Let me paint you a scene: It’s 10 p.m., the house is finally quiet, and I’m proud of myself for making a sweet little photo book for Grandma’s birthday. I open my laptop and… BAM. 42,000 photos. Some were from my phone, some were from my husband’s, some were from the old family iPad, and some, I swear, just appeared there alone.
And that’s not even counting the boxes in the loft marked “misc,” “kids,” and—my personal favorite—”to sort eventually.” You can guess how long those have been sitting there. 😅
I discovered that my daughter’s baby photos had been stored in a plastic bin under the bathroom pipes. You know what happened next? Yes, there was a leak. Cue the mom guilt and mild panic.
So if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by your photo chaos, I’ve been there! But I promise, there’s hope. And it doesn’t involve becoming a tech wizard or Marie Kondo-ing your entire life. I call it my ABCD System—my sanity-saving approach to organizing our photo mess without losing my mind (or precious memories).
A is for Assess What You Have
Before you can organize, you must see what you’re dealing with. I started by gathering every digital and physical photo into one spot. That meant:
- Digging out the shoeboxes and albums from the attic.
- Collecting thumb drives, memory cards, and old phones (even the cracked one in the kitchen drawer).
- Logging into cloud accounts, I forgot I had (looking at you, Dropbox from 2017)
It was messy, but kind of magical too. I found forgotten snaps of our first family trip to Spain, my son’s DIY superhero costume, and my daughter’s face covered in birthday cake at age two.
B is for Banish the Bad Ones
This step felt SO good. I permitted myself to delete duplicates, blurry shots, and 47 almost-identical photos of the same beach sunset.
Pro tip: Pour a glass of wine, put on a feel-good playlist, and just go for it. I used my “15-minute method” during dinner prep—just tackle one small folder or stack at a time. There’s no pressure to finish it all at once!
C is for Create a Simple System
Here’s where it started feeling doable. I created folders by year, then subfolders by month or event (like “Summer Hols 2023” or “Ella’s First Dance Recital”).
This is where Mylio Photos came in and seriously saved my sanity. I didn’t discover it through some fancy tech blog—a fellow school mum casually mentioned it during the school run. I downloaded it on a whim and wow… game changer.
Mylio pulled in photos from all our devices, grouped them by date, and even recognized faces, so I could find every photo of my youngest without scrolling endlessly. I could also tag photos, create albums, and even hide the slightly embarrassing ones (no one needs to see my Halloween witch wig again, thank you very much).
D is for Display and Share
Because what’s the point of organizing if no one ever sees the photos?
We made a little family tradition: every month, the kids pick a few favorite photos and we add them to a shared album. Sometimes we even print them with Printique to hang on the fridge or put in frames. I also made photo books for the grandparents this Christmas—and yes, there were tears (the good kind!).
I’ve been loving Remento for creating voice memories or little keepsake books from interviews and stories. It lets us record short videos or voice messages, turning them into beautiful printed storybooks. It’s WAY easier to do when all your photos are sorted in Mylio—you can just click an image and let Grandma tell the story behind it. It’s much better than remembering which folder it’s buried in!
Bonus: Make It a Family Thing
My kids LOVE getting involved. Sometimes too much—like when my youngest renamed a folder “Butts LOL”—but hey, it gets them engaged! We make it fun:
- Photo sorting races
- Storytelling nights where we pick a random photo and share the memory
- Letting the kids design their little albums
It’s become more than organizing—it’s a way to connect. And that’s the best part.
Final Thoughts
Look, I’m not perfect. My laundry pile is probably taller than I right now. But our photo memories? They’re finally in order. And I can’t tell you how much peace that brings.
If you’re feeling buried under digital clutter or in dusty albums that make you want to scream—breathe. You’re not alone and don’t need to tackle it all at once. Start with one folder, one box, one moment. Every photo you rescue from chaos is a memory preserved, a piece of your family’s story your kids can revisit and relive.
And if the project ever feels too big, call in a pro! Certified photo managers are absolute wizards with tools like Mylio, and they’ll help you create a system that works for your life, not the other way around.
