We love where we live. We love the parks, restaurants, museums, and stores. We love the ice-cream shop that serves mouthwatering homemade hot fudge, and the miles of rail trails we can explore on our bikes. We know where to go to cool off on a hot summer day, and the best place to get our pumpkins come fall. Our town has lots to offer visitors and locals alike. So to keep all this information handy, we turned a three-ring binder into a handy reference to all the best things about our area.

Part travel guide, part scrapbook, it's an easy-to-update diary documenting our favorite places to go -- and how they change. One day, entirely too soon I think, it will become a scrapbook of little-girl art and handwriting, and of memories of simpler days spent at the sprinkler park or going out for ice-cream cones. Wherever you live, you no doubt have your preferred spots too. Creating your own guide to those beloved destinations couldn't be simpler.

Getting Started
First, make a list of the places and activities you want to include. My three daughters (Abby, age 13, and 10-year-old twins Katie and Megan) and I began with our favorite restaurants, playgrounds, museums, and places to go hiking and horseback riding (see the box below for more topic ideas).

Next, gather your supplies. You'll need a binder (we used a three-ring photo album from Target), clear plastic sheet protectors, adhesive index tabs, and some three-hole plastic pockets (for things like mementos and reference materials), all available at office supply stores or discount department stores. You'll also need some basic craft or scrapbooking supplies, such as markers, glue sticks, 8-1/2- by 11-inch sheets of paper, stickers, photo corners, adhesive-backed envelopes, and whatever else catches your eye. The girls delighted in the sticker aisle, where they struck gold with shimmering blue waves for a beach page, tiny foods for our list of places to eat, even boot prints for our hiking page. Finally, collect some family photos, as well as brochures from area businesses and attractions (check your local chamber of commerce or visitors' center).

Putting it All Together
When you have all your supplies, clear a space to work and go to town (so to speak!), documenting each location on a separate sheet (or more) of paper. See some of our pages to help you get started. Be sure to include any important information: your binder will be a reference guide, after all, so phone numbers, addresses, and even driving directions will really come in handy. As you complete your pages, let them dry (if needed), then slip them into plastic sheet protectors and add them to the binder. Use the index tabs to separate your entries into categories (outdoor activities, arts and culture, restaurants, and so on).