Organize Those Photos!

Everyone knows that I'm a big scrapbooker. I love, love, love to scrapbook. I love that we can look at these books and see the cute pictures and read exactly what we were feeling in those moments. Steven is even nice enough to write in all of the many scrapbooks I make. But with an 8 month old in tow, there just isn't time to keep up on my books. Props to all you moms who do it, because it seems impossible to me! I have done a page or two every now and again. But my little guy likes to take two naps a day... Each consisting of half an hour, if I'm lucky. This means no time to scrapbook.

I thought about this problem a lot. I didn't want to lose the chance to write down how I was really feeling, but I also knew that I just don't have the time. So I came up with this... 

I found an empty bin around the house and added some hanging folders to it. Then in each folder, I would put one envelope that I labeled with the month and the year. That way, small notes and pictures don't fall out of the folder and get lost, but if there's something bigger than the envelope it can be in the folder. 

At the beginning of each month, I print the previous month's pictures. I use Snapfish. If you get their phone app, you can get 100 free 4x6 prints every month! I upload them from my computer and print them from my phone in order to get the free prints. I also have some 3x5 cards in my room that I will write little messages on and stick in the envelopes. I write things down like when his first tooth came in, what foods he is liking, monthly updates on Weston, etc. If there was a big event, I will write about the event on the card. This way, I can either stick the card straight onto a scrapbook page when I start scrapbooking again, or I can copy down word for word what I said. 

I have to say that this has worked out so great for me. I have been using this method since January, and I have loved it! It makes me feel better because I don't feel like I'm forgetting important dates, but I don't have to worry about keeping up my books. And this way, one day I will be able to just sit down and get right into the scrapbooking rather than having to figure out all my pictures. Hopefully this gave you some good ideas!