How To Take Amazing Toddler Pictures

Hello, friends!

I apologize for my absence but I AM BACK!

Today I want to share with y’all how to take amazing pictures of your children! Did I get your attention?! Yes?! Please, continue then…

My mom recently started blogging again as well (when you get a chance you should definitely check it out – www.whatwouldvwear.net) and quite often you’ll see me in some of her shoots as well, and I understand that it can be hard to take some really great photographs of your toddler(s) so, below are a few tips and tricks!

1, 2, 3…GO!

1. Don’t go to the playground (even though we love it!)! It distracts us – hence you won’t get a candid shot of us!
2. Don’t be boring and be an adult – but instead make it fun and goof around to make us smile!
3. Invest in a good camera!
4. Embrace action shots! Sometimes the most beautiful pictures are the ones we don’t know that you’re actually taking them (like my picture above)!

I hope these tips will help you take AH-MAZING pictures of your little ones! Thanks for stopping by!

xo,

Kingston

 

 

5 Reasons Why the Mother-Son Relationship is Important

Love

1. Secure attachment to the mother is VERY important. Studies reveal that boys who do not bond securely with their mothers in the infant years act much more hostile, destructive and aggressive later in life.

2. Boys who are close to their mothers perform better in school. Yep, nurture is good and “babying” isn’t such a bad thing overall!

3. A close mother-son relationship is good for a boy’s mental health. A study presented at the American Psychological Association showed that boys who are close to their mothers tend not to buy into hyper-masculine stereotypes.

4. Teenage boys who are close to their moms engage in less risky behavior. It has long been known that good parent-teen communication can help lessen the influence of negative peer pressure.

5. Moms who keep their sons close are setting them up for success later in life, both in personal relationships and at work.

Kate Stone Lombardi is the author of THE MAMA’S BOY MYTH: Why Keeping Our Sons Close Makes Them Stronger. (Avery/Penguin Group USA). A journalist, Ms. Lombardi is the mother of two adult children, a son and a daughter. She lives in New York with her husband, Michael.

Article via

 

xo,

Kingston

How To Spend More Quality Time With Your Child

Happy Friday!

Today I would like to share with you “How To Spend More Quality Time With Your Child”. We live in a society where it’s really easy to get ‘burned out’. Most parents are exhausted from the week after school activities, dinner, homework, bath time, bedtime. All on top of your own job (or jobs) and other realities of adulthood.

However, I’m telling you stop worrying about how many minutes you can spend with your children each day – but instead – I want you to focus on turning those minutes into memorable moments. Parents often compensate for having such a small quantity of time by scheduling “quality time.” Two hours at the nature preserve. An afternoon at the movies. Dinner at a restaurant. But the truth is that quality time may occur when you least expect it — yes, at the nature preserve, but also in the car on the way home from work.

This being said: You can ALWAYS find time to make time precious.

Have a great weekend!

xo,

Kingston

Easter Crafts for Toddlers

Let us make some art!

Happy Monday, friends! Over the weekend I spent some quality time with my god-parents Bubbe and Opa! We made some Easter cards, and let me tell you: We had so much fun together!

To protect my clothing, me, the artist, wore a white artist’s smock aka Opa’s “Get Wild” T-shirt from Lincoln Park Zoo featuring a stylized color drawing of a mandrill. To get my creative juices flowing, Bubbe asked me if I would like to make Easter cards for Mommy and Daddy, Oma, Nana, and Grandpa and Grandma, and I said, “Yes!”

I went on to create 5 different Easter cards, each with a unique style and theme. I chose the colors and backgrounds, eggs and chicks (where applicable). Bubbe, on the other hand, showed me how to use the gluestick and helped me position the first egg and chick, but I applied the glue and positioned the rest myself after selecting which appliques to use on each card. I chose and applied the stickers after Bubbe removed the backing for me and I chose the style and color of markers (the glitter markers are by far my favorite tools) used to add hand-drawn detail to each card.

The first card was the most rococo, a pastel blue background and (I think) a yellow chick, with nearly every square inch covered with stickers of every variety: flowers, rabbits, and Easter eggs.

The second featured a large blue egg highly decorated with every available color of glitter. The third was a softer spring-time look, a chick with lots of flowers, including very tiny ones that my assistant, Bubbe,  found quite difficult to separate from their backing.

The next, with a pink background, featured a blue chick wearing a yellow flower, enhanced by hand-drawn purple (I think) detail, with many shiny pastel butterflies at the bottom of the card. Very feminine, undoubtedly for Oma or Nana.

The last, a simple chick on a darker blue background featured a truly minimalist approach highlighted by primitive drawing rather than many stickers, possibly because I had forsaken my nap for my art was running out of steam.

PS: This was written with the help of Bubbe. 🙂

xo,

Kingston

 

Like Father like Son

Happy Friday, y’all!

I’m super excited for the weekend because it’ll be somewhat warm in Chicago! I truly enjoy being with my parents (in fact, daddy is my partner in crime but please, don’t tell mommy that!).

He truly is my best friend.

I often tell him to walk a little slower because I’m following his footsteps and I don’t want to fall.

This being said: Someday when I’m all grown up, I want to be just like my awesome daddy.

Have a great weekend!

xo,

Kingston

Once Upon a Symphony

Chicago Symphony Orchestra

Last weekend my parents + god-parents took me to the Symphony in Chicago! They had a special program going on, designed for young children ages 3 to 5 – featuring a small group of CSO musicians and a master storyteller who created interactive experiences that introduced us young ones to the world of music.

We visited the “The Three Little Pigs” program which was so much fun! They even had pre-concert activities (45 minutes before the performance) that prepared us to take part in the interactive portions of the performance and plant seeds for strong memories, of course!

The performance itself was great! My imagination was truly inspired by their vivid storytelling and let me tell you: It was so vivid that I got OH-SO scared of the wolf! Yes, when the bad wolf started playing his tuba well…, I started crying. I know, I know…silly!

After the performance, though we got to meet the musicians and the storyteller before heading home.

What an AWESOME day!

xo,

Kingston

Bass Pro Next Generation Fishing Event

Well, hello there, Monday!

I cannot believe that the weekend is already over…I had so much fun! My parents + god-parents took me to Bass Pro Shop where they held a special fishing event yesterday! They had a catch and release pond where you could practice your fishing skills (über-fun!), a free kids’ fishing workshop (I won a hat and cool sunglasses, see picture!), and I got free photos (fishing certificate) and a free kids’ fishing tackle box!

I was beyond happy but it didn’t end here, of course! Afterwards my god-parents decided to take me and my parents to the Rainforest Café and I LOVED it! More aquariums + wildlife! Woo-hoo! I couldn’t have been more excited!

This being said…I’m grateful for my family who truly take the time to make my weekend(s) AWESOME!

I Love You, Mommy, Daddy, Bubbe and Opa!

xo,

Kingston