If you want to truly enjoy the holidays and not just operate in survival mode, take some advice from Santa Claus himself, who’s known for “Making a list and checking it twice.” 

While you could potentially remember everything that needs to get done and also smoothly delegate along the way, why would you do that to yourself when you could plan it out and recycle and update those plans year after year? You wouldn’t be the first person to wing it and then gasp when they realize they’re missing a particular gift, key ingredient, or even the tickets to the annual holiday lights show that they never miss.

Today in ARTIcles by Artifcts, we’re sharing tips from the pros in hopes of keeping your holiday season merry and bright.

The following is based on the Fall 2023 Evenings with Artifcts episode featuring C. Lee Cawley of simplify YOU, Jill Katz of One to Zen Organizing, and Samara Goodman of Samara Interiors. If you prefer to watch the Evenings conversation, pop over to YouTube now.

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Shift Your Frame of Mind and Start with Clear Goals

The holiday season is filled with micro changes to your routines and your home, which can make even the most laid back among us a bit stressed out and edgy, Jill told us. While Jill specializes in organizational services for neurodivergent people, you’ll discover her strategies and tools can keep us all in the holiday spirit.

WHERE IS YOUR MIND AT ON ALL THINGS HOLIDAYS?

To counteract feelings of frustration and anxiety, Jill suggests shifting your frame of mind about the lead up and the moments that make up your holidays in two key ways:

First, embrace that preparation is part of the holiday fun. Give yourself the space during the weeks ahead for prep activities like: 

• • • Choosing gifts thoughtfully, not frantically 
    • Hand writing notes on holiday cards 
    • Planning menus that come together to light up everyone’s taste buds 
    • Creating music playlists

Second, absolutely avoid urges for perfection. Take a step back and remember why you are doing all this to start with and breathe. What do you want to remember about this holiday one year from now? Five years from now? We bet it’s about how you felt, not whether that centerpiece matched Martha Stewart’s design or that cake looked as good on your table as it did for Ina Garten.

WHAT WILL SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

Now let’s consider your goals for the season. Are your holiday plans designed to guarantee more family time? Are you seeking to create a new holiday tradition this year?

To reach your goals and avoid madly racing thoughts that will detract from what’s important, track your holiday routines and to-dos. This will also help you to avoid starting from scratch next year. While you might like a pad of paper or digital note, hands down our panel recommends digitally accessible and customizable spreadsheets.

Before you decide spreadsheets are too intense or complicated, hear us out. A spreadsheet lets you simply list out your to-dos based on when they need to be done, e.g. 4 weeks out, 3 weeks out etc., so you can keep track of the multitude of tasks and subtasks that are part of your holiday routine.  

Common holiday to-do items from our panelists’ own spreadsheets:

• • • Taking out and putting up decorations 
    • Buying tickets for a holiday event 
    • Planning the menu and its corresponding shopping list 
    • Ordering custom holiday cards (and noting the “no later than” date for getting them mailed) 
    • Gathering or buying materials related to annual traditions  
    • Making any needed repairs around the house before guests arrive  
    • Choosing and selecting a hostess gift for parties you’ll attend 
    • Tackling cleaning tasks big and small 
    • Pressing tablecloths and napkins 
    • Buying flowers for the table or around the house 
    • Ordering items that will sell out early or have shipping timelines that could threaten your fun

Creating a Welcoming Space 

Hosting this year? Great. We’re ready with tips for you.

PAPER CLUTTER

As the holiday season begins, get a strategy in place for one of the top sources of holiday clutter: paper! We’re talking about cards and flyers, donation requests from charities, and holiday cards, too.

C. Lee suggests buying or repurposing a decorative bin (with a lid) that you don’t mind setting out in your space to catch all the incoming catalogs and other generic mail. “But have a second box just for holiday cards that you do not want miss and may also include checks, cash, or gift cards.”

You’ll also likely generate some necessary paperwork during the holidays that C. Lee recommends you place into a durable labeled folder. What might this include? Copies of travel documents and itineraries, last year’s holiday card (to help you decide on this year’s), gift lists and ideas, receipts, and more.

ALL THINGS HOLIDAY

Clutter aside, let's move on to holiday decor and more! As an interior decorator who naturally embraces many principles of home organizers, Samara suggests that in decorating for the holidays and preparing for guests you think about all five senses.

“Often people think about what the room looks like, and what the menu will taste like, but what about touch? Cozy blankets and that feeling of warmth around you can be so inviting. As for sound, music sets the tone, ranging from upbeat and playful to quiet and calming, and helps you to transition through an event, too. And smell can go beyond your menu. Keep a pot of simmering mulled cider on the stovetop to evoke memories and warmth. And use cloves and cinnamon sticks to fill a decorative vase.”

Samara also favors natural decorations that are compostable, inexpensive, and reusable. You can check out ideas from her here. A simple glass hurricane with a white pillar candle can be filled with red and green candies during the winter holidays, sand and shells in the summer, and acorns or lentils in the fall. Likewise, you do not need a Christmas bowl. An elegant neutral bowl of clear glass, bronze or silver, or smooth wood can grace your home during any season or occasion. Just add festive ornaments at Christmas and enjoy!

GUESTS WHO WILL SPEND ONE NIGHT OR MORE 

If guests are coming to stay, you can easily discover online list upon list of items that you may want to have out and about to make your guests feel at home. Some things are small and easily done if you think of it, such as a small sign with your wi-fi password in a high traffic location as well as by their bedside.

Other things you maybe already have and/or do by routine anyway. Our favorites:

• • • Laying out a sleep mask in case the sleep space is brighter than in their home
    • Providing a fan or sound machine in their bedroom
    • Clearing closet space and adding spare hangers along with a luggage rack 
    • Placing a carafe or similar for water in their bedroom
    • Topping up or replacing basic toiletries

C. Lee also suggests repurposing wine glass tags for regular coffee mugs and glasses to avoid stress and confusion as to which glass belongs to which guest (and reduce dishes). And we also love her suggestion to leave out a note along with some plates/bowls, breakfast foods, and coffee/tea directions so that they can help themselves when they wake up and you can relax into your day.

It's Okay to Control the Chaos When Guests are Staying

About those guests of yours: Keep your eye on the prize. Priorities shift when guests are in the house. Do you feel more like, "Your home, your rules?" Maybe treat your rules more like guidelines.

Set boundaries only where necessary to keep everyone (pets included) safe and to preserve your sanity. We’re willing to wager that more often than not your friends and family will follow along if they know your boundaries and general modes of operation. Just give them a nudge! For example, add a temporary over-the-door rack to hang multiple coats so people know where they can store coats and bags if you don’t want them strewn about. And if you are a shoe-free household, post a little sign and offer skid free socks to put on for their comfort and safety.

Guests are gone? Now is when you can reset and return things to normal around the house. Do not try to do this while they are there; it’s like fighting gravity. Is that really how you want to expend your energy while they are there and you’re trying to enjoy time together?

Tips for Making the 11th Hour Less Stressful

Remember that spreadsheet? We mentioned sorting it by weeks. Well, you may also want to create a timetable for the day of your event, says C. Lee, so you and everyone else remembers/knows when each thing needs to happen. When does each dish need to go in the oven? When will you light the candles and start the music? Who is arriving and when?

And what are old school sticky notes good for when it comes to the holidays? Delegation! Jill reminded us all to ask for and accept help. And even if you truly have it under control, you can appreciate that you’ll have folks joining the festivities who will feel more comfortable if they can help in some way.

Pop a sticky note next to the salad bowl, ingredients, and recipe, and say, “Make me!” Or add a note next to the stack of plates, flatware, and glasses and, write “Ready for the table.” If you coordinated in advance or simply know who will want which task, label the note with their name.

Samara encourages you to work ahead to set the table, which can be a serious effort depending on the number of place settings, the distance your table is from where all the essentials are stored, and how many layers of decorations, flatware and glasses, and more you add to complete the table.

“And if you don’t have a separate table you can decorate in advance, create a table setting box with everything you’ll need, including the tablecloth, napkins, candles, candle sticks. For items you can’t put in the box, like place settings, platters and glasses, make a list and add to the box to check off as you set the table.”

One more 11th hour prep tip is about gift opening. Have your helper tools stationed and ready. This might mean a bag for ribbons (to reuse) and another bag for non-recyclable wrapping and tissue papers. And to avoid losing anything in that holiday mess, have a box set out where small gifts can be popped into temporarily. Oh, and don’t forget to have a safety cutter on hand for eager gift receivers to open tough tape, boxes, and plastic covers without landing in the emergency room.

The Final Word 

We asked our panelists for their final few words of advice to avoid getting our tinsel in a tangle. Here’s what they offered:

• • • Simplify hostess gifts by picking one item to give to each hostess that season. Avoid more ‘stuff’ and go with consumables like wine, an evergreen potted plant, or special gourmet treats. 
    • Which leads to… embrace regifting! If it’s a distinctive and memorable gift, perhaps just avoid regifting it inside the same circle of friends or colleagues to avoid awkward moments.  
    • Centerpieces can be created well ahead of time and even done as an event, together with friends and family, for an instant tradition!  
    • Minimize how much new you take on during the holiday season: one new decoration, one new recipe, one new tradition.   
    • Plan in downtime so you can enjoy the season without being drained by it. 

And with that, happy holidays AND happy Artifcting!

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The holidays are a magical time of the year, gathering with family and friends, cozy décor, laughter, and if you happen to live in the Northern climes, maybe even snow! The holidays also usher in a whole new level of photo taking, prompting us to click, click, click, capturing hundreds (or thousands) of photos, often without thinking twice about it.  

Our co-founder Heather knows this all too well after going through her Thanksgiving photos and realizing she had not one, but ten photos of their Thanksgiving turkey (don’t judge, it was a great turkey!) and an equal number of photos of the family golden retriever staring lovingly at said turkey.  

How many turkey photos does one need? 

After the holiday season ends, we often end up with a digital dump of images and duplicates scattered across camera rolls, phones, and cloud backups — a holiday-photo graveyard that’s all but impossible to navigate. 

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. What usually starts as a handful of precious snapshots quickly balloons into a chaotic archive. But with a little intention, especially during or right after the holidays, you can turn that chaos into a meaningful collection of memories. 

Below is our fresh take on how to approach holiday photo overload, including some practical steps to help you stay on top of it all. 

Why Holiday Photos Are Valuable AND Vulnerable 

Holiday photos often capture more than just “how things looked.” They freeze moments of connection across generations — grandparents visiting, kids tearing into gifts, old friends reunited, traditions revived. Over time, these pictures become priceless glimpses into how we celebrated, who was present, what mattered then and why. 

Yet the very things that make holiday photos valuable also make them vulnerable: 

• They tend to accumulate — many gatherings, many cameras, many people snapping at once. 
• They’re easy to ignore after the fact — several months and 10,000 photos later and they are lost in the shuffle (or at least our camera rolls).
• Without a structure, future you (or future family members) may never see them — even if they matter deeply now. 

That’s why this holiday season is a great time to get intentional with your photos by curating, organizing, and preserving them before the memories fade into chaos. 

A Holiday-Photo Workflow: From Snapshot to Keepsake 

We’ve come up with a simple process to handle holiday photos in a manageable, meaningful way based on multiple conversations with our friends and colleagues at The Photo Managers: 

Capture freely — then cull deliberately. 
During events, allow yourself to snap liberally. But once things calm down, either right after the holiday or within a few days, go through the photos. Delete obvious duplicates (the Daily Delete app can help!), bad shots, and images that don’t evoke anything special. This way you keep the “keepers” without the clutter. This delete-as-you-go-or-soon-after mentality is highly recommended when dealing with large photo collections. 

Organize by date and event. 
Now that you have your “keepers,” create a folder structure, for example: Holidays → 2025 → Thanksgiving, or Holidays → 2025 → Christmas Party. This simple hierarchy makes it easier to find photos later and will keep future generations from having to guess “who was that and what were they doing.” Our friends at Mylio make it super easy to create a digitally organized catalog of all your favorite photos.  

Back it up. 
"Honey I accidentally deleted our holiday photos," is a conversation starter no one wants to hear. Once you’ve organized your collection, ensure you have safe copies of the photos that matter most. Use external hard drives and/or cloud storage to help guard against accidental deletion and any unforeseen events such as natural disasters. 

Celebrate! Share, print, or Artifct your favorites. 
Pick a few favorite moments to highlight — maybe for holiday cards, a printed album, or just to brighten someone’s day. Sharing keeps the memories alive, and printing or Artifcting gives them permanence. Check out our How-To Guide to get all our tips on Artifcting and sharing your favorite holiday photos.  

Why This Matters  

The holidays often involve many people, fleeting moments, and near-identical shots, and without culling, you end up with chaos. A well-structured collection ensures you (or your family) can revisit or even pass on not only the photos, but the stories and memories that go with them too.  

If you're feeling overwhelmed by your holiday photos take a few minutes (or even just one evening) to start. You don’t need fancy software or perfect editing skills. Start with what you have: a folder, a computer, maybe a cloud backup. By doing a little bit now, you’ll save yourself hours (or days) later and ensure that your holiday memories don’t end up lost or forgotten.

May this season bring warmth, laughter, togetherness, and a photo archive you’ll be proud to revisit for years to come.  

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The wealth being passed down from Baby Boomers isn’t just dollars — it’s decades’ worth of ‘stuff.’ As we enter what many call the Great Wealth Transfer, the children of Boomers are discovering that a big chunk of what they inherit comes in the form of physical objects: collections, vintage items, and sometimes things nobody quite knows what to do with. 

Our Co-Founder, Heather, discovered this firsthand after losing her mother and having to sort through SO. MUCH. STUFF. 

What’s Actually Being Inherited 

According to a recent Bloomberg article by Chris Rovzar, as much as $90 trillion in assets will change hands over the next few decades. But alongside financial assets lie a mounting inheritance of physical belongings. We're talking about antique furniture, sterling silver flatware, model trains, Hummel figurines, cut-crystal glassware — even miniature pianos. 

Some of these items carry deep sentimental value. For others, not so much. The result? Many heirs feel buried under a mountain of ‘stuff’ they didn’t necessarily ask for. 

Why There's So Much ‘Stuff’ 

Collectors never stopped collecting. Boomers who built their collections over their lifetimes didn’t always see them as clutter. Their passions were real — and they hoped their kids would appreciate them too. 

As we age, many of us may want to downsize. But instead of letting go, we hold on to beloved items or leave the bulk to the next generation. Matt Paxton, star of both Hoarders and Filthy Fortunes, and Advisor to Artifcts sees this daily as he and his team help families downsize and somehow deal with all the ‘stuff.’   

We are also great at avoiding tough conversations. Not all families talk about what to keep and what to let go of. Without clear plans, decisions fall to the children — who are often under emotional stress. 

The Impact on the Next Generation 

For many Millennials and Gen Xers, dealing with their parents’ estates isn’t just a financial task — it’s deeply emotional work. Rovzar describes cleaning out a parent’s house as “upsetting, stressful and deeply sad,” but also cathartic when you find unexpected treasures like a long-lost recipe or beloved childhood memento. 

On the practical side: 

• Storage is becoming a challenge. Some families use storage units to hold inherited objects, which can be costly. Self-storage is a $59 BILLION dollar industry in the US alone.  
• Selling isn’t always easy. Vintage doesn’t always mean valuable. Many items have limited resale markets.
• Keeping the legacy feels heavy. Not every object has a clear inheritor, and not all heirs want what their parents collected. 

What Can Be Done — Thoughtfully 

Do you find yourself or your loved ones staring at the oncoming ‘stuff’ tsunami and not sure what to do? We asked experts across the organizing, downsizing, and photo management industries on how to navigate this transfer of stuff: 

Have conversations early. Parents and children should talk about what matters, what doesn’t, and what to do with sentimental vs. practical belongings. 

Prioritize what to keep. Not everything needs to survive for another generation. Choosing key heirlooms can help reduce clutter while preserving meaning. Check out our guide to Swedish Death Cleaning to help you purposefully choose which possessions to hold onto and which possessions to rehome or let go of altogether. 

Our Co-Founder Heather kept these vintage hot cocoa mugs after her mother passed--not for the financial value but because of the memories. 

Be realistic about disposal. Items that don’t hold value may be donated, recycled, or sold. A professional estate sale service can help. Learn more about estate sales and other online options for selling items in our Everything You Need to Know Before Heading to Your First Estate Sale ARTIcles story. 

Document provenance. If a piece has real historical or monetary value, keeping a record helps with future decisions and may make it more meaningful. It can also help your heirs not be “the ones” who accidentally donate a Picasso to Goodwill.  

Why This Matters 

This isn’t just a story about stuff — it’s about generational legacy, memory, and how we value our lives through objects. As wealth moves from one generation to the next, what we inherit isn't just bank accounts; it’s a tangible piece of who our parents and grandparents were. 

For many heirs, sorting through these items is more than a transaction. It’s a way to understand their loved ones, decide what to carry forward, and gently close chapters in a responsible and emotionally respectful way. 

As you look around your home — or your parents’ if you happen to be heading home for the holidays— notice the items that hold meaning: 

• The broach worn on a wedding day
• The tool passed down from a grandfather
• The ticket stub from a once-in-a-lifetime concert
• The odd little figurine that always sat on the mantel 

Those keepsakes aren’t just things, they’re experiences, memories, and connections waiting to be captured. Take a moment to Artifct those items, capture the story, the history, and all the little details that make you smile, laugh, or remind you of your loved one(s). Give future generations the context they need — not just the clutter, because the real inheritance isn’t the ‘stuff.’ It’s the life stories and memories behind it. 

Still with us? Extra credit if you use our “In the Future” field to tell your heirs what to do with the item when the time comes — keep, donate, sell, bequeath, or “as you wish.” Lift the weight of uncertainty before it ever lands on their shoulders. 

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Who doesn’t love the board games, flag football, and annual viewing of movie favorites like Miracle on 34th Street, The Grinch, and Home Alone over the holidays with your family?

Get ready to make some new traditions, have fun with your family, and avoid awkward conversations like, “Have you seen Aunt Dot's new hairstyle?” Instead, you'll get to enjoy more of those, “I never knew that about you!” moments! We’re putting a spin on those traditions of togetherness with Artifcts, to help you AND your family save and share the memories and laugh-out-loud stories from holidays past and present. 

New Family Memories and Traditions with Artifcts 

We asked some of our most avid Artifcters, “How do you Artifct with family” and distilled the rather humorous stories we heard into a step-by-step process anyone can do whether you're hosting your crew this holiday season, or traveling across country (or next door!). Bonus, not only can these steps be used during your next holiday gathering, they also work great for you next family reunion too. 

#1. CREATE YOUR FREE ARTIFCTS MEMBERSHIP

If you're going to use Artifcts to preserve and share the memories and stories, you're going to need an account. Sign up free in 30 seconds, start to finish. Already have an account? Fabulous! You can skip to step #2.

#2. DECIDE ON A THEME

Give your family a focus for all those stories and memories. Here are some ideas to get you started, but we also offer free checklists to inspire you. Some families even send a link to the checklist/theme they choose ahead of the family gathering!

• Recipes. Request modern family favorites to expand your repertoire. Or stick to oldies but goodies that have been passed down through the years. Make sure you include those "secret" ingredients too. 
• Photos. “Oldest” and “funniest” competitions could be fun. One person told us last year they used, “Rarely do you see so many of us together,” types of photos and it was a blast. So many long-forgotten photos, and so many family members. Go for it! 
• Family treasures. Maybe they’re family heirlooms or sentimental pieces created by your kids. Maybe they're mementos purchased while traveling and make for a good story. One family told their loved ones to each bring a cherished item to be Artifcted after Thanksgiving dinner. The result? A virtual timecapsule to be enjoyed for years to come!  
• Going, going, gone. This one made us laugh and came from a reader after our recent “Epilogue: Family Keepers” story. The idea here is that if you are holding on to family heirlooms, antiques, or similar items, and you don’t really WANT to hold on to them, Artifct them to let others know so they have a final chance to call “Dibs!” 
• All things sports. This final example was from a family of running enthusiasts. Maybe your family is made up of musicians, artists, or travelers; same idea applies. This family Artifcted photos, running bibs, and race medals from the year, including videos of each of them crossing the finish lines. Personal best in a 5k? Awesome! 

Keep the memories, but maybe not every last running bib from the past year. 

#3 ADD FAMILY MEMBERS TO YOUR ARTIFCTS "NETWORK"

(This step is optional, feel free to skip to step #4)

You need only each person's name and email. You can make it easier by filling in this template and then returning to your Account Settings > Content & Network > Network and clicking “Import” to add them all at once.

Don't have their email addresses? Text, call, or post a message wherever you and your family communicate to ask them to create an account on Artifcts.com and then send you their screen name. You can easily add them that way too.

#4 CREATE AN INVITE-ONLY ARTIFCTS CIRCLE

Create an Artifcts Circle (we have a help video, too!) to easily unite and organize all the Artifcts your family creates and shares. Add each family member to it by: (a) selecting from your list if you completed step #3, (b) typing in their email address directly, or (c) emailing or texting them a link from your circle - they will have a week to accept the invite and you can always send a new link if needed.

• • • You can choose, per person, to let them invite others or to make another person an “admin” who can add AND delete others. 
    • In the “About” section, describe for your family what this circle is for, e.g., “Let’s gather up and share favorite recipes for the holidays.”  
    • Then click to invite them and leave a comment, e.g.:

“Please create a free Artifcts account so we can swap recipes this year and not lose them in email or texts! Tag them #Thanksgiving2025. Bonus points if you add a funny short video snippet or audio file! Don’t forget to click share and choose this Circle or we can't see it. Call me if you need help.” 

You can always edit the Circle details, image for the Circle, and members, so don’t worry if you forget something (or someone) or have a change of plans.

Our Co-Founder Heather's Artifcts Circle from Thanksgiving 2022. 

#5. CREATE YOUR ARTIFCTS & PICK YOUR MOMENT

When will you set aside time to share and reminisce about all your new Artifcts from your family? Maybe as the dinner is cooking or perhaps after dessert, you each take a couple of minutes and share the Artifcts you created and added to the Circle. You may discover new details, photos, and related stories you’ve never heard before!

Best yet, once your family starts Artifcting and sharing with your new Circle, they can contribute all year long! Next year you can pick right back up or choose a new theme to capture your family's history.

Togetherness and Remembrance this Holiday Season 

We want to acknowledge and talk about another facet of the holidays: grief.  

We know that the holidays can be an incredibly challenging time for many of us. We’re facing them with loved ones missing for the first time or perhaps facing the end soon. Artifcts can be a powerful way to spend time together capturing memories and stories for now and later, for you and for all your loved ones. It can also make it easier to decide what becomes of all the keepsakes that we ultimately leave behind one day.  

Our free Life Preparedness and After-Loss Support Guide may offer a helpful starting point. You may also find inspiration in some of our past ARTIcles by Artifcts such as Gift Your Loved Ones a Why and The Three Things I Wish My Mother Had Artifcted.  

Consider taking the time to watch the recording from our panel discussion about new traditions for the holidays as we process our grief. Our guests, Rachel Donnelly, founder of My AfterLight and Professionals of After Loss Services, and Garrick Colwell, of Kitchen Table Conversations, brought diverse and deep backgrounds to the practical and emotional aspects of grief. 

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

For parts of the United States, sweater weather is officially here, and with it comes an increasingly frenetic pace of to-do's as we approach the holiday season. Old St. Nick is not the only one making a list and checking it twice—our co-founder Heather has already started a list of recipes (and ingredients!) needed to pull off a family Thanksgiving feast, and we know she is not alone.  

Here at Artifcts, we want to help you reclaim the joy (and meaning!) that goes along with the holidays all season long. Our starting point? Our kitchens, and more specifically with our cookbooks and recipes, because chances are the recipes that we make and love are not solely about the ingredients, but about the memories, traditions, and family stories that make the holidays so special.  

Why it matters: cookbooks, recipes, and memories 

It might surprise you that in researching this story we discovered that the average American family owns at least 15 cookbooks, and that three in ten women have a cookbook collection, according to Morris Cookbooks, the largest cookbook publisher in the US. Informal online discussions meanwhile suggest many households own dozens—or even hundreds—of cookbooks, far surpassing the “average.”  

Why does that matter now, especially as we head into the holiday season? Because recipes aren’t just instructions. Researcher Eleonora Sava highlights this point in her 2021 article titled, Family Cookbooks—Objects of Family Memories. Sava describes recipes and cookbooks as objects of memory as they record more than ingredients and steps. According to Sava, cookbooks capture handwriting and family tastes, and link generations through the act of cooking.  

And as the holidays approach—when families gather, when traditional dishes make their annual appearance, when memories of past celebrations resurface—the meaning of a recipe goes far beyond the kitchen. A dish becomes a link to a grandparent, a holiday table, a childhood kitchen smell, or a moment of togetherness.  

So how can you best preserve those family traditions in an organized, shareable way—especially heading into the holidays? Hello Artifcts! 

Artifcts allows you to capture not only the recipe itself, but its origin, stories about the person who made it, the holiday or event it was tied to, notes (handwritten or digital), and even tangents like family anecdotes, ingredient variations, or why it matters to you. With Artifcts, a recipe becomes far more than a page in a cookbook—it becomes a shareable, searchable, multimedia keepsake. 

Click the image to view Matt Paxton's family cookbook that he Artifcted. 

How to Artifct your recipes to preserve traditions, stories, and memories 

Intrigued? Want to give it a try? We’ve compiled the below step-by-step guide to help you begin Artifcting your family recipes and preserving your culinary heritage ahead of the holidays: 

1. Gather your recipes and the accompanying keepsakes 

• Pull together all the physical and digital items 
• Don’t forget handwritten index cards, printed family cookbooks, scraps of parchment with notes, old magazine cut-outs, even photos of the dish or the family moment. 

2. Photograph the key items you want to include in the Artifct 

• Don’t worry, you can always go back and edit it if you forget something! 

3. Add the story behind each recipe 

• Who cooked it originally?  
• When/where was it typically served? (Holiday dinner each December, Sunday brunch, etc.)
• What makes it special? The ingredient twist? The aroma? The family joke tied to it?
• Write (or record video or audio) short anecdotes: “I remember the year the turkey caught fire and we still served this cranberry relish…”
• Photograph: The dish itself, the handwritten card, the cook in action, the table-setting from past years. 

4. Organize, organize, organize 

• Use Categories (Home → Recipes and Occasions → Holidays)
• Create custom tags to easily sort and search, e.g., #MomsRecipes, #FamilyFavorite, #Handwritten, #Thanksgiving2025, etc. 

5. Share and invite contributions 

• Privately share recipes with relatives (near or far) via link or invite.  
• Give loved ones “Editor” access so they can collaborate and even add variations or their own memories, if you want them to. 

You might discover after Artifcting your family recipes you may be willing (or able) to downsize and declutter your cookbook collection. Consider retaining the cookbooks you actively use, the sentimental ones, and let others go (donate, recycle, give away) knowing your family’s tradition lives on in your Artifcts collection. This is especially helpful ahead of holidays, when you may want to free up space, reduce clutter, simplify your kitchen/library area—and keep the heart of your culinary heritage intact  

Why Artifcting wins vs. pure cookbooks 

• Shareability: Traditional cookbooks are fine for the in-house chef, but sharing them across generations, branches of the family, or geographically separated relatives is harder. With Artifcts, you can privately share with cousins, grandchildren, or nieces and nephews, invite contributions, and access from anywhere. 

• Context & story: A cookbook often gives you a title, ingredients, steps—but rarely the story: “why Grandma always added nutmeg,” or “how this dish saved the day when the oven broke on Christmas Eve.” Artifcts preserve the memory, not just the mechanics. 

• Searchable & customizable: You can tag by holiday, ingredient, dietary restriction, chef-in-the-family, etc. Over time you build an archive that you can browse by event or person—far more flexible than a static bookshelf. 

• Space & organization: If your cookbook collection is growing unwieldy (shelves overflowing, dusting stress), Artifcting gives you a chance to digitize key recipes + stories, reduce physical clutter, and still keep the heritage alive. It’s a win-win: fewer books, more meaning. 

• Legacy and future-proofing: Physical cookbooks may fade and get lost; handwritten cards may deteriorate. A thoughtfully maintained digital archive ensures these traditions aren’t lost, even if a physical book is damaged or thrown out. This matters especially for holiday-linked dishes that may only appear once a year. 

A very memorable Artifct, complete with an instructional video from Grandma herself!

Final thoughts 

Family recipes are more than just good food. They are the threads that weave together generations, holidays, kitchens, stories, aromas, and memories. As Sava noted in her article on family cookbooks: “The family cookbook becomes an album of memories… the handwriting may summon the image of the person who wrote that recipe.”  

By taking the time now—before the holiday rush—to Artifct your cherished recipes, you’ll be gifting your family a legacy of meaning as well as a well-curated digital archive rich with stories, photos, and flavors. It’s he kind of heirloom that can travel across generations far easier than a shelf-full of cookbooks. 

So, pull out your recipe box, gather those favorite dishes, invite your family to tell you the “why” behind them—and get started preserving your traditions, one recipe at a time. 

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© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

It’s family history month, and if you had to, could you tell your family history in five Artifcts or less? Sound impossible? We weren’t sure, so we decided to put it to the test. 

We reached out to one of our super Artifcters, @Grandmom and asked her, if she had to choose just five Artifcts to tell her story, could she? And if she could, what five would she choose?  

Thankfully, @Grandmom was up for the challenge, although she did preface it by saying “Are you sure, just five? That’s all I get?” Yep, that all you get, at least for this ARTIcles story. “Well, good thing I have my timeline, at least I know where to start!”

Over to you @Grandmom to walk us through your family history, Artifct by Artifct. (The below excerpts are from an interview we did with Grandmom; the words in quotes are direct from the source!)

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GRANDMOM'S FAMILY HISTORY IN JUST 5 ARTIFCTS

Artifct #1: The Beginning

The Milking Chair My Grandfather Built

“Well, I guess I better start at the beginning, sometime in the 1860s. One of my oldest Artifcts is the milking chair my father’s father made his wife. They lived on a farm in southern Georgia. He built it for her because she was so short, that none of the regular chairs were a good fit. He built it right after the Civil War, I don’t think he used a single nail, only pegs. You don’t see that these days.” 

Click to view the Artifct and hear the story in Grandmom's own words. 

Artifct #2: Childhood in Rural Georgia

Mother's and Grandmother's Wash Boards

Next up? “Well, that would have to be Mother’s and Grandmother’s wash boards. I still have them after all my moves. We grew up in rural Georgia, and we didn’t have much back then, but Mother always made sure we were well dressed and presentable. I still remember her using these boards to do our laundry. I even used them when I was younger! It’s just what you did back then. I can’t imagine what the kids would do today if they had to use washboards. I can tell you; they probably wouldn’t do laundry!”   

Artifct #3: Traveling Far Far Away

Snake Tales

“The next one is one of my favorites—my snakeskin! I still remember [my friend] Shirley’s reaction, ‘I’m not going to do it Martha, you do it, you shoot the snakes!’” What makes the snakeskin so special? “It reminds me of all the crazy adventures and travels that Bobby [my husband] and I had when we were first married. I never could have imagined living overseas, or going on safari, or doing all the crazy things we used to do. I was telling [my granddaughter] about what we did back then, and she didn’t believe me at first. I had to show her the pictures AND the snakeskin. I was something back then!” For the record, we still think you’re something @Grandmom!   

Artifct #4: Family Time

Our Trusty Station Wagon

“I guess my next Artifct would be our old station wagon, and the photo of the three boys [our sons] in the back. [It's a private Artifct.] Back then we didn’t use seatbelts; I’m not even sure if we had them in the way back! But man, those boys loved that station wagon; Bobby and I did too! We took it everywhere—Brazil, Europe. I still remember I once got a speeding ticket in Rio while driving the station wagon. I had never gotten a ticket before in my life! So many memories. I can still hear Bobby yelling at the boys to quiet down back there or else. The boys remember too!”  

Artifct #5: Small Momentos of a Life Well Lived

International Spoon Collection

Sounds like travel and all your adventures overseas are a big part of your family history and story @Grandmom? “It was our life back then. We didn’t think twice about it when we were doing it, but it was what our family did. It’s what our boys remember. Living overseas teaches you so much. So, I guess my last Artifct would have to be my spoon collection.

I have one from every place I’ve ever lived or visited! I have at least two hundred! The one spoon I didn’t have until recently was Monrovia. I couldn’t find one when we were living there, but then Joy [my daughter-in-law] found one on Ebay and now my collection is complete! It’s amazing to think that had life been different, we could have stayed in Georgia. I know my boys are thankful we did not do that.” 

And there you have it! Five Artifcts; five stories; five memories of a life well lived and well-traveled. If you had to choose, what five objects would you Artifct to tell your story? You can write to us at editor@artifcts.com and let us know, we’d love to hear from you! 

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A very special thank you to @Grandmom for sharing her Artifcts and story with us. For those of you curious about this amazing woman, she lived to be 85, had three grown sons, 10 mostly-grown grandchildren, and had lived in six countries and traveled to well over 50. She was married to the “love of her life” for over 40 years and was proud to be her family’s keeper. Why did she Artifct? “To tell the histories and stories behind all my stuff. If I don’t the boys will have no way of knowing what is what.”

We thank @Grandmom's family for letting us reprint this ARTIcle (which originally ran in 2023) as a special tribute to her and the amazing life she lived.

© 2025 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.