You may have noticed that my photos have improved as of late. This is thanks to my new Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II which I love almost as much as my children.
I know a lot of you guys think I am a good photographer, but I’m really not. I don’t understand how to use real cameras and have no patience for instruction booklets. I didn’t really start taking good pictures until I joined Instagram and started taking all my photos on my iPhone which is obviously much more user-friendly.
I’ve owned other cameras in the past and appreciated the better quality of the photos, but I never liked using them as much as my phone. They were cumbersome and I felt like I didn’t get as creative with my shots.
This new Olympus is the first time I am really into using a real camera (partly because it so intuitive and I didn’t need to read the instructions to figure it out) and find myself grabbing it whenever the event is important for me to capture right. I used it to photograph Harlow’s birthday party, Mazzy’s birthday party (post coming soon!) and a recent trip to Gansevoort Market.
Look at the gorgeous quality of this photo of the girls.
Every year, we go to Rockefeller Center to look at the Christmas Tree, watch the ice skaters and catch the light show on the side of the Sak’s Fifth Avenue building, since there is really nothing more exciting for a little kid in Manhattan during Christmas.
Each year, Mazzy is in awe over the spectacle like it’s the first time she’s seen it.
I understand. I feel the same way.
The plan was to take Mazzy after school and meet Mike and Harlow by the tree. Mazzy really wanted to go ice skating but I told her 1) the line was way too long and 2) Harlow can’t ice skate so we’d have to go ice skating another time without her.
But then, Mike called and said Harlow wasn’t feeling well and he thought he should keep her home. This opened the door for Mazzy to beg me to take her skating again.
The line ropes around the rink and I always assumed it is about a two hour wait— totally outside the realm of possibility with a whiny 5 year-old, but Mazzy “really really really” wanted to do it, so I said okay, with the caveat that the second she started whining about the wait, we were calling it quits.
Mazzy agreed and then exhibited a patience I have never seen from her before in my life.
Turns out, the line moves much faster than I expected (two hours was actually 20 minutes) and before I knew it, we were renting skates and on the rink.
This was Mazzy’s first time skating with one blade and she was shaky but did great.
She was determined to get it right and never complained when she fell— she just got right back up and kept trying.
We’ve been coming to Rockefeller Center on Christmas for years but I never had the experience of being on the rink with the tree right above us and all the lights and people surrounding us. It’s pretty amazing and it did not go unappreciated by either of us.
When the light show started on the Sak’s 5th Avenue (right across from the tree, still in view from the rink) that was the icing on the cake.
Look at Mazzy’s face.
My new Olympus perfectly captured the moment. It’s worth noting that Ruth took all the pictures of Mazzy and I together. It was her first time using the camera, but it just seems to take great shots every time. Even when it’s dark or there is motion, it still delivers a crisp image.
Did I mention the slew of costumed characters that swarmed Mazzy on the way out of the rink?
Don’t fall for it! They all want cold hard cash.
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 MARK II camera has an old school look which feels super modern and the quality of the display screen is great, so you know what you are getting just like you do on an iPhone screen. The camera also has an amazing “click” when you press the button that every single person commented on when they tried it. Something about that click is super satisfying. The other thing I like, which I found out by mistake, is the camera automatically focuses and takes a pic when you tap the display screen. I would use this function whenever I was playing around with the settings and got lost. And lastly, you can continue clicking the camera even if it hasn’t resolved the previous photo yet, which is super helpful with little kids who are constantly moving.
Okay, I think it’s pretty clear that I really like this thing, right? It would make an awesome holiday gift for someone really special. In fact, I’m giving away an Olympus camera today!
Giveaway: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II camera
You must be a Mommy Shorts daily or weekly subscriber to enter. Then just “like” this post and leave a comment below telling me about your holiday plans.
I’ll also be giving one away on Instagram (@mommyshorts) so keep a look out.
Winner will be announced on Christmas Day, so you can enjoy it for the New Year!
Winner Update:
Congrats to Susan Cush! Please contact pam@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize.
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This post was sponsored by Olympus, but my obsession with my new camera is my own.
Go to the local crazy house light display, make and eat lots of cookies and then a whirlwind day trip to New Jersey on Christmas Day to see family. Then hopefully a nice long nap!
We just are going to hang with family. We have everyone over for dinner and then we play progressive rummy. Which someone wins 15-20 bucks at the end of and someone always says someone cheating. But hey we are Italian and very loud crazy people.
Our holidays are always jam packed with family. Christmas Eve we celebrate with my husbands family, Christmas morning is for us and our kids, we do a brunch/lunch celebration with my dad and stepmom, and then do Christmas afternoon/evening with my mom and stepdad, ending with a sleepover.
Most looking forward to Christmas morning and just being at home with family!
Spending the whole holiday with my husband, daughter and parents in up north Michigan! Hopefully there will be more snow!
We are staying home to enjoy time as a family. We’ll celebrate with extended family on other days!
I need this! It’s my last baby’s Christmas and these iPhone pictures aren’t turning out very well ????
My son only asked for 2 gifts so Santa was able to get them. He will be having the best Christmas ever!
I started this new tradition last year for christmas eve that I’ve been looking forward to. Opening one christmas present (christmas pajamas), watching christmas movies, hot cocoa (with marshmallows of coarse), and reading twas the night before Christmas as I sent them off to bed.
Christmas pagaent, decorating cookies with 7 kids 8 & under done! Family, family, and more family…hot chocolate and Christmas movies too 🙂
We are staying home for Christmas this year. On Christmas Eve we open up a family package that has a Christmas book, Christmas Movie and Pajamas in it and we read the book and watch the movie then we get in the pajamas and have hot chocolate and go look at Christmas lights. On Christmas we will open presents in the morning and stay in our pajamas all day and hang around the house. It’s relaxing!
My family is coming to visit here in Louisiana. It’s been warm here so it’s already crawfish season. Hopefully we have a crawfish boil!
Shuffling the kids to 4 houses in 2 days. Crazy but worth it to be with the family!!
Well my mom is hosting for Christmas this year which will be lovely, and next week we are heading into the city to check out the lights and maybe the rockettes! However I’m a wedding planner and I’m gearing up for a big wedding on NYE flowers, design, planning, and coordination the whole bit so I’ll be kept quite busy and I’ve LOVE this camera to take photos of my events. I’m sure it will be leaps and bounds nicer then my iphone pics.
First international vacation with the family!
Christmas with some family in Texarkana, AR the weekend before and Christmas eve and morning at home with our sweet family here in North Little Rock.
Hosting Christmas this year! So baking and cooking and cleaning. I can’t wait to see my lil guys face when he sees his presents this year. He’s finally starting to ‘get it’
This Christmas, all (4) of my brothers (and my LO’s uncles) will be back home in NC for the first time in a while. My parents and grandmother will also be here making for a pretty complete holiday. I am so excited to see everyone back together even after everyone has moved away-and moved on, with their lives. My sister in law will be sporting her new (surprise) baby bump that no one knows about but me ???? It will be a merry Christmas indeed!
I already hosted my daughter’s Winter ‘One’derland 1st Birthday, a Pizza With Santa event at work and a cookie exchange! We have three family Christmas parties and the. I am hosting on NYE! Love the holidays!
We are headed to Martha’s Vineyard on Christmas day to celebrate with my husband’s side of the family. He grew up there and his mom and grandmother still live on the island. We visit often but Christmas is extra special because it is quiet and beautiful. Such a different vibe than the summer visits.
I spend Christmas Eve with my son & his family. My other son is in the Boston area and hopefully get to visit him, too. Christmas Day is dinner with my sister’s family and my 93 yr old Mom. I’m grateful for them and the happiness they all bring me.
My husband has to work so we are staying in the city this year instead of going to my parents and Im actually pretty excited about it. Hoping a lot of people are gone and we can wandering the windows and lights with smaller crowds.
my in-laws will be visiting from florida. we will be doing the traditional seven fishes dinner on christmas eve!
I’ll be spending Christmas with my college marching band for our schools bowl game! I’ll be celebrating Christmas on New Years Eve with my family!
Spending our very first Christmas together at home and celebrating as a family, now that my daughter has an idea about Santa Claus. Then we are traveling to my mom’s for 2 nights and then my in-laws for 3 more nights.
We’re headed to Arkansas to be with my family. I can’t wait to see my son play with my nephew! My son just turned one, so my three year old nephew is excited to actually get to play with him for the first time and not just watch him lay around! I’m sure I’ll be taking a billion pictures and hoping that they aren’t all too blurry to see!
We will be home this Christmas, celebrating with my in-laws. My parents and sisters live out-of-state and we usually travel to see them for one major holiday during the year. But, this year we’re home and the thought of NOT having to travel with a 3 1/2 year old (while pregnant) is pretty great!
My husband and I have huge families so Christmas Eve is usually spent with 30-40 people at a big party my mom hosts. Christmas day is much quieter with just us and our son and dinner at my moms house. My husbands parents live in Arizona so we try to Skype with them during the day.
Planning on eating WAY too much 🙂 oh, and spending time with the fam 🙂
would love to have NYC holiday traditions but I’m a bit far away on the west coast…i love decorating and adding a new ornament each year (many of my tree branches have 2 ornaments these days!), i take my kids on a local “christmas train” and spend time baking cookies and dreaming of snow (instead of the rain!).
With a new baby holidays are a little different this year. We spend time with our families but end up just sitting around and watching the baby.
Christmas is my daughter’s birthday so we’ll be having her 2nd “birthday” party that morning as well as family get together in the evening!
Having family visiting and meeting new friends at our dinner. Plus- cookies!
Going to check out all the lights and go to the zoo to see their lights and the reindeer!!
We are headed to Pittsburgh to spend christmas with my parents, sister, brother and Gram(she is 96!)
Our holiday plans involve as much traveling and family time as we can cram into our time off of school. We will be ready to sell our kids to the highest bidder(or any bidder) after all the quality time we will have!
We are home for Christmas with just the 4 of us, no extended family, so we’ll we be taking lots of pics to send to family!!
My husband has the week off, so we’re going to do some family stuff, and then we have one set of grandparents coming to town for Christmas.
We used up our travel budget by October so we are staying home and celebrating our little one’s first Christmas 🙂
I get so frustrated by my blurry kids. They are super cute, but it’s so hard to tell sometimes.
For Christmas, we are going to be doing day trips to visit my family, and my in-laws. Thankfully, everyone is within a 2 hour driving radius!
My husband and I were abroad for six years, and when we got back last year, cisting California from DC was just too much of an undertaking. So- I’m finally getting back to Cali for the holidays, and we’ll even make it to New Orleans to spend time with my husband’s family. Both families in one year? I can’t quite believe we’ll finally be home for the holidays.
We just moved at the end of November and are not traveling home for Christmas (we are for New Years!). Because of my husband’s work travel schedule, we decided to go away just our family for Christmas (a first for us!). Looking forward to new experiences this year.
I love all the traditions that come with the holidays. Watching Christmas movies, making gingerbread houses, skating, sledding, multiple Christmas meals and parties !
We will be spending Christmas at home in Maryland. I would love to take my son to NYC one year for Christmas when he is older. I’m just happy to be surrounded by family and friends.
We’re Jewish but we used Christmas as a time to gather with our family since everyone if off work and feeling festive. We’ll go to my mom’s about 2 hours away. We have always had a family tradition of Chinese on Xmas Eve, then opening gifts together since Hanukkah was so early this year. Xmas day we visit more family and my husband’s best friend and out godchild.
I’ve been drooling for a new camera for 4 years but haven’t been able to pull it together to get one!
Christmas eve is lobster stew and this year gift exchange with my parents, siblings and their families.
Our Christmas day plans are simple – seeing what Santa has left under the tree, eating breakfast, Mass at the Basilica in my hometown, lunch with my parents and whomever else can make it, and an easy day at home with my husband and 2-yr-old boy. We are Blessed.
The day after a huge holiday party at my parents house!
Now that Hanukah is done, we will be spending a lot of time remaining calm while explaining to screaming kids that Christmas is not better, just different. Other that that, I work for a not for profit, so I’ll be working hard trying to close end of year gifts. 🙂
Going to see the Festival of Lights, spending time with family, baking cookies, Christmas crafting, and lots of dancing to Christmas music!
I have an energetic 2/12 year old who is really enjoying all things Christmas this year. We’ve taken him to many outdoor events, tree lightings, visiting with Santa, etc. I would really love a new amazing camera to snap a picture of my parents as I tell them I’m expecting baby #2 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Usual stuff, visiting family!
Parties start this week and go right through Christmas day. We have at least 5 to attend. I’m looking forward to a (relatively) quiet Christmas morning with just our little family though.
We will be spending our last Christmas in San Francisco before we move. Union Square, seeing the Nutcracker, visiting Sonoma. Happy Holidays!
I will be spending the day with 2 of my 8 grandbabies! I’m sad I won’t be able to be with the other 6, but I’m SO blessed to have them all in my life!
Florida for the holidays!
We are spending Christmas Eve/Christmas morning away from home for the first time – visiting my husband’s sister in Virginia. I have to say, that combined with these ridiculous warm temperatures are making it really hard to get into the Christmas spirit…
Holiday plans for this Xmas…staying at our house for the day, dinner with some family the next day, and another dinner with other family the following day! My older daughter is almost four, and this is the first year she’s been super into Xmas…which makes it really fun! I would love to win the camera mommyshorts!
We host family each year
I need a good camera so bad. I also prefer my iPhone. Almost all of the photos I have of my 8 month old are iPhone photos ???? For Christmas lets just say we have many many places to be, spanning over the week.????????????????????
Holiday plans are a little christmas at home with our 2 and 4 year old and then we travel 3.5 hours to spend a weekend with my parents! It all goes so fast and since there’s no snow in my area of Wisconsin yet it just doesn’t feel like Christmas!
Christmas morning at home with the kids, then to my in-laws. New year’s day we’ll be with my family to celebrate Christmas.
We spend Christmas Eve/Day with my in-laws, then my family is coming to visit for the week between Christmas and NYE!
A little sad that my husband will be at work Christmas morning this year. Especially since our baby’s first. Wondering if I can convince the kids to wait until 3pm to open presents…. hahaha
We’ll be doing the rounds between my parents’ house (Christmas Eve into Christmas morning) and my in-laws’ house (Christmas evening into the 26th), which is always fun, but a little stressful. We’ve already decided that next year we’ll stay at home for Christmas Eve for the first time, so I’m going to soak up the time spent with my parents and siblings this year before things change next year.
Really looking forward to Christmas this year as our daughter is now a little over a year and half and we are expecting another at the end of April. We have a lot to be thankful for and will enjoy the day with both sides of our family that all live pretty close. It will be a packed day, but a good one!
We will be continuing our new tradition of visiting our park’s Festival of Lights display, as well as enjoying our holiday time treat of sparkling white grape juice and s’mores bark! Those finishing touches to our meals always seems to complete the warm fuzzy feeling of this time of year spent with the family 🙂
I’m thrilled to be staying home and not having house guests for Christmas. My parents live in the same town and will come over for presents and lunch, but the rest of the time is just for the three of us–a perfect holiday!
Our holiday plans will start this weekend with visiting a super decorated street in our town because my two year old is addicted to Christmas lights. We will go to my sister in law’s for Christmas breakfast and then stay home Christmas night with our annual Asian food extravaganza and movie night. It’s my favorite time of year.
We will be spending the holidays surrounding by family!!!!
staying home for a staycation which makes us appreciate San Fran even more. Cooking up a storm and having some people over for the holidays!
We have FOUR Christmases! Somewhere in there we will try to have our own at vine with our two daughters, 3 years old and 10 weeks old.
It’s our daughters first Christmas so lots of family, lots of pictures and lots of food. Hoping to get atleast one photo of her with her 2.5 year old brother in front of the tree with smiles on the face!
We are spending Christmas Day with my famy and hosting my in-laws the day after.
We’ll be sitting in sunny Florida hoping that my Mom makes it back in time! We have a tiny little tree set up and will wait until we know if she’ll make it before we go Christmas food shopping so that should be entertaining. LOL!
This will be my first year without my Dad, but thankfully I will be spending christmas with my fiancee, our two silly little girls, my brother in law and his partner. I am very blessed for this holiday gathering.
cooking up a storm for the west coast fam!
I love this post, but I’m not sure how to “like” it without a Facebook account! I will like your post in Instagram though! I don’t know if that counts. Either way, my husband and I are excited to have our first Christmas at our house instead of his parents’ house. Our 3 year old daughter is really understanding so much more this year and our one year old daughter is just excited in general! I’ve decorated the house for Christmas and am trying to find ways to honor nth of our heritages and families in establishing our own traditions. We have a mixed bag of Irish, Italian, German, Mexican, and French in our blood so it’s been fun! I love that photo of Mazzy looking at the tree with such wonder, it makes me want to take the girls to NYC one of these winters!
This is our sons first Christmas, he’s 11 months old! I’m so excited to spend this wonderful time of year with him and our family in our first home. It’s a lot of firsts this year for us!
Lots of family and food. We also get to take group family pictures since we’re rarely all together.
We are headed across the state to spend a week with my in-laws, then travel back on Christmas Day to then spend the weekend with my parents. I have a two and three year old so 7 hours in the car, well, is an eternity and I think that a super cool camera would be just the thing to document and make the trip a little better.
I will be visiting NYC over the holidays!
I am excited to spend the holidays at my husbands family lake house in Minnesota – no internet, and lots of family time and board games!
Spending the holidays with my family. My favorite part is watching my kids play with all of their cousins!
Spending Christmas morning with our family, opening presents early and eatin cinnamon rolls! (And drinking lots of coffee!)
I mean *eating ????
My brother and his family are coming to visit. We are also planning to see the lights around town and bake cookies.
Hey!!! We will be taking a cruise in the caribbeann!!!
my husband is a minister, so our actual holiday plans are pretty low-key. however, we’ve already been to a sing-a-long, taken my daughter to her first-ever performance of the nutcracker, visited santa, and donated gifts for those in need. whew! we’re looking forward to our traditional christmas eve dinner between dad’s church services and a visit from grammy and papa after christmas. 🙂
I’ve actually noticed your photos recently and thought this entire time you used an slr. Very cool. Also love the impromptu dates with the first child. I don’t do those enough. Should try for one as we are home for the holidays and the kids are off.
my plans for christmas are have a wonderful dinner with all my family, celebrating the first christmas of my little baby girl!!
This year we for Christmas we are heading to the mountains to go skiing. We will be attempting to have our son (just turned 3yrs old) ski. Wish us luck!
We are hosting Christmas at our house this year and having family with us that we normally do not get see this time of year because they live so far away. Going to be so wonderful to have all of them together 🙂
For Christmas, we will see my family on LI the weekend before, stay at our house the day of and then drive down to MD to see his family for the weekend after. On new years we are trying to have a few friends sleep over.
With a one year old and a 5.5 year old, all my pictures are blurry so I need a real camera!
this year we are staying home for the holidays. we will have my sister’s family driving down for Christmas though so that will be fun!
Spending time with family!
Basking in the 72 degree NYC weather – eek!
Came back to Minnesota to spend time with my family ( freeze our butts off) and so everyone can have their first Christmas with my three year old son.
We’re FINALLY moving into our new house!
On Christmas Day the hubs and I are loading up the 4 year old and colicky 5 month old and driving to Illinois. Home is Florida. I die a little every time I think of it.
What fun! I am hosting my first holiday in 7 years! My parents are coming to stay for the week!
I live in NYC as well so we’re def going to see the tree and just have a typical christmas dinner with family.