4 Last Minute Family Picture Ideas

Last Minute Family Picture Ideas for Your Holiday Card

Sharing 4 Last Minute Family Picture Idea Tips for Your Next Holiday Card, Budget friendly family picture photoshoots, Tips for Taking Last Minute Family Pictures || Darling Darleen

Say What?! It’s the month of November, and you haven’t done your family pictures yet?? Well, don’t fret! Either have I! Don’t get discourage and throw the towel in quite yet. There’s still a chance to snap the dreaded family picture and get your cards out for Holiday delivery. Last minute family pictures seem to be the yearly theme in our home lately. Honestly I don’t recommend it, and for me personally my goal is always to get them done in September or October. BUT it seems to never happen when I want it to happen. However, I do get a family photo card out during the holidays. No bragging here. Some years are better than others. So here are my tips for last minute family picture ideas. If you are looking for family picture clothing ideas, check out this helpful post

Sharing 4 Last Minute Family Picture Idea Tips for Your Next Holiday Card, Budget friendly family picture photoshoots, Tips for Taking Last Minute Family Pictures || Darling Darleen
  1. Ask a friend to take your family picture–That’s what I did with the two pictures above. I had a dear friend meet me at the park and take our family pictures. No strings attached. If you don’t have a large camera, than use your phone’s camera. Technology has advanced so much that the camera on phones can really produce a gorgeous picture. Also, there are so many photo editing apps and filters, that you can edit your own pictures in just a few seconds.
Sharing 4 Last Minute Family Picture Idea Tips for Your Next Holiday Card, Budget friendly family picture photoshoots, Tips for Taking Last Minute Family Pictures || Darling Darleen
Sharing 4 Last Minute Family Picture Idea Tips for Your Next Holiday Card, Budget friendly family picture photoshoots, Tips for Taking Last Minute Family Pictures || Darling Darleen

2. Use a Casual Family Picture From Earlier in the Year–One year we randomly took these pictures at the beach during a summer trip. I actually forgot we took them. During that month of November, while I was dreading family pictures, I remembered we had a taken these pictures. They are not professionally done. We just snapped them during sunset. This saved me the biggest headache! Take the time to go through your camera roll on your phone. You may have one that will do the trick!

Sharing 4 Last Minute Family Picture Idea Tips for Your Next Holiday Card, Budget friendly family picture photoshoots, Tips for Taking Last Minute Family Pictures || Darling Darleen
Sharing 4 Last Minute Family Picture Idea Tips for Your Next Holiday Card, Budget friendly family picture photoshoots, Tips for Taking Last Minute Family Pictures || Darling Darleen

3. Use a tripod— Yup. Those two pictures above, where taken with a tripod. I pulled out my tripod, placed it on our lawn and put my big camera on it. Then used the self-timer. They aren’t the best, BUT I’d say they came out pretty darn good. We took these one Sunday afternoon when my kids were looking nice. Saved some money and a random day of headaches!

Sharing 4 Last Minute Family Picture Idea Tips for Your Next Holiday Card, Budget friendly family picture photoshoots, Tips for Taking Last Minute Family Pictures || Darling Darleen
Sharing 4 Last Minute Family Picture Idea Tips for Your Next Holiday Card, Budget friendly family picture photoshoots, Tips for Taking Last Minute Family Pictures || Darling Darleen

4. Search for Mini-Session Photoshoots–Many local photographers may offer mini-sessions photoshoots. These are usually budget-friendly, last about 30 minutes and on a specific day. You may only get about 5-10 pictures, but really you only need that ONE good photo for the card. Also, you may need to drive and rearrange your schedule to fit with the photographers schedule. These two pictures above where taken with a local photographer when we lived in Georgia and we set up her studio for mini sessions. We had to drive an hour to take these pictures but they were worth the time and money saving. A good place to search for local photographers is on the search bar in Facebook and through hashtags in Instagram. Search by your area for example, I would search “Connecticut family photographer” or “Fairfield County photographer”. Or in Instagram, I would search #ctfamilyphotographer or #connecticutphotographer. You may need to reach out to the photographer and see if they are offering mini-sessions.

Tips for Moving with Kids

I'm sharing helping tip to make it easier when moving with kids. I have learned a few these from our Move across the country || Darling Darleen

I'm sharing helping tip to make it easier when moving with kids. I have learned a few these from our Move across the country || Darling Darleen

I'm sharing helping tip to make it easier when moving with kids. I have learned a few these from our Move across the country || Darling Darleen

Tips for Moving with Kids

When you go through something big in life, you want to share your feelings with those around you… like moving with kids.  When you learn and grow from the experience, you also want to share… like moving with kids.  At least that is how I feel from our recent move to Connecticut! Moving is always so stressful, and moving with kids adds more to the stress and creates a huge challenge.  These life transitions mark major points in our life that can really impact the people we become.  We recently moved across the country.  Practically a whole new world even though we just moved states.  While the logistics of moving was difficult, I was actually not prepared for the emotional stress it caused on our family, especially my children.  Before we made the decision to move, my husband and I sat down and went over the pros and cons of moving.  We spent quite some time figuring if this move was the right thing for our family.  The pros outweighed the cons, but we were not prepared out much this move rocked our children.  And we also didn’t fully understand the impact on their emotions.

So learning from this experience here are my helpful tips for moving with kids:

  1. Talk About it:  If you have the capability to talk about the move with your children, I highly encourage it.  We were in the position where we couldn’t tell anyone about our decision to move, so our children had no idea this life change was coming.  When we told them, they took the news hard.  If you can, talk about the move with your kids but make sure your move is committed.  The thought of moving brings a lot of anxiety.  Get their thoughts and opinions on the move so they feel like they have a say about it.  Tell them about all the positive things about moving and the new experiences they will have.  Then give them time to think about, adjust and discuss with you.
  2. Moving Checklist: Create a checklist for your move.  What needs to be done before, during and after.  Include in your moving checklist, receiving children’s medical and dental records and school records.  Reach out to the new school prior to find out what is needed in the registration process.  Also include in the moving checklist, change of address and take an afternoon to make phone calls to all of your financial institutions, utilities, doctors, magazines and family.  If you have pets, don’t forget to handle on their needs.  If you have a dog or a cat, moving can cause them anxiety also!
  3. Visit your New Home:  If it’s possible, visit your new home prior to moving in or show pictures of the home so your kids know what to expect.  This will help them be more involved in the process, get them excited about their new bedroom, neighborhood or backyard.  Visit their new school and find out if your new neighborhood has children their same age.  Make connections so the transition to the new location is easier.  Learn about the new town or new location and what it has to offer.
  4. Ask for Help: Don’t be afraid to ask for help!  Ring in family members, friends, neighbors to help declutter, pack and move.  You may feel like you can do it all yourself, but don’t be fooled.  Moving is one of the most stressful life events, and it can have lasting affects.  Reach out to others.  This is also help you stay positive and up on your moving checklist.  Children can sense whether their parents are stress, overwhelmed or anxious and this could add to their anxiety, so reach out to those who are willing to help.  Or if possible, hire some help even if it is a babysitter to take your kids off your hands for an afternoon.  Get your children involved in the moving process by letting them pack up toys, stuffed animals or their bedroom.
  5. Breathe and Stay Positive:  The most important thing to remember is you.can.do.this!  Yes, moving is NEVER smooth sailing or perfect.  It’s a mess, and you will screw up or forget something.  There will always be complications but you.can.do.this and everything will be okay.  Making sure you are watching your emotional well-being and take care of yourself during this stressful moment in your life that will only last for a small time.  Breathe and speak positively about moving around your children.  This will help ease some of their anxiety, and help them welcome their new home community.

Remember, while moving with children can be difficult, the experience can be a positive life experience.  Kids are resilient and adaptable.


5 Tips for Baking With Kids

Sharing my secret with 5 Tips with Baking with Kids for a great experience and to eventually sit back and let them do the baking! #bakingwithkids #darlingdarleen #darleenmeier || Darling Darleen Sharing my secret with 5 Tips with Baking with Kids for a great experience and to eventually sit back and let them do the baking! #bakingwithkids #darlingdarleen #darleenmeier || Darling Darleen Sharing my secret with 5 Tips with Baking with Kids for a great experience and to eventually sit back and let them do the baking! #bakingwithkids #darlingdarleen #darleenmeier || Darling Darleen Sharing my secret with 5 Tips with Baking with Kids for a great experience and to eventually sit back and let them do the baking! #bakingwithkids #darlingdarleen #darleenmeier || Darling Darleen Sharing my secret with 5 Tips with Baking with Kids for a great experience and to eventually sit back and let them do the baking! #bakingwithkids #darlingdarleen #darleenmeier || Darling Darleen

5 Tips for Baking With Kids

I really can’t remember when it all began, but Sunday in our house has become a day for baking. Even if the day is busy, someone will bake something yummy to eat every Sunday in our home, and it’s usually not me. Since they were little though, baking with my kids was always a fun little activity I’d do. Teaching how to bake or cook with kids is really a life skill, and it has helped my children gain confidence and knowledge in the kitchen. One of my favorite things, though, is how it brings the whole family in the kitchen working on a recipe that is sweet and yummy. We always have interesting conversations or laugh until our stomachs hurt. Many memories are created when baking with my kids in the kitchen. It might help to take them on ProductExpert’s recommendations for best baking classes but if you do, here are 5 tips for baking with kids.

5 Tips for Baking With Kids

  1. One of my tips with baking with kids is start them young. There are so many simple things a little toddler can do. Like pouring measured ingredients into the bowl. As they get older, teaching them how to stir and mix. Then teaching them how to crack an egg. Once they get that technique down, they will be making eggs every morning and you will be off the hook for breakfast! Then teaching them how to use an knife to spread and assemble, tearing, and sprinkling, plus using small appliances. By then, your child won’t need much assistance and they will be insisting on baking something every week! I love that my kids love to bake and try new recipes out. It’s also good for them to learn how to clean up their messes.

2. Safety is a top priority in the kitchen! Tips for baking with kids is teaching them how to turn the oven and the stove on and off. They will need to know the safety and the dangers of operating those equipment. One thing I taught my children was taking a cookie sheet in and out of the oven with an oven mitt while the oven was cold. Just so they could get technique down, and so they won’t burn themselves. Using knives always makes me nervous, so when you child gains confidence in the kitchen then it’s time to introduce a knife. They need to learn how to cut on a cutting board and learning to cut away and keeping fingers in.

3. Creating a positive environment and set up is key is a good baking experience. While we bake, we love to listen to music in the background to keep the energy levels up and keep the kids interested and engaged. Eventhough I know the kitchen is going to get messy, I do a quick clean of the kitchen before they begin a recipe. That way when they are done baking, they know what mess they have to clean up and there will be less whining at the end.

4. It’s a fact: your kitchen will get messy! Prepare yourself for a mess. Just know that they are going to get the floor messy and may spill all over the counters. Its okay! That is part of the fun. And I will or will not say that sometimes our baking experience just MIGHT turn into a flour fight! Just might. But at the end of the baking, I do put the responsibility on my children to clean up their baking mess. I am there to help, but they never get a way with walking out of a dirty kitchen and leaving it all to me.

5. Prepare for imperfections and mess ups. Let your child try out new recipes and let them figure out the measurements. Encourage them to think it through. Of course there will be help along the way, but let them get excited about their creation and try not to make it your creation. So, I mentally prepare myself not to criticize or question what they are doing or take over when I know I can do it better. But instead I try to encourage and make suggestions and really just let them have fun.

Enjoy your time in the kitchen, and watch as your children take over baking and cooking! So much fun and I love watching how much my children have enjoyed baking in the kitchen. Of course eating their creations is half the fun too!

SHOP the POST: 5 Tips for Baking with Kids

My dress: Pink Desert

Chloe’s Dress: Old Navy

Sharing my secret with 5 Tips with Baking with Kids for a great experience and to eventually sit back and let them do the baking and cleaning! #bakingwithkids #darlingdarleen #darleenmeier || Darling Darleen

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Mother’s Day Picnic Inspiration

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On Me: Skirt (Similar) | Pin-Stripe Button-Up Shirt ( Similar)| Sandals | Earrings | Bracelets |

On the girls: Stella’s Dress (Similar) | Chloe’s Dress 

On the boys: Shirts | Shorts

Mother’s Day Picnic Inspiration

This next weekend is Mother’s Day.  A day we recognize important women in our life or recognize one of the most important roles we play as a woman.  Mother’s Day is one of my favorite days of the year because my kids make breakfast in bed for me, and I don’t have to do the dishes.  Simple things I do every day for them, and it’s just so nice to take a break from it all.  Usually on Mother’s Day, I request to have a picnic in a picturesque location (remember last year’s Mother’s Day picnic inspiration?  We might be heading there again this weekend just to see all the beautiful wildflowers.)  Well, this past Sunday we had a late church and the weather was perfect.  A little cloudy, but warm enough for a light lunch outside.  We have this beautiful open field, practically in our backyard.  So we headed there to have lunch.  I brought my cruiser, packed up the picnic basket and blanket and off we went for a pre- mother’s day picnic inspiration luncheon.

The best quick picnic lunch is assorted meats, cheeses and crackers.  I also like to bring cracker spreads like fig and cream cheese and herbal.  Fresh berries and grapes are a favorite.  And I always like throw in the picnic basket sparkling juices.  My kids love them.  I also brought lemon curd cheesecake in a jar and those were heavenly and the perfect treat!

If you a planning to head out for a mother’s day picnic, don’t forget outside play toys!

Here are items for your Mother’s Day Picnic Inspiration:

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