Presenting our 2012 family Christmas card — a little scene from our holiday photo session that captures the chaos and charm of life with a toddler and an eager dog.
We riffed on the classic tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa, with a wink toward reality: nothing edible stays unattended in our house for long. By some small miracle we managed to get the main shot without compositing Clara and Burger together in Photoshop. Usually Clara is right on Burger’s heels — which makes Burger bolt before the shutter clicks — but when treats are involved, they cooperated like pros.
These images are a few outtakes from that quick session. We actually started shooting after Clara’s bedtime, which felt a bit risky, but turned into yet another Christmas miracle: she sat still for the photos (cookies are powerful motivators) and, despite a post-8pm sugar burst, settled down and slept through the night as usual.
Clara was delighted that Burger was so fascinated by the milk. She repeatedly tried to coax him into taking another sip — the two of them sharing the moment felt equal parts adorable and hilarious.
Eventually Burger’s attention shifted toward the cookies, and we had to end the set-up — no chocolate for dogs, of course — so the shoot wrapped up rather abruptly. Still, the result left us very happy.
We decided to go with a festive design from TinyPrints this year. It added a polished, seasonal feel to the card and felt like a worthwhile splurge compared to our usual CVS or Target picks. We chose a heavier cardstock, which made the card feel more substantial. Fortunately, TinyPrints was running free shipping and we used a coupon, which saved us about $30 on the order — a little bit of bargain hunting that made the upgrade easier to justify.
For a quick look back, here are a few of our past holiday cards, shown as a visual recap: the card from last year, one from 2010 (where we humorously photoshopped a bow on Clara’s head to make it obvious she’s a girl to long-distance relatives), and our 2009 card from the year before Clara arrived.
With the cards sent and the photos saved, we headed off to spend the rest of Christmas Day with family. We hope you’re enjoying the holiday season too — whether that means great food, fun with loved ones, peaceful rest, or whatever brings you the most joy this time of year. Thank you for reading and for following our story — we’re truly grateful for you.
Update: We’ve also shared a roundup of our favorite holiday decor finds on our blog — many budget-friendly options under $15 — if you’re looking for simple ways to dress up your space this season.