Didgeridoo Dilemma: Vacation Souvenir or Future Home Clutter?

The man took a deep breath and began blowing through the long, wooden piped instrument. The sounds of a didgeridoo are unique and ubiquitous to Australia. How cool would it be to bring one home?

I just got back from three weeks in Australia and I'm happy to report that my suitcase only weighed a few more kilograms than it did when I began. Of course, it helped that I did not buy a didgeridoo.

Instead, I bought a wooden wine holder (the kind that seem to magically stand) painted with Aborigine designs, a Merino woolen scarf from Tasmania and an opal necklace.

It's easy to be tempted to buy souvenirs while traveling. Shot glasses, funny hats, didgeridoos. It all seems like a good idea at the time. You want some way to capture the memories of your trip: the feeling of standing on the edge of the world, or the feeling of watching your daughter hug Goofy at Disney World.

But aside from the extra luggage fees, those souvenirs can cost you in time, space and effort. Because once you get home, what do you do with all that stuff? As organizers, we know that it's easy to attach emotion to objects. But here's an idea next time you're tempted to lug home that large Goofy hat with the floppy ears that you will never wear again, or the didgeridoo that will sit collecting dust in a corner: Take more pictures.

Pictures of a place are the easiest way to retain some memories without cluttering up your closet. With digital cameras, you can set your computer screen saver to display images of your latest trip or cycle through them all.  Digital picture frames can be loaded with some photos for others to see.

Obviously you should buy a few items if you want. The big question to ask yourself about each item is: Where will I put this at home? Does it have a place? A use?

Of the items I bought, all are things I will use regularly. And hey, if you really want to buy something but can't decide, my favorite souvenir is a magnet depicting an image of the place I visited. Someday, I hope my refrigerator is covered with the images of my travel. It makes a great conversation piece.

Besides, magnets sure take up a lot less space than a 5-foot wooden instrument.