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5 Tips to Stress-Free Family Pictures

posted in family, inspiration, lifestyle, money saving tips by Hanna on
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but regular family pictures have become a very popular thing. I can count on one hand how many times my family got pictures taken growing up. Now it seems like family pictures are a yearly event trend. Don’t get me wrong, I like the idea of having cute, regular family pictures just as much as the next gal but it can sometimes be an event that comes close to giving me an ulcer! From finding the right photographer that is affordable; figuring out what everyone will wear; convincing my husband that family pictures are as necessary as I think they are; to stressing over if my kids will be good so it’s not a waste of time and money– in the end it has left me most often dreading family pictures.
With some experience being both behind the camera taking the pictures and in front having my picture taken, I’ve learned a few tips that will make the process easier and more stress free while getting the most for your money.
1. Find a photographer that fits your style and charges a price that you are comfortable paying. If you look hard enough there is a photography out there that will fit within just about any price range. However, most often the more a photographer charges the better the quality you will get. If you’re wanting to get pictures done regularly maybe choose a more experienced photographer every couple of years and do cheaper/ less experienced photographers in between. (For example, this photo shoot of Sara’s family I did while I was in Oregon since I am be NO means a real photographer!) Also, I have learned that each photographer has their own style of taking and editing pictures. This will make a huge difference on whether you like your pictures or not so make sure you choose one you like.
2. Decide what’s going to look the best in your house. I often look to the color scheme and style of my house to draw inspiration for pictures and what we will wear. By doing this you can be assured that your family pictures will work great hanging up in your house.
3. If mamma’s happy everyone is happy! I read somewhere that the mother should dress herself first in something she loves and then dress everyone else to match. I couldn’t agree more! Let’s be honest, we’re the most self-conscious when it comes to having our pictures taken so if we’re wearing something we feel awesome in we’ll be happy and so will the rest of the family. 
4. Don’t stress your kids out by threatening them if they don’t smile. I once took pictures for a family where the mother was threatening her kids the whole time that they wouldn’t get ice cream after the shoot if they didn’t smile. I think this just stressed the kids out more. Treat pictures like a family outing. Perhaps even go early to the location to give the kids time to explore, have fun and get their wiggles out.
5. Have a game plan of how you are going to use your new family pictures. Don’t let the money you spend on getting your family pictures taken go to waste by letting them sit on your computer. Having an idea of what poses you want and where you will be hanging them will allow you to have an idea of what you want to get out of your photo session. For example, I prefer a traditional close up shot of the family to hang in a big frame in my living room.
*For those of you who are really confused. While you get to enjoy picture’s of Sara’s adorable family, it’s actually me, Hanna, writing the post. As for a little back story behind these photos Sara was brave enough to have me take some family pictures for her while I was out in Oregon last weekend. I haven’t done something like this for a while and again I am NO pro-photographer! We decided to drive around to find some open fields for pictures. Long story short, after tramping around in the fields for a few pictures Sara’s husband ended up having a major allergic reaction to it all (the fields, not the family photos) and ended up with red swollen eyes and legs deeming the end of family pictures. Luckily we were able to get some good shots before the outbreak… What men do to please their wife’s!

Weekend Getaway

posted in blogging, family by Sara on
Hi everyone! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend! As you may recall from some of our previous posts, Hanna and I were to go on our weekend getaway to California last week. I know, I know… it doesn’t quite look like southern California does it? Unfortunately our California trip didn’t work out, but that did not stop us from getting together and having fun. With a phone call and some last minute rearranging, Hanna was able to fly up to Oregon for the weekend instead.  It was a fun-filled weekend full of shopping, eating, laughing, relaxing, picture taking and blog planning! 

“Girls weekend” is a rather loose term, so even Addie enjoyed tagging along a time or two. 
All-in-all, it was a much needed weekend with a much loved person. She continues to be an inspiration to me and is always there when I need her…including when I need a photo i.d. (the benefit of having a twin when you don’t have photo i.d. on you). 
As far as the blog goes, we have so many fun and exciting things coming up in the next few months, and we can’t wait to share them with you! Some of it seems rather daunting to me at times, but we couldn’t be more excited about the challenge. I think that is what I love most about our partnership in doing this blog together is that we help push each other to pursue our interests, build upon our talents, and rise to meet new challenges. It has helped shape our relationship, the type of women and mothers we are and the type of women and mothers we aspire to be. 
As always, we hope you’ll continue to join with us on this exciting journey! There is much much more to come!
~ SARA

Card Group

posted in crafts, diy, family, friends, inspiration by Sara on
Welcome to a little something we like to call “card group”! It’s a novel idea that allows you to build up a collection of adorable handmade cards, and is another excuse to get together with all your girl pals once a month. Let me explain…
First you need to get a group of friends or family to participate. Currently it is just Hanna, our mom, our sister-in-law and I who make up our card group. During each month you’ll make one of the same card for each member of the group including yourself. Then once a month plan a date when everyone in your group can get together to exchange cards. Each person in the group will then get one card  from each member. Since everyone in my card group now lives in a different state, we either mail them to each other or stock pile them until we see each other next– however you want to do it. 
The cards can be as simple or as intricate as you’d like them to be. Personally, I like simple (as you probably already knew from the other crafts and projects I’ve posted previously on the blog). If you don’t think of yourself as a crafty person, don’t count yourself out of card group quite yet. Sometimes I’ll come up with a grand idea for a card, but the majority of the time I find my inspiration from Pinterest or card magazines, as can you. There are tons of great ideas out there to get your crafty wheels turning if you need a little inspiration!
I love the collection of handmade cards I’ve built over the years. It has been a great resource when I need a quick card for a birthday party, baby shower, wedding, etc. Plus I love the personal touch a homemade card gives. 
All-in-all card group is a win win, not to mention it is so fun! I highly recommend giving it a try! 
As for Hanna and I, we’re headed off to southern California tomorrow for a girls’ weekend WITHOUT kids! I literally haven’t had one of those for almost a year now; needless to say I’m pretty darn excited. It’s always a blast when Hanna and I get together! We have plans to hit up the famous fabric district, do plenty of shopping, and even have a blog planning dinner date. Full trip review to come!
~ SARA

Linked To:
http://placeofmytaste.com/2014/06/work-wednesday-49.html

Being an Intentional Family

posted in family, lifestyle by Hanna on

Majoring in Family Studies I was always going over research that had been done to see what keeps a family strong and close together. There were two main practices that often came up; one being traditions meaning things like those yearly family vacations or family traditions surrounding holidays. These are great things to be included in our family to make memories and have fun together, but the most important thing found in family research that keeps families strong and happy are everyday rituals or meaningful routines such as family mealtime, bedtime routines, working around the house together, or having a snack and visiting when the kids get home from school.

I’ve lately come to realize how truly important it is to make the everyday routines meaningful. I’ve also come to learn that rituals don’t just happen, rather I need to be intentional about going through the day’s routine and making it something my girls are going to treasure while helping us all grow closer together.

Having a husband who is gone for work just about every other week and sometimes two in a row we often find ourselves battling to find time to spend together and stay close. It got to the point where Eric was traveling a lot for work and was really busy and I had a lot of things going on myself. We seemed to just be tag teaming watching over the girls so we could get our things done while we let the demands of life sweep over our family. One day I realized how distant Eric and I were and how each day I found myself just going through the routines but not really making those simple moments meaningful. The issue wasn’t Eric’s job or necessarily some of the things I had going, it was that we were letting the demands of life be an excuse for not doing some of our family rituals and not taking the time to create meaning around things like our meals and bedtime.

Our main goal as a family is to create a place were everyone in it can feel safe, like they belong and to know that they can always have someone to turn to that love them no matter what. In order to achieve that goal Eric and I knew that we had to start working harder and try to be more intentional about the time we’re given together. Here are some of the things we came up with:

– Communicate more throughout the day. Even though Eric is often hundreds of miles away we still are able to stay close by sending text throughout the day and I try to send a couple pictures of the girls and some of the things we are doing as well. Eric will sometimes sent a video in the morning telling the girls good morning. Then in the evenings we video chat before the girls go to bed while often singing some of Mia’s favorite songs together or saying a family prayer. I’ve had to put a lot of effort into this as I’m terrible at communicating through text or the phone, but it has made such a difference since starting.

– Have at least one family meal together sitting around the table without any distractions. Eric and I both grew up doing this in our families and knew when we got married it was something we wanted to continue. We usually use dinner as our time to sit around the table together as a family and discuss our day, sometimes to teach our girls some new things and just laugh.

– Turn off all our electronics at dinner and keep them off until at least the kids go to bed. For most families the few hours between the end of work and bedtime is the only time the entire family can be together. When Eric is home we wanted to try and use that time to give our full attention to the girls and do activities together.

– Slow down at bedtime and use it as a chance to spend quality time with the girls. By the end of some days I am counting down the minutes to get the girl’s in their pj’s and stick them in their beds. However, as I’ve started to slow down I’ve been able to see small teaching opportunities or chances to giggle and laugh as they get ready for bed and as we snuggle close to read bedtimes stories. It’s also a great time to visit with your kids and let them open up to you about things that are on their mind.

– Work together around the home. Now that we own a house, Saturdays seems to be filled with things we’re needing to do around it. When we can we try to do it all together not only to teach our girls how to clean, but to spend more time together. Most often it makes the work load more enjoyable and satisfying in the end.

I can’t say everyday exactly emulates what’s listed above. Creating those meaningful rituals around our everyday routines takes effort and thought, but the point is we are trying because we know what kind of family we want to be. Perhaps if more marriages and families took on a more “intentional” approach to creating meaningful rituals we would have less divorces and families that are distant and broken as any kind of relationship takes constant effort and nurturing.

I would love to hear some of things you do in your families to make everyday things more meaningful so please comment!

Linked To:
http://theblissfulbee.com/work-it-wednesday-no-46/
http://www.familyhomeandlife.com/2014/05/wow-us-wednesday-link-party.html
http://www.persialou.com/2014/05/the-makers-no-16.html
http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/2014/05/lou-lou-girls-fabulous-party-5.html
http://staceyembracingchange.com/2014/05/08/creative-inspirations-linky-party-83/
http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/05/friday-link-party-66.html
http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2014/05/linkn-blogs-24-welcoming-new-co-host.html

Confetti Dots Birthday Party

posted in crafts, diy, family, kids, money saving tips, party, sewing by Hanna on
There is NO shortage of cute parties that can be found scowering Pinterest so naturally I was having no problem finding ideas while planing one for my girl’s birthdays. However, when push came to shove I just couldn’t find something that was going to be easy, flexible and not over the top; meaning in money and time. Also since the girls are still so young I wanted to have a party for family and close friends to come celebrate with us so like Sara’s it needed to work for all ages.
My inspiration for this party finally came as I was wondering around Target and found some confetti, paper pails in the dollars section. I loved the idea of confetti dots and also the color scheme of the pails. So I grabbed a couple of those pails and ran with it, continuing on to the party section to grab balloons, paper lanterns and plastic table clothes. I walked out of Target with my party theme and most of the decorations for around $20. Thank you Target!
What I was able to learn from this experience is to not rely TOO heavily on things like Pinterest for my ideas and let the things around me by my inspirations. As a perfectionist, it became so much easier for me to create something new instead of trying to duplicate something someone else already did perfectly.
The invitations for this party were completely free as I made them myself on the computer and printed them from home on cardstock I already had. It also helped that we weren’t inviting that many people. I always prefer to have smaller and more intimate parties rather than huge friend parties for birthday’s which not only saves on the costs but makes for a little more meaningful and relaxing party.
 
As Sara mentioned in her post, I made this confetti dot, birthday banner for us to use for our party decorations. If you missed it you can download it HERE.
For the menu I wanted something that my girls really liked so of course we had Mac and Cheese; an all around kids favorite. However, since there were going to be mostly adults I put a “grown-up” twist on it and did a Mac and Cheese bar with different mix-ins. I used THIS recipe from Paula Dean but left out the eggs like most reviews suggested. It was a big hit with everyone young and old at the party! A Mac and cheese bar is also a meal that is very affordable and easy when feeding a crowd of people.
For dessert we had to have cupcakes since that’s all my daughter kept asking for whenever I asked what she wanted for her birthday. I made Strawberry Confetti cupcakes following THIS cake recipe by Heather Baird on her blog Sprinkle Bakes.
After stressing about the party and wanting it to look and go perfect, in the end I decided to just enjoy it and the people who came to share in the girl’s special day. So even though I couldn’t hold my party outside as planned and I didn’t get everything set up in just the right way I wanted I think it’s safe to say fun was had by all!
Lastly, if you’re wondering where I got Mia’s blue and white striped dress, I made it using the Sweet Simple Dress pattern by Allison at Freshly Completed. If you’re wanting to make a fun, summer dress for your little one then I HIGHLY suggest using this pattern. It only took a few hours to make, was super easy to follow and I’m just in love with how it turned out.
So here’s to a coming year with an adventurous 1 year old and a strong willed 3 year old. Should be fun…or at least interesting! Advice on how to survive these wonderful ages is always welcome. 🙂
Linked to:
http://theblissfulbee.com/work-it-wednesday-no-45/
http://www.tinysidekick.com/makers-link-party-15/
http://bloomdesignsonline.com/2014/05/link-party-71.html
http://craftdictator.com/2014/05/01/craft-frenzy-friday-37/
http://www.thepinjunkie.com/2014/05/friday-link-party-65.html
http://www.thecraftedsparrow.com/2014/05/creative-collection-link-party.html

Donut Miss This Party!

posted in family, food, friends, money saving tips, party, printable, recipe by Sara on
Hello again! As I’m sure many of you can relate to, life have been a bit busy…then again when is it not?! In the mist of all the working, blogging, and family time I got a little behind with some of my other responsibilities. There were heaps of laundry everywhere, the house needed a major cleaning, the fridge needed to be restocked, and I was literally running on fumes. I wish I was one of those super moms who could balance life perfectly and get it all done, but I am simply not one of  them. In fact, balancing life is quite a struggle for me. I sometimes get to the point where life is so out of balance that I need to step back, re-group, get organized, relax, and start again. Unfortunately, last week was one of those weeks. I wish I could say  that I’ve come back with all the answers on how to live a balanced life, but to be honest I’m not sure I will ever have all the answers. It is something that I strive to work at everyday; some days I succeed, and other days I fail completely. Such is the game of life I guess. Tomorrow is always a new day and a new beginning. As for today, I feel refreshed and so happy to be back!
During our week away, both Hanna’s daughters and my daughter all had birthdays! These little girls are growing up so fast! My little Addie turned 2, and I’m still besides myself at when my baby girl became a toddler! As you may remember from the Picnic Themed Birthday Party post I wrote several weeks ago, we’re not big birthday people. Growing up we always had quiet birthday dinners with our family, and while we still like to keep things simple, you know how we love to throw parties! So, this week we will be showing you some ideas on how to throw an inexpensive birthday party while still wowing your guests and making your child’s birthday special. 
While my daughter is still very small, I like to choose party themes that will entertain guests of all ages. This year I decided to go with an adorable donut themed party. Originally I had planned to have this cute little party at the park, but sadly due to a rainy forecast we were forced to move it inside at the last minute. With the last minute changes I didn’t have much time to plan out or decorate the new space, but in the end it didn’t really matter and every one seemed to have a good time… the birthday girl included! Any excuse to play with friends and eat yummy treats and my daughter is totally there!
As you can see, I tried to keep things fairly simple. Here is a tip: when doing a party on a budget, be sure to check out your local dollar stores and party discount stores for all your paper products and party decorations. That is where I bought 95% of my decorations, plates, cups, napkins, etc. The adorable striped straws I found at Target for $2.99 for a pack of 20. Sometimes Target will also have some cute party stuff in there dollar section. I was also able to find some darling donut printables from Oh Happy Day and Confetti Sunshine. Not only where they a perfect addition to the party, but they are completely free! You’ll definitely want to check these out!
As for the food budget, I didn’t have $50 to spend on six dozen donuts so I decided to “make” them myself for half the price. By “make”, I mean fry. I simply took the Pillsbury Grand Buttermilk Biscuits, punched a hole in the middle of each biscuit, and then fried them in a pan of oil. Within minutes you have yourself a perfectly golden brown, delicious donut. After letting the donuts cool for a bit, I frosted them with homemade cream cheese frosting. For the cinnamon and sugar coated donuts you’ll want to toss the donuts in the cinnamon sugar when they are still hot. 
Here is what I  used for the frosting:
Basic Cream Cheese Frosting
4oz brick cream cheese (softened)
1/4 cup butter (softened)
2-3 Tbsp milk
2-3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tbs vanilla
Added flavors:
Chocolate: add 2-3 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder, plus an addition 2-3 Tbsp of milk
Strawberry: blend in 1/4 cup of freshly sliced strawberries
Maple: add 2-3 Tbsp of pure maple syrup
Lastly, I topped off my donuts with sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, and almond slices.
To tie our two parties together, Hanna created this fun confetti dot banner. I mean seriously, what birthday party is complete without confetti?! You’ll see how Hanna used the banner in her party theme on Wednesday. If you love it as much as we do, we’ve created a FREE downloadable version below!
(click the text to download)
 Overall, I spent under $75 in total on the party. $30 was spent on the decorations and paper products, and the rest went toward the food budget. After it was all said and done, here are some tips to take away when planning a birthday party on a budget:
  • Shop at you local dollar store or discount party store when looking for decorations or paper products
  • Search your house for items you can re-purpose or use as decorations
  • Ask friends to borrow certain items you do not have instead of buying them
  • Search for free printables online or design your invites/banners yourself
  • Keep things simple (this will make your life and your budget a lot happier) 
  • Plan ahead, and shop sales!
While not everything went completely as planned, it was a great party celebrating a special little girl. While we are still fairly new-comers to the area, I felt blessed by the number of our new friends who came to celebrate with us.

Link’n Blogs Linky Party {#20}

posted in baby, blogging, crafts, diy, family, food, health, holidays, inspiration, kids, lifestyle, marriage, motherhood, organization, parenting, party, recipe, sewing, thrifted, tutorial by Sara on
Today we’re honored to be guest hosting the Link’n Blogs linky party brought to you by Put a Bird On It. This is our first time ever “hosting” a linky party and we couldn’t be more excited to share with you the inspiration and talent of so many wonderful bloggers! It is actually through linky parties that we have come across some of our favorite blogs and have connected with some amazing people. With that being said, we invite you all to share, connect, inspire, and be inspired yourself!

Welcome to Link’n Blogs {#20} !
A place to link up your projects and make new friends. We are all about visiting links and following new bloggers here at Link’n Blogs. Remember to leave comments and PIN PIN PIN!
Cause sharing is caring. 


**Your links will show up on ALL blogs hosting the link party!**

Interested in guest hosting Link’n Blogs?!
I’ve created a spreadsheet where you can sign up to host a link party! It’s a great way to get to know other bloggers, share a recent post with other party goers and pick the features. Sign up using the link below!

Grab my party button! 
 



*Feel free to post my party button on your blog and say you linked up here!*



I am sharing a feature I did on Warby Parker collaborating with Architecture for Humanity. It’s a good company working towards a good cause!

Warby Parker + Architecture for Humanity






Katelyn is sharing a DELISH recipe for a spin on cheesy pasta. This looks so good! I love that it has bacon in it. Everything is better with bacon!



Be sure to give some love to our guest hosts – you will love their creative blogs!



These two girls have one of the cutest blogs! You’ve got to check out the Pinterest challenge they’re doing. Today, Hanna and Sara are sharing some divine cinnamon rolls – with a twist!






Chastity has a fun lifestyle blog and is momma to an adorable little cowboy! Today, she is sharing a heart filled printable perfect for the upcoming Easter holiday. I love it!





Carolyn’s blog is all about her life as a stay at home mom to her two daughters {which she never thought she’d be!}. And her post this week is about just that.




Here are this week’s features:

My Pick

DIY Felt Flower Headbands by Maddie Moe’s




Katelyn’s Pick

DIY Stenciled Tray by Life in Velvet



Hanna and Sara’s Pick

DIY Geometric Photo Display by The Caldwell Project



Chastity’s Pick

Picnic Basket Tutorial by Over the Apple Tree



Carolyn’s Pick

Bacon, Egg and Avocado Sandwich by Belle of the Kitchen


Fan Favorites


Reversible Easter/Spring Wood Blocks by Something Splendid



Pantry Makeover by View from the Fridge




I know the bloggers featured would love if you would visit their posts and say hello!

All features will be pinned to my Link’n Blogs board. Follow it here!



Follow my blog! If you want to receive an email reminding you about the link party, leave your email when adding your link.
Link to your blog post — not just your blog.
Share the love! Visit the other links and say who sent you.
If you enjoy a link, you can LIKE it {new feature!}
Adding your link gives me permission to feature you on my blog. 
Grab my party button! – See more at: http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2013/12/diy-christmas-scriptures-advent.html#sthash.mPINNYsH.dpuf
Ok, here are the guidelines for the link party:  


Follow your HOSTS and GUEST HOSTS

If you want to receive an email reminding you about the link party, leave your email when adding your link

Link to your blog post — not just your blog.

Share the love! Visit the other links and say who sent you

Adding your link gives me permission to feature you on my blog
Share this link party on social media to help Link’n Blogs grow!

*Don’t be a LINK & RUN partier. Visit a couple links before you and a couple after!*


Happy Linking!

Leave a permalink on your blog back to the party to help our party grow!
*here is the link*
http://iputabirdonit.blogspot.com/2014/04/linkn-blogs-20.html


 

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I monitor each link and may delete a link if it is not something I want to promote on my blog. If you see your link was deleted, please email me. I’d be happy to chat about why! Thanks! 

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