Say Cheese!

Photos in albums, boxes, frames, and under your bed. This is an area almost everyone has at their house that they dread going through. It is hard to know how to begin. We have listed a couple of steps to help you with this process. 

The holidays could be the perfect time to tackle the photos if you have family get-togethers. It is an opportunity to relive some of the memories or share the photos with other members of the family. 

The first step is to find all of your photos and place them in one location. We would suggest setting them out where you will see them as this will motivate you to get through the process quicker than if they are down in your basement where you can avoid them.

Determine the system you want to use to organize them. We have found these small plastic containers that hold at least the size of a 5x7 photo work really well. If you have photos larger than 5x7, either take a picture of them or put them in a frame so that they are visible for you to see daily. 

Begin with a specific box or album and determine how many containers you want to use for that set of photos. Label the containers with a marker or post it note. 

Work through the entire album or box and alleviate duplicates, blurry photos, pictures with people that you do not remember anymore, ect. These can be shredded or burned. By labeling the containers you can add to them if you find other pictures in the same category. For example you can have two containers per child, or 2-3 for a trip you took. Think about what photos are important enough to pass down to the next generation. 

These plastic containers are great because you can take a few with you if you want to share photos about a specific event or person with someone. They can also easily be stored in a basket in the living room or dining room where they could be taken out and looked at more often.

Joyful Spaces can help you through this process if you are in need. We hope that you will allow us to declutter and organize your memories with you. Find us at www.joyfulspacesorganizing.com to book a free consultation appointment.