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In Part 2, I’m sharing THE tip to help make your fall photo session/Christmas Card time/Christmas gift giving as smooth as possible.

WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO What is THE tip you might ask? It has two parts! Decide NOW & WHY you want to have a photo session.
If you’re like me you need a strong purpose behind why you do anything that you do. If you walk into October not knowing if you are or are not going to have photos done it just won’t happen. Reality is we are in the last few weeks, really days of the slower summer season & fall & the fullness it brings is right around the corner peeking at us. And the best way to stay ahead of the game & not be super stressed & scrambling is to decide NOW you want to do photos. You’re deciding now because you want to start sending Christmas cards this year & you don’t want to spend December 23 sticking them into envelopes. Decide now so you’re able to save room on the calendar for a session. Decide now & schedule haircuts within a few weeks time of your desired session time. Decide now so you can watch back-to-school sales for shoe sales as little Sally has grown a ton this summer.
Decide now & then decide the WHY. Why do you want updated pictures? Because you want to enter the new year with new family photos on your walls. Because you send Christmas cards every year & really enjoy sending them. Because these photos are printed & used as gifts for Pawpaw & Grammy & Aunt Celia & Uncle Max. Because this year held alot of hard hards & you want to close this year with smiles & the faithfulness of God on your faces. Because you make a mug with updated family pictures on it every year for your husband’s Christmas stocking. Because your eldest is graduating from high school this fall. Because this season of life that you’re in is going too fast & you want something to freeze to remember it 20 years from now.
WRAPPING UP Those are very basic questions to ask yourself but in the long run they will give you reason to walk away a few weeks or months from now with photos you can treasure for a lifetime. No doubt about it my friend!
I purposefully knew I couldn’t give a 10 point step. First of all only a small percentage of you would even read all of that 😉 But mostly because I know even with myself, I want simple & straight forward steps. (Sidenote, I need to still edit our Christmas card list but I plan to do that before August 1 hits!)
Friends, go back & refresh your mind on what the first 3 steps I gave in PART 1 (they’re HERE!). If you follow today’s email tip & the ones from Part 1, you will breathe much easier this Christmas! I’ve had this series in my brain for several years for a reason. I hope they’re helpful & that they truly help bring some peace of mind!!!!!!!









Price $225 || Package Includes:
– entire family (several poses)
– individual pictures of each child (2 poses)
– mom/dad/significant together (2-3 poses)
– each parent/guardian with all children (1 pose)
– all children together (1-2 poses)
– 20 minutes
These are great for couples, families, even maternity photos! HERE’S the link to last year’s Fall Mini’s!
Click a date to choose & signup for a Fall Mini Session:
Quick Facts:




Hi friends! Link to signup for a mini sessions is at the very bottom! Please read the information for a detailed description of each session (there are two types to choose from) so you can make your selection.
If you’re curious about what type of images & poses we’ll do THIS BLOG POST (which is last year’s mini’s!) THIS LINK, THIS LINK, & THIS LAST ONE will take you back through previous years of my Back2Homeschool Mini Sessions!

PRICING & INFO
– Student Minis are $50 per student
– If there are 3 or more students it’s automatically considered a Family Mini which is $145
– If you want to choose a mini session slot for your high school senior, it’s $100 for the 20 minute mini session slot (I also offer senior sessions through-out the year if this date doesn’t work for you so please feel free to ask me about! But they aren’t at this homeschool discount price.)
– After 6 individuals in a session being photographed, there is a $10.00 fee per additional family member.
– 4-6 Images of each student
– With the Family Minis, images of students together & with parents are also included
– For high school seniors, there would be around 15-20 images
We’ll have a blast having your family interact together & capture your family as a whole along with individual pictures of each child in the family!
MAKEUP DAYS I save my Sundays right after a scheduled mini session day to be back up rain days. For hot days, I won’t be rescheduling them unless there is a heat advisory.
PREVIEWS In the past I’ve sent previews from sessions the same evening the session has happened, with our family being full blown into little kid life, previews will be emailed out within 48 hrs after the session.
LOCATION TBA in the Blo/No area! I’ll give location info probably the week of our session!
***LINK TO SIGNUP!!! SIGNUP HERE!*** IF these mini’s they are booked up before you grab a spot PLEASE EMAIL ME!!! Don’t be shy! I may be able to offer another time! I can’t promise anything but I may be able to squeeze in more depending on how life is at the time! Once you reserve a spot you’ll receive an email from me within a few days!



Have you heard a phrase similar to “Future you is going to thank July you?” I hear it quite often & sometime it’s me telling it to myself 😉
I know that for a lot of my clients once August hits it’s go time until Christmas. I feel it to some degree myself. School starts & everything else & life just fills up. For the past few years I’ve gathered some steps that help me try to make November/December a bit easier for our family. We have two family bdays in December (myself & Elizabeth!) along with all the other things the holidays bring. I love sending Christmas Cards & having updated family photos but it is alot of prep & work. And I’m saying that as a photographer!
I’ve put together a few short steps to help us all plan ahead. To have our future Christmas self thank our summer self 😉 They’re not magical but I do think when followed they will help simplify life in the last 3 months of this year.
So here we go!
Start looking at your calendar
I know it’s scary. I know. But it’s going to be even scarier in August. I recommend looking at it sooner rather then later.
If you’re wanting updated family or couple photos before Christmas you’re looking at August-October as the remaining months that are left to schedule a session (November sessions can happen but that’s cutting it a bit tight Christmas Card wise).
Do you need to schedule your session on a weeknight? I’d recommend booking somewhere August-early September because of the sun going down earlier in October
Block off all the dates that don’t work. Circle what is. Email me & we’ll go from there!
Start watching sales- online sales, garage sales, all the sales
Do I think you need a brand-new wardrobe for your entire family for photos? NO! But sometimes Howie needs a new pair of pants because he grew 3 inches over the summer & Target & that neighborhood garage sale is a fantastic place to grab those new jeans. Oh & shoes. And that cute skirt you like from Kohls that would be paired so well with that sweater you already own & love.
Look over your kids fall clothing options. Use back-to-school sales & shopping to pick a few options out if need be. You don’t have to decide NOW what to wear. Just merely take inventory.
Start going over your Christmas Card list
I have an excel spreadsheet on my computer that I’ve updated year after year from our wedding guest list (13 years July 28!) & it’s lived on as our Christmas Card list. I already know there’s a few addresses that need to be updated & a few families to add to it! Why wait until December 20th? Do it now!









































I had to sneak in this group selfie photo we took! I’ve been photographing this special family since their youngest was a sweet toddler! Now their eldest is getting married!











I have photographed this family several times over the years & they wanted to “recreate” one of the photos we took!


















