Category Archives: Goals

What I Learned in March

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1.We visited Ripley’s Aquarium during Spring Break, and there are divers there that get in the water with the sharks. They had a stick with them..not sure how much that would help them in a shark attack. We watched them swim around with the sharks for several minutes, and I just couldn’t watch it anymore.

2.Renting a bike with the seat for Harrison at the beach was definitely a highlight of March. Oh my, he just giggled and giggled, “I ride a bike with Mommy!” Last summer, I kept trying to rent one and it was too late. North Carolina spring break at the cold beach is not a popular Spring Break destination so bikes were actually available!

3.I have love, love, loved the Kindle Paperwhite. I have been reading so much more because with the recommendations + also just the fact that I don’t have to wait two days for a book (I know right, two.whole.days) or go to a bookstore. (Between working and taking care of my kiddos, I just don’t get out much) This month has been one of my busiest I’ve had…and with being so busy, I have to take time to de stress and not think about working every second of the day. Reading makes me relax + not having to wait for the books has been a plus. I need stress relief so that I am refreshed and ready to work again, and so that I can truly give my best to every session. I got the 119.00 version with the special offers which are basically ads on the screen when it’s locked – not a big deal.

4.I have never stopped craving greens since I was pregnant with Harrison. I know, weird, right? When I was pregnant with Harrison, I started wanting to eat green everything and also balsamic vinaigrette. It died down a little bit, but now I’m back to wanting collard greens, spinach, broccoli, etc all the time -ha!

5. I love fresh 48 sessions. It can be difficult to plan these because you just never know when a baby is going to be born, right? I stopped photographing births because that was even more difficult + getting childcare last minute is tough, especially when a baby can be born so quickly. I’ve loved the few fresh 48 sessions I’ve gotten to do in the past few months – just so sweet. See this one from March.

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6.An Easter Egg hunt at the farm was just perfect. Due to an ear infection, we missed another planned egg hunt, so I was so glad we were able to squeeze this one in after a newborn session I had that day. Millstone Creek Orchards is one of our favorite places, and this was the first year for an egg hunt. It was so much fun + the peach trees were just gorgeous.

7.Mini sessions do not always have to be planned months in advance. I’m such a planner when it comes to the business…type A, I like to have things planned out WAY in advance. Ericka and I reallllly wanted to do baby lamb minis this year. I mean, we researched, searched, looked and looked, and had all but given up. We were so heartbroken. At the last minute, this sweet baby lamb was born, and we were able to throw it together quickly..and oh my, love these!

Books I read this month….

Ok, it doesn’t make sense that I read a lot of books this month since I was working just so much. But I needed the stress relief when I did have a few minutes. Also, I read very fast…I was kind of that kid that got done with all their work super early in school so I could read.

1.Me Before You So I knew a movie was coming out about this book so I wanted to read it. I don’t want to spoil it for you but I’m not 100% happy with the way the story goes, but, that being said, I did love the book. It definitely kept my attention, and I couldn’t wait to read more of it.

2.When I’m Gone This book was very interesting – a lot of heartache as the Mother had cancer, but the story in the book had so many twists and turns right to the very end. I definitely want to read more by this author.

3.The Sweetness of Forgetting Eeek..this one was so good. It now has me wanting to read more fiction about WWII. (which I also just read The Nightingale which was not as happy as this book, but also so good and about WWII) I really loved the story in this book as it has so much history but also such a good story.The ending is also just so good. It did make me very hungry and want to bake a lot of things.

4.The Lake House So I tried Audible this month, and this was the book I downloaded since it was on my list of books I wanted to read. This book was just too long for audible, ha, and I was never going to finish it. I couldn’t pay attention so I ended up downloading it to read. (Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks) I read mixed reviews about this book, but I realllly enjoyed the story. It flips back and forth between the 1930s and the 2000s, and it was such a good mystery. It has the happiest ending, which I just love, too. (I can’t help it. I LOVE happy endings!) It’s a long read, but definitely a book I really enjoyed.

Some books on my list for April are: The Wedding Dress, Brooklyn, and The Paris Wife. What are you reading this month? I lovvve recommendations

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Rebecca Keller is a family photographer featured in People Magazine who spends her time sipping iced coffee, chasing after her two little ones, reading, running, and editing. Because we chat a lot about our personal lives on the blog, we may receive commissions on affiliate links in articles. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about Family Photography Raleigh Cary  and Raleigh family photography.

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Can’t believe this image was from March last year. Thanks to my friend Kelly for taking it while she was in Raleigh.

Goals for March

1.Finish planning another surprise Ericka and I have for our clients.

2.Finish all my plans for making Easter and St. Patrick’s Day memorable. Owen loves celebrating holidays (and of course, Harrison gets excited about anything Owen does)

3.Books to read this month – Gift from the Sea, Living Forward,The Light Between Oceans. What are you reading this month? Any recommendations? It’s going to be busy, but I hope I get through all three.

4.Start planning my 2016 garden.

5.Go through the boys clothes to get ready for warm weather. (Woooo hoo!)

wake forest baby photographerP I N this to pinterestRebecca Keller is a Wake Forest Baby Photographer featured in People Magazine and on several blogs including The Bump. I do chat a lot about my personal life on the blog and recommendations for things that I love, and I may receive commissions on affiliate links in articles.

 

 

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What I Learned in February

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Owen’s 100 Day Shirt. He had to bring in a shirt made with 100 things. Michael + Owen went to the Crabtree Lego store and brought home just enough pieces to design and glue his shirt. 

1.Pulling your IT band is no joke. My legs go inward anyway and my legs tend to over straighten (like, really) so it’s no wonder this problem headed my way. I know it’s super common but it was frustrating as it can take forever to feel better. The IT band presses on your knee so it can feel like excruciating knee pain. I had a few friends who gave me advice, which I think the best was to just rest. I took almost two weeks off and did nothing, and I was able to go right back to working out. I started slow and worked back up, which helped, too. I was just so happy to be able to go down stairs without pain. I linked an article above, which I think had a lot of great advice. I definitely needed new shoes, and love shopping at Fleet Feet because I get such great help so quickly. They watch you walk and suggest shoes. Harrison and I were in and out with a pair of shoes I love. That article also suggests warming up/cool down. A friend of mine and I were laughing about how old we are and how much stretching etc, we need to do just to workout.

2.Owen can swim. He has really rocked his last few swimming lessons, and I’m just so proud of him. I’m feeling a lot better about him being in the pool this summer already.

3.I’m going to have to order Harrison his own Batman cape. The boys have recently started playing together a lot, which is adorable. Harrison LOVES batman and is constantly running around in Owen’s cape. There are a lot of things I have avoided buying two of and having them share, but I think this one is going to be non negotiable. (One of the things they love sharing is the plasmacar like best toy ever if you have hardwoods and it’s a rainy day or any day really!)

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4.The 100th day of kindergarten was absolutely amazing. I may have shed a few tears. I used to be a second grade teacher – I taught for 5 1/2 years, and I have never seen anything like this. We are so lucky to have the most amazing room moms who have made kindergarten just so special this year. I try to avoid going to too many places. Like, I really just love being at home when at all possible since I’m always in carpool, working, etc. But, this year I have learned about the dollar stores and how for so cheap you can make a day just so special for kids. So, I will make the extra trip to one more store – ha! You can stop laughing at me now – online groceries, Amazon, etc make my life so much easier.

5.I cannot stay up until 2 AM and function normally anymore. It’s no secret that I love sleep..since I was pregnant with Harrison, I have had to go to bed earlier. I went to such a fun Mom’s Retreat and we ended up staying up until 2 AM, and yeah, I was a wreck the next day – ha!

6.I have had sinus problems since having Owen and finally found something that works – more on the blog later this week!

7.Barre socks. I reallly love going to barre, and I feel like it took me forever to feel like I wasn’t dying the entire class. (Just maybe like 3/4 of class?) One of the most important parts of class is the socks, really! My friend Michele sent me some awesome sparkly socks last year, which I have lovvvvvved. I will have to say, I just tried this brand’s socks with the toes, and I think they are my absolutely favorite. They are just so sticky, they got stuck in my boots!

8.Photographing siblings meeting is one of my absolute favorites. (more on the blog soon!) I photographed this little one meeting his big sister, and it was just too precious. I think my favorite day ever was the day Owen and Harrison met.

9.Making mickey pancakes is my new fave. I have talked about this a few times, but the kids just love them. Michael and I made a huge breakfast for the kids Saturday morning, so I just made a ton of waffles and froze them. (Why was I making them every single time before? ha! Oh, the freezer, I love you!)

10.Fuller House. Oh, nostalgia. Definitely a show just for the parents to watch!

11. I am not the only one that doesn’t know how to iron well. I mean, women’s clothes don’t need that much ironing, right? I really didn’t spend that much time tied to the ironing board growing up, and may still use the dryer for last minute wrinkles. I did not have experience with the tediousness of Men’s dress shirts like my husband. So glad to find out I am not the only one when speaking to so many friends about this! And I now have three dress shirt wearing men in this house.

Books I read this month..

1.A Man Called Ove.This was such a great read – I pretty much read most of it the day of the awful tornado warnings. I had no idea when I started the book how much I would love it. It was predictable and fun, in the best way possible, and of course, I ended the book sobbing. Love, love, loved it.

2.The Fringe Hours.I am definitely going to recommend this book for every Mama, whether you stay at home full time, work full time, or work at home. There are so many good truths in this book for Mothers. I wish I could mention every single great thing in this book, but there are just too many. This is one of those that I think I should read again and again for reminders. I can’t imagine that you would read this book and not be encouraged. The author works full time, has kids, and runs a blog, so she has a lot on her plate and also great advice for Mamas. Highly recommend it. Let me know if you read it + what you think!

3. I didn’t finish this book all the way, but I did find Spark Joy a lot more effective at explaining her method of tidying. If you are a big Marie Kondo fan, you will love this book. I have gotten rid of a lot of things that definitely did not spark joy, and needed the push from her books.There have been a lot of great blog articles out there to read also that show how others are organizing and tidying using her method.

Also, super excited that a friend told me about Rated Reads. I hate when picking out a book if I know if it’s going to be clean or not. Usually the friends I get recommendations from aren’t going to recommend anything terrible, but this is also a great resource for other recommendatins.

What are you reading this month?!? Let me know in the comments!

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Rebecca Keller is a Cary NC Family Photographer featured in People Magazine and on several blogs including the Bump. I do chat a lot about my personal life on the blog and recommendations for things that I love, and I may receive commissions on affiliate links in articles.

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Everyone was just so excited on facebook this morning about the new Amazon Prime Now coming to Raleigh that I had to check it out. There are days when I think about something I forgot to get at the store, but with two kids in the car or going out in the rain and trying to put on two rain coats, etc, it’s just probably not going to happen.

I will say, we have had the Harris Teeter delivery option for a while. I have never used it, since it’s pretty expensive. I’m also not sure how far in advance you have to reserve a time spot or can reserve something pretty quick.

At 8:03 A.M. this morning, I downloaded the app.It looks like you have to order the app because I tried to check on the Amazon webpage for what is offered in Amazon now, and Raleigh has not been added to their list yet. I had a session this morning, but I really wanted to check it out, so I quickly browsed through and picked a few things. I noticed Hallmark valentines cards were an option, which was nice.

The gift guide actually has some pretty great ideas. And there is so much candy available. (Need to stay away from that – ha!) Some of the gifts for her included a Kate Spade bracelet. Of course you know I love my Fitbit Charge HR , (see post here) that was also an option on the gift guide. You can even order ice cream. I could see this being very dangerous if I was pregnant. There are lots of books, dvds, game day snacks, tablets, baby gates, and kindles in case you need one quickly.

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I took a few screenshots on my phone – at 8 A.M., these were my delivery times options. You only pay 7.99 if you want it within an hour. I was super impressed with the service, and if I realllly need something, I’ll definitely use it. This service could definitely be helpful if you have just had a baby.

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A few things I learned

  • The minimum order is 20.00. There is a code right now for 10.00 off – 10PRIMENOW
  • It looks like you can change the tip amount but I ordered pretty quickly and didn’t notice that.raleigh indoor mini session photography_0306P I N this to pinterest

Here’s a few examples of the categories so a lot to pick from!

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Everything from Raleigh Amazon Prime Now was delivered at 10:48 on the front porch. It’s kind of overwhelming – all of the books and things to choose from. (I don’t need to be able to shop this easily, right? It kind of needs to be a challenge to load up the kids and actually go in a store, ha! It will keep me from spending money!)  Who else tried Amazon Prime Now in Raleigh today, and what did you order? Was it worth it?

Rebecca Keller is a Cary Family Lifestyle Photographer featured in People Magazine and on several blogs including the Bump. I do chat a lot about my personal life on the blog and recommendations for things that I love, and I may receive commissions on affiliate links in articles.

 

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I do love February, oh, Valentines day! My business to do list is overwhelming today, so I’m going to try to make this quick. Tomorrow is also the 100th day of kindergarten, so I have a few last minute errands to run. We finished our shirt – can’t wait to share tomorrow! A few photos from the boys playing in the ice/snow.Harrison lasted all of 60 seconds since he refused to wear his gloves.

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    1. Finish shopping for my sweet Mama’s birthday present. (She has a Valentine’s day birthday!
    2. Finish planning our little Valentine’s party when the cousins will be in town – so excited
    3. Books to read this month – I need to finish Spark Joy. I already like this book much better than the The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up I feel like it has a lot more practical advice for those who want to use her method of tidying. Some other books that are on my list this month are Let Your Life Speak,A Man Called Ove, and a few more I haven’t decided on just yet.
    4. Finalize everything for Spring Break. So excited about getting away with the boys during Spring Break!
    5. Ericka and I have been working on several fun blog posts for this month – I need to finish + get those on the blog!
    6. Finish editing our 2016 Clients Valentine Minis.
    7. Announce our next client event/date and start booking! So excited for these!
    8. Finish the RKP Image of the Year Contest. (Round two voting is going on right now – make sure to stop by and vote!)
    9. Use my heart pan a few times this month. So excited about this super cute pan + even made muffins last night.(see here)raleigh wake forest family lifestyle photography_0238P I N this to pinterestRebecca Keller is a Raleigh photographer featured in People Magazine and on several blogs including The Bump. Contact Rebecca Keller Photography for more information about Raleigh Wake Forest Family Lifestyle Photography and travel sessions.I do chat a lot about my personal life on the blog and recommendations for things that I love, and I may receive commissions on affiliate links in articles.
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