A Friend of Lens Friends is a Friend of Mine

Have you heard of Lens Friends photo studio?  It's one of my new favorite places.  They are a DIY photo studio in Huntingdon Valley, PA.  What does this mean exactly?  The concept is new, but is so simple.  You gather your kids (or family, or even pets) and take them to the photo studio where you use their props, backgrounds and even their cameras to take your OWN pictures!

For a photo junkie like me, this is a lot of fun.  I took my three girls (ages 21 months, 5 and 7) there in March and we had so much fun!  The girls loved playing dress up and pretending to be models.  I loved that I could take pictures of my kids with Lens Friends' professional camera without anyone breathing down my throat telling me how many poses I had to take and how many sheets I had to buy. 

Lens Friends offers plenty of assistance with changing backgrounds, bringing out props, and even getting your kids to look at the camera.  They gave me some pointers on how to hold the camera and the best way to arrange my kids in the shot.  At the end of the shoot, my kids didn't want to leave.  They are still asking when they can go back again.  (Soon, kids, I promise!)

At the end of the photo shoot, you go home with all your photos on a high resolution CD.  You own all the copyrights to your own pictures, which is not cheap at other photo studios!  Lens Friends can even print your photos for you.  They can make photo gifts and collages and print up to 11x14 images.

SPECIAL:  Follow this blog AND like us on facebook for a great offer from Lens Friends.  See the Deals and Daytrips facebook page for the offer.  Thanks to the great folks at Lens Friends for offering this special promotion to the Deals and Daytrips family!

But, wait....there's MORE!  Lens Friends just announced an upcoming special event.  You can book a photo shoot with adorable Golden Retriever puppies!  Imagine the shots of your kids getting some puppy love!  This limited engagement is only available July 7th and 8th from 2-7pm.  You MUST call the studio to book your appointment for this event (no online bookings).

Do you have kids that want to get behind the camera?  Lens Friends is offering weeklong camps for ages 10-15 throughout the summer.  Campers will learn techniques such as camera basics, portraits, and basic Photoshop skills.

For the grown ups that need a little help behind the camera, Lens Friends is offering an Intro to Digital Photography class.  These classes are being held on the 3rd Wednesday of the month in June, July and August.  Not only will you learn photo techniques, but you'll get hands on training in the photo studio.  Space for all events is limited, so reserve quickly!

Need a unique spot for a birthday party?  Lens Friends is the place!  They offer a great party package for 6-10 partygoers.  Your party guests enjoy private studio time and each guest gets to take home a CD of all the photos taken at the party.

Studio time and birthday parties can be booked online or by calling the studio at 215-938-9801.  Reservations are always recommended.

Special tip from my 7 year old:  Don't dress in "busy" clothes.  Her plaid shirt (that I made her wear--yes, still hearing about that!) didn't match all the great props she wanted to be photographed with.  She recommends dressing in solid colors to coordinate with all the props in the studio.  :)

If you are dressing for a special occasion (graduation, dance costumes, etc.), consider bringing a change of clothes with you for additional pictures.

Have you been to Lens Friends?  If you have, please leave a comment below.  I'd love to hear about your experience.

You Belong in the Zoo

Today I took my family on a daytrip to the Philadelphia Zoo.  We have a membership there, so we try to go there on the off-chance we have a free weekend day.  Now that the weather is finally nice, we are trying to make a conscious effort to take some time to enjoy the zoo.

We seem to head in the same direction each time we visit the zoo.  We walk in, bear right, visit the Rare Animal Conservation Center, and make our way over to the primates and big cats.  Low and behold, at the end of our visit, we're always whizzing past the giraffes, zebras, bears and other animals on our way out the door, wondering why we NEVER get to see them.  So, today we set off on a new direction.  We didn't know where we were headed, but we knew we were going to see some animals that we don't usually see on our zoo visits.

I'll have to admit that I don't remember ever seeing the giraffes and zebras today, but we saw animals that we've never seen at the Philadelphia Zoo.  We've had a membership there for two years, and we had never seen otters there before.  The exhibit is somewhat hidden, but I'm glad we decided to take that path today.  My kids were so excited that the zoo had "new animals" this time, and my 7 year old was snap-happy with my camera trying to take photos of every one of them.

We also made a visit to the Small Mammal House.  Although we have been to that exhibit before, it's been so long that it was new to my kids.  Here, there is a nocturnal mammal area.  My kids loved watching "porcupines" walking around in the "night".  And, although they thought it was "stinky", they also enjoyed watching the meerkats skatter around their exhibit.

The zoo usually has some type of temporary exhibit each year to keep things new and fresh.  This year, they have a program called X-tink-shun, a wild puppet x-perience. X-tink-shun is an organization of endangered (and one extinct) animals that have come together to teach zoo visitors about the importance of  animal conservation.  It's taken me more than one zoo visit to fully understand what X-tink-shun is, so let me make it easier for you. 





Igor the Tiger performs in X-tink-shun


• There are 7 animals in the X-tink-shun cast.  They "perform" at various stages set up throughout the zoo.  Each performance lasts about 15 minutes and repeats throughout the day.  Each animal (puppet) teaches kids (and, adults, too!) about where they live (or lived), why they are endangered and what we can do to help animal conservation.  The kids can interact with the animals and are free to ask questions. 
• The X-tink-shun parade performs daily.  Check for showtimes when you arrive because I think they vary depending on the day of the week.  During this small parade, visitors are invited to march around Bird Lake, carrying self-made paper bag hand puppets and signs promoting your efforts in animal conservation.  You can make the puppets and signs at a table set up near the lake.  I marched around the lake with my 3 kids carrying signs that read "Extinction Stinks" and "Hail the Creatures".  Although the kids had fun marching and chanting "Extinction Stinks", this is not the kind of parade you line up to watch like you would in a theme park.  It's more of a participatory activity for the kids.  It was quick, it was something new to do, and it's only at the zoo for a limited time.
• In addition to these performances, there is a new X-tink-shun 3-minute movie in the Big Cat Falls theater.
• The X-tink-shun exhibits will be ongoing at the zoo through October 31st.

Even though we took a different route today, we made an effort to make some of our more regular stops as well.  We watched gorillas chase each other around the Primate Preserve, we took a ride on the Amazon Rainforest Carousel, and we made a visit to the Children's Zoo.  We had a fun time in the Children's Zoo petting goats, riding ponies and looking at just-hatched chicks.  But, we are very much looking forward to the brand NEW Children's Zoo that is currently under construction.  Although we love our zoo and all that it has to offer, it's nice to be surprised to find new things from time to time.



Brushing goats and sheep in the Children's Zoo



Don't Miss Out

Well, Deals and Daytrip fans, I feel like it's been a while since my last blog post.  Between life's normal hectic ways and the holiday weekend, I just haven't been able to get a few minutes to myself.  So, here I am, after midnight, putting together a few words.

If you haven't already noticed, you can now see all the great deals I post on Facebook right here on the blog.  So, if you don't use Facebook, you will no longer miss out on the many great deals posted there. Now you can go straight to the blog, and click the links to any of the deals being offered!

Speaking of great deals, did you buy the Old Navy Groupon?  This one won't last long!  You can purchase a Groupon good for $20 worth of great stuff at Old Navy for only $10.  The $20 purchase must be made by 7/30/11, but you have to get the Groupon while supplies last!

Another fun deal that's expiring soon is the Groupon for admission tickets to the Atlantic City Aquarium.  This Groupon is only $8 for 2 admission tickets to the Atlantic City Aquarium.  I visited the aquarium over the winter and the kids loved it.  I realize the aquarium isn't the first place you think of going when you're heading to the shore, but it's a great back up plan in case of bad weather.  The aquarium is not that big, so it's manageable for young kids.  You can easily do everything in under 2 hours.  My kids are still talking about the "Touch Tank" where you can touch a starfish, stingrays, sharks, and other sealife.

Don't miss out on the great deals coming up.  "Like" my facebook page and scroll to the bottom of this blog to "Follow by Email".  Thanks to everyone who has shared my page with your friends.  I really do appreciate it.