Make and Takes » Guest Make and Taker

Meet Some Creative “Designing Moms”

Marie — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:06:04 +0000

Guest Post by Cat of Designing Moms

Inspired would be one word to describe the way I feel about the company I keep at Designing Moms. There’s always a lot of crafty goodness emerging from either their studios or homes and I thought it’d be fun to share some of their recent Halloween creations.

The studio of Designing Mom Shinmin of I Dream of Cake was designed like an art gallery because her cakes are just that…artful, dreamy, and too good to be true! I have also been lucky enough to sample some of her cakes and they are as mouth-watering delicious as they look.

The festive Haunted House and Spider cakes (above) were created for the Halloween party of a client who wanted something children friendly. And the Jack-o-lantern cake was created for a Halloween wedding with a “Night of the Living Dead” theme! Some of the challenges Shinmin faced with the Jack-o-lantern cake were having to put a thin layer of black chocolate on the cakes and cutting a pattern from the outside layer of icing. “We had to do this quickly before the icing dried and then carefully place over the black chocolate in order to avoid cracking of icing.” In addition, Shinmin created a mini Jack-o-lantern cake for the bride because she was allergic to gluten. And if you’re wondering about those little berries or the stems on the pumpkins… the answer is yes, everything on those wonderful cakes are edible!

Amy is one of the three talented designers at February 13 Creative. Together with Betsy and Pamela, their collaboration in past projects inspired them to unite and become a true triple threat! Some of their designs will be featured on Robert Kaufman fabrics soon and I can’t wait to see them. On Designing Moms they are our “Make” contributors and have wowed us with “Treasure Cards” and even a “Where the Wild Things Are” Halloween costume. Above are some Halloween paper garlands that Amy fashioned with her daughter. They were inspired by the traditional paper doll chains, except that Amy chose fun motifs like bats, ghosts and candy corn.

I happen to design a stationery and custom wedding line called Cat Seto. My design assistant is passionate about the environment and so we used that as inspiration in creating our eco-friendly desk calendar. I won’t lie, trying to find 100% PCW, chlorine free papers that held the ink vividly was a bit of a challenge. It also took a lot of experimenting to find enough reclaimed lumber with the right shade and texture (our first test batches came back with so many splits and stains we must have been quite the sight standing out on the sidewalk trying to sand them down!). With some persistence we finally got it right and are so pleased we took the extra time to make sure the product remained eco-friendly.

I have a stationery and custom wedding line called Cat Seto that features my illustrations and watercolor designs. Our studios and boutique are located in San Francisco (just around the corner where the Crooked Sreet is!). I also write the blog Designing Moms which is a collective of creative moms who design for a living. The blog features daily projects, cool design finds and snippets of our lives juggling both mom and career.

Share and Bookmark:

Related Posts:

How to Shop the Local Farmers Market

Marie — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 09:50:20 +0000

Vanessa from I Never Grew Up is here again as my guest today. She’s sharing her knowledge on Farmers Markets and how to get the most from your Saturday morning experience.

Farmer’s market season is in full bloom; fortunately they are becoming more prevalent each year in cities around the country and the world. You can use farmers markets as a wonderful teaching tool for your children. They will come to understand so much more about the food they eat: where food comes from; the harvesting of crops; fair and healthy ways to raise animals for meat; why going organic is important for your health; how to support local farmers in your area. As you know children are more likely to become healthy eaters when they are involved in the cooking process. Can you imagine the possibilities when they not only help you cook a meal but also learn about the food you use and pick it out themselves?!

Our little family can’t wait for Saturday morning when we pile in the car to spend quality time together at the Salt Lake City Farmers Market. The girls are excited to hold their own bags and find their own treasures. As parents we are thrilled to know we are teaching them so many important things while we are there. Farmers markets are full of diversity, vendors who put a lot of quality time and love into their products and of course some pretty yummy food.??Having a successful farmers market trip does require a bit of planning so I wanted to share with Make & Takes readers how our family gets ready for our trip to the local farmers market.

1. Educate yourself on what crops are harvested at what times so you will know what is available. You can do this by checking a book out from the library, searching online or talking to the farmers at the farmers market the week before. They are happy to share with you what crops are ready during certain weeks and get you excited to come back and buy from them some more. My personal favorite resource is the book; In Season: Cooking with Vegetable and Fruits by Sarah Raven it splits everything into chapters by season, explains what is harvesting and accompanies it with fantastic recipes. I start by writing the items I know will most likely be at the market and revolve my menu plan around that.

2. Put together a meal plan for the week and involve your family in the planning! When you plan your meals you will waste less food and end up saving more on groceries. It will get your kids excited to go to the farmers market, participate in the cooking and the best of all, actually eat their dinner! You will feel good knowing their meals are going to be full of fresh, nutritious fruits, vegetables, cheeses and meats.

3. Schedule it on the calendar so it actually happens and arrive as early as you can! We don’t even worry about feeding our girls; we hop in the car and let them buy their breakfast at the market. Arriving early will give you the best selection of crops, helps you beat the crowds and have more fun with your kids!

4. When you arrive take the time to quickly “window shop” to get a feel for the market. Make a mental (or physical) note of the stands that looked like they had the best quality, best deals or items that were new and interesting to you. When people offer you a sample, try it, it is the best way to know if you will like what you end up buying.

5. Be brave and try new things. Never had goat cheese yogurt or artichoke pesto? Try a sample and encourage your kids to taste test as well. They will be caught up in the fun and excitement of the market and will be more willing to jump in and try foods you normally wouldn’t see anywhere near their mouths.

6. Shop away! I buy EVERYTHING we need for the week at the farmers market. I end up spending anywhere from $100-$150 per Saturday. But even if you wanted to just prepare one or two meals during the week from purchases made at the farmers market it would be well worth the trip and just as much fun for your family.

7. Don’t buy food you won’t use that week and be even more careful with certain crops that spoil more quickly. When you do buy fresh, local food and sometimes organic food it often spoils sooner, which is just part of buying locally and organically. We love fresh berries from the market but we know during those first couple days we can use them in certain recipes that call for fresh berries, but if we want to use them later in the week we need to freeze them, which is perfect for yummy smoothies, sorbets and ice creams.??Hopefully these tips have helped get you ready for your visit to your local farmers market. Hope to see you there!

Thanks, Vanessa. Great tips! I love going to the local Farmer’s Market. How can you pass up such fabulously fresh produce?!

Share and Bookmark:

Related Posts:

DIY Reusable Lunch Set for School

Marie — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:32:32 +0000

I’m happy to have Amy from Progressive Pioneer here as my guest today. Her blog is all about getting back to the basics of life. She’s sharing a great way to pack your kids lunch by using reusable items.

It’s back-to-school time! Instead of oodles of plastic bags and disposable accoutrements, how about a cute, reusable lunch sack, sandwich bag, and a few sources for thermoses and silverware? I made mine out of an old pair of jeans so there was minimal sewing involved. In fact, the whole project is so simple you might be tempted to have your kids make their own lunch sets!

Cut off a good length of the pant leg. I always think regular lunch sacks are too short to roll down and make a good place to hold, so mine is quite long. Turn it inside out and stitch the bottom end closed. Mine was hand sewn as I made it while at a cabin, but I’ll probably reinforce the seams with a machine so it’s sturdier.

To finish the bottom you’ll turn the bag right side out again and fold in the corners to make two triangles. Then sew those down flat. Think of those sturdy L.L. Bean bags.

Next hem the top of the bag (unless you’re lucky enough to find an old pair of jeans with hems still intact!). If you’re so inclined you could add some pockets inside or out and even sew a strip of cloth along the inside with a few loops to keep silverware in place.

This sandwich holder is little more than a cloth napkin with Velcro tabs to keep it wrapped tight. You could even use a small cloth napkin and skip the sewing. I simply hemmed the sides of a piece of cotton cloth, eyeballing it for size (you might want to lay a slice of bread on it to get an idea; don’t forget to factor in the hems!).

On the top left side you’ll tack down two pieces of the “grippy” side of the Velcro. On the right underside you’ll tack down two squares of the fuzzy side of the Velcro. Test it out before you sew them on permanently though so you get them in the right spot. The sandwich cover can be used as a napkin or laid down on the grass for a little picnic. Throw them in the wash just like you would cloth napkins. I’d make half a dozen or more so you always have clean ones.

We like stainless steel thermoses and sippy cups. They don’t give your water that plasticky taste or leach yucky chemicals into the drinks. Kleen Kanteen is a good one to try or Sigg if you want to get fancier. And if you’re packing things that require forks or spoons consider using bamboo utensils; it’s cute, inexpensive, biodegradable (throw it in your compost pile!) and renewable (it grows really quickly!). You can often find them at Whole Foods or Eco Bags. Now just add some healthy snacks and a shady spot under a tree and you’re ready to go!

Thanks, Amy. These look easy and fun to make, helping the environment and saving us money. Come see more from Amy at the Progressive Pioneer, I love this great tutorial on canning, which I’m getting ready to do.

Share and Bookmark:

Related Posts:

A Few Simple Productivity Tools & Tips

Jordan — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:23:33 +0000

For my first post on Make and Takes, I thought I’d start with something near and dear to my heart: Productivity.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m probably the worst procrastinator I know so, unfortunately, “productivity” is a topic that I’ve been forced to become very familiar with. Listed below are some of my favorite free productivity tools and tips that have helped me be a bit more productive:

Remember the Milk: this simple task management tool (aka glorified to do list manager) is great at organizing your everyday tasks. You can easily manage and label your tasks by priority, due dates, and categories. This free tool is very flexible, allowing you to customize the organization of your tasks in many different ways. See their blog and forum for helpful tips on using this great tool.

Evernote: I don’t know about you, but I’m terrible at keeping track of post-it notes or hand written methods of note-taking. I’ve tried many different digital note capturing tools over the years and Evernote is far and away my favorite. Try it – I promise that you’ll love it (just ask Marie)

Google Reader: Most people are familiar with the concept of an RSS Feed Reader (aka Feed Aggregator), such as Google Reader, Bloglines, Netvibes, etc… but if you’re not using a Feed Reader of some kind, you are probably wasting a lot of valuable time surfing your favorite blogs and news sites. For more information on RSS Feed Readers, watch this video. Also, if you haven’t already, don’t forget to Subscribe to the Make and Takes Feed!

Don’t Break the Chain: Based on a motivational technique purportedly used by Jerry Seinfeld – this simple tool allows you to set a goal and mark off the days you complete the goal on a calendar, using the “chain” as a motivation technique. I’m working on my mind-blowing three day chain of “No Liquid Calories”

RunPee: This isn’t really a productivity tool, per se, but it can definitely make your life much less painful if you have a weak bladder. This useful website lists ideal times during a movie to run to the bathroom. With the summer movie blockbuster season in full swing, this handy little tool should provide some much needed relief :)

Additional Useful Articles & Blogs on Productivity:

Simple Mom: Start Your Day by Eating a Frog
43 Folders: Getting Started with “Getting Things Done”
Zen Habits: The Beginners Guide to Zen Habits
LifeHacker: Tips and Downloads for Getting Things Done
Randy Pausch Lecture: Time Management

What other tools and resources do you use for better managing your day? Please Share!

Jordan is the lesser half of Marie. He’s a search marketing and web analytics geek at Omniture. To read more of his pearls of wisdom you can follow him on Twitter.

Share and Bookmark:

No related posts.

Your Prescription for Kitchen Sanity

Marie — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 10:13:08 +0000

Ciaran is here from PopShopology as my guest today. She’s prescribing some kitchen essentials to help us Stay Sane In the Kitchen.

Do you find yourself drawn to housewares when you’ve had a bad day? Is Williams-Sonoma your “Happy Place”? Here’s five retail therapy prescriptions sure to lift the spirits of a gadget freak, without having to book a session with shrink!

For: Empty Nest Syndrome, Cute-a-holics

Missing your kids? Want to make breakfast more special while they are still little? This mini egg pan is just adorable and will cook up perfect egg sandwich sized sunnies every time.

For: Clumsiness, Embarrassment, Stick in the mud syndrome

Do you shy away from the unfamiliar for fear of food falling all over you? Now even spazzy peeps can get down with the chopsticks! In all those fun colors, no one will ever suspect that you used to be so uncool.

For: Boredom, Fussiness, Underachievers

Is your kid’s lunchbox a snooze fest? Sick of the same old sandwiches? How about packing an Octodog! Suddenly you’re supermom!

For: Control Freaks, Middle Managers, Those in need of Cheering up

You know how your kids want to help you, and then they do it wrong, and you yell and they cry and then everyone ends up muttering something about wire hangers? Finally there is a fun and important task that they can do well, without your having to freak out or anyone losing an eye. The cherry chomper works like a charm on those pesky pits.

For: Sluggishness, Flatness, Putting on the Ritz

Has your life lost it’s sparkle somewhat lately? Could you use a little lift? How about a little fizz? Put a little soignee sizzle in your daily beverage selection with this adorable soda maker. It’s so cute that you have to smile and it works so well it’s just amazing! Good for the environment and your wallet. One soda canister makes hundreds of beverages using your own tap water.

Thanks, Ciaran. You can see more ‘Retail Therapy’ over at her blog PopShopology. Or check out here twitter page Momfluential!

Share and Bookmark:

Related Posts:

Blue Jean Pot Holders

Lotsa Hotsa Taco Filling

Marie — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 09:10:08 +0000

My big brother Randall is joining us today in the kitchen. He’s one of those great dudes that shares his talent of cooking with the family. He currently lives in Chico, CA, but graced us with his presence a few weeks back, sharing how to make his Fantastic-o Spicy Hot Tacos! He likes them HOT – like burn your mouth, get me some ice cold milk – HOT, but also made a ’slightly’ less hot version for me (I’m a wimp!)

Recipe for Randall’s Spicy Taco Filling:

1 lb ground round beef (lean,about 90%)
1/3 white onion chopped about 1/2 cup
1/3 green pepper diced about 1/2 cup
1 (or 2 or 3) Jalapeno peppers(seeded, minced)
1 15oz can tomato sauce (sauce, not paste)
1/2 cup store bought salsa, Hot.
Sharp cheddar cheese, 6-8 oz, shredded
1/3 head of lettuce, chopped
2 small or 1 large tomato, seeded, diced, about 1 cup
Any type of salsa, Hot style.
1/8 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp balck pepper
18-pack of hard Taco shells, yellow corn

Brown and drain your ground beef. Using the fat from the meat, cook your onions. Once they’re translucent (clear), add the green pepper and jalapeno. When the veggies are soft, add Tomoto sauce, 1/4 cup water (which I use to rinse the sauce cans out and squeeze out every bit of good stuff) and 1/4 cup salsa. Stir and simmer on low heat. After 2-3 minutes, run a taste test for pepper heat. If too mild, add another 1/4 cup of salsa. Check for heat. If too mild, add another 1/4 cup salsa, and next time, use more jalapenos. (For example, one Jalapeno and 1/4 cup salsa is considered just right for my parents and 3 jalapenos and 1/2 cup salsa is perfect for me). Part of the reason for the salsa is that there are some agents (flour, gum, etc) in the salsa that help the sauce set up. One option I like is the Safeway Select Southwest version with little kernels of corn. Almost any salsa will add it’s own unique zing.

Simmer, stirring every few ,minutes, until taco sauce sets up (to check this, pull all meat and sauce to the sides of the skillet and see if liquid drains to the center, 10-20 minutes). When sauce has set, shut off heat and let sit for a minute to cool before serving.

A great trick for dicing up tomatoes is to squeeze out the seeds first. Cut a hole at the top and squeeze over the sink. Now there’s less mess as you dice them up.

I usually serve kitchen buffet style, letting everyone build their own tacos (part of the fun). Build your Tacos with 1 spoonful of meat-sauce(about 1/3-1/2 filling the taco shell), sprinkle cheese on top of the meat so it melts, top with lettuce and tomato. This recipe serves 4 adults or 2 teenage boys, so double or triple for more eaters. Exact measurements for everything really aren’t needed – the key is to cook it all down so that the sauce is not drippy. I don’t think I’ve ever been unhappy with the result, no matter what (ok, I don’t think too highly of the low heat version I serve my parents).

Thanks, Bro! These tacos were delicious. I can’t wait to make them again, but with a little less heat, like I said, I’m super wimpy!! He even suggests using the leftovers for a taco salad the next day, using the taco shells that broke, as there’s always a few that do. Yum!

Share and Bookmark:

Related Posts:

Cultivating Relationships with Kids

Marie — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 10:34:01 +0000

I’m happy to be guest posting today over at Mom it Forward! These gals are always passing on the love, hence the name, Mom it Forward! Whether it’s through their #gno Twitter Parties, Service Projects, or Tweetups around town, there’s something for everyone at Mom it Forward.

Their theme for the upcoming month is Relationships and I’m guest posting about Cultivating Relationships with Kids Through Crafts. Come share how your relationships are strengthened while crafting with your kids.

Share and Bookmark:

Related Posts:

Are You a Yoga Mama?

Marie — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:44:47 +0000

If you’re a Yoga Mama or if you want to be one, then this is the post for you. One of my best friends, Sabrena, is my yoga expert and I asked her to guest post today, filling us in on how great yoga can be for you in any shape or form. Sabrena, 9 months pregnant and due any day now, has been active with yoga all throughout her pregnancy. So, read below for some great information, then visit Sabrena’s Blog Suite Spots and send her some baby delivering love. (Doesn’t she look fabulous in these photos?!)

Years ago, my former boss gave me a genius idea: “I never make New Year’s Resolutions until February.” I get her logic. By that time, you’ve cleared out the Christmas fudge and the majority of the other “temptations”; likewise with February being the shortest of the year, you can vow to do anything for a month. So why not something that relieves stress, promotes overall wellness and balance, and is a great workout at any level (and in some cases is said to lead to enlightenment)? I don’t remember Jane Fonda promising that in the 80s, even with her fancy yellow uni-tard and leg warmers.

Yoga has saved me through my pregnancy. For five weeks of my first trimester, I was finishing up my certification at FlowYoga SLC to be a registered yoga teacher. With two – four hours a day of “practice” in asana alone (fancy Sanskrit word for postures) there was really no time for morning sickness! It also gave me a chance to meditate on the blessing in my womb and connect with this baby like I never would’ve imagined (he’s apparently coming any day now).

For those of you not on the chakra-aligning-bandwagon, I’ll admit a little skepticism and apprehension when I first came into yoga a couple of years ago. (You can even read my antics about it at my blog) And my husband cursing the heavens on his neighboring yoga mat did not help! We were newlyweds who had each put on a little (ok, a lot!) of “happy-fat.” He said his face was looking like a football; I was ready to trade up my “fat jeans.” It was time to expand our horizons, not our belt loops.

But toning up is not the only benefit of yoga. The act of staying focused, meditation and calming the mind (if even for a moment or two) can do wonders for overall health. The web’s choc full of stories and studies about the health effects of stress on an individual – and when you take into account the added hormones a woman is constantly dealing with (thank you lunar cycle and mother nature), it’s obvious we could all benefit from a little less craziness in our lives – or at least some tools to balance and counteract the madness).

As for pregnant goddesses (what the yoga community deems those great with child), stress is something you absolutely want to keep in check:

“A few studies have found an association between high levels of stress and preterm birth. The theory is that severe stress can lead to the release of hormones that can trigger uterine contractions and preterm labor.” – From baby.com
“What to Expect” what I deem the encyclopedia for new (and returning) mommies says that “Yoga encourages relaxation, focus, and paying attention to your breathing — so it’s just about perfect for pregnancy (and great preparation for childbirth).”
In “Raising Baby Green: The Earth-Friendly Guide to Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Baby Care,” Alan Greene, M.D. explains that “with its emphasis on harmony and balance, it is a beautiful metaphor for raising baby green.” He then goes on to cite two studies about pre-natal yoga showcasing benefits like decreased chances of developing hypertension and low birth weights (and the studies compared moms who walked an hour vs. pre-natal yoga!)
But it’s not just about the mommy-and-me sector, Yoga is practice for life.

So where to start?

Just like Make and Takes projects, yoga options come in all shapes and sizes. Some are more physically challenging, others are geared specifically to relaxation. Instructional possibilities (whether your preggers or not) run the media gamut from private lessons and studios to DVDs, podcasts and books. Information can be found all over the internet (Yoga Journal is a great place to start!). In the states, if you’re taking the studio/private lesson route, I suggest “receiving” from a teacher who’s registered with Yoga Alliance. It’s not a certification program, but you your guaranteed the teacher has been through some time of teacher training program that complies with minimum educational standards established by the organization.

If that all sounds overwhelming, you can start with some basic stretches for stress relief –as described in the recent news story featured on Utah’s KSL Channel 5. (I’ve got a cameo in the front left corner of the room!) Even the simplest act of practicing “presence” will bring a little more balance, and that’s something to “OM” about.

Namaste, Sabrena

Thanks, Sabrena. Good luck with your delivery and new little baby. I’ll be asking you to come back soon and give us a lesson on yoga with baby, my little one would love it!

Sabrena can be reached at ssuitemangu[at]gmail[dot]com for questions about yoga or to inquire about special beginning rates/packages for private/group sessions.

Share and Bookmark:

Related Posts:

5 Easy Steps to Taking Great Pictures of Kids

Marie — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 10:31:54 +0000

I’m so happy to share the photography knowledge and skills of Jessica of Mom Shots! Her blog has great tips and tricks for taking photos of kids, something I need major help with. My kids can’t sit still, I have to take 500 shots just to get the one good one! So I’ve asked Jessica to give us all some easy steps for taking pictures of kids, and using any old camera!

Jessica:

I’m really excited to be a guest at Make and Takes. It is one of my favorite blogs to read and I always find great inspiration here for fun projects with my kids. (Thanks!)

I want to share with you a few simple steps to help you take great pictures of your kids. You don’t have to have a fancy-shmancy camera to get good pictures and with these tips you will find your pictures looking even better! Anyone can follow a few simple guidelines and end up with beautiful results. You can use these tips independently or together and you will love your new found photographic skills!

Tip #1: Focus on the Eyes.

We all have heard that “the eyes are the windows to the soul”. I don’t know about that but I do know that when you can clearly see your subjects eyes you feel a more personal connection. The personal connection brings in your audience and makes them really feel and enjoy your picture more. This includes you too.

Focusing on the eyes also ensures that your child’s face will be in focus and not some other random body part!

Before you think to yourself, “I can’t get my kid to sit still long enough for a picture, let alone get them to look at me.” Don’t worry about that. You don’t necessarily need to have your child looking at you to get a great shot. I have some great shots of my kids running away from me!

Tip #2: Get Down on Their Level.

We look at children from above all day long. Kids tend to be shorter than adults. It’s just nature. One way to make us take notice of a photograph of a child is to take a picture from a different perspective then we are used to viewing them. Bend your knees and get down to their level. You will really notice the results!

Tip #3: Get Close, Real Close.

Get in there and make their face fill your entire view finder. You can show that beautiful little mug in all its glory by using your zoom feature or just getting in their face. Don’t worry about cutting off the top of their head or chin. If that happens it is fine. If it doesn’t happen it is fine also. Either ways will look great!

Tip #4: Be Aware of the Background.

Often when we have our camera in front of our face, we are focusing on what cute thing our little cutie is doing. We sometimes forget about what is behind them and how it is going to look in a picture. If we don’t pay attention to the background we will end up with photos of things that can detract from the beauty of our children. We can also end up with some pretty funny looking pictures – like telephone poles or trees growing out of heads. Not the kind of photo we want to look at over and over!

Tip #5: Try New Angles.

Mix it up. Use your camera to look at your child through a new angle. This can be fun and exciting. Try shooting from below or from way above. Try turning your camera a little and tipping it forward. Try laying on the ground or setting your camera on the pillow next to your sleeping baby’s head. Be creative and have fun!

Since photographing children is never easy, I want to throw in a few Bonus Tips for you as well.

If your camera has a Sports Mode or Child Mode, try using that instead of Auto. Those modes are designed to capture clear shots of fast moving subjects and we all know how fast moving our children can be. Especially when you want them to sit still for one simple photograph!!!
Try sticking your wiggly kids in a bucket, basket or other container. The novelty of it will keep them occupied for a few seconds and you can get some fun shots without them running away. See the shot above with my son in the wooden basket. He loved getting his picture taken that day. The bonus for me was that he wasn’t running all over the place so I could actually get a few nice shots.
Read your camera manual. Learn how to use your camera and all the great features it offers. Each camera has so many really useful and fun features that you can use to get some really creative shots. Don’t be intimidated by that manual. It isn’t really as hard to understand or as boring as you might think. When you finish reading it you will be the master of your camera and your photographs will improve drastically!
Shoot, shoot and shoot some more. Take as many shots as you can. Don’t be afraid to take a ton of pictures. You are more likely to get some good ones if you take a whole bunch. Just delete the ones you don’t like and keep the ones you do.
Don’t forget to get some photos of you. Often one parent is behind the camera and never ends up in any photos. I’m speaking from personal experience here; make sure that you give the camera to other people or use your timer so that you can be in some shots. This is very important. Your children need to know what you looked like when they were two.

Taking photos of our children is so important. It freezes memories in a time capsule and helps to convey our feelings and emotions. Our children will be thankful to have photos from their childhood and we will be glad we were able to capture those memories. Most important, have fun and don’t give up. You won’t be sorry!

Thank you, Jessica! These are fabulous tips! Now we all need to practice. Tell me how it goes for you and put a link to your blog if you post your great pictures!

Share and Bookmark:

Related Posts:

Celebrate with i Lash Girls

Marie — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:20:34 +0000

I’m excited to be guest posting over at i Lash Girls. This fun blog is a gathering place for women to be inspired and find a community. They focus on one word a month and for December it’s Celebrate. So, come on over to i Lash Girls where I’ve put together a few fun activities to help “celebrate” this holiday season.

Share and Bookmark:

No related posts.