A Guide for Parents

How to Deliver a Diary to its Recipient

It can be hard to prepare for an event years or even decades in the making. Here's everything you need to know about what will happen when you're finally ready to give your child the gift of a lifetime.

The Big Moment

What happens when a diary is delivered?

As the diary owner, you choose when to deliver your child's diary. Maybe it's when your child graduates from high school. Maybe it's on their eighteenth birthday. Maybe it's when they get married, or even when THEY learn that THEY are going to be parents. The choice is yours, and the diary will be ready for them when the time is right. When you deliver a diary, here's what happens:

Record a Final Message

Before delivery, you'll be able to record a final message for your child's diary. This message will be the first video your child sees when they open their video diary.

The Diary is Complete

Once a diary is delivered, no more uploads can be made. The diary is now complete.

Choose your Delivery Method

You will be able to choose whether the diary is hosted on our web server or delivered to your child on a USB thumb drive. There is a small monthly charge for us to host the diary on our web server and you can choose to terminate that subscription at any time. There is no charge for the USB thumb drive for any diary that has been active for more than two years and no shipping charge for delivery in the United States.

Choose Where it Goes

Whether hosted on our server or delivered on a USB thumb drive, you will generate a personalized card to your child that we will print on high quality paper.

If you choose to have the diary hosted on our server, the card will include a link and a QR code to the hosted diary. If you choose to deliver the diary on a USB drive, the card will be in the box with the thumb drive.

You can choose to have the card (and the USB thumb drive) sent to you, so that you can personally present it to your child, or have us deliver the card and drive directly to the recipient.

Your diary will last as long as you want it to. You can continue to pay a monthly fee for us to host the diary, or you can keep the USB drive in a safe place. For additional protection, once a diary is delivered, the recipient can back up the diary and all of its contents to the recipient's Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or Dropbox account using our built-in automation. Of course, the diary's files can be manually backed up by the recipient at any time as well to any storage media. Instructions for doing so will be included with the diary.

A Sneak Peek

What Does a Diary Look Like?

It can be hard to envision a product decades in the making. With the help of AI, we have generated two sample diaries to show you what an Our Years Together diary might look like when it's complete. The diary contents are the same whether the diary is delivered digitally or on a USB drive, and the diary is fully interactive on any device.

Sample Diary: Ethan Carter

A diary that spans from before birth through high school graduation.

  • Ethan was born Dec. 7, 2007 and graduated from high school on May 23, 2026.
  • Ethan's parents created the diary when they learned they were pregnant, on Apr. 9, 2007
  • Diary entries are made by Ethan's mom (Rachel), his dad (Mark), and his grandparents, Grandpa Tom and Grandma Helen.
  • Ethan's story follows him as he develops interests in photography, drones, and robotics.
  • Ethan's parents gifted his diary to him the day of his high school graduation.
View Ethan's Diary

Sample Diary: Lily Carter

A diary that spans from before birth through her big brother's high school graduation.

  • Lily is Ethan's younger sister, born May 28, 2011
  • Her parents created her diary on Sept. 24, 2010.
  • She enjoyed dance in her early years and is becoming an elite runner as she enters high school.
  • Lily's parents probably wouldn't deliver her diary until she graduated from high school, but we want to show you what her in-progress diary might look like. Lily is almost 15 when her big brother graduates high school.
View Lily's Diary

Choose a Method

Two ways to deliver their story

Whichever you choose, your child receives a beautifully presented, personalized card announcing the gift — and full access to every video, photo, and note you've saved for them.

Digital Delivery

Perfect for a gift that arrives in an instant, from anywhere in the world.

  • A personalized card is sent either by postal mail or by email with secure download instructions
  • The diary can be copied to their Dropbox, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive
  • Or hosted on our servers for a nominal monthly cost
  • Accessible from any device, the moment it's delivered

USB Keepsake Box

A physical heirloom to hold, keep, and pass down — nothing to download, nothing to expire.

  • The complete diary is copied to a dedicated USB drive
  • Shipped either to you or to your child in a keepsake box, so you can present it personally if you wish
  • A printed, personalized card is enclosed inside the box
  • A keepsake they can hold in their hands for the rest of their life

Important!
It can take up to 48 hours for your child's diary to be ready for viewing, even if you choose digital delivery. If you need your child's diary to be ready on a particular date, please plan ahead to ensure you initiate delivery at least 2 days in advance.

The Process

From decision to delivery

Once you're ready, delivering a diary takes just a few simple steps.

1

Choose Your Method

Decide between digital delivery or a USB keepsake box — whatever feels right for your child and the moment.

2

We Prepare the Gift

We create the personalized card and package everything with care, ready to send the moment you say go.

3

They Discover Their Story

Your child opens the gift and experiences their entire childhood, told through your eyes, for the very first time.

Before You Deliver

A short checklist

A few things worth double-checking before you hand over the gift.

  • Confirm your recipient's current email address or mailing address
  • Decide whether you'd like to include a personal letter or note
  • Choose a meaningful moment — a birthday, graduation, wedding day, or simply when it feels right
  • Review your legacy contact's details, in case someone else needs to deliver on your behalf

The best gifts aren't wrapped in paper. They're wrapped in years — every laugh, every milestone, every quiet moment you thought no one would remember.

This is the moment Our Years Together was built for

Have more questions about delivery?

Our support team is happy to help you plan the perfect moment to deliver your gift.

Visit our FAQ