Photographers

How many of you are like me and can’t stop taking pictures of your kids? I’m definitely guilty of being overly snap happy when it comes to my little ones. And, since there’s no end to the amount of iphone shots, instagram photos and “real” camera photos I can rack up, I’ve quickly fallen behind with actually printing any of the photos you see above.

This year, I’ve made it a priority to “spring clean” my digital photos and finally take my bazillion photos off my computer and put them onto something both beautiful and tangible that we can enjoy for years to come. And, I’m excited to share what I’ve found with all of you!

First, I wanted to quickly highlight my two favorite sources for tips on organizing your photos which you can read here at PC Magazine  and Clickin’ Mom.

For me, the biggest issue was going through years of photos and deleting ones that I wouldn’t want printed (or were duplicates) and then categorizing them in a way that makes it easy to find what I’m looking for quickly. I followed this simple format:

Pictures > Year > Month > Activity

I promise you that once you take the effort to organize your old photos, you’ll be so much more conscious of how you import and catalog your new ones, making next year’s spring cleaning much easier!

Printing your digital photos

Now here’s the fun part – finding great resources to print your photos!

I’m so excited to try Artificat Uprising. They have the most beautiful albums offered in both hard and soft cover and the layouts are not overly designed, which I like. I think I’m going to start with their instagram books using a few of the photos you see above.

Blurb is another fabulous resource for printing photo books, or any other books for that matter. How fun would it be to make your own cookbook of your family’s favorite dishes? I love the variety of options this site offers and will definitely be using them in the future.

Unique Photo Gifts

Lastly, I am in love with this idea from Pinhole Press of creating a personalized memory game using family photos.

You just choose 12 favorite photos (of friends, family, pets, vacations, whatever you’d like), and Pinhole puts them on thick cards with graphic backgrounds. This is definitely a game everyone would love to play at your next family get together!

Are you guys good about capturing and printing life’s little moments? I’d love to hear how you do it and what methods you use for staying digitally organized. I can definitely use the help!

Through her experience as a family photographer, Kristin Eldridge has worked with a ton of families throughout the years. She mentioned to be how fascinating it is to watch how birth order plays a role in children, and how from what she has observed, there are definite common “first, middle, baby” personality traits.  This topic has always interested me, so I asked her to write a post on her casual observations. After you read, please share your insights below on your own kiddos!  Here is what she writes…

“My tendency to be type-A goes all the way back to pre-school.  I organized and re-organized the contents of my room and my need to please knew no end.  Growing up, I didn’t attribute these personality traits to anything much, but I guess it was clear I was a pretty stereotypical firstborn child.

Now after becoming a mom and working with hundreds of kids in my job, I’ve noticed that birth order plays a huge role in who we are as people.

Here’s what I have noticed… Oldest children take the lead from their parents and often have perfectionist tendencies.  Middle children can be more rebellious in nature and are good at negotiating.  Youngest children are typically carefree are great at making people laugh.

After doing a little research for this article, some of the reasons that children fall into these categories makes complete sense!

Because of the fact that new parents are sometimes stricter and a little more rigid with the first child, that child tends be an over-achiever.  Middle children see the oldest child mirroring their parents, so they might want to go in the opposite direction (for attention) which can be perceived as rebellious behavior.  The youngest child is raised by parents that have done this a time or two, so are raised in a more easy-going environment.  The youngest child shoulders less responsibility, so they have the ability to be more carefree.

These guidelines don’t always hold fast and true, but so many of the children I meet fall into the personality type of their birth order.

The older we get, the experience plays more of a role into our personality as experiences can change the way we view the world.  As I raise my kids, I try to build their natural strengths and challenge their weaknesses.

My oldest child is 12 and he falls into the typical firstborn category.  His perfectionism makes homework easy, but it makes any type of failure difficult to handle.  We have been trying to teach him that it’s okay to fail.  We can learn through failure, not through being perfect all the time.

My middle child has watched his older brother navigate life, so he’s a little more savvy.  When he bucks the system, we try to teach him how rules and guidelines are there for a reason.  Walking him through these situations help him to be his unique individual self, while living in a world that has lots of rules!

My youngest is very carefree and she has a messy room to prove it.  I’ve found that the biggest challenge with her is taking the time to teach her responsibility.  Even though it would be easier to let one of her older brothers help unload the dishwasher, it’s beneficial for her to learn everyday tasks.

Do you feel that your kids are affected by their birth order?  I’m curious to know if you parent each of them differently or if you have unique thoughts on how to help them be more well-rounded?”

Thanks Kristin, I will start the conversation below on how I think birth order plays a role with my two girls, would love to hear all of your opinions and observations as well!

To view Kristin’s amazing work, visit www.kristineldridge.com. She takes our family photos every year ~ images I treasure beyond words! Photos above are taken by her of her three beautiful children.

Ever since she can remember, Emily Kaszton has had a love for photography. Always the one with her camera in tow from an early age, she turned this love into her dream career after receiving her BFA in Photography from the Brooks Institute.

Realizing the most valuable images displayed in people’s homes are the ones of loved ones, Emily decided to specialize in family photography and modern portraiture to give families treasured images of their babies, children and families.

In business since 2009, Emily photographs families all throughout Southern California, from Los Angeles to Orange County to San Diego, and everywhere in between!

One lucky winner today will have the  chance to win $300 towards a photography session and prints from Kasz Photo – check details below! But first, here is a little more about Emily and what makes her business special…

Personal Service 

Emily believes in giving her clients impeccable personal service which includes:

~ One 15 minute in-person consultation before the photo shoot to familiarize herself with your family prior to the day of. At this meeting she will go over her Welcome Package on what to expect at your photo shoot along with helpful tips with ideas on what family members should wear. Isn’t that always the hardest part? Figuring out what to wear? It would be so nice to have expert advice on what to wear for a family photograph. She also gets an idea of your personal style and what you are looking for in your session images.

~ One 45 minute – 1 hour photo session at mutually agreed upon location.

~ One personal viewing session after the shoot to view your images on a big screen TV to see a slide show and actual image sizes for prints. Get ready to Ohhhh and Ahhhhh!

Location, location, location 

Before your photo shoot, she will also brainstorm with you on location ideas (she is familiar with many awesome spots all over So Cal.)

Many of her clients now use Pinterest as a source of inspiration on the look and feel they gravitate towards for family photography images.

The photo shoot

Typically lasting 45 minutes to one hour, Emily takes her time to work with you and your family to capture the images you desire. Bringing toys, smiles and a laid back attitude, she will work with you and your little ones to ensure everyone has a good time.

From initial meeting to the final viewing, Emily will walk beside you to ensure you have the best experience with her and Kasz Photo, and will make sure you leave with images you will adore and cherish for a lifetime.

Hooray! It’s a Tiny Giveaway!  

One lucky winner will receive a $300 gift certificate to be used towards a Kasz Photo session and prints. Session price includes up to 5 pp; additional people are +$15 per. Photo session location must be within 75 miles of Emily’s location or a travel fee will be charged. Photo session value = $200. Good luck!

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[Disclosure: Kasz Photo is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor. Yippee! We heart Emily!]

When I saw pictures of this fiesta theme birthday party on my friend’s Facebook page awhile back, I thought, my readers have got to see this! So without further ado, here are some great ideas for a Mexican fiesta theme kids’ birthday party written by local OC mom, Lyndsay….

“I wanted to share the ideas and photos from the Mexican fiesta to celebrate our children’s 1st and 3rd birthdays in our new home!

We have been wanting to have this party for quite some time, and it’s always been important to us that our children have fond memories of the most important days in our lives. It was the perfect opportunity to both celebrate their birthdays in a home my husband has worked so hard to build for us with the people who are important in our lives.

Like everyone else, I’m obsessed with Pinterest, but I’m equally obsessed with Etsy. It has the absolute best resources for unique handmade and personalized items at such affordable prices.

Invitations were purchased online and instead of going with a traditional birthday theme, I customized a Mexican wedding invitation complete with address labels that made it so easy and a little more formal.

The day of the party, our fiesta theme was beautifully decorated with the most fun details that our budget allowed!  The mustache straws were a big hit!  They sell pretty much every shaped mustache that you can think of and threw in a bunch of extras with our order. The glitter ones were my favorite… but then again, what girl doesn’t love glitter?!

The brightly-colored poms hanging outside of the front of the house were a tedious task that my husband painfully endured after the kids went to bed (as I directed with a good bottle of wine!).

Even the kids’ outfits were chosen to go with the theme!  We found my  son’s shirt online with a matching cape (his favorite accessory!) and we found my daughter’s dress from the most darling shop in Old Town San Diego.

They have the best decorations from Amols at the most reasonable prices I’ve ever found in my endless online searches. Our piñata was so full with fun giveaways from Amols that we seriously forgot to take pictures!

The food was really easy and affordable, since we were feeding a crowd!  My husband made his famous ahi ceviche as an appetizer (in individual cups with corn chips) and the rest was taken care of my the ever popular “Salvador Taco Guy” (call 310-753-2921 to book him).

I wish I had time to make a plate, but I was too busy drinking endless margaritas from The Orange County Margarita Man margarita machine!

Our son was very much looking forward to his birthday cupcakes from Sugar From the Heart Bakeshop.  We stayed with our theme and chose the Mexican spice with milk chocolate frosting (and dark chocolate mustaches of course!) and dulce de leche cupcakes with a browned butter frosting and caramel topping. They were approximately $3 each, but honestly, tasted even more amazing then they looked!

We served the cupcakes on personalized plates that were created from our friend, Aedriel’s Etsy shop.

And a Mexican fiesta isn’t complete without a mariachi band!  We had the band playing on the front porch at the beginning of the party to usher guests in and immediately set the festive vibe for the party.  I think I have a slight crush on Richard and I’m pretty sure most of my girlfriends did too

The kids were easily entertained by the bounce house from Surf City Bouncers and they also provided the chairs and tables at a ridiculously affordable price.

Our celebration was perfectly captured by our close friend, Candace of Candace Rock Photography, who photographed our special day in between refills from the margarita machine. She is so incredibly talented and it was such a treat to have this day so beautifully documented. You can see her work at www.CandaceRock.com.

To show our appreciation to our friends and family for joining us (and for the generous birthday loot for the kids!), we created a photo card from Tiny Prints to send out after the party.

Our Mexican Fiesta was such a big hit that we are planning to make it an annual summer event!  I am very much looking forward to the margarita machine returning to my backyard along with the bounce house “babysitter” that wore all the kids out! Ole!“

Thanks for sharing Lyndsay! So many of these cute ideas could also be incorporated into a Dora or Diego theme birthday party as well. I love a Mexican theme. Maybe that also has to do with my love for tacos & margaritas?

 If you have a party you would like me to feature to help other moms with theme ideas (extravagant, simple or somewhere in between) please send me an email to jennifer {at} tinyoranges.com!

As moms, is there anything you love more than a fabulous photo of your children or family? You know the ones that make you smile from the inside out because it is just so them?

I know I do! That’s why I am thrilled to share Sandy Heit Photography with you today. Sandy is an OC children and family photographer with a gift for capturing those exact moments. She recently took some newborn photos of my new nephew, Gavin. They made me tear up they were so beautiful! Keep reading to see them below! Proud Auntie had to share!!

Sandy is offering a $500 gift certificate giveaway to one of our lucky readers < – WHAT?! So make sure to read this post in its entirety because I don’t want to you to miss out on this giveaway!!

Sandy specializes in modern lifestyle portraiture of babies, children and families. With a fresh and vibrant approach to photography, she aims to makes a connection with each of her subjects to make sure she captures natural expressions, whether the belly laugh of a toddler or soulful glance of love between parent and child.

Although her sessions typically last between 1 1/2 – 2 hours, she has no time limit and will stay as long as needed to get the shots. This is especially important with newborns who, as we know, do not work around anyone’s schedule but their own!

With a tremendous amount of patience, she invests the time needed to devote to your photo session, even allowing for two or three clothing changes if desired.

At the end of the session, she loves to provide her clients with a great variety of photographs to chose from, so she will make sure to get in special photographs with mom and dad alone with the children along with the individual and family shots.

Moms – how often do you look at your photographs and realize that you are not in ANY of them?! Happens to me all of the time.

She also loves presenting her clients with unique ideas for the photo session. Sandy shared with me a fun option she has been sharing with her clients who want to do their photo shoot at the beach.

After getting all the beautiful beach shots with everyone all gussied up, she suggests throwing in the kid’s swimsuits and sand toys so they can play for awhile after the photo session is done.

Allowing Sandy to capture moments like this…

My sister absolutely loved working with Sandy, and especially loved the fact she didn’t feel stressed during the shoot. She said Sandy made everyone feel so comfortable and was so patient and wonderful ~ often reiterating there was no rush. She told me Sandy was great with her three-year-old and was so sweet when she had to stop and nurse baby.  Never making her feel like they were on a clock.

So, please let me share my nephew, the cutest little love bug you have EVER seen, and handsome older brother A.J….

For more information about Sandy, please visit her website at www.sandyheit.com. You can also see her latest work by following her on Facebook and by checking out her blog.

 Sandy Heit Photography Giveaway! 

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[Disclosure: Sandy is a Tiny Oranges Sponsor ~ check out her cute front and center banner above!]