What do you do with keepsakes once you are home?

Jen,

I usually find some way to add them to my photo albums (which tend to resemble somewhat of a "Scrapbook" when I'm finished).

I tend to keep all the "odds & ends" such as train tickets, Museum tickets, etc. all together in a plastic sleeve. Perhaps this is not the most elegant solution, but at least it keeps everything from each trip together in the same place.

Cheers!

I put that stuff in a business-type folder. At a minimum, it serves as good reference for answering questions on the Travelers' Helpline. At best, I find information for an upcoming trip.

I keep everything in scrapbooks. They are great fun to flick through. I don't tend to buy souvenirs so I don't have to worry about where to put that sort of stuff.

Wait a year, then try to organize it in some manner. Wait another year, then throw it away.

Ed: "Wait a year, then try to organize it in some manner. Wait another year, then throw it away."

Yep, that's how I do it.

I get a dedicated box (I have several different kinds) to hold pictures, small souvenirs and other momento from the trip. I label it and put it on a bookshelf in storage.

When the discussion comes up or we're planning our next visit to the area. I can grab the appropriate box and look through it.

Bigger things are either displayed or stored carefully.

Flat items can go in a float frame (two pieces of glass in a frame-no mat-so you just place items between the pieces of glass). You can really pack things in for more of a collage look, or leave open glass for more of a framed look. I just used this method to frame several postcards and inexpensive faux sketches.

yeah, in another lifetime I might have had those ambitions to do nice scrap books. It just doesn't happen. So I end up using museum tickets as bookmarks till they go the way of all my bookmarks - lost somewhere in the universe.

Photos are different. I photoshop those within days of coming home. That means I get a selection of 100 or less (that's what you can show off to others) that are cropped, tidied up and titledand put them into an online folder which I can share with family and friends.

My-sister-in-law made something for me to take on one of my trips that worked beautifully. She stacked up several small manila envelopes with the metal clasps, punched holes in the closed end and inserted brads to form sort of a book. Each day I put my accumulated tickets, brochures, in an envelope and journaled on the outside about the day's activities. On the front and back she attached a ribbon to keep it closed. It was small, didn't take up much room and at the end of the trip everything was neat and organized. Photos go in a scrapbook (1st trip) or a photo album just for that trip, postcards go in one of this old fashioned albums with the lick and stick corners so they can be removed. All very organized....now what do I do with the huge bag of other stuff I can't make myself throw away???

We do not keep postcards, brochures, etc. However, we do keep individual binders (for each trip) with our itineraries (which includes dates), copy of home pages for hostels, hotels, etc.

And of course albums on our PCs and online of the thousands of pictures we have taken.

I collect pill boxes, patches and stickers from all the countries I have visited. The patches were sewned on my day backpack by a shoe repair man. Yes, I am one of those that travel with my travel history on my back pack which my grandsons suggested.

We also buy posters which hang in the office.

Photos -- In the past, I have always labeled them and put them in a photo album. For my last trip, I got a digital camera. My pictures looks so nice on my computer, I don't see any reason to print them, though I may print my favorites. I'm still in the process of sorting through them and organizing them. It's very time-consuming (I took 2000 pictures), but it's really fun!

Postcards -- I have had a postcard collection since I was in grade school. I keep most of them in a drawer (a large drawer -- it's been a while since grade school). A couple of years ago I got this photo carousel thing from Pottery Barn which I use to display a selection. It's really great because I can change them whenever I like.

Brochures -- I keep very few, only ones I think I might refer to again (I rarely do). They go in drawer with maps.

Tickets and small stuff -- I put some on my kitchen bulletin board to remind me of my trip. I throw them out after the next trip.

Hi Jen, We don't take pictures (strange to many I am sure) and suspect that our immediate and extended family and friends are thankful. Keep brochures/maps/reference books in "future trip" drawers. We do purchase a keepsake from every new Country we visit and enjoy the latest on a mantel in our family room. The rest are kept in an open wall unit. It works for us - 47 Countries, nice memories. Everything else is tossed.

I take a small glue stick on my travels and as I am writing in my journal paste small items like museum tickets (some of them are lovely) and restaurant bills in my journal. It makes my journal much more enjoyable. I put the postcards in my photo albums and get a laugh when someone points to one of the postcards and remarks what a fabulous photo it is. I also paste in my journal a currency calculator page from Oanda so I can remember what the exchange was during my trip.

Also in the same camp as Ed and Patrick. The computer is now the new dresser drawer for photos. But, ended up saving a bunch of nice entry tickets from Japan, and recently read of laminating them as bookmarks. Fun and practical and cheap I think.

I try to always find useful little things like wine stoppers, magnets, bottle openers, dish towels, oven mitts, serving bowls, cooking gadgets, salt and pepper shakers, oil and vinegar dispensers, etc. that I need on a daily basis. Every time I use them, they trigger happy memories.

Thank you all for the really great ideas!

I keep them in a plastic sleeve with the BEST intentions, but they're still there years later!

One of my friends put their postcards under glass on their coffee table-it was great!!