Look at my son. Sigh. This photo was taken almost five years ago at a photoshoot for my former employer who had a last minute need for a baby model.
Although I am usually opposed to studio photography, there is something about it that’s easy to look at. I guess that’s why our parents took us to Kmart for portraits all those years.
Your assignment: Take advantage of the free 8×10 portrait offered by the Picture People company on their website. Their style of photography is a step up from the Kmart photos we grew up with. Cheesy or adorable – there is a fine line. And when it comes to your own baby, I’m guessing you’ll side with “adorable”. These Picture People stores are found in malls (high class, I know) and you’ll have to use their store locator to find out if this is a feasible spur of the moment outing.
My professional advice (and yes, having done casting for catalogs, I am actually qualified to give this) is to have your baby wear something timeless such as a solid colored onesie and jeans or overalls. The more skin you show, the better. Bare feet and bare arms make baby photography even more irresistable. Jeans + Bare Feet = One Cute Picture. And don’t forget to take a couple of pictures with you in it, even if you think you have bad hair, are fat or unworthy. You are her mother, and you are beautiful. She will definitely want the photos later in life, when she’s done hating you.
Make a deal with yourself that you will not buy more of the pictures than the free one. You might be embarassed to leave the place with only your single enormous free picture, but that’s the only way we can keep this activity in the free/cheap category.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone. Celebrate by wearing green, drinking a pint or so of Guinness and enjoying this guest post from Kate Moran.
Kate is an American girl living in Ireland with her two small children. She founded MummyMaps.com, the stylish guide for Irish parents, and shares these insider tips for living in Dublin or traveling to Ireland with little ones.
Ireland is famous for gorgeous landscapes, charming villages and relaxing family time. Here is the perfect week in Ireland with kids (including best restaurants with changing tables and highchairs and advice for beating the weather):
Monday: City walk
The country’s capital and cultural heart, Dublin has lots for families to enjoy. Wander through Trinity College’s cobblestone paths, up the main shopping street, Grafton Street and to St. Stephen’s Green, where the kids can spend some time at the playground. Entry into most museums is free, so they are great to pop into to get out of the rain. In fact, the National Gallery of Ireland has a fantastic gift shop to buy gifts for home as well as a reliable cafe.
Tuesday: Guinness tour
The Guinness Storehouse is a requisite stop for many adults – and we can report that it’s pretty family-friendly. The displays (like the massive waterfall in the front hall) can engage most children for a while and the Gravity Bar is bright and lively. There are baby changing facilities and well, there is something strangely gratifying about taking your baby’s picture next to a pint of Guinness.
Finally, for older children, visit Kilmainham Goal for a tour of the famous jail where the leaders of the 1916 uprising were jailed and executed. Just across the road from Kilmainham is the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA). It hosts an eclectic variety of exhibitions to suit every taste.
After strolling the lengthy corridors, head to the café Itsa-at-Imma. Wholesome hot meals, salads, (including coeliac options) and a full kid’s bagel menu is available. Just off the main café is a family room with little tables, highchairs, play mats, a microwave and lots of wooden toys and colouring and chalk boards to keep the monkeys amused while you enjoy that long awaited coffee. And to top it off…the ladies loos would put the Ritz to shame – you could fit at least four buggies in the baby change area! (Ah, it’s the little things…) If the weather is bearable, let the wild ones run freely in the wide open spaces or shout it all out in the formal gardens where an art installation in the form of a volcanic metallic fountain is a little treat for tiny ones with big imaginations.
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