Things to Buy - 7 Last Minute Holiday Gifts

For the last month I planned out a gift guide, but I never had time to write/post it. So now I'm down to the wire, but luckily there are some gifts that you still have time to buy.



1. A History of Food in 100 Recipes (delivery by December 22nd through Amazon with expedited shipping) - Full disclosure, I just bought this for myself for Christmas ("treat. yo. self."). It sounds like such a fun combination of history, cooking, and quirky facts that I can't wait to cuddle up on the couch and dive in.

2. Smitten Kitchen Everyday (delivery by December 22nd through Amazon Prime). The best food blog just released the best cookbook. Plus the recipes aren't complicated - making it the perfect gift for kitchen newbies or seasoned chefs.

3. Pinhole Press Calendars (delivery after Christmas). Okay, so this probably won't arrive by Christmas, but nobody needs a calendar before January. Just print out a picture of said gift and let the receiver know that it's on the way. Pinhole Press has the best calendars, the photos always print well (no ugly colors) and the paper quality is exceptional.

4. Aperture's The Photography Workshop Series (delivery by December 22nd through Amazon Prime). In the age of instagram, it feels like everyone suddenly has some interest in photography (which is awesome) and I can't recommend this series highly enough. So many pointers, tips, and things to consider. Plus the photos are phenomenal.



5. Gift certificate for Darcy Troutman Photography (instantaneous delivery). Give memories instead of stuff. Yes, I'm shamelessly plugging myself. Email me at darcytroutman@hotmail.com for all options.

6. Plated gift certificate (instantaneous delivery). Because sometimes meal planning sucks.

7. Shaker & Spoon Cocktail Club gift certificate (instantaneous delivery). I bought a Shaker and Spoon subscription this fall and I can't believe how happy it has made me. I love cocktails but I hate the scavenger hunt that goes into finding the ingredients, especially when I'm trying something new and I'm not sure I'll like it. This monthly box makes everything easy. I love the cool/quirky drinks they send. Since I work weekends, I often treat myself to a drink or two on Tuesday nights. The perfect after dinner treat.

Things to Make/Do - Holiday Cards & Magnets from Pinhole Press

the fifth year in a row, we ordered our holiday cards and address labels from Pinhole Press and I could not be happier with them. I love Pinhole Press's design selection and the fact that you can customize the messages. Plus, everything is printed on high quality thick cardstock.

I also ordered magnets as client gifts - aren't they beautiful?

If you order before the 14th, then your cards (with economy shipping) will still arrive before Christmas. For the next two weeks, Pinhole Press is offering a 15& discount on their holiday cards with the code SNOW15. So hurry up and buy some!!

(Pinhole Press gifted us our cards, but the opinions expressed our entirely my own (OF COURSE!!).

The Perfect Gift - Pinhole Press Magnets for Mothers' Day

Can you believe Mothers' Day is only 2.5 weeks away? Neither can I. (Actually I can't believe May is only a week away, but that's a whole other conversation).

Anyways, moms love photos. (Actually doesn't everyone love photos?). So in honor of the holiday, I ordered magnet sets from Pinhole Press for my mom and MIL (family members - sorry for the spoiler). And since I didn't want to be left out of the mix, I ordered my own set as well (everyone's magnets are customized for them with different photos).

I love the white borders and the square size. Like instagram coming alive. Well, better than that.

Anyways, as cheesy as it sounds, having some of my favorite recent photos on my refrigerator is making me super happy these days. Friends have even commented about how awesome they look. And they're only $24.99 a set (total deal!).

So go buy some. Really. Now. (Click here for the link).

(This post was sponsored by Pinhole Press, but the creative input is all me, as are the opinions expressed.)

Things to Make - A Valentine's Photo Collage from Pinhole Press (and an Important Lesson About Spelling)

Dan always asks me to print more of my photos, but I never rise to the occasion. I have trouble deciding what sizes to purchase or how/when/where to frame. In the past, in order to save money, I purchased frames from Ikea, but they keep falling off the walls (which is probably due to my poor hanging skills).

So I was quite smitten when I saw the framed photo collages on Pinhole Press's website (click here to check them out). And the fact that you can personalize one made it the perfect Valentine's Day gift for Dan. Since I leave everything to the last minute, I quickly found some of my favorite photos, finalized the collage, and hit the checkout button within moments of the shipping deadline (yay me!).

Did I mention I did this all quickly?

As much as I yell at my kids to CHECK their homework, I forgot to check my own. So instead of winning in 2017, we're "wining."

On the upside, when P's friend asked me if I just made wine drinking into a verb, I could respond, "yes, Mira, yes I did." And we do drink a lot of wine.

So maybe this version was meant to be. Because (if you haven't noticed) I love to make up words. And wining might be my best one yet.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

** Note - The collage was provided by Pinhole Press, but the spelling mistakes are entirely my own (as are all opinions expressed).

Things to Do/Make - The Best Gift for Tweens - Wall Stickers from Pinhole Press

Now that the girls are getting older (11 & 10), it's harder to surprise them with small gifts they like. But, luckily, they like photos (well, some photos). I've wanted to frame some prints for their room for awhile now, but: 1) I'm lazy and 2) I'm scared that they'll accidentally knock the frames off the wall. Pinhole Press's wall decals solved both these problems.

I love that the girls can move these decals around as they continue to change their rooms's decor. Pinhole Press also offers a bigger size (11x17) that I'm planning to order soon.

Anyways, these make a super-easy, fun gift. So if you're looking for Christmas stocking additions, look no further!

(Note - The wall decals were provided by Pinhole Press, but the ideas expressed our entirely my own).

Things to Do - Our Holiday Cards & Calendar from Pinhole Press

Once again we went with Pinhole Press for our Holiday Cards. This year we didn't have a single family photo that wasn't an iphone snapshot, so I really wanted a card that allowed for multiple pictures, esp. since I took SO MANY PHOTOS in Europe. And I love Pinhole Press's clean designs.

Plus, it's wonderful that Pinhole Press lets you customize the message on the back of the card.

[By the way, sorry for the photo quality (the cards look much better in person], I love taking pictures of people, but I have no knack for styling and product photography].





And their desktop calendars, as always, are lovely. I buy one every year and it keeps me on track (well, at least it keeps me more on track than I'd be without it).

Pinhole Press is offering 25% off holiday cards and address labels through Thanksgiving with the code HOLIDAY25. Click here to check out all their options.

HAPPY ALMOST THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!! Have a great holiday!

(This post was sponsored by Pinhole Press, but the creative input is all me.)

Things to Do - Christmas Cards - 30% Off at Pinhole Press

At the end of 2013, we took the silly hat photo before our annual solstice party. Everyone said, "well, I guess you already have next year's holiday card ready to go." But I scoffed. I take millions (literally millions) of photos a year, surely 365 days would be enough time for a more recent family portrait. But even though I spend my days photographing other people, I never take photos of myself, causing our Christmas card picture to be somewhat outdated. Lesson learned - this year I plan on spending more time IN FRONT of the camera.

For the second year in a row, we ordered our cards and calendars from Pinhole Press and (as always) I couldn't be happier. They print everything on this gorgeous, thick card stock that looks amazing. The colors always come out perfectly and I love the classy/stylish design selections.

If you haven't ordered your own cards yet, Pinhole Press is offering all No Monsters readers 30% off holiday cards through Wednesday, November 26th (THIS IS AN AMAZING DEAL!!). Just use the coupon code "nomonsters". So what are you waiting for? Hurry up and shop everyone!!

(Pinhole Press gifted us our cards, but the opinions expressed our entirely my own (OF COURSE!!).

Things to Do - Christmas Cards & 33% Off at Pinhole Press

(Regarding the above pics, it's actually pretty difficult to take photos of photos. Rest assured that all the "noise" only occurs on my photos of the cards and not on the actual cards themselves).

A continual source of family/photographer/mom guilt is the fact that Dan and I have never sent out Christmas cards. Every year we talk about it, but procrastination sets in. Eventually the season ends. Christmas cards particularly stress me out because I feel that, as a photographer, our card should be somewhat awesome.

Anyways, in the last few years, we've noticed that more and more people have taken us off their Christmas card lists (if you do not give, you cannot receive) and last year's supply was somewhat disheartening. So this year when Pinhole Press contacted me offering free cards, I let go of the excuses and started to design.

Luckily, Pinhole Press has wonderful formats to work with (seriously gorgeous) and they print everything on high quality card stock so even my so-so photos came out looking stupendous. After much tinkering, we came up with two cards we both really loved - one that showcased me as a photographer and one that summarized our year together (complete with the big fish Dan caught). We couldn't decide so we ordered both.

And since we loved the cards so much, I kept shopping - ordering address labels with our favorite family photo from the Land of Nod photo shoot, I love how the photo wraps around the back of the envelope. And then I started making a calendar. So all in all, I went way over the "free" limit and ended up spending a lot of money. But the products are beautiful, so I'm happy.

If you haven't ordered your own cards yet, Pinhole Press is offering all No Monsters readers 33% off their holiday cards through Monday, December 2, 2013 (THIS IS AN AMAZING DEAL!!). Just use the coupon code "nomonsters". So what are you waiting for? Hurry up and shop everyone!!