Organizing Memories

I decided this weekend to get all of Gabriel's keepsakes a little more organized. Up until now, everything we were keeping just went on a shelf in our spare closet. It worked for now, but I was going to regret in a couple of years when I had to go through it and I wouldn't be able to remember which one was from where.

This year for kindergarten, we employed a strategy that my sister uses for his school papers. Everything that he brought home that I thought I might like to keep went into a drawer (some days it was everything if I couldn't throw papers away without him seeing me). At the end of year, I sorted through them and kept my favorites. I also added his report cards and testing scores into the pile.

Now I needed to find somewhere to put them all. I went Saturday with some ideas in mind, but I wasn't sure if I would be able to make any of them happen. I really wasn't finding anything. I decided to go with a file folder box, but I wanted one that I could customize. I decided on this wire mesh one because I knew I could use wire to attach objects to it. I went to Michael's to find some things to go on it. I had originally thought to decorate it more, but I wanted it to be something that he wouldn't outgrow. In the end, I got his initials, painted the red (his favorite color), and attached them.

Now I have a file folder for each grade. I also have a folder for the birthday card letters that I write to him every year. There was even room to put his baby books, the hair from his first hair cut, and his first lost tooth.

Here is the end result.