A few weeks ago I mentioned that I had written a whole article for Richmond Family Magazine with photo tips for the holidays. In that article is a full list of tips, advice, and things to remember as you get planning and doing this season. I wanted to expand on one of those this week, in a way that I can’t in a 1500 word magazine article.

I’ve talked about how to make holiday photos with your extended family easier for you, in a “hire a professional for some photos” kind of way. That’s not what this is, though. This is more of the DIY variety, which is what most of us are doing this time of year. We’re DIYing everything to make the magic happen for our kids, from stringing lights and baking, to coming up with holiday-themed crafts to keep the kids busy when it’s raining buckets outside, to watching the Grinch on repeat (that’s less DIY and more just finding it on a streaming app, but you get the idea).

It can be easy to get caught up in the magic-making during an overly-busy time of year, and completely forget to document any of it for posterity. It’s always amazing to me how much the kids forget from one year to the next, and how much they’re surprised each year. I’ve found that I jog the kids’ memories a lot with photos from previous holidays and really appreciate having those photos for all our sakes.

But when you’re the one DIYing everything to make magic for everyone, how do you also manage to document it all?

The big secret is planning it out ahead of time. (Read more about that in the article I wrote.) But it’s more than that. It’s being intentional with what you’re photographing, so that you get to enjoy your time and not spend it all behind a rectangle smashing a button.

Are you starting or continuing any family traditions this year? You probably want photos of that. We have a tradition of giving the kids matching holiday-themed pjs and a new tree ornament the night that we decorate the tree every year. Somehow it’s still always a surprise when we do it, and their expressions of joy and delight are ones that I plan ahead as something I want to remember - and photograph.

Something else I try to document is the cookie decorating, which is always a chaotic mess of sprinkles and icing, but results in a fleeting piece of artwork that I want to remember before it gives them a stomach ache.

It’s pretty easy to whip out your phone (as long as you remembered to have it in your pocket and not in the next room while those so-fast activities are happening.) The hard part is planning out how you’re going to get into the photos with your kids.

Last night my son and I sat down to create a Winter Traditions slide for his class powerpoint (due today, of course) that required photos and text about our family’s traditions during this season. It was during our search for photos that I realize just how few images we have together as a family at Christmas. We have a great time together! Why am I not in any of the photos?

Think about the activities that you really want to remember next year. The ones that in future years your kids will remember fondly as a fun part of the holiday season. Consider how you can make sure you get into those photos, too. Do you ask another adult to take a photo? Set up an empty coffee cup to plop your phone into with a timer? Hire a pro to photograph one of those activities?

Planning ahead will help you enjoy the activities more, so you’re not stressed out thinking about how you’re going to do it while also carrying out the activity. How can you help your future self thank you? Find the right sized coffee cup now, for example. Figure out how that timer works ahead of time. Assign photo-taking to a patient adult who will be willing to get more than one, when someone inevitably blinks.

You could even start a new tradition of taking the same(ish) photo every year, in the same place, with ever-growing kids. That could be a really fun addition to a family photo book every year.

And speaking of family photo books, I have a new project to help you finally get that taken care of in the new year, too, with options that run the gamut from completely-done-for-you, to all-DIY. Read more about Yearbooks here.