Poppy spent last weekend with my brother and sister-in-law. They’ve spent a lot of time together, but this was the longest visit she’s had there without a parental unit. So I had a few extra instructions/tips for them, including this one:

If you go somewhere that’s particularly crowded — such as the zoo or an amusement park — take a head-to-toe picture of her with your phone before you get there. That way you have a ready reference in the event that you get separated. I know that if I couldn’t find one of the kids, the panic would likely override any chance at remembering what they were wearing.

Their reaction?

“That’s a works-for-me Wednesday! You never do those any more!”

Poppy had a great weekend, and I’m pleased to report that they didn’t lose her even once. (Or if they did lose her, they didn’t tell me.)

Child loss-prevention isn’t the only situation where a camera phone comes in handy for the memory-challenged. It’s also handy anywhere that might otherwise call for writing things down on a slip of paper that you’ll most likely lose. For example:

Snap a picture of where you’re parked in one of those giant parking lots. (I’d recommend taking a picture of a landmark or the row letter/number rather than just your car, though. That wouldn’t be so helpful.)

Record product numbers, names or locations at Ikea (or Pottery Barn, where I once took a picture of a fork that I liked. Or other stores.)

Grocery lists. Particularly if you’re shopping for a specific recipe. Take a picture of the ingredient list, and off you go!

Do you have any handy-dandy bonus uses for your camera phone?