5 Tips for Meeting With Your Wedding Planner

As many of you all know, I am in the midst of planning a wedding. I am very excited to share that I will be beginning a STREAMLINE YOUR WEDDING series that will be sparked by my experiences as a wedding planning bride.

Originally, I didn't feel like I needed to hire a "wedding planner," but I quickly realized that I would require at LEAST a day of coordinator at the reception venue. I have been planning my wedding since I have been 5 years old, so I was on the hunt for a day of coordinator that would provide services beginning at least a few days before the wedding. Additionally, I was not sure if I would be able to find an individual I would click with and who would take the time to appreciate my eccentricities.

I HAVE FOUND HER!! This morning I met with THE MOST FABULOUS event planner in all of Central Texas. (Karla McNeill). We spent 2 1/2 hours discussing the details of the special day beginning with waking up the morning of the wedding. After my phenomenal meeting with Karla, I have compiled 5 simple tips to help make meeting with your wedding planner a fun and productive event!

5 Tips for Meeting With Your Wedding Planner

1. Reputation is EVERYTHING. Contact wedding planners who are recommended by friends, family, or other vendors. My day event planner was verbally recommended to me 5+ times by various vendors and I know a few acquaintances who have worked with her in the past. Everyone who has worked with Karla provide high praise and "would never recommend anyone else to their clients." Receiving advice from vendors you already trust helps narrow down the pool of potential day of event coordinators. 
2. Prepare a wedding binder: Having a list of vendors, contracts, ideas, and all other things "wedding" is a great resource when you are meeting with your event coordinator. My wedding binder has several scraps of paper stuffed in the pockets with random ideas and things I want to include along with typed graphics and charts to help organize the information. There is no RIGHT or WRONG way to pull this information together, it just needs to be done. 
3. Bring someone you trust along for the initial consult: Today I brought my mom and sister (MOH #1). These are two of the people I trust most in this world. I know that they would never allow me to place my trust in someone who they didn't trust. They are great people to lean on for advice, but also they are great people to evaluate how you click with your wedding coordinator. Remember ladies, this is the person who will be RUNNING YOUR WEDDING. 
4. Don't be afraid to be bold and creative: It's more than OK to have a theme that is unconventional as long as you have some ideas (even if they aren't concrete) about how you would like to execute your visions. Even though Pinterest is now the "wedding design bible," it is OK to break out of the box and try something you have never seen before. Most likely, it will be your favorite part of your special day and your wedding coordinator will love working with an "out of the box" bride. 
5. KNOW YOUR NON-NEGOTIABLES: For me, my non-negotiable item was integrating Samson into the special day in some form or fashion. It is important to me to have photos of him "with the guys" getting ready for the wedding. EVERYONE I have mentioned this to in the past has scoffed and given me the "crazy dog lady" look, but NOT Karla. She was able to work out the logistics to make this happen without overwhelming my perfect little yellow buddy. There are other things she is working her magic to make happen, but this is definitely one of my favorites. 

I hope you ladies find this to be a helpful tool in preparing for interviewing and meeting with potential wedding coordinators to help coordinate your special day. My hope is that this will help you be able to kick back and enjoy the day celebrating your commitment with your husband in front of God, family, and friends.

Please stay tuned for more posts to come in the STREAMLINE YOUR WEDDING series! 

6 Ideas You Can Steal from Your Dog

Many of you know I am a proud pet-parent to my best four-legged pal, Samson. (Sorry, I couldn't help including our holiday Christmas card photo in the graphic....) He is a brilliant yellow lab who fills my day with tail wags and nose kisses and he has taught me so much about life. That cliche "I want to be the person my dog things I am" quote that is absolutely everywhere-YES, it's the topic of today's discussion. In the 2.5 years I have raised Samson, I have pinpointed 6 key ideas that humans should steal from their dog.

6 Ideas You Can Steal from Your Dog

1. Greet each day with a tail wag. Each morning is a beautiful creation waiting to take  shape. Seize each day and it's opportunities with gr attitude and grace. I have never known Samson not to great me every morning (and every night after work) with a tail wag. "And Jesus said unto him, 



• Jesus said, No procrastination. No backward looks. You can’t put God's kingdom off till tomorrow. Seize the day. (Luke 9:62 MSG)



2. Enjoy every meal (or treat). My little man thinks that EVERY meal is going to be his last. There is no questions that he is thankful for his food, he doesn't even leave a piece of kibble. Should I mention what happens if a Greenie Treat or a FrostyPaw is involved?! In the world where there is such a push for fad diets and other "quick" weight loss schemes, remember that eating the RIGHT foods in the RIGHT portions is what will help you achieve a HEALTHY lifestyle. 

• So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV)

3. Exercise your paws and be joyful about it. My favorite activity with Samson involves taking him to the park. Every evening he and I go to the park to throw a tennis ball down the hills of one of the nearby parks in my neighborhood. I don't think I've ever seen a dog more joyful to be out in the open and stretching his legs. I know personally, I wish I could attack my daily runs with his same level of fitness enthusiasm. 

• She dresses herself with strength and makes her arms strong. (Proverbs 31:17)

4. Love others more than yourself. My little buddy has this one under control. There is no doubt when you look in his brown little eyes that I'm the most important thing to him in the world (except maybe a FrostyPaw treat). His love is unconditional. This is an area where I think all people struggle at one point or another. I'm sure everyone can look back over the past week, heck the past day, and find a time when they should have put another person's interests ahead of their own. 

• Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

5. Every dream is attainable. I can't tell you all how many times I have watched my little buddy growth, twitch, and run in his sleep. He dreams with determination, even though not all of them are attainable. Attack every dream like it is something that can be achieved, you never know what will become of the effort. In the interest of corny quotes, shoot for the moon, because if you miss you'll still have a place among the stars. 

• But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded. (2 Chronicles 15:7)

6. Protect the ones you love. Samson brings a level of security to my life that has been unmatched previously. I know that he would go though great lengths to alert me to danger and protect me. It is important to realize that the ones we love are WORTH protecting. Loved ones are precious gifts that need to be fostered and developed in order to grow and be protected in order not to be torn apart. 

• Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me. (Psalm 138:7)

Even though Samson is a 4 legged pal and not a person (negotiable), it is safe to say that I have learned a great deal about life though raising him. Although it is cliche, I truly hope that I am the person Samson thinks that I am. I hope he sees me greet each day with a smile, give thanks before every meal, exercise to remain HEALTHY not skinny, lay myself down for the sake of others, and chasing my dreams. My charge is to evaluate how you approach day to day life. As the New Year approaches, I hope that you find yourself to truly be the person your dog thinks you are! 

Christmas Shopping Tips & Tricks.

If you are like me...you are always searching for a bargain, especially during the holiday season. With the pressure to provide great gifts at a reasonable that look and feel expensive, Christmas shopping is often a very financially stressful time. Add the shoulder-to-shoulder combat that is department store shopping and you have a recipe for the opposite of Christmas cheer. This year, I have decided to do quite a bit of holiday shopping online. If you are a last minute Christmas shopper-I hope that I can give you some tips and tricks to help navigate your Christmas holiday shopping season. Remember: THERE ARE ONLY 12 MORE DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS DAY.

• You can shop for the deal.  This holiday season I did a lot of price comparison during my lunch break at work on my iPad and iPhone-bookmarking the sites with the best prices and online savings codes. I then compiled the links I researched and found that I saved around $200 this year in price comparison shopping and buying the item at the store that offered the best deal. I have included some of my favorite sites and tips below!
•  My favorite discount site is 6pm.com. I bought several gifts online from this site. If you don't mind buying "last years model" this is a GREAT way to save anywhere up to 75% OFF your favorite holiday items. I can't wait for people to open the gems I have bought on this site this year!
• If you don't have AMAZON PRIME, it is time that you join. The FREE 2 DAY SHIPPING and competitive prices allow you to get a GREAT deal and save the shipping.
• If you don't already, ALWAYS check Retail Me Not and other coupon online sites for savings. On average, I would save about 10% with every purchase AND I commonly scored FREE SHIPPING utilizing sites like Retail Me Not.
• There is more of a selection. Forget being forced to chose another sweater because the one you like for your sister only comes in XS and XXL in the store. When you shop ONLINE, you have the benefit of being able to select the size you need without having to compromise on the item as often as when you shop in the stores themselves. This is especially true for popular stores such as JCrew and the LOFT.
• I Christmas shopped in my PJs, my favorite coffee mug, and my yellow lab. What did your Christmas shopping look like this year? Where you one of the many people battling the department stores? Picture this, shopping online allows you to miss mile long lines, people with the flu who are most likely going to cough on you during that 30 minute long line, and it saves you money in gas and time. 
• My favorite PJs.  
• My favoirte mug. With an "O" of course!
• My yellow lab.  

I hope that you have found some tips and tricks that will serve you well during your last minute ONLINE holiday shopping. If you've already completed your holiday shopping for the year-tuck these gems away for next year. Wishing you nothing but the warmest of holidays! 

Holiday Facebook Cover.

Right click and save. Dimensions are SPOT-ON for a holiday inspired Facebook Cover.

I BELIEVE.

Picture this. Christmas morning at my house growing up consisted of Santa Christmas china, sticky buns, LLBean slipper socks, 2 cats, and my family. After my sister and I waited patiently for my mom and dad to wake us us, we would indulge in our day of festivities to come. My mom would cook (and still does) an over the top Christmas dinner and we would all eat until we couldn't move and the night would end with hot chocolate or coffee in those same Santa Christmas china mugs. Additionally, add the blankets of Minnesota snow, Christmas lambs, real horse drawn sleigh rides from the neighbors, my family could have popped right out of a Thomas Kinkade painting.

Why am I telling you this? I want to point out that the most important thing about this day was not the day itself, but the preparation that had went into making the day (and season) something special. Although the day itself was miraculous, my mom and dad put so much work into making the WHOLE season a memorable experience. In my house, December was filled with two things-Jesus and Santa. A 7 foot evergreen was cut and decorated. Cookies were baked. Stocking were hung. The barns were padded with extra hay and feed so that the reindeer could rest (my dad provided Carrots-which he even nibbled for effect). I told the story of Jesus being born in a barn about 20 different ways to my mom. My dad explained to me several times that Jesus wasn't at risk of frost bite when he was born in the barn like our lambs in the winter (country girl problems). The chimney was greased with leftover bacon grease so that Santa wouldn't stick in the tight chimney. The 8:00pm Christmas Eve service was attended so that I would make it in bed in time for Santa. Finally, the last touch was my mom helped me draft a Santa note and place the cookies out for my beloved Santa (she even put the milk out before she went to bed so that we wouldn't give Santa the stomach bug-GROSS!). 

Looking back, my parents did an impeccable job of intertwining the two into a beautiful package, that allowed me to continue growing in Jesus (the real meaning of CHRISTmas), even when I outgrew my beloved St. Nick. In fact, I owe Santa for teaching me to believe in things that I can not see and Santa was the FIRST belief I ever had to publicly decent (granted I was 12 and still an avid believer), but the point is still the same...Santa was an integral part of making me a Christian. Sure, when I found out the jolly man in the suit did not actually squeeze through my chimney, I was devastated, but eventually the devastation went away and I was able to see the love and hard work my parents had put into the season to help make it special, and to bring me closer to Jesus. Reflecting as an adult on the joy I felt as a kiddo preparing for Santa still warms my soul and today preparing for the King at this time of year and making him a place in my heart is something that I find to be even more warming. Jesus has "filled me with an inexpressible and glorious joy" through believing in him and I am thankful for the role Santa played in helping me develop this rooted faith. 

This holiday season I am feeling extra nostalgic as I am working with needy kiddos at non-profit clinic in East Texas for one of my clinical rotations. I have been overjoyed to share in the excitement of kids preparing for Christmas and humbled by their level of true need for basic necessities such as HEALTH CARE. When reflecting on my memories of Christmas, I don't remember one "special present" or "one PERFECT gift," I remember the time spent with my family, learning the story of the manger, and preparing for Santa. For this reason, the next time one of my kiddos asks me if I believe in Santa-I am going say YES with all my heart. 

End of story. I BELIEVE.