R&F promo

Have you heard of Rodan and Fields? I sure hadn't, until all these before and afters started flooding my Facebook feed.  I was super skeptical at first...we've all seen products that make huge claims but don't pan out. So I've been digging around a bit, to see what kind of dirt I could get my hands on. Rodan and Fields was developed by the same dermatologists that are behind Proactive....We all know Proactive right? I have lots of friends who had wonderful success with Proactive back in the day.  But what about my friends now? We are pushing middle age (aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!!!) and we don't struggle with acne anymore. We're starting to look at little closer at those lines sneaking up on us....We're wondering where these dark spots came from....we're wanting to get rid of old acne scars that remind of us those oh so awkward years.

So that's where the lovely ladies at R&F come in.

As a part of my Mid Year Resolution, I'm personally ready to try out a full regimen for a couple months and see whats up. I can totally justify this because there is a 60 day money back guarantee.  If I'm not seeing the results I want in 60 days I'm out...Pure and simple. But I'm cheap and I want to do this as frugal as possible, so I have a a plan where we ALL win.  Im going to invest in buying the same kit that consultants get. It comes with all four of the regimens, one of each to try, at a discount you can only get by buying the whole kit.  NOW is the time to try out a regimen with me, at up to 30% off .  BUT WAIT THERE"S MORE! (yes, I went there) Because I'm super anal about making sure the before and after pictures are accurate, I am offering you a free photo shoot! We will take a few minutes to get some close-ups of your amazing results (fingers crossed!!) and then the rest of the shoot is yours for family pics, baby pics...you name it.

I'll also be having some giveaways of the extra products that come in the kits, so be on the look out!

The future is bright

It's been a rough year ya'll. I won't go into details here, as any of you who are on my friends list should have some ideas of what life has thrown at us the past 400 days or so.  It started with a our miracle baby being born and ended with a family mental health crisis.  I feel like it's safe to say all things are on the mend now and the number one thing I have learned is TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. This is for you ladies, I know we've all heard it a thousand times, that you can't pour from an empty cup. We lose ourselves in the day to day activities of taking care of job, house, kids...But we often forget to take care of ourselves.  Well, it's not January, but my situation has mandated that I take care of myself and to fill my own cup.  And I want to drag you along for the ride.

I know that there are those of you struggling, those who have promised yourself repeatedly to do this or that. Maybe you want to get more physically healthy, maybe you want to spend more time in prayer, maybe you want to take better care of your body, or further your education.  Now is the time. Trust me, if you don't do it now, you won't have the energy when crisis strikes.

I have lofty aspirations, but I've thought long and hard and I'm going to try my best in the next year to grow in ways I never thought possible. I like a bit of accountability so here's my list lol If you hang around until the end I'll tell you how I'm getting me (and YOU) excited about it!

Self Care

Physical

I lost 25 lbs in a period of very high stress.  I am now committing to keeping that weight off, while gaining strength and cardiovascular endurance.

I am committing to running/walking at least 3 days a week

I've also been inspired, by a trainer friend of mine who loves her handstands, to challenge myself to mastering my headstands, splits, an a couple other random yoga poses.

I have committed to getting myself ready most mornings.  This sounds so basic, but as a homeschooling mother, I am so often tempted to stay in sweats and a ponytail all day every day.  A little mascara goes a long way.

A long with this commitment I have decided to try a skin regimen.  I haven't messed with skin care since high school guys.  This skin isn't getting any younger, and its the only skin I have.  So I am purchasing a kit from Rodan and Fields to bring back the glow, grow some lashes, and hopefully reduce/prevent some wrinkles!

Mental

Pinterest and science tell me that to learn how to better deal and prepare for stress, I need to sit down and shut up. I have committed to having quiet time in prayer or meditation at least 5 days a week. I've been sticking with it for a couple weeks now and can definitely feel a difference. 

I'm headed back to school! I love to learn, but I dropped out of college after I got married as a freshman in 2004.  So 13 years and 4 kiddos later, I'm a Sophmore hoping to graduate before my kids do ...0.o

Passions...everyone has them right? Well I started practicing photography about 10 years ago, but I've let my practice fall by the wayside.  I'm ready to pick my camera back up and get some new gear to renew my inspiration

.

SO if you have made it this far, thank you :)  I have decided that to help me reach a couple of my goals, I am going to run a photo special. Mama wants a new lens, and less expensive skin care.  Do you need family photos? What about some skin care solutions? 

Photos only:

$100 for a one hour session. (can be family, newborn, maternity, hs senior, engagement)

Includes 15-30 edited full resolution digital images for you to print wherever you'd like.

Includes one free 8X10 professionally printed through my labs.

Must be prepaid to receive this price, but can be used any time until Jan 1, 2018. 

Interested in skin care products? Watch for my next blog post (hopefully today!) and see how you could earn your photo session, or products for free!

Chocolate covered Cheesecake strawberries!

EEPS! You know it's almost summer when it's strawberry pickin time in SoCal.  We went this weekend with the kiddos and picked our little hearts out.  And then bought some in their beautiful baskets as well. Long story short we had quite a few strawberries. I have lots of plans for these strawberries. The first is smoothies, the second is jam, the third is snacks, and the fourth is these bad boys. Go ahead lust over them..because guess what?? They were so easy to make my 5 year old could've done it.

First you'll need to over-shop at the strawberry patch. One bucket is never enough.  Strawberries freeze great so go ahead...indulge.

Then you steal your husbands fancy pancy culinary school chef's knife...OOOH AAAHH

Hollow out your strawberries.

I used a straw, my husband was determined a knife was easier...But hey my 5 year old can use a straw!

Next prepare your cream cheese filling.  I had no recipe I just threw this together and it was wonderful (I may have some experience with cream cheese and sugar)

This is where the fun part happens.  Put one lid full of vanilla,  half a block of softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar (I just kinda threw it in there and said...yeah that's about right) into a Ziploc Bag.  Now hand it to your toddler.

Squish until its not lumpy anymore, and twist the bag until all of the filling is in one corner. Cut a tiny corner off one end of the bag.

Now you're ready to fill your strawberries!

 And for the pièce de résistance....  Drizzle your creation with chocolate, and voila!

Calling all small business owners!

Do you know how important it is to have great photography for your business? If you are selling products online, or through a catalog, it can make or break your profits.  Your customers want to know exactly what they are buying, the colors, the textures, the tiny details.  If any of your pictures show these characteristics inaccurately, your customer may leave dissatisfied.  I personally do shopping for many of my props on Etsy, or Ebay and can tell you, if I'm matching fabrics, I need color accuracy.  If a photo looks like there is poor lighting, or white balance, I will not buy the product.  Beyond accurate, your photos should be crisp and bright to be appealing. 

If you research how to sell more products you'll find many articles (like this one, this one , or this one) about how important pictures are to your listings and websites. This is where I come in.  In April I am providing, free of cost, four sessions for business owners just like you. From cakes to crochet, models to musicians, any small business can benefit from good photography. Not only will you get digital files optimized for the web, but I will share your product on my Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest accounts. Not local to San Diego? No problem! Simply mail your items (contact me for shipping details) Contact me to book your free product session! And please share with your small business friends.

Somewhere over the rainbow...

 Our Littlest munchkin turns three today! We had a cute little party with friends yesterday, that turned out great. I have three little girls, and all three of them looooooove horses, and naturally My Little Pony.  So this year we took Littlest's favorite pony, "Rainbow Dash," and designed a rainbow party.  It was a very colorful celebration to say the least.  Here are some of the highlights.

The doggie, knew exactly where the crumbs would fall :)

 The princess absolutely HATES the birthday song...

And my oldest daughters absolutely loved the blue sparkly slime we made :)
Note: many of the ideas (and tutorials) for the party can be found here, on my Pinterest board.

Not just any Mug Cake

Most of you know I'm obsessed with Pinterest ( you can find me here.)  Well, this is my year of action, and I'm determined to not just leave all of those wonderful ideas on the computer...I will actually bring them to life! One of the trends on there lately is to make desserts in a mug.  It's pretty clever really.. One or two servings, so you don't have an entire cake sitting there tempting you all week until you finally binge and shove it all in your face and drink a gallon of milk to wash it down (just me?) Less clean up, with just the mug and for you use to mix and eat it with. And tiny amounts of ingredients, that you usually already have in your cabinet! So I dug around on Pinterest, and saw what the basic ingredients in most of the cakes were, and made my own wonderful, preggo approved recipe. And now I'm going to share it with you :)



 First I gathered all my ingredients into these great little 2 oz cups (totally not needed in real life, but they were cute to photograph :) We in the chef business like to call this "Mise en place" you can learn all about that here. (Full recipe at the bottom)

And then one like this, because depth of field is fun.

 Don't forget the Vanilla!!

 Literally dump it all in the cup and mix it up.  It will be thick and lumps are ok, kinda like brownie batter.

 And voila! (more French for you.) Moist gooey cake fresh from the microwave.

Ingredients

4 tbs flour (any kind)

2 tbs cocoa

4 tbs white sugar (or stevia)

2 tbs brown sugar

3 tbs oil (I used coconut oil)

2 tbs milk

1 tbs sour cream (or softened cream cheese)

1 capful of vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients until moist. Lumps are ok. Throw that baby into the microwave and cook on high for 1-2 minutes (1:30 is my fave for a gooey center.) If you need more decadence, throw a marshmallow or ice cream on top.  Let me know how you like it!

March Newborn Special

Spring is in the air! I'm loving this new start I've been given by moving into a new area... It just feels so fresh! I hope you've enjoyed the subtle changes I've made so far to my business. My goal is to bring a unique experience to you through my photography. One that will be special and leave a lasting impression. So in addition to giving 20% of prepaid sessions to charity every month, I will be running other specials as well. For the month of March, it's all about newborns!

For every newborn shoot booked in March (baby can be due any time this year, just booked in March) I will order a very special gift. I will preorder this item before little one is born so that I have it ready to showcase at the newborn session. Items will be a surprise but will be valued from $15-$50. Many are personalized items, so only parents who are sure (as sure as you can be anyway lol) of initials will get those items. But don't worry, I have items in mind for everyone :) The pictures below are just a sample of what your baby might be surprised with. Items will be high quality keepsakes that you will treasure forever. Remember, you must book in March to qualify for this special, as it will change in April.

Giveaway time!

It's giveaway time! I haven't hosted a giveaway in what seems like forever! Soooo, what's up for grabs? Well for this, my first giveaway of the year, I am giving away a photo session of your choice. This can be anything from a homecoming, to boudoir, to birth, to high school senior. All you have to do to be entered is comment on this blog post, or on the Facebook post pinned to the top of my page here.  Easy peasy.  After you enter, share on your fb page, for more chances.  How, you may ask?  For every 20 entries that I get, I will give away another session.  As long as you don't win the first session, you can get another chance in the same giveaway! As a bonus, anyone who doesn't win, but books in the month of February (reserve a date up to 10 mths in advance) you'll receive 20% off of your print order, and 20% of your session fee will be donated to Kosair Children's Hospital Charities (our charity of the month.)  This contest will be open for one week, and winner's will be picked at random on February 20th. So, comment and share!

Notes: For those in KY, I will be in Louisville approx the last three weeks in October.  If you would like a session during that time, feel free to enter or prebook.

It's January!

      Time for New Year's Resolutions, changes and evolutions. HA! I'm a poet and didn't even know it. But anyway, I have started my very own journey this year, in hopes of repairing, growing and leading a most fulfilling life. You can read all about my Happiness Project here on my "other" blog.  One of my goals for this Happiness Project is to use my talents to help others. I've been brainstorming ways to do this and have come up with what I hope everyone will like.

Non-Profit of the month!

For every prepaid session purchased I will give at least 20% donated to the Non-profit organization of the month. I will get nominations for Non-profits, so you will get to vote to see who gets the donation for that month! If you have a Non-profit that you would like to nominate, please contact me with their information, as well as their Facebook page or website if applicable.

In honor of my brand new pet, Max, the donations for any sessions scheduled through Feb 1st will be donated to the San Diego Humane Society.  For any prepaid session, I will donate 20%. OR if you bring and 2 or more items off of this wish list, I will give 15% off of the session. Session packages can be found on my website.  

Note: Shoots can be scheduled up to 10 months in advance, but must be prepaid for this deal. Non profit from the month you paid will get the donation, not the month you choose for the shoot..

Please spread the word, and bring me your list of Non-profits so that we can begin voting for February!

Merry Christmas!

I know it's been a long time, I don't think I've posted since I left for KY in June, but I just wanted to wish everyone a very cute  Christmas :)

A new princess, a new project.

 So my close friends and relatives know that craftiness runs deep within my family.  My mom sews, my sister sews, my other sister is the queen of scrapbooking and all sorts of crafty goodness.  I've got a closet full of craft potential, but I have honed in on one in particular: baby props.  There's just something about tiny things that I can't get enough of. I recently had the great opportunity to try out a few of my latest props on a brand new little princess. What do you think?

Boudoir Marathon...Not your average photo shoot

You are making your lists and checking them twice...Why not take care of an extra holiday while you're at it? We have scheduled an amazing deal just in time for Valentine's Day! Why so early? Because these times are filling up fast! Ruby Firinne Photography and I, Giles Smiles Photography, have meshed our mental magic to create a once in a lifetime (or at least once a year) event.

We also have the pleasure of offering hair and makeup on location for an amazing price.  Contact me at GilesSmilesPhoto@yahoo.com for more details.

Giveaway!!

I'm not sure what I was thinking planning a giveaway in between a month long vacation and the holidays, but I've finally made it!! This is going to be great if everyone pays close attention...Did you lean in? Go ahead, it helps.  Ok, now that I've got your full, undivided attention, this is how it will go. Because of the local nature of many of the giveaway prizes, we request only those who live in San Diego enter, so that they can receive the full benefit of all of the prizes.  Below is listed a number of prizes that will be given to one lucky person right in time for the holidays. You must leave a separate comment below for each item that you complete, as each will give you a separate entry.  I will leave this giveaway open for one week.  I will draw one winner on November 22nd.  There are several ways that you can earn an entry into this giveaway, so here goes:

1. I can't technically require you to like all of the vendor's Facebook pages...But all of us would REALLY appreciate it if you did. Just click on the blue link to see the fb page (If you are interested in a prize from them, then you would probably find their Facebook page valuable :) When you do, comment below saying that you have done so.

2. Follow my blog! And leave a comment saying you do (note..it's really easy for me to tell if you did, so don't try to be sneaky lol)

3. Have you had a session before? Leave a comment in the guestbook about your experience! And leave a comment below, saying that you did.

4.Interested in a photo shoot in 2012? Fill out a inquiry form here.  Leave a comment saying that you've done so.

5. Share this giveaway on your Facebook or twitter account.  Leave a comment saying you did.

ON WITH THE PRIZES!

One order of custom cake pops from the famous Tarin Cake and Pops

Set of 6 handmade Holiday Cards byThe Young Retiree, Stamped

A CUT AND COLOR by Casey Burt

One hand crafted item from Dixon Girls Boutique

One custom wall art phrase by Marotzkes Home Decor


A full session massage by Heather Giles (This will be her personal page, message her to find out how to get a great discount on your first massage!)

And of course, a session by me, including 3 digital files and a print package.  Prints will include 1 8x10, 2 5X7s and 8 wallets.

Friends, that's a prize package valued at over $400.  Think you've got the rules figured out? Then off you go! Go like everyone, and tell them I sent you. I look forward to see all the love and sharing soon!