My Baby's PR Co.

Heat??

mbprc — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:27:23 +0000

Living in Palm Springs has its considerable high points, but during the months of June, July and August, we are reminded of one of its very, very low points. THE HEAT! The only thing that amazes me though, is that every year, we all complain and we hear the weather reports explain about the extreme heat we will be experiencing that day. Of course we are! We live in the desert! Why is everybody so amazed by it?

Since we moved her in 1990, there has not been one summer that wasn’t hot. The only thing that changes, is the level of humidity. The hottest day I ever had the pleasure of experiencing had a temperatue of 124 degrees fahrenheit. We all lived through it and went on with our lives. So, now when I see the little display above my rear view mirror in my Jeep read 112 or 116, I think, “At least it’s not 124!” Sometimes I even throw caution to the wind and live on the wild side by leaving my windows down and having the nice hot air tunnel itself around my face and hair.

So I say bring it on! Let me know when I can bring out my surprised facial expression because of the weather in Palm Springs. Yes, it’s hot and I love it.

Kindergarten Graduation?

mbprc — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 03:53:20 +0000

A few years ago I heard about other kids “graduating” from Kindergarten, I remember thinking it was a bit strange. That is, of course, until my own son graduated! Wow, the emotions that sheared through my body as my son went up the stage in his orange-construction paper-self-made-graduation hat. I almost cried, his teacher almost cried and the students almost cried. They sang five adorable songs and got to tell us what they loved most about kindergarten. It was fascinating to see the diference between the boys and the girls, all of the girls said, “the pajama party” and all the boys said, “when the gingerbread man ran away”. It was very cute. Then we went back to the classroom where all the parents, the grandparents and the little brothers and sisters crowded in to eat cookies and lemonade.

My son’s teacher, I MUST say, is the best teacher ever. Okay, so this is only the first time I have had to deal with a teacher for any of my kids, but still. I had teachers too, so I feel I can judge! She is great. My son went into kindergarten not knowing how to draw a straight line, much less a circle. Now, here we are, less than a year later and he can read and write!! Well, he can kinda write. His writing is okay, as far as kindergarten writing goes. His teacher told me not to worry as most boys don’t master the art of beautiful writing, ever! As long as he learns to spell and use punctuation, he’ll be ok. I had him write his teacher a letter thanking her for her efforts that year and it was surprising to hear him say (to himself), “Oh, no, I forgot to capitalize the first letter of the sentence!” Wow, I thought to myself, what a smart kid. He finished his letter and went along his merry way to fight with his brothers. Ahh, back to normal.

Anyway, so as far as kindergarten graduations go, they are all right! He is, after all, finishing the first stage of his education and is taking a big step into the REAL WORLD of school next year, well actually next month…my son goes to year round school and will begin first grade next month. So, we will see how he does. I for one, can’t wait to leave him at school in the morning and pick him up in the afternoon and see his reaction!! Ah, the poor kid, he still has about 2,000 days of school left to go….

What Is This World Coming To??

mbprc — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 03:37:01 +0000

I couldn’t believe it, this morning I wanted to search for more information on mail etiquette and my search engine gives me the “do you mean: email etiquette”. Wow, the entire page was filled with etiquette for emails. No where did I find the information I was looking for. The art of handwritten mail is beginning to vanish. But yet, we all still love receiving the personal mail, it is like a little gift amidst all the bills and weekly grocery store ads.

I consider this my own personal challenge to make our mailboxes friendly again!!

Digital Camera Photo Tips

mbprc — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 02:53:34 +0000

It goes without saying that taking the best pictures of your baby is the most important element in a digital scrapbook. Below are some tips on getting those unforgettable photographs of your child.

Getting Started:

Make sure the date stamp is off and that the camera is set to its highest resolution.

Lighting:

Try taking the photo during peak daylight hours as natural light is the best.
If flash is necessary, stay within the flash range or you will get pictures that are too dark. Most camera’s have a flash range of no more than ten feet.

Picture Ideas:

Avoid patterns. Use blankets and outfits that are solid in color.
Create an artistic shot by using a yard or two of black or white fabric that easily drapes. Try to utilize the most natural light for the best shot!
Great photos are not the ones that are rehearsed. Instead of posing, try to capture the baby sleeping, yawning, being cuddled, nursing or taking a bath.
The feet, the hands, the baby holding mom or dad’s fingers, the ears and the bare bottom are all great photos for the baby announcements. Try taking different angles of the same shot.

Getting The Shot:

Get close to the baby. Stand over them, especially when they cannot hold themselves upright yet. Be careful not to get too close or the picture could be fuzzy. The closest is about three feet.
Meet the baby at eye level. They don’t have to be looking into the camera, but at this level it will create a personal and inviting feeling for the shot.
Always try different angles.
Try to fill the picture area with the baby as this will focus the picture on the baby. You can reveal the small details when you are up close.
If another object is the focus of the picture, you need to lock the focus to create a sharp picture. You will want to move the baby away from the center of the picture and focus on the object. To lock the focus, just push your shutter down half way until the object is locked, then press the shutter all the way down to take the picture.

To Send The Pictures:

If using a scanner, clean the scanner top first. Any dust will be picked up on the picture. Scan the picture at 600 dpi, for the best resolution of the picture.
The file size of the pictures will be large. Send only one to three pictures per email to prevent the email program from shrinking the pictures.
Send the pictures in their natural color. They can be changed at a later time to black and white or sepia.
Pictures can also be copied on to a CD and mailed.

Envelope Etiquette 101

mbprc — Mon, 02 Jul 2007 22:50:06 +0000

You might find these guidelines useful when filling out the addresses on your wedding invitations, graduation announcements or any other mailing which has an inner and outer envelope. The guidelines listed for the outer envelope should be utilized at all time, even if an inner envelope is not included.

Inner envelope:

Use only last names of recipients: Mr. and Mrs. Johnson
First names and/or terms of endearment (such as Auntie Sophie and Uncle Billy) are acceptable on the inner envelope.
First names of children are written below parents’ names in descending order of age: Mr. and Mrs. Johnson, Kelly, Alex and Jordan
If a guest is invited: Miss Holt and Guest

Outer envelope:

Always use full names and formal titles.
Always spell out the word “and”.
Always spell out all of the names. Middle names do not have to be used, unless an individual goes by his/her middle name, such as: “Mr. E. Joseph Crothers”.
Street names that are numbers should be written out: “484 Fifty-Sixth Street”.
House numbers under twelve and those divisible by ten may be written out: “Eleven Lake Street” or “Sixty Los Robles Drive”.
Write out the words, “Street”, “Boulevard”, “Avenue”, etc.
Never abbreviate state names.