Day 14: Organizing School Pics/Papers/Awards

Just joining in?  Read the entire series {HERE}.

Happy Weekend!

I am still in a sea of pictures and random stuff from those white cabinets I showed you a few days ago.  I have working on the contents of them as much as I have been able to...this morning my mission was to tackle the massive mound of photo albums, kid school and sports pics, and school awards and special papers.

Let me explain myself a bit first...I am organized to a degree.    I have always stored all of these things in the same place, but that is what the problem was, they were in the same place.  Mixed together.  With no real assemblance of order.   I could NOT put those things back in my cabinets that way.  I knew it would be a huge task, but one that once was completed, I was would oh-so-happy and feelin' on top of things.

Remember this stash of stuff from the cabinets:

For my three youngest (the oldest is a senior in college and I have her things organized in another place) I purchased 3 zip-around expandable scrapbook paper holders.  I figured these would be great to store the kids' school and sports pics, school awards, and grade cards.   They were only 6 bucks each at Big Lots and they had 3 different colors!  Bonus.  I do display their current school picture in frames and put a copy of their sports pictures in special albums I have for each of them.  (However, these are not current and will be explained in another post...)

First, I had to sort through the mound of pictures, papers, and artwork and organize by kid and type of item or photo.  I made myself quick little cards to make the sorting easier.  I even had a furry helper.

 (Adding photos to each of their albums is a whole other job.....)

I used my handy paper tape that I have used on other projects recently and made labels for each of my kiddos.  My labels were:
-Grade Cards Ele./Jr. High
-Grade Cards High School
-Sports Pics
-Sports Awards
-School Pics Ele./Jr. High
-School Pics High School
-Misc.

Even though my two youngest are only in 2nd and 7th grades, I went ahead and labeled for high school because then I will know exactly where these go when the time comes!  That means no excuses for me.
Now for all of you SUPER organized moms who have kept your kids things chronologically organized by grade, (know that I hate you--kidding!) you might have a divider for each grade.  Since I am just now doing this project, I am simplying it for myself.  (Luckily all of the school or sports pictures have the year printed on them already)  Here are my labels I wrote on paper tape with a Sharpie:

Then I just put the tape strips right over the plastic tabs instead of trying to insert the little paper tabs they give you inside of them.

I love the size of this because even oversized papers or pictures fit inside vertically.

I labeled the front of each portfolio with my kids' names.  This project put a big dent in my mound and I am THRILLED that these things are now organized.  I am covered for every item my kids may ever need to find about themselves.  Need your Perfect Attendance award from kindergarten?  Got it.  Grade Card from 3rd grade, 1st quarter?  That's there too.  Want to see how you have changed through the years and put all of your school pics in a row and giggle?  You can do that.

Here the portfolios are on a shelf in one of the white cabinets.  A full reveal of this cabinet will be soon.....

Going along with my series, this project, while a little overwhelming at first, has made me really feel good about how I have my kids' things organized and that helps with my stress level!   I love these portfolios and am considering other uses for them.

How do you organize all of your kids' awards, pictures, and grade cards?  Did you find any ideas here you might try?