What Do I Do with All of These Pictures?

For school 8x10s, I reuse the same frame, I just add the new one top. I am started just to trash some of the extras, I tired of the growing piles. I have also trained myself when taking news to just keep the really really great ones, and so a shutterfly album once a year, and it is great becuase I can send them off to everyone at a really good price. I use them for mothers day, etc.

As for older ones, I plan on tackling like one a month and getting them downsized so I can make albums.

Just to get them out of the way, try making a photo album for each child that will be theirs to take when they are grown up. You know how nice it will be when they are older, married, have their own kids and want to show them what mommy looked like when she was a baby. Sure it means double or triple the albums, but that's why beds are built up off the ground a bit. That's where mine are. I don't have to see them until I want to.

I have about 10 frames that i love and when inspiration hits me or I have nothing better to do, i switch out the pictures in the frames.
When we were looking to buy a house we walked into one that had photos of the kids on every square inch of wall,Wowza. I prefer a few well chosen favs.

I order digital prints at home online everytime walgreens offers 10 prints, I pick them up instore so nothing gets bent in the mail like snapfish. plus there is no shipping cost. If there is a picture with both of my kids, I order 2. when i pick them up with in a week usually that day because i'm so excited, i date them because i'm a nut and then each kids has an album, I put a pict of DD in hers, Ds in his and each gets a copy of any group shots. taht way when they leave the house they will have their own albums. I've been doing this for 6 years. If you have a bunch then maybe promise yourself you'll upload the photos from the cd's to your computer one night, and another pick which ones you want to have prints made of, then another night upload them to what ever photo site you want to use ex walgreens. then the next night edit, then next order, then next pick up, the next night you date them, the next night you put them in the album. You might be able to do one cd per month.

You might also want to make hardbound photobooks, you can fit several picts per page and add titles. Sometimes those can be a bit tricky to do if you want things chronologically, but they would be great for vac picts or event picts. Not sure of prices thinking between 25-50 dollars and again i would make it and save it to your account and wait for a holiday and buy when on sale. Mothers day and fathers day they usually offer discounts.

have fun!

I was starting to feel that way. I went from scrapbooking when they were babies, to just putting prints into albums, to now making photo books on Shutterfly. I love the Shutterfly books! I made a 50-page album of all of our family photos from 2010 in one book (hard cover) and it is a sleek compact, easy to store album that is so much fun to look at. No loose prints! It was fun to make, although I did it month by month so it wasn't overwhelming. I will now do all of our photos this way (I take a ton). As for professional pics, I used to go over board too, but now I carefully select just a few when we go, so I don't end up with an envelop of extras. I would use storage boxes organized by child or by year for what you currently have, and then I would switch to making photo books online. Don't add any new frames to the walls, just replace older photos as you get new ones.

Well, not even as a stay at home mom can I afford the time that it takes to scrapbook, but it's my hobby and when I DO get to do it, I LOVE it! It's so fun! You can also do digital scrapbooking and have sent to you.

I dont have time to do scrapbooking. If I did that, I would NEVER get anything finished.
I put loose pictures in a photo album.

I organize digital pictures in folders on my computer by month, and then make a shutterfly book at the end of the year - picking my favorite pictures from each month. If you organize them by month, you can also make calendars for family for christmas.

I look forward to hearing what people do with the prof. picts...

We have a box for each kid. They keep all the pics and art we want to scrapbook (someday).

First, we decided to paint the walls and took down everything. It was beginning to look like a shrine to US! We opted NOT to put most pictures back up.

Second, I got "brag books" for the kids to keep their favorite/most recent pictures from vacation in and a few extra of their school pics. That way we have them when we need a pic for school or a project.

Third, I am keeping that box in the basement for each child, and name and date everything before it goes in. Only our "favorites" or important mementos go in.

Finally, all digit pictures are organized online on a digital album. We keep all in our own library, but only post what we want family to see on a secure account.

A friend once told me, don't worry about the "baby scrapbook" until the kids are in high school. When they are littler you are so busy taking care of them and play chaffer that it's unlikely you have the energy to scrapbook. She said once they are in high school they are so busy with their own lives, that the dining room table can be your headquarters without worrying about little hands disrupting everything. She said the key is to STAY ORGANIZED NOW - date stamp, write a 1 liner why it's special and don't let things stick or get folded.

That's what I'm doing. I hope this helps you too!

I go digital. Almost every picture is stored in my computer. I know this would hurt but .. get rid of clutter, don't get overboard with large pictures. You can always order them when you need it. Or, maybe you just forget to give them away to relatives.. Photos are fun when they serve your need. Now, it is getting to be overwhelming. Go Digital !!!! You'll have more fun creating movies or slideshows with them...

-Maria B

A little at a time, maybe once a week work on something to get organized. Go to recent pics and work backwards. For the 8 X 10 I would get a 8 X 10 album that you slip the old in and display the new. Keep only a book with those professional photos in order per child and or family. It may only take one or two books for each child...simple enough. I am sorry, but I would do away with the bigger ones if you have the same in the smaller size. Or ask a fmaily member if they want them to store.
As far as the 4x6. You could start out to do a birthday book. Capture moments of the child only on the birthdays........that may not be so overwhelming because there is only so many of that occasion....... keep them on CD that is a great idea. It may take all your life to get organized, but if you stay on it, it will get better.
I only have the neg of all the pics, no extras. CD's and back up my photos on a disc. I do not keep any duplicates nor do I keep any other pics of the professional unless it is in the 8 X 11 book . I never buy wallets anymore or 5 X 7. I make the extended family pay for their own sets.

You can do scrapbooking - digital or paper. I do digital because I don't time for the mess of paper scrapbooking. And, you can do really nice digital scrapbooking and print it out into really nice album books. That is what we're going to do. Make lots of albums of the kids. Here are some pages I've done. If you hate these, don't let it sway you! There are a million different scrapbooking styles!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.390825366903.167...