Let’s take a break from beauty to talk about the most awesome thing I’ve bought in a while. It’s my Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera in ‘Grape.’ And no, this isn’t sponsored and I don’t know the company at all- but hey Fujifilm, if you want to send like a shipping crate of film my way to take unlimited pics of my girls- feel free.
It’s a lightweight, hearty-sized ‘polaroid’ camera that (for you youngsters) prints your photo immediately which was so intoxicating to my girls that they were speechless the whole time their photos developed and for several minutes thereafter. It’s novel, fun to use, and creates photos that remind me of the ones of me when I was their age. Sure it’s not the same quality as digital, but that’s not really the point. The point (for me anyway) is to capture those little moments that aren’t monumental but more everyday and to actually have tangible record of them because, let’s face it, how many of the 10,000 photos on your phone will you ever print out? They live in a device where the aren’t truly enjoyed like these photos can be.
Look at the first pics I took right out of the box. My plan is to hang this IKEA DIGNITET Curtain Wire $14 in the girls’ playroom and clip up rows and rows of photos to fill an empty wall. Really cute and more unexpected than rows of the usual frames.
I also got the case for $12 more because I need all the help I can get to avoid breaking everything I own. (Don’t ask about my shattered IPhone screen I’ve been rocking for a straight week now.)
Because the camera isn’t expensive, they of course get you on the film. It’s $12 for 20 films which isn’t too terrible but I know it will add up quickly. I’m also feeling pressure to make sure everyone’s eyes are open, focused, and happy when I take a photo because it seems to permanent. If you’re a parent you understand how you typically take 25 pictures to get one that’s semi decent so the thought of only having one shot is more than a little stressful.
That stress aside, it’s still the most fun toy I own and I can’t wait to start featuring all of these little pictures in fun way around the house.