AS SEEN IN My Childhood Memory Box & New Addition To Our Garden, My Childhood Memory Box & New Addition To Our Garden, zoe’s vlog Looking Through My Memory Boxes | Zoella and Shopping In Lewes, How I Capture Memories & Our Museums | Vlogust Day 20
Memories are priceless. They connect us to our past, remind us of moments we never want to forget, and tell the story of our lives. Few people understand this better than Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes, whose entire careers have been built on capturing memories through vlogs.
But beyond their YouTube videos, Zoe and Alfie both treasure physical and digital keepsakes—from baby books and handwritten letters to carefully curated photo albums. Some of these memories were saved by their own mums, while others they’ve started preserving for Ottilie and Novie.
If you love the idea of documenting life’s special moments, this guide—inspired by Zoe & Alfie’s keepsakes—will help you create a meaningful memory box that you and your loved ones can cherish for years to come.
📍 What is a Memory Box & Why Does It Matter?
A memory box is a collection of meaningful items—letters, photographs, baby keepsakes, childhood toys, or anything sentimental that tells a story.
In Zoe’s own words, she’s obsessed with capturing memories because time moves too fast. She has said:
“I feel very strongly and very passionately about time moving too quickly and not capturing it… I just want to do what I can to try and capture the girls’ childhoods.”
Whether you’re a new parent, a sentimental person, or simply want to preserve moments that matter, a memory box can be a powerful time capsule of emotions and experiences.
🖼️ Physical Keepsakes: What to Put in Your Memory Box
While digital memories are great, there’s something special about holding sentimental items in your hands. Zoe, Alfie, and even their mums have saved tangible keepsakes that capture their childhood, relationships, and family life.
🎀 Baby & Childhood Keepsakes
These items help preserve your child’s earliest moments and milestones:
2. Hospital Bands & First Outfits – Zoe saved Ottilie and Novie’s first outfits and newborn hats
3. Knitted Blankets & Handmade Gifts – These sentimental items, especially if made by grandparents or family members, hold extra meaning.
4. First Birthday Cards & Celebration Letters – Zoe’s mum kept many of her childhood birthday cards, which she now does for her own daughters.
5.🤰📆 Zoe mentioned her pregnancy scrapbook
📢 Zoe on baby keepsakes:
“I love looking back at the little things from when they were babies, even the hospital bands and tiny socks… they grow so fast!”
💌 Birthday Letters to My Baby (Pink Keepsake Book)
6. For parents who struggle to keep up with traditional baby books, Zoe recommends Birthday Letters to My Baby. Instead of writing monthly updates, this book allows parents to write one letter every year on their child’s birthday.
Zoe loves how simple yet meaningful it is—an easy way to document memories without pressure.
📌 Try This: Write a birthday letter every year for your child and store them in a memory box. Zoe uses this:
🛍️ Purchase Birthday Letters to My Baby
Memory Books & Photo Keepsakes 📖✨
📚 The Baby Book of You – Colour Chronicles
7. Zoe shared that she initially tried multiple baby books for Ottilie, but keeping up with them all became overwhelming. The Baby Book of You by Colour Chronicles is one of her favorites because it has photo spaces and prompts to document milestones. However, she admitted she hasn’t been able to fill it in consistently every month.
🛍️ Purchase Colour Chronicles – The Baby Book of You
📷 Custom Photo Books – Once Upon App
8. Instead of only using baby books, Zoe loves making photo books using the Once Upon app. She creates separate books for Ottilie and Novie, covering ages 0 to 3, and doesn’t worry about making them ‘perfect.’ She includes real, candid moments—even blurry ones—because they capture genuine memories.
She also made a special “Isle of Wight” photo book since Ottilie frequently talks about that trip. Having a physical book to flip through helps keep those moments alive for her little one.
🛍️ Purchase Once Upon Photo Books
Ottilie’s memory box
🎨 Handmade & Creative Keepsakes
Children’s Drawings & School Projects – Alfie’s mum saved his school artwork, which he now enjoys looking back on. Keeping a few special drawings, paintings, or handmade gifts is a great way to document your child’s creativity.
Personalized Scrapbooks – Zoe started scrapbooking her pregnancy journey but later realized how time-consuming it was—so she now focuses on photo books and digital scrapbooks instead.
📢 Zoe on scrapbooking:
“I had every intention of making a full scrapbook, but honestly… life got in the way. So now, I just do photo books!”
Alfie’s mum’s made a memory box of Alfie
🧸 Favorite Childhood Toys & Nostalgia
24. Beloved Stuffed Animals & Comfort Toys – Novie is attached to her “snuggly” cloth, which Zoe keeps as a future keepsake.
25. Retro & Trendy Toys – Zoe’s mum saved some of her childhood toys, making her nostalgic for ’90s and 2000s favorites like Polly Pocket & Tamagotchis.
💡 ZalfieFinds Tip: Remember whatever is normal now, might become cool in future, e.g. Zara Home Finds such as Doll house editions.
26. Teething & First Toys – Zoe recently bought a wooden teething toy for Novie, something she might keep as a memory of her early months.
📢 Zoe on nostalgic toys:
“I love that my mum kept some of my old toys! Seeing them again brings back so many childhood memories.”
📌 Try This: If you still have childhood toys, add them to your memory box—or pass them down to your children!
📷 Digital Memories: Capturing Life Beyond a Box
While physical items are special, some of the most powerful memories come from videos and photos. Zoe and Alfie record special moments, knowing that someday, their children will love looking back on them.
27. 💡 ZalfieFinds Tip: Create vlog-style videos or home videos as a wonderful way to document your memories, milestones, and special moments—just like Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes do – but then for your own memories.
📢 Zoe on vlogging for memories:
“We film so much—not just for YouTube, but for ourselves too. It’s like a family archive!”
📱 One Second a Day: The Best Baby Memory App
28. Zoe documented Ottilie’s entire first year using the One Second a Day app, which stitches one-second clips into a meaningful video.
✔ She’s now doing the same for Novie.
📢 Zoe on One Second a Day:
“I wish I could do it forever! Even just one second a day makes such a difference when you watch it back.”
🛍️ As mentioned by Zoe Download One Second a Day
💌 Personalized Keepsakes & Letters
29. Funny Quotes & Childhood Sayings – She keeps a note on her phone of cute things Ottilie says (like calling Elsa Let It Go).
📢 Zoe on handwritten memories:
“I want them to have these letters when they’re older, so they can see how much I love them at every stage of their life.”
32. 💡 ZalfieFinds Tips: Tickets to any experiences such as Olympics or Shows that you or your kid really wanted to go, put it right in the memory box.
🔎 ZalfieFinds’ Thoughts on Memory Keeping
ZalfieFinds Thoughts 🎥🔍
Zoe and Alfie’s entire vlogging journey is a memory box in itself—documenting everyday moments, big milestones, and heartfelt memories. Inspired by them, you can also record voice notes of your child talking, singing, or sharing a cute moment—a small but meaningful addition when videos might feel intrusive.
📢 What we love most:
✔ They don’t wait for big moments—they capture the everyday magic, whether it’s a rainy afternoon at home or a funny quote from Ottilie.
✔ They balance physical and digital keepsakes—from photo books and memory boxes to One Second a Day montages.
✔ They share memories with family—printing photo books for grandparents and creating keepsakes that can be passed down.
33. 💡 ZalfieFinds Tips: Try Recording Voice Notes!
One way to capture a memory without a camera is by using voice notes.
🎤 Sometimes, pulling out a phone to record a video can make a child self-conscious or change their behavior—but a simple voice note lets you capture their natural giggles, little songs, or funny conversations without them noticing.
🎤 Narrate a moment in your own voice—if your child says something hilarious or does something adorable, quickly record a voice note describing it. It adds a personal touch that a photo or video alone might not capture.
🎤 Save their little voices over time—whether it’s first words, bedtime chatter, or a mispronounced word that makes you smile, these recordings will become some of your favorite memories to look back on.
📢 It’s not something Zoe has mentioned doing, but given her love for capturing special moments, we think it fits beautifully into the idea of memory-keeping!
Zoe and Alfie have created a treasure trove of memories through their vlogs, but you don’t need to be a YouTuber to do the same. Find your way of keeping memories alive—and most importantly, enjoy making them!
If you ever wonder where an item from Zoe or Alfie’s vlogs is from, ZalfieFinds.com and IG @ZALFIEFINDS is your go-to source.
ZALFIE FINDS 
Leave a comment