Food Fun Family

#PRINTitFORWARD with the Polaroid Snap Touch Camera

Lolli — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 15:54:50 +0000

‘Tis the holiday season, and I’m loving it! In the holiday spirit, Polaroid has offered to include my readers in the #PRINTitFORWARD campaign, so in honor of #PRINTitFORWARD, I have a Polaroid Snap Touch to give away! I was sent a Polaroid Snap Touch to facilitate this post, but all thoughts are my own.

From now through December 31, Polaroid will be giving away one camera a day to those who share their favorite photos on social media and use the hashtag #PRINTitFORWARD. It’s as simple as sharing a photo (which I’m sure you do already!) and adding the #PRINTitFORWARD hashtag! But Polaroid doesn’t stop there!

Join them all season long for giveaways, contests, and other surprises as they celebrate the season of giving. Just follow the #PRINTitFORWARD hashtag and Polaroid on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. Or…scroll to the bottom of this post and win one right here!

A photographer at heart

Even before I learned my way around a fancy camera, I loved taking pictures of anything and everything. I feel like I’ve always seen the world better through a camera lens. I am fascinated by all types of cameras – from film to digital, small and simple to big and fancy. And my latest obsession has been Polaroid cameras. In fact, Polaroids are on TWO of my family’s Christmas wish list this year, so I’ve been able to check off one of our items with this super fun camera!

My husband says that getting a Polaroid is a “step back” but I completely disagree! There’s something so special about having a print of a favorite picture. In fact, I have a Polaroid shot of me and two friends that I keep paper clipped to my calendar page and move it up each month. It always makes me smile. My friends don’t even know that I see and think about them every day, but thanks to our picture, I do!

I’m having a blast with my new Polaroid Snap Touch. My favorite thing, hands-down, about the Snap Touch is that it has a dual use. Not only can you take pictures with the Snap Touch and then print those photos, but you can connect your smart phone to the Snap Touch via bluetooth and print the photos you’ve taken on your phone. Brilliant!

My *other* favorite thing about the Snap Touch is that you have a choice about what you print and how many copies you make, so you no longer have to worry about wasting precious photo paper with a shot that didn’t turn out. Because the Snap Touch is a digital camera (with a micro SD card slot so you can add a TON of pictures!) you can take pics now and print them later.

About the Polaroid Snap Touch

SNAP, PRINT & SHARE – The Snap Touch is a digital camera that features a built-in printer so you can instantly develop your photos on 2″ x 3″ Polaroid Zink Zero Ink Paper

COOL TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY – The Snap Touch has a 3.5″ LCD viewfinder that makes capturing still photos, video, and selfies a breeze (selfie mirror located next to the flash). Then after you’ve captured your shot, you can use the touchscreen to edit, add borders, stickers, or text to your pics before printing.

ZERO INK, ZERO TONER – The Snap Touch uses Polaroid Zink Zero Innovation; all you have to do is add 2″ x 3″ Polaroid Zink Zero Ink Paper and watch your photos come to life!

SMARTPHONE COMPATIBLE – Just connect your Snap Touch to your smart phone via bluetooth, through the Polaroid Print app for iOS & Android. Within the app, you’ve got even more filters, text options, emojis, stickers, and borders to add to your photos.

CHARMING DESIGN – The Snap Touch comes in a variety of fun, bold colors, like my BLUE (love!). It also comes with a handy wrist strap, micro USB cord for charging and a 10-Pack of Zink Zero Ink Paper.

Enter to win a Polaroid Snap Touch Camera (ARV $179.99) HERE!

Enter to WIN your own Polaroid Snap Touch camera on the widget below! The giveaway will run through December 18 at 11:59 pm ET. One winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. Good luck and spread the word!

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The Ankle Detail Jean: Style For Everybody #EverydayRunway

Lolli — Wed, 12 Oct 2016 00:40:59 +0000

Yes, it’s me again with a fashion post. I still feel so out of place in the fashion world, but if nothing else happened because of my Fall style session with Kohl’s in September, I’ve been more aware of how I dress and I’m making a greater effort. You can see my first #EverydayRunway post (all about the new fall sweater) HERE.

Although I was not compensated for this fashion shoot, my travel and accommodations were covered….and since people keep asking, yes, I did get to take a few of my favorite pieces home with me. Affiliate links are used within this post.

I tend to wear comfortable clothes. Since I work at home, I throw on some jeans or leggings and whatever shirt will cover up my belly and call it good. When I go out, I tend to feel frumpy and unfashionable around all the other women.

So when I put on a pair of skinny jeans with some gorgeous black heels, I felt completely different. I felt beautiful. It was THIS outfit that changed my perspective on the shoes that I wear. I’ve had foot problems for so long that I’ve just become accustomed to wearing comfort shoes. I couldn’t believe what a difference heels made. Heels are everything!

Suddenly, the pain is worth it.

I absolutely love the way I feel in heels!

What I’m Wearing:

Women’s SONOMA Goods for Life Release Hem Skinny Jeans
Women’s Jennifer Lopez Shirred Lace-Up Top
LC Lauren Conrad Women’s Lace High Heels
REED Gallery Mini Crossbody Wallet

I loved our little selfie session at the end of the video!

What Everyone Else is Wearing:

The other ladies rocked their styles. There were a couple of duplicate jeans (Stacie and I were both wearing skinny jeans and Marissa and Mary both had bootcut jeans) but I love that everyone looked totally different and beautiful in their own, unique way.

The Ankle Detail Jeans:

Women’s LC Lauren Conrad Ripped Skinny Jeans
Plus Size SONOMA Goods for Life Release-Hem Skinny Jeans
Women’s Rock & Republic® Kassandra Faded Bootcut Jeans

On Top:

Plus Size Apt. 9® Cold-Shoulder A-Line Tee
Women’s SONOMA Goods for Life Essential Chambray Shirt
Women’s SONOMA Goods for Life Josie Anorak Jacket
Women’s LC Lauren Conrad Pleated Top
Women’s Jennifer Lopez Embellished V-Neck Sweater

The Shoes

LC Lauren Conrad Women’s Dress Heels
Apt. 9® Women’s Pointed-Toe High Heels
LC Lauren Conrad Women’s Strappy Ballet Flats
Jennifer Lopez Women’s Lace-Up High Heels

What were your favorite looks? If you could pick one pair of jeans, one top, and one pair of shoes, which ones would you choose?

Check out the other ladies’ posts….and then be sure to check back soon to see the other trends that we explored!

Mad For Fashion For Less!
Stacie Raye
Curly Byrdie Chirps

Style for Everybody: Classic Fall Sweater #EverydayRunway

Lolli — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 17:21:12 +0000

Me….a fashionista? Never in a million years would I have dreamed that I would be invited by Kohl’s to participate in an #EverydayRunway fall fashion campaign.

Kohl’s flew me and 3 other #Yes2YouRewards members (and an adorable Kohl’s employee) to Milwaukee last month where we met with Maggie, Kohl’s senior fashion consultant.

Over 2 very full days, we discussed a few of this Fall’s hottest fashion trends and got to try them for ourselves. The BEST part of this experience was meeting the other Yes2You Rewards bloggers. We arrived as strangers and left as sisters. These ladies are some of the best people out there, and it was a pleasure to spend a few days with them.

The other thing that was absolutely amazing was that we were all within a couple of years of 40 and over a size 10. These are REAL WOMEN.

Yes, we got pampered and primped with a full team of hair and makeup and the nicest, most complementary photographer, but behind it all we were (and still are) just normal women with normal bodies. I love Kohl’s focus on style for everybody….and every BODY.

My major take-away from this experience was that we can all look beautiful, regardless of size, shape, or age.

The New Sweater

The first trend that we discussed with Maggie was The New Sweater – gorgeous fall-friendly blush-colored sweaters can be paired with jeans, skirts, shorts, and even dressy wide-leg ankle pants. Check out the first video of our experience in Milwaukee:

What I’m wearing:

Here’s what everyone was wearing….what are your favorite pieces?

I loved Mary’s faux leather skirt and Stacie totally rocked the skinny jeans. We all loved Marisa’s knee-high boots and Berty’s lace up heels were gorgeous (she always rocks the heels!).

Check out the other ladies’ posts….and then be sure to check back soon to see the other trends that we explored!

Family. Time. Together. {Give Me Your Best Shot PSF}

Lolli — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 05:26:29 +0000

When we got back from our family vacation, “real life” hit me so hard that I hardly had time to reflect on our vacation and the wonderful time our family had together. Frankly, I should be in bed right now and not longingly looking through vacation pictures, but such is my life, right?

I need to start off this post by saying that I have decided to discontinue Give Me Your Best Shot/Photostory Friday. This will be the last link up. Maybe at some point I will decide to start up another photography link up, but I have not been giving this series the attention or the passion that it deserves, and I think it’s simply time to move on to things that I AM passionate and excited about.

And there really ARE things that I’m excited about, both on the blog and in that “real life” that hit me so hard last week.

I have also become very passionate about improving my photography in my Instagram stream, so I do hope you’ll join me there if you haven’t already.

Before I show off a few of the family vacation shots that we captured in Florida, I thought I’d share the VERY FIRST Give Me Your Best Shot post, from almost exactly 7 years ago. SEVEN years! No wonder AJ looks like a baby here!

I have to say…it was a whole lot easier and more fun to take pictures of adorable toddlers. Teens seem to like to give me weird faces more often than they like to smile pretty for the camera. Still, we were able to get some great memory shots during our family vacation (all shots taken on my iPhone). Don’t you think?

(this is the moment that the girls realized that their big sister was asking them to be her bridesmaids!)

Please feel free to link up your photo posts below. I’m going to miss this weekly link up, but I’m excited what is in store for this little blog of mine. Don’t be a stranger!

An InLinkz Link-up

Seven Nights of Sunsets #PSF Give Me Your Best Shot

Lolli — Fri, 08 Jan 2016 03:19:19 +0000

It’s hard to believe that it’s been a week since we packed up the car and started driving back home from Florida. We might have only been in Florida for a little over a week, but the sun and the heat (in the mid-80s the whole time!) literally transported me to a different time and place. I found myself forgetting that we were still in the middle of winter. I was reminded during our stay in Florida that I am not a cold weather person. I like my warmth. I like my sun. I also really love being somewhere where I can actually see the sunset (versus seeing some colorful clouds above my neighbor’s roof tops). Since I captured so many sunset shots (I might have gone a little overboard!) during my stay on the beach, I thought they’d make a perfect Give Me Your Best Shot – Photostory Friday.

Every night at 5:30, I would drop everything I was doing and walk down to the beach. I’d invite anyone to come along with me, so I always had a few beach buddies to appreciate the beautiful landscape with me. It’s incredible how unique each sunset is, even from the exact same vantage point. (In these pictures, there is only one sunset shot from a different beach). Each night was a new inspiration for me. These sunsets filled my spirit.

I think the only sunset I missed during my time in Florida was Christmas Day because I was too busy cooking a big Christmas dinner for 13 people. But that’s another story…

That last picture is my daughter and her fiance. YES…her fiance! If we aren’t friends on Facebook, you might not have seen the news. My daughter got engaged the week before Christmas, and her wonderful fiance joined us in Florida (if we didn’t scare him off after more than a week of living together in close quarters, then I don’t know what will). We are excited to have him join the family!

If you’re wondering…no, I’m totally not old enough to have a daughter getting married. Thanks for asking. ;)

Now it’s time for the first Photostory Friday – Give Me Your Best Shot of the year! We’re pretty laid back here. If you have a post with photos from this past week, feel free to link up below. No rules. Just some good, old fashioned sharing and connecting.

Happy weekend!

An InLinkz Link-up

ZooAmerica at Hersheypark

Lolli — Fri, 18 Dec 2015 04:55:47 +0000

For years, my sister and her family lived right across the street from ZooAmerica (we could see – and smell some of the animals from her front door). And yet, before this month, I had never spent much time ZooAmerica. What a missed opportunity with my kids! Now that I’ve been introduced to the zoo, I can’t wait to take my kids back. Although I think I got a little spoiled with our behind-the-scenes access – the kids might expect the same. I visited ZooAmerica while on a press trip to learn all that Hershey, PA has to offer. Accommodations and activities during the press trip were provided, but all opinions are my own. Note: photos that do NOT have my watermark on them were provided courtesy of Hershey.

About ZooAmerica North American Wildlife Park

ZooAmerica is an 11-acre, walkthrough zoo that cares for more than 200 animals representing more than 60 species from five regions of North America. The thing that I loved the most about ZooAmerica was that every animal at the zoo was native to North America. These are animals that live near us – animals that you can see in the wild throughout the United States.

The exhibits are broken up into 5 bio-climactic regions of North America:

Southern Swamps
The Great Southwest
Eastern Woodlands
Big Sky Country
Northlands

The other thing I loved about ZooAmerica was that the 11-acre size is manageable to be able to see all of the exhibits in a day without totally wearing the kids (and mom or dad) out. I’ve been to too many zoos that were so huge that there was no way to see everything in one day.

ZooAmerica prides itself on its focus on education and conservation. The zoo offers a variety of educational programs for people of all ages – kids and adults alike. You can check out the zoo’s website for details on upcoming programs and events.

History of ZooAmerica:

ZooAmerica opened as Hershey Zoo in 1910, when Milton S. Hershey received a dozen prairie dogs. That zoo closed in 1971, but it reopened in its present format – a facility that highlights North American animals – on May 7, 1978. ZooAmerica currently operates as a department of Hersheypark.

The Zoo is open daily year round (except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day). Same-day admission is free with Hersheypark tickets. Hours vary by season.

Our Experience at ZooAmerica

The first animal that we met was Mumford the grey faced screech owl. He weighed less than half a pound but was FULL of attitude. He was a hoot! (that was a bad joke…lol) We each got a chance to hold Mumford, and I’m happy to report that none of our shoes were ruined in the process. It was close, though…

We also had the chance to see baby alligators, born in Florida in August, and on loan at the zoo. They still live inside at this point.

I was impressed, as we walked through the zoo and saw various animals, that our guide, zoo curator Dale Snyder, was able to point out where each of the animals came from and what their names were. The animals at ZooAmerica are often rescue animals – animals that have been injured in the wild and would have died if they had not found a new home.

We met Chief and Butch, the black bears, and even had the opportunity to feed them berries. Dale taught us a command that Butch (the larger bear) knows well. If you hold your fist out towards his face, he will lick your fist and then expect a berry for his “trick.” Butch had to lick my hand quite a few times in order to catch it on camera.

Do your kids (or you??) love to visit the zoo? You will love ZooAmerica!

Photostory Friday – Give Me Your Best Shot Link Up

Link up your photo posts from this past week on the linky below.

Please note: there will be no link up next week due to the holidays. I will be celebrating with family off line. I hope you have a fabulous Christmas or whatever holiday you celebrate!

An InLinkz Link-up

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas #PSF

Lolli — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 04:22:52 +0000

What is it about Christmas time? Despite the fact that I’m taking it really easy in the shopping department, I feel like I have NO time this month. Everything is busy and rushed…but on the other hand, everything is beautiful and festive and I’m loving it. Just in a hurried kind of way.

I just got home from a fun night in DC with a friend seeing the Nutcracker performed by the Washington Ballet, and my bed is calling me. So I’ll make this quick. Here are just a few of the moments I’ve captured this past week (there have been a lot of moments captured…). It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas here – what about where you are?

This week included a wonderful chocolate-filled trip to Hershey, PA, and I can’t wait to share all of my excitement and pictures and information with all of you. Check back (hopefully tomorrow!) for information on Hersheypark’s Christmas Candylane. Such a fun time to be at the park!

For the stories behind all of these pictures (and for more pictures!) see my Instagram page.

What have you been up to this week? I’d love to see your photos and posts so feel free to link up below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Holiday Gift Guide: 10 Items on a Food Blogger’s Wishlist

Jody — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 03:30:13 +0000

Being a food blogger is a rewarding and at times frustrating business (especially for those of us that didn’t start out as food bloggers). A lot of work goes into setting up what can seem to be a simple shot – cooking, staging, lighting, adding props, keeping little hands out of the food before you shoot, and a whole lot more. In preparation for the holidays and inevitable gift wish lists, I gathered 10 ideas that make the food bloggers life a little easier. Note: Amazon affiliate links used to products.

10 Things a Food Blogger Would love to Get For Christmas

[1] Backdrops – With food photography luckily you do not need huge backdrop setups. 3’x3’ is generally an adequate size. There are a ton of pretty patterns and colors out there to choose from, right now simple wood is all the rage.

[2] Camera Strap – Even if they already have one or two camera straps, a unique and fun camera strap is a photographer’s favorite accessory. They can switch straps out to match outfits or moods.

[3] Camera Cleaning Kit – I am bit ashamed to admit that my camera gets a bit of build up on it. I try to give it a quick wipe down after each food shoot but sometimes there is still debris in the cracks and crevices. A good cleaning kit is a must have.

[4] Dishes – Simple white dishes are the most popular and give your food a clean palette, but a pretty colorful dish now and then can really set off your food.

[5] Fabrics – Burlap, muslin, cheesecloth, runners, scrap fabric – they can all come in handy to set up shots and add texture to them. We all have a collection and are always adding to it.

[6] Props – Pretty food related props often help make the shot. Simple, useful tools are best like a salt cellar, rolling pin, and measuring spoons.

[7] Extra SD Cards – I know it seems I never have enough space to keep all my shots. There are tons on my computer, burned to discs, on memory cards, flash drives, etc. I try to keep them separated by month and then also keep mine separate from my clients. Multiple SD cards are just a great idea.

[8] SD Card Holder – This goes hand in hand with #7 – if you are going to have many memory cards you need a convenient place to keep them organized.

[9] Books – Most food bloggers are always looking to improve their game, and books with helpful tips can teach new techniques or inspire new point of views.

[10] Light Box – Nothing is more frustrating to a food blogger than having a perfectly set up shot except when the weather decides not to cooperate on your most productive day. Light boxes with a set of good lights can give you a natural light look on overcast and downright gloomy days.

Monumental [Give Me Your Best Shot] #PSF

Lolli — Fri, 04 Dec 2015 01:38:38 +0000

I couldn’t think of a title for today’s Give Me Your Best Shot – Photostory Friday post. The fact is, my brain isn’t working too well today. I have had one of those “I’m so stressed and have so much on my to-do list that I can’t focus on anything or get anything done” days. Have you had a day (or two) like that? I call it stress-paralyzed. There’s too much so I just shut down.

And I often get stress-paralyzed before I travel…because work doesn’t stop and there’s so much to plan and prepare. I know that I will have a fantastic, relaxing, rejuvenating time once I’m there, but until I’m gone I will concentrate on all of those things that I haven’t finished yet.

Oh! By the way, I’m heading to Hershey, Pennsylvania for the weekend for the ?#?SweetWelcome2015 press event. Be sure to follow me on Instagram all weekend for all of the fun – from Hershey Park to Zoo America, a Hershey Bears Hockey game to a Chocolate Spa treatment (yes, Chocolate + spa treatments!) and lots and lots of good restaurant food. I’ll be posting pictures on Instagram and tweeting while I’m in Hershey, but I’ll also be posting even more details on the blog soon. Hershey is one of my favorite places ever!

So…let’s look at some pretty pictures. Sound good?

This past week’s highlight was our family’s post-Thanksgiving trip to DC to take some family photos

What have you been up to this past week? Are you in full holiday mode yet? I am eager to get a Christmas tree up, but we’ve been too busy to get it done. Instead, I’ve got bins full of Christmas decorations filling up the floor space in my room. Oh, the joys of living in a small house! Soon we’ll be trading a crowded bedroom for a crowded family room as we try to fit a Christmas tree where a couch goes (and move the couch in front of the piano…..it’s so fun, I tell you!).

Feel free to link up your photo posts from this week. And have a fantastic weekend!

An InLinkz Link-up

Why I Rebranded My Blog #PSF

Lolli — Fri, 20 Nov 2015 03:02:48 +0000

This week has flown by way too fast! Now that it’s been nearly a week since I rebranded my blog, I’m starting to feel at home here. I am so happy that I made the change! Today I took the final step and changed my twitter handle over to @foodfunfamily. I’ll miss @1momof5, but I love having the same handle across all of my accounts. Now if only I can get Facebook to make an exception with my fan page url… (I’m not holding my breath!)

I figured that I would take a minute to mention why I decided to rebrand, and explain a little bit of the process that I went through. When I started blogging back in 2008, I didn’t realize that blogs had “names” or that people I didn’t know would visit me. When I realized that I wanted to turn my friends-and-family blog into something bigger, I knew that I wanted to get off blogspot and buy my own domain, but I wasn’t sure at that point “who” I was as a blogger. I chose “Better in Bulk” because, back in 2009, I was neck deep in lots of little kids. Everything I did was “in bulk” (yes, that’s including my kids!).

But I found that as I branched out and started meeting other bloggers and brands that “Better in Bulk” didn’t tell people who I was or what I blogged about. Most people assumed that I was involved in couponing or shopping (I’ve heard references to Costco so many times!). Even though I DO, in fact, shop in bulk, that’s never been what I’ve blogged about.

When I was at Type A Conference at the beginning of October, I had two conversations about rebranding. The first convinced me that I needed to bite the bullet and rebrand. And it left me absolutely terrified. The second conversation, just 24 hours later, also convinced me that it was time to rebrand. But that conversation left me excited and motivated and ready.

I came home from the conference with a vague idea of the direction I wanted to go, but I could not for the life of me find a name that made sense AND was available (along with all of the social handles). One thing that was important to me was making all of my online presences “match” – it was hard to be 1momof5 on social and Better in Bulk on the blog. They didn’t fit together. I bought another url that I liked but was hung up on one word. It wasn’t totally “me.” I sat on it for about a week and a half, unable to move forward with it.

And then, last week, I came up with Food Fun Family, which (at least in my mind) describes to a T what I blog about: FOOD (recipes and round ups), FUN (entertainment, outings, travel, books) and FAMILY (parenting, family-friendly products, home tips, crafts & DIY, etc). I was thrilled to find a name that was fun but descriptive of what I wanted people to remember about me.

I slept on the name, still liked it in the morning, bought the url, and within days I had designed a banner/logo (on my own) and contacted someone to do the transfer for me (not on my own. Eek!). Once I found that name, everything fell into place pretty quickly.

I’ve spent quite a bit of time organizing things behind the scenes, and there’s still plenty to do but I’m glad I decided to go for it early versus waiting until everything was perfect before starting the change.

Have you ever rebranded your blog? Have you considered doing it?

Here are a few of the pictures that I’ve taken this past week. Honestly, now that the vibrant fall leaves have mostly all fallen, it’s a lot harder to find good subjects to photograph.

PS – did you notice that gorgeous wrap bracelet up there? You can see my recent Instagram post about it here, or you can check out Rocksbox and give it a try for FREE for a month with my code: 1momof5xoxo. Note: I am a Rockbox Insider and am trying out a membership for free in exchange for sharing pictures and thoughts on social media. I am loving it!

What have you been photographing lately? Feel free to link up your picture posts below!

An InLinkz Link-up