It’s that time of year when our mantles and refrigerator doors start filling up with our friends and family Christmas cards. And while we live in a digital-era there is something heart-warming about receiving a Christmas card. Call us old-fashioned but we LOVE sending and receiving Christmas cards. We actually make it part of our Christmas decorations. So if you’re on the fence…definitely make one this year and please send one to us!
Here are some of our tips for taking family photos and why we love using Mixbook to make our holiday cards. These are actual tips that our families use.
Have fun with your photoshoot! Instead of trying to have the “perfect” family photo session, try to capture the essence of your family. It can be very difficult to capture a photo where everyone is smiling and in the “perfect pose.” Our photographers from Nema Photography prefer to do interaction sessions. It might be tossing leaves into the air, daddy throwing a kid into the air while mommy holds baby or walking together holding hands. We found this to be especially helpful with our toddlers. Some of our favorite photos came out of the kids running around and laughing versus a forced smile and standing still.
We found with newborns it can be easier to lay down. This shot came after me ticking big brother. From Santa to surfing, don’t be afraid to have fun back drops too!
Bribes are OK! From M&Ms to more screen time, whatever it takes to help you get a good photo…but in all seriousness, try to pick a time that works well for your family. Take into consideration naps and meal times and how that plays into attitudes and responsiveness. If your photographer isn’t available during a time that works for your family it might be better to reschedule for a different day rather than forcing a photo shoot and children being grumpy or in a bad mood. And when all else fails bribe them!
When it comes to making your card…
Don’t be intimidated.It can be as simple as using some photos from your phone or your computer. One of the great things about Mixbook is that they have done all of the design and layout work for you, so all you have to do is drop your photos in. There are a lot of things to do around the holidays and it can seem overwhelming, but creating your holiday card can literally be done in under 30 minutes with Mixbook. Their turnaround is amazing too!
There are so many templates, making a card is easy. You can personalize the message or even edit the backdrop if you like. Here are some examples of finished cards
Pick a style and message that reflects your family.There are so many great options with Mixbook. We love picking a message of encouragement and a reminder of why we celebrate the season. We also love sharing a handful of photos. We have a hard time choosing just one, so we pick a couple. In addition to our family photo shoot photos, we couple it with a couple of every day photos from the year.
We love picking a message that we want to share with the friends and family.
L/C- our card from last year
R-A sneak peek of our 2018 card
Show the behind the scenes.It can be hard to pick just three or four photos for the card. Plus you know that all the relatives want to see all of the photos, so create an online album that you can direct people to with all of the photos. You can even couple it with a brief update of the year. It can be fun to look back on the photos of one kid crying while the other child is happy and smiling.
These ones didn’t quite make the cut for the Christmas card
We received holiday cards from Mixbook. All of our thoughts and opinions are our own.
