It’s one of those things that is perpetually on my To Do “someday” list. Scan old photos. My grandmother passed down some family favorites and I have a few small boxes of photos from the pre-digital age. I used to scrapbook when my first son was born but 11 years later I am lucky to even get a picture printed out.

I do love looking back at old photos with the kids even if it is in the format of a slideshow on the TV. I would love to add our old photos to the mix as well. The one thing holding me back is the time and/or cost. I’m not thrilled about the idea of scanning each individual photo. It sounds much better to box them up, ship them off and pay someone else to take care of the daunting task. However it could cost a few hundred dollars never placing it high on the priority list.

My husband and I have gotten in the habit of getting each other “organizing’ type items for the house for birthdays or Christmas so maybe this will have to go on the list.

How many old photos do you think you have stored away? Do you find them getting overlooked when going down memory lane? Have you used a photo scanning service and how did you like it?

The photo above happens to be my all time favorite…my grandparents.

Wanting to get organized this year once and for all? Don’t we all? I’m not big on setting resolutions; they tend to fade after a few weeks. We have the best intentions but really if you are going to do something you can just as easily do it now or in July. No matter when you get started the point is that you start!

Have you ever taken a step back and gotten a bird’s eye view of your home? This will certainly give you the motivation needed to get the ball rolling on an organizing project. Stop what you are doing and go take a picture of a random room in your home. What do you see??

Often we get so busy in our day-to-day lives that we don’t allow ourselves to see the big picture. We can easily let the clutter fade to the background as we go about our day. Once we get to the point of overwhelm we finally take notice.

If you are getting organized this year start by taking a picture of each space and taking note of those problem spots that stick out. The picture allows you to disassociate yourself from the space and for a moment you can pretend it is someone else’s clutter!

Are you taking on a big organizing project in 2012? Where will you start?

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care… oh, wait we don’t have a fire place anymore! This year we have had to get a little creative with our Christmas decorations. Less space means less décor! We knew that going into this smaller house we would not have as much room for seasonal decorations.

Before the move we took the time to go through our Christmas decorations and weed out the excess.  In fact this is a good practice to do every year! When you are getting the decorations out there always seems to be a few you don’t put out but keep anyways.  If you don’t love it, why store it?

Every season weed out the decorations to keep your collection under control. Fix what needs broken and take note of things you need more of so you can shop the post-season sales! And, don’t forget Mabel’s Labels Bin Labels are just the thing you need to get your Christmas décor labeled and organized!

One of my favorite motto’s is “have guests, will clean.” I am so excited that Thanksgiving is next week because I have been so much more motivated to organize and clean. And apparently so are the new clients that have been calling me this week!

Tis’ the holidays to get the house in order. Not only is it the perfect time to weed out the old but to clean the house from top to bottom! Before the guests come next week I am completely doing a cleaning overhaul. I love giving the house a deep clean before a big day where the house will be full! You may be asking why bother if it is going to get messy again with so many people! The fact is, after everyone is gone there is minimal work to be done besides surface areas and vacuuming then it is time to rest!

We start getting out Christmas decorations shortly after Thanksgiving so the house is all ready to go. Clean, decluttered and ready for a new season!

For the past few months I have been collecting shoe’s from friends, family and clients for Soles4Souls, the organization I traveled to Haiti with. It is certainly a great time to start weeding out those shoes and summer clothes! I just had to pull out the winter clothes for the kids and I know some of you in the north have done that long ago.

Before the holidays are upon us let’s think about other things we can start weeding out. The maintenance part of staying organized is all about keeping on top of things that no longer have a purpose in the house. What about that ice-cream maker you bought five years ago and never touched? Unless you have made that a summer family tradition by now, it’s not likely to happen. Take a good look through cabinets and closets to see what needs to be weeded out.

What about spots equipment and pool toys? It’s easy to throw them in a big box when they are not in use. Remember the float that has a hole beyond repair. Or the helmet that the youngest has grown out of? If it’s broken let it go. Unless it can be handed down to another sibling let things like helmets and outgrown bikes go as well.

All of this stuff takes up space in our homes and lives. It’s time to weed! Don’t let these things lead to overwhelm.