Scrapbooking.

There’s something truly wonderful about that concept, isn’t there?

The idea of gorgeous volumes, one for each major family event (or year), standing spine-to-spine on a shelf in the living room for all to enjoy is simply wonderful to imagine. Too bad reality gets in the way of those memory-curating fantasies, right? Most people are months, if not years, behind where they think they should be when it comes to organizing their pictures and mementos of good times spent with family and friends. One woman we spoke with recently figured she’s at least 6 years behind and many more still hadn’t sorted through and organized the thousand or so pictures they snapped on their last family trip.

If you’re behind, don’t despair. We’ve put together a step-by-step guide for getting your memories organized.

Start Small

We humans will always put off projects we think will be painful as long as the downside of avoiding the task isn’t more painful. In the case of organizing photos, digital or analog, the downside is too vague to cause us any real agita. And so – we keep putting off dealing with it.

By starting off with a small photo project, you will all get an early “win” that will motivate you to keep on keeping on through the more boring, but essential organizational tasks. In addition, simply going through the process of creating a photo project (like putting together an album or gallery wall) actually forces you to organize and classify photos you have accumulated. So, in a way, a small photo project actually serves as a Jedi mind trick you can play on yourself so that you get a start on the organizational work you don’t think you want to do.

Step Away from the “Inspiration”

While gazing at inspiring layouts and ideas in magazines and online can be fun, it can also be paralyzing. Social scientists who study how we make decisions have found that having too many options actually keeps people from choosing a path forward. In addition to what those social scientists have found, we have seen too many well-intentioned people become so intimidated (i.e. “I wish I could make my album look like that, but I wouldn’t even know where to start.”) that they give up before they even start.
Bottom line: as long as you are looking at what others have done for inspiration on how to create a “perfect” album, you aren’t really making any progress.

Pick a Preferred Medium

Some people prefer to see their memories organized in photo books, others love actual photo albums or scrapbooks with physical prints, and still others want digital albums that showcase their memories in real time on digital frames. How you choose to organize and display your memories doesn’t matter; that you do it does.

It’s much easier to make headway when you pick one medium to work within. As you gain experience with it, the time and effort it takes to create additional projects will diminish. So, for example, the more photo books you design, the more quickly and easily you will be able to create them in the future, and the more likely you will be to make one each time you upload photos from a major event. It’s a virtuous circle that keeps you a step ahead of the photo chaos.

Establish a Habit

Organizing photos will require much less time and effort if you just take some simple steps every time you upload or print photos. Step one: label what you are uploading or printing with the date and the name of the event the photos are related to. Step two: delete any duplicate or unfortunate photos that aren’t worth keeping around. Step three: merge any photos you have just printed or uploaded into bigger organizational buckets as it makes sense. For example, you may have a folder for each year, with sub-folders for each major event, such as a birthday party.

All in, it takes about five minutes to do that as you upload or print. But if you wait until you have to do the same for thousands of photos, it becomes a monster.

Use Tools That Make the Project Easier

Sometimes in our quest to do things “right” we make it harder on ourselves than it needs to be. Look for tools that can help you simplify your photo projects in any way. For example, if you’re trying to dig out from under an avalanche of photos, try using a service like the one offered by 1000Memories.com, which scans up to 600 photos for you and uploads them into a virtual album. If you just want to display photos physically, get a simple album with plastic sleeves so you don’t have to think too hard about what goes where. If you store your photos digitally, make the switch to photo books as you can skip the steps of printing photos and putting them into albums.

Are your photos organized? How do you prefer to keep your memories – in photo books, in photo albums with actual prints, or in virtual frames?

Now that summer is officially on its way, it is time to ensure your home stays well maintained. While a top to bottom inspection is required every spring and fall to check for any damage and prepare for the upcoming months, it is important to think of this as a year-round necessity.

While it might seem difficult to fit Home Maintenance inspections into your already busy schedule, the voice of Franklin still rings true: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. What costs you a hundred dollars today might end up costing you thousands later if rain or wind or sun damage compounds a problem.

Alicia on “Home Maintenance Being an Investment”

“As someone who has moved numerous times, I can say that keeping your home in great condition does not just keep the value of your home, it increases it. Making sure that no moisture is allowed inside the walls keeps mold from building up. Keeping leaky faucets from dripping keeps the finish in the tub and sinks from eroding. You can get closer to your asking price when potential buyers see that you have maintained your house with great detail while other sellers have not.”

Sarah on “Managing the Maintenance”

“Keeping your home in great working order can seem incredibly daunting. If that is true for you, break the job into monthly parts. Schedule to drain the hot water heater in February and tackle the gutters in April. Clean the dryer vent in May and change the batteries in your smoke detectors in July. The added benefit is that you are aware of how the home is being maintained throughout the year which will allow you to catch any new problems at their inception.”

Here are a few tips to help you with your essential needs.

#1 Button Up the Ends

Protecting all the items within the home is job one. Therefore, you need to check the roof and the basement (or bottom floor) first. Check the vents, skylights and splash blocks as well as the tiles for any leaks. And keep those gutters clean. Then, check to see if any moisture is seeping in around the foundation or if there are any chinks in that armor that will lead to leaks. If you have a basement, just the fact of standing water should be enough to send up a warning signal.

#2 Get a Basic Set of Tools

You should have the tools you need for minor repairs. The good news is that you can get that set for $200 dollars or less. Get a toolbox and fill it with: a hammer, a pry bar (which is very multi-purpose), vise-grips, regular and needle-nose pliers, a set of screwdrivers, tape measure, a level (your first clue that there is a problem you do not notice is if things are no longer level), a 3/8th-inch reversible drill with bits, and a utility knife. And please, wear safety glasses. The other bonus is that these will help you with any arts-and-crafts projects you want to do.

#3 Know Your Limitations

Jobs should fall into three categories: what you can do, what a handyman can do, and what you need a specialist/contractor for. There is no way to prescribe these categories for you as everyone has a different level of ability. But even if you feel that simple jobs are outside your range, you can learn from the person you hire. Pay attention and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Then, next time, you can do it yourself and your hard-earned money will stay in your pocket.

We’ve all done it, probably more than once.

Whether it is coast to coast or down the street, Americans move and move a lot. According to the US Census Bureau, the average American changes houses once every five years. Given our nomadic tendencies, you’d think we’d have a system for minimizing headaches and maximizing efficiencies. Yet anyone who has moved is almost certain to have multiple horror stories — we hear about them all the time. And we’ve certainly experienced our fair share of nightmares – between the two of us, we have moved 26 times! While we can’t promise that it will ever be easy, we have learned that with a bit of pre-planning and some creative thinking, most of the biggest pitfalls can be avoided.

Alicia on ‘Overcoming Inertia’

‘Although the actual moving day may be weeks or months away, your move actually begins the day you decide to change your residence. The impending day is likely to produce a fair amount of anxiety. You know you should be getting organized, but it can be a daunting, even overwhelming prospect, so many people procrastinate until the last possible minute. Knowing where to start is truly half the battle. We’ve got two simple tasks that you can do right away that will help you overcome procrastination and organizational inertia. The first is: create a master calendar to plot out the major events. Keep it in one central place and use it to write down everything from cable appointments to house closings.

It’s much easier to stay on top of all the details if you also can see the big picture. The second is: have each family member over the age of 6 pick one closet and make a pile of items to give away or throw away before you move. The simple act of deciding what not to take often makes it easier to start thinking about what you will take.’

Sarah on ‘Keep a Notebook’

‘Moving is by definition, a period of flux. It can be incredibly challenging to stay on top of all the bits of information that inevitably accompany a move. Most people just jot down critical information (from telephone numbers to bids to emails) on slips of papers or post-it notes…and waste hours searching for them later. You’ll eliminate half of the headache of a move if you get one notebook that can serve as the central repository for all notes, numbers and notices.’

Here are three more moving tips that will help you get ready for that big day:

#1: Create a YUNKâ„¢ Box
YUNKâ„¢ stands for ‘You Never Know’. Set aside and label one moving box for just that purpose. You might throw in a remote control that you still have but are not sure what it goes to. Put in those plastic ‘do-hickeys’ in the kitchen that probably make something work. You will surely find a home for some of these things when you unpack at the new place.

#2: Consider What You Need to Open
First Put aside one box for items that you will want to get to first and label it ‘Open Me First.’ We like to include things like toilet paper, garbage bags, box opener, paper towels, pens, and screwdrivers. Make sure to put this in the moving truck last so it is easy to get to right away.

#3: Pack a ‘Gift’ Box!
Whether you’re single or have a family — take few minutes to pack a small gift box to open on your first day in the new house. Include some of your favorite items — ones with sentimental value and things that make you smile. Write a quick note to yourself (or have each family member write a note to the entire family) with your wishes for your life in your new home and your top 5 favorite memories of your old home.

Are you guilty of falling short of a true spring clean? The tendency this time of year is to focus on physical clutter, but the kind you can’t see – emotional clutter – is just as important to tackle. By emotional clutter we simply mean all those repressed, suppressed and unexpressed emotions and old beliefs that are keeping you stuck, rooted in a spot that probably no longer represents who you are or what you are capable of.

Emotional clutter acts like an invisible set of horse blinders that keep you from seeing beyond what is right in front of you. They blind you to potential paths forward and from the resources and options you have at your disposal for taking those paths. But because those emotional blinders aren’t really physical, they are easy enough to suppress or ignore.

Here are seven signs you have emotional clutter to deal with, and ideas for clearing it out.

1. Your Expectations of How Others Should Behave Is Distancing You From Them.

Do you have rules for how the people in your life need to show you they love you? For example, do you “need” your husband to start taking out recycling without being nagged to feel more appreciated? The problem with this is twofold: (a) it is extremely rare that these expectations are ever verbalized – so the other person has no idea that they are fouling up, and (b) your focus on what they aren’t doing right often causes you to miss other, real expressions of love. If you are caught in this trap, there’s a tell-tale warning sign: a feeling that you have to do everything and nobody appreciates it/you. Instead of lashing out at others, use the warning sign to take a beat and ask yourself – how could I communicate my needs more effectively..

2. What You Should Do Is Making You Miserable or Rebellious.

Just as should isn’t a good motivators for others (see point #1), it’s not a good motivator for you, either. No adult really wants to feel like they have to follow someone else’s rules. Being in that position tends to elicit one of two emotional responses: misery or rebelliousness. Neither is terribly productive. Rather than bowing to should do’s, the next time you start to do something because you have to, stop. Take five minutes to consider what you really want to do and why. Then decide to make and follow your own rules in that area going forward.

3. You Cringe Every Time You Scroll Through Your Contacts & See That Name.

Old relationships that ended on an unfortunate note, whether personal or professional, are part of life. If you had one, do yourself a favor and get some closure. Distance is the only thing that will lessen the emotional sting. Delete their contact information from your phone. UnFriend. UnLink. UnFollow. You don’t need to know what they are up to if all it does is make you re-experience a past hurt.

4. You Feel Guilty Because You Let Someone Down.

Human beings are born to please. From the time we can walk, we are socialized to share, pitch in, and contribute – and for good reason. The principle of reciprocity serves as a crucial glue for our community-based societies. But it can also lead you to over-commit. If you’re chronically over-extending yourself, and letting people down in the process, you need to swap your “sure, no problem” for “that sounds really interesting; let me think about it and get back to you with an answer.” Then use the time to determine whether or not you want to accept the request. Get more tips for overcoming this tendency to say yes when you mean no.

5. You Get a Nagging Feeling When You Think About (Or See Contact Information For) Someone.

Sometimes so much time has passed since you last connected with someone that you feel guilty just thinking about them or seeing their information in your phone. Rather than suppressing the negative emotion, call them. Ideally, right when you realize you’re feeling guilty. If you can’t do it right then, make an appointment to connect with them before the week is out. More often than not, the other person feels just as guilty. Plus it always feels great to zap a pointless emotion and reconnect with someone you truly care about.

6. You Have Uncompleted Projects.

When you fail to complete a project, you not only have physical reminders of it, but nagging emotional ones as well. The nagging may not be urgent, but it’s there, somewhere in the back of your mind, constantly reminding you that you have something left to do – and acting like a drag on your overall energy level. If you’ve got one (or more) of these, take some time before the day is out to make a list of the projects you want to complete. Then break them down into smaller work steps and schedule them in. If you have a half-started project that you no longer really want to finish – it’s okay. Better to let it go and be at peace with your decision that to continue to carry it around.

What are some of the beliefs or emotions you need to clean out? Are you willing to release your hoarder’s grip on those beliefs to create room for something new and different?

Chances are you think there’s a “right” way to organize something. But who defined the “right way” in the first place? Listen and discover what habits of your mother’s you may be subconsciously repeating, why we have it easier…and harder…than our moms did when it comes staying organized, and what you should be doing for all mothers on Mother’s Day!

Today, Sarah and Alicia honor Mother’s Day by taking a look into the source of so many of our organizational habits (and quirks): our moms.

Listen in as we discuss the complexity of organization for mothers today and the easier (and harder) ways we have it. As technology keeps getting better and better, it seems to help us organize yet, arises a whole new set of organizing problems that our mothers did not have generations ago.

Join us as we sit down with Buttoned Up’s Resident Picaso Hollie Sehrt, her sister Heather and their mother Janice to discuss organizational habits they share, how their habits differ, and how organizing today has evolved. It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss!

So, in honor of Mother’s Day, sit back, relax and check out this show and you may just realize how much your mother has influenced your organizational habits!

Do you think there’s a “right” way to organize something, like loading a dishwasher or folding the clothes? If you do, have you ever stopped to think about who defined the “right way” in the first place? Chances are you “inherited” that approach from your mother, who probably inherited it from hers. And so on.

I personally cannot leave the house in the morning without having made my bed in a very particular way. My poor husband has given up completely on ever trying to make it, as I always point out that his way of doing it just isn’t ‘right.’ Curious about the origins of my compulsion, I reflected on how my mom tackled this chore. Sure enough, she had a particular method for making the bed: hospital corners, tightly tucked in sheets, and nary a wrinkle allowed. She ingrained the bed-making habit in me (and my siblings) from an early age. And her mother made her beds in the exact, same way. A quick survey of my cousins and siblings revealed nearly three-quarters of us feel the need to make our beds the ‘right way’ every day. I figure that this inherited habit is relatively harmless for me. While it means I don’t ever delegate the bed-making to my husband, it takes about 2 minutes for me to make the bed and it always puts a smile on my face because I start the day thinking about my mom and grandmother and how I’m carrying elements of their personalities forward.

While subconsciously following in you parents’ organizational footsteps is entirely normal, it isn’t always productive. It can keep you from delegating tasks that could be effectively completed by others and may even cheat your children out of valuable skill development. For example, if you always do the laundry because you feel compelled to fold things the right way, you are less likely to take the time to teach your children how to do their own, a valuable life skill.

I recommend taking a few moments this week to become conscious of your inherited organizational tics. Ask yourself: is the “right” approach really serving me? If the answer is no, it’s time to make a change.

Here are three tricks for letting go of a compulsive, “right way” to clean and organize.

1. Become More Conscious of Your Behavior by Tracking It.

When you are stuck in a subconscious rut, the first critical step is to take steps to become more aware of your tic and how much time and energy it is costing you. Make a note in your daily journal or calendar program each time you complete an inherited organizational task compulsively. Write down how much time you spent on it and a happy/sad face to indicate whether it made you feel good or stressed. You can also use this free daily time tracker from Buttoned Up (LINK: http://getbuttonedup.com/2011/05/23/tool-free-printable-time-management-sheet/) to keep track if that’s easier. At the end of the month, look back and tally up the number of times you did the task, how much time you spent on it, and how it made you feel most of the time.

2. Ask yourself, “What am I afraid of?”

Just as you may be doing a task a particular way subconsciously, you may also resist changing that behavior because of subconscious fears, most of which don’t make a lot of sense when you examine them under the cold, hard, light of reason. For example, Sarah wanted to relax her bed-making standards so that her husband could split the chore with her. But she really struggled not to re-make the bed after he had finished. Upon a little reflection, she realized that what she was really afraid was losing touch with the memory of her mom. Simply being aware of that has enabled her to relax and let go on her husband’s days to make the bed. In addition, it has sparked her to consciously look for other ways to carry her mom’s legacy forward in her day-to-day, like cooking and playing with her children.

3. Identify a replacement habit.

When you catch yourself slipping into an old, unproductive routine, you need to have a replacement routine that your brain can run at the ready. Take five minutes and jot down the new habit you want to adopt. For example, Alicia wanted to shift from taking out the trash every night to emptying it every other night. So now, when she starts running her old pattern, she stops and asks herself: did I empty the trash last night? If the answer is yes, she shifts gears and leaves the kitchen.

Does your family have any organizational or cleaning rituals that seem to have been passed down through a generation or two? If you have children, what clean-up habits of yours do you think they will carry on?

Sometimes you just need a little reminder to take the simple steps you know you should take when you’re uploading photos but that for some reason you put off until…well…someday. And then when you don’t take the little steps, photos spiral out of control, and the next thing you know just organizing the messy digital piles you have accumulated is a huge project. And who has the time for those, right?

To help tame that photo procrastination demon, Hollie, our Resident Picasso, has whipped up this lovely little printable for you. Print out a copy, laminate it and tape it to your primary computer screen. Or print a copy and stick it in your camera carrying case.

Then be sure to follow the checklist each time you upload a batch of photos to your computer. As the old saying goes, a stitch in time saves nine.

Click Here to Download (PDF)

My mother travels every year from Arizona to Michigan and back again. She is what is referred to as a ‘snowbird’. That’s right, she flees at the first chill in the air. I can’t blame her; the winters in Michigan can be terrible.

So Mom packs up and brings whatever she can in two to three humungous suitcases. No one can lift them, but somehow she manages. So this year she will be coming to Michigan after Mother’s Day and I wanted to send a personalized Mother’s Day gift, something rather light to her, but something she won’t have to toss out like flowers, or kill like a plant. I’m thoughtful that way.

I received a gift code from Personal Creations and decided to see what gift ideas for Mother’s Day I could find that my Mom might actually use and like. I was actually shocked to find not one, but two affordable items!

The first is a monogrammed cosmetic bag. What a great idea for her! She can use it travelling and stash whatever she likes into it – you know the small things like jewelry that always gets lost! I had it monogrammed with her initials and honestly, when it came I was really impressed! I ordered the white with pink lettering.

Item Description:

Cosmetic Bag
Soft, waffle-knit fabric is extra absorbent, lightweight and durable. Cosmetic bag is plastic-lined and has a durable zip closure. Choose from pink, white, blue or black. We embroider with any single letter, or 3-letter monogram (please specify order of initials) or name, up to 9 characters with choice of pink, black or white thread color. Measures 7″ L x 4 1/2″ W. Machine washable.

Actually, this is a very LARGE makeup case – I was surprised just how big it was. Here is a photo of the one I got Mom. (The photo came out a little yellow, but the bag is pure white!)

The second item I purchased was an Ultra Soft Travel Shawl. How many times do we freeze on a plane? And I thought Mom would love it and the color purple! The only hesitation I had was that the Monogram on the site looked, well, bunched up and not nice. But I took the chance thinking that would be the last thing my Mom would care about and was not disappointed. The Monogram (MOMogram?) was perfect.

And I must say this shawl is HUGE! She can use this instead of getting a blanket – and on some flights you have to pay for those now. Plus I thought she could use it when she’s reading at night, or watching TV too. I KNOW she will love it!

It came in it’s own travel bag too!

Item Description:

Travel Shawl
Made of super-comfy t-shirt fabric, our pretty purple travel shawl works great on a plane or in a car as a wrap, blanket, or pillow. We embroider her 3 letter monogram in the corner. Made of lightweight 100% polyester. Measures 70″ L x 40″ W. Machine washable.
Item #30064844

If you are looking for gift ideas for Mother’s Day, be sure to look at all that Personal Creations has to offer – you won’t be disappointed, I wasn’t!

Giveaway

We are giving away a Red Envelope gift code valued at $50.00 to one lucky winner just in time for Mother’s Day! The winner will be announced here on our blog and on our Facebook page.

There are two ways to win

1. Sign up for our newsletter
or

2. Like us on Facebook, AND comment on our wall.

Deadline is Sunday, May 13, 2012 – Mother’s Day!

The winner of the $50 Gift Code is Deanna Hanson!
Congratulations! Please email annemarie @ getbuttonedup dot com with your details.

This contest is now closed.

Mother’s Day is creeping up on us! Do you ever get tired of giving the same old same old? I do.

So this year I decided to change things up thanks to ProFlowers and their great mothers day gift ideas. If you wanted to give a flower bouquet, they have some really lovely ones but they also have some surprises like these Chocolate Covered Strawberries and three Mini-Cheesecakes. This I didn’t order as I knew I’d eat them right up and there would be no gift come Mother’s Day. If you have the willpower, this is a ‘sweet’ gift for Mom!

If you prefer to give something living, you may prefer this Gorgeous Spring Bulb Garden!

I found and ordered these cute felt containers with pretty plants in them. They made me smile and I thought they’d make a mother smile, especially if they are from cute kids! You can buy them separately or together “duo” here.

Item Description:

• One 10” yellow kalanchoe
• One 10” red kalanchoe
• Includes both bee and lady bug felt pail
• Care instructions included
• Item #30067799
Bug them with something they’ll “bee” happy about! Our adorable felt bee and ladybug duo each hold our popular tropical plant – the kalanchoe – in red and yellow. Send today for a smile tomorrow!

The plants came and I must say it was packed nice and securely:

These are cute, and different, which is what I was going for – something that will live beyond Mother’s Day and makes you smile when you look at it. Here are the items from the front and back. The eyes look a little goofy on mine, but i kind of like that!

I liked the Bee Wings on the back!

All I had to do was take the plant and put it in the pot. So easy! The tiny flowers came as buds and are starting to open and are gorgeous. I just need to keep them alive until the 12th! Also I like is that they are like little baskets, so if you wanted to hang them up, it would be super easy.

You could buy these separately or as a set. OR you could find so many beautiful Mothers Day Gifts at ProFlowers!

Giveaway

We are giving away a Red Envelope gift code valued at $50.00 to one lucky winner just in time for Mother’s Day! The winner will be announced here on our blog and on our Facebook page.

There are two ways to win

1. Sign up for our newsletter
or

2. Like us on Facebook, AND comment on our wall.

Deadline is Sunday, May 13, 2012 – Mother’s Day!

Disclosure: I received a gift code to use to purchase the items listed; all opinions are my own.

If you want to go from this:

To this…

The May Challenge is for you!

In this challenge, we’ll be helping you tame the digital and physical photo clutter you’ve been meaning to get to but just haven’t quite found the time to deal with. As with all of the challenges, we’ve figured out a way to take a BIG task and break it down into a series of small steps that you can take on a daily basis without turning your regular life upside down.

Sign up for the May Challenge here.