Happy Friday, mamas! Just wanted to remind you that you’ve got 11 more days to submit photos this month for our snapshot contest. The August theme is “hanging out.” Yesterday we received the snapshot you see above of a little boy hanging out by the pool and a butterfly hanging out on his nose! Once in a lifetime kind of snapshot, don’t ya think?

Your “hanging out” photos can be of almost anything — kids literally hanging around in trees, on monkey bars, in a baby sling, or just hanging out at home on the sofa.We bet you’ve already got quite a few photos that would fall into this category.

Remember that the winner of the snapshot contest gets a FREE photo session with photographer extraordinnaire, Melinda Worthington of MJW Photography. (Click here to see her work.) And the winner will also get to choose her favorite shot of the session and get a huge 16×20 wall print of it. To enter the contest, send up to five photos per month to this address: gwen@nwaMotherlode.com. Photos are judged on emotional impact, or, as we like to call it, “the Awwwwww or Wow factor.” You might even find a few of them featured in our Polaroid frame at the top of the homepage!

We got a TON of really cute photos submitted in July, when the theme was all about kids “keepin’ it cool.” We had pics of kids eating ice cream, swimming at the pool, skidding down a Slip n’ Slide  — you name it. The shot you see pictured above looks like it was taken on a gorgeous beach somewhere, which is one of our favorite ways to “stay cool.”

And we love this next shot of a little guy taking a flying leap into the lake…

And the next snapshot reminds us that water slides can be fun for little kids AND big kids…

Buy hey… you don’t have to have an exotic beach or a lake or even a water slide to stay cool. As the little boy below demonstrates, you can just stretch out on the driveway in your underwear and catch raindrops on your tongue! That works, too.

Thank you to ALL the moms who submitted photos, and congrats to the mamas who sent in the photos selected as July finalists! You guys are one step closer to the big prize awarded at the end of the snapshot contest. It’s a free photo session with photographer Melinda Worthington of MJW Photography. The winning mom will also get to choose her favorite shot from that session and get a HUGE 16 by 20 inch wall print of that photo. That’s a really awesome prize, especially if you happen to love great photos of your kids. You’ll hang onto this prize forever.

The good news is that August is open for all new submissions with a brand new photo theme. This month, we’d love to see photos of kids just “hanging out.” Got a snapshot of your kid dangling from monkey bars? How about a baby hanging out in a sling? Does your kid like to hang out in trees? Or you could send that shot of your kiddo snoozing on the sofa or enjoying some of these lazy days of summer. Any kind of “hanging out” photo will work!

You can send up to 5 photos per month. E-mail the pictures to gwen@nwaMotherlode.com. We’ll post a few of your submissions throughout the month, and you may spot one of your pictures in the Polaroid frame at the top of this page. We love to show off kids in Northwest Arkansas!

Hey girls! Just wanted to let you know that two spots have opened up in the next photography class being taught by photographer Melinda Worthington of MJW Photography. When we announced this class several weeks ago, we had such a high number of moms sign up that Mindy agreed to teach two classes on two different dates. Mindy keeps the class sizes small so there’s time for plenty of one-on-one help as well as questions and answers. The next class happens on Saturday, August 21st from 1 to 4 p.m. at my house in Rogers. If you’re interested in one of the two remaining spots, send me an e-mail ASAP because the first two people I hear from will get those spots. Send a note to gwen@nwaMotherlode.com.

I signed up for the first class, which happened last Sunday, and it was GREAT. I finally understand what all those buttons on my camera mean! Mindy even taught us how to shoot using the manual settings. (The two snapshots you see here were taken during our class and no “auto-focus” or flash was used. Beautiful baby Cora was such a good sport and didn’t mind at all when seven camera-wielding mothers came at her on the front lawn. The picture at right is my 6-year-old son Jack, who agreed to be photographed because he was wearing his “cool dinosaur shirt.”)

Now that the first class is over, I and the other moms in the class are able to send Mindy photos we’re taking and get her tips on how to make them better. It was a very hands-on class, and we shot pictures of real kids so Mindy could walk us through it and give feedback on how to improve the snapshots. I learned so much, and I’m looking forward to hosting the second class at my house so I can pick up a few more tips.

Cost for the class is $50 and worth every penny, in my humble opinion. If that date and time works for you, e-mail me quickly and snag a spot!

Hey, mamas! Don’t forget to send us a few of your favorite snapshots of your kids for our snapshot contest. July’s theme is “keeping it cool” so send us pics of your kids playing in the pool, sprinkler, lake, etc. Or send us some shots of them cooling off with ice cream or popsicles. You can send up to 5 shots per month because we know it’s nearly impossible to pick one favorite.

The photos will be featured in our photo gallery at the bottom of this page (and some will show up in our Polaroid frame at the top of this page). At the end of the month, the panel of judges will pick some finalists from photos submitted in July. Then those finalists will have a shot at the grand prize, which is a free photo session with photographer Melinda Worthington of MJW Photography. Click here to see some of Mindy’s amazing work with kids and families. The winner will also get to choose her favorite shot from that session and get a huge 16×20 wall print! (Can you say “cha-ching”?)

Send your photos to gwen@nwaMotherlode.com. We’re looking forward to seeing your “cool” snapshots.