Picture People, not quite picture perfect!

It could have been the Xmas season that made Picture People in Exton Mall so ridiculously crowded at 3:50pm on a Friday, but I didn't plan on spending an hour waiting to get our photo taken. A crowded wait area, tons of kids, and my own kid sick, did not bode well with me.

Once we got in the photo shoot, out photographer was so nice, she still had a genuine smile on her face despite the fact that she must have been dealing with cranky people all day. It was a bit rushed though. No more than 15 minutes, and we didn't get even close to the number of poses we had at JCPenney.

The quality of the pics were good though. With a groupon, I managed to get a honey of a deal for a single pose, but then ended up paying a small fortune ($80) on a "duet" portrait. I didn't know how much it cost until I was at the register. Of course they always sell you stuff when your child is in the throws of a post-photo shoot meltdown, which is inevitable.

One bonus is you get your pics immediately. No waiting a week! The down side is you only have the pics on file 2 days before they delete them from the database. You get a miserly week if you buy their membership. What a rip!

Overall, I think I'd go back to JCPenny where I got more for my money despite the wait for the pictures!

Garden Party! Our Trip to Longwood Gardens!

We've had tickets taped to the fridge since July and a million excuses why we couldn't take a trip to Kennett Square this weekend. Finally, the 24 hour Christmas music station got me in the mood to see some amazingly decked out trees. It was time to journey to Longwood.

I was worried about the trip for several reasons:

1. The lengthy car ride and a cranky baby (luckily slept both to and from Longwood!)

2. A lot of walking with a stroller resistant baby (all that walking gave us the blessed and rare 2nd afternoon nap)

3. Potential boredom (Do babies really care that much about flowers? Yes, they do!)

As you can see my fears were laid to rest as we set my child loose in the Children's Garden in the conservatory. This little garden comes complete with dozens of water fountains, cool statues, a discovery station, musical instruments, and a woman with a puppet dog, Woody, to entertain! I didn't realize that it was so kid friendly! Be warned though that your child WILL get soaked in the water fountains, so bring a change of clothes! Longwood will lend you a towel to dry your munchkin up. Now that's thinking ahead!

We did manage to set our 1 year old loose with minimal destruction to the indoor gardens. We took pit stops along the way for snacks, and she was happy as a little girl could be!

We didn't go in the evening to see the lighted trees, but the Christmas route in the conservatory was stunning and worth the journey. Many families were having their Christmas card photos taken in front of the many trees of splendor! If I had thought of it, we, too, would have been wearing our Sunday best! Next year I'll be ready!

Overall, I strongly suggest a visit. But be warned, it is A LOT of walking! Happy gardening!