Below are some images that I snapped while out with my son at the park. I didn't even use my "fancy"camera. Here are some Before and After samples on easy things to do.
All images taken with an Olympus x-42 point and shoot camera.
12 mega pixels, set on Auto with auto flash
Use Filters, Crop in close, change the Color, Adjust the Contrast,
Exaggerate all of the above to create a mood,
and never forget Desaturation (aka: black and white).
There are so many ways to change your images just enough to make them a little more interesting. Your family and friends will be wowed at your skills!
Remember when looking for a "fix it" program that you find one that allows you to change the angle of the photo when cropping it by turning the corners. Also experiment with what you have! Don't just stop when you think it looks good...go a little bit further until you think it looks BAD. Then you know where the threshold is.
