11.24.2010

Christmas cards: how do you get a toddler to look and smile?!

It's time for Christmas cards again. This year is much more difficult than last year! At the time, Nick was not moving. Now it is almost impossible to get a good shot. Nick is a menace. Everytime I take out the camera he runs away. I guess I have taken too many pictures of him. If I can get them to sit together, Nick either looks away, moves away or I have to pretend there is a spider on my head. Any tips on that? Toddler Christmas pictures. Share a link if you have a good picture posted!! Kara is easy though!

If he was looking in the first picture, it would have been cute. I have both matching PJs that I'd settle for in a Christmas picture or I have been trying in their nice Christmas outfits.  It's a pain because it's hard to find a time when they are both awake and Kara isn't spitting up all over her outfit (she's a huge spitter). Also, I've been trying outside but it's super cold and the times that the light is good, both or at least one of the kids are usually asleep.

Here are the fail pictures so far, I don't have a very good one to use. I'm hoping with help I can get one over Thanksgiving.  It's definitely a 2 man job! I've been sending out Christmas cards with pictures since we were married in 2005. That year was our wedding photo, the next year was a picture of us on vacation, 2007 was a marathon picture and 2008 was probably another vacation picture. Last year was Nick (VACATIONS OVER) and this year I'm hoping for Nick and Kara!










family pic

Once I finally have a picture, I am going to check out the Christmas cards at Shutterfly.  They also have holiday cards if you don't celebrate Christmas.  I'm also looking into the calendar idea for grandparents.  I feel like they love seeing and having pictures of the kids, so I'm going the photo gift route this year. What are you giving your parents/inlaws for Christmas? Where do you shop for holiday cards?

Some cards ideas with the best picture I have so far:




Sweet deal! Shutterfly is offering 50 free holiday cards to bloggers. Check it out here for more info.

15 comments:

  1. You seriously have the cutest kids ever!! I bet it definitely is a two man job! I loved all the different options.
    About the D.C. they told me it had nothing to do with the receding gums but my dad just hated how much I drank d.c. and that was the only way he could get me to quit ha!

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  2. oh you choose a good one! i like that one. and the family one is a great shot!!

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  3. Try a FLIP video camera (get Bill one for Christmas). They're on sale at costco for $119 right now. Best purchase ever. It's so easy to take videos, and super easy to download and save to your computer. And then you can go frame by frame and save pictures! So all you need is your kids to glance at you once and smile and you can grab the picture out of the video! :)

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  4. You need someone to jump around in the background and act really dymb :) you can borrow davem he's a pro lol

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  5. Kara's pictures KILL me - her expression is priceless!

    I like the ones you chose at the bottom. I think they are adorable!!

    Angela/Pretty in Orange

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  6. Ethan is getting a LITTLE better about pictures, but it's still difficult! Most the time when we do family shots we use the timer on the camera and he seems to be captivated by the blinking timer. Maybe try the timer trick even if you don't need it and see if that helps.

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  7. CUTE!!! I like the halloween picture, i always like when the parents are int he picture too. I LOVE the celebrate family card option. Happy Thanksgiving!

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  8. Halloween pic is fab and I like the one you chose of the kiddie winks as they are both looking at you.

    Contemplating the calender option for the grandparents too.

    So need to start thinking about crimbo!

    Kaz.

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  9. I wouldn't hesitate to use any of those pictures... they are all great! :)

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  10. For both boys, once they hit 20 months or so, pictures were horrible. Ryan stayed in that picture funk for about a year or just over...just when we were trying to do real pictures. I haven't taken Brayden for his 2 year pics yet...lol he's 2.5.

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  11. Love love love the Christmas card ideas! All super super cute!

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  12. Natalie, these are all really cool! I like either the Halloween one with all four of you, or the Celebrate Family one.

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  13. We just tell Brooke to say something she likes to say ... a current one is "yo gabba gabba". Then we snap the pic mid sentence. She looks happy because she is talking about something she loves :)

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  14. Those are all cute! How do you decide??
    I like the Halloweeen one ;)

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