kris@krisledonne.com
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organizing

“You make a big difference…”

“You make a big difference in a lot of people’s lives” - Rosie Before I could walk out the door of my client’s house, she embraced me with these loving words. Five days before this, Rosie wasn’t feeling so warm and fuzzy; She was grumpy, fatigued and only focused on her never ending to-do lists. Instead of welcoming the satisfaction of the transformation, Rosie focused on her remaining chores.  She was lacking presence, perturbed and stuck in worry mode. Can you relate to Rosie right now? If so, continue reading. I was once in Rosie’s position too and always focused on the next task, next project, next activity for my girls…. I literally would lie in bed at night revising mental to-do lists, in place of sleep, relaxation and quality time with my family. This led to pure exhaustion in the morning, stumbling through the kitchen after having hit snooze 1308408 times…. And that unfortunately put me into a ball of shame and guilt. [...]

By |2023-01-09T16:33:54+00:00January 9, 2023|Uncategorized|
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Don’t drag emotional truckloads with you

Did you know the average American car owner buys 9.4 cars in a lifetime? Imagine if you parked every car you ever owned in your driveway or garage? How much space would that occupy? And what if they can no longer be driven? Do you keep the broken down ones, bring them with you if you were to take a job or retire across the country? Of course not!  The added expense and logistical annoyances are too great to consider this. Trade in, sell or donate them and welcome the space for vehicles that serve you.  And yet it happens all the time with our captured memories; Our photos and memorabilia are completely irreplaceable if they were to be lost, so we literally drag 'emotional carloads' from one place to another until we either decide to UPDATE the formats, edit them down, or do the unthinkable; Toss them out! Some see little value in these captured moments, but let's be honest- That's not the [...]

By |2022-08-26T15:54:58+00:00August 22, 2022|capturing moments, community, connection, declutter, digitizing, finding help, managing photos, Photo Tips, photos, Sharing Photos|
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Doing [Scary] New Things

I was a guest on a podcast!!! You may be thinking… ‘So what, Kris; What’s the big deal? You’ve been on stage, TV, directed countless productions and are no stranger to a zoom call. Why not a podcast?’ Well, it was a FIRST for me, and I honestly got REALLY nervous beforehand. Firsts can be scary When I booked the appointment to record with the host, I was actually living in a dorm room in downtown Chicago with my younger teenager, dreaming of the comforts of home. I was excited to find a new platform to find more of the audience I want to serve. It was a small win. It seemed so far in the distant future… but then the day arrived and my nerves set in! My stress response was pretty significant, and a racing heart was only one noticeable symptom. I am coming clean when I admit that I generated so much mental drama- yikes! But then I decided to practice [...]

By |2022-08-15T15:57:42+00:00August 15, 2022|capturing moments, community, connection, finding help, managing photos, photos, special event|
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Where is it?

After over two decades of working with client photos, I’m rarely surprised when I hear someone describe the frustrated state of their photos. They’re all unique to the individual, however there are always common threads of frustration that unite a large concentration of photo lovers. The common pain point I’m referring to is “Not finding what someone’s looking for” and I feel for them. Do you count yourself among that group of people? Strangely, the solution is often overlooked when a particular moment is rediscovered. We celebrate when we find a particular memory (woot woot!) but do we go a step farther to avoid that situation from happening again? Or do we move on to the next subject, and dismiss the time and energy wasted? The problem that lurks in the shadows of our captured moments and the root of the “not finding” pain remains, and possibly deepens if we don't make a shift in our systems. Who knows if you’ll be that successful [...]

By |2022-06-13T22:55:33+00:00June 13, 2022|finding help, managing photos, photos, Uncategorized|
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Gratitude

Gratitude can help you purge excess photos. Does that sound odd to you? Practicing gratitude is an increasingly popular topic of discussion, and now experts are empowering us to use it amidst our global challenges. Please humor me for this short read, while I suggest how something you may already be practicing can offer much more than emotional benefits. Gratitude can empower you to do something productive & practical like de-cluttering your photos.   If you’re a fan of the KonMari method, you’re plenty familiar with the “joy test” which is used to discern if you need to keep it or let it go. But there’s an important element that isn't as publicly recognized- saying THANK YOU before you let something go. Expressing gratitude for something you're letting go welcomes peace and calm into your heart, mind and SPACE. This space allows you brain space and space in your home, to really enjoy the treasures.  Are you skeptical? I made a video to share some [...]

By |2022-03-24T13:43:37+00:00April 17, 2020|managing photos|
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Digital- DONE!

OK now that we've fully switched to a digital photo society (which yes, happened over time- some more gradual than others) it's important that we can still access the images that we cared enough to capture in the first place! Since there are so many formats, it's important to take some basic "prep" steps before diving in or you'll find this to be a "NEVER ENDING STORY" ... and perhaps a stressful one. You deserve better! I compiled some of my best pro tips into two videos to help you conquer your mountain... you may start out thinking it's Everest but even Everest can be climbed with a careful, planned out process. (But most people dont know their situation is far from the Everest-sized task, until they get into it and realize the end is in sight. Let me convince you, or throw you a rope... you just have to ask!) HERE'S THE FIRST VIDEO. Think of it in a less overwhelming context- like [...]

By |2022-03-24T13:44:53+00:00April 6, 2020|managing photos|
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Let’s do this!

Now is the PERFECT time to get those photos managed... or at least SOME of them so you can ENJOY them.  No, I'm not shouting, just using the CAPS to express my enthusiasm and encouragement during this strange new "normal" we're working with. "Social Distancing" is a term I never imagined but am so thankful for all officials, experts and those in positions of authority have.  Since so much of my services are done with "in home" interaction (and quite honestly I miss visiting my clients dearly) I have put some learning and lots of time into making some videos so you could feel like I am with you. NO WAY would I claim these videos to be professional quality... they're perfectly imperfect. However humans are not perfect, we are relational and I hope you feel better connected, empowered and supported by receiving these videos (which can always be replayed if you forgot something!) ;) Well, here's the first one of a series to [...]

By |2020-04-02T14:50:21+00:00April 2, 2020|Uncategorized|
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Why Bother?

OK, so maybe it sounds like a lot of rambling, but really knowing WHY you want to start a project and WHAT YOUR DESIRED OUTCOME IS, will make sure you make the most beneficial decisions. When getting your photos managed, there are TONS of choices but I offer you these thoughts (through video link) to offer you a personal reflection based on decades of working with family memories and those of clients. I have learned how to WASTE time and money, and that's why I come to you in hopes of helping you do a better job of "time-proofing" your memories in formats that will serve you now and down the line. Why put something away twice when you can get it categorized and easy to access THE FIRST TIME? Let me know what questions come up after you VIEW THIS VIDEO MESSAGE.

By |2022-03-24T13:45:23+00:00April 2, 2020|managing photos|
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