be involved which is handy for less tech-savvy relatives and Facebook friends who may not want to see a gazillion pictures of your baby. (I know, I doubt that’s possible either but you never know.)
• Controlled sharing – You can fine tune the settings so pictures can be viewed, commented on, and/or shared on your favorite social network (or not). It’s very versatile.
• Photo books – You can print photo books, as well as other photo-themed products directly from the site.
• Multiple kids – You can add and track multiple kids.
• No limits – There are unlimited invitees and unlimited storage, meaning there’s no need to pick and choose between adorable pics. It also means everything from baby bump photos through toddler milestones can be uploaded without the worry of going over a limit.
• Mulitple views – The calendar view lets you see moments, milestones, and photos by date, or you can use the chart view to track your child’s weekly changes.
• Free blog – There is an accompanying blog providing age-appropriate helpful parenting content.
• Easy photo backup – It’s a simple way to back up precious photos that would be devastating to lose – their private server keeps your photos safe even if your phone breaks or goes AWOL.

How much does it cost?

The app is free to download and offers a free 14 day trial. After that, it’s $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year.

Tinybeans summary

If standard social media channels aren’t your thing, or even if they are but you’d like to kick your photo sharing up a notch, Tinybeans is a great resource for online journaling.

Not only does it store your photos, track milestones, and save fond memories in an organized fashion, but it’s also super easy to use. The app can be downloaded from the app store for both Android and Apple devices.

Would you consider an online journal for photo and memory sharing?

Let us know how you keep everyone in the loop in the comments below.

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