Apps to Use While on Vacation

Picture App

Most phones typically come with a picture taking app preloaded, and in many cases this is the only photo tool you need.  Before you depart, clear out any existing pictures you have saved to make room for new pictures.  There's nothing worse than discovering you have no space left and no way to remove the old pictures on your camera. Do you delete old pictures to take new ones or forego taking new pictures? Avoid the a hassle completely and upload your pictures to your web photo album before leaving home. Some phones have the ability to have additional storage space via a removeable SD card. Invest in one if you plan to use your phone to store a lot of media.

Word Lens

If your travel includes an international visit, download the Word Lens app and set it up with with the language of your destination.  When you open the app and place text in front of the camera it will translate the text on screen from the selected language to the desired language. The app is still somewhat new and not all languages are available yet. The all works offline so you don’t need an internet connection for it to work.

Skype or Google Hangouts

Staying in touch on the road can be difficult and expensive.  If you're traveling domestically this may not be a problem. For international travelers, find a wifi connection and open up one of these apps. Be sure to take the time before departure to register and set up your account. When youre on the road you can simply dial another users web account or phone number and be connected.

Tripadvisor

Almost all travelers today consult Tripadvisor when in someplace new and looking for a place to stay, something to eat, or to find something to do.  Locations are peer reviewed and rated. You may not want to plan your entire trip around the site but if you're stuck it can be a good spot to see what's popular or may not be in the guidebooks.

Weather App

This Is another app that comes preloaded on most phones but there are dozens of others available for free download or a small fee. The other apps have a variety of different features that can be customized based on your needs.

Maps App

There are plenty of good mapping apps on the market. Some cater to those driving, while others focus on public transportation, and still others on walking routes.  Depending on your needs while traveling find an app or apps that best fit your specific needs. If you plan to do  a lot of walking having driving directions won't be very useful.

Your phone is a powerful tool that can help take your trip from good to great. Take lots of pictures to remember this special time and take time afterwards to download your images and add them to your favorite online photo galleries. You'll be ready for the next time wanderlust strikes!

Starting a Blog for Profit

You may have heard of bloggers making a full time income online. While this is possible, it takes a lot of work and time to see these kinds of results. If you are looking for a way to show off your expertise and also make a little money while doing it, consider starting a blog. While you might not be able to quit your day job tomorrow you can make some extra spending money.

There are many types of blogs. Some are more like journals. Others show off the online photo galleries of photographers. A third type are business blogs. This is a blog that you begin to attract traffic in order to sell products or services. Sure you can sell products on any website but business based websites exist with the idea that they will just be means to make money. To be interesting to others, your blog will need to:

• Have regularly updated content for visitors

• Be marketed in a way that draws traffic

• Register with search engines so it can be found in the rankings

If you are new to blogging, use a free blogging platform to get your feet wet. Depending on the site you choose, the themes and plug-ins (added features) will vary. Most will walk you through the process step by step so that you can be up and running in no time.

Before you start posting, decide what will be the theme, or niche of your blog. If you like photography that can be your niche. Create posts that talk about how to take great pictures, great poses, new techniques, or how to sell images from your web photo albums.

In order to make money with your blog, you need to have people visiting it. Any money-making venture will take place once you have an audience. Once this is done you can put into play a number of options like Google AdSense ads, affiliate marketing, or ebook marketing.

Three Cheap Summer Vacation Ideas

Summer vacations can be very expensive, especially if you have children. Even the quintessential summer road trip can rack up thousands of dollars depending on how far you go and for how long. You don’t have to go far to enjoy a fun summer! The most important part is having a memorable and enjoyable experience you and your children won’t soon forget.

Camping

It doesn’t get much lower cost than camping. You can even do it in your backyard! Cook simple food, toast marshmallows and stay up late. Borrow a tent from a friend, bring sheets and blankets from home to further reduce costs. Don’t forget your camera to take lots of pictures! You’ll want to save those pictures for your web photo album when all is said and done.

Hit the Road

Even though driving still has some associated costs it’s often less expensive for a family than flying. Make your trip about the journey and less about the destination. Take pictures at tourist traps along the way. Enjoy documenting the trip as much as what you do one you arrive. This is an opportunity to see a lot of different cities, places and people in a short span of time. Challenge each other once you return to see who can put together the best online photo galleries. You might be surprised to see what stuck out for each person.

Visit a Family Member

If you have a family member living somewhat close by why not go visit? Of course get their approval first. See their city through their eyes – chances are it will be much different than a typical tourist. You’ll save money on lodging and have a unique experience. Don’t forget to reciprocate the offer to them sometime!

These are three very inexpensive vacations you can enjoy without spending a lot of money, which ever you do, remember to capture the memories to a web photo album.

Last Minute Summer Road Trip Ideas

If you’re still hoping to get away this summer consider a last minute summer road trip as a fun activity and a way that you can actually save money on your vacation. You often don’t have to look very far to find something fun to do and depending on where you live summer can actually be the low season, allowing you to snag great deals.

First, do a little research to look at nearby areas – within driving distance – that are of interest to you and your family. Many websites allow you to put price alerts in for different locations. Do this for your selected spots. You’ll now get an email whenever a hotel is available at or below your listed price. Each week set aside some extra money to purchase gas cards. This way when it’s time to hit the road you will have a good chunk of money set aside for gas, one of the biggest expenses. You can even store photos of the places you want to visit in an online photo gallery.

When it’s time to hit the road don’t forget your camera or smartphone to capture memories for your online photo galleries. You’ll also want just the essentials so that you’re not weighed down with lots of luggage. Contact the tourist office at your chosen destination to find out what there is to do in the area and hopefully pick up some last minute discounts on attractions and food. Along the way stop in the small towns or interesting restaurants you see advertised. Make the trip as much about the journey as the destination. You won’t be going out of your way and you’ll have a great time exploring places you normally might not visit.

If you’re still not sure where to go, a local lake may be just the thing to see. Or perhaps there’s a waterpark nearby that you’ve never visited. Be creative!

How to Throw a Camping Themed Birthday Party

If your child or children have a summer time birthday party having a camping themed party can be a fun and inexpensive way to celebrate. It’s a great non-gender theme and can be easily and affordably tailored for your child’s likes and interests. You won’t need to spend a lot of money renting space – your backyard or a local park could be the location. Imagine all the great pictures you can add to your web photo albums!

Invitations

There are many ways you could create invitations from a plain off the rack style simply stating time and place to something more elaborated like one designed to look like a tent or star. Within the idea of camping there are plenty of sub-themes like tents, stars and moons, campfires, or food to name a few.

The Tent

The central theme around any campout is the tent. Set up a large tent to be the center of activity. This is where the eating happens. You can set up food stations and craft stations under the big tent. But kids will want to play in a tent too. Either pick up several tents from garage sales or why not have kids build their own tents? Pull out all the extra sheets and blankets you have along with chairs and other items to build fort tents. Outdoor pillows, blankets, or even carpet remnants make great ground cover. Make it into a game and place the kids into teams to see which will build their tent first.

Activities

Traditional outdoor games like bean bag toss and sack races are always a lot of fun for all ages. You could also design and decorate pillow cases with fabric paint or tie dye. What activities you choose to do may depend somewhat on the age of the children playing. If the weather is warm and you sent notice to parents add a water element into the fun. Set up a slip and slide or have a water balloon toss.  Small wading pools can be great fun for younger kids and no matter what age children are sprinklers are always lots of fun.

The Food

If you’re wary of having a campfire with lots of kids around set up your grill in an “off limits” area for the kids. Grill out hamburgers and hot dogs. You can have the children take turns, supervised to roast their marshmallows over the grill. Have chocolate bars and graham crackers ready for s’mores! Another food idea is walking tacos. Buy small bags of corn chips and have all the ingredients for traditional tacos set up in a buffet. Each child gets a bag of chips and adds their desired ingredients to the chips and then eats right out of the bag!

Be sure to take plenty of pictures through the event and upload them to a special web photo album. After the party send children home with the link to the pictures. This way parents can decide which images they would like to have or share.

A Water Themed Birthday Party

Throwing a birthday party during summer months means there are lots of ways to have fun without spending much money. Try a water themed birthday party for a wet and wild good time! No matter what age your child is, this is a fun theme for all ages.

Start by sending out invitations shaped liked a water drop, and let parents know to send their children with their swimming suits, towels, and water shoes as well as an extra change of clothes. You can host the party in your backyard or at a park. Just be sure there’s a good water source nearby. Older kids might enjoy a water balloon fight while this may be too hard for smaller children. A water balloon toss or other challenge games using water balloons may be a better fit. Set up a water obstacle course using small pools, a sprinkler, or other water and land elements.

Be sure to cover your smart phone or camera with a waterproof shield so that you can still take pictures for your birthday online photo galleries without wrecking your equipment. You’ll be sure to capture some really fun images if you’re not worried about your camera getting splashed.

For the meal you can stick with classic picnic food or develop a menu around the water theme. To make it even more interesting why not have a meal where no utensils are used. It won’t matter how messy everyone gets because they can hose off when they’re all done!

Send your guests’ home with a liquid inspired goodie bag. You might include a new water bottle, a favorite drink, a jar of bubbles, and other items that fit the party theme. This party is sure to be one to remember for a long time and you’ll have the photo memories for years to come!

After the party you can always share your created online photo gallery with the guests so all can enjoy the memories in the years to come.

Tips for Throwing a Neighborhood Block Party

The sun is shining and everyone wants to be outside enjoying the weather. A great idea to get your neighborhood or even just a group of friends together is to throw a block party. In large cities these are common but not as much in smaller cities and towns. It’s an easy way to share a meal, get together with old friends and make new friends. You’ll want to save all your pictures to a web photo album to share with everyone that attended!

First, ask around and get an estimated count of who is interested in attending. You’ll want to know so that you can allocate enough space. Then get a little more organized by creating a group email or even Facebook group. Let people sign up to bring food items or leave it blind and let people bring whatever they wish. A potluck is the best way to do this so that no single person or family is stuck with all the work.

You may consider having each family pitch in a set amount of money to rent tables or purchase drinks, or you can rely on everyone bringing their own. It’s up to you! No party is complete without some music or entertainment. Maybe you have a DJ or an amateur musician in your circle of friends that would take over the lead for this. Lawn games are another fun activity for kids and adults. You don’t have to add a lot of structure but having a few things to do is a good way to break the ice and get people interacting.

When the event is over send everyone a link to the online photo galleries to upload their pictures. You’ll have a great collection of images to remember the event year to year!

Money Saving Tips for Photographing Kids and Family

Taking yearly pictures is a tradition in many families. This year instead of investing in a professional photographer and paying for expensive prints, try another route. By creating a web photo album for sharing your pictures, asking friends and family with a keen eye, and having a print it yourself motto you’ll have family pictures without breaking the piggy bank.

The most important part of the equation is having a photographer who can take good pictures. Ask around to see if you have any friends or family with photography talent. You can offer them dinner out or some other (though smaller) financial compensation than a professional. They might be interested in a barter if you have a skill that you can trade.

Next, create a web photo album for the pictures. Once they are done shooting the images they can upload them to your album or share the memory card allowing you to upload them. Use online photo editing software to adjust any problems or add highlights to the pictures. Remember even professional photographers rely on retouching tools to get the final product you see!

Finally share the address of your online photo galleries with family and friends who may want to see or have print pictures. Allow them to make the choice about which image they want and let them print the picture at their favorite printing shop. This way you don’t end up with lots of pictures that you won’t use. You can of course select any images you like and have them printed or add them to your digital scrapbook. In the future you can go back to the photo album and make reprints anytime.

This is a great way to still have nice pictures taken of your family without the sometimes excessive costs of professional photography.

Unique Angles to Consider When Taking Pictures

If you’re looking for ways to take your online photo galleries from so-so to stellar than one way to do so is to mix up the angles you’re shooting from. You can take a regular, everyday image to something completely new and unique by just making a small switch. Here are some different angles to consider.

Straight Up – Lay flat on the ground (or use a tripod) and shoot straight up at your subject. While this may not work for every situation it’s a great way to get a different perspective on mundane subjects.

Tilting – You can tilt the image towards or away from you (this is especially helpful if you’re shooting food). It invites the viewer into your shot. If you can’t tilt the object itself, tilt yourself so that you have the same visual representation.

Above – Stand above your object and shoot down. This provides a view you may not have ever considered. Many of the objects or decorations that may be a part of the side view will no longer be visible.

Diagonal – Are you photographing multiple things in a line? Shoot at an angle as well so that you catch a corner of each of the objects instead of a straight line. This is a fun shot to do with a group of people or even a lineup of cars!

Emphasis – Instead of a straight on shot of an object, select one portion of it and focus on it. Exaggerate that aspect and let the rest of the object be the background.

Creating fun and interesting photos for your web photo albums not only sets you a part as a photographer but is fun! You’ll be challenging your creativity and photography skills all the while you’re capturing amazing pictures to share with the world.

Preserving Old Photographs

Have you recently stumbled across or inherited a box of old images. Maybe you have a shoebox in your attic gathering dust. Over time images degrade and break down without proper care and attention. Today it’s possible to easily transfer physical images to a digital format and store in online photo galleries. This should be your first step.

Pull out all of your images and take the time to scan them and upload them to a web photo album. Take the time to copy over any writing that is found on the back of the images, especially if it relates to who is in the picture. You may still want to preserve the original images. This can be done very carefully.

First store pictures in a stable environment. It should be cool, dark, and dry with low humidity. Don’t use tape to secure the pictures to anything. If a picture tears place it into a clear envelope instead of trying tape it back together.

If you want to arrange the pictures into an album to keep them all together buy an archival quality album that is acid free. Look for pages that are polyethylene. You can also store them in acid free boxes with acid free paper dividers. If images are dirty do not attempt to clean them yourself. A professional photo restorer can do this work. Pictures are made using different types of chemicals and to an amateurs eyes it’s not generally clear what has been used.

If you have really old photographs (100+ years old) don’t display them in the open –the air and light can destroy them quickly. Instead make a reproduction to put on display. Most of all don’t keep the pictures hidden away in boxes for future generations to deal with. The longer they are left unattended the more damage can be done.

How to Take Great Outdoor Pictures

There’s a huge trend now of photographers taking outdoor portrait images, and why not? There are so many amazing scenes to take images and showcase not only the person or people in the image but the scenery as well. Taking pictures outdoors can be much more of a challenge than indoors. Your settings will constantly be changing and the light can drastically change from one moment to the next. If you’re building up your outdoor images web photo album consider some of these tips to take better pictures.

Avoid Direct Sunlight – Not only is it hard (and hot!) on your subject but it can lead to blown out images and rough edges. You don’t’ want to avoid natural light all together buy look for partially shaded settings or shots that don’t have full on sunlight. Taking pictures in the early morning or early evening can help give you the right amount of natural light without too much.

Avoid Distractions in Your Shots – Things like power lines or road signs can get in the way of taking really good pictures. You want people to focus on your subject, so unless your subject is the sign or the picture avoid them! Though wouldn’t it be fun to have a dedicated web photo album of distraction shots?

Use a Tripod – A tripod can really help you capture images when the light is low. Low light means the camera needs more time to capture the picture. It’s hard to hold your hands completely still in that time. This is a small investment to make but it will make your pictures that much better.

Compose Your Shot – To create a really great image, especially when shooting landscapes, have a foreground, middle ground and background. Also make sure it’s clear how they relate to each other. For example you want to include the beach, the water and the rocky cliffs behind them in your shot so that whoever is viewing the image sees how they all relate to each other. This is much more powerful than just shooting the water or only shooting the cliffs.

Don’t Put the Horizon Smack in the Middle – Looking back at the ocean example if you took a shot that had a sliver of the beach and a sliver of the sky and the rest of the picture was full of the ocean it would be lacking. The picture would be much more powerful if the focus was, for example, more on the water.

Emphasize Size and Scale – There are some amazing outdoor scenes that can be captured. But photographs have a way of losing the scale of things without some way to compare them. Did you see a giant scale on a leaf during your hike? If you simply snap a picture then you have no way to know it was a giant snail, it’s just a snail. Likewise a mountain doesn’t look as big if there’s nothing included in the image to show scale. When you’re composing images this should be taken into consideration.

How to Take Better Pictures of Food

Taking pictures of food has become increasingly popular with the wide use of mobile phones that have great photography capabilities. With dozens of online photo galleries dedicated to showcasing the best food photography and recipes, it’s no surprise this has become a popular activity. But some pictures are really terrible. No one wants to see a picture of something that resembles slop. Poor lighting, generally unappealing dishes, and a shaky hand are some of the things that can lead to poor quality images.  If you want to take and share your food pictures here are some tips to help you.

Lighting

One of the most important things to consider when taking a picture of anything is the lighting. If you’re in a dimly lit restaurant at night, you may as well just put your camera away. You don’t want to be using a flash in this situation and taking a bad picture is worse than no picture at all. If you’re taking pictures at home, use as much natural light as you can find. Move your plate or bowl close to a window or a spot where there’s plenty of natural light. Adjust the white balance on your camera to indicate which type of light is in the frame. Avoid using a flash as much as possible, typically it casts a harsh light and blows out whatever is in the frame.

Composition

Chefs spend a lot of time creating not only the food that you’ll eat but arranging it in a way that makes it appealing. Remember we eat with our eyes first. At home you can do the same. Use dishes that compliment your meal, not take away from it. The same should happen with the surface the dish is on and the background that will be in the shot. You can include props to enhance the picture. Utensils, cups, and anything else that really sets the scene can make a big difference. You’ll also want to experiment with taking pictures at different angles. Shoot from above, straight on, at an angle. Don’t be afraid to take many images to capture the right one for your web photo album.

Some other ways to create really great food pictures is to include what’s around. If there’s a multi course meal spread out on the table, try to capture as much in your shot as possible. This will bring viewers into the moment so they can experience a depth to the picture. You’re telling a story and seeing a full display will be much more telling than single shots of each of the components. Don’t forget at the end of the day the food is meant to be eaten! Show people touching, eating, and interacting with the food. This will help bring it to life and again help to tell a story.

If you’re eating in a very high end restaurant or taking pictures would be inappropriate then trust your gut and keep the camera put away. Enjoy the meal before you and maybe snap a picture of your cleaned off plate when all is said and done!

You’ve Made a Web Photo Album…Now What?

You’ve been diligent about keeping your online galleries updated with images and descriptions and have created a wonderful gallery that you’ll be able to enjoy for years to come. But, what else can you do with these images and photo albums?

Share Them!

You may want to keep these images all to yourself but you surely have family and friends that would like to see them as well. Send them an email and share the link to your web photo album so that they too can see what you’ve been up to and how the kids have grown!

Gifts

Use your images to create personalized gifts. You can design your own photo book and have it printed – be sure to include lots of text and personalization as well so that the recipient has all of the back story of the images.  You could additionally include quotes that you like or scripture verses – whatever speaks to you and you know the recipient would love. Calendars are another great way to use photographs that you have taken. They don’t have to be of people, they could be landscapes you loved or food that you made. Select high quality images in a high resolution that will print well in a large size.

Start a Business!

Do you take excellent pictures? You could have them printed onto paper, t-shirts, key chains or other items that can then be sold at a local market or art shop. There are many places online that also offer a space to sellers who want to sell their artwork. You may need to invest some money to have items made before they’re sold but if you start small you may soon begin to see a good profit!

Whatever you do don’t let your web photo albums lay idle! Make use of them so that everyone can enjoy your hard work.

5 Ways to Improve Your Pictures Today

Tired of taking fuzzy images? Do you always cut off someone’s head in the pictures you’re taking? Is your foreground always out of focus? Many people give up on photography and claim they’re simply no good. But, like all things taking good quality images takes practice. Photography is an art and you wouldn’t expect to sit down and recreate the Mona Lisa would you? Of course not! It would take many, many attempts and you still may not capture it. While you work on expanding your online photo galleries take these five ways to improve your images into consideration right away.

1. Read Your Manual and then Find More. How many of us actually read the instruction manual when we get something new? Not very many. But this is your best resource while you’re learning how to operate your camera. Read through it front to back and practice what it’s telling you. Make note of the things you don’t understand or remain unclear and then search for additional resources to learn from.

2. Take Pictures and Lots of Them. The only way you’re really going to get better is to take more pictures. You need to practice photographing many different things in different lighting and situations. Look for new angles; stand on a chair, lay on the ground, shoot through a window. Whatever you choose don’t just stick with what you know – challenge yourself!

3. Use a Tripod. This a small investment to make but can go a long way to taking better images. Tripods stabilize your camera and allow you to adjust the settings without moving the camera itself. Even a small movement can change the settings. Not an issue with the tripod.

4. Look for Natural Light. A photographer’s best friend is good light. The right natural light can really make for the best image possible. However you’re forced to work with the light you have. Use shade, shadows and even a low cost reflector to play with the light and frame your image. Learning how to use natural light will be very helpful should you decide to ever shoot in a photography studio.

5. Limit Yourself. Just like taking lots and lots of pictures will help you hone your skills limiting yourself can do the same. Why not give yourself a month long, photo a day project. Allow yourself to only take one image each day. You’ll need to really focus on getting the shot right because you’ve only got one! If you think you may cheat, why not revert back to a film camera for the experiment? That way you’ll really only be allowed one shot! This could be a really great project for a scrapbook or dedicated web photo album.

Having all the best photo equipment in the world makes no difference if you don’t have any idea how to use it. But taking small steps every day to improve your photography skills will have you on your way to becoming a talented photographer.

5 Tips to Take Better Family Portraits

If your family is preparing to take the annual family picture or you’re a photographer who wants to take more portraits there are some easy tips to incorporate into your style that will take your pictures from good to great and enhance your web photo albums.

Get Rid of the Matching Outfits

Not too long ago it was common to see family photographs that had each member of the family in an identical, or almost identical outfit. Please do yourself a favor and avoid this! There’s nothing wrong with monochromatic outfits, keeping with the same color scheme or finding similar looking outfits but let each person’s personality shine through in the images. You’re not posing for a clothing catalog!

Arrange People Naturally or Staggered

Also long gone is the standard staged studio shot. Make your appearance natural. Let the photo subjects spread out and act in a natural way. Some of the best pictures aren’t shot face on with everyone smiling. It might be a parent gazing at a child or children playing together and not even looking into the camera. If the family does want a more traditional portrait, don’t line them up. Instead put them at different angles and stagger their heads to create a natural looking picture. You could even have them all laying down and focus on just the faces. The options are endless.

Capture Expression and Interaction

Smiles are great but what if the children of the family are having a great time laughing and playing with each other. Avoid the staged smile and capture things as they naturally unfold. Your photo galleries will display a diverse range of emotions and images if you capture things as they happen. You may not even want to stage anything but simply follow around your subjects for a period of time, taking pictures as things happen.

Use Favorite Objects or Activities

Does the family love horseback riding? Are they board game enthusiasts? Let the personality of each person and the family itself come through in the pictures. Encourage them to do the things that they normally do and bring with them to the site those items they love. Capture dad and son tossing a baseball. Lay out a blanket for a picnic and take pictures of the event. Whatever it is that really speaks to them that’s what will make for a great photograph.

Have Fun!

This is the most important thing, especially when children are involved. No one wants to sit for an hour or more doing something they hate. You’ll never get the image you want if kids are tired or bored. Make the event fun and interesting. Move to different locations. You might even want to let kids be involved in choosing the places they want to be photographed. The easier you can make it the better the pictures will be!

Taking family portraits can be a fun and rewarding experience. You’ll be left with pictures that are beautiful and truly meaningful.

Technology Activities for Kids

Lots of of parents today are looking for ways to get their kids away from technology.  Everyone is so connected it is important to take a break. However technology can really aid with learning. Instead of completely eliminating technology activities consider allowing children set amounts of time for specific activities. This way you know what they're doing, how long it is for and can be sure it's of value as well. Educational games, research projects based around their interests and watching short, educational videos are a few technology based activities worth considering.

If you have an iPad or tablet, select and download the games you feel comfortable with. Don't allow any apps or games you wouldn't want them spending time on. When they are permitted technology time they can only choose from the items available to them.  What interests do they have? Let them do research and create a web photo album to document what they have discovered and learned or put together a slideshow to share. If you're planning a family vacation out each child in charge of researching a destination and present it to the family.

With a web photo album they can also track things they want to do with an online wish or bucket list.

Finally allow them a short amount of time to watch educational videos. You'll be able to find many on YouTube but be sure to supervise that that is the only thing they are watching. There are other video apps that only show educational videos as well. You might also consider free time where they are permitted to do as they choose for a specific time. Let them roll over their unused time to a large chunk if theres something they really want to do like play a long video game or watch a full length movie. You'll need to make adjustments to these suggestions based on your child's age and needs but setting good technology guidelines early will make things easier later on.

Planning a Picture Perfect Picnic

Do you want to pack a picnic worthy of the coveted cover shot for your web photo album? It's much easier than you might think. Taking a little time to plan and select items to complete  your delicious food will ensure a picture perfect event you won't soon forget.

First, decide how many people will be in attendance and what if any food and drink restrictions they may have. Create a list to keep on hand as you menu plan and shop so that you don't forget. Next make a menu plan. What you pick for food may depend on the time of day for your picnic and the time of year. Try to choose foods that can be kept at room temperature instead of items that must be kept cold or hot. It is difficult to regulate temperatures when you are outside and you don't want to deal with the hassle of keeping lots of ice at hand or finding electrical plugs to keep things hot. One other consideration is to choose foods that can be eaten with hands instead of needing utensils. This is not the time or place for fancy items! Sandwiches, food on sticks, cut up fruit and vegetables, and dips are good ideas.


After you have the menu set it's time to consider the presentation. For a traditional picnic gather plenty of blankets to lay on the ground. You may also want to first cover the ground with a tarp.  Nothing will ruin a picnic faster than a soggy bottom! Next find some cushions to lean or sit on. Outdoor dinnerware, cups, and utensils that coordinate are a nice touch. You may decide to arrange some low tables with pitchers and cups for drinks. A radio or MP3 player with some soft music is a nice touch. If the picnic will stretch into the evening, have some lights like candles or tiki torches to provide light and keep away insects.

If your picnic will be  held in a park pavilion or another structure, you can be a bit more inventive. You may have access to electrical outlets so that some more hot items can be included in your menu. If your guests have tables to sit at, the food choices can be a bit more creative and use more utensils.

During the picnic invite your attendees to take pictures with a digital camera you provide. You can always curate the photos taken and shared for your web photo album. Consider setting up an outdoor photo booth with props to dress up. You won't be stuck as the photographer throughout the event and will still have lots of pictures to remember the event.

When you're finished encourage everyone to help clean up by providing plenty of garbage and recycling receptacles. To thank them for a nice evening, send thank you cards with a link to your online photo galleries with pictures from the event. It may take a little more  planning and work to set up a picnic party in comparison to a house party but it's one sure way to have lots of unique memories.

A Cooking Adventure for Couples

Looking for date ideas to share with your partner? One idea is to plan a romantic cooking adventure. It will allow you both to learn different kinds of cuisines, give you a project to collaborate on, and it will be a lot of fun! Keep your camera close by because you’ll want to add these memories to your web photo album.

How to Set Up the Date

You will need a few days during the week to complete your adventure. Scheduling it for every Monday and Wednesday, or every Saturday puts it on your calendar and makes it something to look forward to. On that night, you'll learn together how to cook one or two dishes from a specific kind of cuisine. One night could be sushi rolling or another night could be making fresh pasta from scratch. The basic idea is to select new meals that neither of you know how to make and learn it together.

You’re sure to have a lot of good (or maybe not so good!) food, laughter, and fun. You can take pictures while you’re cooking and after to remember the night. Create a special web photo album to store all the images from these evenings. You may want to include links to or typed directions of the recipes you used.

Who’s The Boss? 

For each evening designate who will be the lead chef and who is the sous chef. This can create an interesting dynamic for couples. One day one person is in charge and the next, the tables are turned! Having this division also helps keep things moving along. The job of the lead chef is to make most of the decisions like choosing the recipes, deciding where and which ingredients to buy, and direction in the kitchen. While the sous chef assists the chef in every step along the way.

Getting Started 

Before embarking on this challenge make a list of the different dishes that you've both always loved but never thought you could learn how to cook. Maybe you’ve always loved French food but making sauces is just overwhelming. You may have cast aside the thought of ever learning!  Taking the time to learn together will show you what you’re capable of alone and as a couple.

If you’re feeling like you’re not ready to try making things alone, look for local cooking classes that you both can enroll in. There are also a lot of YouTube videos that can walk you through recipes. Most importantly don’t be afraid to try!

Open Your Doors and Your Table

After you’ve mastered a few recipes together and are confident with your skills why not invite over others to join the fun. Invite others to cook with you and turn the cooking nights into a small gathering with friends. Or you could simply invite friends or family over for a dinner party to showcase your new skills. This can be an even bigger challenge for you as a couple.

3 Cheap Summer Vacation Ideas

If you want to take a vacation this summer you don’t have to plan for a far flung getaway. There are many ideas that will cost much less and still guarantee you will have a lot of fun and a chance to escape your day to day life. Making long lasting memories to share and preserve in your online photo galleries is right around the corner!

Here are three ideas for the kinds of vacations you can take.

Camping

This is THE summer vacation isn’t it? All you need is a tent or two (or even borrow one from a friend or family member). Invest a little money in food, an expense you would have at home anyway, and rent a camping spot. Kids will love sleeping outside, cooking over the campfire and maybe even swimming in the lake. Who knows it might become a regular family activity!

Take a Road Trip

If you have a large family you know driving is cheaper, often much cheaper than flying. It also gives you the chance to enjoy the journey and see things you’d otherwise be flying over. Take lots of pictures along the way for your web photo album.

Try to make frequent stops. Kids can get a little antsy if they're asked to sit in a car for many hours at a time. If you can find fun things to do every few hours rather than drive for long distances at a time, that'll go a long way towards preserving your sanity.

Visit a Family Member

Today’s families are spread out all over the world. Get in touch with some of your family members and see if they would be open to a visit. Hopefully they’ll be willing to open their home and allow you to stay with them. Not only will you be able to have a nice visit, your kids will have the chance to get to know this part of their family and the place where they live.

10 Tips for Your New Pet

Getting a new pet is a big decision and a lot of responsibility. But, it is also a fun and rewarding experience for adults and children. Once you’ve made the decision and purchased a new pet consider some of these tips as you learn how to be a new pet parent!

1. Diet. It’s important that your new pet has the right nutrition through all stages of life. Do plenty of research online to discover what they need and be sure to talk with your veterinarian continuously as the animal grows so the right changes can be made.

2. Behavior. Some animals like lizards or birds require very little work when it comes to behavior. However if you have a new puppy or kitty there may be more effort involved. You may want to take your animal to behavior classes so that they can be trained how to act appropriately.

3. Medical Health. It’s very important that your animal receive the necessary care and attention it needs from a medical professional. Regular vaccinations and other treatments may be needed. Schedule these appointments as you would for a family member or child. It’s very important they happen regularly and on schedule.

4. Memories. Very quickly your animal will grow and you’ll forget what it was like. Create a special web photo album to save your pet memories. Begin taking pictures when they first became a part of your family and document their growth along the way! Soon your online photo galleries will be full of photos of your new pet.

5. Legal Documents. In many towns and cities animals are required to be registered. Be sure that you follow all local and state laws regarding which animals you can own and what documentation is needed for the animal.

6. Weather. Before you purchase a pet you should have done some research on the type of climate that animal lives in and whether they will be best suited to living where you do. For example a parrot may not be the best choice for someone that lives in Alaska. Even if your pet is a good fit for your climate it needs special attention when there are extremes like a heat wave or cold snap. Protect your animal from the elements as much as possible.

7. Poisons. Different animals react differently to foods and other elements. You should know what is dangerous for pet and take extra care to keep it out of the home and away from them.

8. Emergency Numbers. Just like with humans you need to know who to call in case there is an emergency. Be sure to have numbers to your veterinarian, animal hospital, and local animal shelter on hand. This way if your pet is sick or goes missing you immediately know who to call and won’t have to waste time searching for numbers.

9. Space. You’ll need to have enough space for your new pet. Some animals only take up a small space, like a cage. However others need a lot of space. Even animals of the same species have different needs so be sure you give them exactly what they need.

10. Love. Most of all give your pet the love and attention it needs!