Help Me Choose a Christmas Card!

Post graciously sponsored by Minted. All opinions are 100% my own.

Hi! It's Jilly. Guys, I need your help! I am trying to decide which Christmas cards I should get and I can't decide!

Last year it was tough finding a Christmas card that we liked. They all seemed to be "holiday" cards and not "Christmas" cards. I like a good snowman and jingle bell as much as the next guy, but when I'm sending out Christmas cards I want them to evoke the reason for the season. I ended up just designing my own.

My friend told me about Minted, so I decided to check them out. They have so many awesome designs to choose from that it's going to be hard choosing which ones to get! That's where you guys come in. Help me decide!

This one makes me tear up and start singing "Messiah"!

Five Awesome Grandparent Gift Ideas

Hi! It's Jilly. A couple months ago I was part of the Gift It! Series on my friend Kim's blog- Bugaboo, Mini, Mr, and Me. It's a great series that I love participating in!

Christmas is coming up soon. (I know...I said the "C" word before Halloween...) Sometimes it's hard to think of a good gift for the grandparents--sentimental, but something they'll actually like. Ha ha!
 I've compiled some ideas for you. You should be able to find something in this list that the grandparents on your list will go gaga for!

"Wizard Wanted Poster" Photo Booth Prop for Harry Potter Party

Hi! It's Jilly. A few weeks ago I threw the kiddos a Harry Potter birthday party. I've shown you the invitations and the Sorting Hat. Now it's time to show you our awesome "Wizard Wanted Poster" Photo Booth Prop. I was inspired by the poster I saw at Trains and Tutus.

10 Tips For Shooting Your Kids! {Photography Contributor}

Hi!  It's Kimmie!  Let's talk about shooting kids.  (ha!  No, not THAT kind.  Though I'm not one to judge... it's Spring break and it's getting crazy up in here.)  No, I'm talking with a camera.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and bet that the number one reason a non-professional photographer (professional as in that's their ONLY job and they make lots o' money) buys a fancy camera is kids.  (and I'm applying this to nieces, nephews, grandkids, immediate offspring, furry kinds, etc.)  They're important to us.  We want to document them and the many cute things they do.  One problem.  It can be REALLY REALLY hard.

Why?  Because they're uncooperative.  They won't sit still.  They look frozen or awkward in the frame.  They're fast little buggers.  They're just plain weird.

I'm going to make a confession right here, right now.  I should never, ever photograph my own children. They make me crazy when I'm not trying to capture their "absolute adorableness" - throwing us together with the express purpose of making sure I get semi-professional looking results that are not blurry, rife with screaming and tears or full of chewed up bribery candy is like asking a fish to fly.  Can't be done.

20+ DIY Ideas for All Those Photos {Photography Contributor}

Hi!  It's Kimmie!  I'm pretty excited about this installment of photography 101.  Why?  Because I decided to take a step away from the technical for a moment!  I mean, the technical is great and all; we all need to know the basics, of course, but today's post is right up my crafty alley.

There are so many pros to living in the digital age when it comes to photos!  You can take tons and tons - literally - and not have to worry about cost.  You can store the photos without taking up any physical space at all.  You can capture moments you never could before due to movement and high speeds.  It's great!


But what do you DO with your photos once you've taken them?  If you're like me, you have grand designs to make good use of all your personal and family photos - displays, framed gallery walls, scrapbooks, photo albums, journals, and more!  I've got hundreds of pins for this!  BUT.  (If you're like me) none of these ideas come to fruition, and there your photos sit on your external hard drive being visited briefly when you scroll through them to take a quick stroll down memory lane.

Win a Photography Class from Craftsy!

Hi! It's Jilly. Have you heard of Craftsy? It's this website with all these cool classes you can take online about all things crafty! They have classes on cake decorating, knitting, quilting, cooking, painting...tons of other stuff! The classes are cool too, because they are available to you anytime, and you can pause or rewind them in case you miss something or a kid needs you or whatever. And, they are all professional instructors, so it's like taking a "real" class from the comfort of your own home.

I thought this photography class looked pretty cool. It's called Family Photography: Candid Moments & Storytelling with Kirk Tuck. The class includes eight different lessons and is great for beginners.



The regular price for this class is $59.99, but it's on sale right now for $44.99. But wait, there's more!  (Ha ha, I couldn't resist...)

Craftsy is letting me GIVE AWAY this class to one of you guys! Aah! Awesome, right?! It's really easy. Just follow this link and enter to win your spot in the Family Photography class at Craftsy.



While you're over there check out all the fun the classes they have for FREE. Any class you sign up for you have access to as long as you want, and becoming a member of Craftsy is free, so it's pretty cool.

Head over and enter the giveaway now! Giveaway ends 3/13/14 at 11:59pm EST. Good luck!

Are you following me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram yet? You totes should. (Yes, I'm over 30 and I just said, "Totes.")

Top Five Photo Tips for Anyone at Anytime {Photography Contributor}

Hi!  It's Kimmie. Alright, let's be frank here.  You're not all bloggers, right?  And you're not all taking photos of food, right?  And you're not all going to set up a crazy outdoor photo shoot just to take pictures of your daughter's new table you painted right?  And you're not all even using a super fancy shmancy camera, right? Right.

So before I move into specifics - ISO, white balance, shutter speed, food photography, kid photography, what have you - (and I WILL go into specifics, I promise) I thought it might be pertinent to cover some tips of the photo trade that will ultimately benefit anyone, no matter the camera, no matter the scenario.  Tips you may have heard before, but tips that really help in almost any photography situation.  I call them:

Pretty all inclusive, right?  

Okay.  This is like a David Letterman style top 10 (except only 5, not 10) (and not nearly as funny, because I'm not a professional comedian) ("Darn it, Derek, I'm a coal miner.  Not a professional film or television actor!" ntm for 5 Kim points.) (So... not like Letterman at all.  Sorry.)  I digress...


5.  Simple doesn't have to be boring.  So, you need an awesome photo to display a particular item.  You don't want anything to complicate the photo and take away from the focal point, especially a busy background.  Where does your mind go first?  Plain white, right?  It's the most used, the most versatile.  It bounces light, so that's good.  It can also be... well, a little bit boring right?  Take these two photos as an example.  

Plain white is... ok.  Add a little prop along with your focal item, and it can make it pop.  Same goes for portraits.  School photos with the plain gray background?  Boring.  Bring a prop in?  Fun!  

Favorite Walt Disney World Photo Spots {Disney Contributor}

Hi! It's Carrie.Taking photos is a MUST on any Disney vacation.....at least on mine! It's not unheard of for me to come home with literally hundreds of photos from our Disney Vacations. The details that go into every aspect of the parks, resorts, and Downtown Disney area offer so much to look at-and perfect back drops for awesome family photos. As your friendly Disney contributor here on Hi! It's Jilly, I want to take some time today to share my Favorite Walt Disney World Photo Spots with YOU!

How To Pick the Perfect Camera For You {Photography Contributor}

Hi!  It’s Kimmie. I blog over at Bugaboo, Mini, Mr. & Me. I've been looking forward to starting my photography posts here on Hi! It’s Jilly for weeks and weeks!  Let me begin by saying: I'm no expert.  I'm far from an expert.  Suuuuuper far.  (I call myself a "photo-er" not a photographer, because it sounds less professional.)  BUT.  I love photography.  And I've come a long way with mine in a short amount of time.  Don't believe me?  Ok.  Check out this post from early in my blog.  

Then check out this post from when my newest son was born.  I'm proof that self-taught can be pretty awesome!

I had so many ideas swimming around in my head I wasn't sure where to start.  I decided on a specific post about how to start taking pictures, but after conferring with the masses (aka peeps on Facebook) I realized maybe we should start at the VERY beginning.  As in, choosing a camera.  One that’s spot on, perfect for YOU.  

With all the choices out there, it can be pretty daunting.  But, I've got some tips, steps, pros, cons and ideas compiled for you!  Let’s get started.

Getting my Groove...book. You can, too!!

Hi! It's Jilly. Last night I was excited to find this month's Groovebook in my mailbox!

What is a Groovebook? Well, you upload 100 photos from your phone monthly using their handy app, then they send you a book of them! 

I first heard about Groovebook from Janel at Nellie Bellie, who I just love. Hers is one of my favorite blogs to read, and she's just a fun & spunky girl! 

I love Groovebook because I always forget to get my pictures printed, especially the ones off of my phone. This way I am guaranteed to have at least 100 of my pictures printed. They even send you a reminder e-mail so you don't forget! 

The Groovebook app is really easy to use, too. You just click the pictures you want to print and click upload. Super easy!

The pictures are perforated, so you can either leave them in the book or tear them out.


Annnnnd, Groovebooks are cheap! You only have to pay $2.99 for shipping! 

BUT, if you use my code ROBERTSON26 you can get one COMPLETELY FREE. Woot woot!!




So, make yourself a Groovebook and get those pics off of your phone!

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Pre-Baptism Photo Shoot

Hi! It's Jilly. Last week I gave you a little preview of the pre-baptism photo shoot my sweet friend, Jenni, did with the kids. Well, I finally have them all watermarked and ready to post. I love, love, love how they turned out! They capture such a special time in their lives. Thank you SO much, Jenni! You are quite the budding photographer! ;)

For more photo ideas, follow my Photography board on Pinterest. To catch the next post, follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or Bloglovin'. 

Might be linking up with: Craft-O-Maniac, C.R.A.F.T, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, More the Merrier Monday, Make the Scene Monday,Serendipity and Spice, Home Stories A to Z, Titus 2 Tuesday, Take It On Tuesday, What We Wore, Read, and Made Wednesdays,  The DIY Dreamer, House of Hepworths, Mom on Timeout,Pinterest Power Party, My Favorite Finds, Weekend Wonders, My Turn For Us, Fancy This Friday, Sew Crafty Angel , Friday Favorites, Sunday FUNday,