Food Fun Family

Introducing Bloggography! And, Why You Should Ask Santa For A DSLR Camera

Lolli — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:00:34 +0000

10 Reasons Why a DSLR Should Top Your Gift List This Year:

• Because they are amazing! (you will thank yourself later)
• Because it is always fun to learn something new.
• Better pictures = better blog.
• Great pictures leave good impressions (and make for repeat visitors to your blog).
• To record your family’s moments.
• To challenge yourself.
• To look really cool toting around a huge camera.
• To learn an art form.
• To have more creative control over how your pictures turn out.
• Because my amazing blogging friend Manic Mother and I are going to help teach you!

Yes, DSLR cameras can be extremely overwhelming, especially when you know nothing about them or the basic rules of photography.

Fear not, my friends, we are here to help!

Beginning in January, Manic Mother and I will be writing digital photography tutorials. A tutorial will be posted with a photography assignment, the following week you can return and leave the link to the pictures you took! There will even be contests with prizes!

Why Bloggography?

Both Manic Mother and I have been asked several times now by other bloggers about how we take our pictures. We both agreed that it would have been really nice if we had someone out there helping us to know how to use our cameras when we were starting out. Together, we came up with the idea of presenting simple photography tutorials for bloggers like you and me. Blogger + Photography = Bloggography!

(Hey, it was better than “Photer”)

We plan to teach you not only what the settings mean and how to find the buttons you want, but how and why you’d use them. We’ll talk about lighting and composition, editing and selecting the best equipment. Not all tutorials will be focused on DSLRs and the assignments, and contests (yes, there will be contests!!) will be open to anyone with a camera!

I am a Canon girl, and Manic Mother is a Nikon girl, so you will have both of us chiming in on how they’re different and how they’re they same, and how to use your cameras, as most people have either a Nikon or Canon (our apologies if you don’t).

What should I buy?

Manic Mother’s Nikon Recommendations:

On a budget DSLR, Nikon D3000

Money is not an object DSLR, Nikon D90

The D90 has the ability to record video…bonus!

Gotta have it lens: Nikon 50mm f/1.8

_________________________________

My Canon Recommendations:

On a Budget DSLR, Canon Digital Rebel XSi

Money is Not an Object DSLR, Canon EOS 50D

Gotta Have It Lens: Sigma 18-50mm F/2.8

Later this month Manic Mother and I will share more about ourselves, and announce the date of the first Bloggography post! Stay tuned!

PS–please stop by today’s Give Me Your Best Shot!

Give Me Your Best Shot

Lolli — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 04:10:58 +0000

November was a busy month for me, photography-wise. I love being busy with pictures. The pictures that I’ve taken the last few weeks have started to awaken my desire to stretch myself again. I am ready to get back into taking pictures for FUN. I was so good about that a year ago….and I let stress over-take my hobby. It’s no fun to try to force something that once brought so much joy. I am glad to be feeling some of the joy again.

Back to all of those pictures I took last week….
I got to spend the afternoon with this very active, spunky 1 year old. She was a doll (and kinda made me miss my kids at that age, to tell you the truth!). She has the cutest chubby legs and the most beautiful (and huge!) blue eyes.

These pictures were all taken in my family room, next to my front window, with a piece of black fabric draped over a tall chest. No expensive, fancy studio needed!

Give Me Your Best Shot is a fun way to share your favorite photo from the week. What has inspired you? Made you smile? What emotions, personalities, and details have you caught? It is not a photo contest or critique, but a way to look back on your week with a few friends.

What have you been photographing this week? Have you tried anything new? Read to find out more about Give Me Your Best Shot….And come back to leave the link to your best shot below (please link to your actual Give Me Your Best Shot post). And grab my button below or link to me so that we can get more people to stop by!

A Penny In the Ocean, A Penny in the Sea

Lolli — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:44:00 +0000

Ring Around the Rosie

Pocket full of posie

Ashes, ashes, we all fall down!

A penny in the ocean, A penny in the sea…..

UP! Jumps the little fish,
And UP jumps ME!

Yes, I do know the story behind the old children’s song. Regardless of it’s origins, you can’t deny that it’s fun. While on a photo shoot last weekend, we were trying to distract the kids for a few minutes and get them all in a happier mood. Ring around the rosie came in very handy…and these shots ended up being some of my favorites. Why? because they are real kids doing what they would do if I wasn’t around with a camera on my neck. ;)

Give Me Your Best Shot is simply a fun way to share your favorite shot from the week. What has inspired you? Made you smile? What emotions, personalities, and details have you caught? It is not a photo contest or critique, but a way to look back on your week with a few friends.

Eat, Drink, And Be Scary

Lolli — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 04:09:00 +0000

Today is the last day of my Flip Ultra HD video camera giveaway (details here). I have loved reading through everyone’s comments this week. You guys are awesome! Remember that you can earn 5 extra entries for the Flip if you link up here with an Eat, Drink, and Be Scary post.

I want to see want you are making in the kitchen. Show your devilish desserts, give us the scoop on pumpkins, or share your favorite holiday drink. If cooking isn’t your cup of tea, then tell us what you are doing with your leftover Halloween candy. Do you enjoy immediately, save for later, or just bribe your kids with it when needed?

If you are here for Give Me Your Best Shot, you are still welcome to link up your favorite photo of the week….and if you are so inclined, answer one of the questions up there in your post. It never hurts to get in a few extra entries. Here are my favorite shots from this week:

I have a confession to make. I stayed so busy this week…..taking the family to the pumpkin patch, baking, volunteering at school, hiking, and going to social gatherings, that I almost didn’t get around to preparing for this post. I had big plans to make something special in the kitchen…but I just didn’t get around to it. But I did take some time this week to enjoy my kids. Here’s a quick recap of my week…..Eat, Drink, and be Scary (and then have some fun!)

PS–the “Scary” in this video was the cake that I just barely finished making for Necco’s Halloween party tomorrow after school. Yes, I actually agreed to let my 10 year old throw a party THIS WEEK. And then I agreed to make her an orange cake, decorated like a pumpkin. I am NOT a cake decorator. Scary.

Don’t forget to answer the daily questions on Seven Clown Circus, Mama’s Losin’ It, and Mayhem And Moxie, too.

The last question of the day from me is:
What was the last thing you video taped?

**Winners will be announced tomorrow!**

Give Me Your Best {Super Hero} Shot

Lolli — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 03:59:00 +0000

I am one lucky girl.

I get to spend my days with this hunk:

For some funny commentary on this photo, peek at this post.

He is a man of many talents. A Super Hero with multiple personas. Always saving the day.

He protects me from being lazy, guards me from being bored. He keeps my reflexes from getting rusty and makes sure that my heart is strong.

Yes, those ARE his big sister’s turquoise underwear on top of his red pajama pants. They were just too perfect.

And these photos are going to be even more perfect for bargaining power in about 10 years.

Can you imagine what I could do with these shots?

What about you? Do you have any fun (or funny) shots of your kids dressed as Super heros? Or maybe there’s someone in your life who is a real hero in your eyes. I want to see the pictures and hear your stories.

To participate in this week’s Give Me Your Best Shot, link up to a favorite Hero picture or two.

Mona concludes her journey today by visiting this stellar list of bloggers from the North East, and back on over to California. I think she’s going to need a vacation from her vacation. What do you think?

Thanks, everyone, for showing Mona such a good time!

Maryland: Twofer Mom
New York: Yaya Stuff
New Jersey: Project Mommyhood
Connecticut: Always Home and Uncool
Rhode Island: Loving Mom Two Boys and A Wrinkle in Time
New Hampshire: One Dream, Two Hearts
Massachusetts: Jiggety Jigg
And, returning to California: The Scattered Mind of a Tattooed Minivan Mom, Ummmm, and Under the Sheets-shhh

PS–Congratulations to CFMama, who won the Inspire necklace from Kristen’s Custom Creations!!

Just Call Me "The Eye"

Lolli — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:00:00 +0000

Mona’s heading towards my (current) home territory today, as she visits another great group of bloggers. Stop by these fantastic women and say howdy!

Kentucky: Alas 3 Lads
Michigan: Buried with Children
Indiana: Adventures in Babywearing
Ohio: Chefdruck Musings
West Virginia: My Life As It Should Be
Virginia: Lulaville
Pennsylvania: Stacy’s Random Thoughts, Feels Like Home, and My iRish Twins
Maryland: parenting BY dummies, Barely Domestic

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Today’s writing workshop, hosted by Mama’s Losin’ It, is a confession.

This is probably something you don’t know about me, but ask my sisters and my brother. It’s true. (My kids will still deny it, though. Don’t believe a word they say.)

I have super powers.

I might look normal on the outside. Frankly, I might look altogether plain on the outside. I think I forgot to put on my make-up today.

Oops.

But make-up or no make-up, I have super powers.

My brother and sisters called it “The Eye.” I could control them with a single look. Send them running, screaming in terror with a simple stare.

Yes, that is really my eye.

I haven’t lost the touch. The Eye can send shudders through my kids backs. Force them into submission.

Everyone buckles under my will when I pull out The Eye.

It even works on Cub Scouts, but I have to admit that it is not as effective. Cub Scouts must have some kind of freaky immunity super power of their own. Just my luck.

What’s your super power? Can you run and run with no sleep? Maybe you can see through walls, or have super-sonic hearing.

Yeah, I’ve got those, too. They come with being a Super Mom.

Tomorrow, don’t forget to link up to Give Me Your Best Shot (hosted by me!) Instead of the typical “best shot” from the week, you will be asked to show a photo with a “Super Heros” theme….whether it’s a picture of kids dressing up in super hero costumes or real life super heros that have done something to achieve super hero status in your eyes. These pictures don’t have to be taken this week.

Visit my community!

Take a Little Trip, Take a Little Trip…

Lolli — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Take a Little Trip with Me!

I’ve mentioned the “big event” that I’ve got coming up a few times this week. Now the time is finally here to kick it off. As a quick introduction, a few of my closest mommy blogger friends and I have been working REALLY hard to put together a site called Mighty Media.

We’ve gathered a few bloggers with “moxie” (ie- courage, guts, energy, know-how, skill, initiative) to work together quarterly and promote companies we believe in, while keeping content on our sites fun and important to us.

To help draw attention to what being moxie is all about we enlisted the help of the only person we knew who could find moxified women across the United States and unite them through a week long event filled with fun/interactive posts, giveaways, and blog hopping.

Meet Mona.

Mona is traveling the states via the blogosphere in an attempt to unite women with moxie while teaching us a bit about what’s happening in their neck of the woods.

Starting Monday and continuing through to Friday, Mona will visit eight to ten different states a day and introduce us to women with moxie, in what can only be described as the fastest traveling any doll has ever done in the history of traveling dolls.

I will link to the people she is visiting and you will have a chance to follow Mona on her journey and discover things going on outside of your happy little home.

Like baseball games…

And the ocean…

And Crocodile hunting…

CRIKEY MONA!! There’s just no telling WHAT she’ll be up to!!

When Around The Blogosphere is over you can tell your friends how well traveled you are and how you have visited all fifty states in less than a week…just don’t tell them you visited the them by following a plush doll on her blog hopping journey. Go ahead and leave that part out.

In addition to coming here every day and following the list of bloggers Mona is visiting in each state, you can also interact by participating in daily carnivals (memes) hosted by myself and my co founding Mighty Media partners. Linking your blog on these sites when you participate will be a great opportunity to get your blog a little extra traffic and it’s also a fun way to interact in the blogging community. You might discover a weekly meme you didn’t even know existed!

Here’s how you can participate (and how I’ll be participating throughout the week with you):

Monday, September 21st:

Mona will be showing you what she did in the first ten states she visited. You will meet at least one blogger in each of those ten states. This is a great day for all of us to start thinking about and preparing posts for the remaining week’s carnivals.

Tuesday, September 22nd:

You can participate and link up to Tuesday Tribute hosted by Mayhem & Moxie. Since summer has officially ended, let’s take a moment to look back and pay tribute to one of the season’s most beloved past-times, the summer vacation. Write a tribute to that special aspect from your summer vacation. Options include: 1) the most outrageous person you met while traveling, 2) the best (or worst) hotel you ever stayed in, 3) someone on your trip who saved the day, 4) the weight you gained while on vacation, 5) the book that made your vacation endurable.

Wednesday, September 23rd:

You can participate and link up to Wordful Wednesday hosted by Seven Clown Circus by posting pictures with a travel-related theme. Show us a picture from a time when you took a trip like Mona, e.g., what you did over your summer vacation, pictures from a favorite trip, etc.

Thursday, September 24th :

You can participate and link up to Writer’s Workshop with Mama’s Losin’ It. The writing prompts are as follows:

1) If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

2) Moxie is defined as the ability to face difficulty with spirit and courage; bold energy. Describe a time when you showed moxie.

3) Write a poem about a loved one who has shown you moxie. What have you learned from them?

4) If you were a super hero, what would your super power be and why?

5) A superhero can save you from what ails you….what is your request?

Friday, September 25th:

After visiting the remaining seven states Mona will be returning, exhausted I’m sure, to the Golden State for a little R and R. On this day you can participate and link up to Give Me Your Best Shot hosted by me! Instead of the typical “best shot” from the week, you will be asked to show a photo with a “Super Heros” theme….whether it’s a picture of kids dressing up in super hero costumes or real life super heros that have done something to achieve super hero status in your eyes. These pictures don’t have to be taken this week.

Whew! Sound like fun?

Or totally overwhelming?

Or just overwhelmingly fun?

I think it sounds like a lot when it’s all listed out like that, but really if you break it down day by day, it’s not that much.

To play along all you need to do is click on the links to the different sites Mona is showcasing daily and link up to that days coordinating carnival activity.

Simple Simon.

You in!?!

For a complete list of participating sites and more details on the week long event, click the button:

Hosted by:
Better in Bulk
Mama’s Losin’ It
Mayhem & Moxie
Scary Mommy
& 7 Clown Circus

PS–MamaKat snuck onto my blog and helped me write this post! Isn’t she the greatest?

Visit my community!

Welcome, Welcome!

Lolli — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:23:00 +0000

Welcome MckLinky Blog Hoppers! Looks like there are a lot of you out there. In honor of the very first blog hop, this week’s theme is Introductions.

I feel like I’ve done quite a few introductions over the last few months. Like this one for my recent SITS spotlight day. Or this one for the Ultimate Blog Party in March. To sum it up, I’m Lolli, mother of 5 kids, ages 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12. My husband, CandyMan, and I have a business making foreign language software (www.peanutbuttersticks.com) AND I’m a photographer AND I blog AND I stay at home with the kids. I don’t get enough sleep and I eat too much candy. I have a weekly blog carnival called Give Me Your Best Shot where readers can show off their favorite photo of the week. I have regular giveaways (see links on the sidebar under my family picture) and photo tips and tutorials. Oh, and comments are my favorite treat (definitely like those in bulk, too!). Why don’t you comment here with your favorite kind of candy….

Have a wonderful 4th of July!