THE GRATITUDE WREATH

Written by Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes


Bring a little bit of autumn indoors. Family and friends help create this wreath by sharing what they are thankful for on brightly colored leaves. Every member ofrepparttar family can contribute to this beautiful wreath. This is a great, concrete, visual way to put meaning back inrepparttar 110814 holidays for children.

Materials: 18-inch diameter straw wreath Fall leaves 1 or 2 metallic paint pens 3 1/2-yards of 1/4-inch elastic 1 straight pin

Directions

1. Fill a large grocery sack with sturdy fall leaves.

2. As a base, use an 18-inch diameter straw wreath.

3. Wraprepparttar 110815 wreath withrepparttar 110816 elastic. Start by securing one end ofrepparttar 110817 elastic torepparttar 110818 top ofrepparttar 110819 wreath with a long straight pin. Wraprepparttar 110820 elastic aroundrepparttar 110821 wreath at 3-inch intervals. The elastic should be snug againstrepparttar 110822 straw, but not too tight. Once you have gone allrepparttar 110823 way aroundrepparttar 110824 wreath, tierepparttar 110825 ends ofrepparttar 110826 elastic together.

4. Using a paint pen onrepparttar 110827 leaves, have each member ofrepparttar 110828 family write down what they are most thankful for.

5. Starting atrepparttar 110829 top and working clockwise, tuckrepparttar 110830 stems of two or three leaves into each band of elastic. Try to arrangerepparttar 110831 leaves so that no elastic or straw shows. This wreath should take about 15 minutes to construct. Hangrepparttar 110832 finished wreath onrepparttar 110833 front door and celebrate all of your family's blessings.

How to take Great Photos of your Child

Written by Kelly Paal


Children are naturally photogenic. I’ve worked in studios and children are so easy to photograph. What I hear from parents is that they don’t think that their kids are that easy to photograph. That’s only because they don’t know some basic tips.

1. Young children especially infants take beautiful photos while they are asleep. Keeprepparttar light natural avoid flash if at all possible. Keeprepparttar 110813 image tight onrepparttar 110814 child and crop out distractions. For infants when they’re awake you’re better off having another person in image, it givesrepparttar 110815 child someone to interact with and you can croprepparttar 110816 shot to keeprepparttar 110817 other person out ofrepparttar 110818 image or you can keeprepparttar 110819 adult and child inrepparttar 110820 photo.

2. Toddlers look best when they don’t know that you’re taking their photo. Candid shots arerepparttar 110821 way to go for this age group. Keep your camera handy and when they start doing something cute snaprepparttar 110822 photo quick. Remember your child doesn’t have to be looking directly intorepparttar 110823 camera to take a great photo. Don’t ever say torepparttar 110824 toddler, “Oh how cute, now look here.” It won’t happen.

3. Children ages 4 plus are really good at sitting for photos. But if you’re going to dress them up make sure that they are comfortable and don’t put them in some outfit they hate, it will show inrepparttar 110825 image. Crop tight on your subject, keeprepparttar 110826 light natural, and if you’re using a toy to get their attention make sure that it makes them laugh and doesn’t scare them. (I learned that lessonrepparttar 110827 hard way.)

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