Organizing Memorabilia: The Warm & Fuzzy Box
What is memorabilia, and how do we go about organizing it? Memorabilia, or “warm & fuzzy” stuff, as I call them, are items that evoke fond memories. They are usually those things that have the power to make us laugh or cry happy tears when we see them. And no matter how we call it, we all have some, and it needs to be streamlined. We need to keep it in a way that makes sense and tells a story.
No matter how ruthless you become at minimizing and organizing, there will be a few items you can’t let go of, even when you have a digital record of them. It’s like you need to touch it, smell it, see it in person, or the memory is not there. In some cases, we are not ready to part with some items. Maybe we never will.
I recommend getting a “Warm & Fuzzy Box” for those things. The “Warm & Fuzzy Box” is a beautiful, high-quality box, bin, or basket with a lid or a cover. This box will contain those items that are so special to you.
The “Warm & Fuzzy” box should live in a private space like a shelf in your closet, under the bed, or in your home office.
Not Everything Is Warm & Fuzzy Material
You should probably scan or photograph the things that don’t make it to your “Warm & Fuzzy” box to preserve a digital memory. I discuss these processes in my blog “Organizing Kids’ Memories.” When you maintain a digital image, you keep the memory but not the clutter.
However, as said before, dealing with your memorabilia, you will find a few items for which a digital record would never do. These are the items we are referring to on this blog.
Keep a minimal number of treasures in your warm & fuzzy collection. Otherwise, if everything seems important, then nothing is. The moments and memories in our lives are most important, not the things. So, carefully choose the items that best represent your most significant moments in life.
The collection is manageable when you become discriminatory with your “warm & fuzzy” collection. It should be a sampling of happy memories that make you smile, not an overwhelming heap of stuff you’d rather avoid.
A Different Kind of Memorabilia
In this context, organizing memorabilia refers to the organizing of mementos you keep for their emotional value but that are probably dispersed around your home, maybe even stowed away in drawers or closets. We want to gather these together and assign them a good home in your life.
Memorabilia items of high monetary value or related to famous people like sports players, antiques, and the like, should have a place of honor in your home, so they are displayed and enjoyed. However, this type of memorabilia is a different story.
Should you have this type of treasure, you need to find a way to incorporate them into your home décor overall concept. Things like shadow boxes and glass displays come to mind. There is an infinite number of options to honor your high-priced memorabilia! Just look into Pinterest and knock yourself out!
