Top 10 Family Portrait Ideas

Today, I'm sharing my top 10 family portrait ideas as inspired by some late night Pinterest surfing.  Truly that site is addictive.  Anyways, I don't know if you remember but getting family portraits done was listed as one of my resolutions/goals for 2014. (See it here).  So, I've got two potential photographers lined up and now all I need to do besides decide what we're wearing is narrow down a concept, style or theme for our shoot.  Check out some of my favorites from Pinterest below.

1

Pinterest

I love this follow the leader/tallest to shortest style family portrait option.  And with the possibility that we might able to get a dog (more on that later), wouldn't it be cute to have JJ holding the leash with our furry friend being on the end?  I already have of what this would look like for us in my head.

2

Pinterest

We'd definitely have to wait until it warmed up for this one because there are no lush fields around here yet.  But I love the thought of capturing something so intimate like a kiss.  I'm a firm believer that kids need to witness affection between parents in order to know how to reciprocate to their spouse when they're grown.  I, also, like this picture because I'm a country girl gone city and this would be a great way to incorporate country upbringing.

3

Pinterest

How gorgeous is this?  Family, sunset, open field....  What could be better?  I'm loving this silhouette style shoot and can totally see myself holding JJ and the Mr holding Moo of course.  And maybe our little furry friend can sit in the middle?  

4

Pinterest

I've always been a fan of the picture in a picture photos.  This is cute.  I would love to get a really ornate frame and dress up black tie style.  Plus, we could do one of the kids holding the frame with me and the Mr in the background and then switch it up and put the kids in the background.  Lots of fun possibilities with this one.

5

Pinterest

I just know the kids would have fun with this one.  Of course, they would each want to take turns hanging upside down.  Plus, I like that this gives the kids a chance to be the main focus.  They grow up so fast that I don't mind one bit having them be stars.

6

Pinterest

I know that Christmas is gone, but we could spruce the wreath up with hearts and little cupids to make it look appropriate for Valentine's Day or switch it out for a box of heart shaped chocolates or a stuffed bear.  And we don't have snow, but I love the idea of being out on a flat surface with trees in the background and capturing the true essence of the season.  Not to mention, I don't have a ton of pictures with the kids that I am in.

We could take turns shooting shots with the kids individually,  then the Mr and I got do a couple shot and at the end do one big family shot.  Again there are a lot of possibilities with this one.

7

Pinterest

Nothing like going the traditional route.  I remember taking photos like this when I was younger with my family.  The girls would coordinate or match outfits with my mom and my brother would wear something coordinated with us.

8

Pinterest

Incorporating the initial of our last name would be cute!  And we could play around with how we wanted the initial pop out.  Like it could be hiding or hanging somewhere in the background.  It could be leaning against something on the ground or one of the kids could be holding it.

9

Pinterest

There's just something appealing and almost rustic about abandoned train tracks.  I've always wanted my picture taken on one but never got around to before I moved into the city.  I'd love to hunt down some nearby and go for it.  Why not make it a family thing while there, right?  We could even bring a trunk or rocking chairs to use as props for the kids to sit on.

10

Pinterest

Family photos taken on bridges and docks just seem so peaceful and full of joy and happiness.  We took pictures on a bridge over a pond for my sister's wedding and they turned out great.  I'd love to try the same concept with my family.  There's this one park we go to here in the QC that has a love arched bridge that I think would be the perfect setting if we did something like this.

So, as you all can see, Pinterest has given me a lot of inspiration to choose from.  I'm looking forward to deciding on a style/concept for the shoot and keeping our family portraits done finally!  Oh, don't forget to stop by the Facebook page and share a post related to motherhood, parenting or family for Motherhood Monday.  Just click on the badge below and it will take there.  Also,  Happy MLK, Jr Day!!

When was the last time your family took pictures together?

Dreams, Visions And Resolutions 2014

I know a lot of people are on the I-don't-believe-in-setting-resolutions-train, but not me.  When people say that what hear is "I'm not setting any goals for my life this year."  After all, a resolution is in fact another word for goal.  And I think that we should all set new goals for ourselves or make plans to attempt to complete the goals still in progress.  I have made a list of resolutions/goals for the year but each month I am setting short term goals to help me reach my year long goals.

Before we jump into my list check out my Dream Board below.  It's visual reminder of my most important goals I want to accomplish and mark off my list.  If you're interested in making one here's the link: http://goo.gl/j9Bduw

In 2014, I want to:

• Find a church
• Continue working with JJ to make progress with his speech
• Get Moo into a top rated kindergarten
• Take a family vacation/trip
• Secure 2 major/dream sponsors for YUMMommy
• Publish my novel online & in print
• Host mini book tour/signings
• Vlog a minimum of once a month
• Buy a second car
• Pay off student loan (a little over $6000 left)
• Attend 5 events
• 1 Blog Conferences
• 1 Charity Dinner/Event
• 1 Local Blogger Meetup
• 2 Family Events
• Host a charity event online & locally
• Blanket/Yarn Drive
• Toy Drive
• School Supply Drive
• Scholarship Fund
• Workout 3x a week
• Continue cooking & eating healthy
• Buy house/townhouse with at least 3 bedrooms & office space (foreclosures are cheap again in our area)
• Build up savings
• Find the kids a pet neither is allergic to
• Get a new laptop and desktop
• Nourish the relationships with my friends, family, supporters and God
• Family portraits
• Ditch the ponytail and try new hair styles
• Continue revamping wardrobe
• Take a class (already found three free classes online)
• Redo logos
• Think more positively
• Enjoy life

Some of these I think overlap.  For example, if we attended a family event out of town and made it an entire weekend trip, then that would count as a mini family vacation.  And of course, the things that I want to continue doing don't require me to go out of my way to do anything different. So, I know this list looks long, but I'm going to try my hardest to cross off everything.  Thankful Thursday post will be coming later on today!

What goals, resolutions or dreams have you set for yourself and family to accomplish in 2014?

Happy 2014

Source: Studio 404

Happy 2014 Y'all!!  How cute is the graphic above from my fellow BLM Girl, Angel, at Studio 404?  Be sure to check out her blog and show her some love.  She has some incredible freebies and an Etsy shop.  Anyways, I mentioned yesterday that I would be sharing the progress I made with my 2013 resolutions and goals.  Last year was a bit bumpy and rough, but I still managed to accomplish a few things.

In 2013, my resolutions were to:

-Get stronger in my faith and read my Bible daily: I'm happy to say that I accomplished this goal with my Bible 365 Challenge.  I also became a member of the Bible Gateway Blogger Grid!

-Workout 3 times a week minimum:  I started off good on this until the end of May.  I was working out almost everyday.

-Cook healthier (sorry fried foods): I did really good on this one. I think fried maybe 20 times last year.  That's really considering I was usually frying something once to three times a week in 2012.

-Travel more and experience new places with the kiddies and Mr:  Sadly, due to the Mr's work schedule, he wasn't able to travel with us.  However, the kiddies and I enjoyed trips to New Orleans, Lake Junaluska and Myrtle Beach last year!

-Secure my dream blog sponsors:  Dealing with JJ's speech issues and the whole move crisis, I dropped the ball on this.  However, I still had some lovely sponsors.

-Attend at least 2 blog conferences: This was a no go too.  The blog conference I was going to attend here in the QC was the same weekend as my sister's wedding and I didn't get a major sponsor to help cover the cost of BlogHer.

-Build up my savings account and family emergency fund:  I was say that this was a little bit of a success.  I definitely started off 2014 with more money in my savings than last year.  But it's hardly enough to be considered an emergency fund.

-Become more present and here in the time I spend with my kids and husband: Again, I think I was present with the kids, but not the Mr.  1 out of 2 isn't bad.

-Publish this novel I've been talking about and do a mini book tour/signing: Still working on the novel.  If wasn't self editing the process would run a lot smoother and faster.  Pretty much I needed to get out of my own head and just write.  I have met some pretty cool independent writers and they have been a wealth of knowledge and help.

-Find an illustrator for my kids book series:  I researched and found that I just didn't have the funds to afford any of the illustrators I wanted.  And I didn't want to just settle anything crappy.  I'm toying with the idea of launching a Kickstarter or GoFundMe campaign to help.

-Buy a new car (I'm not about this one car life anymore):  We got a new car, but sadly we're still living the one car life thanks to those pesky deer.

-Move to a bigger place (We've been cramped long enough):  Sadly, we ended up moving to a smaller place. :(  No worries, another move is coming up.

-Increase my giving back and community service:  I definitely did this.  I volunteered at a charity in my hometown and we gave away a lot to charity when we moved in addition to me giving away JJ's baby furniture to moms from our playgroup.

-Grow YUMMommy:  I've seen growth in the pageviews and seen new faces in the comments.  I've also grown on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

-Start an online magazine:  Sketched a layout, found a platform and decided on themes, but again with everything this just seemed like it would be a bit much to handle at that moment.

-Revamp my wardrobe: I added a new pieces and gave away some pieces. 

-Stay Team Natural:  Definitely accomplished this.  There were times I wanted to throw in the towel, but I didn't. 

-Do more for myself: Not a complete fail.  I treated myself to nail polish and a new camera this year.

-Build and nourish new friendships:  I can check this off the list with certainty.  Thanks to my new Facebook groups I joined last year, I've met some awesome ladies and am  looking forward to continuing to build a relationship with each of them.

So, there you have it folks.  I didn't do too shabby.  I know it was pretty ambitious trying to accomplish a list this size, but I'm an ambitious person.  And honestly speaking, if we hadn't had all the issues with the move and then the emotional trauma of JJ's delayed speech, I probably would have accomplished more.  But what didn't kill me has made me stronger.

Lessons have been learned.  Connections have been made and I'm ready to make 2014 a knockout year.  I'll be back tomorrow with  my goals, resolution and vision board for this year.  Hope you all a great time ringing in the New Year!

Dreams, Visions And Resolutions 2013

"It's only when you make the process your goal that the big dream can follow."

~Oprah Winfrey

Miss Winfrey couldn't have hit the nail more on the head if she tried.  Year after year many of us set resolutions, write down our dreams and entertain visions of how we would like for our lives to play out in the next year.  And while I have to admit that I did pretty good on accomplishing a few of my resolutions, I can admit that I could have done a whole lot better.  This year I was a mom of two, battled several issues in my personal life and almost sunk back into depression.  But still I should have made the process of achieving my dreams and resolutions my main goal.

So, with 2012 about to kick the bucket and the kids down for bed, I have completed my 2013 Vision Board to serve as a guide and constant reminder of my dreams, visions and resolutions for the new year.  I'm staying committed to making the process my goal.   It's not just enough to speak these things out into the universe YUMMs.  Words and faith without actions and follow up might as well be nonexistent. 

I'm telling you these last two months have been eye openers and game changers for me.  Like in all seriousness, shit got really real!  This always second guessing myself and over thinking every step before I even make it got me nowhere.  And as much as I want to say that I let other people talk me out of taking certain leaps, at the end of the day the truth was whatever I didn't accomplish or take a stab at was because of my own fears.

I'm taking back the wheel and control of my life.  My destiny. My legacy.  There's so much riding on me reaching fuller potential that it's not even funny.  It's go big or stay home in 2013. I'm either putting up or shutting up this shop and sitting my butt down somewhere.  And I'm choosing to shine and go for the gold.

In 2013, my resolutions are to:

• Get stronger in my faith and read my Bible daily
• Workout 3 times a week minimum
• Cook healthier (sorry fried foods)
• Travel more and experience new places with the kiddies and Mr
• Secure my dream blog sponsors
• Attend at least 2 blog conferences
• Build up my savings account and family emergency fund
• Become more present and here in the time I spend with my kids and husband
• Publish this novel I've been talking about and do a mini book tour/signing
• Find an illustrator for my kids book series
• Buy a new car (I'm not about this one car life anymore)
• Move to a bigger place (We've been cramped long enough)
• Increase my giving back and community service
• Grow YUMMommy
• Start an online magazine
• Revamp my wardrobe (I lost a lot of weight and inches since Jan 2012 but I've barely gotten new clothes for my new shape)
• Stay Team Natural (Relaxers I rebuke you)
• Do more for myself (No more talking myself out of new shoes or cute nail polishes)
• Build and nourish new friendships

There you have it. By end of the 365 days of 2013, I aim to have every last one of these marked off my list.  And yes, that's being realistic. I don't think I've made any resolutions that I would take more than a year to achieve.  For a few of these, I've already set wheels into motion and at this point it's about following through and checking up on things.

As New Year's Eve approaches, I hope that each of you are taking stock of your life from 2012.  What didn't you like?  What didn't you accomplish that you wanted to?  And why didn't you accomplish it?  Don't be your biggest enemy in 2013.  Make your list of goals and resolve first to commit to taking the steps to making your dreams reality. 

Anything is possible if you're willing to work for it.  Get an accountability partner if you need to.  Just don't settle for another year of throwing in the towel and complaining from the sidelines. Get out their on the court and play to win it YUMMs!

What's your biggest dream or accomplishment you want or need to achieve in 2013?

Happy 2011

Happy 2011! Yes, another year is upon us. I celebrated the New Year snuggled up with my Moo. I told we would both stay awake to at least see the ball drop on tv. However, being in the comforts of our lovely suite here at the Harbour Lights Resort that I feel asleep 10 minutes before midnight.

And today I have been enjoying my family and thinking about how much better this year is going to be. I honestly haven't made any resolutions. I am just determined to take everything to the next level and get rid of all the negatives. I am in such a different place right now in my life. My struggles from last year have taught me what the important things in life are.

I hope that you all enjoyed bringing in the New Year with your loved ones. Did you make any resolutions for 2011? And how did you bring on the New Year?