Christmas in July: The {MOMMA} to do...

Are you LOVING all of this Christmas in July fun? We are, too and are so excited about today's giveaway so let's just get straight to the point.

We are talking "to do" lists today - as in things to do NOW for the holidays.

We all know they are coming - the dates stay the same every year, so why do we get so stressed every stinking year? We wrote all about general to do's over at The Dish today. Things like setting a budget, planning gifts, sorting out your address list, and making plans for where you will actually spend your time. To get the full details, make sure to head over there.

We are going to spend a little time focusing on our fellow Merry Mommas - because you are (more than likely) the mastermind behind that card... we want to start with you!  Here are top "to dos" for each one of you...

Be you.

Pick a style of clothing that is comfortable for you. Real smiles aren't going to happen if you are worried about something fitting, a color being flattering, or what your arms are going to look like in that sleeveless dress (wait, that's me.) You know what you like -  so just be you. Don't get us wrong, being trendy is awesome, but being YOU is what matters. And we think you are pretty great. (This is coming from the person that has worn or used mustard yellow in 3 of the last 4 years of pics. Be you.)

Do what you can afford.

It would be lovely if everyone that took family pictures purchased their clothes from Persnickety/JCrew/Nordstrom with Tori Burch shoes for Mom and Joyfolie on the feet of our littles. But. That ain't gonna happen. (at least not for us) AND THAT'S OK. Do what makes sense for you and your family. That includes picking a photographer, gathering props, using a designer, and printing. Don't go all crazy. 

Here are three examples of peasant tops (why I picked peasant top, I have no idea... maybe a look at what's to come) at three price points. And unless I plan on living in that one on the left, the other two look just fine to me!

Anthropologie/Target /Painted Threads

Get organized. 

Don't wait to the last minute - this really just creates more stress than you may already be feeling. If you need a couple of hours to go shopping, gather props, make accessories, etc... then take the time - even if you need to get a babysitter - take the time! And give yourself EXTRA time if you are ordering clothes online because you may need to send something back if it doesn't fit.

Treat this as a treat. 

Seriously - take the time to pamper yourself! Get your nails done, your hair cut, your eyebrows waxed! It takes a lot of effort to run a household on top of everything else you have going on... the holidays are stressful, no matter how much you plan, budget, and organize - so in between all the hustle and bustle, take time for yourself! And don't feel guilty about it!

You Queen

And, you are in luck because we have two things to throw your way to help with items on this list.... Thanks to Root's Boutique we have $40 for one lucky reader to claim to find something that is perfect for YOU! Check out some of their newest items....

And we are super serious about that last one.. PAMPER YOURSELF! And thanks to our friends at Galleria Day Spa, we are giving away a facial to one lucky reader to just that! All you have to do is follow the directions below!

What are you waiting for? Enter below...

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Stress free card prep

So, the number one question we have gotten since starting this blog is "How in the world do you do it?" Easy. 

Y'all. We are CRAY CRAY!

But in the best way. Simply put - we start early. We have already started chatting about our plans for this year's card and I can guarantee that they will be so much fun. And listen, friends, we don't do this because we want everyone to think our families are flawless (because we are far from it) - we put thought into it because that's how we show our love. We want our nearest and dearest to be touched by the thought and effort of our cards and, we ENJOY it. 

Because again. We are CRAY CRAY!

So how do we do it? Well, here you go... 

I think we got ahead of ourselves last year - we only helped you plan your photoshoot and we forgot to help you focus on your card. Silly, us... we apologize. When we have our "what are you thinking about your card" chat sessions we cover the following... 

1. What's trending this year? 

Now this may affect you in one of two ways... you could be the type that is all about those trends like men are all about that bass. Or, you could be the opposite and run away from what everyone else is doing and stand out. We like either option.  Either way, a good idea is to start perusing those big hitters in the card business. Tiny Prints, Shutterfly, and Minted, have their designs out all year. Sometimes they even run random sales so if you start early, you may score! 

And even if you don't want to purchase from them - use them to help you create your own. I have done this almost every year. I see a design I like and I mimic it the best I can. 

The top was my inspiration card from Tiny Prints in 2013. I knew I wanted a card with lots of pics on the back to tell our story, but I also knew I didn't want to pay $1.50 per card. So I copied it as best I could using PicMonkey and I think it turned out pretty darn cute. But, I was only able to do this because I am crazy and started looking at designs way ahead!

2. What story do you want to tell?

Our cards do just that - tell our story to our loved ones. So choose your story. Does your family play sports? Do y'all love nature? Are you all total hipsters?  Or are you attached to technology? Whatever your story is - tell it. Use this as the opportunity to capture those moments. Pictures don't have to be these perfectly posed editions of our lives. Lifestyle shoots are amazing ways to tell the story of your life. One of my favorite cards was from 2011... 

Our story was kind of sad at that moment - we had just gotten the news that Fely was sick but we rallied and chose to rejoice and be glad in the days that the Lord had given us. We looked for the joy and we found it. I don't know if a bible verse has ever stuck out to me so strongly as that one did the morning I was emailing Sarah about our card. But that's the story we wanted to tell and I am so glad we did. 

3. Think about the details!

Start thinking about clothes, shoes and accessories - You want a winning wardrobe! Start shopping, whether you are closet shopping, on-line shopping or mall shopping - start. Find one thing to start with - maybe a scarf for Momma or a bow tie for your baby boy - and work to find the items to coordinate with it. 

Props - If you are going to use any props - cool couch, balloons, over sized letters, tricycles, or a wagon - start your search now. 

Location - Because you know what story you want to tell (see above) you probably also know a few spots to take these types of photos, so now is the time to chat with your photographer about when to schedule pics to meet your desired expectation of the shoot.  They will know things like height of grass in a park or field, hours of operation, payment (if applicable). Also, there are some locations that must be reserved, so don't forget to check.

4. Relax

Christmas is months away, y'all! You have plenty of time!

And to help you relax, we want to remind you about our awesome Christmas in July giveaways with our friends at The Dish BCS. 

Today we are giving away an adorable lunchbox from Lacey Rae Designs. Lacey Rae Designs is a local Bryan-College Station business offering embroidered and monogrammed items. They offer the cutest options for baby shower gifts, children's personalized clothing and holiday items. You can find them on Facebook or order through Etsy.

And to get into the Christmas spirit, Lacey Rae Designs is offering a discount code on all Back to School items. Starting today through July 19th, you can use our code when checking out through Etsy to receive 10% off!!!

Oh. And if that wasn't enough - we are giving away a bag for YOU filled with some of our essentials for photoshoots. You can read all about it at The Dish so head on over there, get that code and enter to win!