You're probably thinking that I already got him a gift in the form of the boudoir shots but I already gave that to him and I want to give him something the day of the wedding. I love those pictures of the bride & groom opening letters and seeing the emotion on their faces.
But what to get him? Isn't it odd that he's my best friend, I see him every single day, we talk about everything and yet I still struggle with gifts for him?
One thing I came up with is artwork, but I'm not sure if I should save it for the First Anniversary, the paper one. I think he would like this print: http://www.etsy.com/listing/62670990/5x7-4-ever-personalized-art-print but if you look at the color options, I just freeze up. Our wedding colors are blues, so maybe the pool one? Maybe the grey one so it will look good in any room?
I also like this one: http://www.etsy.com/listing/61102777/skyline-series-black-and-white-art-print and the first shot is the Chicago skyline. I think it would be very cute and a throwback to our wedding.
The last idea I've come up with so far is this: http://www.etsy.com/listing/35475347/36-inch-cornhole-unique-designs in Ohio State colors. He talks all the time about corn hole and I know he'd love this. But I wouldn't be able to haul it to the wedding so he'd get a picture of it I guess? And it's more pricey (not that I'm a cheapskate but I don't know what he's spending on me) so I don't know if it will fly.
I also toyed with getting him the engraved item (watch, cufflinks, pocket watch) but he already has a few watches and he doesn't wear a lot of shirts that require cufflinks.
What do you guys think?
Also, I wrote a post earlier today but it was way to snarky to post. Suffice it to say that I'm not particularly happy with one of my brothers right now (and no, it's actually not THAT brother).
Friday, April 29, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Interesting
My cousin's wedding is this weekend and since we're only 3 weeks out from my own wedding (eek!) it's going to be very interesting for me to attend another wedding so close. You can be sure I'll be looking at details, noticing how guest receive things like favors or any small touches she included and what songs get people moving on the dance floor.
I almost wish I could carry around a little notebook (ala Harriet the Spy) to make observations through out the day.
Chocolate cake received VERY well, especially by kids
"More" by Usher = crowded dance floor
Lots of AWWWs at Father/Daughter dance
Less family photos, more candid ones.
You get the point.
The other thing I'm hoping to get out of this (other than the happiness of watching my dear cousin get married) is an idea of timing. We're starting hair & make up at 9am, ceremony to start at 4:30pm. But they're doing a First Look or at least doing pictures before the ceremony whereas we won't see eachother.
They'll flow directly into cocktail hour and dinner where we'll have a slight gap for our pictures. But I'm curious to see if we end up sitting around some or if the day is just jam packed, which will make me nervous.
It's funny because I've attended and been in many weddings but this will be one of the only ones I've attended as an engaged woman with actual wedding plans.
I hope for her that everything goes exactly as she wants it. And the end of the day, they'll be married and that's what really matters!
I almost wish I could carry around a little notebook (ala Harriet the Spy) to make observations through out the day.
Chocolate cake received VERY well, especially by kids
"More" by Usher = crowded dance floor
Lots of AWWWs at Father/Daughter dance
Less family photos, more candid ones.
You get the point.
The other thing I'm hoping to get out of this (other than the happiness of watching my dear cousin get married) is an idea of timing. We're starting hair & make up at 9am, ceremony to start at 4:30pm. But they're doing a First Look or at least doing pictures before the ceremony whereas we won't see eachother.
They'll flow directly into cocktail hour and dinner where we'll have a slight gap for our pictures. But I'm curious to see if we end up sitting around some or if the day is just jam packed, which will make me nervous.
It's funny because I've attended and been in many weddings but this will be one of the only ones I've attended as an engaged woman with actual wedding plans.
I hope for her that everything goes exactly as she wants it. And the end of the day, they'll be married and that's what really matters!
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
We Interrupt Wedding Blogging
to bring you this.
After approximately 7 years (not sure exactly), Jacque U (G? No, U) has bought a new hair straightener!
Bum, bum, bum...
I have abandoned ye ol' Helen of Troy and traded her in for a younger, sleeker, faster model.
I present to you, the Remington Frizz Therapy 1" Straightener a recipient of Good Housekeeping's VIP (Very Innovative Product) Award!
All news reports aside, I bought a new straightener yesterday and while I hate going online and seeing the reviews from people who have owned products for one day or used it one time, I'm making an exception. I used it this morning and it cut my styling time by about 1/3, which is great! My hair does seem to look better today and it did heat up crazy fast.
Helen of Troy served me well for a very long time but it was starting to crackle when ever I'd turn it on and the plates would snag my hair occasionally. I told C that I was going to buy a new straightener with my tax/play money and I finally did! HoT got wrapped up and put aside either "just in case" or for when Addy gets to be like 11 and wants to straighten her hair.
I debated for a long time about which one I'd get and for a while I seriously leaned toward the CHI simply because I'd heard so many amazing things about it. But then I thought about if I wanted to spend $100 on a hair torture device, really? I don't remember how I found it but the Remington got great reviews and was less than 1/2 the price, something I could easily stomach.
The best part? I still have about $75 left to play with! Awesome!
After approximately 7 years (not sure exactly), Jacque U (G? No, U) has bought a new hair straightener!
Bum, bum, bum...
I have abandoned ye ol' Helen of Troy and traded her in for a younger, sleeker, faster model.
I present to you, the Remington Frizz Therapy 1" Straightener a recipient of Good Housekeeping's VIP (Very Innovative Product) Award!
All news reports aside, I bought a new straightener yesterday and while I hate going online and seeing the reviews from people who have owned products for one day or used it one time, I'm making an exception. I used it this morning and it cut my styling time by about 1/3, which is great! My hair does seem to look better today and it did heat up crazy fast.
Helen of Troy served me well for a very long time but it was starting to crackle when ever I'd turn it on and the plates would snag my hair occasionally. I told C that I was going to buy a new straightener with my tax/play money and I finally did! HoT got wrapped up and put aside either "just in case" or for when Addy gets to be like 11 and wants to straighten her hair.
I debated for a long time about which one I'd get and for a while I seriously leaned toward the CHI simply because I'd heard so many amazing things about it. But then I thought about if I wanted to spend $100 on a hair torture device, really? I don't remember how I found it but the Remington got great reviews and was less than 1/2 the price, something I could easily stomach.
The best part? I still have about $75 left to play with! Awesome!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Dresses that Weren't
I thought today we could take a walk through the dresses that didn't make the cut, but almost did.
The first dress I ever fell in love with... I can't find a picture of. I've wasted far too much time poking around the internet trying to find it but no luck. Since I can't remember the style number and it's older, it makes it impossible to find. It was from the Mori Lee Blu line. I saw it online and it literally took my breath away. My heart started beating a bit faster and I couldn't stop staring.
I quickly tracked down a local bridal salon that carried the line and dragged some friends in to try it on. Sadly, I didn't like the way it fit me, there was an odd asymmetrical line across my mid-section that I didn't care for. But at that appointment I did find a dress that was a front runner until the very end!
Meet Karena Royale:
I loved this dress. I loved the way it fit, I loved that it had just a bit of sparkle, I loved the sash. I did not, however, love the price. At close to $1300 it blew my budget out of the water. So I scoured the used boards trying (in vain) to find her.
During my search, I found another dress that I loved, the Camden:
Unfortunately, even though I found a used dress that seemed to be in my size for the right price, I couldn't pull the trigger without actually trying the dress on. I never found the dress in a salon so it had to get off my list. I still love that lace wrapped mid-section with the sash...
I found another dress that never graced my body, the Fanal:
I liked that the Fanal was simple but hugged my body (or looked like it would). This dress is currently ALL OVER the used sites as it was pretty popular last year(?) and now brides everywhere are trying to get some money back for it.
One last dress that was close to making the cut was the Philipa:
This dress was nice but heavy. The lace was scratchy under my arms but it definitely flattered my body in a lovely way. Plus, there was something about the way the dress ended, the hemline, that bothered me.
When I finally sat down and thought about what I wanted in a wedding dress, I realized that all these dresses had lace, were a little fitted (or a lot), most had sashes, but I wanted something romantic, flowy, and light. It had to suit our outdoor spring wedding.
And that's how I found my Jasmine T282. It fit all the qualities I listed and believe it or not, I teared up when I thought about my dad walking me towards C with me in that dress. It was perfect.
The first dress I ever fell in love with... I can't find a picture of. I've wasted far too much time poking around the internet trying to find it but no luck. Since I can't remember the style number and it's older, it makes it impossible to find. It was from the Mori Lee Blu line. I saw it online and it literally took my breath away. My heart started beating a bit faster and I couldn't stop staring.
I quickly tracked down a local bridal salon that carried the line and dragged some friends in to try it on. Sadly, I didn't like the way it fit me, there was an odd asymmetrical line across my mid-section that I didn't care for. But at that appointment I did find a dress that was a front runner until the very end!
Meet Karena Royale:
I loved this dress. I loved the way it fit, I loved that it had just a bit of sparkle, I loved the sash. I did not, however, love the price. At close to $1300 it blew my budget out of the water. So I scoured the used boards trying (in vain) to find her.
During my search, I found another dress that I loved, the Camden:
I found another dress that never graced my body, the Fanal:
One last dress that was close to making the cut was the Philipa:
This dress was nice but heavy. The lace was scratchy under my arms but it definitely flattered my body in a lovely way. Plus, there was something about the way the dress ended, the hemline, that bothered me.
When I finally sat down and thought about what I wanted in a wedding dress, I realized that all these dresses had lace, were a little fitted (or a lot), most had sashes, but I wanted something romantic, flowy, and light. It had to suit our outdoor spring wedding.
And that's how I found my Jasmine T282. It fit all the qualities I listed and believe it or not, I teared up when I thought about my dad walking me towards C with me in that dress. It was perfect.
Monday, April 25, 2011
All Quiet on the Wedding Front
So yeah, I don't know how this is happening, but I am seriously running out of things to talk about regarding the wedding! It's like, I've done so much up front work that maybe it's time to relax a bit before everything comes to a head.
My parents joined us for Easter dinner yesterday and my mom brought 3 dresses she had found as potential MOB dresses. All 3 were actually nice dresses (Sarah - I'm serious!) and we had a hard time deciding. She eventually went with a sheath kind of dress that has blue squiggle sequin lines on it. I know that sounds weird but it's nice! It looks a little like this one, but full length and the squiggles run up and down are are blue. Oh, and it's thicker spaghetti straps and doesn't have the see through top.
But other than all those changes, it's a dead ringer! Ha.
I think I found a gift for my parents until we figure out what the big gift should be. Side note: my parents aren't really photo album people so our options are to give them a nice picture from the wedding or come up with something completely different. But in the meantime, I think these would be very nice for them. My dad almost always has a hanky anyway and my mom is sure to cry a little plus, I could get something sweet embroidered on them.
I keep thinking about a honeymoon, or a lack of one. Once all this wedding stuff is over, I'd really love to be able to get away for a few days. There are a few problems though, 1) the amount of vacation time I have (very little) 2) Addy 3) money 4) our plans to buy a house and subsequently get pregnant 5) another wedding we're attending in July. This doesn't leave much time for honeymooning. I keep thinking that perhaps we can turn our wedding in July into a mini-moon but it's in Omaha and who wants to honeymoon in Omaha?? No offense.
I just don't know if it will ever be possible for us to take a real, get away from it all for 7+ days, honeymoon.
My parents joined us for Easter dinner yesterday and my mom brought 3 dresses she had found as potential MOB dresses. All 3 were actually nice dresses (Sarah - I'm serious!) and we had a hard time deciding. She eventually went with a sheath kind of dress that has blue squiggle sequin lines on it. I know that sounds weird but it's nice! It looks a little like this one, but full length and the squiggles run up and down are are blue. Oh, and it's thicker spaghetti straps and doesn't have the see through top.
But other than all those changes, it's a dead ringer! Ha.
I think I found a gift for my parents until we figure out what the big gift should be. Side note: my parents aren't really photo album people so our options are to give them a nice picture from the wedding or come up with something completely different. But in the meantime, I think these would be very nice for them. My dad almost always has a hanky anyway and my mom is sure to cry a little plus, I could get something sweet embroidered on them.
I keep thinking about a honeymoon, or a lack of one. Once all this wedding stuff is over, I'd really love to be able to get away for a few days. There are a few problems though, 1) the amount of vacation time I have (very little) 2) Addy 3) money 4) our plans to buy a house and subsequently get pregnant 5) another wedding we're attending in July. This doesn't leave much time for honeymooning. I keep thinking that perhaps we can turn our wedding in July into a mini-moon but it's in Omaha and who wants to honeymoon in Omaha?? No offense.
I just don't know if it will ever be possible for us to take a real, get away from it all for 7+ days, honeymoon.
Friday, April 22, 2011
4 Weeks Out
Ok, so technically it's 4 weeks from tomorrow but we'll just gloss over that part. For all intents & purposes (C thinks the phrase is "intensive purposes") we'll call it 4 weeks.
I thought I could do a check up on the wedding since it's only 4 weeks out. Maybe if I do a run down here, it will help me figure out what I'm missing or still need to do.
We get to town late Wednesday night. Thursday the only things we have to do are pick up C's parents at the airport and then have dinner with both sets of parents and probably my MOH K. I also want to take my dress to the cleaners that day so I know it's done.
Friday I'll have lunch with which ever girls have made it to town by then and then it's off to the nail salon for manis & pedis. Rehearsal starts at 5pm at the park. We don't need anything for the rehearsal except for people to be there. But we should probably make sure whatever we have for sound is working & loud enough.
Rehearsal dinner to follow at 6pm. Reservations are made so the only other thing we have to do is decide how we're handling drinks. We also have to remember our gifts for our attendants so we can hand them out there.
I don't want to drink much and I don't want a late night because while I've never been a bride before, I've been in plenty of weddings and I know how long the day gets. I really hope I can be in bed by, say, 10 or 11 to get my beauty sleep.
Saturday is the big day! Hopefully I can sleep in a little (yeah right, we'll have Addy with us). We take control of the bridal suite at 10am and everything just snow balls from there. Hair & make up starts around 10:30 I think and the photographer should arrive around 1pm. Pictures at 2pm, Ceremony at 3pm, Cocktails at 5pm and dinner starts at 6pm. Things end in the ballroom at 12am but who knows what happens after that.
Then Sunday we've planned brunch with everyone before leaving town and that starts at 10am. I know, I'm nuts for planning that but if people have to be checked out by noon and everyone wants to hit the road then we'll need to start brunch at 10 to get that done.
So that's the layout as I see it. It needs some fleshing out and I think I need to go through and detail what I need and anything having to do with it. Like, Hair & Make Up starts at 10:30 so I need to have a check for them and their contract and my headband and whatever else goes with it.
Hmm, it probably sounds like I've got it under control, right?
I thought I could do a check up on the wedding since it's only 4 weeks out. Maybe if I do a run down here, it will help me figure out what I'm missing or still need to do.
We get to town late Wednesday night. Thursday the only things we have to do are pick up C's parents at the airport and then have dinner with both sets of parents and probably my MOH K. I also want to take my dress to the cleaners that day so I know it's done.
Friday I'll have lunch with which ever girls have made it to town by then and then it's off to the nail salon for manis & pedis. Rehearsal starts at 5pm at the park. We don't need anything for the rehearsal except for people to be there. But we should probably make sure whatever we have for sound is working & loud enough.
Rehearsal dinner to follow at 6pm. Reservations are made so the only other thing we have to do is decide how we're handling drinks. We also have to remember our gifts for our attendants so we can hand them out there.
I don't want to drink much and I don't want a late night because while I've never been a bride before, I've been in plenty of weddings and I know how long the day gets. I really hope I can be in bed by, say, 10 or 11 to get my beauty sleep.
Saturday is the big day! Hopefully I can sleep in a little (yeah right, we'll have Addy with us). We take control of the bridal suite at 10am and everything just snow balls from there. Hair & make up starts around 10:30 I think and the photographer should arrive around 1pm. Pictures at 2pm, Ceremony at 3pm, Cocktails at 5pm and dinner starts at 6pm. Things end in the ballroom at 12am but who knows what happens after that.
Then Sunday we've planned brunch with everyone before leaving town and that starts at 10am. I know, I'm nuts for planning that but if people have to be checked out by noon and everyone wants to hit the road then we'll need to start brunch at 10 to get that done.
So that's the layout as I see it. It needs some fleshing out and I think I need to go through and detail what I need and anything having to do with it. Like, Hair & Make Up starts at 10:30 so I need to have a check for them and their contract and my headband and whatever else goes with it.
Hmm, it probably sounds like I've got it under control, right?
Thursday, April 21, 2011
AWOL
I haven't really been blogging so much lately for a number of reasons.
One, I'm not sure what to blog about. We're getting down to the nitty-gritty and there's not much going on right now. I could tell you about our trip to Sam's Club to scope out goodies for the OOT bags but that's boring. We went shopping, we saw some food, we didn't buy any.
I could tell you about how we finally got the YES from our officiant and I've been working on our ceremony, but that's all there is to tell you.
I could tell you about our numbers for RSVPs right now but that's still kind of a touchy subject.
Two, I'm still bitter about my brother's wedding which happened last night. The wedding was perfectly nice but they still haven't RSVP'd to my wedding and he told me last night that they, "still weren't sure about May" and they'd have to let me know.
Seriously? 2 months ago (when you weren't engaged) you told me you might not be able to afford to attend my wedding Then you went and got engaged which I thought was wonderful but you planned a wedding to take place in only 6 weeks. One month before my own wedding. Did you think about how that would make me feel? And how could you afford to have a wedding for 60 people with a DJ and all the food and favors and whatever but you didn't know if you could afford the ~$400 to come to my wedding?! And that's over-estimating for gas & 2 nights in a hotel.
Does anyone else see the issue here? I don't care that they got married, in fact, I think it's great. I'm happy that my brother found someone and all that. I care that they put on this show that was an inconvenience for a lot of us but we made the effort but they "don't know" if they can come to my wedding that they've known about for 9 months.
Thanks for letting me get that out.
Back to our regular posts tomorrow.
One, I'm not sure what to blog about. We're getting down to the nitty-gritty and there's not much going on right now. I could tell you about our trip to Sam's Club to scope out goodies for the OOT bags but that's boring. We went shopping, we saw some food, we didn't buy any.
I could tell you about how we finally got the YES from our officiant and I've been working on our ceremony, but that's all there is to tell you.
I could tell you about our numbers for RSVPs right now but that's still kind of a touchy subject.
Two, I'm still bitter about my brother's wedding which happened last night. The wedding was perfectly nice but they still haven't RSVP'd to my wedding and he told me last night that they, "still weren't sure about May" and they'd have to let me know.
Seriously? 2 months ago (when you weren't engaged) you told me you might not be able to afford to attend my wedding Then you went and got engaged which I thought was wonderful but you planned a wedding to take place in only 6 weeks. One month before my own wedding. Did you think about how that would make me feel? And how could you afford to have a wedding for 60 people with a DJ and all the food and favors and whatever but you didn't know if you could afford the ~$400 to come to my wedding?! And that's over-estimating for gas & 2 nights in a hotel.
Does anyone else see the issue here? I don't care that they got married, in fact, I think it's great. I'm happy that my brother found someone and all that. I care that they put on this show that was an inconvenience for a lot of us but we made the effort but they "don't know" if they can come to my wedding that they've known about for 9 months.
Thanks for letting me get that out.
Back to our regular posts tomorrow.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Pictures are in!!!!
These are my favorites... so far. I'll let them speak for themselves.
She did SUCH a great job!
Skip this One
I took a Mental Health Day yesterday and took a nap and sat on the couch and didn't do a single wedding-related thing! I truly needed it. Our weekend was busy, busy and I was tired and stressed out.
The photo shoot went well, as far as I can tell. I wish she'd been just a little more creative in our shots, but I should hold back until I actually see the results, which should be today or tomorrow! That's crazy fast! I've seen one picture and it's SUPER cute so hopefully that's a great indication of the rest of them.
The shower on Sunday was lovely. My SIl & her mother did such a great job of putting everything together. The games were fun and tasteful and the food was delicious!
I'm not sure at this point what's left to do. C & I actually made 4 dozen cookies last night! I think these particular cookies are going to go fast so I may make another 4 dozen later so that we have tons. And we need to get on the whoopie pies too.
I'm basically just waiting for our etsy purchases to roll in so I can take stock of everything and see where we are. And get the rest of the RSVPs in so we have our final count. I don't know what percentage we've had respond but I'm sure I'll be chasing some down next week.
The photo shoot went well, as far as I can tell. I wish she'd been just a little more creative in our shots, but I should hold back until I actually see the results, which should be today or tomorrow! That's crazy fast! I've seen one picture and it's SUPER cute so hopefully that's a great indication of the rest of them.
The shower on Sunday was lovely. My SIl & her mother did such a great job of putting everything together. The games were fun and tasteful and the food was delicious!
I'm not sure at this point what's left to do. C & I actually made 4 dozen cookies last night! I think these particular cookies are going to go fast so I may make another 4 dozen later so that we have tons. And we need to get on the whoopie pies too.
I'm basically just waiting for our etsy purchases to roll in so I can take stock of everything and see where we are. And get the rest of the RSVPs in so we have our final count. I don't know what percentage we've had respond but I'm sure I'll be chasing some down next week.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Knockin' em Out
Sorry to get all emo on you guys. I don't want to lose my 4 readers, heh. I decided that all I can do is one thing at a time and it will be good enough.
So, yesterday I bought beads & masks for cocktail hour, our ring dishes, and this headband. I think it's really pretty and that price is ok with me. I also made a list of everything we're transporting to Chicago with us because I started to freak out that we'd forget something.
Our photoshoot is tomorrow and then I can stop freaking out about that. We figured out last night what Addy will wear and I have an idea that I'll cement tonight about me. C is a pretty good dresser so I'm not gonna worry about him too much. I had made an appointment to get my hair styled but cancelled it today. I can handle it and save myself that expense.
My shower is on Sunday which will be really nice as well. I'll be feelin' the love!
This weekend I want to make some cookies for the wedding on Saturday night (or heck, maybe even a few tonight) and get those in the freezer. I also want to print out some of my table numbers onto the vellum paper I have and see how those look.
We got some more responses and a couple nos and I think I just had to get over it. People are going to say no, I've said no to weddings in the past. Like Corey keeps telling me, it's not personal. Most people would probably love to come if they could. And yesterday's nos were people in California so its a little more understandable that they won't be able to make it.
Wedding stress kind of reminds me of pregnancy hormones. You're up, you're down, you're crying, you just want a cookie...
So, yesterday I bought beads & masks for cocktail hour, our ring dishes, and this headband. I think it's really pretty and that price is ok with me. I also made a list of everything we're transporting to Chicago with us because I started to freak out that we'd forget something.
Our photoshoot is tomorrow and then I can stop freaking out about that. We figured out last night what Addy will wear and I have an idea that I'll cement tonight about me. C is a pretty good dresser so I'm not gonna worry about him too much. I had made an appointment to get my hair styled but cancelled it today. I can handle it and save myself that expense.
My shower is on Sunday which will be really nice as well. I'll be feelin' the love!
This weekend I want to make some cookies for the wedding on Saturday night (or heck, maybe even a few tonight) and get those in the freezer. I also want to print out some of my table numbers onto the vellum paper I have and see how those look.
We got some more responses and a couple nos and I think I just had to get over it. People are going to say no, I've said no to weddings in the past. Like Corey keeps telling me, it's not personal. Most people would probably love to come if they could. And yesterday's nos were people in California so its a little more understandable that they won't be able to make it.
Wedding stress kind of reminds me of pregnancy hormones. You're up, you're down, you're crying, you just want a cookie...
Thursday, April 14, 2011
I don't know
I don't know what to tell you guys today. We got a particularly hard "No" response yesterday and it's been weighing on me. I spent 20 mins talking to C about it last night and he reminded me that I'm not going to stop in the middle of the ceremony and count people or empty chairs. And he pointed out that it will make the people that are there even that much more special to us.
I went to a bridal shop to look at headbands yesterday but the store only had one and it was $108. That's a little more than I want to spend on a sparkly headband that I'll only wear once.
I bought our ring dishes today though and that's good. I feel like there's so many things to do and I'm just not sure how to go about accomplishing them. I'm starting to wonder if I should buy things instead of trying to make them because I'm running out of time.
I'm starting to get stressed. All I can do is one thing at a time...
I went to a bridal shop to look at headbands yesterday but the store only had one and it was $108. That's a little more than I want to spend on a sparkly headband that I'll only wear once.
I bought our ring dishes today though and that's good. I feel like there's so many things to do and I'm just not sure how to go about accomplishing them. I'm starting to wonder if I should buy things instead of trying to make them because I'm running out of time.
I'm starting to get stressed. All I can do is one thing at a time...
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Random Updates
Our tax return came today! I already bought myself a purse and we'll see what I decide to do with the rest of my "allowance". I'm not used to summers (and the humidity) in Minnesota so I'm thinking I may invest in some summer work clothes (blouses and light tops).
C has already told me he's buying a grill on his way home from work. He's been dying to get one for years (seriously) and he may just get it now. I wanted him to wait until we got a house because we have no where to store or really use a grill but he is bound & determined.
Face update: I switched back to Proactiv last week. I'd rather have 90% clear skin than 50% clear skin any day. It's drying out the skin around my eyes pretty badly but this happened last time and I just keep slathering on the moisturizer and hopefully it will correct itself in the next week or so. Things are already looking better so I will probably just stay with this until after the wedding.
A friend recommended a benzoyl peroxide/clindagel mixture that she uses so I may ask my doctor about that. She said it's the only thing that's worked for her. I know everyone has different skin but it's always trial & error.
I am crossing off to-do items left & right here. I found a place to press our dresses for the reasonable cost of $77 for mine and $26 for the girls. So much better than $300 for me. Ugh.
I also made appointments for the ladies to get manis/pedis the day before the wedding. $35 for both which I think is reasonable. I'm torn if I should offer to pay for some of this stuff since it's all for my wedding but I don't have that much extra to spend. 5 ladies plus tip would be $210...
One to-do is driving me crazy and that's finding a headband for the wedding day. I had one that a friend was lending me but it broke in the mail and I never took it anywhere to get it fixed. So now I'm looking to buy one but we're so close to the wedding most places want to charge me to "rush" the order. Blarg. I found one I liked but at $92 I just can't justify that. I'm considering stopping by a bridal shop now to see if they have anything I like so I can buy it without having to pay for shipping or rushing.
Photo shoot is this weekend, the forecast is for a high of 51F and perhaps some flurries. So much for nice weather and outdoor shots!
C has already told me he's buying a grill on his way home from work. He's been dying to get one for years (seriously) and he may just get it now. I wanted him to wait until we got a house because we have no where to store or really use a grill but he is bound & determined.
Face update: I switched back to Proactiv last week. I'd rather have 90% clear skin than 50% clear skin any day. It's drying out the skin around my eyes pretty badly but this happened last time and I just keep slathering on the moisturizer and hopefully it will correct itself in the next week or so. Things are already looking better so I will probably just stay with this until after the wedding.
A friend recommended a benzoyl peroxide/clindagel mixture that she uses so I may ask my doctor about that. She said it's the only thing that's worked for her. I know everyone has different skin but it's always trial & error.
I am crossing off to-do items left & right here. I found a place to press our dresses for the reasonable cost of $77 for mine and $26 for the girls. So much better than $300 for me. Ugh.
I also made appointments for the ladies to get manis/pedis the day before the wedding. $35 for both which I think is reasonable. I'm torn if I should offer to pay for some of this stuff since it's all for my wedding but I don't have that much extra to spend. 5 ladies plus tip would be $210...
One to-do is driving me crazy and that's finding a headband for the wedding day. I had one that a friend was lending me but it broke in the mail and I never took it anywhere to get it fixed. So now I'm looking to buy one but we're so close to the wedding most places want to charge me to "rush" the order. Blarg. I found one I liked but at $92 I just can't justify that. I'm considering stopping by a bridal shop now to see if they have anything I like so I can buy it without having to pay for shipping or rushing.
Photo shoot is this weekend, the forecast is for a high of 51F and perhaps some flurries. So much for nice weather and outdoor shots!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Nothing Personal
Invitations went out approximately 10 days ago and responses are starting to trickle in! It's very exciting to check the mail and see those little envelopes waiting for us. It's so much fun to open them up and see if they wrote us a little message or see who's actually coming.
Which brings me to the point of this post. When people decline to attend your wedding, it's hard to let it roll off your back. Especially the people that you thought would make it for sure.
When we started this whole thing I told myself that I wouldn't get upset. I prepared myself for this by saying, "People that we think won't bother will end up making the trip and people that we think will absolutely make it, won't." I knew that coming in.
But it's hard not to get a little disappointed when you get a "Declines with Regrets" back.
Another reason it's hard is because we set our minimum based on how many people would attend (we thought). Our minimum is set for 110 people. We invited 184 people and thought that our acceptance rate would be lower due to travel. We thought we might get a 60-70% acceptance instead of the typical 80% or so.
At 60% acceptance, we'll just barely make our 110 guests. Any lower and we're paying for things we don't need.
The reason I'm concerned is because my cousin says she invited 230 guests and have only had 160 accept. And 90% of the guests are in town (I think). They still have to chase down a few RSVPs, but it's looking like they won't get much more than 75%.
If an in town wedding can't get more than 75%, what should I realistically expect? It might be time to speak to our venue coordinator and find out if the minimum can be applied to other costs if we don't end up using it all.
Which brings me to the point of this post. When people decline to attend your wedding, it's hard to let it roll off your back. Especially the people that you thought would make it for sure.
When we started this whole thing I told myself that I wouldn't get upset. I prepared myself for this by saying, "People that we think won't bother will end up making the trip and people that we think will absolutely make it, won't." I knew that coming in.
But it's hard not to get a little disappointed when you get a "Declines with Regrets" back.
Another reason it's hard is because we set our minimum based on how many people would attend (we thought). Our minimum is set for 110 people. We invited 184 people and thought that our acceptance rate would be lower due to travel. We thought we might get a 60-70% acceptance instead of the typical 80% or so.
At 60% acceptance, we'll just barely make our 110 guests. Any lower and we're paying for things we don't need.
The reason I'm concerned is because my cousin says she invited 230 guests and have only had 160 accept. And 90% of the guests are in town (I think). They still have to chase down a few RSVPs, but it's looking like they won't get much more than 75%.
If an in town wedding can't get more than 75%, what should I realistically expect? It might be time to speak to our venue coordinator and find out if the minimum can be applied to other costs if we don't end up using it all.
Monday, April 11, 2011
It's Alive!
Holy Tired Bride, Batman!
All-in-all the bach. party weekend was a roaring success! A few down spots but they were FAR outweighed by the high points.
We got in after a long car ride on Friday night. We all hung out at the hotel and drank a little and basically got to know each other. Did I mention that people came from all walks of my life? College friends, Cali friends, even my cousin who's known me my entire life came AND one of Corey's friends came! And the best part is that everyone got along and we had a great time.
Saturday we went out for a delicious, amazing brunch at Ann Sather's and I was stuffed and happy! They have a-maz-ing cinnamon rolls there.
After that, the girls headed to NailBar for some pampering and the boys (and 1 girl) went shopping. I got the signature manicure and then had my eyebrows sculpted. I got some nice deep red polish on my nails and it is pretty but I never paint my nails so it looks weird to me. NailBar is BYOB (so is Ann Sather's!) so we enjoyed some wine during our appointments.
After that we headed back to the hotel to get ready and Beckii had planned some pre-dinner games in the hotel room for us. My dress was awesome and my shoes were good for the whole night! My cousin did my hair and another girl did my eye make up for me. Total pampering.
Beckii had e-mailed all the guests and asked them to submit one truth and one dare for me. She printed them out and put them in balloons that I had to pop to get the question out. She told me I couldn't use my hands though! I'm afraid I was a bit of a party pooper because I think I did 1 dare out of the 8 or 9 questions. I just wasn't ready yet!
Dinner was SO good! We headed for this little Italian place where they set up a prix fixe menu for us and printed out personalized menus for me! We had SO much food too, we probably could easily have fed 5 more people. Bruschetta, calamari, 2 salads, pasta, risotto, a stuffed chicken dish, and 3 desserts! And that's not even everything we had!
The play started at 8 and it was a blast! We laughed so hard and just really had a good time there. They even singled me out, which was fun. We hung out at that bar for just a bit before heading to Wrigleyville. We found a bar there and made our own little dance party and it was SUCH a good time! It was pretty much exactly what I wanted.
We hit another bar and then made our way back to the hotel after a stop at an all night pizza place. Nothing like 2am pizza to help with the hangover.
I actually felt relatively decent the next morning and we said our goodbyes and headed back to MN. But I'll see them all again in only 6 weeks! I told all my friends and I'll say it here, I'm very lucky to have so many people that care about me so much. To have everyone in town for a weekend just for me was so special and I had a great time.
All-in-all the bach. party weekend was a roaring success! A few down spots but they were FAR outweighed by the high points.
We got in after a long car ride on Friday night. We all hung out at the hotel and drank a little and basically got to know each other. Did I mention that people came from all walks of my life? College friends, Cali friends, even my cousin who's known me my entire life came AND one of Corey's friends came! And the best part is that everyone got along and we had a great time.
Saturday we went out for a delicious, amazing brunch at Ann Sather's and I was stuffed and happy! They have a-maz-ing cinnamon rolls there.
After that, the girls headed to NailBar for some pampering and the boys (and 1 girl) went shopping. I got the signature manicure and then had my eyebrows sculpted. I got some nice deep red polish on my nails and it is pretty but I never paint my nails so it looks weird to me. NailBar is BYOB (so is Ann Sather's!) so we enjoyed some wine during our appointments.
After that we headed back to the hotel to get ready and Beckii had planned some pre-dinner games in the hotel room for us. My dress was awesome and my shoes were good for the whole night! My cousin did my hair and another girl did my eye make up for me. Total pampering.
Beckii had e-mailed all the guests and asked them to submit one truth and one dare for me. She printed them out and put them in balloons that I had to pop to get the question out. She told me I couldn't use my hands though! I'm afraid I was a bit of a party pooper because I think I did 1 dare out of the 8 or 9 questions. I just wasn't ready yet!
Dinner was SO good! We headed for this little Italian place where they set up a prix fixe menu for us and printed out personalized menus for me! We had SO much food too, we probably could easily have fed 5 more people. Bruschetta, calamari, 2 salads, pasta, risotto, a stuffed chicken dish, and 3 desserts! And that's not even everything we had!
The play started at 8 and it was a blast! We laughed so hard and just really had a good time there. They even singled me out, which was fun. We hung out at that bar for just a bit before heading to Wrigleyville. We found a bar there and made our own little dance party and it was SUCH a good time! It was pretty much exactly what I wanted.
We hit another bar and then made our way back to the hotel after a stop at an all night pizza place. Nothing like 2am pizza to help with the hangover.
I actually felt relatively decent the next morning and we said our goodbyes and headed back to MN. But I'll see them all again in only 6 weeks! I told all my friends and I'll say it here, I'm very lucky to have so many people that care about me so much. To have everyone in town for a weekend just for me was so special and I had a great time.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Nightmares and Trips
Another wedding nightmare last night. This time, we were married and at the reception and everything was great. I remember having a good time. But as the night came to a close I suddenly realized that C & I had never figured out the timeline and as a result, we'd never had a first dance, I'd never danced with my dad, we never took pictures with family members and some other things I don't remember now hadn't happened (mostly DJ related) because we never told people when to do things.
I remember being extremely upset about it and insisting to C that while, Yes, I'd had a great time, the evening was ruined because we never did those things. That now my memories were tainted by what we didn't do and we'd never be able to get it back.
Crazy.
Today the girls converge on Chicago for Bachelorette weekend! I've got my bags all packed, I'm ready to go (I love that song) and I just hope I didn't forget anything. Though, my standard mantra for any trip I take is that as long as I have my wallet, I can buy anything I forgot. And it's true, so I can probably stop stressing over it.
I over-packed, of course, and hopefully my clothes are appropriate for the activities. I almost didn't bring a jacket but it is the Windy City after all so there's one in my car. And even after all my obsessing, I almost forgot my dress! Thank goodness I didn't.
I got my hair done last night so I'll be looking fresh to death. (I don't really know what that phrase means so I hope that's using it right. Oh my God, I just checked urban dictionary and apparently it originated with the Heaven's Gate cult who all dressed in new track suits and Nikes before committing suicide. Somehow that's just wrong. But I did use it in the correct context apparently.)
Other than all that, not much to report here. Just excited for my weekend to start!
I remember being extremely upset about it and insisting to C that while, Yes, I'd had a great time, the evening was ruined because we never did those things. That now my memories were tainted by what we didn't do and we'd never be able to get it back.
Crazy.
Today the girls converge on Chicago for Bachelorette weekend! I've got my bags all packed, I'm ready to go (I love that song) and I just hope I didn't forget anything. Though, my standard mantra for any trip I take is that as long as I have my wallet, I can buy anything I forgot. And it's true, so I can probably stop stressing over it.
I over-packed, of course, and hopefully my clothes are appropriate for the activities. I almost didn't bring a jacket but it is the Windy City after all so there's one in my car. And even after all my obsessing, I almost forgot my dress! Thank goodness I didn't.
I got my hair done last night so I'll be looking fresh to death. (I don't really know what that phrase means so I hope that's using it right. Oh my God, I just checked urban dictionary and apparently it originated with the Heaven's Gate cult who all dressed in new track suits and Nikes before committing suicide. Somehow that's just wrong. But I did use it in the correct context apparently.)
Other than all that, not much to report here. Just excited for my weekend to start!
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Tax Break
C & I got our taxes done the other night and are due a decent sized return from the government! I told him last night that we should talk about what we intend to do with that money. Because if we don't make a plan then it will trickle away as we decide what we need.
Buying a house in the next 5 months will certainly eat it up. There will be new furniture to buy and whatever we find that needs to be replaced like a hot water heater or a dishwasher or who knows.
There are things I want to do with it. I want to use some of it to take a honeymoon. Nothing big, maybe just 3 days away. We haven't planned one yet and I pretty much figured we wouldn't do it. But maybe now we can.
I want to start Addy's college fund before she actually leaves for college! Even just putting $500 in an account somewhere will start to grow. And I know people will contribute to it as well.
The other thing I told C is that we worked for the money, we should spend some. I proposed that we each take $200 and spend it on things we want. Because heaven knows there are things I want that I never buy myself because I can't justify spending the money on something I don't actually need.
Like a new purse, some nice grown-up earrings, some perfume, and some clothes or shoes most likely. Silly stuff, girly stuff. But still, stuff I want.
It seems bad though to buy all this stuff especially in light of just having a wedding. It seems frivolous and slightly irresponsible to do this but I need to keep reminding myself that he & I worked for this money and it's rightfully ours. There's no reason we shouldn't enjoy some of it.
Buying a house in the next 5 months will certainly eat it up. There will be new furniture to buy and whatever we find that needs to be replaced like a hot water heater or a dishwasher or who knows.
There are things I want to do with it. I want to use some of it to take a honeymoon. Nothing big, maybe just 3 days away. We haven't planned one yet and I pretty much figured we wouldn't do it. But maybe now we can.
I want to start Addy's college fund before she actually leaves for college! Even just putting $500 in an account somewhere will start to grow. And I know people will contribute to it as well.
The other thing I told C is that we worked for the money, we should spend some. I proposed that we each take $200 and spend it on things we want. Because heaven knows there are things I want that I never buy myself because I can't justify spending the money on something I don't actually need.
Like a new purse, some nice grown-up earrings, some perfume, and some clothes or shoes most likely. Silly stuff, girly stuff. But still, stuff I want.
It seems bad though to buy all this stuff especially in light of just having a wedding. It seems frivolous and slightly irresponsible to do this but I need to keep reminding myself that he & I worked for this money and it's rightfully ours. There's no reason we shouldn't enjoy some of it.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Sneak Peek
Back when I first started this blog, I talked about my whole look as a bride. I've never seen it all together and I doubt I will until the day of the wedding.
But, for some fun, I put together an inspiration board just for me. A lot of women planning their wedding do inspiration boards for the whole wedding to kind of see how the elements look together and to make sure the overall theme/feel of the event is coming through. They often show those boards to vendors, particularly florists and linens and centerpiece vendors to make sure they all understand and they're all on the same page.
Some words I had in mind for my bridal look are: soft, flowy, romantic, gorgeous, blue, garden, spring, lace, fitted...
So here's my board put together, all the elements in one place:
Kristen Stewart is in there because I saw that picture of her and fell in love with her make up. I even copied the picture and sent it to my MUA and said, "I really like this make up. I have no idea if it works with my skin tone or even what they've really done to achieve. I like that it's glamorous without being over the top. Do you think we can do it?" She said yes! She said she really liked it to and thought it would be great on me. I don't know if you can see it really well but maybe if you blow it up.
The only things missing are my hair (which I have a pic of but didn't attach) and the earrings but they match the necklace so just picture that. Apparently my hair is categorized as a low, loose up-do. Interesting.
So there we go! My bridal look!
But, for some fun, I put together an inspiration board just for me. A lot of women planning their wedding do inspiration boards for the whole wedding to kind of see how the elements look together and to make sure the overall theme/feel of the event is coming through. They often show those boards to vendors, particularly florists and linens and centerpiece vendors to make sure they all understand and they're all on the same page.
Some words I had in mind for my bridal look are: soft, flowy, romantic, gorgeous, blue, garden, spring, lace, fitted...
So here's my board put together, all the elements in one place:
The only things missing are my hair (which I have a pic of but didn't attach) and the earrings but they match the necklace so just picture that. Apparently my hair is categorized as a low, loose up-do. Interesting.
So there we go! My bridal look!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
A Pressing Matter
99% of our wedding guests are traveling to Chicago area from out of town. They are using all kinds of planes, trains & automobiles for sure. Every member of my wedding party is traveling with their dresses including myself and my wedding gown and my mom & MIL with their gowns.
This presents a small problem as I want us all looking our best and wrinkly clothes will not make the best impression... Especially for those flying in.
I called the resort and they do not press items like gowns so they're out. They would have been the most convenient but oh well. I also called a bridal shop in town and they will press my gown but they want $125 to press (which, ok, not so bad) and $175 for an "outside fee" because I didn't purchase my dress there! WTH?
I found a dry cleaner that claims to specialize in wedding attire and requested a quote from them. Hopefully it will be more reasonable than the last place.
Planning a wedding out of town is hard work. It seems like there's so much more to consider than a regular wedding would have. Like who needs to be picked up at the airport and remember what needs to be transported in our car and what we can possibly send with my parents or family.
As a mini-celebration we scheduled a dinner on Thursday night for ourselves and both our parents. C's mom has met both my parents before but neither has met C's dad yet. I think one MOH will come to dinner as well and we'll see who else is in town by then. We're not really doing a welcome party or dinner for out of town guests as pretty much everyone is out of town. Hopefully most people will understand.
This presents a small problem as I want us all looking our best and wrinkly clothes will not make the best impression... Especially for those flying in.
I called the resort and they do not press items like gowns so they're out. They would have been the most convenient but oh well. I also called a bridal shop in town and they will press my gown but they want $125 to press (which, ok, not so bad) and $175 for an "outside fee" because I didn't purchase my dress there! WTH?
I found a dry cleaner that claims to specialize in wedding attire and requested a quote from them. Hopefully it will be more reasonable than the last place.
Planning a wedding out of town is hard work. It seems like there's so much more to consider than a regular wedding would have. Like who needs to be picked up at the airport and remember what needs to be transported in our car and what we can possibly send with my parents or family.
As a mini-celebration we scheduled a dinner on Thursday night for ourselves and both our parents. C's mom has met both my parents before but neither has met C's dad yet. I think one MOH will come to dinner as well and we'll see who else is in town by then. We're not really doing a welcome party or dinner for out of town guests as pretty much everyone is out of town. Hopefully most people will understand.
Monday, April 4, 2011
The Weekend That Wasn't
When March 12th hit I knew that was the beginning of the end. Starting that weekend we had things planned every weekend from then until the wedding. Some things are small (like a bachelorette party one night or a 2-hour photo shoot) and some things are much bigger (like a weekend long bach. party) but it was all something.
Well, last weekend I found out that this weekend's plan were cancelled and that left us with an open weekend with ZERO plans! But don't worry, we found ways to fill it.
Friday we worked on our seating chart, which C thinks it's ridiculous to work on it so early when we don't even know who's actually coming but I'd like to get a template going and move people around as needed.
Saturday we went to Ikea and bought a square vase to try out table numbers. It didn't work but that's ok. We also found out that our invites (which went out on Thursday!) are already at people's houses! That's crazy fast!
And yesterday we went to Michael's and bought some bags for the OOT favors and some more vellum paper and some ribbon. I swear, Michael's is making a killing off weddings. We also made some trial whoopie pies for the wedding which turned out OK but will need some more practice. Oh darn.
I still have a full list of to-dos, but those things are becoming smaller tasks while the big things are taken care of.
Also, good news! We have an officiant! Now I just need to work with him on the ceremony wording and we'll be all set!
Well, last weekend I found out that this weekend's plan were cancelled and that left us with an open weekend with ZERO plans! But don't worry, we found ways to fill it.
Friday we worked on our seating chart, which C thinks it's ridiculous to work on it so early when we don't even know who's actually coming but I'd like to get a template going and move people around as needed.
Saturday we went to Ikea and bought a square vase to try out table numbers. It didn't work but that's ok. We also found out that our invites (which went out on Thursday!) are already at people's houses! That's crazy fast!
And yesterday we went to Michael's and bought some bags for the OOT favors and some more vellum paper and some ribbon. I swear, Michael's is making a killing off weddings. We also made some trial whoopie pies for the wedding which turned out OK but will need some more practice. Oh darn.
I still have a full list of to-dos, but those things are becoming smaller tasks while the big things are taken care of.
Also, good news! We have an officiant! Now I just need to work with him on the ceremony wording and we'll be all set!
Friday, April 1, 2011
Irony
I've been staring at this blank box pretty much all day. I came here a few times to update but ended up getting distracted (by work, WTH?) and never actually wrote a blog.
I have nothing really wedding related today. Instead I've been thinking about relationships.
C was coughing all last night again and I am tired again. And even though I wanted to smother him in his sleep, I understand that it's not really his fault. That I'm angry at the situation and not really him. He can't help that he's sick, though he could have taken the cough syrup the first time I asked him at midnight instead of mumbling something and rolling over.
So this morning C offered to sleep on the couch tonight to let me get some rest. And my immediate reaction was to say no. I don't want him to sleep somewhere else, I want him next to me! And that's where the irony comes in to me. I am desperate to get some decent sleep but I don't want to sleep without him. I can't have both.
Relationships are hard. They take a lot of patience and a lot of understanding. Add in a 2-year old and my patience bank just became limitless. Last night Addy decided to color on my laptop. On the cover, not the actual screen or anything. But I looked at C and said, "How do I discipline her for something that she did 15 minutes ago? She won't understand why she's getting a time out." He didn't know either.
So I tried to talk to her but she can only partially grasp, "Addy, we don't color on this, we color on paper. This is not paper." Even I realize that's far too much information at one time for her.
Honestly, I'm still not sure what I was supposed to do in that situation. I don't want to be one of those parents who is suddenly catering to their child's every whim and not realizing how they got there. I don't forsee that for our family but I bet most parents never think, "Oh, when I have kids I'm going to give them whatever they want and turn them in to spoiled brats because it's easier than dealing with their tantrums and endless questions."
Of course not! All those parents really said, "I'm going to do it RIGHT. Everything in moderation and my kids will learn to be polite and respectful and they will NEVER ask for a candy bar at the grocery store and if they do I'll say no once and they'll let it go."
Why do you think we carry Addy through most of the grocery store? Hint: it's not because we want the extra exercise.
So, discipline. Our doctor said not to count to 3 because that lets her win in a way. She gets to keep doing what she was doing for 3 more counts. He said if she already knows she's not supposed to do something then it's an immediate time out. Maybe one warning to be clear. But that's only in the case that she's doing some bad and we catch her in the act.
What if she won't pick up her toy? And we ask her to and she just doesn't do it? Do I put her in time out and THEN make her pick up the toy? Do I make her pick up the toy first? I realize that she still needs to pick up the toy but when? And then there's the above situation where we don't catch her doing it and find it after the fact. I'm not going to treat her like a dog and rub her nose in it but what?
This parenting stuff is hard, yo!
(I didn't mean this to turn into an entry about parenting, but that's where it ended up!)
I have nothing really wedding related today. Instead I've been thinking about relationships.
C was coughing all last night again and I am tired again. And even though I wanted to smother him in his sleep, I understand that it's not really his fault. That I'm angry at the situation and not really him. He can't help that he's sick, though he could have taken the cough syrup the first time I asked him at midnight instead of mumbling something and rolling over.
So this morning C offered to sleep on the couch tonight to let me get some rest. And my immediate reaction was to say no. I don't want him to sleep somewhere else, I want him next to me! And that's where the irony comes in to me. I am desperate to get some decent sleep but I don't want to sleep without him. I can't have both.
Relationships are hard. They take a lot of patience and a lot of understanding. Add in a 2-year old and my patience bank just became limitless. Last night Addy decided to color on my laptop. On the cover, not the actual screen or anything. But I looked at C and said, "How do I discipline her for something that she did 15 minutes ago? She won't understand why she's getting a time out." He didn't know either.
So I tried to talk to her but she can only partially grasp, "Addy, we don't color on this, we color on paper. This is not paper." Even I realize that's far too much information at one time for her.
Honestly, I'm still not sure what I was supposed to do in that situation. I don't want to be one of those parents who is suddenly catering to their child's every whim and not realizing how they got there. I don't forsee that for our family but I bet most parents never think, "Oh, when I have kids I'm going to give them whatever they want and turn them in to spoiled brats because it's easier than dealing with their tantrums and endless questions."
Of course not! All those parents really said, "I'm going to do it RIGHT. Everything in moderation and my kids will learn to be polite and respectful and they will NEVER ask for a candy bar at the grocery store and if they do I'll say no once and they'll let it go."
Why do you think we carry Addy through most of the grocery store? Hint: it's not because we want the extra exercise.
So, discipline. Our doctor said not to count to 3 because that lets her win in a way. She gets to keep doing what she was doing for 3 more counts. He said if she already knows she's not supposed to do something then it's an immediate time out. Maybe one warning to be clear. But that's only in the case that she's doing some bad and we catch her in the act.
What if she won't pick up her toy? And we ask her to and she just doesn't do it? Do I put her in time out and THEN make her pick up the toy? Do I make her pick up the toy first? I realize that she still needs to pick up the toy but when? And then there's the above situation where we don't catch her doing it and find it after the fact. I'm not going to treat her like a dog and rub her nose in it but what?
This parenting stuff is hard, yo!
(I didn't mean this to turn into an entry about parenting, but that's where it ended up!)
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