photography Archives - Busy Moms Helper

Father’s Day Gift that’s Perfect for Long Distance

June 1, 2016 by Kelly Dedeaux

Now that we’ve hit June, it’s time to think about a good gift for Dad or Grandpa. If your loved one lives far away, it can limit ideas – but you can share the love and memories with this fantastic Father’s Day Gift that’s Perfect for Long Distance!

We put ours together for my Dad, the kids’ Papa (grandpa). He lives states away, so we don’t get to see each other very often – the kids especially miss him. I thought the perfect gift for his Father’s Day would be a special memory book – but not just ANY photo book, a SET of twins! We got matching 8×8 Softcover photo books from Snapfish – one for Papa in Utah, and one for the kids here in Texas.

It was so fun going through all the past photos of him with the kids – he’s really been there through it all, and has not only been a huge support to me but also a great role model and friend to his grand-kids. I’ll admit, I got a few tears as I went through some from when they were little babies, remember how much he cared and helped and played with them. Him holding my little Iron Man on a swing, snuggling Thor at Disneyland, watching movies with Hulk, and making faces to Black Widow so she’ll smile for the camera.

The fun of getting these matching books is that they can actually look at them TOGETHER – just from a distance 🙂 Papa can go through the pages at the same time the kids do, and Skype or phone call to talk about the amazing memories and good times they have together. I had each of the kids sign at the back inside of Papa’s book, too, making it extra special!

You could even do this idea with SEVERAL of the different products offered at Snapfish – all with fun layouts, tons of embellishments and creative texts. I just chose the photo books because 1. they’re more durable for the kids 2. I could include plenty of photos and 3. photo books are great for telling stories/memories. My dad’s been SUCH a great influence in my kids’ (and my) life, it’s only fitting that he has a way to look back at the wonderful moments they’ve had together!
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Which of the fabulous products at Snapfish would the Father-figure in YOUR life like the best?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Sharing Moments with MixBook

November 20, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

This post is sponsored by Mixbook.com. All opinions are mine alone.

Sometimes it’s really hard to figure out what gifts people will most enjoy – you want something perfect, especially for family and close friends! Will the wear that shirt? Do they have a place to put that decoration? It’s kind of a gamble with some folks. Now there’s so many ways you can give the gift of Sharing Moments with Mixbook.com – you can please even the pickiest of people! And the best part? They’re having a HUGE Black Friday Sale!

This about it, you spend all year taking amazing photos of moments that will never be exactly the same. That time your 2-year-old covered himself with marker? He may do it again (chances are, yes) but he’ll be older and look different. That perfect family photo with everyone smiling and nobody blinked? Ya, not going to be the same next time around. So why not give the gift of these MOMENTS with other special people in your life?! That’s where Mixbook.com comes into play – making it easier, more flexible and affordable – especially with this fabulous sale!

Mixbook.com Black Friday Promotion

50% off all cards & 10×10 photo books + 40% off site-wide

The coupon code MIXDEALS15 is automatically applied during checkout. Expires 11/30.

We just had our family pictures taken this week, and I can’t wait to order some fun prints, beautiful canvas wraps and even Christmas cards to send to our family and friends!

I love that you not only have a huge variety of cards to choose form – but you can even get photo address labels! My handwriting is awful, so these would look SO MUCH better.

Photobooks are always a huge hit! Most of our family lives in another state and we don’t get to see them often, so sending a neat photobook with images from the past year is a gift they’ll truly treasure. And with Mixbook.com’s new Montage option, it’s easier than ever to create your special book! Just add your photos, it handles the rest. We could all use a little more ‘easy’ during the holidays, right?

Don’t forget, that discount code MIXDEALS15 gets you 50% off all cards & 10×10 photo books + 40% off site-wide for their big Black Friday promotion! Head over to Mixbook.com now to check it out!

My New Favorite Gadget for Kids

October 22, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

I received a free VTech® Kidizoom® Action Cam to facilitate this review. All opinions and ideas are mine alone.

I’m a blogger (obviously), so my kids often see me with a camera, whether it’s my DSLR or my phone. They like to get in on the action, and have shown a major interest in photographing and recording their own adventures, creations and life. So I was THRILLED to try out this new product hitting shelves, and it turned out to be My New Favorite Gadget for Kids! And guess what? You have TWO chances to win one for your family!

Contains affiliate links that support this blog at no extra cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.

Although I occasionally let them use my gear, it’s hesitantly and with great supervision because I don’t want it broken or damaged. Luckily, the new VTech®Kidizoom® Action Cam is child-friendly and withstands drops and bumps. You can even have your choice of yellow/black or purple colors to match your kids’ personality! It’s even eligible for Prime shipping on Amazon!

Our recent vacation to California seemed the perfect opportunity to test it out, including it’s waterproof case for underwater adventures, mounting accessories for bikes and scooters, and a wrist strap. They had a blast with it – and I really enjoyed going through all of their images and videos. It did take an initial ‘lesson’ to get them use to the buttons, and teaching them NOT to keep their finger in front of the lens, but after that they were on their own!

One thing they never really got when they used my stuff was their freedom – entirely what THEY wanted to photograph, from their own perspective. At our rental house pool, they did a lot of close-ups for the beach toys – which makes me realize how big certain things must seem to them compared to us. They also REALLY like to get close to people!

The quality of the pictures, even with the waterproof casing, was actually really great! Our kids from age 4 on up to the bigger girls all loved taking turns with it, and plan to make scrapbooks of their own footage from our trip.

While walking Downtown Disney, they captured a lot of what most interested them – and it turned out it was things I hadn’t really noticed myself! We also let them use it during the new Paint the Night Parade at Disneyland, and although it wasn’t the best at dark night-time pictures with bright, moving lights – it did surprisingly well.

The VTech®Kidizoom® Action Cam features three built-in games, stop motion and time-lapse options, as well as special effects including customized photo frames and filters. And yes, it got banged around TONS with the kiddos, especially in the parks and while swimming (they took it down the slide so many times I lost count) and is still top-notch condition. Seriously, it’s a sturdy beast! As far as cost, it’s priced perfectly – in my opinion at least (Ages 4+ years, MSRP: $59.99) or check the great prices available on Amazon! This is the perfect holiday gift, so get a jump start on your shopping this year!

And Guess What?!?!

This fall, VTech will also be hosting the Action Cam Back-In-School Contest in which parents can upload a photo or video of their child participating in their favorite sport or after school activity for a chance to win a Kidizoom Action Cam of their very own! So go have fun, take some pictures or a video, and send it in!

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Free Photos for your Kids’ Halloween Costumes

October 21, 2015 by Kelly Dedeaux

This is a sponsored post that helps support this blog. All opinions are mine alone.

Who doesn’t love FREE photos? I know I do – especially Free photos for your Kids’ Halloween Costumes! We spend forever deciding on the darn things, I want a good, quality picture of them – and any I attempt seem to be blurry because they’re just too excited! We’ll be heading over to either Plano, Fort Worth, or Arlington for ours, but maybe Cedar Hills, TX is closer to you. Ready to learn all the ‘spooktacular’ details? Here we go then!

You’re invited to our Halloween Party! No tricks here, just treats. Portrait Innovations invites you to attend our FREE PORTRAIT EVENT, at your nearest studio on Monday, October 26th from 4-6pm. Make sure to come dressed in costume to recieve a free 5×7 Print, 3 freeDigital Images, and of course FREE candy for kids in costume! There will be no sales or appointments during this event.

Of course, there will be candy! What Halloween event would be complete without? And, for a little extra motivation for YOU, submit those darling costume portraits from the event in the Portrait Innovations Boo-tiful Costume Contest for a chance to win a $5,000 cash prize. That’ll make for a fantastic Halloween!

Every Portrait Innovations Studio across the country is hosting the event. To find the studio closest to you, visit: http://www.portraitinnovations.com/Find-a-Studio

Can’t make it on the 26th? Don’t fret! Book a regular appointment, snap a few costume pics and you can still enter the contest.

You may see us there – we’ll have a couple of ‘Ninjago Ninja’ guys in our midst, plus Mal from Disney Descendents. Heck, I may even join in the fun and dress up in my Mad Hatter girl costume – and hubby is looking forward to being Starlord from Guardians of the Galaxy!

Which of the fabulous products at Snapfish would the Father-figure in YOUR life like the best?

Mixbook.com Black Friday Promotion

And Guess What?!?!

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Planning to go? What will your littles be dressed up as?