Momma in Christmas Mode

Christmas at the Day residence started early this year. We have been so busy just trying to catch up with life, friends, family, work and baby. I know being really busy is partly my fault, but it's my way of life. I just can't miss a beat! Life is too short.

The early Christmas bird catches the party worm. It all started with setting up the Christmas tree in late November. You can read more about   my First Christmas post.  We had a very early start with our first Christmas party of the season. You need to book early with your friends if you want to see them at all during the holidays. Everyone is so busy with their own growing families and it's getting harder to get the whole gang together. We had a blast as usual! Because we always stuff ourselves before the main course, I chose to have an appetizer only party this time and what a success it was! Everyone brought a very intricate homemade appetizer. The smorgasbord of canapés included a cheese board, baguette, red pepper jelly, olives, quinoa lettuce wraps, bite size moussaka disks, potato salad, mushroom crustinis, homemade pizza, chocolate covered pretzels and my famous prosciutto wrapped goat cheese stuffed dates. I wish I took a picture of my "pinterest" table… but we actually banned our phones from the party and had them all lined up on the kitchen counter. You know you are having fun when you don't have time to play with your phone. My favourite part of the evening was when we all squished at the coffee table to eat our meal. I earned some new scratches on my hardwood floor from people sitting down, but I see it as a memory of the evening.

After the tree, came the Christmas cards! I love the cards I had done with Vista Print. A small fortune, but worth every penny. I wish I would have bought more to send to everyone, but momma is on a budget. I am happy to report that all cards were sent by December 1rst with lots of time to spare!

My Christmas card production line. I sent over 60 cards this year.
Lots of work, but worth every minute!

Farmboy Organic Eggnog in my coffee is my fuel for getting ready for Christmas!
I never really cared for eggnog until I tried this. It tastes natural and oh so creamy.

Christmas shopping this year for me was a breeze. As you know, I am now addicted to "Online Shopping"and managed to complete most of my gift this way. The best part is that I use Ebates, which is a great way to save and make money while you are shopping. I feel like a commercial when I tell people about it, but it's really the best. I just got my first cheque for $16. It's not much, but it's more than what you would get if you were to buy it in the store. If you pay attention to their promotions, you can really save big! Also, who doesn't love receiving mail at home that isn't a bill! I try my best to avoid paying for shipping as well.
All my gifts are wrapped and under the tree! I chose to stick to my rustic theme this year and wrapped my gifts in brown paper. I found the cutest stamps at Target to help me with my project. I loved using these stamps but may have gone a tad over-board on some of the gifts… hahah. Oh well, all in good fun. The stamp I loved using the most was the "To:/From:" tag. How brilliant! And for $7, I can use these stamps for a long long time. Great investment if you ask me :)

Having fun with gift wrapping. Keeping it rustic with stamps, twine and brown paper.

Final product! My first rustic style Christmas tree!
I am happy with the results and hope to carry on the tradition for the next years to come.

Victor's first time on Santa's lap. He did great, but started crying at the end :(
We saw Santa at Bayshore and were given a free picture and ear muffs (every Monday!).

Attention readers: Announcing my first blog giveaway!

The following is for all of my amazing readers who have supported my blog and provided me with your feedback, shared your comments and given me inspiration. I am so happy to announce my first ever giveaway.

In the spirit of Christmas, I am raffling off two tickets to the "Originals Ottawa Christmas Craft Sale"! Please share your comments below on what your favourite thing is during Christmas. I will choose a winner at random on Tuesday morning. Hint, hint, I am available to go to the show with you ;) hahaha

Good luck, and please don't forget to share this post in the holiday spirit!
Thank you to the folks at Signatures Shows Ltd. for giving us these free tickets.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

~We wish you and your families health and happiness in 2014~

First Christmas

It's done! My tree is decorated, the stockings are up and my wreath is hanging on the front door.

My husband will look after the lights on the tree outside tomorrow and we are almost set!

It's V's first Christmas and I am hosting the family this year, so  I want to go all out! I am having my first holiday party tomorrow, so the house needs to scream  "Christmas". The only difference is, this year I am really going for the Pinterest, rustic, antique features like my recycled coffee bags that I bought from Francesco's to use as a tree skirt. I also invested in a few cloth and wood ornaments to stay as baby friendly as possible. I avoided placing anything on the bottom of the tree so V won't grab at it.

Who am I kidding? As soon as Victor wakes up, he will destroy my tree :( Oh well, a girl can dream!

My tree is decorated! Love my new ornaments this year:
DIY Victor's hand print, cloth mushroom (IKEA),
Smores mom and Baby's first Xmas and my favourite German Pickle! 

Spoiler alert- All family members will be receiving a
hand painted ornament from Victor this Xmas!

New rustic decorations that are baby friendly.
Loving the "shroom" theme at Ikea and The Bay this year :)

Baby Pictures 101

If you are anything like me, there is nothing more valuable to you than a beautiful professional picture taken of your family.

I know it's not for everyone, and it's not necessarily a vanity thing… It's mostly because I am the family photographer, so I don't always show up in the pictures. Oh, my first world problems! Anyway, when I die, there will be loads of professional pictures taken of me, and people will only remember how great I looked (because I had hair and makeup done in all the photos ;) ). Mouahahahaha

Ok, back to business. You may think I am crazy for talking about Christmas photos in early November, but trust me when I say, YOU NEED TO BOOK EARLY! The good photographers in the city are always booked up! Plus there is so much planning that goes into this, and you need time to prepare.

Because I have experience with both pre-natal and family (us with a 9 month old) photos, I decided to write a post to help you plan and prepare for these special moments. These are not just pictures, these are the memories you are creating for the future. This is why you should pay attention to your clothes, your hair, your props and keep the photo style as classic as possible! Don't forget to make it "YOU", if the photo doesn't match your style or personality, you won't be happy sharing them with your friends and family.

Love the vintage truck and the custom hat I had made.

Maternity photos from Nov 2012.
We didn't know the sex so we went with "Baby Day".

• Plan ahead- book your appointment a few months before you need the pictures. Not only does the photographer get booked, you need some time to receive the images as well. We waited about 2 weeks, witch is faster than industry standards. Note that wedding pictures take much longer because you have so much more coverage.
• New born pictures are fairly complicated, you need to book for around 10-12 days to get the squishy sleeping pictures. They are also more fussy, so you need more time to get it all done right. I did my own new born pictures, so I don't have advice to give you here.
• Photo sessions take about 45 min to 1 hr depending on the photographer. You really don't need more than that. Kids get tired easily and you don't need hundreds of the same picture. Just one great shot matters!
• Ask the photographer about props and outfit changes. The older the kids are, the faster you can change them. Some photographers have lots of great props (like mine), but you may want to bring your own things to keep it original. Props can make or break your image. It's a fragile zone between cute and cheesy… so be careful. You've been warned!
• Plan your outfits. It should be coordinated but not matching. For example, we chose dark outfits with pops of red (my lipstick, V's bow tie) and plaid on Michael and V's shirt. I was so stressed about what I should wear. I wanted to go "cozy" but bulky clothes is not the most flattering on me nor is it a classic look. I am happy with our outfit choices. We look comfortable, clean and classic!
• Put some thought into your props. I like the antique feel, and that's my choice of decor at home. I like original prices like my mistletoe. I bought this for my pregnancy shoot and used it again for our family shoot. I also had a hat made for Victor to support a fellow mom's business. I did a bit of Pinter-research to get inspired too. 
• Make sure you book the session at a good time where baby will have had a nap and food. They need to be rested because it's a lot of work for them. 9 months is a good age because they can smile, they can sit up, they can't walk yet so they will stay put. Get the good pictures out of the way, because their energy doesn't last.
• Make sure you like your hair, that you put on makeup (while still looking like yourself) and have the men with clean hair and shaven face. You can't look scruffy, unless that's the look you are going for. Photographers always complement on my makeup, and I later tell them that I am a makeup artist, which helps :)
• Be organized on the day of the shoot. As you know I love lists and I would die without them. Again, if I die, there will be great photos of me (full circle, see how I did that?) haha. For real though, make sure you have payment, your props, your list of photo ideas, outfit changes, your diaper bag with milk and snacks, baby's favourite toy for distraction and give yourself enough time to get beautiful!
• And for all photos, smile, have fun and be yourself! Candid shots are gorgeous, just like the posed ones can be as well.

Have you planned a shoot? Need some help or inspiration? Leave your comments below, I'd love to help!

Fun sox are a great way to make an expression!