Making Memorabilia Memorable Again
Client/Friend/One of you: Help! I have about 5 file bins of old cards and notes. I revisit them sometimes. Still it's hard for me to throw them away! (real talk - I keep every Christmas card - that cannot be necessary). What are your thoughts on streamlining paper memorabilia and how best to store what I want to keep?
Me: JUST START WITH THE CHRISTMAS CARDS. I CERTAINLY NEVER SEND YOU THOSE WITH THE INTENT OF YOU KEEPING IT FOREVER!!! (in all caps for good reason, I add)
Friends. You’ve heard this before. When everything is important (becomes memorabilia), nothing is (actually memorable). It’s very difficult (dare I say impossible?) to enjoy the items when you’re overwhelmed by the fact you have so much. I’m aware these words may not be enough to get you moving, so let’s take action.
Photo books – A great solution for personal notes you want to memorialize. If the words are what’s most important (and not the cheesy Hallmark phrase), take a picture of the message and create a book. If you dedicate time to do this, your images will all be together on your phone and easy to upload. I like the idea of chatbooks for this because we aren’t worried about layout and fonts, just capturing the picture!
Digital Frame – If you just can’t get rid of holiday cards and seeing friend’s faces appear every now and then, consider taking a picture and adding to your digital frame. Don’t have a digital frame? Aura is and has been my favorite for a long time (makes a great V-day gift, just sayin’).
Special box – Treat yourself to one special box (make it, buy it, repurpose it) for the most special notes and put those somewhere you see all the time like your nightstand or a bookcase (NOT in a file bin in the back of the closet – I mean, if they’re that important, don’t they deserve more shelf time?).
HARK! I almost forgot to tell you what you never want to hear – get real about what you have and what you are keeping. If keeping everything is what got you into this mess, this post may help you set your own rules for holding onto what really is most important.