Tuesday, 5 May 2020

Celebrate VE Day at home 2020

When there was the announcement that the May Bank Holiday was moved from Monday 4th to Friday 8th to celebrate 75 Years of VE Day none of us ever expected a lockdown VE Day celebration.

But throw in a global pandemic and that is what we have. All those well planned big events have gone out of the window, and we are wondering how we can plan for it ourselves.

So VE Day 2020 is something now to do at home - but not only that we can use it as lessons and activities for homeschooling too.

Teaching Resources

The BBC have online videos for teaching about WW2 this short 5 minute video explains to children what VE & VJ day are but there are other videos also available in a 10-video schedule all about WW2.

You can also find teaching resources from the British Legion too! I've also found a couple of comprehension activities for children too which you can access here and here

Celebrating at Home


You may have seen this poster circulating around social media on how we can celebrate the entire day with a full breakdown of activities. Whether you do them as a house, or your entire street gets involved! :) You could even knock up some War-time Recipies too!

Activities & Decorations
At the minute we cannot run around purchasing things to decorate our streets with, but we can turn resourceful!

Colouring Hero's have some great VE Day templates on their Facebook page. Or you could download your own bunting template to either colour in, or use to make a material bunting!

You can sit and chill with a cup of tea and a VE Day wordsearch too! Theres plenty on this link including different age ranges!

Baker Ross have some amazing free downloads, with posters, Thank Yous, and colour in bunting! Will definitely keep you all busy for an hour or two!



And last but not least head over to the RBLI VEDAY75 Web Section where there are sing along lyrics, things for kids & adult activity packs, dance steps and lots more!

We may be safe at home, but we can still celebrate!

The Royal British Legion has created a colour-in poster to display in the window.


Sunday, 22 March 2020

DIY Newborn Photographs durin COVID-19


So as we head into uncertain times with COVID-19 and many business, and small business closing their doors to people to help practice social distancing I know that there are a lot of parents who were excited for their newborn's first photographs – who will be unable to go out and get them.

Here is a small guide, to help you get some nice, basic ones at home.

My first tip is shoot as close to a window as possible – all these photographs have been taken on my phone and edited on it too – I couldn’t give you a guide whilst using photographs taken and edited from my camera & photoshop, it didn’t seem fair.

I have a beanbag (all beanbags will do), but you can use a cushion off the sofa, or the bed, if that’s, is easier - and something to cover it, whether its a blanket or something fluffy!


I also gathered together some hats, scarves, and headbands, you will probably have some of these things in your home already. Right now, it is about capturing SOME images rather than having nothing that you'd like. I know it won't be the same.

Start with the basics.

Baby laid on their back, even in a nappy is fine rather than fully naked. And then move around baby, and add head/headband too to mix and match some photographs. Baby is laid with the light at the side of them - so you gt some share on one side of their face.


Next up, before anything else - add in a toy. This can be something that was bought as a gift, something that belongs to you - or even something you bought when you had just found out you were pregnant. This allows you also to see how little your baby was - as the toy will NEVER change size, but your baby will continue to grow!


Next up - wrapping!
Some babies love being swaddled, and some HATE it.


So, when wrapping, just make sure that the baby is happy and safe, you may wish to skip this one altogether and that is fine.I just used a standard scarf to wrap this doll - the shorter edge was tucked in across the body, holding the arms in, and then the rest was tucked/wrapped around. The edge can be left out to be "wavy" or it can be tucked in to create a smooth outer. And then you can go ahead and add hats or headbands to mix it up.


Before we get rid of the wrap, use it to wrap around baby's foot - and then take a close up of all those beautiful tiny toes!


Next up: Side Laying

When you lay your baby on their side, make sure that their hands are comfortable at all time, sometimes they will automatically move them up to the side of their face. Please don't leave them on their side for too long and keep an eye on their hands/fingers "changing colour" as this can happen quite quickly with babies - it just means they are laid on them awkwardly.


Using a scarf to drape can mix these photographs up too. But remember that the baby is better to either looking to the window, (big picture) or their head is at the window (top picture) so the light from the window goes down the baby, rather than up from their toes.

Top Tip, don't shoot up your little ones nose, shoot "down" their nose instead. (side by side examples)


These following images are before and after images edited on my phone with an app called Pixlr which is a free app. You can adjust brightness, change to black and white, and crop images.  Here are a few just to give you an idea :)










I hope to see you all sometime soon at Blue Lights Photography.

If you have had to miss your Newborn Photographs due to COVID-19 the I would advise you looking for photographs around 14-16 weeks when your little one is smiling more and is happy to spend time on their tummy too.

Alternatively waiting until sitting unaided will give you another big important milestone to capture.

I hope to see you soon xXx





















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