• Wedding

    Wedding Budget Saving Tips

    Wedding Budget Saving Tips If you could describe a wedding in three words, what would they be?  If you’ve never had a wedding of your own, then let me take the words right out of your mouth. Beautiful. Elegant. Fun. Yeah, yeah, I get it, being a guest is the frickin’ best because unless you’re the bride or groom, you didn’t pay for anything. You went all dolled up, ate a filet mignon steak with a side of couscous, got drunk, and went home. That’s what guests do, and I know this because I attend over three weddings a month.  My three words? Too. Damn. Expensive. via GIPHY According to Business…

  • Name Change After Marriage

    How to decide if you should change your name?

    How to decide if you should change your name? Changing one’s name is no easy task, nor is it something you decide to do overnight. A person’s name is their brand and identity. It’s how people know us; it’s how they associate things with us. Like if someone mentions your name, others might associate you with your famous chicken pot pie or even something horrible, like being a total asshole. Hey, it could be something you’re proud of, who knows? Like I said, not easy. via GIPHY Now, what reasons are there for one to change their name? If you’re like me, you always thought it was just a marriage…

  • Culture

    Homemade Valentine’s Day Gifts

    Homemade Valentine’s Day Gifts In our last article, we talked about throwing an incredible Valentine’s Day party, and I’m sure if you read that article, then your Valentine’s day party was the talk of the town. Now, while your local Target is probably overfilled with human-sized teddy bears at the moment, there’s always something about homemade gifts that hold more sentimental meaning to what love truly is. To save you time and trouble, we have picked a few simple ideas that will have your partner smiling from ear to ear. via GIPHY Valentine’s Day Mason Jar “I am obsessed with Mason jars!” says the stay at home mom who spends…

  • Culture

    How to Throw a Valentine’s Day Party

    Holy moly, can you guys believe we’re already in February? I swear just yesterday was New Year’s, and I was toasting to a more productive year, and here I am wondering what the hell happened to January. Well, in the words of Anthony G. Oettinger, “Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.” Get it? One of the perks of growing old is finding anything and everything amusing. via GIPHY Moving on! Another month means another holiday and with all the heart-shaped cookies, balloons, and candies at every corner, I’m sure you can guess what holiday we’re talking about here. If I’m honest, I have never been a…

  • Culture

    How to Host a Super Bowl Party?

    Where I come from, football is played with the feet, not hands. In fact, if you were to describe American football to a foreigner, they wouldn’t think much of it because, um hello, its 300-pound men in tights chasing each other for an oddly shaped ball. So, yes, even I can admit that I know zilch about football except for the name Tom Brady, whose face dominated my Instagram feed thanks to all the Patriots fans I surprisingly know. While my knowledge of football is lacking, there is one thing I am particularly good at that has nothing to do with the sport and that is hosting a party! The…

  • Marriage,  Wedding

    Winter Honeymoon Spots

    When I hear the word honeymoon, my mind automatically wanders to white sandy beaches, crystal blue waters, and drinking rum out of a coconut. And of course, lots of sexy time. Hey, it is a honeymoon, after all! Even though most honeymoons are spent somewhere tropical, there are thousands of winter wonderland locations that fit the just married getaway profile! Leave your bathing suits (I know, I’m sorry) at home and pack up your snow boots and fur jackets, here are some of most beautiful places to spend your winter honeymoon. Riffelalp Resort, Switzerland Tripadvisor Yes, of course, the first thing on my list is Switzerland. Known for their edible…

  • Marriage

    How to Keep Your Relationship in the Honeymoon Stage

    You did it! You made it past the stresses of planning the wedding and celebrated your magical day! You are now settling into your roles as a married couple. Now many couples start to worry that the newlywed spark will begin to fade. You’ve heard the many myths of what your relationship transitions into after the beloved ‘honeymoon stage’ comes to an end, and that can start to weigh on your mind! Although each relationship is very different and with various needs, holding on to these 4 core practices will help to keep that spark alive! Go all in with the little things With every relationship, wooing your partner is…

  • Marriage

    Indoor Activities for Rainy Days

    One of the downsides of growing up in Southern CA is that we didn’t get much rain. We would experience light showers, but it was never so intense so that we had to stay inside. My childhood consisted of several trips to Venice beach and so many Disneyland visits to the point where I got tired of it. Yes, the happiest place on earth became the most dreaded place on earth for me. It wasn’t until I got hitched that I started to come up with indoor activities for my partner and me. Rain or shine, my husband wouldn’t leave the house unless it was work related. This took a…

  • HS Love Stories

    Bernadette & Conor

    How did you meet?   (Bernadette) Conor and I met in Chattanooga, Tennessee where we both went to college. One night, my roommate at the time invited me to come hang out with a few of her high school friends and Conor happened to be there since they had gone to high school together. As soon as we met we knew there was an instant connection and we ended up talking and laughing that whole night until the sun came up. We actually just “hung out” for a few months before we officially started dating, but then on April Fool’s Day 2013 Conor asked me if we wanted to become…

  • Uncategorized

    New Year’s Resolution?

    Forget It. Can you guys believe the year is finally over? I say finally because while 2018 was overall a great year, I’m officially ready for a fresh start. I bought a gym membership a month early, and I did order a self-reflection journal off of Amazon that if I’m being honest, will probably never use. The thing about New Year’s is that when the clock strikes midnight, most people think it releases some magical fairy dust that makes us more committed to any future goals. If only it could release some magic that reverses all the money I spent during gluttony season (AKA the holidays). via GIPHY So what’s…