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You know what I mean!

Boxes and boxes of old photos. Love letters from your sweetheart! Kindergarten artwork from years ago! Once worn, bridesmaid dresses and wedding gowns!! Inherited stuff, like books, jewelry, and grandma’s coveted sets of crystal and china.

It’s a lot to consider.

What to do with these one-of-a-kind sentimental keepsakes?

It’s such a daunting task, and so overwhelming that we’d rather do anything else than this.

That’s why I’m here. To help guide you towards ENJOYING your TREASURES, rather than cursing all this stuff taking over your attic, garage, and every space imaginable!

Action must be taken. For this month’s column, let’s look at your sentimental photograph collections. Pictures take up space. Whether in digital or paper form, they affect us physically and mentally. Emotions are involved: Joy, grief, and bittersweet memories that may last a lifetime.

Here’s my process you can practice to pare down on pictures. Remember, it took this long to collect these pictures, so it will take a few sessions to go through your inventory and make sense of it all.

David’s Top 10 Tips for Decluttering your Photographs

ELIMINATE DUPES

Spread out your pictures on a large, well-lit table. As you sift through the pix, eliminate the duplicates. You know, those eight or nine sunset sequence photos for example.

EDIT PIX

Toss out the really obvious bad pictures. The ones of Uncle Henry’s nostrils, the bad flash surprise face photos, and the really out-of-focus ones.

START SORTING

Be judicious and discard the pix that don’t represent your best work.

SORTING by DATE and by EVENT

Start grouping like events and timeline photos together. A wedding, a summer vacation, a Fourth of July BBQ, whatever you have, place them in groups that are easier to identify and therefore more manageable.

DISPLAY

Imagine that you might actually find some gems you want to share with others!!! Replace photos in frames with some new ones. Freshen up the look.

DISPLAY a Collage

Imagine that you might actually find some gems you want to share with others!!! Replace photos in frames with some new ones. Freshen up the look.

COLLAGE WALL

Making a collage wall for your home can be inspirational. Consider creating some framed pix collages as gifts for friends and family. (Think Holiday season!)

PUT PIX BACK

With pix reviewed, revered and edited, you may re-box your photos and label them. Or you can assemble photo books and framed pix.

BE WISE AND DIGITIZE

In Boca, I use Forever Studios. They transfer your paper into a digital format for you. Or scan the pix yourself and transfer the Smartphone pix to your computer files. Digitizing your photos is the way to go.

TAKE A BREAK

Start slowly to get the best results. You can enjoy revisiting the memories as you decide what to do with each photo. But take a break, it can be a drain on the brain. Set up specific project time and Share with a loved one willing to take that sentimental journey with you.

Call for a consult! David Hall, Chief Clutter Clearing Officer, 561-706-7779. We do it virtually and in person. Call today to discuss (your friend’s) clutter cluster challenges!!

CLUTTER TO CLARITY – by David Hall

David Hall, as CCCO (Chief Clutter Clearing Officer) of A+ Clutter Clearing Services, is passionate about organizing space, using feng shui principles, and ultimately transforming space for the homeowner, self-storage renter, and anyone seeking clarity through decluttering.

Find him on Facebook (facebook.com/aplusclutterclearing) or online at www.APlusClutterClearing. com. You can email David at david@aplusclutterclearing.com or call/text 561-706-7779.