During the holiday season, as you’re pulling out those holiday decorations and serving pieces, take a few minutes to record the origins and significance of your heirloom and “special memory” pieces. Was that beautiful ornament made by a favorite aunt or a young child? Did that gravy boat once adorn Great-grandmother Johnson’s table? Was that tablecloth hand-embroidered by Grandma Smith? Or perhaps that centerpiece was from the first year you were married. Take photos of these precious heirlooms, and create a holiday book noting their significance. Include family stories and traditions to complete the album. Preserving your family’s holiday heritage in this manner will help to ensure that heirlooms and traditions are preserved for generations to come.
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This is a good idea. You could supplement it with a free downloadable program, Home Inventory,available at http://www.iii.org.
This is the insurance information institute. The program allows you to make entries for each room. Although not the intent, I entered information about the items of interest in each room. My purpose is to be sure family members are aware of what they may be throwing out, before they do it! E.g. great-grandmother’s rolling pin.
I have a china cabinet that has been in our family about 60 years and the previous owner said it was 75 years old at that time. My children had no idea where the dishes and various item had come from. Using a program from Heritage Makers I first took a picture of the china cabinet with every thing in it and then I took individual pictures of each item and explained who it had belonged to, how they were related to us and where it came from. Heritage Makers printed it in book form and my family was delighted. Betty Rose Gregory