Family

About a month ago, I was sitting on the couch wondering what to do for our daughter’s second birthday. She already had about ten million toys (and our house didn’t need one more). That’s when it hit me — instead of more “stuff,” I wanted to give her something meaningful.

I decided to create a photo album filled with all those iPhone pictures that never made it past the phone screen. I opened Google Photos and scrolled all the way back to the very beginning — the day my daughter was born two years ago.

There they were… the chubby cheeks, gummy smiles, tiny baby rolls, and sweet little pigtails as she got older. Everyday moments I had completely forgotten about came rushing back.

Before I knew it, I had clicked “add to cart” on over 800 printed photos. Yep. Eight hundred. Even though I usually get my professional images printed through my lab, this time I used Walgreens with a coupon code — and ended up with four giant boxes of prints ready to go into an album.

And you know what? It was worth every single minute.

Here’s what I realized — kids love looking at pictures of themselves. I think it’s so important for them to see their life story — not just on a phone screen, but in their hands. When they can flip through those pages and point out, “That’s me!” it makes the memories real.

That’s exactly why I’ve started offering professional print and album add-ons with my photography sessions at MelMarie Photography.

✨ Signature Photo Book – This isn’t your average family photo book. It’s handcrafted, lay-flat, and printed on thick matte pages so your images look incredible. The best part? It includes all the photos from your session so you can relive every single moment, not just a select few.

✨ Print + Canvas Collection – Two 8×10 professional prints plus a 16×20 wrapped canvas, ready to hang in your home and make you smile every time you walk by.

These aren’t just “extras.” They’re how you turn your family photography session into something you can enjoy for decades — without digging through hard drives or hoping your phone doesn’t crash.

So here’s my gentle nudge: print your family photos. Whether it’s 8 photos or 800, you’ll never regret holding your memories in your hands.

If you’ve had a session with me (or have one coming up), we can make sure your moments don’t just live in the cloud — they live on your walls, in your albums, and in your family’s hearts.

📸 MelMarie Photography – West Bend, WI Family Photographer