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I am excited to finally launch the “Documenting Children for the everyday parent” personal mentoring sessions. If you have been wanting to learn how to document your kiddos better with the tools you have, these sessions are perfect for you.
Why mentoring sessions:
Let’s say you have a nice camera… but no idea how to use it… it’s been sitting in a drawer as you continue to fill up your i phone and you are finally ready to learn how to shoot on your real camera.
Maybe you want to take more candid or indoor photos of your kids but you have no idea how to find the best light or spaces to photograph them and need a little help finding light or creating space for natural moments to happen in your home…
Maybe you have a nice camera, and you have a good idea on how to use it, but you have always wanted to learn manual exposure or you have no idea how to edit in Photoshop , ACR or Lightroom… and you are ready to take your images to the next level….
You might even already be in business or taking on jobs here or there and just need a little push to feel confident enough to go full time with your photography….
That is the beauty of these sessions! They can become your dream course. The curriculum is literally shaped and molded around whatever you are looking to learn. By offering these sessions, I am hoping to give the everyday parent a way to learn how to document their children better!
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2 hour coffee camera chat
Bring your camera to get more comfortable using it on manual mode! This is a perfect time to have someone watch the kids, and come get to know your camera better while you can concentrate over a yummy coffee! You will learn basics like ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture. Lenses, how to create a great storytelling image… and how to practice to become efficient in manual exposure.
$450
3 hour photography and editing lesson
This photography and editing session is designed to be taught in your home. You will learn how to use your camera better, how to choose which lens to use when shooting, find the light in your personal space, the elements of a good storytelling image… and editing on a phone or computer…
$650
4 hour photography, editing and or mentoring lesson
Mentoring for what you need and want to learn most… You tell me how you want to shape your session. We can work on anything from photography, editing, business, light, working with kids… portfolio review or feedback…etc
$800
5 things that should not go well together…
Renovations, kids, pregnancy, holidays, and messy people. See how we are dealing with it all while living in less than 800 SF of our home during a large renovation.
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The technical stuff… What are we doing to our 1915 2 bed 1bath craftsman style home…? We will be adding about 650 square feet and a detached office in the backyard. The house addition will include the rip out and remodel of a new kitchen stepping down into new living area about the size of the cut down tree, deck and rock area on the right in the picture below. Where you see the wall of windows on the left … we will have a new hallway filled with storage cupboards and a laundry closet, a new bathroom that will hang over into the driveway space, and a doorway to our new modest sized bedroom. Extras things we have had to do and will be doing during this remodel are, leveling and adding footings under existing house, re framing old kitchen floor, adding new roof to entire house, new electrical to existing house, (currently old knob and tube) stucco entire house ( we wish we could afford siding…) 2 new front windows if we can afford it, and new porch window framing and railing…
If you want to follow along daily… head over and watch my Instagram stories… @jennbartellkids or view my highlight reel named “remodel” to see all the way back to the very beginning…
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BEFORE – KITCHEN
BEFORE – LAUNDRY ROOM
It may be because this has been a dream of ours since we purchased this house in 2009… but we have not been put out too much by not having a kitchen sink, a dishwasher, an oven, or a stove…. The temperatures of the house have been mostly dealt with since finding 3 space heaters that do the job pretty well while our central heat is non existent. The kids have been great. Never complaining about anything house related… they do make sure to tell us every time we say things like, “go throw that away in the kitchen garbage…” that “we don’t have a kitchen…” but other than that, they have been champs. Justin and I have been pushing through… not without little disagreements here and there… but we are getting the decisions made and compromising sometimes. He is super generous and lets me have my way on a lot of things. Him having a design background and me thinking I know what I want because I saw it on pinterest can sometimes bring us head to head on a simple decision like a faucet color. haha. At least Its just the little things that bring it on.
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I feel so lucky to have had a very simple pregnancy so far. We were already scheduled to start this project in Sept and expected to be done in March when we found out in 3 months before starting we were pregnant with our third baby. Justin always says I’m pretty much the same person while pregnant and he wouldn’t know what to do if I was an emotional wreck like I am supposed to be… but I am giving all credit to the pregnancy gods…I have no idea what I have done in life to deserve three very simple pregnancies and almost feel guilty saying so. I had started at a lower weight than I had been for awhile this pregnancy. Maybe that has made this one extra easy… ?? I had been eating Keto to try and get back in shape for about 4 months before becoming pregnant. I felt great and have continued trying to eat mostly Keto but slipping often the closer we get to the end. All I want is sweets and of course they are very easy to find from Halloween to Christmas…
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We wanted to make sure the kids are getting the same Christmas experience as they are used to… so, yes… we got our tree and all of our decorations out. (We don’t keep a ton of Christmas decor so that made it a little easier to bring out) The tree is in the dinning room / our makeshift kitchen. Its a little tight but I don’t think I could go all of December without a little Christmas magic in our house. The backdrop for our tree is a plywood wall where there was once a wall dividing our dining room and kitchen. On the other side of that plywood is a lot of cold winter air, a couple of tarps and all the construction. We have been cooking with only a microwave and toaster but went ahead and added a good size toaster oven recently so we can make cookies for Santa.
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We are starting to see the addition taking shape… its exciting! The rooms are mapped out, slab is poured, and framing is starting this week. We have been delayed a little with all the Sacramento rain… but hoping framing goes quick so we can get a roof on before the rain comes back!
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Until next time. Lots of materials to choose and kitchen planning to get done in the next month… Wish us luck!
ADELYN
Name
-ADELYN
How old are you?
-6
What’s your favorite food?
-Broccoli… No wait… Mac and Cheese
How old is your mom?
-I dont know
How old is your dad?
-I dont know
Does your mom or dad cook dinner?
-Um, my mom
What is your moms favorite food?
Salad and Broccoli
Whats the most exciting thing you have ever done?
-Go to Disneyland
Where is the best place you have ever vacationed.
-Lake Tahoe
Do you have brothers or sisters?
-You know that I just have one sister…
Do you love your sister…? Is she your best friend?
-Yea, but not really…
How can you tell your parents love you?
-Because I am good
What’s your favorite song?
-Disney Songs. Ooooo Moana!!
What is your favorite movie?
-Ariel
What is your favorite book?
– Rapunzel
Do you have a favorite Toy?
-My little umm.. uhhh… my little baby doll…
What does the word “kind” mean?
-Loving
Are you kind?
-Uh huh…
What is your Favorite Holiday?
-Christmas and Halloween
Who is your idol?
-A princess
What city do you live in?
-Uhhh America
What does the word share mean?
-I think that means you are good…
What did you learn at school today?
-Ahhh I dont really know… I didn’t learn nothing…
What’s your favorite part of school?
-Playing with friends outside during recess…
Whats your favorite color?
-Pink and yellow
What color is your heart?
-Red
If you could meet anyone who would you meet?
-The news people
Do you have pets?
-Coco bear but she died…
What do you dream about?
-I dream about princesses a little… but sometimes I get nightmares.
If you could have one super power what would it be?
-Strength
How many teeth do you have?
-Ahhh, Can I count them…?(turns around and counts) 23! I just lost two teeth and I have two wiggiles.
Do you have a boyfriend?
-Ahhh noooo! I’m only 6! You have to be thirty or something to have a boyfriend!
Where do babies come from?
-Bellies
What do you want to be when you grow up?
-Princess