I may be what my husband calls a “souvenir junkie” – but not in the way you think. I just feel that vacation souvenirs deserve more attention than a random ‘grab-a-quick-chochki-in-the-hotel-gift-shop’ type of attention. Because once you get home and recover from your PTD (post-trip-depression, which is totally a thing), having some truly special items that provide you with treasured vacation memories is worth more than whatever you spent on them.
I think that souvenirs deserve a little thought.
Over the years, we have accumulated a variety of interesting souvenirs, both when our daughter was young and on our own, and I can truly say that I pretty much know where, if not when, we got nearly all of them. Those souvenirs are packed with precious memories, and whether they were expensive or cheap, they’re pretty priceless at this point!
So what are some of the vacation souvenirs that have become our “past vacation” treasures?
Photos, Frames, Albums, and Scrapbooks – Photographs are probably one of my favorite souvenirs, as anyone who has ever been to my home can attest to. And really, don’t family pictures – especially on vacation – bring back some wonderful memories? I know that traditional photo albums aren’t a “thing” anymore, and that’s kind of a shame in my opinion, because it’s so much fun to sit down and page through an album. Somehow scrolling through Facebook pictures, while fun, isn’t quite the same. I’m especially fond of scrapbooks because they provide extra opportunity for recording precious memories. Our daughter loved doing scrapbooks of some of our Disney vacations, and we get such a kick out of looking at them now! And no, scrapbooks don’t have to be expensive either.
Christmas Ornaments – Lots of folks collect ornaments from their travels and we have tons! I do try to remember to note the date on each one if it’s not already there. But we so enjoy reminiscing about our travels each year when we put up our tree (which is one reason why it takes SO long to do)!
Handcrafted Items – One of the things that I currently look for on our travels is handcrafted items from the area we are visiting – things like pottery, throws, glassware and such. These *can* end up being more costly types of souvenirs, but not always. I found the small Navajo pot pictured above on one of the stops on our recent visit to the American Southwest and it was less than $20!
Prints and Artwork – As someone with an art/design background, artwork always appeals to me, and I probably have a framed print or small piece of art from a place we’ve visited in nearly every room in my house. And again, it’s not an expensive way to bring a smile every time I see a framed memory.
Jewelry – Yes I do fall into this trap sometimes, but I do try to look for the unique things, those that are from a particular place that can’t be found elsewhere. Like sea glass earrings from the Outer Banks. Or the turquoise/silver bracelet I brought back from Arizona. Yes, this can get pricey in a hurry – but it doesn’t have to at all. And anyway, you’re worth it, right?
Now then, writing about souvenirs for adults is one thing. But souvenirs for kids? Ouch, this can be tough, especially if you’re in a place like Walt Disney World where kids are *surrounded* by stuff that they Literally. Can’t. Live. Without.
We’ve all been there. So here are some of the best “kid-tested” souvenirs we discovered over the years.
Pin Collections – This is, hands down, the single best souvenir item we ever did with our daughter. We discovered the joys of pin collecting one year at Walt Disney World and quickly learned that lots of destinations also have pins as souvenirs. And you know what? They are cheap little things – but REALLY fun to collect! How much fun? We have several books of them now, and our daughter (now grown up with a home of her own) has created two shadow boxes featuring her favorites. Pins are a great way to keep souvenir madness under control, because when kids are already focused on looking for these, they don’t spend a lot of time looking at (and begging for) other (expensive) things.
Books – While we didn’t collect a lot of books from our vacations, we did get some special ones from destinations that sparked an interest in our daughter. And I know others have done the same. Got a little history buff in your family? Extend a vacation to Colonial Williamsburg for example, by bringing home a book about something that fascinated your child.
Postcard Journal – Disclaimer: I’ve never personally done this with a child because I honestly just found out about this idea not long ago – but I sure wish I’d known about it sooner because it is easy and fun! Basically, you buy a postcard from each place you go (best if on a tour or a driving trip where you’ll be making multiple stops), and each day the child writes something about that day on the postcard. You can then either save them until you get home, or you can mail them home to get the postmark. Once you are home, assemble them all by punching a hole in them and adding a ring. Or, put them all in a scrapbook. Either way, what a fun way to relive a special trip – and at virtually no cost!
Pressed Pennies – Popular in many theme parks, pressed penny machines can also be found in many tourist destinations, and kids love them. The premise is simple: put a penny (yes really, just a penny – but ideally a nice and shiny one) into the machine, select the pattern you want, and press! Your new little souvenir comes out – and your kids are now probably addicted to doing this over and over again. I will point out that each of these little beauties will actually cost a bit more than the penny – maybe 50 cents in addition – but still a pretty cheap, and fun souvenir. Of course, they can easily get lost, so my recommendation when you get home is to put them into an album of some sort, or a special “treasure box”, where you and your kids can relive their favorite penny-pressing memories.
I love my souvenirs. And it’s not for nothing that I reminded my husband when we were packing for our recent trip, that we needed to include an extra *empty* bag to bring home our souvenirs. He understood, because he knows me that well.
When it comes to buying souvenirs, you can certainly invest in something truly unique (and pricey), but as you can see, you don’t have to spend much – if anything – on them at all. What you do need to do though, is give your souvenirs a little thought, if not before you go, then certainly while you’re there. So quick dashes into that boardwalk tee shirt place aren’t going to cut it (unless you REALLY want that tee shirt – and there’s nothing wrong with that)!
Happy travels – and happy shopping!
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