I'll Get to It Someday...But What If?
Rachel Arbuckle | 17th September, 2025 | 5 Mins Read
It's the night before the first day of school-you've laid out the clothes, packed the backpack, and charged your phone for that must-have first-day photo. But where will that picture live after tomorrow?
Back-to-school season is filled with milestones-first-day smiles, new teachers, sports games, art projects, and everything in between. Whether your photos live on your phone, in the cloud, or in a shoebox in the closet, they all tell the story of your child's school years.
But here's the problem: most parents capture hundreds of school photos every year, and then never organize them.
As our CEO Rachel says:
"Parents end up with hundreds of school photos-first day, concerts, sports, art projects-and it piles up so quickly. They think, I'll get to it later,' but later usually never comes."
That's why now is the best time to put a system in place-and why families turn to 2000 Paces to make it easy and sustainable.
We couldn't resist joining in the fun! Here are some of our team's back-to-school photos from years past-proof that everyone has those awkward hairstyles, oversized backpacks, and unforgettable first-day outfits.
Adding personal touches like this reminds us why preserving memories matters-it's these everyday moments that tell the bigger story of who we are.
It's tempting to make separate folders for each child, but we recommend organizing by school year instead.
Rather than creating collections like ''Kindergarten'' or ''5th Grade'' for each child, try building them by year-then let technology sort by person.
This way, you preserve the family story as a whole rather than splitting it into disconnected sections.
You can absolutely note them as you go. Think of it this way: it's easy to remember what grade they're in when you're dropping them off for 5th grade, but by their second year of college, those details get a little fuzzy!
That's why we suggest labeling your photos by year (e.g., ''2022 09 September - First Day of School''), and then adding grade references within the collection if you want that extra detail.
At 2000 Paces, we set up this exact structure for families so you don't have to wonder where to start. For digital photos, facial recognition can even tag and sort automatically-so, you can search for something as specific as ''Jane, First Day of School.''
For print photos, we simplify the process with our PPO Cards, which guide you step by step through organizing your photos by year (and yes, even by category if you like).
You can grab a set in our store here.
And if sticking to the system feels overwhelming-that's where we come in. We handle the hard work so it actually gets done.
Back-to-school memories aren't just photos-think report cards, class photos, programs, and oversized art projects.
Our tip:
Snap a photo or scan them. Store those files in the same yearly folder so you've got the full picture of the school year.
Our team helps families digitize these keepsakes so they live right alongside your photos-no more lost projects or random piles in drawers.
Not ready for a full project yet?
Try these quick wins:
1Create This Year's Folder - Start by making a new folder labeled ''2025.'' Drop in your firstday-of-school photos right away so you'll know where they belong. To make them easy to find later, you can:
2Add tags or keywords (like ''School'') to the filenames -
If you use an iPhone, create an album called ''2025-2026 School Year.'' This way, all your photos will be organized in one place and sorted chronologically.
3Snap a Keepsake - Photograph your child's first art project or class schedule.
4Set Aside a Home for School Memorabilia - One envelope or folder for report cards, class photos, artwork, etc., so they can be digitized later.
5Add a Reminder - Set a calendar alert once a month to delete photos that are not part of your story. For example, screenshots, recipes, field trip forms, etc.
Of course, most families won't keep this up all year-that's why our clients bring in 2000 Paces. We set up systems that don't fall apart by October.
Once the year's memories are sorted, you can turn them into something meaningful:
Many of our clients love this part, but never get around to doing it.
That's where we step in-we design and deliver keepsakes so you and your child can actually enjoy the memories, not just store them.
If you wait, it just piles up.
By the end of the year, you've got thousands of photos and no system. Doing it as you go makes it manageable-and meaningful.
And the truth is-most families don't have the time or energy to do it as they go. That's why we're here.
At 2000 Paces, we help families transform scattered back-to-school photos into a beautifully organized system that grows with your child.
From setting up digital folders to digitizing print keepsakes to designing photo books, we do the heavy lifting-so you can focus on making the memories, not managing them.
Contact 2000 Paces today and let us take the stress out of saving your school-year memories.
"We provide a variety of services to help you achieve your vision for your important collection of photographic memories."
"We specialize in preserving cherished photo and video memories. My team and I passionately organize, digitize, and safeguard these invaluable treasures.
We gather cattered items from clients' homes, merging the physical and digital realms to ensure easy accessibility for future generations."
Find out more about our team!
