Organizing Vacations, Souvenirs & Photos

Vacations, Souvenirs & Photos, Oh My!

One of the best parts of summer is vacation. Maybe you are visiting a new and exciting city by which you are simply captivated. Or you’re lying on the beach with the sound of waves crashing and your kids are actually playing together instead of fighting and you think to yourself, “if only I could make this last!” Hours later you find yourself in a souvenir shop spontaneously buying a giant wooden fish, snow globe or beer stein from the place you are visiting. Maybe you also got something for each of the kids. It seemed like a good idea at the time…….. But when you got home and the dust settled, well, the dust seemed to settle on that “thing” or “things” you brought home.

How Our Homes Get Cluttered

That’s one of the ways clutter gets into our homes. We purchase things spontaneously instead of intentionally and it starts to pile up but it doesn’t have to be that way. Imagine something different. Before you buy, think about what you will use the item for and where you will store it. A souvenir could be something that you need or use like an ornament or a spoon rest. Now think about where you will store it. Do you have the space for it? Is there room in the kitchen drawer or are the drawers already overflowing with too many items? If the item will be used for decoration, what room will it go in and does it match your decor? My style is farmhouse and when we came home with a hand carved wooden fish from our honeymoon, it didn’t make sense with any of my other decor so it just became clutter. If it is something you love and will work with your decor, have a place in mind and be sure it is the correct scale before you purchase.

Creating Memories

The truth is, you will remember your vacation with or without souvenirs because the magical memories are seared in our minds and stored on our phones. When I first started organizing over 20 years ago, clients were struggling with organizing printed photos. Today, we are dealing with remembering to print our photos so we can enjoy them which brings me to the perfect souvenir for your vacation—creating a digital book on Chatbook or Shutterfly. If you have preteens or teenagers, have them do this project. What a fun way to remember your vacation!

If you are ready to hire a professional organizer in St. Louis, Missouri, contact us today.

Photo by Limor Zellermayer on Unsplash