Motivation Quote

I really liked how she put this. Need to look at it each day!

Bethany

Wedded Wednesday

Happy Wednesday Morning! It is a beautiful day outside and I can't wait to go do some yard work. But before I do...

Today we are highlighting some of the more tedious and fun things to get your wedding on its feet. 

Guest List

This for some seems like a really fun part to get ready for, but the reality is this is so hard sometimes it can cause breakdowns. When you figure out your budget (darn that thing, keeps coming up) you need to figure in what you can afford for a small favor for them coming and the food/drinks you will be serving them. If you want to invite 200 people but can only afford 150, then you need to add to the budget or take away from the guest list. Honestly, I would rather take away from the guest list. I have seen shows where there are upwards of 500 guests at a wedding and they go over budget to accommodate them and the bride will not allow any less. If you can afford it fine, but when you can't pay for anything else it's time to be realistic. 

Pick a number that you would feel comfortable with. Depending on the style (if you are doing a line to shake everyone's hand or are going to visit everyone at their table) you will want to base your attendance on that. You need to be able to say hi to the majority of your guests. Which can be hard but you need to consider, they bought you a gift, some drove hours to see you and congratulate you, so you need to make time to speak with them and thank them for celebrating this special day with you. There is no possible way to do that with more than 300 guests, and that number is pushing. 

Flowers

Time to set aside a half a day to get your flowers order together! Just keep in mind your budget and theme. Your need boutinears for men and ring bearers, corsages for mothers, something for flower girls and boutiques for brides maids. Your bouquet is important as well, but you may want an smaller, extra version made for you to toss if you intend to keep yours and have it preserved. And after there, it will be up to you where else you want flowers to be used. Just keep in mind

Flowers are Expensive! Every little sprig will cost more that you thought it would. Constantly ask where your total is during the process.

The most exciting part of a wedding, the Dress

Remember your theme, style and the budget. After that, just have fun! I tried on over 30 dresses when picking out my own gown, and I totally encourage it!

Bethany

Memorial Weekend

I hope everyone had a great weekend! I was camping from Friday to Monday. It was a great weekend off to say the least. But in South East Idaho it is always very sunny the week of Memorial Weekend and then the week after. Never during. And this is a yearly camping trip with Steve's parents that we go on every year. These are just a few photos of our weekend!

This is what it looked like when we got there...

On a walk with my kids and my mother in law. Beautiful!

My in laws and Steve fishing on the dock

Lilly and I on the curb, we don't fish

Isaiah's first fishing lesson

And Isaiah's FIRST FISH! See his proud daddy?

Bethany

Book Review: One Fifth Avenue

I just finished reading Candice Bushnell's One Fifth Avenue and I really liked it. Candice Bushnell should sound a little bit familiar to you. She only wrote the book Sex and the City that inspired the hit T.V. show and movies, as well as Lipstick Jungle that had a 2 season running show. 

I am a stay at home mom and don't get out a lot. So, I read when I can. And One Fifth gave me an outlet as well as some drama! There were just a couple spots that were inappropriate in my mind, don't care to read about people having sexing. But overall it was a great book.

It goes back and forth between the lives of 5 women living in one of the choice apartment buildings in New York City (where all of Bushnell's books take place since she lives there). You quickly get caught up in the dirty secrets of their lives and it is rather similar to Sex and the City and Lipstick Jungle. (Which I own Lipstick Jungle and will be reading very soon) One Fifth is a read that will take you about a week to read, maybe a little more if you can only read for a little bit in bed at night. I actually picked my hardcover copy at Barnes and Noble on clearance for $5. Enjoy!

Bethany

Wedded Wednesday

To start, J. Bella is having a HUGE clearance on our Facebook page. We are having a Tops Liquidation Here. (Most items are under $10, no more than $20). And a Denim Liquidation Here. (All jeans $20, including Truck, Anoname and Big Start retailing for $90-$140) Each picture has what sizes are available and the price. Just leave a comment below the picture with your size and email address so you can be emailed a PayPal request. Prices do not include shipping. Tell them Bethany sent you to these amazing prices!

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For today's Wedded Wednesday we have 3 topics. 

Style of the Wedding

You may think we talked about this last week here. But that was the Theme. The style I am referring to is Time of the day the wedding is and the Food. If you are having a before noon reception, an heavy steak dinner is not ideal. 

Before Noon: Do a nice brunch as the meal. Not too heavy though. Also, this time of the day not ideal for a black tie affair. The dress style should be a little bit more casual, but no jeans of course. (I hate when people wear jeans to a wedding) The wedding party could get away with sandals, or Tom's as the style is becoming, and knee length dress in a less formal feel. Nice slacks and a button up for men can be a great look with just a flower, and even no tie.

Noon - 5pm: Doing a nice lunch, say chicken or heavy appetizers is a great idea. Less fancy dress, but full length can be a easy way to go. But wearing something more comfortable is better, these kind of weddings are more of a meet and greet and a lot of walking is done. Not as much sitting. A suit for men is ideal with just a tie to go with the flower. 

5pm - crack of dawn: This time can provide the ideal setting for a Black Tie Affair! Heels, tuxes, full length dresses and the like is an ideal fit. This is where you serve a full dinner, even steak, because the time of the day is suiting. 

Think of your meal serving as the way you eat on a regular basis. Medium for Breakfast/Lunch, heavy for Dinner. And if it is at an in between time of the day, just do a lot of appetizers and hors d'oeuves.

And always provide a non-alcoholic option for quests besides soda, say Sparkling Cider. Not everyone in attendance are liquor drinkers. (Something to consider if you are going to allow children)

Honeymoon

Start looking into where you would like to attend your honeymoon! It can be so fun, but cannot be a last minute thought if you want it to be planned smoothly. Don't forget your budget! Sometimes you have to book things 6 months in advance. And incorporate your flight away with when you are done with your reception. Sometimes for less exhausted travel, staying in a local hotel and flying out the next day makes more sense. 

Music

Sometimes making a playlist can take a little time, and you need to be able to make it work with the flow of your wedding/reception. Plus, if you are going to have a D.J., you need to be able to guide him with the feel and type of music you want. 

If you have any wedding questions, email me at goldylocksandthebarrows @ hotmail . com

Bethany

Evening for a Mother

Every now and then when I go to check on my kids before I go to bed, I come back out of their rooms crying. My husbands always asks what is wrong. What he does not realize is that when you become a mother, usually you cry more of pure joy than sadness.

When I look at Lilly and Isaiah sleeping so soundly, listen to their breath go in and out making their chests slowly rise, and I play their blankets back on them, I am over taken with pure happiness. I never would have known the endless love I hold for them before they were placed in my arms. And this feeling still happens every now and then in the dark of night when I can just look at them and the only way to show the intense burst of emotions inside of me is to cry.

 Life has never been better, than when I am with my children while they are dancing around me and laughing at my silly faces. But sometimes in the dead of the night when I can smell their baby shampoo and stroke their perfect blonde hair, take out the occasional toy, I reconnect with the moment they became mine. And for that I am eternally grateful.

Bethany

My Taste, My Home

Today I am highlighting my downstairs family room "media wall". Pardon the lighting, we only have two small windows that hardly let in any light. 

Shelves: Ikea//Frame: Target//Picture: Self painted

This small wall is to the right of our T.V. I needed something to keep the Wii/T.V. remotes from the kids, and to have all the kid's movies on hand. I had originally bought these shelves for the kid's bathroom and mine but did not like the way they would have looked. I feel like I need something to the left of the frame... any suggestions? 

 

This picture frame I bought about 5 years ago and needed something to spruce up the wall. I felt like painting one day and had this leaf stencil from a Christmas gift I painted for someone. I just use Arcyllic paints since they are easy. 

You can see the frame the T.V. sits in the left of the shelves. There is a hole in the wall it rest in. Which is nice because it does not stick out from the wall. But this way all of favorite movies and games are right there next to the T.V.

The best part is having a set place for ALL the remotes. Between the remotes and controllers, there are 6, and it is nice to just go to the shelf and find them all there when we need them. 

What kind of ways do you organize your media needs?

Bethany

High 5 For Friday!

1. Yesterday playing at Jensen's Grove with Steve and the kids. Our make shift beach. (A park where you can boat, play on the playgrounds or walk a greenbelt)

2. 2 weeks away from Steve's family reunion we are planning!

3. Helping the Young Women at church sew their first aprons... mine as well. 

4. Making some killer Chocolate Chip Cookies. 

5. Watching Steve try to fix the hot tub on the back porch. And then watching it leak everywhere. It is a rental so we didn't know what was wrong with it. But it is pretty amusing to watch him try to fix it. 

Bethany

May Birchbox

This month was a Gossip Girl themed, picked by Gossip Girl's lead make up woman.

I liked this box just a little bit of a lot. There was a cute stationary card in the back, a Stila liquid eye liner pen, I am excited to try it. An amazing face cream, Kiehl's Abyssine Cream made from stuff in the ocean, a Caudalie hand and cuticle cream that seems a bit heavy at first, but as it dries gets lighter. Bvlgari Omnia Crystalline Eau de Toilette Spray-smells good! Kerastase Cristalliste Lumiere Liquide makes dry ends shiney.

It was a fun box and I loved that I got nail polish the last two months, but I don't paint my nails that much so it was nice to have something different.

Bethany

Wedded Wednesday

For those of you who do not know, I am a certified Bridal Consultant--a.k.a Wedding Planner. Think of Jennifer Lopez in The Wedding Planner or David Tutera in his show. 

My wedding cost about $3,000. (Reception space was free). My dress cost about $690. My mother in law paid for the flowers, which was $250, and made our cake for free, which was beautiful, she gets paid for making them all the time. It was a small and intimate affair and not too fussy. We had everything under the blue sky go wrong, among it things that took $2,000 from our budget roughly. -- Including our marriage license being locked in Steve's car in a mechanic shop on the Saturday of the wedding... 

To be honest, I have only helped planned a handful of weddings, excluding me hearing about someone getting married and just throwing ideas at them. The community I live in weddings are not as large scale as what you see on TV. We usually use the cultural hall of our church buildings (the gym) and decorate from there. But they can still be great, just a wedding planner is not needed...

But I am bringing you a four part series, Wedded Wednesday. One, to utilize my skills before they disappear and to help any of you who may be getting married. 

This first week, what you do first when you get engaged.

To start, if you are engage, CONGRATULATIONS! I can't tell you how happy I am for you. 

After this the bride starts planning every little detail, but the husband just starts to wonder how he is going to make it to the wedding night. But just take a deep breath, grab a pen, and do this one step at a time. 

First and foremost, tell those that you feel need to hear it now. Parents, grandparents, children and so on. When you go back to work, they will all see it, but at the beginning it is special and should be cherished with those you love most. 

Next, a budget. You can start buying like it is the the last wedding to ever be had, but you need to keep it inline with what you can afford. The overage comes from a home, college, vacations and so on. Of course it should be an amazing day, but robbing from something bigger is not worth it in the long run--sometimes. Set something responsible. Accounting for the following will give you an idea of what to expect:

Reception Space

Church Space

Flowers

Food

Tuxes

Gowns

Wedding Dress

Favors

Tables, chairs, utensils, linens

Gifts to involved parties

Travel expenses from far away family

Honeymoon

Next, you need to pick a date. Any wedding can fit any season. It is nice to get married in the summer, but that is everyone's idea. Sometimes, you can save money on a reception space if you book it in an off season/weekend. Make sure the time works for you and your soon to be husband, but make sure it is not too inconvenient for others, i.e. last week of school for kids, beginning of school for kids, Christmas (can work though), per-arranged trip for parents and that sort of thing. And always have a back up date when you go to the reception space and church!

Lastly today, a theme. A gown like below will not work for a country themed wedding: 

Found on Pinterest

But you can take your guests to a wonderful place if it is executed properly. But keep the overall idea in mind when you are buying decor and flowers. Sometimes you can just see something that is amazing and get it but you know deep down inside it wont work. Trust, I've tried it. But your theme will work around your budget. Remember, everything revolves around the budget. 

Including your dress. If you go over budget on your gown, it will cost you somewhere else. Which I am okay with, as long as you re-adjust money. 

Please email me at goldylocksandthebarrows @ hotmail (dot) com if you have any wedding needs. This series will continue next Wednesday!

Bethany

What feels better?

I beg you all to take a moment and think and ask yourself a couple of questions: 

When was the last time a performed a service for something in need? 

 When was the last time I used my talents for those in need? 

When was the last time I gave up my free time to volunteer?

This past weekend I was at my husband's cousin Michelle's new home. I consider her my own family and love her dearly. She is a single mother to 4 kids and most of the time makes it look effortless. She works like a horse to bring home an income to provide for them in every way since the father does not. She loves her kids so much! She is the definition of a single, independent and thriving woman and I am proud to call her friend and family. 

But sometimes we all ask for help. We need to. Some of my greatest blessings in this life come from giving my time to others. So this last Saturday, I helped Michelle with the painting of her Habitat for Humanity house. If anyone deserved this, it is Michelle. And I am so happy for her. I feel bad that I could only stay for 4 hours (since the painting was not done) but I had to get back to my kids. But every little bit helps. She is required to put in 250 hours of her own time, and all of us volunteer's time went towards that, which in the end the entire thing was primed. I wish I could have done more than paint, but lets be honest, my skill set for building a fence is lacking just a pinch. I did help shovel rocks though!

I just ask you all to find something in your community to volunteer at in the near future. I can tell you that your service gives so much. And in a way gives more to you than those you are servicing. 

This is Michelle's house--so close to being done

Me at the beginning, still clean. It was a all women's work day, hence the cute shirts

I did take part in shoveling and moving rocks until we had primer, and dumped it in the wrong spot accidentally...

And this is what happens after four hours of painting. So cool!

 So I ask, what feels better than giving?

Bethany

Sponsor LOVE

Can I just say that I love this girl and I only know her through email! She makes my day with just a little message. And Megan, I am a certified Wedding Planner and I totally understand the dream! **************

Hi Lovelies, I'm Megan

& I blog over at Southern Love<3

I started blogging about a year ago when Hearts Prepared, my women's ministry was formed.

I very recently formed Southern Love, my personal blog about my wonderful, blonde, crazy southern life!

Here we Go:

1. Jesus Christ is my passion! I want to share Him with the world!!

2. I laugh a lot, talk a lot, cry a lot and I love a lot. I believe that expressing yourself and being your own person is one of the most freeing feelings in the entire world. 

3. I really really really want a tattoo. I have said since I was 17 I would get one in memory of my best friend who passed away that year. My fear: I have no clue where to get it. I want a cross. And I know I want a verse. But location is unknown...

4.I love to run. I am obsessed. 

5. I want a baby girl English bulldog, and I will name her Genevieve. don't hate!

6.I am a southern girl through and through and I always will be. Boiled peanuts and sweet tea basically help define my southern roots :)

7.I have a unhealthy Addiction to chapstick.

8.I love weddings and I think I might be a wedding planner on the side

9.I know God's plan for my life is more than I could ever imagine or dream of. His desires for my life have become my desires for my life and I am trusting Him with every ounce in my 135lb body. He is my life.

Pinterest | Twitter |Instagram| Email

I hope that this gave you a little glimpse into my life! 

So come stop by and let's get to become blogger friends!

Thank you to Bethany for letting me ramble and for having me!!

High 5 For Friday!

1. Got a new Blazer... photos coming soon!

2. Having the confidence/stupidity to post pictures of myself wearing something cute here. (When I started this blog I never imagined that!)

3. Getting my daughter's hand and foot cast finally. I had Isaiah's done when he was 3 weeks old. Better late than never. 

4. Tomorrow I am helping my husband's cousin paint her newly built home tomorrow in a giant women's painting day!

5. Mother's Day this weekend! Nuff' said.

Happy Mother's Day Everyone!

Bethany

Shhh... It's my first time

This is the post where I model my newest J. Bella purchase. Which I have not done before due to being scared out of my mind about how I would look. But all the running I have been doing lately has given me a boost of confidence. So without further adieu...

Dress J. Bella//Bangels J. Bella//Tee DownEast

 

This is our new Racer Back Striped Maxi Dress in Mango for summer! And feels so soft and is not see-through. 

You can find this amazing summer goodness here at the J. Bella site! And it is only $26!

But as a reminder, I am only 5 feet tall, so if you are taller than me, which most people are, it won't puddle as much for you. 

I had my husband take the pictures, what do you think?

Bethany

Playing House

Everyone has the happy memories when they were a child, playing with their best friend. Running around together and playing house. Having treasure hunts in the backyard. Tea parties and sleep overs. You can't help but think about those days and adventures with a smile and get lost in your own thoughts.

For me, those memories take me to a girl named Jackie. She was my childhood best friend that I could not live without. My mother ran a daycare for almost 30 years, and Jackie had been there since she was 6 weeks old. When her little sister came along a few years later, my mother cared for her too until we moved 45 minutes away when I was 9. 

I was 5 when I was adopted, Jackie was almost 4. My first day with my new family, all the daycare kids were there, playing in a swimming pool. I saw Jackie first. I couldn't help but stare at her. She had pretty squinty eyes, sleek and straight black hair, and her skin was a beautiful tan. She seemed so different than everyone else. I found out later she was half white and half Korean, her mother being adopted from Korea as a child. I always viewed it as a bragging right I guess, having a beautiful "foreign" best friend.

We always looked forward to the summer time get togethers. Our families were so close. Her family was my extended family. When my sister Kim was engaged, Jackie's mother, Dixie, threw her a bridal shower. And when I was 12, I went on a week long trip with her to visit extended family in Idaho. (Not knowing that someday I would end up there)

In high school we saw less and less of each other and talked even scarcer than that. She attended my high school graduation in 2003 and I moved to Idaho to attend college. A few years later I saw her on a trip home and our differences were astounding. We had not only grown apart, but grown up as well. In two different directions no less. We were young and finding ourselves. 

In 2007 when I was getting ready to be married, I asked Jackie to be my Maid of Honor. Because of the weekend it was, Easter, she was not going to be able to make it. But I could not imagine anyone else because we had shaped so much of eachother's lives from early on. Anything happy as a child, I could relate to her. When I had a trials as a teenager in my family, she was there. She held me up. 

The week before my wedding I dropped my cell phone in a puddle of water, losing all of the phone numbers I had, since I had not written them down. One being Jackie's. That was 5 years ago. 3 years ago her mother, Dixie, a second mother to me in my mind, attended my sister's marriage to her second husband and we talked for what seemed like forever. I asked so many questions about her. And she was doing great and going to school and working. Just like me. Only I was married. 

Through the last few years I constantly wanted to find a way to contact her but did not have her number. I did not ask her mother for her number out of worrying about having an akward silent conversation with someone I thought I would no longer be able to connect with. I constantly searched for her on MySpace (back when it first started) and then onto Facebook. I could never find her. 

Last week, I was catching up on my DVRed shows and waiting for a somewhat boring evening after putting the kids to bed. Just then, my husband came running down the stairs with my cell phone. "It's Jackie." "What? Who?" "Your best friend from when you were a kid!". He threw me the phone and in the bewilderment of the moment I looked at the number first, in half belief. It was an Oregon area code. "Hello?"

We had a wonderful, reconnecting half hour conversation. We both admitted we had not wanted to drift apart, but it seems to be a part of life. So many times she wanted to pick up the phone but assumed the number she had for me was no longer mine (but it was). I had been trying to find her online for so long but she did not have a Facebook. (But opened one the next day). She had just been married this last September and was having a reception this coming September at her one year anniversary and wanted my address and would truly love for me to make it. As well as my siblings and parents. Children are not invited but mine would be allowed to make sure I come. I was touched. 

I look forward to the new relationship we are going to form. The reason why we stayed friends for so long when we were younger is because we had a connection. That connection is still there, we just need to build a new foundation for it. I am truly happy for where she is in life and can not wait to meet her husband. But it shows that those times I wanted to get a hold of her, I probably could have found a way. Then I start to think of the time we have lost and the bonding we could have had in that time, but I just remind myself that moments like we had come when they are needed. 

It made for a not so boring evening and gave me a little something extra to look forward to in the fall. But more so, it gave me my childhood friend back.

Bethany

My Tastes in My Home

So I am starting a new, very short, series on the decor in my home. Mostly because I am in the process of changing my tastes and need to see it out there to decide if I still like it. 

To start, I have always LOVED monograms. They seem so retro, chic and modern all together. And it is such a personal touch without being a picture, which can be overwhelming sometimes. 

 

 There is this one I found off of Pinterest that is so cute! If I ever had the right style of home, I would totally do this!

 

As well from Pinterest, this is so cute for kids! Here they are giving it to their teacher, but could still be used in the home. 

 

This vinyl decal found here on Etsy is another option that has an amazing look and can have endless possibilities with the look. 

And the 3 letter idea is catching on as well. You could display it at a wedding and then use it in your home afterward or give as a gift, to yourself! Found here on Etsy.

My personal favorite is my own wooden monogram I had customed made at 3" Feet Tall from Wall Candy Decor.

Pardon the window to the right of it, but I LOVE it! I did it in a turquoise color, one of my new favorites. This is hanging in my living room and is taller than my 2 year old son! I am still trying to figure out what to do with the window, I want to make curtains, but when I tried to put up my longest rod, it was too short, by over a foot. This window is huge! But I think my theme is going to be turquoise and a light purple along with hints of grey. 

Why not yellow like everyone else because I am in love with it? My husband hates yellow, because at a house we used to own in the past, my yellow color choice for our bedroom was not from the swatch, and he woke up hungry every morning he said to honey mustard. It was bad, but I never told him and then we sold the house before dealing with it. 

This is the start to my new home decor. Before we moved into our rental the first weekend of this last November, there was nothing because I was so tired of it, when we moved out of our apartment, I just got rid of most of it... too drastic?

Bethany

High Five For Friday!

Today, as every Friday, I am linking up with Lauren at From My Grey Desk!

1. Having a couple of cool ladies to sponsor swap with!

2. Steve being off all week on vacation.

3. Planting my vegetable garden, and watching them look worse outside than they did inside...

4. Two friends having babies!

5. And the coolest thing of all this week, reconnecting with my childhood best friend after about 6 years of not talking. I will be posting about it next week!

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Bethany

May Sponsor Love

Aubrey's blog is SO cute and I look for it daily, check her out here at The Kinch Life! Hope you fall as in love with her as I have!

Bethany

Lillian Elaine Turns 1

Steve borrowed our neighbors "train" to pull all the kids on. Isaiah is right behind the first cart.

Lilly's Cake, the frosting did not turn out like I would have liked...

Birthday Girl, after cake

Birthday Girl wondering why everyone is signing...

Mom and Baby, one guess where she got her nose.

I thought this was funny, right before presents.

My baby girl turned 1 on Sunday. Small tear. But it was so much fun. Here are some photos of the family BBQ we did at our house to celebrate.

Date Night!

Steve and I had date number 5 this last Friday night since Isaiah was born 26 months ago. I know, terrible. We had just under 2 hours to get ready when we realized we could get away. My hair was in a pony tail due to having to make dinner for the babies.

But we had fun with our little getaway. We got a sitter, one of my Young Women at church that I have the pleasure of advising. We went to Olive Garden for dinner (Yumm!), Cold Stone Creamery for dessert, and then Toys R Us for Lilly's birthday that was on Sunday, then Barnes and Noble to look at some books. (We get books for our kids for birthdays and Christmas' and everywhere in between)

Wait, your thinking, Toys R Us on Date Night? Yes, when you have little ones, it is hard to escape them. Plus, we live 30 minutes from where we were and it is not that convenient to get there. So we bundle it into one. 

At dinner though, I realized my sitter did not have a phone and we do not have a home phone. I had to call her mother and she took a spare cell phone over for us as a just in case. Otherwise the date would have been cut rather short...

Had the sitter take this picture... You can sort of see Steve

On our way home we were rather quiet, 5 hours being together alone is weird, and we realized we were both thinking about the kids. Funny how that works out. But I was telling Steve how full I was from dinner. He piped in, "I am too full for any ..." Use your imagination.  Way to make a girl feel special was my first thought... and then realized it was a fact not a strike against me and I was too full too. We have been married for 5 years and have 2 kids. The honeymoon phase is defiantly over. And that is just fine with me. 

Bethany

P.S. But sooner or later we will have a night or two away, and I demand honeymoon phase! :)