Newborn Photography---Three Times Is Not the Charm

I have a really good reason for not posting here for awhile. Her name is Maggie Olivia. She entered the world and our hearts on Dec.15. Ever since grandma's been on a quest to get that perfect newborn shot.

                     One of the few sleeping shots of Maggie. Notice she is wrapped up.

To get ready, I watched Creative Live's class on photographing newborns. I studied Pinterest boards for the perfect pose and props. I bought a space heater and nubby blankets for texture. I watched YouTube videos. All I needed was a sleeping baby.

Take one:  Maggie at 6 days old. I brought everything over to their house. I set everything up while mom fed her. Yes! a sleeping baby. Slowly we undressed her and got a couple shots with just a blanket and then...wah, an awake baby! No getting her back to sleep.

My first attempt. She was wide awake!

A few days later mom and Maggie are over at our house. Again, a sleeping baby. I quickly set up a backdrop and get out some blankets and props. The heater is set up, I'm sweating and as soon as Maggie's little legs are out of the sleeper she is AWAKE! So, I take a few awake pics. But I really want just one of those barebutt sleepy photos!

                                                               My second attempt. Cute, but not sleepy!

OK, so I'm thinking it's never gonna happen. Then a few days ago mom and Maggie are over again. She is out like a light. I quickly get everything set up again. Heater is on, fireplace is on, heating pad under the blankets for awhile to heat it up. Mom starts to undress her and...you guessed it. As soon as she felt the sleeper coming off she was AWAKE!  I mean really.

            This is Maggie at two days old. Wide awake. Guess that's how grandma will photograph her--awake!

I have come to grips with the fact there will be no cute photo of newborn Maggie asleep without her clothes. I do have sweet shots of her awake and a few of her asleep but she has her clothes on. Mom said she does not like to be cold. Maggie is most content when she is swaddled. It's Minnesota, it's winter...I can't blame her.

So my big plans to photograph newborns will have to wait until I have a more cooperative subject. Meanwhile I will enjoy every chance I get to hold Maggie all bundled up. If I'm lucky enough to get a photo of her like that, it'll just be a bonus!

2014 Blessings

Happy New Year!!! I thought I'd share one of the neat things

 I stumbled across from Sexy Mother Runner Danyelle that I am incorporating into our household 

starting today. Happy 2014!

 

You Can Stretch Anywhere,Anytime

I've been nursing a groin injury for the past few months. It has been frustrating since it hurts to run or even walk fast. So I was interested in learning that stretching can help with injury recovery time.

As you age, your muscles tighten and range of motion in your joints can be minimized. This can put a damper on your active lifestyle and even put a crimp in normal motions. (and I'm finding that as I age, my body is healing slower.)

Stretching increases flexibility, which will help you perform daily activities and reduce the risk of muscle, joint and tendon injuries. Stretching also improves circulation, increasing blood flow to the muscles. Increased blood flow provides more nourishment to the muscles and gets rid of more waste by-products in the muscle tissue itself. Improved circulation can also help speed up recovery time if you suffer a muscle injury. Everyone can learn to stretch, regardless of age or flexibility. Stretching should be a part of your daily routine, whether you exercise or not. You can stretch while you watch tv, use the computer or are getting ready for bed. 

The staff at the Mayo Clinic give these benefits of stretching:  

Stretching increases flexibility. Flexible muscles can improve your daily performance. Tasks such as lifting packages, bending to tie your shoes or hurrying to catch a bus become easier and less tiring.  

Stretching improves range of motion of your joints. Good range of motion keeps you in better balance, which will help keep you mobile and less prone to falls — and the related injuries — especially as you age. 

Stretching improves circulation. Stretching increases blood flow to your muscles. Improved circulation can speed recovery after muscle injuries. 

Stretching can relieve stress. Stretching relaxes the tense muscles that often accompany stress. 

You can find some quick and easy stretches here.  Try them tomorrow. It would be a great way to start the New Year!


 

New Year's Resolutions

 

Do you make New Year's Resolutions? I have in the past but after a few weeks it seems like they are kind of forgotten. So this year I decided to make a simple chart based on one that I saw by the Sits Girls.  I decided that maybe one word reminders that are posted where I can see would help me to stay on task. Some of these have specific meaning for me and some can be applied to different situations in my life. 

I'm going to give it a try this year. I'll let you know how it turns out...

Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas to you and yours! I hope you have a delightful day filled with family love, smiles for the camera, and gifts from the heart. 
Remember to take time to soak in the joy of the season. Look around and just breathe it in! Have a very Merry Christmas today!

 

Wordless Wednesday

                                                            Having fun inverting colors. 
 

Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Treats

 My sister-in-law Rose makes some of the best Christmas treats. She always makes the pretzel rods dipped in chocolate which are a hit. The only problem for me is that once the chocolate is gone, you've got a lot of pretzel left. I do like pretzels, just not so much at one time. So I was happy to find this recipe using pretzels, chocolate and caramel.

For these yummy little pretzel treats you'll need:



Small pretzels-- twists or the square ones-- I used the square ones (you won't use the whole bag)
Bag of caramels
Approximately 1 bag of Milk Chocolate chips (or chocolate almond bark)

Place wax paper or a silpat mat on a large cookie sheet and lay out your pretzels. Unwrap the caramels and cut each one in half. I would have given anything to have had the grands here to help with this step!!

Top each pretzel with a caramel half and place in a 250 degree oven for 5 minutes or so, until caramel is soft to the touch. Remove from oven and top each pretzel with another pretzel, GENTLY squeezing in the middle of each pretzel to sandwich the caramel.

Melt your chocolate in a microwave safe bowl, stirring every 30 seconds until just melted.

Grab a pretzel sandwich and dunk it completely in the chocolate  and shake to remove excess chocolate. (I used a fork to help with the dunking.)Place them on another cookie sheet covered in wax paper.  Repeat with remaining pretzels and allow to set up completely at room temperature. (I shook a little Christmas decoration on the top before the chocolate set up.)

If you want to see where I got this idea and a really cute way to finish off your treats check out this blog post.