Two weeks ago, we kicked off a series of ARTIcles to challenge us all to consider why we have the items we do, what they mean to us, why we keep them, and ultimately for some things, what we want others to know about them as well. We started with one of the most-used rooms in a house, the living room! 

This week we’re taking a trip down the hall to tackle all things kids and babies in our kid’s room edition of our “Every Room Has a Story” series. No matter how young or old your child may be, chances are there are memories, treasures, and other, “We still have this?” finds lurking within the walls and corners of our young (or young at heart) one's spaces.  

Remember When? 

Kids rooms are often filled with mementos (or piles!) big and small that invoke a “remember when” sentiment. It could be any combination of well-loved but out-grown toys, clothing, art supplies, and the like. You can surely relate. Picture this: Dear Child is late for school and needs THAT t-shirt for school today. You run into your kid’s room to help look, searching first under the bed. What do you find instead? A painted skateboard that had been a sixth-grade art project. And you wonder: We still have this because...? 

Time is tricky, and what seems like yesterday, may in fact be years ago. And those memories? We think we are going to remember them always, but all too often the small but oh-so-significant details start to slip away. We keep those childhood mementos in hopes of triggering or recalling those memories, but let’s face it, our memories aren’t perfect, and the details get a little fuzzy along with the dust bunnies under the beds. 

Our co-founder Heather lives in the city, and since space is at a premium, she and her daughter take time each June to Artifct the art projects, photos, cards, and travel souvenirs they want to keep and display. They also spend time Artifcting the items that may not make the cut (and then recycle them). Being a newly minted teen, this is the first year Heather’s daughter is self-directing this Artifcting project. We'll let you know how it goes!

Click the icon to listen to Heather's daughter describe her Artifcting experience. 

Books, Books, and More Books 

Books may be one of the bulkier clutter culprits in any kid's room. The bookcases are always overflowing, and you find yourself tripping over piles of books when trying to vacuum. “How did we get so many books?” you wonder. Notice the word “get,” not “buy.” Library books count too, and easily add to the piles. 

Like adults, kids sometimes enjoy keeping books because they enjoy seeing what they have read. The books make up a visual checklist of how they’ve spent school vacations and rainy-day weekends. For parents, we love to think of books as inherently good and yet they can swiftly become a logistical nightmare meets Tetris challenge of epic proportions.  

This year, try a new approach. Does your kid have a dramatic side? Ask for a book review of all the books they no longer plan to read. Artifct those books and their own laugh-out-loud silly reviews. Pair this, as you should with any decluttering effort, with a clear goal. For example, our co-founder Heather plans to nudge her daughter to whittle down her collection to key favorites and the books she will read or re-read. That's it. Our other co-founder, Ellen, uses a different approach with her daughter as they declutter books and reads key passages of some of her daughter’s favorite books, creating one-of-a-kind Artifcts and lasting memories (while also gaining back a bit of space on the family bookshelf). 

Click the image to view the Artifct Ellen created for her daughter. 

Stuffed Animals, Lovies, and the Like 

What to do with stuffed animals is a favorite topic at Artifcts, so much so that we’ve even written a standalone piece on just that! I won’t rehash the entire ARTIcle here, but the bottom-line up front is the importance of capturing and preserving the memories before letting go. Stuffies have a place in our hearts for good reason, and sometimes it’s the memory that matters more than the battered, tattered, well-loved bunny collection.

Not all bunnies made the final cut. Click the image to view the Artifct. 

One More Thing...

...This is age agonistic advice: No matter how you declutter and organize those kids' rooms, set aside time to have fun, be a little goofy, and lean into the stories and memories of the space.  

Take a moment to ask your child(ren) about what those items mean to them, what memories they have for each item. Chances are their memories and their attachment to those items will be very different than our own. 

Remember too that decision fatigue is a real thing. Small doses work best no matter your age. 

And consider displaying—or what we’ve taken to calling “re-cluttering”—the items that bring them joy and/or create the most functional space. Find fun and age-appropriate storage solutions for the items that need to be put away, and for the items that may not be kept? Artifct that (or them!) and keep the memories while you make room for more age-appropriate ‘stuff.’  

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What stories and moments make up your kid's room? Send them in to us at Editor@Artifcts.com or join the conversation on Instagram (@TheArtiLife) or Facebook (@Artifcts). We'd be delighted to hear from you!

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Most of us parents set out with the best intentions of creating a beautifully detailed, all-inclusive baby book. Whether it is our first or fifth child, chances are we all planned on doing it, “one day,” especially for those lucky first borns. 

In my case, I bought the book and the pens I wanted to use, and I even made a few half-hearted attempts at all the pre-baby details, first sonogram, baby shower, etc. I kept thinking, “I’ll have more time for this once baby arrives, and I can fill in all the details then,” as I was trying to manage a 50+ hour work week while pregnant.  

Funny thing is, baby arrived, and wow, I had NO time to myself let alone time to make that book. My pre-baby logic was seriously flawed. I found myself at home, sleep-deprived and catering to a non-verbal tyrant (thankfully she was so cute) and a rather needy golden retriever (thankfully he was cute, too). All while trying to figure out how to cook, clean, and keep things running smoothly with no extended family in sight to help.  

Yep, my notion of “I’ll get to it one day,” ended up being, “I still haven’t gotten around to it,” 13 years later. 

The Baby Book Industry 

Before I continue this story, I want to pause for a moment and share a few fun facts about the baby book industry. Yes, it is indeed an industry. 

Amazon has over 4,000 entries for baby memory books. Their most popular edition sold over 7,000 copies last month alone.  

What is more, entire companies—such as Chatbooks and Qeepsake—have been built based on our overwhelming desire as parents to document all those precious firsts coupled with our inability to complete those physical baby books.  

I even discovered articles from the Church of Latter Day Saints proclaiming that baby books have stressed our parents for a century. As co-founders, we believe you! Although we all have the best intentions of documenting those milestones as our little ones grow, life happens. My co-founder Ellen opted to go the digital route from the very beginning and created a private blog for her daughter. She made it 5 years. I stuck with the physical baby book but didn’t get very far, as you can see from the photo below.   

Even with the best intentions, I never got around to that baby book. 

Alternatives to a Baby Book 

So, what’s a new parent to do?  

Following our favorite good, better, best approach, we’re offering these tips to help you document all things baby, child, and teen! 

• • Good: Snap a photo of the key moment or milestone. Send an email to yourself or your child (if you created an email account for your child) with a short sentence or two of why this photo, why this moment. It doesn’t have to be fancy. 
  • Better: Make a book! Yes, we just said that, but before you laugh at us, hang on a minute. Don’t try to make ‘THE’ book. Make ‘A’ book.  

It could be a traditional baby book, scrapbook, or any of the digital options readily available. Maybe it’s documenting a birthday, or a fun family vacation. It doesn’t matter what the theme or reason is but take those photos off your phone and put them somewhere, anywhere, that is easy to view and can tell a story. Don’t worry if it’s not an all-inclusive book from the first five years, it’s okay. Something is better than nothing. 

• • Best: We’re biased, but it should come as no surprise: Artifcts lets you create truly one-of-a-kind, interactive baby books. We're like your superpowered digital baby book app helping you day-to-day and years down the road. Artifcts offer a digital advantage with an analog touch. How?  

Artifct those moments on the fly with our app and include the audio, video, photos, and details all in one safe, secure, and easily shareable space. Use custom tags to quickly search and sort your Artifcts by child, by year, etc. And the best part? If you still want that tangible book, that goes well beyond a collection of favorite photos, you can export your Artifcts to create a custom book with our partner Akin. Artifcts is a win-win approach to baby books for sure! 

Curious how my story ends? I am too!  

I still haven’t gotten around to creating that baby book, but I am now Artifcting my way through my daughter’s childhood, starting with her first sonogram, all the way up through learning how to ride a bike and now adventures of middle school.  

Being able to add audio and video makes the stories come to life, and my daughter, who is now a tech-savvy teen, loves searching through the Artifcts to re-live the firsts she does not remember. Searching is made even easier by the tags I use, such as #thatsmygirl. 

One of her favorites? An Artifct I appropriately titled, “That Time She Painted the Fence.” She laughs non-stop at the story, including the complacency of our golden retriever in the process.  

That time she painted the fence...

Although that Artifct is private, I’ll leave you with one of the photos from the Artifct. 

Remember, it’s never too late to remember for them and with them through Artifcts. You don’t have to take it from me. One of our Arti Community members reached out to us earlier this year to let us know that although her children are all grown and in their 30s and 40s, she’s finally getting around to that baby book, one Artifct at a time.  

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Looking to get a jumpstart on your baby book?

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reading time: 4 minutes 

In 1992, Baptist Minister Gary Chapman published the non-fiction book The Five Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate. (Side note, if anyone out there has a copy, go Artifct That!) 

The book outlines five ways that romantic partners express and experience love, which he termed, “love languages.” In short, Chapman’s five love languages were words of affirmation, acts of service, receiving gifts, quality time, and physical touch.  

In our household, although acts of service and quality time are always encouraged, Artifcts has become our go-to love language. It transcends the generations, spans the distances, and lets us all know we are loved.  

Saying I Love You Artifcts Style 

My entire family knows I say I love you with Artifcts. There are freshly baked late-night chocolate chip cookies and banana breads when coming home from school, and of course, the recipes (and love notes) that follow via Artifcts. 

Gifts are given along with the Artifcts (and the explanations for why THIS gift) as are adventures. One of my favorite Artifcts surprises to date has been gifting our then 19-year-old a trip to Iceland, itinerary revealed and documented via Artifcts.  

I am lucky and thankful that the Artifcts go both ways in our household. My husband is especially sweet, Artifcting the moments, mementos, and memories (and cards!) that say, “I love you.” I was brought to tears when he Artifcted a piece of art he bought me AND included an audio recording of him explaining why he picked THAT piece and what it meant to him. Call me strictly sentimental, but I love having his voice safely paired with the Artifct. 

Saying I Love You Across Generations 

My mother-in-law and my husband have an especially meaningful love language in Artifcts. She’s been Artifcting since we launched and now has several hundred Artifcts and counting. She loves being able to share her stories and memories with her children and grandchildren, and my husband loves learning bits and pieces about his mom that he never knew before. (The grandchildren do too!) 

For instance, little did we know that @Grandmom counts an eight-foot python skin among her most prized possessions until she shared the Artifct with us! 

Who knew? We didn't until Grandmom Artifcted it!

My father has also recently gotten into the Artifcting mode, creating and privately sharing Artifcts with our family, documenting his life from 4H to retirement. I learned things about my father I never knew, and that is the greatest gift of all.  

As for us, and our generation? My husband and I Artifct FOR our children since we know they may not always remember the small moments and otherwise important details. My husband Artifcted the older kids’ swim trophies as we downsized, and I routinely Artifct special moments for my daughter, from learning to ride a bike to skiing her first black diamond. Sure, she’ll have the photos, thousands of them, but photos can’t talk and one day she’ll want to know the stories behind those photos.  

Important firsts, remembered always. Made with love on Artifcts. 

Saying I Love You Across Distances 

One of the great things about Artifcts is that you don’t have to physically be there to send and share Artifcts. Part of my family lives in Denmark, and we capture and share the small moments, favorite recipes, and special memories via Artifcts.  

I love waking up to a new Artifct from my Danish family. We’ve even utilized Artifcts to subvert the insanely slow snail mail process. This year for my birthday, my Danish family Artifcted my birthday card, complete with photos, a funny story, and videos! It was the best and greenest birthday greeting yet.  

We also create Artifcts Circles when we travel together, or celebrate holidays together, sharing Artifcts, stories, and memories for all to see. It helps make the distances between seem not so large and gives us all something to look back on and cherish until our next time together.  

Creating A Sixth Love Language? 

We’ve come to think of Artifcts as our sixth love language, although I suppose it’s more of an amalgamation of several of Chapman’s original love languages. In our house, Artifcts always include positive words of affirmation. Creating the Artifcts requires quality time and is without a doubt a service to the next (and current!) generation, in addition to being one of the best gifts ever. 

We’re biased for sure, but we can’t think of a better way to say I love you than Artifcts!  

Wishing you and yours a Happy Valentine’s Day.

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© 2024 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Reading time: 2 minutes

Earlier this year, we dove into #HabitChange and sought to highlight the tips and tricks to help you make Artifcting a daily, weekly, or even seasonal habit. We received a lot of positive feedback from that first ARTIcles story, and an equal number of requests for a part two (or three or four!) as we look at specific habits, and specific things that may prompt us to take a moment and create a new Artifct. 

So, without further ado, we bring you #HabitChange, the back-to-school edition.  

Artifcting for a Smoother Transition Back to School + a More Memorable Year

Even if you don’t have kids or grandkids going back to school this year, we think the following tips, tricks, and observations can help anyone that is starting a new routine this fall.  

#1 Artifct Where You’re At 

Our first tip for capturing all those school-based memories and creating #HabitChange is "Artifct where you’re at." While some survival tactics mean pre-planning—pack the bag and pick the clothes the night before, enjoy a healthy breakfast to avoid a low energy and brain power day—when it comes to Artifcting, get in the moment! Artifct on the spot. When the emotion, details, and oh-so-precious memories are fresh and not forgotten.  

• If you have young kids at home, and they are prone to talking your ear off at a rapid pace, Artifct with them as they come through the front door. Take five minutes to snap a photo, upload to the app, and ask them to tell you the story behind their latest and greatest art project.  
• Pre-teens and teens? Artifct post-game, post-concert, post-event, you name it! Just scored a winning goal? Great, add the photo, video, and details to an Artifct. Ask them to share their favorite moment of the game, and voila! You now have a multi-media Artifct that captures THAT moment in time. (Or THAT science fair trophy.) 

And we’ll save you a headache with a bonus tip: If dealing with physical objects, take that moment to divide into “keep” and “discard” piles, so you also avoid a rapid accumulation of school-based clutter. 

Self Portrait of Hazel, Age 11 (Artifcted)

# 2 Sharing is Caring! 

Sharing is caring, especially when it comes to Artifcts. People often report that following through on new habits is easier when there is external, positive re-enforcement. We’ve found this to be no different with Artifcts.  

• Did you know you can create a private Sharing List on Artifcts.com for hassle-free sharing? Simply select the list from the drop-down menu when you click to share and you’re good to go. Our co-founder Heather created a private sharing list titled “Team Hazel” for all the people who love seeing what her daughter is creating at school. It has saved her from typing in dozens of emails or finding screen names over and over. Instead, she selects the list and hits ‘Send.’ Her daughter loves getting the follow-on calls and texts from family and friends after they’ve viewed the Artifct. So much better than a simple thumbs up. 

# 3 Know Your Purpose 

If you want positive reinforcement, start with a clear purpose. Is it about reducing daily clutter? Do you feel like school years past were a blur and you want to find a fast and easy way to ensure you capture more of the memories along the way? Is it about sharing more with loved ones near and far? We think Artifcting is a 2 for 1; accomplish the goal for YOU and easily share with loved ones. 

Regardless of how and where you Artifct, we hope these #HabitChange tips will help you preserve and share the back-to-school memories with loved ones near and far. Got a tip that works especially well for you and your family? We’d love to know! Email us at editor@Artifcts.com and we’ll include your tip in our next #HabitChange story here on ARTIcles by Artifcts.  

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You may also enjoy these additional ARTIcles by Artifcts:

How to Artifct Childhood Mementos

Keepsake Boxes, Remembrance Boxes, Memento Boxes

Pint-Sized Perspective on Moving and Decluttering

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Today we have a special contribution from a guest curator who said enough to the status quo. In her case, that means turning a new leaf in her approach to saving family memories and mementos by no longer relying on keepsake boxes, Instagram, and photo albums alone. These were the options that got her through the exhausting early days of motherhood + entrepreneurship + life all jumbled together in what we call LIFE! Now, she’s moving on with Artifcts. 

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When Elena, my second daughter, was born 23 months after her sister Estella, I was suddenly in the throes of a very unique and personal post-partum reality. We were still in the midst of COVID and on top of all that, my startup company was just two years old. I was just trying to survive.

While I wanted to capture all of my girls' incredible baby moments, the idea of creating a baby book or scrapbook seemed very time-consuming and utterly impossible at the time. The best I could do was collect random mementos for each of my girls and place them in a box, hoping to alleviate the guilt of not doing more. Ironically, I couldn't even tell you what was in my older daughter's box without taking a look. And even then, many of the items are now a blur. I know what is in Elena’s but only because I just started filling it. 

Then there’s my family and friends, near and far. I post on Instagram so they can at least see the funny things the girls do. But that’s all I mostly post – the funny moments like Estella eating flaming hot Cheetos for the first time or trying to eat the sand at the beach.

While people get a sense of their personalities, there is nothing super personal about my feed. There’s nothing that shows who my girls really are, what they are learning, or what they are experiencing. And you would think they are raising themselves, as I am completely absent, except for my voice from time to time.

Re-experiencing Life through Artifcts 

I recently sat down with my friend Ellen who is the co-founder of Artifcts. Artifcts offers concierge Artifcting and I wanted to support her, so I decided to spend some time together Artifcting. I’ll be honest, I love Ellen, but until we sat down together, I really didn’t get how magical Artifcts is. (Now I see there is literally a testimonial on the membership page that says the same. I should have believed them!)

Before she arrived, I pulled out a few pieces of family heirloom jewelry, some artwork I inherited from my grandmother, and my daughters’ memento boxes. As we Artifcted, I realized how valuable it was to attach a story to an object.  As I was Artifcting my two engagement rings (There's a story!) I realized I could combine the photos with an audio recording of myself telling the story for my daughters, bringing the whole experience to life for them to treasure at a later date. And I can add the appraisal documents for my rings to the Artifct and even say who will get my rings one day in the future (one for each, obviously) That’s not something I can or WOULD do on Instagram.

I tried out Artifcting videos and photos already on my phone, clicking share and choosing the Artifcts app. It’s just as easy as posting to Instagram. Now finding a cute memory and photo of Elena is much easier because all I have to do is open the Artifcts app, rather than combing through 1,000s of photos on my phone.

So, what will I do now?

I’m still going to use Instagram for those laugh-out-loud moments, but I’ll be adding my friends and family to Artifcts so I can share more meaningful moments and objects with them privately. I know I can always post an Artifct to Instagram, too. I now have a digital scrapbook of Artifcts for my girls, for me, and for my family. Once I started Artifcting, I could feel the guilt start melting away. Artifcts is everything I never knew I needed, an easy way to collect my memories and connect them with my family and friends. Moms, Dads, get in there. You won’t regret it. 

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Remember, Father's Day is tomorrow!

Take 30% off with code DadStories30. We'll email you a printable gift card, too!

© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Boxes, binders, and bins, oh my! Maybe you know them as keepsake, remembrance, memento, or memorial boxes. Some boxes even mirror the purpose of a binder, with tabs by topic, checklists, and pouches for loose keys, thumb drives, and other small and useful or meaningful objects. 

No matter what, before you stick any ‘stuff’ in your box of choice and slap on the lid, Artifct it to remember what it is and why it mattered. Unlike boxes, Artifcts are:

• • • Instantly and perpetually organized and searchable 
    • Fire and flood proof (some boxes might be, too, up to a point …); no go-box required! 
    • Able to combine text, video, audio, and photos for every item 
    • Easily shareable and accessible online to anyone you choose, anywhere, anytime 
    • Do not take up space or require dusting

And, obviously, the stuff inside your Artifcts collection will not run the risk of outlasting your memories like a box full of stuff will. The memories are captured and preserved. You are no longer the keeper of the memories or the single point of failure behind the mementos. Breathe a sigh of relief!

Keepsake Box Options Abound

For those of us who relish holding onto those curated items that mean the most, we’ve tried to distill here what we’ve learned about the variety of boxes available. A common search on Google is actually acid-free keepsake box, which tells you people care about keeping items for the long haul.

Many major retailers, like Crate and Barrel, The Container Store, Pottery Barn, Target, Hallmark, and Amazon, sell at least one or two. So, we know there’s demand, people are looking for them. We suspect from how they are marketed that a box makes for a simple and obvious gift for special occasions. You’ll see below that the options and qualities vary. There is something for most needs, styles, and price points! 

(Listed in alphabetical order.) 

• • Akin offers custom boxes that fit and showcase the curated items you have chosen to help tell your story - whether it’s memorabilia, journals, photographs, documents, records, or more. What further sets Akin apart is that it offers services bundled around the box for custom-designed books and genealogy research to help commemorate family stories and ancestral histories.

"Present and preserve your keepsakes as opposed to hiding them away. A curated memorabilia box not only holds your most treasured pieces, it should tell their origin story—beautifully and archivally—so they can be cherished and shared for years to come," explained Renee Innis, Akin Founder.

• • Archival Methods offers archival boxes as well as a whole product category for “object storage.” They have additional custom options for fitting objects more snuggly in the boxes, too. 
  • Etsy is a logical choice for creative and custom options you’ve never even knew existed, offering a wild variety of sizes, styles, and materials to match your purpose or occasion. 
  • Nokbox is more about functional preparedness, organizing all of the critical information about your life in a box. If you’re going to store and rely on hardcopy, however, we strongly encourage: (1) fire proof (2) never put passwords into a single physical, hardcopy location, and (3) use a digital equivalent for all your life documentation (e.g., Keylu, Trustworthy, GoodTrust, etc ...). Also, digital options are more flexible, less vulnerable, easier to update, and accessible from anywhere. 
  • Petite Keep offers more traditional aesthetics for its boxes, sort of a Pottery Barn or Draper James feel, with customization for initials, patterns, etc. 
  • Savor, in contrast to Petite Keep, offers a cleaner, more basic style like you might find from archival-quality sources. Its collection has expanded to offer drawers for vertically oriented boxes, built-in envelopes, and more to cover whatever ‘stuff’ you might have in mind to combine.  

Need we say it again? Just as we tell you “Before you store it, Artifct it,” before you box it, Artifct it. And slip your Artifcts collection QR code inside for safe keeping of all those stories, videos, and more from your Artifcts collection. Your future self will thank you! And if you need a little help getting started, check out Artifct concierge options. ->

Before We Go, a Word to the Wise: Know What You’re Buying

Archival does not always mean archival. What? Yes; sad truth. Sometimes archival only means the paper is acid free. And if you are a proponent of recycled paper, you have another potential recipe for disaster once you shut objects inside and create a little microclimate for terrible things to brew.

If you are popping items into a box that you truly cherish, do the homework on your archival products, or speak to a professional. You can contact nationwide companies like Archival Methods—one of our Allies in 'Stuff'—and Gaylord Archival or seek out archivists in your local area for guidance, products, and services.

Happy Artifcting!

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© 2023 Artifcts, Inc. All Rights Reserved.