Baby Registry 101 - Las Vegas Newborn and Family Photographer
Baby registries can be completely overwhelming for first-time parents. Let me cut to the chase for you, here’s what you need…
First of all, don’t register for clothes. Trust me. When I was pregnant with my first, my husband and I skipped on over to Babies ‘r’ Us, full of excitement, not knowing a thing (man, I don’t even think that store exists anymore ). I saw every cute onesie, tutu, and baby dress and licked away with the registry laser. After baby came, she had a closet full of more outfits than she could wear. So take it from me, newborns are inherently pretty simple. Here is what’s important.
Crib sheets. When decorating my kiddos’ nurseries, I always started with a few crib sheets that I could use. I pulled colors and themes from those and carried that into the rest of my nursery design. And trust me, you’ll need multiple sheets, even in just one day. I bought and registered for crib sheets from Target, Liz and Roo, and Pottery Barn Kids. (if you use the Lilly Pulitzer crib sheets from Pottery Barn Kids, please please please call me to photograph your baby 😉)
Diapers and Wipes. I know, there’s nothing fun or exciting about diapers and wipes, but you’ll just need a million of them.
Tummy Time Mat. This mat will take up a main presence in your home, so make it cute! I’m sure you’ve read, babies are drawn to bright colors and shapes in black and white. Research suggests these elements are great for brain development, so start there! Check out THIS one from Sassy Stages, or from or THIS mat from Loverly.
Baby Jumper. This are big and noisy and a freakin’ life saver. They’ll let your baby jump, walk, and run all over your house. This is a great item to get used. I got mine from a neighbor’s garage sale for like $40. I took some Clorox wipes to it, and voilà! I used it for three of my own babies before handing off to another mom. In fact, 10 years later, it’s still available! Click HERE.
Bottles. Nothing super fun about these either, but they’re kinda expensive once you get all the sizes, and loose a few.
Bassinet. I had a very boring pack’n’play for my babies they slept in when I brought them home. I was ugly and akward in my bedroom. Now. bassinets are made so beautifully and have so much technology as well to help you little one sleep, which means you sleep too! The Bilia Bassinet from Design Dua is simple and beautiful. It is easy to move from one room to another, even outside on a nice day. I had a client use the TruBliss Eve Smart Bassinet, and I was blown away. Not only does it look stylish, but it will glide, play music, and change lighting. 🤯
I hope these are some helpful items when it comes to the very overwhelming world of baby products. A note from me, less is more. Babies are pretty simple, then need food, love, and lots of diapers. The rest is extra.
If you are interested in a newborn session, and want to know the difference between an In-Home and a Fresh 48 session, read here. Hint hint…photography session gift cards are a great idea to add to your registry 😉.
Manifesting My Goals for 2023 - Las Vegas Newborn Photographer
I have big goals for this next year, and I’m taking Oprah’s advice, I will manifest my goals to you here!
According to Oprah, one of the ways to live your best life is to manifest it. To manifest your dreams, you need to speak your goal, write them down, and be specific. Normally, I only share goals with a few industry friends in The Round Table group, because if I fail to meet them, I don’t really want anyone to know. However, this year, I’m taking a leap and telling you all, typing them down, and putting them out into the universe.
Monthly milestone session Your kiddos are quickly changing, so I want to help you capture then as they are right now, since in a few months, they’ll be bigger and older. I want to offer these quick sessions monthly, they will be easy to book, sweet and simple, and will result in probably some of your favorite images to hang up at home.
Film Add Ons Y’all, I don’t even know how to load film into a camera. (divulging too much?) However, I am going to be taking a deep dive into film photography this year as well as heading to the Photo Native conference in Palm Springs next month, and learning from some of the best in the industry. In-home sessions are already so intimate and parents are really able slow down with your kiddos and document your connections. Film can just capture that on a another level artistically. My goal is to make this something to offer to my clients on a consistent basis. In the meantime, if I come to your home for a newborn or family session, know that you will be my guinea pig with film! Don’t worry, I will still capture the 99% of the session with my normal equipment.
Summer Pool Sessions I got this idea from a photographer friend and mentor, Sabrina Gebhardt. I already just play around with my own kiddos when it comes to taking pictures by the pool. They are really some of my favorite images of them. How fun would it be to jump in and capture the fun for another family? I will be looking for model call families for this come warmer weather to test it out. I image blue water, lots of splashing, bright bathing suits, goggles, jumping, flamingo floats, all of it. Sounds fun, right?!?!
There you have it, my 2023 business goal manifestation. All the while, I will continue documenting your newborns and families, improving my art and your client experience. Stay tuned for progress!! And if you want in on any model calls I’ll be offering for these goals, make sure to join my newsletter. Newsletter link on my home page 😉