Record grandparents' stories in their own voice: how the "Tell us!" plaque works

We all say the same thing: "One day we'll sit down with Grandma and she'll tell us everything." Then that day never comes. The best way to record grandparents' stories isn't a big interview you keep postponing. It's small questions, asked regularly, while you still can. What was the house she grew up in like? How did she meet Grandpa? How do you make the dish nobody ever wrote down?

The "Tell us!" storytelling plaque was made for exactly this. It asks the questions for you, once a week, and Grandma answers in her own voice. Here's what it is, how it works step by step, and what the whole family actually gets from it.

Why grandparents' stories get lost

• We don't ask in time. Family dinners are busy, the conversation drifts, and "next time" never arrives.
• Writing is hard. Fill-in memory journals are lovely, but many end up half empty in a drawer. Writing a whole life by hand takes time, patience and a steady hand.
• A voice holds more than words on paper. The laugh in the middle of a story, the pauses, the way she says a name: none of that fits on a page.

What the "Tell us!" plaque is

It's a 15 × 21 cm solid wood plaque on a stand that sits on a table or shelf. In our workshop we engrave the name you call your grandmother and your dedication on the front, and there's a QR code on the back. At first glance it's a pretty little ornament. In reality, it's a doorway to her stories.

How it works, step by step

1. You give it. After you pay, you set everything up from your account, so the plaque arrives ready to use.
2. The question of the week appears. Grandma taps the plaque with her phone (or scans the QR code on the back) and the question appears. No app, no password, no email.
3. She tells the story out loud. She presses one big button and talks, just like in a conversation. She can listen back before sending, and talk for as long as she likes: one story can run to half an hour.
4. The family listens. You get an email for every new story. You listen, send a heart or a few kind words, and Grandma sees them too.
5. You can ask too. Anyone in the family can add a question, and Grandma gets it the following week.

The questions: more than 110, carefully chosen

The questions are grouped into 13 themes and 5 theme packs: life story, being a grandparent, family recipes, love, and roots. There are photo questions too ("tell us about this picture"), perfect for the old albums at the back of the cupboard. If she doesn't like a question, she can ask for another one. Nothing is compulsory, and everything happens at her pace.

What everyone actually gets

• Grandma gets attention: every week someone is curious about her life, and the family's hearts and messages reach her.
• The family gets an archive of her stories in her voice, to listen to and download whenever you like. The recordings are yours.
• The grandchildren, including those not yet born, will be able to hear how Grandma described her youth, in her own voice rather than second-hand.

A book, if you'd like one

When you feel enough stories have been collected, whether after a few weeks or a year, you request the book with one button. We turn Grandma's stories into a printed book with a QR code in every chapter that plays her voice. The book costs 250 lei, you pay only when you order it, and you can order a copy for every grandchild.

Why isn't it included in the price? So you never pay upfront for a book that might never be made. The plaque covers the storytelling; the book is an extra, if you want it.

Good to know

• Grandma needs a basic smartphone. Nothing needs to be installed.
• The stories are private. Only your family can hear them, via the secret link you share. They aren't public and don't appear in search engines.
• The page appears in the language you choose: Romanian, Hungarian or English.
• The digital page is included for 5 years in the 150 lei price, with no subscription, and the content can be downloaded at any time.
• Delivery is free on orders over 300 lei anywhere in Romania, and you can order without an account, with just an email address.

Try it yourself

The easiest way is to see it for yourself: open the "Tell us!" demo and answer a question as if you were Grandma. You'll find more details on the life story gifts page, and you can personalise the plaque on its product page. If you're looking for a holiday present, have a look at our Christmas gifts for grandparents too.

Ask her, while you still can.