Hello 2022!
Happy New Year one and all!
It’s hard to believe that this time last year in the UK we were in lockdown. We all definitely deserve a big pat on the back for getting through all that last year brought.
This time of year can be very overwhelming. Some relish in the idea of a fresh start, others find it quite a stressful lonely time, with the pressure to be a Bigger Better Person seemingly everywhere. It’s important to remember that simply keeping going even when times are tough is the biggest achievement.
That being said, we do have a couple of resolutions in the Meminio Head Quarters…
Keeping Organised
One of our aims for the coming year is to stay on top of being sorted and organised. Although it’s tempting to buy a stick of sage and cleanse your house out that way, it’s not be the most practical way of having a bit of a tidy up.
Research shows that physical clutter creates multiple distractions for your brain, making it hard to focus on tasks at hand. Because of this, cleaning and organizing have been linked to decreased feelings of anxiety and relieve stress. After the mind-boggling couple of years we’ve all been dealt, this sounds pretty good to us! So we thought we’d share some of our Storing and Sorting tips and tricks to help everyone feel a little lighter.
Get Inspired
Here in the Meminio office we’ve got a bit of an obsession with BBC’s ‘Sort your Life Out’. For those that that don’t know, the wonderful Stacey Solomon and Dilly Clarke go through people’s houses and quite literally help them sort their lives out. It is such a satisfying watch and we defy anyone to not want to get up off the sofa and clear out some of those messy cupboards we all prefer not to think about.
We also recommend purchasing a label maker (we use this one here). These little gadgets are one of the most satisfactory inventions ever and will definitely give you the itch to start labelling everything. What better way to get storing and sorting?
Other suggestions: 'Tidying Up with Marie Kondo' (Netflix), 'Sparking Joy with Marie Kondo' (Netflix), 'The Home Edit' (Netflix), Mrs Hinch on Instagram
One Step at a Time
Rome wasn’t built in a day. Although it’s tempting when we get that surge of motivation to want to sort everything, it’s easy to get burnt out – and fast. Spreading it out, one cupboard/drawer/room at a time will mean you get more done and not left with loads of bin bags piling up the hall to take to the charity shop. Do as the Romans do!
Stuff.
Stuff: (def) "Worthless things or matter" : e.g. "All that stuff in the cupboard I need to sort"
Sound familiar? Us too. Especially when it comes to 'stuff' of the kids. But how do you know what to keep? That they will coo over in years to come, reminiscing about simpler times, and what to toss? Well here we refer to the organisational queen Marie Kondo: Does it spark joy?
Most people we meet when we’re on the fair circuit give us the ‘ole Morecambe and Wise inspired “I know where it all is, it’s just not necessarily in the right order.” Whilst the nights are still drawing in early, and the days are a little grey, now is the perfect time to dig out the 'stuff' and gently go through all the little mementos. Put on a podcast, do it whilst watching telly, anything to take the pressure off the task being an endless chore and make it actually an enjoyable trip down memory lane. And whilst youre at it, once you've streamlined all your bits and bobs, it might be worth getting rid of that cracked plastic box you've been keeping it all in, which brings us onto our next point..
Show and Tell
What's the point of keeping things if you can't look at them or at the very least have easy access to them? Most of us feel that going into the loft is a mammoth task in which we need to clamber over rivers and mountains to get what we want. This is where our Memory Cases come into play.
Instead of a dusty old box buried at the bottom of a cupboard, our keepsake cases are designed to be out, a beautiful feature of a room rather than a dusty, ugly container intended to be hidden. The wonderful designer William Morris famously stated "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be beautiful or believe to be useful". We designed our products with this in mind - something beautiful AND useful, in a joyous range of colours.
Also to look at: The wonderful product range at Mustard Made. Becca and Jess have created a stunning range of sleek and stylish lockers that will brighten up any room.
Pieces of Paper
Children's artwork is a whole other kettle of fish. Is your fridge covered in drawings and paintings you can't bear to throw away? The guilt of throwing away the drawing of a single line drawn across a page. But what to do with them all?
Our Memory Folders are a revelation and incredibly popular - these allow you to slot drawings, certificates, and other paper mementos that otherwise would be piled on top of each other in a box. With our folders you can actually see and flick through their work - such a simple yet effective idea we are still patting ourselves on the back for. You are welcome.
And finally..
Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Doing even just a little bit is more than you did before! As a G.K.Chesterton once said:
“Angels fly because they take themselves lightly”
We hope you all have a wonderful New Year and truly wish each and every of our loyal customers the best.
Lots of Love,
Ali and Marie x