You’ve started an Artifcts collection. You know stuff and stories go better together! Now what?
Artifcts already take your stories and memories beyond anything you can do with traditional photos, inventory lists, or social media. Now we have released a set of new features we hope will make it still easier to bring families, friends, and stories together across time and distance.
But First... Remember Networks?
Earlier this summer we introduced Artifcts networks so that you could easily import your contacts from your email or add individuals one by one to create a network and make sharing easier. You also gained one-click access to 'Invite' others to join you at Artifcts free and share in the Artifcting experience.
If you haven't created an Artifcts network yet, we encourage you to start building yours now (or click to learn more >) so you can easily take full advantage of all these new features!
Introducing Sharing Lists and Invite-Only Circles
Now your Artifcts networks can also help you instantly share Artifcts with lists of people and form invite-only circles. Why would you create lists and circles? Save time, connect easily and privately with all the people you want to, and gain access to more Artifcts you care about no matter who has them and where.
SHARING LISTS
Lists save you the step of sharing an Artifct with each of your nearest and dearest over and over again as you build your collection. Simply create a list, choose it when you share, and each person on the list will instantly receive your Artifct in their inbox. Popular sharing lists among our early testing group included: immediate family, neighbors, friends from school, colleagues, and travel pals.
INVITE-ONLY CIRCLES
Think of circles like group chats, but here your language is objects, photos, recipes ... and their stories! Anyone you invite into the circle can share Artifcts with the circle for all circle members to enjoy. The sky is the limit: train car collectors group, ceramic artists network, church groups, quilting circles, virtual family reunions, and more.
And, as always, list and circle members only need to have a free Artifcts membership to view Artifcts you share!
The joy of each Artifct you create is that it is so much more than a photo with a caption, scrapbook, or video. Each Artifct weaves together any combination of photos, video, audio, text, and documents in one place to give more color and meaning (and usefulness!).
Simply type @ as you write your Artifct 'Description,' and you will be able to select from people, other Artifcts, sharing lists, and circles to link into the story, historic account, or (maybe) tall tale. Learn how to use this feature on our YouTube channel.
Did you know that the singer Adele required Spotify not "shuffle" the songs on her newest album, ensuring the playlist mirrored the curated sequence on her album? She tweeted in part: “We don’t create albums with so much care and thought into our track listing for no reason. Our art tells a story and our stories should be listened to as we intended.”
While we don't "shuffle" your Artifcts, they do appear in the order you created them ... until now! If you feel the same as Adele, go ahead and customize the order in which your Artifcts appear, as co-founder Ellen Goodwin shows in this video on YouTube.
Change the position number or click and drag to reorder your Artifcts.
On the Artifcts App: Rescue Artifcts with a Click!
Ever find yourself scrolling back through the 1000s of photos and videos on your phone and suddenly think, “Oh, I should Artifct this?” Well, now you can!
With the photo you want to use selected, click the share button, and scroll through your apps to find the Artifcts app. If it's your first time choosing the Artifcts app, you might need to click "more" or a three dots (...) symbol to find the Artifcts app. Don't worry, your phone will learn to show the Artifcts app after you use it a few times.
That's all for now. We'd love your feedback, always. You can contact us at Hello@Artifcts.com.
In today’s ARTIcles story, we’re taking you inside the homes of our co-founders, both of whom celebrate the winter season with Christmas trees and an abundance of ornaments. You might celebrate other holidays with a different set of traditional holiday décor, and we bet it too has stories to tell of holidays and people of years past and present.
Whether you have holiday heirlooms, family traditions, or simple merriment guiding your holiday décor, we hope you’ll remember to take a moment to create an Artifct and share a story or two with your friends and family this season.
Step Inside the Goodwin Home with Co-founder Ellen
Our tree is certainly merry and bright. The ornaments include those from my own childhood as well as those from my travels and annual “pick an ornament” outings with my daughter.
This year’s tree decorating was unique, because my parents came to visit and decorated the tree with us. As we decorated, we naturally shared stories about the ornaments. It was the chattiest our daughter was all weekend as she oohed and aahed over her ornaments and reminded us of which ones had to be placed together.
This year’s new arrival is custom artwork from Brittany Atkinson, based in Austin, Texas. The ornament is more of an investment than usual ornaments, but I love supporting local artists. The bold design and colors definitely won my daughter’s stamp of approval.
I have a thing for nutcrackers, they adorn our house during Christmas, and they hang on our tree, too. I wish I could find more ornaments just like this one, a gift from my mom years ago.
My daughter insists on pairing these sweet ornaments together on the tree each year. When she picked these out, it was the only time she got two ornaments instead of one to add to the tree. She named them Autumn and Oscar.
A few weeks before Christmas in 2012, I had surgery and was on crutches. While laid up, I had the bright idea to make these gingerbread and gold glitter cutout ornaments. Just me at home with a 2.5-year-old and really really REALLY sticky dough. What was I thinking? I’m delighted they’ve last this long.
Sometimes I just want something classic and clean. Last year I chose a candycane design with a traditional shape made of heavy glass. It's another nice pop of color on the tree.
And Now Step Inside the Nickerson Home with Co-founder Heather
Remember the Dr. Seus book, "Oh the Places You'll Go?" Every time I see our tree, I think of that book and smile, as our tree has evolved over the years to become a memory map of the places we've been and the adventures we've had year after year. Each ornament, although decorative by default, holds a deeper meaning to us, and brings back memories from our travels near and far.
A beaded hummingbird ornament reminds us of our girls trip to Belize with @egoody and @vgoody "way back when" the girls still thought it was cool to travel with their parents.
Our handmade Danish felt ornaments remind us of our visits to our family in Denmark and all the adventures we've had over the years with @Jeanet_Johansen.
One of the older ornaments on our tree, my beloved Parsa Craft ornaments from my time in Afghanistan. Each ornament is handmade from the women that make up the Parsa Craft collective in Kabul. These ornaments have managed to survive multiple moves and two golden retriever puppies.
This one always makes me smile! When COVID hit, our travels came to a screeching halt. What to do? We hit the trails and the mountains with our trusty two-person backpacking tent. Imagine my surprise when I found a tent ornament that was an exact match to our tent.
Last but not least, one of my favorites! @Matt and I bought this ornament after our first trip to Iceland. It is one of the heaviest ornaments on our tree, which means we spend a great deal of time each year deciding which branch it goes on lest it slips to an untimely demise. (Which is not unheard of in our house with the dog and the children!)
Sorry, this Artifct is private!
Feeling inspired? Take a look around your tree, your mantle, or wherever you keep your holiday decor and pick an item to get started. Simply snap a photo, add a short story and any fun details, click save, and you're done! Got a growing collection on your hands? Create custom tags using the Tags feature to quickly sort and search through your collection. Some of our favorites this year? #Ornaments, #Holidays2024, and #Cookies!
We're preparing our ARTIcles for 2025. Have a topic you'd like us to cover? Share with us at Editor@Artifcts.com.
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
Last year our co-founder Ellen added a new recipe to her family's annual Christmas Eve open house: sugared cranberries. Now those ingredients are added to her annual shopping list.
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.
Pre- or post-holidays, our handy Get Papered checklist can help you declutter all that paper! CLICK THE IMAGE to access this list and others and download for free!
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!
Iconic gingerbread houses offer instant, homemade, and compostable decor! CLICK THE IMAGE to view this Artifcted house.
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.
A breakfast treat like coffee cake can be made ahead (even well ahead and frozen), and pulled out for all to enjoy at whatever hour they roll out of bed!
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.
At the time, we were all emerging from our post-COVID days (or maybe even daze) trying to re-imagine what Thanksgiving may be like with limited travel and mask-optional gatherings. Fast forward to 2024 and a record number of Americans are expected to take to the roads, skies, and rails this Thanksgiving week to visit friends and family near and far.
And, thus, as you are finishing your shopping and moving on to the kitchen prep, we’re encouraged to ask you anew: What would it simply not be Thanksgiving without for you?
It Wouldn’t Be Thanksgiving Without...
While in our household, it wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without my mother’s tea breads, and in particular her banana bread, our list of what makes the Thanksgiving cut has grown over the past three years.
New to the list? The roasted heirloom carrots that first adorned our Thanksgiving table in 2022. Our youngest was adamant that we make a batch the week before Thanksgiving “just to test things out,” and our family who is hosting this year has already asked us to come with carrots in hand. And before you ask, yes, we checked, and these carrots are not part of the massive recall by the US Food and Drug Administration. Have you checked yours?
Another new(er) addition is Mom’s Cranberry Sauce, although it was always a staple for me, even if my siblings didn’t have a taste for it. Now that our crew has grown, and palates have matured, the cranberry sauce is a much sought-after item, possibly tying the bread stuffing for second place in the Thanksgiving sides hall of fame.
And although it is not a culinary creation per se, Grandmom’s China now adorns our Thanksgiving table. It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving (or really, any holiday!) without her world-traveling china. I love the china not just because of the pattern, but because of the stories behind it; Grandmom’s story and now our story, too.
Artifcts Circles: Organize and Share Those Memories
As our kids have grown, and our guest list has expanded to include family overseas, I’ve started to use Artifcts to organize and share our holiday adventures. The last year I hosted Thanksgiving for our motley crew, I created an Artifcts Circle to record and share not only the recipes and important “how-to” tips, but also the stories and memories behind the actual day, because let’s face it, sometimes as host(ess) it’s easy to overlook the small moments when trying to get a 25-pound turkey on the table on time.
Having created the Circle back in 2022, I’ve been able to refer to it year after year. I’ll check the Circle the week before to quickly make sure I’ve got all the ingredients I need for all our favorite recipes. Pulling out every last cookbook to find the various recipes is never tops on anyone’s list.
And if the kids or other family members ask for a specific recipe, no problem! With a single click I can send them the Artifct, with the recipe, notes, and even a short how-to video included. A small miracle when you’re trying to juggle a holiday meal for 12.
Intrigued? Click the image below to view a short video about how to create an Artifcts Circle and invite others to join in on the fun!
In closing, I invite you, Dear Reader, to join me in Artifcting your favorite family recipes this holiday season. Keep the traditions alive and share the love (or at least the banana bread).
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