Newsletter Archives - Amy P Photography

February Craft w/ AmyP

February is always a fun month to get creative with gifts.

Pinterest is a great go-to for crafts and gifts.

One of my most favorite crafts that I gifted myself was silhouettes of each one of my children.

This is a pretty easy craft and you only need a few items.

You will need the following:

Printer

White card stock paper

Black acrylic paint

Paint Brush

Camera – phone camera works

Scissors

A colored sheet of paper of your choice

Take a picture of your child’s side profile in front of a sunny window or a solid color wall/door.

You will want to print out this photo – it is completely up to you on the size that you print.

(I chose an 8×10 photo for an 11×14 frame) but smaller photos are so cute too and make great ornaments.

Once the photo is printed, you or your child should flip the photo over and paint the back of the photo (so paint the entire white page.)

Once the black paint has dried, flip over the page which shows the photo of your child, and now cut out the outline of your child.

You can then flip now flip the photo again and here’s your silhouette.

You can glue or tape the silhouette to the colored page, write their name and date it. Then you can frame it.

New Year’s Resolutions w/ AmyP

December 29, 2017

New Year’s Resolutions w/ AmyP

Most everyone have a few resolutions for the New Year.

But, normally, we plan them for just ourselves.

But have you ever had a New Year’s resolution for your family?

After researching them and talking with my family, we have decided to plan a few for our family.

Here are a few that I have found to get you started…

– Get Outside More – unplug from life and be adventureous. Step outside and soak up nature.

– Be a Gracious Family – a grateful family = a happy family

– Record Life – live life but also take photos, capture those memories and share those memories.

– Read Together – I love this one and stole this one. Is there a better bonding time?

– Schedule a weekly game night – speaking of bonding, this is a great way to be silly together and have fun.

– Eat and make healthier food together – healthy families are happier families

Wishing you all a Happy New Year!

November Crafts w/ Amy P

Now that November is here – Leaves are changing, the weather has finally cooled off and Thanksgiving is around the corner.

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays.

Gathering with family around the table and a huge feast.

We want to help make your holidays fun for the kids.

Here are some easy Thanksgiving crafts and tips….

Kids table – often times, the kids sit at their very own table. Why not put down some butcher paper and give them some crayons.
Or while at the table, they can create some festive crafts like

– A pinecone ‘I’m thankful for….” turkey – this may require help from a parent to help your child with their thankful things. But I love hearing what my children are thankful for.

– Fun headbands for each child – you can make an Native American headband or a Pilgrim headband. Super easy – you just need construction paper and glue or a stapler.

– Fingerprint Turkey – for those brave parents who want to get paint out, these are great! You can start a tradition and do these every year, and see how much your little ones have grown. Or you can give these out as a gift to your guests.

October crafts w/ AmyP / Bham AL Photographer

September 28, 2017

October crafts w/ AmyP

October means Halloween, candy and costumes. You have an entire month to plan but let’s get a jump in things.

It may not feel quite like Fall yet but I love this pinecone craft. If you do not have pinecones yet, you can definitely buy them at Hobby Lobby.

Owl Pinecones

How cute and easy. Add Felton construction paper shapes for eyes, nose & hat and you have festive homemade decorations.

Bathroom tissue bats

I love this because who doesn’t have empty rolls of toilet paper lying around?!? Lol.

Paint it black and add eyes and black construction paper – you have an easy but cute bat. This would be cute hanging from fishing line.

Fall, Football, Food & Fun with AmyP

August 30, 2017

Fall is here! Who is ready?

Fall is my favorite time of the year!

Who’s ready for football, tailgating and Fall fun?

Whether you are pulling for the Tide or the Tigers (or another team) – tailgating is the best!

Here are a few great snacks for football!

Buffalo Chicken Sliders

(these are amazing!)

2 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 cup of wing sauce (like Frank’s) – divided

Ranch dressing

12 slider buns

In your crock pot, add chicken breasts and add 1/2 cup of wing sauce. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-5 hours.

Remove the chicken and pull apart/shred using two forks. Place the chicken back in the crock pot and add remaining 1/2 cup of wing sauce. Stir to coat chicken.

Now place some of the chicken on the bun and top with ranch.

These are simple but so tasty.

Spinach Dip

( my own personal recipe and it’s amazing)

A block of frozen spinach

2 envelopes of Knorrs dry vegetable soup mix

16 oz of sour cream

A jar of Hellmans Mayonaisse

Thaw out the spinach by running hot water over it. Drain and squeeze multiple times in a colander. You will want your spinach drained as much as possible.

Place 8 oz of sour cream in a bowl and a cup of mayo. Add in spinach but pull it apart as you add it. Add one envelope and stir. Now add 1/2 of the other envelope and about another 1/2 cup of mayo. Chill and serve with crackers or pita or a bread bowl : )

Feel free to comment below and tell us what team you are pulling for this season!

Back to School Books!

July 24, 2017

Back to School Books

We have a fun list of Back to School Books to hopefully ease any “first day jitters.”

Also, here are some helpful hints for all the Moms out there in our blog post from last year – you can click HERE to read it.

First Day Jitters (Mrs Hartwells classroom adventures)

Insert from Amazon

Sarah Jane Hartwell is scared and doesn’t want to start over at a new school. With much prodding from Mr. Hartwell, Sarah Jane reluctantly pulls herself together and goes to school. She is quickly befriended by Mrs. Burton, who helps smooth her jittery transition. This charming and familiar story will delight readers with its surprise ending.

I Don’t Want to Go to School

Insert from Amazon

“I don’t want to go to school!”
“Why not? It’s the first day! Aren’t you excited?”
Joey doesn’t want to go to school and he has a whole list of far-fetched reasons to stay home.

The Night Before First Grade

Insert from Amazon

This humorous take on Clement C. Moore’s classic tale has a perfect twist ending that will surprise readers—as well as the “heroine” of the story—and help all about-to-be first-graders through their own back-to-school jitters.

The First Day of School

Available at Amazon

I loved that this book told the story of a little girl named Elizabeth and her experience with starting school. She meets her teacher and is looking very forward to school. The first day arrives, she is shy and nervous. She realizes that school is fun. She makes friends, learns songs & has a great time.

A fun idea is to have your child write their own “Back to School” book.

Father’s Day – Crafty w/ Amy P

May 30, 2017

Happy Father’s Day

Crafty with Amy P

Finding the perfect gift for Dad on Father’s Day can be tough..

He probably has all the tools, clothing, and other things he likes or needs.

So what do you get Dad?

We have a few crafts for him.

____________________________________________________________

We love this Daddy Survey!

It’s so funny to hear what kids say.

You can view the free printable here.

I know Dad will love to hear the answers.

_______________________________________________________________

Does Dad like golf?

We have a gift idea for your golfer.

____________________________________________________________

Is your Dad a fan of baseball?

He will cherish this baseball from his little slugger forever…

Wishing all the Dads out there a wonderful day!

Valentine Crafts / Bham AL Photography

January 28, 2017

Valentine Kid-friendly Crafts

I have always enjoyed making homemade Valentine with my children. We have given these to family members, teachers & their friends.

Here are 2 easy crafts.

A Homemade Vase for a beautiful bouquet

A glass bottle, jar or a vase
Acrylic paint (any color will work) but we chose pink, red & white
Brush
Clear sealant

Wash the container and then towel dry it well. Paint the entire container. (We chose white.) Then we painted hearts or any other design on the containers. We painted the hearts using my daughters thumbprints. (If you make a mistake, do not worry, the paint will wipe right off or if it has dried, you can wash it all off & start again.) Once you like your design, you can seal it with a spray clear sealant. Add your favorite flowers.

*** you really could paint any object lying around – a picture frame, a flower pot, etc.

Love Bugs

You will need:

Round Rocks (the flatter the better)
Acrylic paints

Take the rocks and wash them – just to get off any dirt. Lay them on to newspapers. Have your child paint each rock in whatever color and design they choose. (It may be that your child wants to finger paint the rocks and that is fine too. Just remember: Acrylic washes off of hands but doesn’t come off of clothing.) Now just paint on eyes and maybe spots or wings.

And you can attach them to a piece of paper and add a cute saying like: “You have been bitten by the Love Bug. Happy Valentines’ Day!”

Christmas Photo Tips

November 29, 2016

Christmas Photos Tips

A few do’s and do not’s to make your Christmas photos and Christmas cards a pain-free experience for you and your children.

Let’s face it, we have all been there…

You just want a nice family photo or a photo of your kids for the Holidays and it does not go as planned.

We have compiled a few tips to help make this event less stressful:

Do’s

Do Relax! Do not stress! I promise, it will be a great photo that your family will love to see.
Do plan an easy event (whether it is just you and your camera or a scheduled photo session with your family photographer.) Make the event easy, maybe a quick mini-session is best for you and your family.
Do coordinate your outfits. Notice I said coordinate – do not match the outfits. Mix it up for a colorful palette.
Do step outside – I can’t think of a better backdrop than outdoors. Right now, the colors outsides are gorgeous.
For a special Christmas card, you can always have a Santa session with your kids.
Do incorporate your pets!
And lastly, just have fun! Play around with props for a fun family photo!

Don’ts

Don’t plan a photo session on train tracks. This is illegal and extremely dangerous.
Do not schedule too many outfit changes especially with small children. While this is cute, this will only stress you out more.
We recommend not wrapping up your children and pets in Christmas lights. The glass bulbs could break or be harmful if placed in their mouths. And lights can contain lead.
Don’t feel it has to be a “Christmas-themed” photo. You can really use any picture.
Do not think it has to be a posed photo. Some of the best photos are candid shots.
And one of the biggest don’t in my opinion… Do not go with a cheap printing service. You worked really hard planning out your Christmas card photo(s) and a poor printing service will take any great photo and make the quality unsatisfactory. One printing service I recommend is mpix.

These are just a few of our tips to help you and your family have a fun & memorable Christmas photo.

Holiday Guide – Elf Traditions!

October 31, 2016

Holiday Guide – 25 Elf Ideas

Do you have a Holiday tradition? In my family, we have quite a few holiday traditions. One tradition we have is our elves. If you have elves that come and spend time with your family, you may notice that the Elves will often run out of ideas or pranks. We have come up with a Holiday Guide of 25 Elf ideas for you.

On the first night, our elves usually write a note or poem announcing their arrival. They have been known to leave clues for a fun game.
Race Night! Tonka trucks and fast cars in a line can only mean that the elves are drag racing again.
Game night! Elves love games – they may get out the game boards and have a game night with their friends (your child’s stuffed animals)
Sack Race! Elves in brown paper sacks and they will race.
Build a house! Elves want to stay year around and think they can by building a house – cardboard boxes wrapped in gift wrap or Lincoln Logs. Whichever way the house is built, the elves can stay, it just has to fit them!
Snack Time! Elves have a huge appetite so you will often find them in the chips bags or pantry snacks.
Nice Elves! Elves in stockings. When your children get them out, the elves may have placed a small $1 gift in their stockings.
Decorate the snowman! When you find a large sheet of white paper with a snowman outline drawn on it, have your child decorate the snowman with cut out pieces (or by drawing on it.)
Doctor! Doctor! Elves love the game Operation! Let them play one night.
Under attack! GI Joes, Army tanks and planes may think your elves are intruders and hold them captive.
Just a swingin’! Candy canes tied from a ribbon makes a great swing for Elves.
Movie Night! Its great night when the elves bring out the popcorn, candy and buy new dvds.
Beauty school! Lots of laughter will follow when the elves dress up a stuffed animal in a wig and play hairstylist.
Hunting elves! Elves love to watch the reindeers from their camouflage hunting house.
Selfie Elfie! The elves love selfies. You never know what you may find on your tablets, phones, etc. Leave a note telling your kids to check out their devices.
Tea party! A tea party with Barbie & friends is super fun. All you need is a tea set and a few dolls.
Copy that! Don’t leave an elf near a copier, they love copying themselves.
Camp out! Have a doll tent, the elves would love to camp out near the tree.
Cooking class! When your elves want a special treat, do not be surprised to find baking flour, sugar, sprinkles and a mess in your kitchen.
Candy Cane Hunt! When 20 candy canes go missing, you can thank the elves. Send your kids on an indoor scavenger hunt.
Elf Yourself! Elves love friends. So you can elf-size your kids. Construction paper and a photo of your child make excellent elf friends.
Hang gliding! For an adventurous elf, a clothes hanger and ribbon will be a great way to hang glide.
It’s snowing! Paper snowflakes are great decorations from elves and kids. Teach your kids how to make them.
Snowball fight! A snowman painted on a box with a hole cut out for his mouth is a great game for your kids that will keep them busy for hours. Have them toss snowballs (cotton balls) at the snowman.
Snap, Crackle, Pop! Elves are often jealous. They may cut holes in your Rice Krispies box and place their heads where the guys are.

This is just a few fun ideas.

Do you have any great Elf Ideas?

Please share with us in the comment section.

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