I lost the enveloppe

[LaCouleurDeMonCiel]

When we go on holiday I hide our valuables in case we are burgled. For a stupid unknown reason I decided to change hiding place at Christmas. Well you guessed it, I can’t find the enveloppe containing our passports and some cash.
I spent all day yesterday looking for it, the difficult part is that it could be anywhere, between the pages of a kids books in a storage box, inside folded bedsheets… at the moment I’m going through all my kids old school books / artworks.

The worse part is that I had DD(9) with me when I did the hiding thinking one of us would remember but ofc she has forgotten as well.

Wish me luck for another day of searching! Or if it happened to you please share the success stories!

Think about if you were to hide them today, where would be the top 5 places. Search there.

I hope they haven't been thrown out in the mix of Xmas stuff!

Must be in an drawer or cupboard. Or one side of any book shelf?

I keep things like that in an old handbag.

In the Christmas decorations box?

Ha thank you, I’m fairly sure it is either in one of the kids bedroom or in the box room that we use for storage. At least I’m tidying up as I go!

If you only changed to a new hiding place for your passports etc at Christmas then you will probably suddenly remember it as it's not long ago. Where was your old hiding place as you might have chosen somewhere similar? I change hiding places occasionally and once couldn't remember where to but suddenly I thought of it when out shopping, the passports were in the bottom of old wellies! Try looking in places like a suitcase, spare handbags,
pockets of jackets / coats hanging in wardrobes, shoes, wellies, pillow cases, socks, wrapped in food bag in cistern of toilet, bathroom cabinets... my advice is to always put a cryptic note on your phone or notebook that only you'll understand if you move hiding places or tell you DH or other trusted adult...

I’ll definitely make a note next time!

My old hiding place was in DS’s wardrobe, inside a pack of bed mats. Previous ones were inside a plush toy.

Try top of shelves/bookcase etc

I used an old suitcase in the attic

I do this too, but being dyslexic I am notorious for losing stuff. So when I am putting something somewhere I say out loud where I’m putting it so when I think back and retrace my steps I remember what I’ve said. Bizarre I know. It does work! I hope you find your stuff soon op

Slid under a piece of furniture?

I try to stop stressing (not easy I know), think about the thing I’ve lost, visualise how pleased I’m going to be to find it, and then see where I kind of feel pulled to, if that makes sense. Don’t think in terms of “where is it”, more “where do I feel like I want to go to right now”? I believe part of your brain knows but it’s almost like you have to give it space to surface. I know that sounds a bit woo but it does work for me!

I've got filing cabinets downstairs which lock and a lockable deeds box in amongst my handbags at the bottom of the wardrobe in my bedroom

An envelope is far too small and easy to lose

Can you remember anything about the day you stashed your stuff?

Weather? What you did? Where you went, both outside and around the house?

If you can remember DD being with you as you were hiding them, you're part of the way there to retrieving it from your memory.

Take yourself back to when you were telling her what you were doing. Try to visualise the light, the colour of the wall. Add in the feel of the items in your hand. Are you reaching up to put them in something? Behind something? Have you got something soft in your hand? Leaning on a bedside cabinet?

Any scraps that come back to you, repeat the movements, walking, touching, reaching. Let interference from memories of other days or before/afterwards come through.

Then go and have a cuppa or sit on the back step, gaze off into the distance and it might come to you.

Why don’t you just buy a safe? Bolt it to the floor in the bottom of a wardrobe or something. Save all the bloody nonsense of hiding stuff in folded bedsheet. Bizarre behaviour.

I had safe bolted in at the back of the wardrobe. Absolutely agree it's perfect to prevent losing things

Plus fireproof bags

Do people really do this still? It's very 1980's.

Everything material thing I own can be replaced, my valuables are my family humans.

Jesus Christ.

You fantastic person!

Good luck Op 🍀

Sometimes you can jog your memory by going back to the place where you were when you did something. For example if you walk into the kitchen and can't remember why you went there, it can be helpful to retrace your steps to where you were when you decided to go to the kitchen. Often being in the same place will jog your memory. Therefore, if you haven't done so, I suggest you go to the old place and calmly re enact getting the things out of there. You might remember what you did next.

Put things away for safekeeping? I think maybe they do.

I put mine in my underwear drawer, nobody looks there!

I believe part of your brain knows but it’s almost like you have to give it space to surface definitely this!
Can you remember anything about the day you stashed your stuff I clearly remember looking for hiding places, I found one of the two hidden things, I’m now trying to remember all the other places I considered as it is likely the other one is there.
Why don’t you just buy a safe? Bolt it to the floor in the bottom of a wardrobe or something. Save all the bloody nonsense of hiding stuff in folded bedsheet. Bizarre behaviour
My parent’s safe was found when they were robbed but the items my mum had hidden weren’t. Robbers use metal detectors. This is why I am hiding cash/passports separately from jewelery. But then I’m clearly not the smartest person as this thread is showing 😔

Well yeah, but that doesn't make it any easier if you need to replace passports and manage without money that's been stolen?

Your comment is a bit odd and irrelevant.

Kitchen or bathroom cupboard? In a cereal box or something?