Gone but not Forgotten

Hello Friends!

Don't worry I haven't left you.  Just because the challenge is over does not mean I won't be keeping this updated, I promise.  I have just had a lot on my mind this past week or so.  Such as...

1. Graduate School
I am taking two classes this semester and they started last week.  So far so good.  The pace is slow to start but as I've looked forward on the course calenders, I see that it won't be that way for long and I'll soon be very busy with school work.  Keeping up with online classes has also proved different for me.  Its not that I'm not doing the work.  Its just harder for me to keep track of all the deadlines and assignments.  I guess the whole going to class thing I did as an undergrad kept it all more fresh in my mind.  Also that fact that my main focus was school at the time probably contributed to this as well.  I'm working out the kinks and figuring out how to keep all the pieces (full time work, husband, school, home & social life) of my life in order.  I also recently found out that apparently at this particular university, classes become open much earlier than at the college(s) I went to for undergrad.  Unbeknownst to me, Spring 2012 classes have been open for registration for God knows how long and all the ones I need for next semester are now closed.  Arg!  But the chair of the department is working on getting more sections added.  I'm really praying she does so that I don't get behind.  Additionally, I'm still figuring out how the financial aid system works at this particular school.  I currently have a bill for the semester however I am supposed to have enough financial aid to cover it.  I just can't remember how this worked when I was at Southern but I really hope they realize I have the financial aid because I can't pay out of pocket for my classes.

2. Work Winter Bid
Twice a year, in my department, we "bid" for a particular work schedule.  About two weeks before we actually make these choices, "bid lines" are released to us.  These are all the weekly schedule's we can choose from.  People choose based on days off, hours and location.  This past bid, I was fortunate enough to get my first choice.  However that definitely won't be happening this upcoming bid as there are fewer options in the winter.  We "bid" in order of seniority, and yours truly is at the bottom of that list.  So I've also been stressing about that.  The upcoming bid is 8 months and takes us through the holiday season so its definitely an important choice.  Also, hubs' work location is being vague about whether he is going to be switching shifts or days off in the near future, so I don't even know what days off to choose.  I really don't want to choose the ones he has now just to have them switch him next month.  Ugh.  I'll be glad when its over. (About 10am on Friday, in case you were wondering)

3. Home/Social Life
For the past year this has been a struggle for me.  I really have trouble balancing taking care of my home/being domestic, taking care of myself and hubs and spending time with friends.  It has taken me about 3 years to really make friends here in Orlando.  I had gotten used to spending essentially all my free time with the husband and now throwing a few friends in the mix is a change.  Don't get me wrong, I am SO happy to finally have made friends with some amazing people here. And part of me knows that, if I'd like to maintain these friendships, I do need to go out and be social.  But at the same time, since I know that hubs may be switching back to 3rd shift, I want to take advantage of the fact that he's awake during the day right now.  Moreover, he is starting school this week so we will not see each other at all two days a week from now until May.  Its all part of my constant struggle with balance.

Don't take this as excuses or complaining.  This is just what has been going on in my life since the challenge ended.  I'll be doing some more fun posts soon.  I'm looking forward to finishing the Best Day Ever! Series and beginning the Newlywed series.

PS. Check out and follow my husband's blog: New World 

Thanks for reading.

Blog Challenge Day 24: Challenge Complete!

Well, here you have it folks.  The last post of my blog challenge.  And just in time too since I was just looking at the syllabus for my one of graduate classes this semester and it looks like they will definitely be keeping me busy.  I am going to do my best to continue posting on a regular basis though.  I'm hoping to write a minimum of once or twice a week.  I feel like I have a good momentum going now so I feel that this is a reasonable goal.  However, I will have to find that balance of feeling like I'm keeping up with the blog and writing continuously without having it consume most of my free time.  I'm an "all or nothing" person so this will be a challenge in and of itself.  I have enjoyed however taking the time of out every day to write.  I hope that this is something that I'll continue whether its for this blog, school or my own personal journal.  The challenge definitely forced me to think about writing everyday which is something I was hoping it would do.  I don't feel that all my posts were hugely successful and some did not contain enough actual writing.  However, the challenge wasn't necessarily about writing a piece of literature every day.  It was about making a commitment to post daily and sticking to it.  I did this for the most part and although there were some days I just couldn't find the time to sit and write a post worth publishing, I always made up for it.  My goal was to write 24 posts in 24 days and that is what I have done.  I know its really silly but I'm proud of myself for sticking to it.  Especially since it was something I came up with completely on my own, challenged myself to do on my own and had to motivate myself to complete on my own.  I guess it was self-empowering.  I'm also glad I did it just before starting classes because I was (and still am) very rusty in my writing.  This helped me break though those initial barriers and writers block and hopefully my writing has improved.  Thanks to everyone who supported me in this endeavor and those who read my posts.  Special thanks to my husband for reminding me to write my posts on those days when the blog would slip my mind.  I hope you've enjoyed reading my blog challenge posts as much as I've enjoyed writing them.

Thanks for reading.

BC24-8/22

Blog Challenge Day 23: BDE IV

Best Day Ever! Snip Bits from our Wedding Day: We're Married!

When I left you last, I was basking in the joy of the first moments of my marriage.  I was so thrilled as we walked back through the church hand in hand to the beautiful chorus of Mendelssohn's Wedding March.  We mingled in the foyer for a few minutes getting hugs and congratulations for our immediate families as everyone got into place for what turned out to be one of my favorites parts of the day: the receiving line.

It was so nice to be able to greet and thank each one of our guests as they recessed out of the church.  Since we live out of state, this was the first time we'd seen many of our family and friends in two years.  We were also fortunate enough to meet some of each others' extended family which we hadn't been able to in the past. 

All the hugs, congratulations and compliments on my dress were so joyful and genuine; it made me feel so blessed that each one of these people had come to share in our special day.  My bridesmaids also did me the honor of forming their own little receiving line on the church porch and greeting all of our guests.

Once we had seen everyone, we excitedly signed our marriage certificate, finally making it official on paper.  I wanted to have some photos at the church so our families and bridal party happily obliged.  Many of our guests were still mingling on the church lawn awaiting our exit.  They were prepared with bubbles and cheers for us as we made our way down the stairs.

I felt like I was on display as we waiting for a go ahead to leave the church.  Since no one had really thought about how this segue would go, we just sort of stood around in front of our guests waiting for someone to tell us to leave.  Looking back it seems sort of silly since it was my wedding and I didn't have any sort of planner or day of coordinator, but I was still waiting for someone to tell me what to do.  I guess this was really my first decision as a married woman.  As funny as it sounds.  The thing was, after waiting a few minutes for someone to send everyone off to the reception, I realized, the person they were waiting for was me.  I remember looking around for my mom, thinking that she should be the one telling me what to do.  But I was married now, so I guess in terms of this moment, it was my turn to call the shots.  Either way, after lots of giggles and a little embarrassment, our photographer got some photos of us getting into the limo. Then we were off watching the church and few stragglers waving goodbye disspear into the distance.

Finally, a moment alone.  We were able to hug and kiss and revel in our moment.  Our first moments alone as man and wife.  We breathed a sigh of relief as the nerve racking part of the day was over.  We popped our champagne and chatted about the day as we made our way to the reception.  We both conceded that we were so excited and happy about how wonderful the ceremony was but we both agreed that the day was going by so quickly.  Before we knew it (as it was only 15 minutes away) we were at the reception hall and ready to get our party started!

Stay tuned for the next installment of Best Day Ever!

Thanks for reading.

BC23-8/21

Blog Challenge Day 22: BDE III

Best Day Ever! Snip Bits from our Wedding day: The Ceremony

The last post of Best Day Ever! left you with my bridal party and I enjoying our limo ride to the church.  As we pulled into the parking lot, I could barely believe that we were there and that this was really it.  Honestly the ceremony is such a blur of emotions to me.  I don't really remember it specifically but I do vividly remember the feelings, emotions and senses I felt during it.  I got out of the limo onto my red carpet and heard the excited voices of my two sorority sisters who were still outside the church handing programs to the last few stranglers to arrive.

 I will never forget the looks on their faces when we walked past them to enter the church by the side entrance as to not be seen.  They were filled with joy and excitement being the first ones to see my in my dress and be there for my special day.  And then of course one of them whipped out her camera :)  Upon entering the church, the reality of the situation really hit me.  Everyone was there ready to begin.  I saw some of my family for the first time that day and was feeling very excited but getting nervous for the actual ceremony.

I was never nervous about getting married but the thought of being in front of all the most special people in my life saying my vows did give me some butterflies in my stomach.  After of few minutes of sorting out flowers and getting my grandmother into her seat, it was time for us to line up.  Of course being at the back I smiled at each of my girls as she began he walk down the aisle.  For a moment I felt like I might cry but was able to compose myself.  Our usher and a mutual friend of one of my bridesmaids shut the doors and waited for the cue.  "Here comes the bride."  After a moment of confusion of which chorus I was actually going to start walking on, they looked at me, asked, "ready?" to which I took a deep breath, smiled and nodded.  They both smiled back, opened the doors and I was instantly flooded with sights, sounds and smells which had before been muted behind the white double doors.  I remember it feeling warm and inviting,  I remembe smelling the burning candles and seeing all the beautiful gold light they had created.  I remember seeing all the people standing, watching me as I emerged from the foyer which had apparently become flooded with the afternoon sun behind me when the doors had been opened.

After a moment, I began to walk (far too quickly, I think) down the aisle.  I don't really remember the walk too well as I was concentrating on 1) smiling 2) trying not to run down the aisle and 3) not tripping and falling.  Once I made it to the end, I saw my husband looking extremely calm and happy which made me feel instantly relaxed and ready to get married!

As we exchanged our vows I remember having the most intense feeling of happiness I think I have ever felt.  Our pastor was so wonderful and brought so much joy to the ceremony which really translated what I was feeling.  I remember feeling so overwhelmed as I was making those sacred promises to my husband that I nearly began to cry because I couldn't believe I was finally saying those words.  I remember squeezing my husband's hands so tightly and nearly jumping up and down when the pastor finally announced that we were married! Waiting through a prayer for our special first kiss was so difficult for me.  But it was worth everything.  And then that wonderful moment after the kiss when we held hands to tightly, smiled at the pastor, smiled at each other, smiled for the camera and finally to all our family and friends as were announced as husband and wife.

 It is honestly so hard for me to convey into words how it felt.  As we walking back through the tears, smiles and applause of our family and friends, I remember thinking I couldn't believe it was over so quickly.  So many years of waiting, so many hours of planning and just like that we were married and I was overwhelmed with joy.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Best Day Ever!

Thanks for reading.

BC22-8/20

Blog Challenge Day 21: Origins

Today we were strolling through Barnes & Noble looking for ideas for books to get for the Kindle when I came across "Brave New World" and others by Aldous Huxley.  This got me thinking about the origin of my first name.  I looked around the shelves for her but it seems Barnes & Noble doesn't carry her books; or at least not in that section of the store.  The her I speak of is Elspeth Huxley.  She is also an author and is related by marriage to Aldous Huxley.  Yes, I do realize that my name is not Elspeth.  (Its also NOT Elizabeth either!)  However this is where my parents heard the name. 

So here's the story of how I became Elsbeth (pieced together from stories of my birth from my mom).  I was born just after midnight on the first of November. One of the delivery nurses asked my mom for my first name.  She responded "Elspeth."  Needless to say the nurse did not react well to that name so my mom opted to changed the "p" to a "b" because that's more normal. (haha just kidding mom!)  And there you have it. 

Although my name tends to give me difficulty when introducing myself to new people, I don't think it being Elspeth would have made a difference.  I'm very glad my mom wasn't so taken aback by that nurses response that she changed it to Elizabeth.  No thank you.  I like having a unique name.  Its a good conversation starter if nothing else.  And I'm glad she didn't stick to her guns with Elspeth either.  Not only doesn't it sound completely different then Elsbeth but it also has that "p" with its stem going down below the rest of the letters.  To me, with my OCD tendencies, it would drive me crazy to see that one letter stem just chilling down there in the middle of my name.  I like the way Elsbeth looks much better.

I would love to know the origin's of your names.  Anyone else have a story about how they were named?

Thanks for reading.

BC21-8/19 

Blog Challenge Day 20: Weekend!

Its the freakin' weekend baby I'm about to have me some fun!

Its my weekend anyway.  For those of us who work at Disney, we all have our own "weekend."  Being a seven day a week company makes it highly unlikely that I could ever get an actual weekend off.  As a full timer, I'm entitled to my own weekend which currently is Friday/Saturday.  Hubs is the same so we're fortunate enough to get our weekends off together. 

It always seems like the work week drags on and the weekends fly by.  I feel like this is true for most people.  I also seem to have trouble allocating my "free" or weekend time.  I feel like what I want to do in my non-work time falls into three categories.  1. Chores 2. Relaxing 3. Going out and doing things.  No matter how much I go into a weekend with the intent of doing a satisfactory amount of all three, it rarely happens that way.  As much as part of relaxing is not having every moment planned out like during my work days, I feel that if I don't plan out my weekends, I don't feel satisfied at the end.  Its not that I haven't enjoyed the weekend.  Often its that, I've spent too much time on one activity.  Too much relaxing and not enough chores.  Too much going out and doing things and not enough relaxing.  So I guess the best way for me to do this is tentatively plan it out.  But to remember if I don't stick exactly to my plan, that that is okay and that whats important is that I'm enjoying my time away from work.

Enjoy your weekend too...during whatever part of the week you have free time.

Thanks for reading.

BC20-8/18

Blog Challenge Day 19: Honeymoon

Reminisce with me
...one year ago ...Rivera Maya, MEXICO ...my honeymoon

...sigh

Thanks for reading.

BC19-8/17

Blog Challenge Day 18: Book Club 2

As you know, hubs bought us a Kindle for the first anniversary.  The paper anniversary - get it?  Yes, I'm clever like that ;) Anywho, I've been reading since the moment we got it home.  I love love LOVE it.  I have a lot of down-time at work and it is the perfect thing to keep me from spending my day reloading facebook and twitter on my iphone every ten seconds, thinking something exciting is going to happen.  So now, I read.  All day long.  I love it.  Even now, as I'm sitting her blogging and hubs is reading "At the Mountains of Madness" by H.P. Lovecraft, all I can think about is, when am I getting the Kindle back so I can keep reading.  I have already read an entire book (yes, since Friday) and am into chapter seven of the book I'm currently reading.  What have I read you ask?

I read "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett over the weekend.

 I had actually borrowed the hard copy from a friend on Wednesday and then ended up with it on the Kindle Friday.  I finished it last night.  I very much enjoyed it.  It took me a few chapters to really get into it but by the time I was into the middle of the book, I could barely put it down.  The story picks up and gets much more interesting and exciting once the groundwork has been laid in the first couple chapters.  I was glad after I'd finished the story that I continued to read the author's notes at the end of the book.  She explains how it is a complete work of fiction although very loosely based on what she remembers from her childhood on the subject.  I know there is a lot of contraversy surrounding the recent film adaptation of the book concerning its historical legitimacy so I was glad to read these works coming from the author's own mouth.  I would definitely recommend the book.  It has great character development and an interesting plot line.  I can see why they made it into a movie.  I would like to see the film but from what I've hear they've changed it some from the book which is unfortunate. 

I am currently reading "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

This is acatully the first book in a trilogy of the same title.  I had been hearing about the series here and there and it peaked my interest.  A lot of people were recommending it so I decided I'd see what it was all about.  As I said, I'm only on chapter seven but so far I like it a lot.  It is not at all what I expected (although I'm not sure what I expected since I did zero research on it.  I didn't even know what genre it was) but so far its interesting.  The beginning is written in a way that the author just sort of throws you into the story so it takes a couple chapters to get your bearings and start to understand what it going on.  (Example: I didn't put it together that the protagonist was female until halfway though the first chapter.)  It also seems to be set in a future version of North America although its not really clear as to when exactly.  But its vagueness give it intrigue and intensify's your desire to understand what is going on in the story and therefore you continue reading.  So far its well written and defininetly holding my interest.  I'll keep you updated as I get through this book and the subsquent volumes of the series.

There you have it.  Apparently this is another series that I'll be doing as part of Keep Moving Forward.  I hope you've enjoyed it.  I'd love to hear some of your book recommendations too!  Check out my thoughts on some of my favorite books here.

Thanks for reading.

BC18-8/16

Blog Challenge Day 17: Backwards

I cannot manage my emotions. 

I was going to say I can't manage my stress but then realized I can't manage my anger either and thinking about it more, I realized I even have trouble managing my positive emotions too. (hmm I hope I'm not bi-polar).  I'm very extreme in all my emotions.  Ask anyone.  When I'm happy, I'm really happy.  When I'm angry - watch out.  When I'm sad, it just takes over all of me.  Everything is so terrible, so dramatic.  Ugh.  The longer I'm married, the longer I realize how blessed and lucky I am that my husband dated me so long, never mind agreed, even wanted to marry me...as in deal with me FOREVER. 

I took a class in college called "stress management."  Although our professor preferred to call it "stress solutions" because that was what she wanted to teach us.  She didn't want us to only find ways to manage our stress but give us the tools (solutions) to avoid the stress altogether.  It was by far the best class I ever took in college.  After the first day, I understood why the class always filled up on the first day of registration.  Senior registration.  Freshman, sophomores, even juniors only got in if they knew someone who could save them a spot.  Not only was our professor amazing but everything we learned was applicable to real life and not only in college, for everything in life.  I learned so much in that class that I use everyday but for some reason, I still feel like my emotions are out of control most of the time.  And the thing is that is when they aren't extreme, I feel nothing. I'm sure I'm not the only person who feels this way but I wish I could feel "normal."  Or maybe this is "normal."  I really don't know.

I also have this problem that my body almost always coinsides exactly with my emotions.  I always get sick when I'm stressed.  I can't sleep even if I'm exhausted and that just continues the vicious cycle.  Its exhausting, especially when you're already exhausted...ahhh.  I'm getting tired just writing this.  I also have a tendency to let myself get stressed before anything even happens.  For example, last weekend was very relaxing.  Hubs and I went out for our anniversary and a friends birthday on Thursday and spent the rest of our weekend relaxing.  We really didn't do much of anything but take advantage of getting to spend time together.  We are very recently back on the same sleep schedule and its only temporary so I'm definitely taking advantage of that fact while I can.  And then yesterday, I realized I start grad school next week, my work schedule bid is coming up and we don't know what shift hubs will be on or for how long.  And the stress creeps in. Stress about things that haven't even happened yet.  And I sit here; huge dark bags under my eyes from barely sleeping last night, stomachache from the amount of coffee I drank today, my neck tight from it all.  And I think I'm catching hubs' cold to boot.  Saying to myself, 'I'm so exhausted, so stressed out.'  From what? Nothing!  A nice, relaxing weekend with my husband?!  Unreal.  Only I would do this to myself.  I'm hoping that once I start school and this work scheduling business is over, I'll feel better.  I'm sure I will. I'll get caught up in school work and at work with all the holiday business.  I swear I'm the only person I know who gets stressed out when things "die down" and feel better when I'm extremely busy and have stretched myself too thin.  I'm working on it.

Thanks for reading.

BC17-8/15

Blog Challenge Day 16: five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes

I am the worst blog challenge-er ever.  ugh.  Here's yesterday's post.

Newlywed: A Year in Review: One Year Later

Its our first anniversary!  I seriously cannot believe it has already been a year since our wedding.  Those five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes seriously flew by.  Its been a great year.  I adore my husband and absolutely love being married to him.  We had to work today so we celebrated over "our" weekend.  We went out to a very nice dinner at Il Mulino, an Italian trattoria (thanks to a gift certificate from my mother-in-law!) That same night, our friend was having a birthday celebration (Our anniversary falls on the same day as her birthday) so we went to a Atlantic Dance Hall after dinner to celebrate along with her. 

We then got to spend the rest of our weekend relaxing and enjoying getting to spend time together. Andddd using our anniversary gift.  Hubs got us (me) a Kindle!  I'm obsessed with it already.  We got it Friday and I've already read an entire book.

And then yesterday I came home to this.

And a beautiful card that make me cry.  My husband is seriously the best and I feel so lucky and blessed to have him.  This has definitely been the best year of my life and I'm looking forward to what the next year of our marriage with bring.  The best part is that whenever I look into my future everything is better because I know that I'll always have the love of my life by my side.

Thanks for reading.

BC16-8/14

Blog Challenge Day 15: The Day Before the Big Day

Believe or not, a year ago today was my last as a single lady.  As I prepare to document my first year of marriage, I feel it important to close out my single life.  With so much excitement and people around you, everything happens so quickly in the days before your own wedding that you often miss the opportunity to reflect on the change your are about to make in your life.  That being said, by the time your wedding day arrives, the hope is that you've spent enough time thinking, praying and looking at what your future will be with your intending that you are prepared to make the change.  I felt prepared to take on the change that marriage would cause in my life; the wedding being the catalyst of the change.  But the wedding feels like the beginning. And the wedding day is the first day of your new life not the last of your old.  In this way, I think that there often isn't a closing of the book or chapter of your old single life.  During the first few months of my marriage, I was waiting to feel some sort of big change as now I was married, not single but I didn't.  Considering my husband and I had been together 8 years before getting married, I figured it was because it wasn't that huge of a change.  Now that it has been nearly a year, I am seeing the difference in myself.  However it is not one big change, you don't suddenly morph into a different person.  The wedding does not cause and instant change suddenly propelling you into the married version of yourself.  It is the beginning of a progression from being a single person focused mostly on yourself and your life to being part of a union where the focus is for the greater good of both people.  Even with this being said, I still don't feel that I had real closure on my single life.  But maybe that is a topic for another day.  Ok, now on to the fun stuff...

The day before the wedding is a hopefully a day of fun and pampering followed by an evening of rehearsing the wedding and thanking all that have helped you along the way.  The plans (hopefully) are all set and this day is the first that as a bride, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labors.  I definitely felt this way the day before my wedding.  It began at a nail salon where the women closest to me and I were able to enjoy a little pre-wedding day pampering.

After the pampering, it was, of course, time for more food so we all enjoyed lunch at the pizzeria next door.  As I remember, the food was very good and this was the last time we were all able to be together to enjoy some "free time" before everything really began.  

After lunch some of us parted ways as there were errands to run and things to do before the rehearsal later that afternoon.  As the bride, even though I had made lists upon lists, upon lists and time lines for the entire weekend, I still managed to forget the clothes I was planning to wear to that evening making me late to my own rehearsal.  However it was either show up late or show up in the leggings and tank top I had been wearing that morning.  It was important to me to look nice for my last meal as a single lady so I figured, they can't start without me! Ha!  The rehearsal went perfectly with all my nit picky questions being answered and even though I was standing there at the altar with my future husband for some reason it seemed like a dream.  It felt like we were practicing for a play or maybe someone else's wedding.  It still didn't feel like this was all for me.

Then came time for the rehearsal dinner.  We enjoyed a great meal at a restaurant I've been dining in since I was a little girl.  I had at "breakfast for dinner" and ordered my favorite meal on the menu: Hash and Eggs.  Hey, I was the bride and the bride gets to do whatever she wants especially the day before their wedding, right?  Instead of a lot of fluff and extra money that can often go into the rehearsal dinner, we just wanted good food and a relaxed atmosphere to enjoy time with our family and wedding party.  Since we are out of state, many of these events that might seem like a chore for most engaged couples were special times for us to spend with people we don't get to see as often as we'd like. 

Although there were still some details to take care of before my last single sleep, I felt ready and excited for the next day.  I was honestly still in disbelief that it was finally here but as I fell asleep in that hotel room with my girls, I felt confident that I was ready to give up my old life and move into my new life with my husband.

Thanks for reading.

BC15-8/13

Blog Challenge Day 14: BDE II

Playing catch up today.  I was having a lot of trouble with blogger yesterday so after finally getting the day 13 post published, I was definitely done with the program. 

Best Day Ever! Snip bits of our Wedding Day: Get me to the Church on Time!

In the first post of this series within a series, I left you when I was just returning to the hotel after some quiet time with my mom.  As soon as I arrived, I knew quiet time was over because the craziness of getting 6 women ready for a wedding had begun.  You know the scene in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" when Nia Vardalos' character gets up the morning of her wedding to find her ENTIRE family in her house and when they see her, they all start screaming and she is engulfed in a sea of blue tulle, make up and hairspray?  This is essentially what happened when I walked into the room (minus the sea of blue tulle.)  Mind you, I had our photographer, Lindsay Vigue with me.  Luckily she fit right into my group of girls and disappeared into the background taking photos and enjoying our silliness as we got ready.  Although my make up and hair was already done, all my girls were helping each other and getting themselves dolled up.

I spent this time stuffing my face with any food I could find (as we had planned to order lunch but completely forgot), adding even more bobby pins to my hair and giggling with my girls.  Before I knew it however, it was time for the big moment.  It was time to (hopefully) get me into THE dress.  While I had been gone, my dress had been hung above one of the beds and had become a picturesque background for everything that was going on below.



I think it is always a bride's worry that somehow that all important, special dress won't fit when the time comes.  Even though I went to multiple fittings and knew that my body hadn't changed since the last one, I still held my breath and said a little prayer as the girls zipped it up.  Luckily it fit perfectly and just as comfortably as it had before. 

Once the dress was on, the reality of the situation truly began to sink in.  I knew that once I stepped into the limo, the wedding I'd been planning for a year and a half and had been looking forward to for almost a decade would actually be beginning.  It's a strange feeling, knowing you are about to experience the culmination of something you've put endless amounts of time and effort into.  However I didn't have too much time to reflect on that because our limo had arrived!  Ready or not, it was time to get married!

The nice part about staying a little bit away from the church was that although we had had a marathon afternoon of getting ready, the ride to the church was a nice breather.  I felt so blessed to get to spend that time just before walking down the aisle with my bridal party.  Of course all jitters were put aside with jokes and giggles.  The sense of humor each of my girls is one of the many reasons I chose them to be apart of my bridal party and of my life.  Planning a wedding and then following through on all the plans is stressful. Having women by my side who not only helped me in every way they could but also kept me from feeling any stress to make sure I was able to really enjoy my special day was incredible.  I could never thank each of them enough for their priceless friendship.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Best Day Ever!

Thanks for reading.

BC14-8/12

Blog Challenge Day 13: August 11, 2010

So sorry I missed another day but in my defense yesterday was jam packed.  I literally did not stop from 7am until 2am. So here is yesterday's post.

As I don't have much time today, I will let you reminisce with me (through photos) about this day last year.  Hubs and I had our bachelor(ette) party's a year ago today.  Hubs went to a friend's beach house and spent the day with his best friends.  My party was a great day spent with my bridal party and close girlfriends.



BC13-8/11

Blog Challenge Day 12: BDE I

Best Day Ever! Snip bits from our Wedding Day: Good Morning! Good Morning!

I can’t believe its been almost a year since the best day of my life. We’re celebrating our first anniversary on Sunday so this is the perfect time to start my newlywed series. Here’s the thing, get ready, I’m about to blow you’re mind. Because of the amount of material I have on this wonderful subject, I’ve created a series within a series. Bah-Boom (that was your mind being blown) I know it’s a lot to handle but you’ll thank me later. I am naming the series within the newlywed series “Best Day Ever! Snip bits from our Wedding Day.” And this is the first installment aptly named “Good Morning! Good Morning!” And make sure you’re singing that like the song in “Singin’ in the Rain.”  And since the title of the the series within a series was getting entirely too long, I figured I'd spare you a ridiculously long link and include it in the body of the post.  You're Welcome :)

I know everyone says it but my wedding day was definitely the best day of my life. Hands down. Even though it has only been a year, the day has become somewhat of a blur of memories and emotion. Just like everyone also says, it goes by so quickly especially if you don’t take those moments to “take it all in.” I do have wonderful fragments of the day in my mind and paired with my amazing photos by Lindsay Vigue , they make the most beautiful memories. Wedding planning is honestly very stressful and something that I never want to do again for myself. So when we were in the homestretch in the days of planning, I was truly ready for it to be over and be sitting on the beach in Mexico. However, when the day finally came, all the stress melted away (thanks to our wonderful family and friends who took such good care of us) and we were really able to enjoy celebrating our marriage.

The day began in the best way: with laughter from my closest girlfriends and me. I remember hearing one of my bridesmaids getting up from her bed in our hotel room, immediately walking into something and then shouting in pain which gave us all the giggles right away. Luckily she was unhurt and we all stayed in bed a little while longer gabbing and giggling the way girlfriends do.

The lighthearted atmosphere continued on as my best friend handed me the veils she donned at her own wedding and I skipped down the street to the hair salon waving them in the wind. I feel so blessed to have a friend who will let me get married wearing something she wore on her special day. What a wonderful “something borrowed” and something that strengthens our best friend bond even more.

As my nerves were starting get the best of me a bit at the hair salon, my other best friend busted in the salon full of positive energy (as usual) with bagels and mimosas in tow. Perfect timing. She is always late but always comes at just the right time.

After hundreds (literally) of bobby pins and pounds of hairspray, I was lucky enough to be able to spend some quieter time with my mom while her hair and my make up were attended to. Looking back, I’m so thankful for this extra time in a ridiculously tightly scheduled day. Because upon my return to the hotel, all the craziness the comes with getting six women ready for a wedding had begun.

Stay tuned for the next installment of Best Day Ever!

Thanks for reading.

BC12-8/10

Blog Challenge Day 11: These are a few of my favorite things

In no particular order...
1. Being Married

2. Christmas

3. Relay For Life

4. My Best Friends

5. This Day

And of course...you, my dear readers!

Thanks for reading.

BC11-8/9

Blog Challenge Day 10: Extreme Couponing

Alright, the title is a bit of an exaggeration but I have seen the light and it shines with savings.  Although I think this officially makes me (as my great aunt lovingly called me) an old married lady, I have become a couponer.  In no way am I anything like the people seen on TLC's Extreme Couponing show.  However the savings I've seen in the few months since I've starting "couponing" have made me a believer.  I just wish I hadn't waited this long to start!

One day the hubs and I were relaxing at home when we heard a knock at our apartment door.  On the other side was a teenage kid selling newspaper subscriptions as part of a fund-raiser.  Although at first it seemed like a scam, after looking at the literature presented to him, my husband took pity on the poor guy and signed us up to receive The Orlando Sentinel.  Although, I really don't read the paper much (I get most of my local news from their website and twitter feed) I definitely look forward to the days when it is filled with savings. 

The Sunday paper is by far the most useful to me.  Not only does it contain booklets of coupons but it also holds sale flyer's for the week. I spend a couple hours each week matching up my coupons with sales for the products I need.  I have been able to save a lot of money and has definitely been worth the cost of the newspaper delivery.  Most of the stores where I currently shop not only print the savings on the receipt but the cashiers seem to delight in telling me how much I've saved in my shopping trip.  Once on the show, the woman featured explained the "high" she got from couponing.  I thought that was kind of silly or maybe strictly reserved for those who get out of the grocery store paying 2 cents for $500 worth of groceries.  However, I have definitely felt the excitement of a good bargain and savings.  On a recent shopping trip to Walgreens, I couldn't help but smile as my register reward coupons just kept on printing and printing. When the cashier looked at me and said, "you're not going to pay anything for this!" and I knew I'd made it.  Ha!  I know this sounds really mundane but in these difficult economic times especially as a newlywed couple just starting out, anything we can do to save money and better our situation and future is honestly cause for excitement.     

As a new couponer, I have caught myself purchasing way too much of something because I felt like I couldn't pass up a good deal.  Luckily this hasn't happened with anything that will expire or that I won't use eventually.  However I can understand how the people featured on the show end up with the "stockpiles" that they do.  I've struggled with feeling like I need to take advantage of a deal because I worry if it will be offered again at a time when I need the particular product.  However, I've found that most stores offer these deals often and that maybe I don't need to use the coupon this month.  In the same vein, many companies seem to distribute coupons for the same products month after month.

No matter how extreme my couponing may (but won't) get, I'm glad that I've started finding ways to save our family money.  I know that the tips and tricks I'm learning now will help me in the future.  I'm sure that this will not be the worst of times financially for us and I want to have the tools and experience I'll need as the needs of my family change and fluctuate. 

Thanks for reading.

BC10-8/8

Blog Challenge Day 9: Health/Fitness/Wellness: Healthy Alternatives

This is the first post of the Health/Fitness/Wellness series.

Healthy Alternatives

Living a healthy lifestyle can sometimes seem extremely difficult to us normal people.  What we see in the media often tells us that to truly be healthy, we need to take extreme measures.  I personally find that the best way to begin and stick with healthy lifestyle changes is to start by making small adjustments.  Not only will they make a big difference but actually making the positive change is so helpful to your esteem.  In this particular post, I'll be discussing small changes that I have made in my diet recently that have been beneficial to my overall health. 

I have been on a lot of "diets" in my life.  Although I have been successful using some "diet" techniques, I'm finding that since I don't have many actual pounds to lose and am mostly just trying to be healthier in general, that these diets don't really work for me.  I'll lose a few pounds and be satisfied but not necessarily any more healthy.  And once I go off the diet, the weight tends to come right back.  This is why recently I've decided to stop counting calories or trying different fad diets and instead make simple, positive adjustments to my eating habits.  Here are a few changes I've made this summer that I'd like to pass on to you.

1) Sandwich Condiment

          Old Choice: Mayonnaise                 New Choice: Hummus

 

I have always loved hummus and will often pair it with pita chips as a snack or meal.  I am an avid viewer of NBC's The Biggest Loser and one of the tips they gave during an episode was to replace mayonnaise with hummus.  Perfect! I thought...I've been looking for something to use instead of mayo and this was a great choice.  It took a few days to get used to the flavor difference but now that I'm used to it, I probably wouldn't go back to mayo given the opportunity.  Hummus is made primarily from chickpeas which are a good source of protein and good fats.  Also, although recently I have been finding great deals on store bought hummus, it is not difficult to make.  It only takes a few simple ingredients and a food processor.  Other popular mayonnaise replacements are guacamole and avocado.

2) Dessert

Old Choice: Ice Cream                         New Choice: Low fat fruit smoothies.

 

Anyone who knows me well knows I love ice cream!  It is definitely my favorite treat and something that I can (and did) eat every day.  Even though I always tried to buy light ice cream, I knew it was still something that I shouldn't be eating every single day.  Another wall that I constantly have difficulty breaking down in my quest for health is the fact that I do not like fruit.  For me it is a texture issue.  I love the flavor of almost any fruit but for some reason my palate cannot handle the textures.  It has always been frustrating for me because so many fruits have great health benefits but I can't seem to make myself like to eat them.  One day while grocery shopping my husband and I came across the frozen fruits (probably while we were looking for ice cream...ha!).  He made the great suggestion to try fruit smoothies instead of ice cream for dessert.  What a great way to (try to) get me off my ice cream addiction and get more fruit into my diet.  Yay!  And it has been working out well.  I'm still getting my sweet, cold after dinner treat while consuming good calories and fruits with natural sugars and antioxidants.

3) Sweet lunch treat

Old Choice: It depended on what was on sale and/or in the pantry)

New Choice: Greek Yogurt!

 

Some people might argue that I am obsessed with Greek yogurt and that is because I kind of am.  I loveeeeee me some Greek yogurt.  Most single portion Greek yogurts contain around 14 grams of protein in only around 140 calories! Great, right?!  Its a great way to get more protein in your diet and more of those natural sugars since Greek yogurt is not overly sweetened (real or artificial) like regular yogurts.  And luckily, I'm not the only person who has jumped on the Greek yogurt train.  Many currently popular yogurt brands have added Greek yogurt to their repertoire.  As well as a few new (to me) brands becoming easily found in regular grocery stores.  I have tried almost every brand of Greek yogurt (thanks to coupons from my mom) and decided that my first choice is still Chobani.  Yum Yum Yum!  They have many different flavors that my husband and I both enjoy.

Most of these changes I've made were based on recommendations.   Although I am so very far from having a perfectly healthy diet, I hope that my recommendations are able to help you fuel your body in the healthiest ways possible.  I would love to hear some of the "healthy alternatives" that you've incorporated into your diet to help foster a healthier lifestyle.

Thanks for reading.

BC9-8/7