Family photo shoots can be overwhelming... trust me, I know! I mean, as simple as the idea of capturing family photos is, if you are anything like me,  then you have a zillion things to do before the actual shoot. Who is the best photographer to capture my style? What are we wearing? Indoor or outdoor? Is it in our budget? Yes, these are the questions, we all ask ourselves. Sure Pinterest has endless ideas but being realistic, I like to stick to our style and comfort.

This year my goal was to shoot family photos because the kids are getting so big, too fast and I love to capture them every year for the love of the memories and because I wanted some new home decor - win win! I knew I wanted one super glam style and another more cool and casual vibe... and we were able to capture just that. We had never done in-studio photos and when I first saw this studio I fell in love and knew this was the one. I planned out our coordinating outfits a couple of weeks in advance and loved the end result.
Here are some tips that worked for us, for when you are planning your family photo shoot:

1. Find your ideal photographer. Be sure to ask them all the questions, do they shoot indoor only, studio? outdoors? Visit their studio and ask for a portfolio. What is included in their package? Be clear in what your vision is before you invest money in family photos. I've been lucky enough to have found amazing and patience photographers but I've heard of nightmare stories.

1. Pin some ideas of what style photos you'd like. Thank God for Pinterest because the good Lord knows a lot of my inspiration comes from there. I seldom copy exact poses but I am inspired by colors, decor and looks.

2. If you want to make sure your photographer absolutely gets your vision... Share your mood board with your photographer. I shared my inspiration weeks in advance and the day off the shoot we looked at the board once to make sure we had everything I envisioned.

3. Plan out your outfits with enough time in advance. I ordered a few sizes and colors for Emme's dress. This way I knew what would fit best. So give yourself time, sometimes what you think will look good, just doesn't. I wanted something soft and glam so I chose these blue and gray tones and I loved the outcome.

4. Make sure the kids are fed and happy! I don't buy my kids "just because" toys often but when we do things like this, I do offer a toy for great behavior. Yes, I bribe them for a good shoot! #momlife

5. Lastly, have fun! The goal is to capture the kids in their essence... we let them play and jump and be themselves and we are so happy with the outcome. These photos are exactly what I envisioned.

Finally, here are some of our favorite shots, we have sooo many we love but I picked these out to show you guys! Hope you are inspired and love these!

There's no denying that a power suit can make any woman feel like a million bucks. Sure, suits were originally worn only (or mostly) by men but ladies, don't you think we rock this one better, lol. I am going to be sharing my top 3 favorite power suits for your reading pleasure.

This pink suit I wore recently has such a great fit and will not break the bank at under 100 bucks for both pieces. But if money is not an issue and you are ready to splurge, this Ted Baker one might be more up your alley but you will be spending over $600. They are pretty similar and this is a trendy look, so I prefer to keep it under budget.

I added the 3-layer necklace and nude pieces but I would also wear this with a white tee and sneakers. Even though this is such a pop of color piece it can absolutely be worn in many different ways.

And if pink is just not your color, here are two others I absolutely love.
This Purple Suit above $150 and the pieces are sold separately in case you want just one or the other.

So what are you waiting for boss babe, order your favorite power suit and thank me later!