Anybody can take good pictures of their kids

Ready for some photo tips?
I use to work in a portrait studio. I was the manager in charge of photography, so I spent most of my day in the camera room. I was obsessed with portrait studios at that point, I told my husband I was going to bring my children every month for their first year. We compromised. He would buy me an SLR and I would start my own photo business and I would never make him go to a studio. Not everybody can afford an SLR, so how do you get nice pictures of your children without spending a fortune at a studio? Here are my tips.

1. Shoot Outside. The fastest way to spot an amateur photo is use of direct flash(a single flash, pointed directly at the subject, such as on your point and shoot.) Shooting outside will make in not necessary to use a flash.
2. Don't shoot in the middle of the day. The sun is directly overhead which can cause weird light. I like mornings or early evenings.
3. Crop in. Have you ever looked at professional photography? There is not tons and tons of background. The frame is filled with the subject, there are a few exceptions to this rule but don't be afraid to get close.
4. Get your kids ready! When you take your kids to a professional, you dress them to the nines. Do the same thing for your shoot. It is going to look way more professional if you children's hair is done and they are clean.
5. Don't yell at your children. We had a saying when I worked at the portrait studio, once mom starts yelling, it's over. You upset your child when you yell and an upset child tends to not smile.
6. Shoot over a few days. The beauty of taking your own children's pictures is you can redo them. No money lost. Kids have bad days, just like you.
7. Pick a location other than your backyard. The park down the street is great because you can catch them in their playing element and it is close, so you are not upset over a redo.
8. Take a gazillion pictures. That is the beauty of digital, take a gazillion and go through them at home.
9. Wait until you are at home to delete. Sometimes a great photo looks crappy on that little screen or vice versa.
10. Bring a helper. Whether it is your husband, a friend, your mom. Bring someone that your kids like and will smile for. Since you are the parent, sometimes your kids will ignore your pleas for them to look at you. When my 18-month-old is being particularly stubborn, having my husband there always helps.
11. Don't be afraid to edit, or ask for help. I am always willing to help you figure out how to edit a photo.

Looking for more photo information here are this month's post at my blog on photo editing:

Photo cutouts- How to make it look like you went to Paris, when you didn't
File Management- How to keep your photos safe
How to use Layers and a free alternative to photoshop
Color Management - How to fix the bad color in your photos.

(The pictures in this post are all photos I have taken of my child, at a simple locations such as a park.)

The PERFECT Roast Beef

I found this method of cooking a roast on recipezaar. I tried it today and it truly is perfect!


I cooked mine medium-rare so it does look quite pink. I should have let it sit longer to avoid losing all this juice, but it doesn't matter, it was moist and delicious! I find that often the beef flavor gets covered up by all the herbs and other ingredients that recipe's call for, but this recipe actually lets you taste the beef.

Another major bonus: this roast took less than an hour to cook!

Try it next time you're making a Sunday roast!

Tricks of the Trade...

So I've been out of town and just realized it was my turn for Tricks of the Trade. So here it is, better late than never right?

For Family Night on Monday we will be creating 72 hour kits for each member of our family. I will be going to the store that morning. Here is my tricks of the trade question...what should I buy? I have 3 girls, 4 (almost 5),3 and 11 months.


I'm also trying to decide if we should discuss earthquakes/fires and where to go and what to do. They are so little, I'm afraid of totally freaking them out. When have you discussed this with your kids, how old were they and what did you tell them.

Tricks of the Trade....Bridal Shower

I am throwing my first Bridal Shower for my almost sister in law Cami. They are getting married June 4th in the Oakland California Temple! Road trip:) Anyway.... I have never really done one before... we are going to have fun... but I need idea's. What to eat? Games to play? Gifts to give? yada yada yada!!!! So.... PLEASE help! Thanks

120 Mile Challenge

My friend, Cat, has had quite the past year and has been blogging about her impressive weight loss. To keep working towards her goals and to motivate others to exercise, she has come up with a fun 120 Mile Challenge for the summer. It sounds like a lot at first, but it is very doable for any fitness level and I think that it will be fun to track how much we can run or walk. She is also gathering sponsors for some fun prizes. Anyway, if you'd like to join me go on over to her blog and join the Challenge!

Death by Oreo

This is a spin on Hello Dolly's but for Oreo lovers. But beware! they are highly addictive so I suggest you make them to take to a function so they're not sitting around your house.

1 pkg Oreo's
4 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini-marshmallows
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Grease 13 x 9 x 3 pan with PAM.

Place Oreo's in gallon size Ziplock bag. Crush with rolling pin. Add melted butter.

Spread 1/2 the Oreo's in pan. Spread chocolate chips & marshmallows. Cover with remaining Oreo's then evenly spread sweetened condensed milk on top.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

My mother-in-law made this on Sunday and it was so good that I had to share!

Chicken Artichoke Casserole

½ lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced

2 Tbsp. butter

14 oz. chicken broth

3 lbs chicken breast tenders

1 (14 oz.) can artichoke heart quarters, drained

¼ cup butter

¼ tsp. salt

⅛ tsp. pepper

¾ cup half & half

½ cup Parmesan cheese

2 Tbsp. cooking sherry

½ tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled

View full recipe

Saute mushrooms in 2 Tbsp. butter until golden brown. Set aside.

Place chicken in simmering broth in single layer. Cover. Cook 20 minutes. remove from broth. Save ¾ cup broth.

Arrange chicken slightly overlapping in a 8“ x 12” casserole dish. Top with artichokes.

Melt ¼ cup butter. Stir in flour, salt & pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in ¾ cup chicken broth and half & half. Cook & stir as mixture boils and thickens. Blend in Parmesan, sherry and rosemary. Pour over artichokes. Sprinkle mushrooms on top.

Bake at 325° for 30 minutes.

***Great with Garlic Mashed Potatoes!

Dream House

Hello Mommies!
It's that time again for us to learn a little about you! This month we want to hear about your dream house!! Even if you never expect to actually live there, tell us what your dream house looks like! Inside and out, and of course... where is it located?

And Happy Mother's Day this week!

Sweet Corn Bread

This is the recipe my mom always used for cornbread. I love it! And it's is wonderful with Crock Pot Chicken w/ Black Beans and Cream Cheese!

1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups cornmeal
3 cups flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
3 cups milk

Cream margarine and sugar. Add 3 eggs, beat one at a time.
Sift together cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.
Alternate adding wet and dry mixtures to creamed margarine.
Bake in a greased/floured 13“x9”x2" pan at 350° for 45-50 minutes.

***Note: Recipe may be halved and baked in a 8"x8" pan.

Crock Pot Chicken w/Black Beans and Cream Cheese

I like to search recipezaar when I'm in the mood to try something new. I always search by rating. If 900 people give a recipe and average of 4 1/2 out of 5 stars it must be pretty good. I was looking for something easy because I had a busy Saturday ahead of me and the missionaries coming over for dinner at 5:00. Enter Crock Pot Chicken w/Black Beans and Salsa.
It's not the most appetizing to look at, but you won't care once you taste it. And it's so easy!

4-5 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (15.5 oz.) can black beans, drained
1 (15 oz.) can corn, drained
1 (15 oz.) jar salsa, any kind
1 (8 oz. ) package cream cheese

Place FROZEN chicken breasts in crock pot.
Add beans, corn and salsa.
Cook on high for 4-5 hours or until chicken in cooked.
Add cream cheese (just throw it on top) and let sit until melted.
Stir & enjoy!

This is excellent with sweet corn bread.


***Note: Someone on recipezaar commented that using hot salsa would give this more flavor. I used wal-mart's Great Value brand of hot salsa and it was excellent. The next time I made it, I used Pace's Picante Hot Salsa. It was SO HOT that we couldn't eat it. We tried. We really hate to throw away food, but we simply couldn't eat it. So, if you're sensitive to heat, be careful of the salsa you choose.

Fajita Marinade

My mother-in-law and I were recently shopping at Costco on a Saturday. She asked me what I'd like for Sunday dinner and I quickly answered "fajitas!"
As we walked through the store, testing all the samples we came across a lady sampling beef. It was delicious! I asked the lady what kind of seasoning she used and she told me that she had been marinading the meat in 7-up and McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak Seasoning. The 7-up tenderizes the meat and the steak seasoning gives it a lot of flavor.

My mother-in-law marinated the steak while before church on Sunday so it was nice and tender by dinnertime. My hubby cooked up the meat while we got the rest of the fajita fix-ins ready. I like sauteed red peppers & onions, sour cream, homemade guacamole, shredded cheese and, of course, freshly cooked tortillas. By freshly cooked I don't mean that I made the dough, but I like to buy the raw tortillas at Costco and cook them up right before we eat.

So good! Everybody went back for 2nds & 3rds!

Hello!

I'm Brenna and I'm really excited to be a new author the Mommy Diaries!

I'm a 23-year-old SAHM of an 18-month-old daughter named Bridget and the hubs and I just decided to start trying for #2!

Before my baby girl came, I was in the nursing field, working in Labor & Delivery (so much fun!). But I wanted, and luckily the hubs also wanted, me to stay home. I always said that I wanted the "I Love Lucy lifestyle", but without all the crazy antics. I wanted to stay home, keep a clean house, raise happy kids, and have dinner on the table when hubby came home from work every night. Well, I have a happy kid. I try to have dinner on the table every night. It seems like I go through spurts of having a hot dinner every night then I get into a "fend for yourself" slump. As for a clean house, I really try hard to achieve that. If my house is messy, I feel really anxious and can't rest until it's clean. I love cleaning products and I like to be as resourceful as I can when it comes to cleaning. For instance, I make my own laundry soap and dryer sheets, which I'll post soon.

My wonderful husband is Mike. We have been married for 2 1/2 years. And even thought she was 5 weeks preemie, we were blessed to have our daughter born 10 days before our first anniversary because we were able to take her with us when we were sealed in the temple. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in this world. The best day of our lives
made better by having our beautiful 12-day-old baby with us.

Mike is an HVAC technician (heating and air conditioning) and at night he picks up dead bodies. We also live next door to a mortuary. Our current goal is to get completely out of debt so working for the mortuary is a great thing for us. They give us a house to live in, and in exchange Mike picks up bodies and works at viewings in the evenings. I am blessed to have a hard working husband who is willing to do anything for his family.

I love being a wife and homemaker and everything that goes along with it. I'm the daughter of an Italian chef, so I love to cook. I also love to craft, coupon, clean and sew.

I recently got called to be 2nd counselor in the Primary Presidency. I'm terrified. I feel like I'm way too young to be in any kind of leadership position. But if that's where the Lord needs me, I'll happily obey.

So that's me.
And here's a current picture of my angel:

Pre-school alternatives

Next year my first son will be four and ready for some sort of pre-school. The word on the playground is that preschools are a hot topic. I live in Southern Maryland and don't know if it is like this everywhere but here are the options where I live:

Public pre-school: difficult to get into if your child isn't behind in any sort of way with a relatively stable home and family life.

Private pre-school (what most kids here do): there are lots of church pre-schools here, mostly Christian-based. They are very expensive (I don't have a number to give you but it seems way too expensive to be paying monthly) and the good ones have a 2-3 year waiting list. Basically, the second you know you are pregnant is the time to get your name on the list.

I've looked into Joy School because I remember my mom doing it with me and my brothers when I was young. It costs a little bit up front but overall the cost is much cheaper. It is closer to home where I can control it more, they still get the benefits of being taught by someone other than me, and they can still benefit from peer interaction.

I was wondering if anyone has successfully run a pre-school from their home or as a coop with other moms, like Joy School or a FREE one. We are all smart moms who are creative and capable. I was just hoping someone could give me some experienced advice.

One Hour Craft - Plate stand/cake stand

Hello folks. I know my track record for doing crafts at the beginning of the month has been horrible lately.... sorry! It seems like the world of having two kids has completely taken over my life. Anyways, I've got an awesome, quick, easy and very fun craft!!! The girls in my ward at church did a craft night a few years ago and they make these beautiful cake/plate stands using plates and glass candle sticks. They keep popping up at ward functions and they are all so gorgeous and fun I really wanted on. So I thought I would give it a try.

Here's what you need: (ok, sorry for the horrible photos!)

-epoxy ( a type of glue that will glue onto glass and things that regular glue won't work with) or glass glue. I think epoxy works better, so shoot for that. You can probably find it at Joanns or any other craft store. Even Home Depot carries it.

-a plate (any size, color, and shape) My plate is white and my candlestick is glass, I like it, but the girls at church have glass plates and glass candlesticks, it looks really elegant.

-a candlestick

**sidenote: I got my plate and candlestick at the dollar store. So for this whole project I spent about 5$, the glue was most expensive.**

Now, here's what you do:

Turn your plate upside down, and find the center. If you want you can make little marks, so you stick your candle stick down in the right spot. Next, apply the epoxy or glue according to package directions and let it dry THOROUGHLY. I made that impatient mistake and it cost me.

Ta da! That's IT! Once it is dry you have a lovely, fancy looking plate stand! Isn't that awesome?
Here's my finished product. It looks crooked, only because my plate is wavy.... don't let it fool you! :) I love the look of it. Here are some ideas for what I plan to do with my plate stand:

-sit it on my dining table with some fake fruit, changing from season to season (lemons in summer, indian corn for fall, etc.).

-Use it to transport and display cookies and treats for parties, showers, ward functions, holidays, etc.

-Use it as a cupcake stand or cake stand on birthdays

-Displaying my jewelry when I take it to craft fairs

And mostly, just to look at because I think it is so pretty.
Sorry about the ugly bags in this photo.... I'm no photographer! :) The possibilities with this craft are endless really. Keep your eye out for a fun candlestick and then find a plate to match and you've got yourself a unique craft and something useful too!! Oh, and I plan to make a hord of these for gifts, wouldn't YOU be excited to get one?!! PLEASE post pictures if you make one, I want to see all the creativity out there!

How to Get Your Kids to Pick Up After Themselves

Allrighty, so first off, can I just say that my kids are SO NOT a shining example of little children who dutifully only play with one toy, and put it away before they get out another. NOPE!

And can I also say that I am not diligent about MAKING them do that? It's too much work for me. I'm a wee bit lazy.

So, since that it not how I roll, my kids tend to sort of tornado through the toys in a day's time, and when 7pm come around, it looks like a natural disaster has indeed hit.

TOYS:
In order to make me feel like I'm doing my job as homemaker, we do a "QUICK PICK UP" every evening before bath time. We make it a race, to see how quickly we can get all the toys back in the toy box. It leaves my family room looking nice for the WHOLE EVENING. This makes me feel good about myself.

I have found that if my husband and I are enthusiastic and excited about "getting" to pick up, the boys are more willing to fall in line with it as well. If we're grumpy, they're grumpy.

Beyond Toys: 
Things like dishes in the sink and shoes in the closet are HABITS we're trying to instill. So, ALWAYS and FOREVER, if your shoes come off, where do they go? In the CLOSET! YAY! If you're done eating where do your dishes go? IN THE SINK!

I was raised in a home where my mother was a mother, not a maid. We as children were expected to do our part. I'm trying to teach that to my boys as well. I want them to be neat and clean people, not slobs. But at ages 4, 2, and 1 there are limits to their abilities. I find that picking up, and being responsible for their own belongings is a good place to start. When my oldest gets to be school-aged, I'll expect him to help with things like setting the table, and other small chores. As they grow, so does their list. :)