Blog Posts

Travelling with a little one - what to take!

8/21/2018

I've now done a fair few trips with my two girls, both in the UK and abroad and I have to admit there are pro's and con's to all of the different types we have tried! From all inclusive hotels, a Mark Warner (child care provided!) holiday, through to self catering apartments in the UK and abroad and also villa's - they all have their equal share of advantages and disadvantages. I think what I'm trying to say is that travelling with babies/kids is never going to be completely stress free and there will always be things that could make a holiday more relaxing and easier!
In terms of what to take, I have googled countless times to give me ideas and now have excel spreadsheets for all the different holidays, but each time I go back to them the kids have grown up a bit more and so the list has changed (again!). But there are some things which I've listed below which I think are useful to have, some more age specific than others, but food for thought for you anyway. And for those of you who can travel outside of the school holidays, I'd say do it now before you get tied into half terms and summer holidays, where the prices jump up dramatically!!!

1. First Aid Kit
This is an obvious one for the list but I thought I should put this as my number 1 as we have always needed something on holiday, whether it's just a plaster or the full works! Marlow First Aid trainer Claire Street can provide you with these and she has even written a blog about keeping the kids safe on holiday - take a look here

3. Sun suits
These are quite literally one of the best inventions! My kids wear these for all of our beach holidays and they never burn and generally come back home the same colour as they left! They provide sun protection, usually to factor 40 or 50 and they range from short sleeveless suits, to full body cover plus hats. They really work well and are for babies all the way through to age 9 I believe. Jojo Maman Bebe sell lovely ones, along with John Lewis.

2. Simply For Flying Log Books
These are great fun and are a lovely way to document all of the places your little one has travelled to since they were born! The details of the fight are entered and then you can take them to the pilots who write comments in the books - my kids love them and I'd highly recommend them! Link for these are here

4. Gro Black Out Blind
Staying anywhere other than at home you never know until you get somewhere what the curtains are going to be like (not something you really ask when booking your holiday!!!)! However, from past experience staying in a room with nothing more than voile curtains at the windows can mean a very early start for little one's. We take our Gro Blind's to each destination we've gone to and they have been, at times, essential!

5. Trunki Boostapack
We only came across these this summer, as we were hiring a car and were looking for other options which would mean not taking the girls huge car seats with us on the plane. These Boostpacks are a great idea as they double up as a rucksack and then with a push of a couple of buttons transform into a booster seat! When they are being used as a rucksack they are a little heavy (but that may be due to the amount of stuff our girls packed!!) but they were much easier than carrying two big car seats through the terminals!

6. Ella pouches
These pouches are great for weaning babies and also older toddlers too - as meals but also as fruit snacks. We took loads of these on one of our first trips abroad (as first time/new parents) with a weaning baby as we weren't sure what would be on offer at the hotel (and how suitable it may or may not be) and they were really handy to have.

7. Toys!
I think the key here is to keep it simple and take toys that could have multi uses, some ideas:
Stacking cups - great in the pools, bath and on the beach to make sandcastles
Folkmanis Squigz - these are brilliant rubber toys that stick together and are so much fun, can be used as entertainment on the plane or in the bath/pool.
Lottie Dolls - plastic dolls that can be used in the pools and on the beach. If you're not a Barbie fan these dolls are just gorgeous as they are just little girls (in terms of their features) but with big ideas, so you can get fossil hunter Lottie, astro adventurer Lottie, boarder Lottie, brownie Lottie and the list goes on.
Pass the Pig - Probably more suitable for thoses age 3-4+ but we played this all week on holiday this summer!! Small to travel with and very simple.
Stickers - for little one's these are a must - my daughter covered all her arms and legs in stickers on one flight but she was so happy and kept amused I let her be! There are loads of great sticker and activity books on the market.

Some other ideas that you have recommended to me:
1. Babyzen Yoyo Pushchair - this pushchair collapses small enough to be taken on the flight as hand luggage - amazing!!
2. Travel wash and Vanish bar of soap
3. Mosquito repellent and antihistamines

I hope you have found this useful - feel free to add any more ideas into the comments box below, as I'm sure we can all help each other with good ideas to help our trips go as smoothly as possible! Happy Holidays!

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Ten summer holiday ideas!

7/19/2018

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It's nearly the summer holidays! With the kids feeling so incredibly tired and not to mention hot and restless in this heat, we are now feeling that we are ready for the end of school and the summer holidays - whatever that entails!
I've been thinking about the holidays and how many parents have mixed emotions going into the 6 weeks of needing to entertain your child/children and how, in this area there is such a wealth of activities on offer - but also, how Pinterest has been amazing for giving me some unique ideas. I've now done a few summer holidays with my girls and so I thought I'd pass on my ideas and recent excursions with my 4 year old to give you some inspiration!

1. Beaconscot, Beaconsfield
Today (Thursday), I visited Beaconscot with my daughter and my friend with her 4 year old and 4 month old, picnic in hand and ready to enjoy the day! I have to say that it did not disappoint! We were able to park (for free) opposite the entrance, arriving at 11.30am there were no queues and we were able to go straight in. The size of Beaconscot is ideal for toddlers, it's flat and has a little path to follow in order that you can see all the areas. They have recently added to the buildings and there is now the Hoover building, a Butcher, Baker and Candle Stick Maker, a church with a little Christening service taking place and other miniature shops. There's a lovely simple play area and picnic area, which is all beautifully maintained and the detail of care is really noticeable, a great day out!

2. Greys Court, Henley
We also visited Greys Court this week, which as a National Trust member was free, and although my Satnav took me to completely the wrong place, once we got our bearings it was a lovely trip out. We took a picnic once again and headed straight to the play area, which is near the track and next to the house. My daughter played with her friends in this woodland play area, climbing on the large climbing frame and slide, and spending ages making camps out of twigs and branches! After the picnic we had a look around the little shop, which has some beautiful pieces, along with a great book which I'm planning on buying called '101 Things For Kids To Do Outside' by Dawn Isaac

Even just flicking through this book I saw some lovely simple ideas, such as making a flower bracelet by getting a gaffa tape strip and sticking flowers to it, making patterns on the grass with a card board stencil, some flour and a sieve, flower pressing and so much more. I love these quirky books you get in National Trust shops, a great little find!

3. Baking cakes and selling them to neighbours
Baking can be one of those things which you start with all good intentions and then then flour puffs in the air, the egg falls on the floor and you're missing an ingredient - but maybe that's just me! I think that family baking time can be so much fun, it just takes some organising, sometimes just weighing out the ingredients beforehand and then kids the add it to the bowl and mix can make it all a bit less stressful - at the end of the day, all they want to do is lick the bowl!! A friend of mine recently did this with her daughters and then set up a mini cake sale in their front garden, which looked like so much fun and is on our list of things to do!

4. Odds Farm
Of course! We used to have an annual pass to Odds Farm when my eldest daughter was under 2 and it was just brilliant! We would go up to the Farm every week sometimes just for an hour in the afternoon, or take a picnic and spend the whole day up there, we definitely got our moneys worth!! The lovely thing with Odds Farm is that it is constantly improving and the profits are obviously being reinvested in the Farm and it just gets better every year. Although it does get busy in the holidays it is worth a visit.

5. Fruit picking at Copas Farm, Cookham
A few weeks ago I helped at my daughters Rainbow's group and we went to Copas Farm in Cookham to pick some seasonal fruit. We were all given a plastic container and shown to the enormous strawberry field and told to help ourselves! It was so enjoyable just walking up and down the rows and rows of strawberries - and eating a really ripe strawberry warmed in the hot sun was just amazing! We also went to the cherry trees and also saw the huge rhubarb as well. This would be such a fun trip out for kids (and adults) any age! There is a big barn by the farm shop where you can get out of the sun and have a cool drink and enjoy the views, it really is fabulous!

6. Marlow Library
We are very lucky in Marlow to have such an active library - there are always things going on there from a story time, to bounce and rhyme through to knitting clubs and more! This summer, as with every summer, they put on a reading challenge - this is for children age 4 upwards, but obviously it's always encouraged for parents to read with their children from when they are babies. Click on the Marlow Library link above which will direct you to the details, but it's a fun one to do and will encourage all the little readers.

7. Cliveden, Taplow
Cliveden has been our go to place in all seasons and it never disappoints! It is beautiful from January through to December and there are always different themed events on. This summer they are doing a 'Summer of Colour' and the kids get to take a little gift home - great after a walk, play & picnic!

8. A boat trip from Marlow to Henley
We haven't done the boat trip yet, although I've lived in Marlow for more than 25 years (woops!) but this looks like lots of fun! Once you get to Henley there is the River and Rowing Museum which has a really sweet Wind in the Willows exhibition, and upstairs there is a little home area for the kids to play in. We've been a few times and the kids have always enjoyed it and they usually have different themed events going on throughout the year.

9. Pottery painting at The Perch, Marlow
Having held my daughters birthday party here in April, I can vouch for this place and how fun pottery painting actually is! We did this for the first time when visiting St Ives at a quirky little cafe called 54 Lemons and so were were delighted to find that we had our very own version of this in Marlow! The Perch is well set up for kids with some simple things on the menu (beans on toast) plus nice little extras for them to do such as decorating a gingerbread man, reading some books at the back of the shop or colouring. The pottery painting is lots of fun and the kids get completely absorbed in their activity - and they loved picking up their finished product once it had been fired and was all shiny! We now have quite a collection!

10. Theatre trip - 'We're Going On A Bear Hunt', Lyric Theatre
Theatre trips can be such a lot of fun and we have some great local venues such as the Wycombe Swan and Norden Farm in Maidenhead. If you're brave enough to go further afield there is a new show happening at the Lyric Theatre called 'We're Going On A Bear Hunt' which looks ideal for a first taste of the theatre experience and is only 55 minutes long.

I hope this list gives you some ideas and inspiration - at the end of the day I would say to keep it simple - picnics and parks are always a winner, and my girls are always so happy with a bowl of water and cups and bowls - or a large box they can colour and create into whatever invention they wish! I hope you all have a great time, whatever you end up doing!

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Little Bundles Residential Training

5/19/2018

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This past week I have had the privilege of attending a week long residential in Uppermore Barn in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside. As a newborn photographer I feel it is my duty to ensure that I am up to date in my training and so this was a great opportunity to refresh my skills in many areas including lighting, editing, business & marketing, posing, wrapping and safety. We had a number of photo shoots with both newborns and some young children, all of which were amazingly well behaved, even with 13 photographers all snapping around them!

The course was run by my long standing mentor, Claire Elliott who is a panel judge for the Guild of Photographers, but also runs her own successful newborn and children's photography business, along with an international lighting specialist and Guild of Photographers panel judge, Andrew Appleton, wedding and business specialist Julie Oswin, and award winning photographer Ozzie Malik - we were like sponges learning from these highly skilled people!

Models were brought in and we would discuss the styling, the lighting and posing was done by Claire and then we had the chance to photograph the babies and children and apply our new editing processes afterwards. This was a fantastic experience to continue in my development, as photography is one of those trades were you are always learning and improving - so it never gets boring! I have photographed nearly 100 newborns now and I still feel I change and improve with every photo shoot!

These little girls were so beautiful and a delight to photograph!

As part of the course we also did 5 hours of Continued Professional Development in First Aid and was tailored to photographers. First Aid is such an important thing for us all to do, and I can recommend two great training providers in Marlow - Child Matters and Mini First Aid.

Lighting was also a large area of learning with Andrew and this was for studio lighting, but also on and off camera flash for outdoor photo shoots, so a real array of different types of lighting, and as you can see, we created some quite different looks!

Along with learning from the trainers, it was also a great experience to learn from fellow photographers, all at different stages in our careers with varying amounts of experience. These types of residential's are great for people like me, who are self employed and don't have a team of people to work with and so we literally spoke, breathed and slept (although not much sleep was had!) photography - brilliant fun!

Overall this was a great week away and I have learnt a lot and can't wait to put these new skills into practice!

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Outdoor photo shoot - what to expect

3/31/2018

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Outdoor photo shoots are fun! They are very relaxed and last around an hour, but sometimes up to two if we need to feed the troops and have some pit stops along the way! I’ve scouted out some locations in Marlow, but I’m always open to suggestions and interested to know about new places in the local area that I haven’t come across before.

What to wear – it’s always nice for the children to feel relaxed at the session and I encourage them to run around, hide in and on trees and bushes and climb logs, so do bear this in mind when dressing them! It’s a good idea to bring a spare outfit for those ‘just in case’ moments – for you, along with the children.

The rule of thumb is the magic three colours, if all of the party can wear one or two out of three colours then it makes the images easy on the eye when there is some coordination.

Which colours to go for?
Spring/Summer sessions when the colours around are generally bright green, go for colours either side of this on the colour wheel (see below), so blues/greys, green and yellows (and even some pink can look amazing!).
Autumn - As the summer fades and the natural landscape colours progress to shades of brown, opt for 2 or 3 of the vibrant colours of mustard yellow, forest green, maroon purple, navy blue, and grey. The deep tones on the outer part of the colour wheel really work in autumn.
Think about the colour schemes in your home - you want to make sure your clothes go with the theme of the room where the picture will be hanging. You don't need to spend a fortune on outfits either, H&M have some lovely thick mustard yellow knits plus some maroon thick cardi's, match these with some navy tights and skirt and that's one outfit sorted! A yellow mac and wellies always looks lovely too!

Try to avoid white if at all possible, especially everybody wearing all black tops or all white tops. Also avoid very patterned outfits, as these can distract the eye from the face.

Accessories can be a great way to add some colour to a picture or to just give some of the images a different look - think about a scarf, tie or hat.

Once you've booked your session with me, start to think about what you are going to wear as soon as possible, as the last thing you would want is trying to find things to wear just before the session - stressful! This photo will bring back memories and you want the memories to be happy, relaxed ones!

Finally, think 'classic' - no doubt these images will hang on your wall or be presented proudly on your mantle piece for a long time, so try to keep away from clothing that may be deemed as a fad/trend and stick to more classic pieces, and clothing that you feel comfortable in!

If you're stuck for ideas Pinterest can be a great help, along with large clothing outlets which generally match outfits online or in-store. If you're unsure about anything then don't panic, just give me a call and we can chat your ideas through.

Outdoor photo shoots can be booked from April through to around November (weather dependant) and ideally I will do the session either two hours after sunrise or two hours before sunset - it's not essential but this is generally deemed to be the best light of the day, plus the kids think it's very exciting to be going back out again after dinner again for the summer sessions!

Following the session, I will edit the images in line with my style and will then send you a password protected online gallery for you to view your images and make your selection.

I look forward to seeing you on your outdoor photo shoot and capturing memories that last a life time!

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Newborn photography

1/16/2018

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There are so many newborn photographers, and anyone and everyone can now become one...or so it seems! Google search is full to the brim of photographers, claiming to be the 'regions leading specialists' and other such statements. So, as a parent, what should you be looking for and what should you be avoiding? - it all seems to be a bit confusing!

As a mum of two precious girls my very first thought when I decided to specialise in newborn photography was how I would feel as a customer looking for someone to take pictures and handle my own precious babies - and for me personally, safety was high on the priority list. So, in order to become trained and qualified in my field of expertise I researched where I could get the best training from in order that I could give my clients the peace of mind that I wasn't just learning on the job or that their baby was being used as a guinea pig! It might surprise you to know that newborn photography is not currently regulated, literally anyone can pick up a camera and profess to be a newborn photographer - so photographers like me, who take safety seriously, have to take it upon ourselves to be trained and educated on how to ensure the beautiful images we create, are done safely.

So, in 2016 I enrolled on the first Newborn Photography School set up by the Guild of Photographers and successfully finished this and then went on to gain the Guild's Qualified status in Newborn and Baby Photography. This was a huge achievement for me, as this meant that I could give my clients some verification that I am trained and qualified to a high standard in this field of photography.

We covered many aspects on the course, from wrapping a baby, posing, lighting, using props, shushing (yes, we were taught how to make the babies nice and sleepy!), along with all the safety aspects from handling through to creating a composite image (two images 'sewn' together in Photoshop, so as to ensure the baby is kept safe at all times). But once the course was over, the leader of the course, Claire Elliott (who is a leading, award winning newborn photographer) became my mentor - critiquing my work and advising on ways to improve. This still goes on today and she is my go-to person in all areas of my photography, from advice to critiquing - she calls herself my Fairy 'Tog' Mother and she really is!

Being a newborn and baby photographer requires a unique set of skills and there is a worldwide organisation that exists to support photographers like me, who want to have access to safety training and resources that we can use to provide clients like you with a better service. I’m delighted to have joined BANPAS (Baby &Newborn Photography Association) and you will be able to find me on their directory of photographers. They also have a fabulous facebook page for pregnant and new parents here. I’d be delighted to chat to you about how I can create a beautiful gallery of images for your newborn and very happy to chat to you about how I do that safely. Please contact me for booking and availability information.

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A blog about my Maternity Network

1/9/2018

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To start the year off I'm just going to explain briefly about the local group that I am part of, know as the Maternity Network. This is a not-for-profit community of trained professionals that provide services in the local area for pre and post maternity. This ranges from antenatal teachers, yoga classes through to craniosacral therapists and reflexology (to name but a few). In order to be part of the Maternity Network we have to be qualified, trained and insured in our field of expertise, in order that referrals that we make to our clients about members within the Network are ones that we know are for other trained professionals.

We are also on Facebook and people are encouraged to join the group and for it to be an open forum where they can ask questions and get answers from the Networks professionals.

The Maternity Network members are local to Marlow, Wycombe, Bourne End, Lane End, Reading, Maidenhead, Windsor, Slough, Ascot, Bracknell, and Crowthorne.

A coffee morning is being held on the 28th January at Larchfield Childrens Centre which is open for anyone who is pregnant to come along and meet other people for a cuppa and chat - feel free to join if you would like to meet some new people or are new to the area.

So please feel free to join the Facebook page today and take a look at the website for more information!

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Happy New Year!

1/2/2018

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Happy New Year! I hope you managed to have an enjoyable Christmas and New Year (why does New Year always seems such an anti-climax?!). I had a quiet one with my family on Christmas Day and then a large number of extended family on Boxing Day - games included Pie Face and Say It Don't Spray It...need I say more?! I surprised my sister with a gift of a large mounted photograph of her three teenage children - we had done secret photo shoots without my sister knowing (one of which meant meeting my niece in Regents Park as she goes to uni in London!). I was so nervous giving this to her, but thankfully she was quite overcome with emotion (!) and could hardly look at it for crying! What a relief!

At the end of last year alongside my usual photo shoots of little one's I also did some business shoots for some of my contacts. One of which is a local suit hire company called Cookham Formal Hire - their suits are dapper to say the least and the photo shoot we did was to add even more suits, ties, waistcoats and cravats to their website - they are onsite tailors and this really shows in their knowledge and expertise. They cover the local area and also hire out dinner suits as well....one day I hope to have an event posh enough to use them!

http://windsorformalhire.com

I also photographed the ballet school where both of my daughters attend - Marlow School of Dance - and it was so lovely to watch the pre-school and primary girls dancing so elegantly and gracefully. My girls have loved this ballet school and started as soon as they were old enough - age 2.5 - and both have continued doing this every week for the past few years. I've had so many comments about my daughters posture and people telling me they can tell that they do ballet just by the way they sit/stand. I hope they continue with it as it is such a wonderful talent to be able to dance! I believe Miss Carrie who heads up the dance school will be updating the website shortly (and you'll be able to see all the pictures I took), but do join the Facebook page as well! (https://www.facebook.com/marlowschoolofdancelimited)

http://marlowschoolofdance.co.uk

So, looking forward to 2018 this will be another year of doing more professional training, for both outdoor children's photography and newborn/baby photography. Even though I have gone through the Guild of Photographer's Newborn Photography School in 2016 I always look to improve and develop the art of my photography - one of my residential's is for a week so that will be a big step for me leaving my little brood! I'm taking bookings now for outdoor sessions from April onwards so please do not hesitate to get in contact if this is something you're interested in!

Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2018!

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Expressions session is launched!

12/21/2017

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I’m so excited to launch this new product in 2018!! This session is short and sweet - literally! It’s 30 minutes and during that time I try and capture as many different expressions as possible in order to show your little ones personality. This is such a lovely set up for a birthday or a big milestone/occasion and after the session you get a fabulous 24”x24” white bevelled frame with 16 mounted images - all for just £250!

As you can see from Eva’s session below (which marked her first birthday), she had a wonderful time as we sang songs, played peekaboo and got some bubbles out - much to her delight!

My top tips to help a session like this to go as smoothly as possible and to be as fun as possible are as follows:

Book the session at a time after your little one has had a nap (not before they need one!), so they are feeling fresh and bright eyed.
Give them a little snack and a drink before we start.
I’ve got my trusty singing peekaboo elephant which is a great assistant for me, but do bring your child’s favourite teddy who can then join in!
Bring some spare clothes, and ensure the clothes they are wearing are pale with no writing or bright patterns on.
If you are able, have some of their favourite songs on your phone so we can have a little dance as well.
If baby needs a dummy or comforter then do bring this along so that we can have all smiles on the day.

I hope that you find this blog helpful and gives you all the information you need, but if you do have any questions or queries then please do not hesitate to contact me. If you would like to book in for this session then please email me – kate.mcneil7@googlemail.com

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The start of a blog!

12/10/2017

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Today is the perfect day to start my blog! Today (has been amazing because it has been snowing!) is the 10th December and is my little family's Thanksgiving Day for my daughter and what was, four years ago, the trigger to start my newborn photography. The 10th December is three days after my youngest daughters birthday, so this may seem an odd day to draw a line in the sand and start a business, but four years ago today was the hardest, darkest day of my life.

So, let me explain the background as to WHY I specialise in newborn photography. Four years ago today, I carried my 3 day old daughter down the corridors of John Radcliffe Hospital, with tears streaming down my face into the anaesthetics room. She was so tiny and we kissed her and walked away. We left her in that room, having to trust the doctors with our precious baby, which was incredibly hard. As we walked away the crushing in my chest was almost unbearable and I could hardly take a breath. I was weak from birth and tired to the core of not sleeping for three nights, but my focus was on my little one undergoing surgery on her twisted duodenum and intestines (called malrotation). The days that followed were hard. She had cannula's in both hands and feet, an epidural in her spine and tubes everywhere. My husband and I took turns to sleep at the hospital, always at her side. The third day after surgery I was able to hold her, which felt amazing but also petrifying at the same time, so worried I might hurt her. In the days that followed we were in a bubble in hospital, but she healed amazingly and after two weeks were able to come home, just in time for Christmas!

So in all of this I wasn't able to have any 'normal' photographs of my newborn without some tubes or something unnatural coming out of her. This triggered something deep inside of me, where I felt I had missed out on something that I so wanted to have, something that was deemed normal, to take photos of my little bundle in her first couple of weeks. So it was from there that I decided to give others parents something that I don't have and to have something tangible that they can cherish forever.

I want to capture these memories of your little one for you, that will last a lifetime and will be of a time in your life that is so incredibly precious.