In a recent news tip I wrote about what I do with photos I receive in Christmas cards. A dear friend and networking buddy, Carrie Emery, read my tip and sent me an email sharing what she does with those photos. She gave me permission to share that with you.

“Most of my friends got married and had children long before I did and they would send adorable pictures of their families. I started a photo album–very basic album with the sticky pages–and have added the pictures each year. Each family has their own page which grew into pages. Since it was such a basic notebook style album, I would just add a new page when one was filled up.”

“What I have now, many years later is a photo album that shows the children from birth to high school for some. It has turned into a treasure. I can open it up at Christmas, usually as the season is winding down, add a few photos and look back at how the children have grown over the years since each year is right there on their page(s). And, it is a small manageable task that I can do in just a few minutes while watching the news or while waiting on perma-hold on the phone.”
Carrie Emery
Mary Kay Cosmetics

It’s never too soon to start making plans for Christmas gift giving. Why not kill two birds with one stone? Tackle your photo nightmare and create unique, heart-warming Christmas presents.

One of the best ways to tackle the overwhelming task of photo organizing is to decide to make photo scrapbooks as Christmas gifts. That way you have a specific goal, the calendar, to motivate you to start looking through your photos.

Getting started with the photos is the hardest part. Often the sheer volume is overwhelming. Don’t despair! Just put your head down and look for the best photos. Don’t worry about organizing them! Just search for the best photos for your project and you’ll soon find yourself energized by the excitement of the project and the memories ignited by the photos. And, some photo organizing may get done in the process.

If you think there’s no way YOU could do something like an electronic photo scrapbook because technology is your enemy, think again! If I can do it, so can you! A client showed me how she made a photo scrapbook using FREE software from www.picaboo.com. Because I knew I was technology challenged, I got my husband, who is computer savvy, to show me how to do the first scrapbook.

The process goes like this: choose great photos; get them scanned by a service or with your photo copier/scanner; choose free photo scrapbook software to download; download your photos into that program; compose your book (the really fun part!); place your order; the scrapbooks are delivered to your door.

In my first attempt I made a family scrapbook that brought my mother to tears and two scrapbooks of relatives who had recently died to give as gifts to their families. I had fun making the books. I began my scanned photo archives. And, I took photos that were accessible only to me and made them available to my loved ones in a form that they can enjoy over and over again. What a photo victory!

Change your photo nightmare into a photo victory! Make precious photos the subject of your Christmas planning this year. Start now!

Happy Photo Sorting!

P.S. There are many photo programs out there in addition to www.picaboo.com. Find one that works for you!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner, Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in life. If you’re ready to clear clutter and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.