Tackling Photographs!

March 2023

“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”

Is it any wonder that it’s so hard to part with photos? Read ahead to uncover some tips and tricks about reducing the volume.

If you thought greeting cards were hard (last month’s topic), just wait until you tackle photos!

My mother in law was a wonderful organizer of photos. She put every picture into a photo album and in the early days, she used those little corners to hold each photo in place. Her albums were lined up in order on her shelves and it was quite impressive. Her albums were enjoyed and when she passed, my husband and his brother reviewed all the albums and took the pictures that meant the most to them. Quite nice.

Consider though, that most of the people I know have photos all over the place. Photos still in the envelopes from when they were picked up in the store, photos in boxes that were inherited or moved from place to place, photos in falling apart albums, large framed photos hiding throughout the house and more. And let’s not forget about slide carousels, old movies and video camera tapes. Talk about overwhelming – OMG!

I remember hearing early on that one should not worry about organizing photos until their house is in order – and for most people, that would mean they would never get to the photos. Photos can cause a fair amount of stress and take up a whole lot of space so – if you feel the need to deal with your photos, consider this permission to get started!

Here are some ideas to make it easier for you:

1. Pick a stack a day – just a handful – or just an envelope – and see if you can get rid of the duplicates. You will be relieved when you go through a pack of pictures and see how few you actually need to keep.
2. Be willing to let go of scenery pictures – or at least some of them.
3. See if you can select a few pictures from a special event instead of all the pictures with the same people in many of them.
4. Photo paper should not be recycled so go ahead and trash unwanted photos.
5. If you want to order your photos, start by the decades – use hanging folders and label them by decade and drop the photos in as you go. You can fine tune later if you have the energy.

Stick with these few suggestions for now and see how far you get. More to come in future issues!

Declutter Challenge Club – Join Today!

We are a small and cozy community where you can get a healthy dose of support, understanding, guidance and laughter, too.

The Declutter Club is a cost effective way to deal with your ‘stuff’ in a fun and welcoming setting. The daily emails are short and sweet and the twice monthly Zoom calls are on Monday evenings at 7:30 pm for an hour.
Membership is open to all, you can start today or whenever you want. Would love to see you there! Membership includes the daily emails and Zoom calls.
If you’re ready to join the Club, sign up HERE. 
Please email me if you have any questions or need additional information.

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“Helping Baby Boomers and their Parents Lighten their Loads”

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home, contact me. Together, we can transform your home into a happy, tidy place where you can feel at peace. We can also get you ready for your next move… more enjoyably, faster and easier. We specialize in senior moves and helping families find new homes for the things they no longer have room to keep. We can also take care of clearing out homes that need to be listed quickly for resale. Contact me to schedule an appointment.