While making memories is one of the best parts of traveling, bringing home trinkets and gifting them is also an invaluable advantage. But when you travel a lot, you end up with a lot of knick-knacks cluttering up your home.
If you’re an avid traveler, here are a few tips and tricks to help you organize your souvenirs and gifts.
+ Rotate Your Collection
If you’ve got quite the collection of souvenirs, remember that you don’t need to put them all on display all the time. You wouldn’t keep your Christmas tree up year-round, right? Rotate your collection and decorate seasonally. In the springtime, bring out the things that remind you of flowers and new growth, and in the summer, swap those things out for beach-implements and pictures of white sands. In the winter, bring out the ski trip and snowy landscape souvenirs. Not only does this help declutter your home, but it also gives you the perfect excuse to take everything down and dust your display cases.
+ Choose Your Souvenirs Wisely
Tourist towns are full of little shops that are stocked floor to ceiling with knick-knacks and tchotchkes for the unsuspecting tourist to buy. That doesn’t mean you need to do your shopping there, though. Choose your souvenirs wisely, especially if you’re bringing things home in your luggage. Look for items you’ll use or wear often. Photos are ideal, as are bath items — especially if you’re heading somewhere like the Caribbean, which is known for its spa treatments and resorts.
If you’re coming back from overseas, be cautious with food items. A tasty treat from abroad can be a nice gift, but only if it makes it through customs.
+ Decorate With Them
You’re not limited to things that will only look pretty when sitting on a shelf collecting dust. Instead, look for unique items you can hang on your walls or decorate with rather than the typical tchotchkes. Opt for paintings by local artists or tapestries you can hang on the wall. Avoid the tourist traps in favor of local markets where you never know what you’ll find.
Look for things that match your home’s decorative aesthetic, or buy new items and build each room’s design around them. The choice is up to you.
Enjoy Your Next Trip
Whether you’re heading across the country, around the world or down the state, be mindful of your souvenir and gift purchases. There are plenty of wonderful things for you to discover, and not all of them will be in tourist traps. Check out local shops for some truly unique souvenirs that will serve as a pleasant reminder of your trip.
AUTHOR: KACEY BRADLEY
Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more!
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