FF: Shelly of The Queen in Between

Hi y'all! It's Friday, so you know what that means... Friday Favorites! But this week we have a twist...we have a guest blogger - Shelly of The Queen in Between! We are so excited to introduce you to Shelly. She is one amazing lady. She is fun, funny and trendy. But more importantly she is a lovely person inside and out. And we met because of this blog...how fun is that! The internet can be a mean ol' scary place, but it can also be a wonderful welcoming community. Enjoy reading Shelly's favorite things about Christmas!

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Get Organized!  I don't care how many lists I jot down or how many excel spreadsheets I've created over the years, I always, always end up somewhere without my list which leads to frustration.  I love buying gifts ahead of time but y'all, am I the only one who has forgotten what I purchased in July only to figure it all out the day before Christmas when I start wrapping and pull everything out? Worse yet, sometimes I remember that I purchased it but have no clue where I hid it from myself the kids and hey...there ain't an app for that!  Blowing the budget is also an area I excel in and since I am a visual person, having an app that will show me right there in color how much I have spent keeps it on my mind.

Last year, I found the Santa's Bag - Christmas Gift List.  I was a little late in finding this last year so I did not use it to the full potential but I loved being able to set up a list for each person and track what I was purchasing along the way.  I also loved the password options so that sneaky little eyes who way too often grab my phone cannot be naughty and sneak a peek.

One of my very favorite gifts to give is the gift of time!  I don't know about you but my kids pretty much have all they could ever want.  I feel like every year the grandparents are spending time trying to find the perfect gift that will create lots of smiles but truly, once kids are a certain age it becomes harder and harder to get the wow factor.  Instead why not give the gift of your time?  This works for your friends, your children, the husband and even for hard to buy for parents.  The gift of time also works with every budget!  Here are some examples from one extreme to another but at the end of the day the end result is great memories and you can't really put a value on that.  Here are a few ideas! 

•   Tickets to a sporting event you can attend together! My sister-in-law gifts Dillon a ticket to the bowl game in the years A&M is lucky enough to go.  It is a special treat for him and a special memory they will always have together.  

•   Coupons for mommy & me or grandma & me dates for painting or pedicures 

•   Plan a year worth of date nights for you & your significant other.  Read about how our very own Merry Momm, Katy, planned this last year here.  

•   Buy tickets to a concert or a play for a mom or grandmother to attend with you.  

•   Prepare a meal to deliver to a friend as a special Christmas treat.  

•   Plan a trip!  This is obviously a bigger ticket item but enjoying time away at a cozy cabin in the mountains or a condo on the beach would definitely make for a lot less stress and fun memories all the way around.

Everyone loves a good party right?  The holidays are always full of invitations and opportunities to gather with friends, family and even coworkers and celebrate the joy of the season.  Does your calendar begin to feel overwhelmed?  One thing I always struggle with is getting the shopping and gift wrapping accomplished while still making time to celebrate.  Could there be a way to make both happen simultaneously?  I love, love, love the idea of hosting a gift wrapping party.  All you would need is to set up plenty of tables and provide the tape, paper and ribbon and invite your friends to stop by!  Adult beverages are always an option and would definitely help the packages to be a little more creative and of course some light snacks and sweets.  You could even "hire" a few little helpers to provide the actual gift wrapping service.  Here are a few ideas I found! 

•   Holiday Wrap & Yap 

•   Love all these ideas from Elena at 'a Casarella

•   I love the idea of an invitation that is worded like a "Rap" but  a normal invite idea here

•   No time for a party?  Offer to a kids day out and let your friends drop off their little's for some playtime while they wrap up their shopping! 

There are Christmas card people and then there are not and there is room in the world for both!  I happen to be a lover of the annual Christmas card.  I love creating my card and I equally love receiving the cards from all my friends!  During the holidays my cards are part of my Christmas decor and I love seeing them displayed around my house.  Here are some creative ways to display Christmas cards during the season and save them from year to year that do not take to much time.  

{source}

Love the idea of using the shutters!  Painting them red adds to the holiday decor and is funtional!

  

Thyme is Honey has a super cute wall display created with Washi Tape & clips that I think the kids would have a fun time with. 

I am really digging this display as it would be perfect in my breakfast area or living room.  

When it comes to the Christmas card itself, I'm a sucker for a good play on words.  Something that can grab attention and give a little glimpse into what might be going on in our family.

Seriously, how cute is this idea for a busy family?  I absolutely love this idea.  Be sure to visit the source to see how she pulled the entire card together.  

Probably my very favorite card of all time!  Cheap, easy to pull together in a short amount of time and we finished baking cookies together when we were done!  Don't worry, no husband was harmed in the making of this card it only appears he is unhappy about it.  #thisishisrealsmile

{Source}

Lots of great captions on this page!  

I won't spill the beans but this year my card will definitely use a play on words to portray our year!  

Hint #Baseballismyseason

Thanks so much for inviting me to guest!  This was a treat. 


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Awww...Shelly! Thanks so much! We loved reading your post and can't wait to see your Christmas Card (Go Astros!) (Y'all Shelly's son is a for real professional baseball player...so cool!) Question, can we be invited to your wrapping (or rapping) party? And you know we LOVE a spreadsheet! And don't be surprised if you get a card from one of us that says, "We're hanging on...for dear life!" Ha! And one more question, can we go in Dillon's place if he is too busy for the bowl game? Thanks Shelly! WE ADORE YOU!

Linking up with Andrea, Erika, and Narci

WWLW: Props - Tricycles

Y'all this throw back post has this Merry Momma (Cindy) a little teary...look how little my babies were! We don't even own a tricycle anymore. :(  Thank goodness we were able to capture their sweetness at this age. If you have littles at home, consider using a tricycle as a prop, I don't think you will regret it!

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(originally published August 7, 2013)

Hi friends!  As you can see today's post isn't a card.  We thought we might try something fun on Wednesdays called "What We Love Wednesday" and highlight something we LOVE!  This week we are highlighting props, {because we do LOVE a prop} specifically a tricycle! 

What: Tricycle

Why:

Cindy -  What's NOT to love about a tricycle?!? It is the quintessential symbol of childhood.  A tricycle is a great prop because most everyone already has one (and if you don't - it's a fairly inexpensive investment that is actually useful/entertaining for the kids) and it adds fun to the photograph without being overwhelming or distracting from the main focus - the cute kiddos!  And here are my sweet, darling, and precious kiddos on a tricycle.

Katy - I think Cindy nailed it - this is a timeless piece that in a world of fast, in your face, crazy technology and sometimes not so wonderful headlines, can bring you back to a slower pace, a simpler time and capture your babies just as they should be - innocent. Our lovely Landry modeling this prop so well...

Get PinSpired:  Go here, here, here and here to see some other cute pics!  Then click here, here and here to see how timeless a tricycle really is!

WE LOVE PROPS, ESPECIALLY A TRICYCLE!

A big thanks to Sarah Burns of Butterfly Chaser Photography for such gorgeous images!!!

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And for a little Christmas Card Inspiration!

Santa on Trike / Santa's Helper / Tree Delivery

Believe!

Who: Mom, Dad, Girlchild and Boychild

Location: Our wonderful photographer, Jenny Livingston, suggested Downtown Bryan, and since our outfits were a little more casual this year, I thought that'd be the perfect vibe for this year's card! She asked us to meet her on Carnegie Alley, and I was excited because even though we've taken photos several times downtown, I had no idea what to expect from this specific location. When we arrived and I saw this amazing garage door, I was thrilled! It has that just-erased chalkboard feel, which completely worked with our outfits and color scheme!

Props: Jenny brought some props, but the big sparkly G on the back of the card was something I found on my annual girls' trip to Canton in October. We love going then because you find the best of fall AND winter stuff, including fun Christmas decorations! This G was a steal - I think I paid $6 for it. It's moments like that when I really appreciate being a long-term planner...I'd decided months before on red as our primary outfit color, so I kind of had my eyes peeled for photo props while we were shopping. I added the black and silver bow with ribbon I bought at Hobby Lobby, and that was it! A fun, easy, super inexpensive prop that we used in our Christmas decorations that year too! Love it!

Clothes: This mom is a total cheap-o when it comes to kids' clothes, mostly because my kids are rough on their duds! When I start thinking about photo outfits, I try to think about what coordinates all together, not necessarily what all matches. This card is probably the "matchiest" we've done. When friends ask about clothes for photos, I tell them to pick a base color or two - in this card, red - and then build around that, making sure everyone has at least one thing in that color on. That way the photo looks interesting and has some variety. Boychild is usually the hardest to shop for in our family, so sometimes if I see something that I like for him, that becomes the basis of the rest of our outfits. Shop early! You save money that way, and can really take time to find things you and your kiddos really like, instead of having to just buy whatever you can find because your photos are tomorrow and you have nothing to wear! 

Boychild's top was from Old Navy, his pants were from Target, and we got the shoes, which were Gymboree black canvas slip-ons, as hand-me-downs from a friend. Girlchild's top was from JC Penney (Arizona brand), her little grey tank underneath was from Justice (I love them for basic tanks, shorts, etc.) and her pants (which had a little bit of glitter throughout them) and shoes were hand-me-downs from another friend, which I was given literally a week before we took the photos! WIN! I was going to have the Girlchild just wear grey leggings and black boots, but these grey jeans worked perfectly and she liked them much better! Her headband was from Target and the necklace she's wearing is an Origami Owl locket. Mom and Dad are wearing jeans and shoes we already had, and Mom's sweater is from JC Penney and the scarf is from Charming Charlie. If you've never been in Charming Charlie, do yourself a favor and go, soon. They have about eleventy billion accessories, but they're all organized by color, which makes shopping there easy. Dad's red shirt is a red v-neck tee from Target, and the grey cardigan was something from his closet. The best thing about all of these outfits is that we were able to wear all of it again through the winter! 

Comments: I went with red for this card because it's a classic Christmas color that looks good on all of us. We went more causal because the year before we'd been a little more dressed up, so I like to vary that from year to year. These clothes just felt like us! Another reason we went with red is because we always use our Christmas photos as our annual family photo, and I had hopes that we'd be able to blow one of these up to put in our living room, where I'm trying to add pops of red to our decor. The photo on the front has become a "signature" pose for our family; every year since 2010 we've done photo Christmas cards, and the poses we like best are always ones where we're all hugged together, or our faces are all lined up and "squished" together. The kids are usually pretty giggly in these poses, so we usually get the most natural smiles from them this way, too! 

Designer: This card design is from Zazzle, which offered a Christmas card Groupon deal! They had a ton of designs to choose from, but we decided on the photo we wanted to use first, then looked at designs that worked with that photo, and I just fell in love with the simplicity of this card, and also the message, because I just love the magical feel of the holiday season! There originally wasn't a place for a photo on the back, but there was a logo there that I was able to add my own graphic to, so I use that as a second photo! I chose the photo on the back because I feel like it shows my kids' personalities and went well with the fun "magic of the season" message. Zazzle was easy to work with and we had our cards within a week! I'll definitely be using them again this year.

Photographer: Our photos were done by Jenny Livingston with Jenny LivingstonPhotography. I cannot say enough wonderful things about working with Jenny. She is fun, creative, beyond patient (my kids had lots of ideas about poses!), and very quick. Our photo session for this card was about 30 minutes long and that included two locations downtown and about 200 images that she had to work with. She had photos edited and gave me a flash drive with about 30 high-res images on them in less than 10 days! When we were done, my husband said, "She was totally awesome. We're definitely using her again next year." It was so fast we didn't even have to bribe our kids with ice cream to smile and participate, because they didn't have time to get tired or crabby. I've already contacted her about this year's photos!

Favorite Thing: My favorite thing about the card is its simplicity, and the fact that we had a lot of fun during the photo shoot. We've done cards before that included several photos, and while I love all of those, I really just adore the overall look of this card - good shots of our faces, fun colors, and a fun message. We always keep one of our cards and frame it and put it on the mantle during Christmas, and each year I incorporate the previous years' cards into our Christmas decorations. It's a fun way to see how the kids have grown from year to year and family and friends who visit during the season always comment on the old cards. 

Blog: Sadly, this mom has failed epically with blogging. However, I do email my kids regularly, and send them pictures...I made a gmail account for each of them and when they're older, I'll give them the passwords and let them read all their messages about the funny things they did as kids!

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The Merry Mommas' Thoughts: PERFECT! It's like this beautiful Momma has been reading our blog and applied so many of the things we talk about! Thank you! She started early, she had an outfit/person she started with (boychild) and worked from there, she used a color scheme that would go in her home, she used a prop, she found a photographer that her kids and husband were comfortable with, she stayed within her budget, she found a theme (the squeeze hug pose) and stuck with it. Really, Momma you did so GOOD!!!

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How can you recreate this card:

Zazzle has 3 great BELIEVE cards for 2105:

RED and GREY:

A Roll Acosta Christmas

Rejoice and Be Glad

And here's some cute outfits for Momma because Momma Guzman did such a great job!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

BELIEVE friends!

Friday Favorites: Edition Cindy

Hey friends! It's FRIDAY and you know what that means...we are linking up with A Little Bit of Everything,  Grace and Love and Momfessionals for FRIDAY FAVORITES.

This week is Edition Cindy - check out her favorite things from this week!

YOGA

Y'all...I am becoming a Yogi. Okay, maybe not a Yogi, but I am really loving yoga these days. As you may remember, Katy and I did some yoga in Breckenridge and it was AMAZING!

Don't we look relaxed!

We loved it so much we convinced the kids (and the hubbies) to join us!

After our trip, Josh gifted me with 10 yoga classes for my birthday and I have about used them up. I love the relaxation part, the stretching part and the strengthening party. In fact, the girls and I are headed to yoga this afternoon, if you are in BCS come join us.

(And to read about our entire Breckenridge trip, click here,)

CLIMATE DOCTORS

Around 1:30pm on Sunday we walked into our house and it was HOT. Really, really, really hot. We had been out of town since Saturday morning and I thought, "Maybe Josh turned the air way up while we were gone." I sweetly yelled through the house, "DID YOU TURN THE AIR WAY HOT?" He answered with a "NO." By this time I was near the thermostat. I looked up at it and y'all...it said 94. Yep, you read that correctly, 94. A very very HOT 94. I panicked. Have you seen the price of a new air condition? LOTS. Lots and lots of $$$. Josh and I talked and discussed and then we called our friends at CLIMATE DOCTORS and less than 2 hours later our air conditioner was up and running!

HALLELUJAH!

It wasn't beyond repair (thank goodness) and they fixed it in a snap!

We cooled down to 81 by bedtime and the next morning we were back at our normal temp. 

So, if you need air conditioning help, call CLIMATE DOCTORS. They are great!

MATILDA JANE CLOTHING

Cute, fun and easy to care for clothes - COUNT ME IN! I just love the Matilda Jane line of clothing and my girls love it too. In fact, we (the Merry Momma's) hosted a MJ Party last night. If you are interested in purchasing a few items, our party is still going on.

Here are the deets:

1.. Go to www.matildajaneclothing.com/collections

2. View items and click on an item you would like to add to your wish list. Select the size that you would like and then click "Add to Wish list"

3. Once you have added all the items that you would like to purchase, you can submit your wish list. Complete the "Your Information" section on the right. Be sure to include your mailing address, email address, and a good phone number. Our trunk keeper, Kristy Hamilton, will be contacting you to complete your order and to process your payment on the phone number provided.

4. Please send to Kristy by entering her email, ristyhamilton@matildajaneclothing.com, in the "send wish list to" section. You can also send yourself a copy. If you do not hear back from Kristy shortly please resend or forward to cindybmunson@gmail.com or katygking@gmail.com. 

5. Please list CINDY or KATY as the "Jane" in the space provided.

CHRISTMAS GIFTS from MAY DESIGNS

May Designs combines my two most favorite things in the world - paper products and personalized items. There are tons and tons of cute designs to choose. If you are on my Christmas list act surprised when you get one of these cute products, mkay! And, don't be surprised if the Munson Christmas cards are from May Designs. I love her style, its clean and simple and cute. 

CHRISTMAS CARDS from TINY PRINTS

Tiny Prints is a always a favorite of the Merry Mommas, but when the email titled "Pssst...Sneak a Peek at the NEW Holiday Collection" popped in my in box and I clicked on it and this card

came up, my FAVE status just went up! Isn't this just the cutest card!!! I am in love, we may have to use this design and not the one from May Designs...or send two cards. [Decisions, decisions!]

And their cards are 25% off right now, so all you early birds could score a great deal and have one less thing to worry about during the hectic holiday months. (And I would be completely jealous of you, I have a concept in mind, but I can't figure out the clothes! {side note, there...sorry!})

Happy Friday Y'all!

WWLW: Props - Balloons

Last week we discussed our love of PROPS! So we are going to continue that trend and for a few weeks you will get to read about all the props we love on What We Love Wednesday. We think props can add such a fun element to a photo shoot. One of our favorite props is a balloon! We originally posted this the information below way back in 2013, but the info is still relevant. Enjoy our throw back post!

 Nobody can be un-cheered with a balloon.

~ Winnie the Pooh

It's true. Balloons just evoke happiness. They are one of those quintessential pieces of childhood - they just make people happy. You can't help but smile when you see them. They represent such a freedom and they are simply just fun. So, today we bring you the balloon. In every shape, size and color!

Katy: Our first photoshoot with Sarah was way back in April 2010. I was the Momma of 1.5 and had only taken pics of Radley at... gasp... Sears. (I know, I know). So, I knew I wanted to do a few pics with something "extra" but to be honest, I had not honed my picture taking obsession skills much at this point. Then I thought about using red balloons. I just pictured him in jeans, a white button down and cute boat shoes holding a bunch of red balloons on a railroad track.

(Because clearly that is where all of those things would be grouped together.)

And I still love this image today!

In keeping with tradition, I also wanted to use balloons for Emmy's 2 year photoshoot. I had seen this balloon wall on pinterest and fell in love with the idea of making a wall out of balloons as a backdrop for her. I also found this adorable rainbow colored chevron dress that was so playful and would work so well with the look I was going for. 

And then picture day arrived. And a monsoon happened just as we were about to do this last series. And the monsoon brought thunder. And the two-year old did not like thunder. So we had tears. Lots of tears. (Should I remind you of tip #4 of our recap) We brought out the sucker and things got better.

And then we got "THE shot". And the time and energy spent on setting up those 50+ balloons was worth it! (Thanks, Sarah!)

Cindy: As I looked through our photo shoots, I have to admit that I was a little shocked that I have only done ONE photo shoot with balloons, but it is a great one!  These pictures are from Annaliese's 2 year photo shoot.  I love the whimsical feel the first picture gives.  While we all know that most children don't run through the woods wearing a fancy dress and carrying balloons that match said dress, it's fun to pretend and get caught up in the emotions the picture evokes - childhood, carefree, fun.  The second picture is great because the balloons add a fun (but not distracting) pop of color - and y'all...that face! Love it, and her!

 {Top 5 Reasons Why We LOVE Balloons!} 

1. Inexpensive - Seriously, you can't find props much cheaper than this! And while we are aware of the great helium shortage in America (yes, that's a real thing), you can use balloons in lots of different ways and not have to pay for the helium.
2.  Colorful - What a great way to add a pop of ANY color to a photo. 
3. Fun - Yes. Balloons are fun. {F} {U} {N} {!}
4. Unexpected - I don't think most of us think, yep, I should totally take pictures with balloons...unless of course you are on Pinterest all day every day.  They add an unexpected surprise to photos.  Use them!
5. Celebration - Balloons represent celebrations and we love celebrations. In fact, we pretty much believe that everyday is a celebration and try to live that way.  

 And for your viewing pleasure, we want to highlight some of our

~FAVORITE~ photographers and their work with balloons!  Enjoy!

These beautiful images are from Butterfly Chaser Photography.

(We think you all know of our love of the monochromatic look!!)

  These darling images are from Whimsy & Style Photography.

(Cute girl, precious shoes and a fun dress - the Merry Mommas are in!)

This collage is from Munchkins and Mohawks Photography!

(Again with the monochromatic look - LOVE!)

We adore the celebration this cutie is having with her balloons!

Images by Chubby Cheek Photography.

Y'all.  TO DIE FOR. We love love love this image from Peekaboo Photography.

(And yes, this might not be an inexpensive prop...but WHO CARES!)

Get PINspired:

1.  Oversized balloons are F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!  Check this, this and this out!
2.  Bright colored balloons make every picture fun!  This family knows how to have fun!
3. You know we love a carnival...add balloons = SWOON! 
4.  Balloons can also have a vintage feel!  We love this and this!
5. And if you want to put your darling baby girl in a hot air balloon, check this out!

Money, money, money, money MON-EEE!

Y'all...today we are talking about MONEY! I know, I know, sometimes this can be a touchy subject, but it shouldn't be. It should be fun and exciting. And yes, Cindy - the girl who raises money for a living and talks about money all day - is writing this post. :) Seriously, though friends...if you have a BUDGET then talking about MONEY is fun! For real, I promise. A budget literally ALLOWS you to spend money. It simply tells you where to spend and how much you can spend...and spending is FUN.

And you have to spend money to send Christmas Cards. It's a fact.
I guess "technically" you could send cards via email for free...but someone somewhere had to pay for the computer and the internet.

Anyway...let's get started!

Let's talk BUDGETS! And because we primarily talk about Christmas Cards that include photos, our budget reflects it.

So, what do you think? Are you ready to budget for your $2015 Christmas card? Maybe this will help too!

We started this blog because of our love for sending and receiving Christmas cards. We never want this to be a stressful thing in your life - we want it to be fun! And FUN doesn't include stress from money problems. Knowing what you can afford to spend on cards and sticking to it will make the entire process less stressful. Talk with your partner about a budget and then get busy spending that budget money!