Bear with me here, friends–this is an important post and I don’t want you to miss it!

There are a lot of things that make me emotional these days, and I’m guessing I’m not the only one.  I look like this a LOT through the day…

One of those things is seeing people’s ideas and plans for how to bring some joy to others during this time (or right when we get past this all).  We have witnessed, gotten to be a part of, and been on the receiving end of so many sweet moments throughout the past week of people spreading joy and love during this time, and it is truly beautiful.  I know there’s a lot of worry and fear and anxiety in this all (and we are definitely feeling that too) but we are seeing so much beauty around us, and it is what truly moves me the most.

Through it all, I’ve been thinking and dreaming about what my place is in all this, and how I can give back or participate in a meaningful way in this history we are all making together.  I’ve been thinking about what I can build during this time that will last and make an impact even when things get back to a more normal place, and I am so ready to share it here.

I’ve seen so many fellow mamas share stories and photos of their time at home with their kids during this sheltering at home (whether the mamas themselves are getting to work from home or are selflessly working as essential workers!).  Parents trying to make this time adventurous, fun, and joyful for their littles, posts about parents trying to make this all so memorable for their kids regardless of any disappointment and fear they are facing.  Parents who aren’t trying to necessarily even do anything remarkable, but are just naturally amazing at loving their kids. Honestly, in the end, whether you are just trying to make it through each day or seriously trying to make this time so amazing that your kids will rave to your grandkids about it, either way I see so many people working towards the same end goal: Trying to love a little better and find a little more joy than we have before (or than would be expected right now). 

It has inspired me.  You have inspired me.

Inspired me to want to see it all together, in one place, for all of us mamas looking to do the same thing, all while capturing it through ANY sort of photos we take (iphone shots included!).  I have always had a desire to built a community where moms could do this together in our every day even when we aren’t all staying home as much as possible to flatten the curve, and now that we are here, it seems like the exact right time to me…like the important time, when we could all use a little distraction, a little more joy, and a little more beauty!

So…starting NEXT WEEK, I am going to run a fun, easy online email challenge…the #MakeMagicFromMess challenge, where I will email a little photography lesson and creative photo idea with you each day of the week M-F.  These lessons will help you make “magic from the mess” of this time in history, and capture it with (and of!) your kids all while learning a little about photographing your kids along the way!  This challenge will officially launch the Facebook Community that I have been dreaming of for so long for moms who enjoy taking photos!  We will use that facebook group to share our photos, progress or questions (and ideas beyond next week’s challenge!) and join in community together to try find all the beauty we can during this time.  There will also be a prize drawn from the mamas who participate each day in the challenge (who doesn’t love a prize?!).  No prior knowledge or certain type of camera needed (your iphone is perfect!)– I’m just looking for just mamas who like taking and sharing pictures of their kids!  

CLICK HERE TO JOIN ME!

Remember, this is for ALL mamas who love taking pictures of their kids! This isn’t intended just for moms who want to get a DSLR or are even hugely interested in photography (though of course those mamas are so welcome!)– it’s built for ALL moms who like to snap casual (or beyond) photos of their kids!  So if it sounds fun to you– don’t let your fear of “my pictures aren’t even good!” or “I only use my phone!” hold you back– this challenge (and the resulting community on FB!) is for you!  Sign  up below to get the emails with the specifics of the challenge as well as join the facebook community!