Here are the scraps of ephemera I saved in February.

Top row

• Packaging from G2 pen ink refills.
• Packaging from a Hostess cupcake, a favorite childhood snack.
• Scrap from a “puzzle history sheet” from the puzzle exchange I’m launching at my gym.

Second row

• A coin and sticker I found on the floor.
• Tag from a stuffed animal I gifted one of my kids for Valentine’s Day.
• Packaging from a favorite Crystal Light flavor.

Third row

• Price tag from A Room of One’s Own, which I bought in 2017 and (finally) read for the first time in February.
• Packaging from my weekly Rice Krispie Treat.
• Label for a new medication.

Bottom row

• Packaging from another favorite childhood snack (the good news: I finally found a place that sells the individually boxed version; the less good news: they cost $3.69 a piece!!!).
• Piece of cardboard from a puzzle I had made of a photo I took years ago.
• Image sheet from a puzzle in my collection. I have no idea why it’s so small. I’ve never seen a puzzle come with an image sheet this small. It’s pretty useless.

The first ephemera grid of the year is in the books. Here are the scraps of ephemera I saved in January.

Top row

• Packaging from the bread crumbs I use to make my daily lunch and dinner of crispy breaded chicken breast (it’s just store brand).
• Portion of an old hard drive I had destroyed.
• Packaging from a box of M&Ms that my son gifted me for Christmas, and that I finished in January.

Second row

• Wrapper from an Andes “after dinner” mint. (When the kids were much younger, we each had an Andes after dinner every night. Early in the pandemic when we became split between households and then states, the nightly tradition died out. In January, I decided to buy a box and began having one each evening before bed.)
• Packaging from an electrolyte sample.
• Tag from a new gym t-shirt.

Third row

• Tamper-proof seal from one of my supplements.
• Portion of packaging from a natural toothbrush that I tried.
• Tag from a new pair of gym leggings.

Bottom row

• Receipt from a library hold.
• Lifting tape from a workout.
• Flower I found on the ground.

Here are the scraps of ephemera I saved in December.

Top row

• Plastic token I found in a parking lot.
• Sticker I found on the ground.
• Packaging from new shampoo and conditioner.

Second row

• Tag from my new knee sleeves.
• Camera charm I found while Swedish death cleaning.
• Wrappers from candy I took from the candy dish at the nail salon.

Third row

• Note to self I stuck to my credit card to remind me to use my $100 REI gift card instead of my credit card.
• Ace of spades I found on the ground during a walk.
• Packaging from hair claw clips.

Bottom row

• Packaging from an electrolyte sampler.
• Packaging from a gift my son gave me for Christmas.
• Packaging from the ashwagandha I recently started taking.

I really enjoyed this practice and plan to continue it in 2026.

Here are the scraps of ephemera I saved in November. 

Top row

• Packaging from the 2026 edition of one of the planners I use
• Label I found on the ground
• Corner of a Cinnabon box from our annual Cinnabon (and Build-A-Bear) trip

Second row

• Corner of a recipe card I ripped up to recycle after messing up the recipe I was writing on it
• Scrap of a popcorn bag from the popcorn machine in the waiting area of where I had my flat tire replaced (boo to having a flat tire, thank god it was under warranty and cost me $0.00 to replace)
• Scrap of packaging from a box of Pizza Hut my son brought home

Third row

• Leaf from the neighborhood
• Part of the bag I brought home my holiday cards in from Oblation
• Tag from one of the Build-A-Bears we purchased during this year’s annual Build-A-Bear (and Cinnabon) trip

Last row

• Portion of packaging on a notebook I bought for a new project
• Label from new sweatpants I (finally!) bought myself during Black Friday sales
• Piece of an old refund/gift card that I cut up while going through a small stack of old gift cards to see which still have money on them and which don’t

Here are the scraps of ephemera I saved in October.

Top row

• Halloween candy wrapper
• Return address from the envelope the most recent edition of The Luddite Dispatch arrived in
• Confetti I found on the ground at the gym

Second row

• Dahlia stamps from the USPS stamp catalog
• Part of the envelope my ballot arrived in and an “I Voted” sticker from the ballot drop-off at the library
• A sticker I found on the ground while walking

Third row

• A sticker I found on the ground while walking
• Portion of the Target-brand Midol packaging
• Top portion of a bookmark from Always Here Bookstore

Last row

• Scrap of paper from the exam table at the doctor’s office
• Sticker affixed to the envelope my resupply of Portland postcards arrived in
• Duplicate puzzle piece from this puzzle that I bought at Always Here Bookstore