This Is How It All Began...

A journey to remember . . .

In 1998, when we had five kids under the age of five between us, we thought it would be fun to start a business teaching other people how to scrapbook. Before we knew it, we were developing photo organizing products and teaching ourselves how to build a website and market through the World Wide Web (back in the EARLY days of the internet).

We're not sure how we did it, but in the midst of raising our families and running this business, we also raised nearly $20,000 for Camp Sunshine (a retreat program for families of children with life threatening illness) and we literally wrote the book on organizing and preserving photographs.

We've enjoyed interacting with thousands of wonderful people over the years, and our customers feel like pen pals.

We now find ourselves on the other end of our parenting duties.  As our children are entering college and establishing their own lives, it seems time for us to also explore new adventures.

After fifteen years, we HAD decided to let go of Organized Photos (The Sentimental Playground, LLC). However, after sending this letter to our many wonderful subscribers and getting such kind well wishes and feedback, I decided that there was a need for a resource site. 

So, while we no longer have product to sell, there is still information to share and I have put it all in this website so that you will always have a resource to fall back on. I hope that if you need motivation, advice, tips or resources that you may have recalled from a past newsletter, that you can refer back to OrganizedPhotos.com to get your answers. 

Warmest Wishes, Tracey

And, Here's Why...

Feeling Frazzled By Your Photos?!


You’re not alone. And there is hope. 

That’s what we want you to understand, and that’s why we’re here. 

Our names are Chris Sutton and Tracey DuBois. As owners of The Sentimental Playground, LLC and producers of the acclaimed Treasure Your Memories video, we have helped countless people preserve and enjoy their precious photographs. 

We have created this website so that you’ll know exactly what you need to do to keep your photos safe, and you’ll know the absolute easiest ways to get yourself organized – once and for all! 

Our goal is to help you find the joy in your photos once again. 

But, if you’re going to know anything about us, then we might as well get this out in the open right up front. We have a confession to make . . . 

Up until very recently, we did NOT have completely organized photo collections! (Did we just say that out loud?) It’s true! … 

So if you have visions of our longstanding, meticulously arranged and painstakingly documented photo libraries in your head, then we feel compelled to inform you that your perception is slightly askew. 

If so, then do accept our apologies. But at least this way we can sleep at night. If you’re going to put your trust in us, then we need to be worthy of that trust. And how can we foster a relationship of trust if your perception of us is based somewhere other than reality? 

We often refer to ourselves as self-confessed organizing fanatics. What we mean by that is not that we’re fanatically organized but that we’re fanatic about trying to get organized. We are constantly searching for ways to improve and to gain control over some small pocket of our lives. 

We were SO out of control with our own pictures, and feeling in desperate need for help that we went on a somewhat frantic search for solutions. When we didn’t find what we needed, we were driven to create our own solution. (That’s where the fanatical part comes in.) 

So we created a very simple line of products that solves the problem of organizing photographs and negatives. Because life gets hectic, we knew we needed to create something that was super easy to use and covered all the bases at once. (Translation: the solution had to be safe for our photographs so that we’d be organizing and preserving at the same time AND it had to allow us to record our memories right then and there because we knew we’d never “get back to it”.) 

It seems that as soon as we solved that problem, we discovered another. You can have the most amazing solution, and still not take action! 

Sometimes you need a strong dose of motivation, or even just a little bit of support. 

That’s why we created Save Your Photos and Your Sanity™, a step-by-step plan for organizing and protecting your entire photo collection in as little as 10 days . . . without losing your mind! 

We knew there were so many people out there like us that were overwhelmed with the “seemingly monumental” (o.k. make that “monumental”) task of organizing their photographs. 

It’s just too big of a job to go it alone. We all need support, encouragement, and even just the sense that we’re not alone in our struggle. So getting back to that confession thing . . . We needed Save Your Photos and Your Sanity™ as much as you do! 

We poured ourselves into creating the most comprehensive and fun program possible, and just like you, we try to follow that advice! 

We tell you this not so that you’ll wonder whether or not we’re really qualified to help you, but so that you’ll realize that in our imperfection, we are perfectly qualified to help you. What could we truly offer you if organizing photographs came easily to us? 

How could we possibly relate to your needs if we could organize photographs as easily as we could breathe? 

We understand you, because we are “you”. We’re real people who, until recently, felt overwhelmed by the task of organizing our massive photo collections. 

We found some answers because we needed answers. 

We dedicated two years to uncovering every tip, every secret, every possible method for simplifying the process of organizing and preserving our precious photographs and memories. 

And after writing Save Your Photos and Your Sanity™ and following our own helpful advice ;-), we can proudly report that our not-so-perfect photo collections are finally organized! 

Not perfectly organized, but very reasonably organized, and we were able to accomplish this, once and for all, by following the guidelines outlined in the book. 

Our photo collections may not be “perfect” but they are safely organized in a way that makes sense to us. Finally, we are enjoying the peace of mind that comes from knowing that we’ve protected our family’s most prized possessions. 

We’re thrilled to share what we’ve learned so that you too can get your photos organized once and for all, and so that you can enjoy this same peace of mind. 
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"I'm thrilled to find your website! You are right on the mark on all of the information provided. The organizing part of photo preservation is SO important, and not stressed enough. So many people will never "scrapbook" but have the huge guilt of not having done anything with their precious photos hanging over their head. I have been preaching this for awhile. So much so, that I have started a photo organizing service for people. After reading your info, I feel like I'm no longer "alone"! Keep up the great work" 

-- Mariette A.
"I was reading an article in the Grand Rapids Press today about scrapbooking. I have been scrapping with family and friends for about 5 years now and since your website was mentioned in the article I thought I would take a look. I have been to all the stores and all the websites, TV and even huge scrapbooking events, but your organizing ideas are the best I have seen to date! Your organizational products and ideas are simple, no nonsense, quick, effective and moderately priced."

Donna G.
I have started on this project too long ago actually. I had started it before I found your book. Originally I set up two long tables in a large room which is seldom used. I got all of my pictures together which are NUMEROUS and just didn't know where to go from there!!! I decided then to look online to see if I could find some help and THANK GOD found your website. I immediately ordered your book and started to read it. It was just what I needed! What a great idea you two had to create this program. Just about everyone I talk to has the same story of a need to organize pics and they don't know where to start. Of course you hear that ALL the time I'm sure...I will be giving your website address to my friends, and I hope you're able to continue with this endeavor because it is much needed! 

Your happy client,
Lois