Vacations are always fun, but it seems that I always manage to come home with a ton of souvenirs. When I pick out the items that are meant to help me "remember the vacation forever" I know it is such a great choice. However, when I come across them after a few years have passed I don't know what to do with them. (Basically...I have a box of unneeded stuff that I don't ever look at...sad, I know!) Until recently I decided that I wasn't going to purchase anything else to put in my box. BUT THEN...I found a great idea on Young House Love...VACATION JARS! 

I was very excited to start this tradition with my husband, (I am still getting used to saying that) and we got to start with our honeymoon! That makes it very special! On our trip I avoided purchasing anything that had "Gatlinburg, TN" stitched on it. Instead we searched for small things that would fit into a mason jar. 

Dane and I went to the Smokey Mountains for our honeymoon. We spent a lot of our time walking nature trails and visiting the small towns. We decided to save things that would help us commemorate the things that we did. 

A small segment of a map that I picked up at the tourist center. 

A ♥ shaped rock that Dane found! (That is something I would do... I was so excited when Dane presented it to me!) 

Ticket stubs from our trip to Ripley's Aquarium. (By the way...we LOVED that!) 

We thought that looking back at this jar would remind us of the great time that we had. 

I also slipped a sliver of paper into the jar that explained the trip details...and voila...our cute vacation jar was finished. 

This jar is not going to end up in a box of like other souvenirs. I plan on displaying this so we can enjoy it regularly...and I can't wait to add to our vacation jar collection! Summer 2012? We will have to see!