Time to announce some photo finalists! The photos you see here were among a group of pictures submitted in February. These are the three pics that the judges determined to be the best in the batch. Remember, photos are judged on emotional impact, or, as we like to call it, the “awwwwww” factor.

(In the photo above, do ya think this is one proud Grandpa or what? We’re guessing these two guys are best buddies.)

You don’t have to be a pro with a camera to become a finalist. You just have to be lucky enough to capture one of those great “awwww” moments with your camera. Timing is everything so keep your camera handy!

(Speaking of “awwww” moments, we think the pink puppy in the picture at right is probably wondering how she ended up being the chew toy in this scenario.)

Congrats to the moms who shot these photos because this means you’re one step closer to the mega grand-prize, which will be awarded at the end of April. The grand prize is a free photo session with photographer Melinda Worthington of MJW Photography. Click here or on the newborn pic at right to see some examples of her amazing work with kids of all ages.

Not only will the winner get the free photo shoot, she’ll also get a HUGE wall print (16 by 20 inch) of her favorite shot from that session. As most of you know, a package like this is worth hundreds of dollars.

The good news is that you still have time to submit photos for the snapshot contest. You can submit up to 5 photos each month. Just be sure not to submit any professional shots because those are protected by copyright.

Regardless of whether or not your photos are selected as snapshot finalists, we’ll still be showing them off in our photo gallery, which is found at the bottom of each page of the website. If you’re ever having one of “those days,” I recommend you click through the pages of our photo gallery because these snapshots of local kids are guaranteed to lift your mood and make you smile. Works on me every single time.

HOW TO SUBMIT PHOTOS:  Send your snapshots via email to us at gwen@nwaMotherlode.com. Send them in a  “jpeg” format, if possible. Remember you can send up to 5 photos per month, so keep those cameras flashing! Good luck!

(Happiness is…. sharing a cookie break with a friend. )

The judges have spoken! Here are the three very cute photos they selected as finalists for the nwaMotherlode Snapshot Contest.Congrats to the moms who submitted the photos you see here! (The one above is a great shot of a baby boy saying hello to a furry friend, with a little help from his dad.)

Remember that the photo finalists go on to compete for the grand prize, which will be awarded at the end of April.

(The little guy pictured at right puts an arm around his daddy. How sweet is that?)

The grand prize is a free photo session with photographer Melinda Worthington of MJW Photography. Click here to see her website and examples of her work. She is amazing with babies and kids!

The grand prize winner will also receive a free 16×20 inch wall print of her favorite shot from the photo session. The entire package is worth hundreds! Very cool prize.

(Don’t you wish you could get the men in your life to help out the way these two guys pictured on the right do? One pushes the vacuum cleaner and the other catches a ride.)

If you’d like to submit photos, you still have plenty of time. You can submit up to 5 photos per month between now and the end of April. Send your photos to us at gwen@nwaMotherlode.com. We’ll show them off for you in our photo gallery which is located at the bottom of this page.

Since many of us are having a snow day, we wanted to share a few of the “snowy” snapshots we’ve received lately like the one above of this sweet baby girl experiencing her very first ride in a sled. (Can we just tell you how much we LOVE her hat?)

As many of you know, our snapshot contest is open for submissions. I’ve been busy all weekend opening e-mails with lots of really cute photos of Northwest Arkansas kids. The judges will choose finalists at the end of every month and we’ll announce January finalists soon. (Check out the little guy on the right who looks like he has a snowball in that little mitten of his.)

You still have time to submit photos during February, March and April. In fact, you can submit up to 5 photos per month. At the end of April, the judges will review the finalists chosen for each month and pick a grand prize winner. (What can I say about the photo below? It just makes me happy. His joy is as pure as the driven snow.)

The grand prize winner gets a photo shoot with photographer Melinda Worthington of MJW Photography as well as a huge 16 by 20 inch wall print of her favorite shot from the session. Click on Melinda’s name to see examples of her photos on her website.

Whether you’re inside or out in the snow today, here’s hoping that you and your little ones stay warm and have a great week. Remember to keep your cameras handy. We’d love to show off some of your favorite snapshots.

To submit snapshots, e-mail them to gwen@nwaMotherlode.com.

Oh, I do love the pictures! Opening e-mail is a little like Christmas because I can hardly wait to see what kinds of photos might be waiting there. Thank you to those moms who have already sent in a few snapshots. Some of them are scattered throughout this post, and they are SO cute. Love, love, love ‘em!

ENTER THE PHOTO CONTEST: Remember that we’re still accepting photos, and the winner of the snapshot contest gets a FREE photo session with photographer Melinda Worthington of MJW Photography. Not only do you get the free session, you also get a HUGE wall print (16×20) of your favorite shot from that session. Just in case you’re doing the math, that’s a package that would normally cost you hundreds of dollars. So don’t miss out on a chance to win it.

Melinda’s photography is pretty amazing, and we guarantee you’ll love having her photograph your kids in action. Did you see the recent article she wrote for us with tips on how to photograph a newborn? CLICK HERE if you didn’t see it because the photos are way too good to miss.

Please don’t think that your chances of winning are low if you’re not fabulous with a camera. These shots are not judged on photography skill but rather on “emotional impact.” (We call it the “awwwwww” factor.) So choose snapshots that are dear to your heart — the ones that make you warm all over, the ones that make you laugh or cry or the ones that capture a wonderful moment. (The moment pictured above includes a sweet little boy going nose-to-nose with a dog named “Hershey’s Kisses.”)

You can submit 5 photos per mama per month. (We know it’s impossible to narrow it down to one favorite.) So keep those photos coming! E-mail your photos to gwen@nwaMotherlode.com. The judges will pick a few finalists at the end of January and we’ll post them early next month. The grand prize winner will be named at the end of April, just in time for a spring photo shoot!