The following is a guest post from regular contributor, Rachel at Useful Beautiful Home.
Happy Mother’s Day to all you Mamas, Mommies, Mothers, Moms, and Mums who make your home a better place for your families. In honor of tomorrow’s celebration, I’ll show you how I organize the cards I’ve received over the years given to me by loved ones.
If you remember, I wrote about Christmas card storage back in the beginning of the year. Not long before that, I also wrote about the system I use to keep those large-sized mailer coupons accessible. How I organize special occasion cards I’ve received (birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day, etc.) is a cross between my Christmas card collection and my large-sized coupon organization.
It’s simple, really! I hole punch the cards that are special to me and then add them to a mini 3-ring-binder that measures 7″ x 9″. My binder pictured below is from Target, but you can find them at almost any office supply store.
I’m very selective which cards make “the cut” and actually are kept. It’s only a 1″ binder, which gives me a much needed boundary. I would keep everything if no limits were in place. The binder helps contain my collection.
The mini size is perfect for holding most normal sized cards; even the construction paper notes fit inside.
The point is, I have a place to contain my paper keepsakes. I can resource them easily to reflect upon those I love. And, I can add or remove them whenever I wish to make changes. Best of all, it’s one of the smaller ways to organize a collection, no bulky bin or attic storage needed. I tuck mine inside a small drawer of my bedside table.
Life is fragile, sweet, and worth cherishing. This Mother’s Day I find myself reflecting upon the memory of my late Grandmothers, cherishing the wisdom of my own Mother, while also thankful for my five-year-old and her drawings made with love. All these generations of motherhood represented in one keepsake.
Not every card I receive lands in this small binder. I’m careful to choose those that I know I will read again in the future. But one things is for sure as I re-read these collected “pages”, motherhood and mother-like influences upon children are powerful and outshine the brightest of stars. Remember the value of your impact, keep up the good work, and have a lovely Mother’s Day!
In the professional world, I’m a nurse by trade. But, around our house, I’m known as Mommy to our young daughter. My two worlds collided and began shaping into a blog. Useful Beautiful Home represents the hours I’ve dedicated to managing my household as efficiently as possible. I offer you motivation to keep your home healthy, organized, and welcoming. My goal is to share what I’ve implemented in my home to inspire you with fresh ideas and to encourage you to keep up the good work in yours!
Heather D says
Great idea! Thanks for sharing.
Marcia Francois says
Yours look very pretty, Rachel.
Here’s how I do mine:
http://takechargesolutions.org/blog/2013/01/09/my-christmas-card-storage/
That link is for Christmas cards, but I do birthday cards in the same way.