Cake smashes are fast becoming one of the most popular ways to celebrate little ones first birthday.  Babies love messy play and splashing in the bath and these sessions combine both.    Add in this all being capture on camera and you have the perfect memories and treasured photos to mark this big milestone.

Cake smash photoshoots include:

1. Some non messy portraits at the start

2. Cake smash – Cake and set completely personalised for your choice of theme

3. A splash in our minature roll top bath to clean up

A unique and personalised cake smash set

My cake smash sets are all individual and tailored to your choice of colour and theme.   Upon booking i’ll send out a questionnaire to get an idea of the cake smash theme you would like and then i’ll spend some time researching ideas and discussing them with you to pur together something that matches your ideas perfectly.

Once we have decided on a plan i’ll let my baker at Iced rose know and she will create a custom cake to match!   If your little one has food allergies just let me know and Hannah will make sure the cake meets your child’s needs. 

Cake smash theme ideas!

Some families opt for a theme that matches their home decor, others choose something that the child really loves and others opt for a more neutral theme!  Whatever you decide I will make it come to life!    In order to help you plan the perfect set I have put together a gallery of examples of different cake smashes  I have captured in the past!   This list is not conclusive and will be added to regularly so do pop back and take another look for inspiration at a later date if you wish. 

What to chat through your cake smash theme ideas then drop me a message via the form below and we can have a chat. 

As summer approaches and the weather gets warmer finding low cost summer holiday activities for you and your little ones is not easy, especially since schools out and it’s quite likely your going to have a couple of extra little people around the house. 

Finding summer holiday activities to keep your little ones busy and (all importantly) entertained can be a challenge and that‘s why I’ve compiled a list of cost effective, fun and family friendly activities for you to try out this summer. 

Tattershall Farm Park 

As the name suggests Tattershall Farm Park is a family friendly, farm located in Tattershall. With its beautiful animals, its soft play barn and stunning trails this farm is the perfect summer holiday day out for the whole family. 

I would suggest booking your trip to the farm in advance and with a family ticket costing just £25 this is a visit I wouldn’t recommend skipping. Don’t forget to have a go on the bouncy castle whist you’re there, you won’t want to miss it!

The park is open everyday 10am – 5pm between March and October and you can enter up to an hour before closing. Between November and February the park closes at 4pm, but the same rules apply. 

As an added bonus under 2’s go free so even the littlest little people can experience the fun for no added cost. 

 Fineshade Woods

My daughters absolutely adored ‘The Gruffalo’ growing up, it’s a real classic and will always be a family favourite in our home. I’m sure the book is just as iconic now and a perfect summer holiday activity: Fineshade woods offers a wonderful ‘Gruffalo Orienteering Course’ for just £1.50 per leaflet. 

Each set includes a certificate and a map for little ones to follow (maybe with a little help from their parents). The trail is a lot of fun – just ask my girls – and with twelve markers hidden in the woods it is sure to take a good few fun-fuelled hours. 

If the Gruffalo isn’t a family favourite there is far more to explore within the woods – ‘Forest School’ type days are one of the most popular activities on offer as they are both educational and fantastically fun! Since partnering with ‘Tinder Sticks’ Fineshade woods has opened visitors up to a far grander range of family-friendly activities and even a camping session you can book directly from their website. 

There’s nothing better than getting out in nature and I truly believe Fineshade woods is the perfect place for many summer holiday activiites this year. 

The Fun Farm and High Ropes

If you wish to stick a little closer to home, then the fun farm is always a perfect option for your little ones to enjoy a rainy day blowing off steam indoors. 

We’ve been attending the fun farm ever since my daughters were little and I must admit I was a little saddened when they both grew too tall to pay a visit to the soft play centre. 

If you have children a little older the highropes or the laser tag is a great way to keep busy especially since the highropes will take up a large portion of your afternoon. 

Speaking firsthand, the highropes experience is thrilling, and a great way to tackle certain fears. It is also monitored by staff at all times the harnesses used feel very secure – I would absolutely recommend paying them a visit. 

 Kixx Sporting Activities 

This activity is one I just know my daughters would love. Kixx offer a wide range of summer holiday activities for children varying in ages starting at 18 months and ending at 16 years. There is something for every child to enjoy. 

Kixx is a football academy for kids and aims to inspire fun and joy through sport, something I think we can all agree is a great way to keep little ones active throughout the holidays. 

With Stay and Play sessions, Summer camp days and youth sport sessions on offer I think you can agree that you cannot go wrong with a Kixx activity booked in your diary. 

I’ll link the team’s fab facebook page below and be sure to get your little people booked into their activity days whilst there are still spaces available. 

https://www.facebook.com/KixxSouthKesteven/

A Day At The Beach

Anyone who knows me knows I cannot resist a trip to the beach – especially if it’s with my girls and our dogs. Nothing beats spending quality time by the sea with the people you love most and I think you can agree. 

I know beach trips can sometimes add up and so I’ve created some advice on how to keep your visit cost effective.

Take a picnic – Rather than paying out for a seaside chippy I would suggest bringing a picnic along with you: back some sandwiches and some crisps or whatever you fancy into a cooler bag (like this one here) and bring it along to your day out.

Park a little further away and avoid parking fees – This tip may result in complaints from certain little people, but overall will leave you with a far cheaper parking fee at the end of the day and as a bonus it gets your steps in.

Avoid the arcades – I know what you’re thinking, why would I do that? But let’s just say the cost of an arcade adds up. We all know the feeling of losing out on one of those grabby machines and yet for some reason we always attempt them and if we don’t then we know the kids will want to. So my advice is to just avoid the arcades by attending an amusement free beach or keeping the arcades out of sight.

Ferry Meadows – Nene Park

Another firm summer holiday activity favourite with my 2 as they grew up and actually I have fond memories of many happy days from my own childhood, is a trip to Ferry Meadows.  Based on the outskirts of Peterborough it is a fantastic place to visit with so much to do.  There are lakes and woodland walks, boat trips, a choice fo 3 play areas, a minature train ride and a host of organised acitivies throughout the summer, ranging from Pond dipping, bug hunting and their new climbing wall!   Picnic tables and bbq stations are dotted around for your use and a large open field is great for a game of football or kite flying on a windy day.

Check out their website for a map and a full list of facilities.

Update your family photos

The summer holidays is the one time that both parents probably book some time off together to spend with the children, so now is the perfect time to book in and update your family photos.  Pictures are an important record of your family and capturing your family unit as your children grow is something you should consider doing regularly.   And dare I say it, they make perfect chrismtas gifts for grandparents too.

You can find details of my family Photography sessions here.

Those are all of my suggestions for you, from woodlands to beaches. I’m hopeful I’ve managed to find a cheap summer holiday activity to fit everyone‘s taste. 

If you do have a go at any of the above be sure to tag me in your posts on social media and most of all have the best time.

Have you got any other tips and tricks that readers might find useful?  Pop them in the comments below.

Enjoy your summer, 

Marie 

I have been a professional newborn photographer for coming up to 9 years and one question that is asked regularly is about how safe Newborn Photography is? 

Safety in Newborn Photography

Safety is a huge part of what is taught during training for Newborn photography,  Ensuring your Newborn photographer has undertaken quality training is key as there are so many safety factors that play a part during newborn sessions.

Here are some of the safely aspects I consider when working with your precious newborns.

Safe Newborn Posing

My studio has to be very warm to keep your baby sleepy and settled so it’s paramount I keep an eye on your baby.   I am constantly monitoring your baby’s temperature and skin colour for signs that they may be uncomfortable or too warm. 

Sometimes I may ask you to act as a spotter.  Depending on the pose this may mean keeping a hand on your baby or staying very close.  Sometimes the final newborn photos I produce are the result of two images being merged together in photoshop.  Whilst this generates extra editing work it means your baby is completely safe at all times and that is far more important than getting a single image in camera. 

Prop Safety for Newborn Photography

Sometimes images are not what they seem.  For example my popular swing prop!  This does not leave the floor whilst baby is posed!  Photoshop magic in post production creates the illusion  of the swing and water.

Towards the end of your Newborn Photoshoot I will wrap your baby in a swaddle.  Starting with 1 wrap and working up to 2 or 3 layers.   Once I start this process you will see me turning off the heat that I have had directed at your baby and on warm days I may pop a fan on too. 

Once your baby is wrapped I will be keeping a close eye on your baby to ensure they don’t get too warm. Changes in the colour of  their fingers and toes are a great indicator of their comfort. 

I have a range of beautiful buckets, bowls and other lovely props in the studio which I will pose your baby in.  When purchasing these I look to avoid sharp edges and things that may pose a risk to your little one.   Because of this many of the props I use are made by businesses that specialise in newborn photography props.  You will also see me hide padding under blanket around babies head to stop them moving towards edges of things like bowls.   Lots of the props I use may once again require me to call upon you to act as a spotter, particularly if your baby startles easily or is jumpy.  You may also notice me pop a weight bag in the bottom of props like buckets, this is to ensure weight is evenly distributed and the prop is firmly routed to the floor.

Safety in My Photography Studio

As well as constantly monitoring your newborn, I have to consider all aspects of safety within my studio.  For this reason I don’t allow hot drinks in the area where I work, there is bottle water provided for you and all hot drinks must remaining in the seating area. 

Overhead shots are taken with the correct lens to allow me to get the perfect image safely without the need for ladders.

All the props, blankets and wraps that have been used in a session are washed and sanitised before being used again in another session.

Newborn Photography is Perfectly Safe

I hope this blog post has helped reassure you that newborn photography is perfectly safe providing  you choose a professional, trained and experienced newborn photographer.  If you’d like to see footage of me working or what goes into setting up your session you can see more on my social media here.