5 tips for rocking your Winter Lifestyle Session

If you've been thinking about doing a Winter Lifestyle Session, but you're worried your house isn't "good enough" for photos or think your family will be awkward, this post is for you!

Here are my top five pieces of advice for making it fun, stress-free and — most important — a reflection of you. 

​1. Know that your home is perfect just the way it is. I mean this in the nicest way possible: I don't care what your house looks like. I know how easy it is to enter into deep-clean mode when someone's coming over, but this session is not the time for that. I'm there to tell your story through my camera lens — and the best stories are found in the flaws and chaos. (If you can't resist the urge to clean, though, I recommend tidying just one or two rooms you think we'll spend the most time in, like the living room, playroom or a bedroom.)

2. Don't dress up. Unless you normally wear new, perfectly coordinated outfits around your home, please don't stress about your family's clothing. Keep things simple with jeans and your favorite t-shirt or cozy sweater (or even your pajamas). And if your kids want to wear mismatched clothes or a princess costume, don't fight them!

3. Have an activity in mind. What does your family love doing together? Making pancakes for breakfast? Playing board games? Building forts in the playroom? Taking part in an activity will help everyone relax, live in the moment and forget I'm there. After all, these sessions are about being present, not posing.

4. Look at the light. I'll need you to help me a little when it comes to determining the best time to do your session. Notice when the natural light in your home is brightest. For instance, at my house, our living room and bedroom are brightest in the morning because of our east-facing windows.

5. Be yourself (and let your kids be themselves, too). Lifestyle sessions are about documenting your family exactly as they are. This might include a fussy moment or a pout — these are part of your story, too! There's no need to stress about any of it. 

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