One day as I sat in the floor of my bedroom closet, I found a large box of photographs. As I sat looking through pictures of my daughter's birth, the first trip my husband and I ever took to the beach and many other family moments, I realized they were scattered and unorganized. It made me feel kind of sad, that I had not cared for these precious memories better. I decided right then and there, that there was a better way to keep all these memories intact, not only for me, but for my children in the years to come.

• Photos, Photos, Everywhere!

First, gather all the photographs that you have jammed into drawers, boxes, storage bins and those "icky" peel and stick photo albums. Although it will take some time, go through them and put them in different stacks according to chronological order. Take large plastic press and seal bags and as you sort your photos, label each bag accordingly. Don't be discouraged when you see a mass of photographs lying in front of you. These are precious times with your family, friends, children and pets. These are tools that your children will use to show their children what their childhood was like. Once they are all sorted, put the bags in order of time and separate into vacations, birthdays, baby, achievements and miscellaneous.

• Gather your Supplies

Great items are available to suit your style and taste. Ebay offers many different options to use when preserving your most precious moments. You will need:

1. Album
2. Paper
3. Glue Stick or Adhesive Strips
4. Scissors
5. Stickers
6. Pens
7. Colored card stock paper pieces
8. Your Photographs
9. Embellishments ( ribbons, buttons, die-cuts, momentos)
10. Waste Basket

If you plan to shop on Ebay for scrapbooking supplies, it is simple and fast. Many items are available for scrapbooking and you will have a large array of brands and styles. Click the BUY tab on the top of the screen in Ebay and type in "scrapbooking". Decide ahead of time what you will need and are looking for and then search for those particular items.

• Get Scrapping!

Make sure that you have plenty of room for your new craft, and have all items listed above ready and accessible. Pick out what pictures you want to start with and what theme or color scheme you want to use. Pick your paper background and lay it out in front of you. Select your pictures for that page and cut them into different shapes, deleting all of the space on your photo that is not interesting, or not needed. Select a card stock paper color that will go with your theme and cut it slightly larger than your picture. This will "frame" your photo on your page and make it "pop". After framing all of the photos for that layout, decide where you want them on your page and adhere them to the paper. Add stickers, embellishments, keepsakes that are from that memory, etc. Be sure to journal what the photos are about, what the event was, special tidbits about the photos and what you want the person looking at them to remember or know. Once the layout is complete, attach it to a page in your photo album and continue on with the next layout.

• Sticking with It.

Once you get started preserving your memories it is difficult to stop. When you look back on your pages, you will find yourself going back into time. The first day of school, their first step, your wedding day. Sit down with your family or children and look at them together. Tell them the stories that go with your album. They will ask over and over to look at the scrapbook and more than likely ask to hear the stories all over again. Don't give up. It is a time consuming hobby and it takes dedication to see it through.  Once your are finished, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and pride at your work. When you are able to pass your albums on, it will make all those late nights and effort worth it.