Taking a picture of your pet can be difficult. Here are a few tricks and ideas on how to get the best shot of your furry friend.

1. Be prepared and patient. It might be hard at first, but keep persevering. The good thing about digital cameras is that you can take several shots, and the more you take, the more you’ll be able to choose from later. Bring treats and toys to help get your pet’s attention.

2. Take the shot from their eye level. You might have to sit or lie down to take the photo from their eye level, but the beautiful photos you’ll get will be worth it.

3. Let them be the center of attention. Photos look better when they are filled with only your pet. Get close to your dog or cat, or use the zoom function on your camera to let them fill the frame.

4. Minimize red eye. I always have this problem when photographing my bunny or my dog. To prevent red eye from happening, use natural light or turn off the flash function on your camera.

5. For more information, check out, “Learn How to Take Great Photos of Your Dog” by Sarah Dawn. For a video on how to get them in the right position see, “How to Take Your Dog’s Picture” by Eric Letendre.

After you’ve got the best shot, show it off with one of these adorable Photo Dog Announcements from Tiny Prints.

Does your family have a family crest? If you don’t already have one, why not make this a creative activity for the whole family? It will help kids understand where they came from and give them a sense of pride about your family’s history.

Decide together what shape you would like your crest to be. Then, add significant symbols inside. For example, a flag of the country your family originated from and then the flag that your family currently resides in. Other parts of the crest could include your initials or monograms. Or how about drawing a picture of your family? While there are formal ways of creating your family’s crest, I think it’s more important to have fun with it and get everyone involved.

After you’ve finished with it and everyone’s satisfied with the results, there are places that can professionally create this for you.

Another great idea? Use them in your next birthday card. Just choose a photo card and use your beautiful crest to decorate it.