I’ve been looking into different photo editing sites and downloads and so far, I really like Picnik.com. Not only can I edit my photos so that their appearance improves, but I can make collages and scrapbooks as well. I can add all kinds of quirky effects to my photos, like borders, color changes (Sepia, Black & White, Infrared Film), and text. I’m having a ball altering my photos and here and there, I’m managing to improve on them as well. If you take as many pictures of your children as I do, you will love this site, and the best thing is that a lot of it is free (but subscribing doesn’t appear to be expensive) and you don’t have to download anything. All the changes you make to your photos are done online and you get the choice of saving them to your computer. Thumbs up to the creators of Picnik!

As soon as (or perhaps even before) baby is born, parents are planning his or her first professional photos. To preserve these special moments, many parents opt to choose a professional photographer who specializes in portraits of newborns. Kylene Cleaver owns and operates Leave It To Me Photography, a custom portraiture business, from her home in Maryland. Although she photographs all ages, newborns and pregnant women are one of her specialties.

Cleaver is able to capture details that other photographers miss in her portraits of children. She takes the time to elicit a natural, unscripted reaction from her subjects as she shoots them candidly, without a “pose and shoot” mentality. All of her photo sessions are done “on location,” in the client’s home or a place of the client’s choosing, using natural light. She has taken photos of my son many times, always with spectacular results. In fact, she is the only person I would trust to take portraits of my family. You can check out some of her stunning photos at LeaveItToMePhotography.com. While she is based in Maryland, she has clients throughout Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and surrounding areas.

We all know Anne Geddes from her brilliant photography, but I had no idea until now that she also has a successful line of clothing. I stumbled upon her site while searching for something else and was surprised by the variety of styles and designed available.

I really like this ladybug cap and sweater set. My older daughter was a ladybug for her first Halloween, so anything with ladybugs always brings back fond memories. This set from Anne Geddes is absolutely adorable. It is made from combed lam’s wool for extraordinary softness. Both the sweater and the matching hat are trimmed in cream ribbing for a striking contrast. This is a truly sweet set whether you choose to spoil your own little one or give it as a gift.

The set sells for $49.50. You can purchase it and check out the rest of the line at annegeddes.com.