Just look at the camera and smile.....PLEASE!

April and I were at a Holiday Vendor Fair last night. We had our table all set up displaying our Personalized Photos.One of the things we love  about doing these shows is that we really get to see peoples reactions to our product. We get to hear all about the people who will be receiving one of our photos as a gift. We also learn what occasions people are buying them for. And we get to hear how much people really seem to love and appreciate the fact that each one is personalized. This makes us SMILE :)  
      Well, last night we were reminded about a certain situation that it seems all mothers go through at this time of year. The Oh-So-Stressful-Make-Me-Wanna-Kill-Someone- Christmas Card Picture. Here is how it usually goes in The DiTocco Family ...... 
          We start out "Happy". I dress my three kids in similar colored  outfits. I spend quite a while doing my 2 daughter's hair all pretty. I run a comb through my sons hair & give it a little spray to keep it slightly out of his eyes. I Find the best  (uncluttered) spot in the house. Get the kids all together.....and then the fun begins!
       My son does that big show every tooth in his mouth fake as can be smile.....
                                so I say " Angelo just give me a regular smile"
                                his reply  " I don't know how... this is my smile, you hate my smile!"
Greaaat...then you have the girls trying to cheer him up and get him to smile. So he does....but now the girls are not. They are looking at him.
                              "Okay... let's try again"  That's when it starts... the tears, the snot, the red eyes, the screaming, the "Forget it!!! We just wont have a Christmas Card this year!".
                               And then ....it hits... THE GUILT.  Why am I stressing over this, Why am I stressing my kids over this???.    People know what my kids look like....the same as last, just a year later. And now with Facebook, and Snapfish, and email....people see my kids more than I do.
Back to my vendor fair.....As we told each other our very own "WAR STORIES", a customer realized that our personalized photos would make a great holiday card. You can still personalize them... have the kids names on them (even yours!) . It's original.... it will stand out amongst  the  100 photo cards they will receive, and people will say "How did they do that? " and more importantly
"That is so fricken smart.... they avoided the whole Photo shoot Drama".
Not only can you personalize the note card with any message you want..... but you can personalize the cookies by adding the cookies that represent YOUR family (and pets)!! 
(ex: a Mommy cookie, a Daddy cookie, 2 girls, 1 boy, 2 dogs)

Please email us at info@nameyourwishimages for card info. You can also check out our website at http://www.nameyourwishimages.com/  or  http://www.etsy.com/shop/nameyourwishimages to see other photos you can choose from.

And now it all begins.....

So I think most of us are now happy that Halloween is over. It was fun.. for some of us cold and extremely exhausting. The costumes are still in a pile on the floor. Just where the kids and I left them last night because it took an hour to wash all that make up off their faces and get all that spray out of their hair. The candy is all sorted into the "Good Stuff' and the "Why would anyone buy this stuff" piles. Moms have hidden all their favorites form their kids and their husbands. And now it's time to move on...... to CHRISTMAS!
 I know... sick.. but it's so true. Look in the store, the trees are up already. You'll see the ornaments, and soon start hearing the holiday music. So now we can all go into "PANIC" mode. And why is it that stores always just skip right over Thanksgiving? Oh because you really don't need to go Thanksgiving shopping.... you buy or bake a pie get a bottle of wine and you're done! That's why I love it. People should really just slow down & enjoy Thanksgiving... but most of us can't because we are constantly reminded that  Christmas is just around the corner.
And so I think..... no wait.. I know what I am going to do. I am going to get all my shopping done early so I can really enjoy my holiday season, without all the stress. And so.... let the online shopping begin!
That is my favorite way to shop. No standing in looooong lines in back of someone wearing a gallon of perfume, no crowded malls, or taking an hour to find a parking space and no getting up at 4:00 am to get in on "THE BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR".... to see in the flyer the very next day that today is "THE BIGGEST SALE OF THE YEAR".  Buying on line allows you to get all your shopping done without any of that stress and has the added bonus of getting people really unique and meaningful gifts and not the same old stuff everyone sees while they are out shopping themselves.

So this is what I  plan on doing this month so that I can relax.... enjoy Christmas... and then move on to stressing about buying that perfect bathing suit when they are all displayed in the stores on December 26th.