{Stettler Photographer} Zimmermann Photography

.feature: lists (work). {stettler photographer}

February 15th, 2012

This week’s feature post continues on with
lists.
I live by lists and would die without them.
Today, we’re talking about our Work Lists.

I think that most people working, whether in the home or outside, have some kind of To-Do list for work priorities. When you have 95 tasks to complete on a sleepy Monday morning, it can difficult to even know where to start! Making a list can definitely help you clear your head and get your thoughts in order. Again, you can use a simply note pad, virtual post-it, white board or back of an envelope but I like to write my work list on something that looks like this:

I make a note of all the things I have to get done that day/week/month, etc. Then, when I sit down at my desk, I put a number 1, 2 or 3 next to my top 3 priorities for that day. When I’ve done them (in order), I scratch them off. Ya, there’s a check box but I like to cross off my tasks — I’m a rebel like that. Then I go onto the next three tasks. It helps to keep me focused on what’s important versus alllll of the things I have to get done!

At KnockKnock.com there is a ton of ridiculously fun, sometimes hilarious, stationery items for organizing your life! Because nobody jumped on this sweet note pad from the last feature post, I’m going to extend the giveaway of this To-Do note pad from KnockKnock.com!

To enter, leave me a comment below! Why don’t you go ahead and tell me what’s on YOUR To-Do list today!

Want some bonus entries?

1. ‘Like’ my Facebook Fan Page: Melissa Zimmermann Photography
2. Update your Facebook Status to: Rock your To-Do List with this easy giveaway from Melissa Zimmermann Photography! http://melissazimmermann.com/blog (make sure you tag the .Zimmermann Photography. fan page)
3. Follow my on Twitter: @melzimphotog
4. Tweet about the giveaway: Rock your To-Do List with this easy giveaway from @melzimphotog! http://melissazimmermann.com/blog

Then come back here and leave a comment, letting me know that you did ALL that!

Contest entries should be in by midnight on Sunday, February 19. I’ll draw for the winner and announce Monday morning!

Tags: contest, feature column, freebie, giveaway, stettler photographer
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.Happy Valentine’s Day!. {stettler photographer}

February 14th, 2012

Happy Valentine’s Day! Many of us Stettler locals this past week have been reminded how important it is to let your loved ones know how you feel. Whether attached or not, I hope you take the time today to make sure EVERYONE you love knows it.

I am thankful for all of our wonderful friends and caring family members. We love you all for many different, but equally important, reasons and I hope I remember to tell you each that sometime very soon. <3

The boys made beautiful Valentine Tree crafts:

My Valentine gift for Kyle this year:

Tags: central alberta, personal, stettler photographer, valentines day
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.growing boy. {castor baby photographer}

February 13th, 2012

Remember this itty bitty? Well little Max is growing at a ridiculous pace! He’s already 6 months old and cah-UTE as a button! I’m so excited to see how many more changes come before his one year session! I imagine it will be filled with a LOT of giggles and energy!

And of course, big brother is still totally in love! These two are going to be the BEST of friends!

Tags: baby, castor baby photographer, castor child photographer, castor photographer, child, children, stettler baby photographer, stettler child photographer, stettler family photographer, stettler family photography, stettler photographer
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.yummy custom cakes. {central alberta photographer}

February 8th, 2012

My husband, the Christmas baby, turned THIRTY on December 24. The week earlier, I surprised him with a big party in our basement complete with his best friends & family, a tub of his favourite beer and this amazing cake!

I had heard about Kaley Williams of Yummy Custom Cakes via Twitter and then had the opportunity to taste one of her delicious creations at a friends birthday party early last year. I knew right away that she was the lady to do the cake for Kyle’s birthday.

After I contacted her through Twitter, she was very quick to reply with a ton of great ideas and examples of past work! I had a few concerns about the size of the cake, some changes to the details and about 628 questions throughout the process but Kaley was answered all of my questions and met my concerns & demands with a smile!

The cake looked AMAZING (as you’ll see below) and was delicious and oh-so-moist! Even the fondant was yummy — something our family was hesitant about after the Great Fondant Disaster of 2009. (First birthday. Pre-made fondant. Fail.)

Also, because she’s awesome like that, Kaley has created a program called Random Acts of Yummy. It’s a way of sharing some love and happiness by having some of her delicious cupcakes or a small cake randomly delivered to someone you care about!

As I’ve mentioned, Kaley creates custom cakes and couture cupcakes. She also makes the new hottest treat — Cake Pops — Cookies, Macarons and more!

Check out her site Yummy Custom Cakes and don’t forget to follow her on Twitter! I hear she gives discounts to those who book a cake through Twitter!

Tags: central alberta, custom cakes, red deer, red deer photographer, stettler photographer, twitter, Yummy Custom Cake
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.feature: lists (personal). {stettler photographer}

February 1st, 2012

This week’s feature post is about
lists.
I live by lists and would die without them.
First, we need to talk about our Personal Lists.

There’s about 6,239 ways to prioritize your personal tasks, goals, etc. but I’ll tell you about mine. Once a week, typically Sunday or Monday evenings, I sit down and do my weekly list, update my calendars and meal plan. I function in my chaotic world because I list EVERYTHING — make beds, pack backpack, drop kids of here, pick up mail, work, run, start dinner @ ?:00, etc.

Then, when my day is getting a little out of control, I can look back at the list to see what my priorities are for the week. Of course, I make sure not to put so much on my list that I can’t allow for “life” time! (Unexpected doctor’s visit, hangover day, coffee/play dates, etc.)

I write down everything I have to plan for everyday for a full week on a note pad that looks exactly like this.

However, if you function a little bit less rigidly than I do (whhhaaattt???), then you may just need a simply “To-Do” list to keep you on track of your priorities. If you’re still scribbling down your To-Do lists on the back of a grocery receipt or envelope, shame on you! KnockKnock.com has ridiculously fun, sometimes hilarious, stationery items for organizing your life! (Psst.. you can find a LOT of these at Chapters, too! Just remember to pick me up a note pad! lol)

I’m going to help one of you get started with your To-Do organizing by giving away on of these To-Do note pads from KnockKnock.com!

To enter, leave me a comment below! Why don’t you go ahead and tell me what’s on YOUR To-Do list today!

Want some bonus entries?

Then come back here and leave a comment, letting me know that you did ALL that!

Contest entries should be in by midnight on Sunday, February 5. I’ll draw for the winner and announce Monday morning!

Tags: contest, feature column, freebie, giveaway, stettler photographer
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.products: guest book. {stettler wedding photographer}

January 25th, 2012

Problem One: You’re planning your wedding and up next on the checklist is “buy guestbook”. You’ve browsed the wedding stores and have looked at every puffy and lacey covered 4×6 book in every colour. You’ve explored the option of something different like scrapbooked paper put into a bin but then realize you’re not at all crafty and you’ll have 200+ pieces of paper to house after the big day.

Problem Two: You’ve met with your (awesome, fun, good lookin’) photographer, booked your package and have had your engagement session. You’ve got 30+ photos of you and your beloved and don’t know how to choose just a few.

Solution: The Engagement Session Guest Book.

Hard, custom photo cover. 2o custom designed pages with guest prompts like “What is your wish for us?”. A guest book that you will actually bring out and look at over the years.

While you’re at it, why not order some Save the Date cards, if your wedding date is off in the distance a bit.

OR, do like this couple did and attach a large number to the back, put on the table and voila: Table Assignment Numbers. (Your stellar photog can put the number right into the design, too! )

Tags: products, stettler engagement photographer, stettler photographer, stettler wedding photographer
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.feature: the basics (part 2). {stettler photographer}

January 18th, 2012

So two weeks ago you were all introduced to this new ‘feature column’ — a twice monthly post about organizational things that I personally do that I hope will help some of you out as well!
If you missed the first post, check it out here.

This week, I’m touching on something that is an easy way to start to get organized and stay organized.

The Calendar

Yes, I know. Most of you (I would hope all of you) have some sort of calendar to jot things down in. But how often do you find yourself at the doctor’s office with your phone, at the computer when you get an e-mail reminder or in the kitchen when your mother calls to make Easter dinner plans and somehow, you get all of these things marked down in so many different places!

A great example is my friend — let’s call her Freina — who, every time we’re out somewhere, has to tentatively book things until she gets home to check her wall calendar, even though she has her iPhone with her! (I owe you a Timmy’s for this, don’t I?) 3

The key is SYNCING! Today’s task is to set yourself up a google calendar and sync it with your phone! (If you read further into the instructions on google, you can also sync with your spouse, friends, etc.)

If you don’t already have a google account/calendar, go here to set one up: New Google Account (If you already have one, go here to sign in and go to the Calendar: Google Calendar Sign In).
Once you’ve signed in, add a few appointments and dates to remember (March 4 is my birthday. I love cupcakes. Just some information.)

Next, you’ll want to follow the instructions on the page appropriate for your device.
(Note: I have an iPhone and have only followed the steps for that particular phone. If you need more information, there is a lot more information here: Sync with Mobile Devices)

iPhone BlackBerry Android

iPad Nokia/Symbian Windows Mobile

Congratulations! You now have an online AND mobile calendar, both of which are synced together!

Go the next step and Sync with Microsoft Outlook or Apple iCal/Mozilla Sunbird. Horray! Now your phone, online calendar AND desktop calendar are all synced!

Although a couple brought this idea to the Dragon’s Den, there is not yet an electronic fridge calendar to sync with all your other devices. I suppose you could tape your iPad up there but don’t blame me when it falls off and smashes into a million little pieces. Instead, once a week (usually Sunday afternoons), I take my fridge calendar, my iPhone (which, remember, is synced with my online & computer calendars) and my meal planning supplies (that post coming in a few weeks) and sit down with a tea for about 30 minutes and write in my appointments on my fridge calendar.

Now, I know — this post was long and boring and hard work but trust me, it will save you time, headaches and scheduling conflicts in the future. Set up your online/phone calendars and try this out. If your scheduling is at least 3.5% easier by the next Feature Post (coming in 2 weeks), then go back to your old ways. No harm, no foul.

Tags: Android, Blackberry, dragons den, feature column, google calendar sync, iPad, iPhone, Nokia, stettler photographer, Symbian, Windows Mobile
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.pre-shoot: couples. {stettler couples photographer}

January 11th, 2012

One of my top 5 fave sessions to shoot is couple sessions. I love watching them giggle, snuggle and show each other how much they love one another.

Every couple, not matter how close they are or how many times they’ve been photographed, are nervous at the beginning of their session. “Where do we stand?” “What do we do with our hands?” “Am I REALLY supposed to kiss him in front of you?” All normal feelings and responses to this socially awkward position that we’ve put ourselves in.

However, as I tell all of my couple clients, this is what I do! Just worry about each other, take some time out of your busy lives and just be. I will worry about how the photos turn out. There are some things, though, that you can do to help ease your mind and put you in the “couple’s-photo” mood:

Take the Day: Book your session on a Saturday, drop the kids off the night before with Grandma and spend the day together before your session. Eat breakfast late, nudge as you pass her doing her hair, go out for a nice lunch.
Make a playlist: It may seem a bit much but if you have some upbeat, happy, lovey songs on the iPod in the car on the way to your session, it will help to pump you up
Reminisce: That new country song by Brad Paisley/Carrie Underwood isn’t a hit because it’s wrong. Remind each other how it felt on your first date, when you first kissed, your wedding day… It’s nice to remember.

Another way to come prepared is by making sure you have a few supplies & accessories. Mints, [extra] lipstick, kleenex, etc. are all obvious things that we sometimes forget. Other accessories like necklaces, scarves, belts & bracelets can help to tie your look as a couple together. My favourite places for accessories for couples are RW&Co. and Forever XXI

Remember that your session as a couple is designed for the two of you to take a couple hours out of your lives to spend together, just loving each other. By the end of your session, most clients feel more connected than they have in a while. It’s my job to show you were to start.

Tags: brad paisley, carrie underwood, Forever XXI, pre-shoot, RW&Co, stettler couples photographer, stettler engagement photographer, stettler photographer
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.feature: the basics. {stettler photographer}

January 4th, 2012

Something new and fresh for 2012: a ‘feature column’! Twice a month, I’ll be posting about something that hopefully will help some of you out!

People ask me all the time how I do everything — kids, home, business, volunteering, AHS committee, etc. For me, the answer is organization and I thought I’d share some of the little things I do to help keep my life in check while still having time for my family and myself!

The Basics

There are 3 basic things to do every morning after you wake up and get dressed, before anything else.

1) Make your bed & the kids’ beds.

Do this before you even jump in the shower and do it everyday. I know, I know — you’re just going to get back into it later but trust me, even if there are 6,235 items of dirty laundry on your floor, a made bed will make your room feel justthat much neater.

*If your kids are old enough, teach them to straighten out the sheets and pull up the comforter.

2) Put on a load of laundry.

If you do a load of laundry (or two if you have too many kids) each day, you won’t have that daunting 8 hour, 30 load laundry day once a week (or month!).

*Plan-aheaders: Transfer the laundry as soon as it’s done, fold it as you pull it out of the dryer and put it away, right away. By doing the worst first, you get it out of the way and you’ll feel less guilty when doing fun activities later in the day!

3) Do the dishes.

To get ahead of this chore, run the dishwasher right after supper each night and in the morning, you can put away the clean ones and the dishwasher will be empty so you can load it throughout the day.

*For those of you without dishwashers — that SUCKS! But the same rules still apply.

Try these three things, every day, until the next feature post (2 weeks). If you don’t feel even a little bit more organized and less stressed, then go back to your old ways! It can’t hurt to try though, right?

To help you stay on track, get yourself a free “Worst First” check list. Print it off, cut it out and attach it to your fridge. I’ve made enough check spaces for 4 weeks!

Let me know what you think of The Basics and how they’re working for you in the comment section below!

In Two Weeks: The Basics (Part 2): Calendar

Tags: central alberta, family, free checklist, organizing, stettler photographer, worst first
Posted in downloads, feature column, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

.Happy New Year!. {stettler photographer}

January 2nd, 2012

Tags: central alberta, sale, specials, stettler family photographer, stettler family photography, stettler photographer
Posted in specials, Uncategorized | No Comments »