Souvenirs are clutter! Here’s what to do instead:

There is a saying I love: Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints.”

It’s how I travel, and also how I live.

Because most souvenirs are just future clutter.

That magnet from Venice you had to have?

Now it’s just one more thing stuck on your fridge.

That mug from Greece?

Chipped, mismatched, and shoved to the back of the cabinet.

That hand-painted bowl from the Dubai Marke? Sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

And you know what they all have in common?

They come home with you, they take up space, they need to be dusted and moved around… it’s something else you need to manage, and eventually, they get tossed.

But memorizes are weightless.

They don’t fill your cabinets or crowd your shelves.

And they’re the only thing from a trip that actually becomes more valuable over time.

My Two Favorite Clutter-Free Souvenirs:

Photo Books & Kids’ Travel Journals

Photo Books

A photo book isn’t just “cute to have.” It’s the best kind of keepsake.

It sits on your shelf looking neat and and pretty. It’s slim, it’s beautiful

The cover is pretty enough to leave out.

And the best part is that actually use it.

Shabbos afternoon. A rainy winter day. That moment when someone says “Remember when…?” - you pull it down, flip through, and you’re right back there: the cobblestone streets, the dinner you still talk about, your kids’ hair all curly from the ocean air.

Unlike most souvenirs, a photo book doesn’t get “outdated.”

It doesn’t go out of style. You never feel guilty for keeping it.

Plus, it’s way better than having hundreds of photos stuck on your phone where no one ever sees them.

As soon as we come home from traveling, I try right away to print out a photo book of our travels.

Kids’ Travel Journals

This is the best ever!

It’s a piece of their childhood, captured in their own handwriting.

When my kids journal, they’re not just “keeping busy.” They’re learning to notice things. They’re practicing how to remember. They’re thinking about what stood out that day, what they learned, what they tasted, what they saw.

They’ll sketch the skyline we saw that morning. The ice cream cone they dropped. The stray cat that followed us for three blocks. They’ll write about the people they met, the food they tried, what they saw out the window. Sometimes they’ll glue in a ticket stub or receipt too! And occasionally, I’ll print out stickers of photos for them to add into their journals!

And here’s why it’s not clutter:

• It’s tiny- one slim notebook that fits in a backpack.

• It’s personal- no two are the same.

• It only gets better with time - ten years later, you open it and suddenly you’re laughing, crying, and remembering things you’d completely forgotten.

• And obviously it practices gratitude, appreciating what they have, handwriting, and creativity

Souvenirs are for the moment and are clutter.

Photo books and journals are for life.

When you travel, when you live, when you make memories, bring home what will still make you smile years from now.

Inside the Frum Minimalism Home Reset, I teach you how to do this with your entire home, so every single thing you own feels worth keeping.

Because your home should feel better than a vacation.

Join the course here →

Warmly, Ellie