There’s a reason why summertime is often accompanied by heavy waves of nostalgia. Throughout our lives, summer is probably the season when the most memories are made; as the sun finally begins to stay out longer, that’s when we go on holiday, when we have weekend trips around the country, to castles, the countryside of theme parks, when we have picnics with our nearest and dearest, or when we eat at fresco in the garden with a glass of wine in our hand. Summer is when memories are born.
As the summer progresses, however, it can be difficult to keep a record of all these magical times, and soon your memories become muddled in a tranquil summery haze. Despite this, there any many ways for you to prevent these memories from fading.
One suggestion is, predictably, to keep a diary. My diary has become a hybrid between a journal and a calendar, meaning I can keep track of work matters, appointments, deadlines, and strands of thought. Cast your mind away from heavier diaries like Anne Frank’s; when you start recording so much information for just one day, writing in your diary can become a chore, which is why so many people give up on them. Instead, keep it short and snappy; jot down basic information of social occasions like who you saw, where you went and what you did, but also write any interesting thoughts or ideas you have had. To keep it even more straight-to-the-point, Paperchase, Wilko, WHSmith and the like offer “One thought a day” or “Something to be grateful for” diaries, allowing you to positively reflect on your life and keep a memento of all the joy you have experienced which you can revisit when you’re down.
Image: Meagan on Flickr
Should you not fancy lugging a journal with you everywhere you go or struggle with tight luggage restrictions on a flight, buy a postcard from each place instead. Record on the back your adventures of the day, but rather than send it, keep it for yourself as a reminder. Collect all these postcards and arrange them in a photo album for a quirky and aesthetic way of keeping the memories alive. You can even bring it into the 21st century by keeping a blog instead, which makes it even easier to keep up with on the go.
Image: Pixabay
If you’re more of a creative person then have a go at keeping a scrapbook. This can become a beautiful memento that you can cherish forever. Print out pictures using websites like Snapfish, which have regular offers allowing you to get 4”x6” prints for as little as 10p each, and stick these in the centre of the page, or alternatively buy a postcard from everywhere you go. Surround these with other souvenirs you have collected during your day, trip or holiday such train tickets, cinema tickets and admissions passes. Write the date, what you did and who you were with in your neatest, swirliest handwriting, and there you have a diary very much brought to life. Should you struggle to think of a birthday present for someone near and dear, a homemade scrapbook, which needn’t have many pages, can make a very inexpensive, personalised and sentimental gift.
Image: Caitlin Rawlings
If you can’t bear to have all your beautiful photos hidden away inside a scrapbook then use them to decorate the walls, shelves and surfaces of your room. While TK Maxx can offer some quirky photo frames, this can very quickly become expensive, and decorating your room with photos is very much an addictive habit so you will constantly find yourself needing more frames. The wall above my bed at home is decorated with a plethora of frames I found for bargain prices in charity shops. Simply buy a range of paint sample pots from Wilko for just a pound each and apply a couple of coats to the frames, and voila, you have a range of snazzy photo frames that look as good as new, didn’t break the bank, and match the colour scheme of your bedroom. If you’re craving a GCSE Art comeback, cut out some colourful strips of paper from flyers or magazines and use these to decoupage the frames with bright, patterned stripes.
Hopefully this has given you some inspiration on how to keep those beautiful memories alive. Let the good times roll and have a fantastic summer.