When I first had my daughter, I wanted to savor (and save) every single memory. I took hundreds of pictures each day, saved just about every outfit, and tried to keep every memento I could. In theory it was a wonderful idea, but given the finite amount of space in our home I had to prioritize. Here’s just a few clutter-free ideas you can use that will save the memories while saving some space!
Setup a Goodreads Account: Goodreads.com is a site where you can store all of the books you have read, those you want to read, and your ratings of said books all in one place. I’ve had an account for years, but I most recently setup an account for my daughter. Since she is only two, this might sound a little strange, but it’s really nice to keep track of all of the books she has read and how much she liked (or didn’t like) them. As she grows, we will be able to add books together and update her reading progress. The really cool thing is that you can set a goal for yourself each year and the site will track the books you enter to let you know how close you are to reaching your goal. The best part about it is that my daughter will be able to look back years from now and remember each and every book that we read together. Of course, my ultimate goal would be for her to read some of her favorites to her own children, but I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself. The super added bonus is that it doesn’t take up any space and you can sneak in some reading as well!
Setup an Email Account: I must confess that this is not my idea, but one stolen from another mom. Setting up an email account for your child who can barely walk sounds a bit ridiculous, but there are lots of great things you can do with the account. First, I am able to “write” to my daughter any day I want to and have the moment captured. What a great way to share with your child exactly how you might be feeling at a moment of pure joy! Another way to use the account is to attach a video or a photo, which not only captures a cool moment along with your message, but allows you to free up some space on your phone or computer. With storage issues on my phone, I always have to prioritize my photos and videos. Now I don’t feel bad at all if I delete a video, as I know it is somewhere in her email waiting to be viewed again many years from now.
Make Some Albums: While I am fully able to confess that I am a bit of a picture-junkie, IPhone Apps like Shutterfly have saved me from being buried under thousands of photos. Instead of keeping pictures on your computer, phone, or scattered all over your home, you can upload them to sites like Shutterfly and sort them into albums. The best part about these albums is that everything is digitally organized for you. Once you upload the pictures, Shutterfly can download them into an album for you and then you can fix, arrange, or leave them exactly as they are. You can fit tons of pictures into one album, which is a real space-saver. I create all of my albums to be the same size so that they fit neatly into a small space. Later, if the album is lost or destroyed, all you have to do is order another and it will be shipped to you. Albums can be organized by months, events, or even years. It allows you to capture all the silly moments in one place and keeps your computer, phone, and home free from lots of picture clutter.
Saving memories is a lot easier than it used to be thanks to technology! Whatever way you decide to preserve your own memories, be sure to share and enjoy them with those you love. The goal is to save these wonderful memories for the enjoyment of both yourself and others in the years to come. If you are an old-fashioned scrapbooking kind of gal, more power to you! However you choose to save and cherish those memories isn’t important, only the act of saving them is!
What are some ways you have preserved your own memories as a mom? Which ideas do you think you might be able to use with your own family?
