Are you one of those moms who creates Pinterest-worthy valentine treats for your child’s class?  Well, I am not.  But I don’t really like the generic Valentine cards that they sell at the big box stores either.  So what do I do?  I order semi-custom cards online, of course!

We get our Christmas cards from Minted each year and I love the quality.  Did you know that they carry Valentine cards as well?  They have custom photo cards, but I like the classroom valentines.  You can customize them with your child’s name printed and then they just fill in their friends’ names.  I’ve rounded up some of my favorite designs to share with you.

Winter isn’t quite ready to give way to Spring in Oklahoma yet.  Luckily, the kids are already home from school for President’s Day, so they were able to get out and play in this beautiful winter wonderland!

Did you get a fancy, new DSLR camera for Christmas?  Is it still setting in the box because you have no idea how to use it?  Well, then this blog post is just for you!  I have had several friends ask me questions about their DSLR cameras, so I thought I would offer up a few tips to help anyone else out there who is in the same boat.

First, there are a few basic differences between a DSLR and a point and shoot camera.  With a DSLR, you can change lenses, shoot manually, shoot with faster shutter speeds and produce higher resolution images.  The tips I’m going to share work for all brands of DSLR cameras.  Ready?  Here we go!

Tip #1:  Don’t shoot in Auto mode.  You will never learn how your camera works and what all it can do.  Shooting in Auto let’s the camera make all of the decisions and sometimes that doesn’t produce the best quality photo.  I recommend starting in either A (aperture priority) or S (shutter priority).  This gives you control over that particular aspect and the camera adjusts the other one. You will learn how changing either of these effects your photos.

Tip #2:  Don’t use your flash.  I repeat, DO NOT use your flash!  Tape it down if you have to.  The bright flash will produce harsh lighting on your subjects.  By shooting in manual mode, you can change the settings and control how much light your camera allows in.  Make sure and read the ISO section of you handbook for more information.

Tip #3:  Take your camera with you everywhere and take photos of everything!  Practice really does make perfect.  The more you use your camera, the more comfortable you will become with it.  As you become more comfortable, you will learn what settings work best for different situations.  You could buy a cute camera strap like this to keep your camera around your neck in style.

Tip #4:  Forget the kit lens that most likely came with your camera and purchase the “nifty-fifty” lens.  It is one of the cheapest lenses that you can buy (price, not quality) and is very versatile.  It is available for both Nikon and Canon.

Tip #5:  Stock up on memory cards.  I recommend purchasing several smaller cards (4 GB or 8 GB) instead of one larger one.  Memory cards can become corrupt and you don’t want to be stuck without a back up.  After every photo outing, download your photos to your computer.  Once you’ve backed up your computer to an external hard drive (that’s a whole other post!), then you can delete the photos from your memory card.  If your computer doesn’t have a built-in memory card reader, then you’re going to want to purchase one of these also.

I hope you found these tips helpful.  If you don’t own a DSLR camera yet, but have been looking for one, I recommend either this one or this one.  Don’t purchase the kit lens, just get the camera body and then get your nifty-fifty lens.

* Android photo

1.  Say YES more often.  YES to more spontaneous play dates with my kids.  YES to lazy days in our pajamas.  YES to stomping in rain puddles.  I often find myself too busy to just stop and enjoy the moment with my children.  I need to be more intentional about living in the moment and enjoying these moments with my children while they’re still young.

2.  Say NO more often.  I know this sounds like it contradicts my first resolution, but I promise, it makes sense.  Sometime I spread myself too thin and over-commit.  Then I don’t have the time to enjoy stolen moments with my kids.  So this year I am prioritizing the things that are the most important to me and scheduling time for those.  The things that aren’t at the top of my list may not get my time this year.

3.  Document the everyday with my family.  As a professional photographer, I often get caught up in finding the right light or the right location to take photos.  Sometimes the lighting isn’t perfect or my house is messy, but I need to pick up my camera and photograph my kids doing things that they enjoy.  I know that when they get older, I will want those photos to look back on.

4.  Attend a photography workshop.  I’ve already taken the first step in achieving this goal and have paid a deposit to attend the Advance workshop this March.  I am so excited!!  Stay tuned for a post devoted entirely to my experience there.

What are your resolutions for this year?