Top Five Gifts for Galentine’s Day

This weekend could not come soon enough! We’ve been so excited to spend the special day with our loved ones- all our loved ones. You may have been focused on your significant, but you can’t forget about your girlfriends! Valentine’s day is all about showing love and giving to the people that you love. If you’ve been focusing on the fiance the last few days, take some time out to pick up something sweet for the ladies in your life too. If you’re caught up on the 14th with Valentine’s Day, save brunch on the 15th for Galentine’s Day!

Frame Your Friends

Need something quick but cute to do? Pick up some fun frames (we love the frame section at Target for a good score) and look through your timeline for some fun pictures. Look for throwbacks (happy Throwback Thursday!), group pictures, just really cute pictures together. A framed photo is a perfect quick reminder of the good times.

Bag It

You know what we ALL need that we never have enough of? Reusable bags! Reusable bags are perfect to help the environment, transport your groceries safely, and they’re cute. Go on a hunt for some cute reusable bags for your girlfriends- it’s always a great little gift! If you’re on a budget these are easy to afford for all your friends. We’ve spotted cute ones at Trader Joes, Forever 21, and Target that are all under $5.00. If you want to be really sweet, stuff it with their favorite snacks!

Spa Night

If you have a little more cash to spend, put together a full night of indulgence for your friends! Get a basket or bag and stuff it with candles, a bath bomb, and a face mask. Give her the gift of relaxation! If you want to get really fun, you can get a mug with some tea or hot cocoa to make it a cozy night in. You can also tuck away a bottle of wine in there to make it an extra special spa night.

But First..

If your friends are all about that #Instagram or #SelfieLife, make it easier for them and spring for some selfie sticks! They are seriously the gift of the season and it’s still going strong. If you look hard enough you can score them for around $5-$10 each, and for a few extra bucks you can get a bluetooth button so you don’t have to do the whole ten second timer thing. Just make sure you make your girlfriend promise they only post pictures where you all look good!

Binge!

Want to really make your friends smile? Indulge their guilty pleasures and pick up a season or two of their favorite girly show. Gilmore Girls, The OC, Gossip Girl- it’s all fair game! Make her promise to binge watch a few episodes with you so you get some girl time in. She’ll love having something fun to watch and she’ll remember how awesome you are every time she picks it up!

 

Top Five Ways to Say ‘I Love You’ to Your Fiancé

Do you feel that love in the air? Or maybe you feel that ring on your left hand? Either way, tis the season to celebrate the most fun thing in the world- LOVE! You don’t necessarily have to do a grand gesture (but if you feel like it, our holiday splurges would work just fine!), sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most. We’ve got five sweet ways for you to say ‘I Love You’ this weekend that are sure to get you brownie points.

Snack Attack

Have you heard the phrase “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”? Yeah, it’s an oldie but a goodie for a reason. If your fiiancé is a snacker, swing by the store and grab his favorite snacks. Keep a stash in a secret place like in your car or in your purse, and surprise him with them. Sneak them into his lunch (if he brings it to work), into the center console of his car (as long as it doesn’t melt), or surprise him while he’s at his computer or watching tv. It’s one of those little things that reminds them you care and you like spoiling your sweetie.

But First… Send Him a Selfie

If you’re feeling cute, write down something cute like “I love you!” on a piece of paper, hold it up, and shoot a selfie to send to him. It’s a more personal way of getting your message across, you remind him how adorable you are, and it’s something easy on your end. Just remember, keep it safe for work in case he’s in public. Always keep it classy, ladies. Just saying!

Do Some Leg Work

It must be a guy thing- so many guys have a TON of clothes that they love that they will never get rid of that are covered in holes and patches. Why do they do that? A lot of guys are sentimentally attached to some outfits or pieces of clothing and will wear them into the ground. So where do you come in? Go ahead and sneak them out to get them patched up by a tailor. Get those hems fixed, those zippers replaced, just go ahead and refurbish the beloved pieces that your fiancé just can’t let go of.

Treat Him to a Guy Date

You always get to go on dates with him, why not let him have a date with his buddies instead? Hint- you may not want to phrase it like that, but the sentiment is there. Something fun you can do is order a big fight on pay-per-view and some beer for your man and his men to enjoy. You can set them up with dinner at a wing joint. You could even (if they’d be up for it) get them manly manicures at a guy-friendly salon (they do exist, and they’re awesome).

Have a Date Night In

You know what every guy loves? Staying at home and enjoying it. Even if they won’t admit it or claim to be outdoorsy, there’s nothing wrong with being at home and having a good time. Tell him it’s date night but stay in. This is the time to get your inner chef on (or even better- order in!) and cater him in the comfort of his own home. Stream a movie you both love, have a good meal, and keep it simple. Sometimes that’s the best way to spend a night with the person you love.

 

Top Five Tax Refund Splurges for Brides

We’ve all got our W-2s back, all we’ve got to do now is file and wait. If you’re on your tax refund game like we are, you’re all kinds of excited for a nice check from Uncle Sam. You shouldn’t count on your tax refund to get you out of a hole or cover any part of your wedding budget, but you should count on it to treat yourself. You worked hard for the money, you deserve to enjoy the kick back you get from it. So keep that tax refund to yourself and treat yourself- you earned it!

Massage it Out

What’s more relaxing than a massage? Yeah, we can’t think of anything either. There are a multitude of health benefits that are associated with getting a massage such as easing anxiety or depression, pain relief, and even in certain cases weight loss. Often times your medical insurance will help you get discounts or even cover (!!!) your massages at certain locations. If you’re planning a wedding you definitely deserve a good massage.

Blow Out

Want to feel fancy immediately? Cruise by your hair salon and get yourself a blow out just for fun. You don’t need an occasion (other than for some serious selfie action), you just need to enjoy yourself. Right now there are a ton of blow out-only salons popping up for you to come by and just do a blow out-  no other treatments required. It’s such a fun way to have insta-fab hair, and good hair really brings out the sparkle in your engagement ring.

Get the Big Girl Package

You may already have your bi-weekly mani/pedis scheduled, but for your next round go for the gold (or platinum). It’s time to splurge for the best package you can do at your salon! Seriously spring for the paraffin wax, the extra long massage, and the cuticle softeners. If you have a ring on your finger, consider it an investment. If people are looking at your ring, you want to make sure your hands look good too!

Upgrade You

Check your phone plan and if you’re up- go get that upgrade! We’re iPhone fans and the six is such a fun splurge. If you’re a droid kind of gal, the newest Galaxy has amazing reviews and a gorgeous screen. Since you’ve got friends and family coming out soon to celebrate your love, you’re going to need a more powerful phone to contact them all! Plus if your phone camera is a little shaky or pixelated, you need to upgrade ASAP. With so many exciting changes on the way, you’re going to want an awesome camera at your fingertips.

Sweet Day

This one is selfishly our favorite splurge, be forewarned. Take that tax refund and a girlfriend and have a complete guilt-free food day. Go cupcake hopping, have those bottomless mimosas, curl up and watch Netflix with as much ice cream as you can eat. One day won’t throw off your wedding diet, and you worked hard in 2014 so you could enjoy the things you eat! If you want to be good, you can double up your guilt-free day with Valentine’s Day and ease your chocolate cravings all at once. If you do want to have one guilt-free day AND do chocolate on Valentine’s Day though, we won’t judge you!

 

Top Five Detox Tips for Brides

Yesterday Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow and gave us a whole six more weeks of Winter- bummer, right? But just because we officially have six more weeks of winter, that doesn’t mean you can still eat like it’s winter. That’s right, the holiday stretch is over so there are no more excuses for eating junk food (official dates are Thanksgiving to the Super Bowl, after that it’s time to get on track!). We’ve got five easy ways to start getting back into shape for the big day.

Ditch the Sweet Drinks

Soda, Frapps, even juice can pack on sugar comparable to whole chocolate bar and have calories that rival a meal. You don’t need to do sugar, juice, or any kind of sweet drinks when there are so many amazing healthy and yummy alternatives! If you’re fancy in the kitchen, you can juice yourself some healthy foods like ginger, kale, and fruit into a fantastic organic mix. If you like comforting drinks, start getting used to tea. We love decaffeinated pomegranate green tea. Green tea helps flush out your system, and the fruit-infused ones give you a great kick of flavor.

Trick Your System

One awesome feel-full trick that helps you save on calories? Before you sit down for a big meal, drink a big glass of cold water. That will help fill your stomach before you start munching away at empty calories like bread and butter. Plus, water is the best thing you can do for your diet- it really does everything for your body! It will clear up your skin, make you feel better, and keep you hydrated so you don’t get headaches or feel tired.

Create Food Goals

If you’re competitive, this is one of the best ways to whip your diet into shape. You don’t necessarily need to keep track of everything you eat, but you can keep track of all the good stuff you eat. Aim for at least two vegetables at first, then up the ante when you find it easier to hit your goals. We like to keep tally of the servings of veggies in our daily planner so we can see how many veggies we’ve had per day. Everyday, try to do a little more or have different vegetables.

Stop the Snacking

If you have a desk job, chances are you can be a chronicle snacker. If that’s you, it’s time to do some cleaning out. Clean out anything edible from your desk/cubicle except for gum or mints (you need to stay minty!). Put it out in a common area so your coworkers can graze, but you need to commit to staying away. Keep all temptation away and replace it with something good, like raw almonds or fruit. The fewer chances you have to eat junk food, the less you will eat junk food!

Team Efforts

In theory, it’s super easy to say no to junk food and yes to foods that will cleanse your body. You know what makes it easier, though? A friend! Get your fiance (after all, he has a big day coming up too) to join you, or even your bridesmaids. Having someone to keep you accountable can make all the difference, plus you can figure out new fun recipes together!

 

Top Five Tips for Brides Throwing a Super Bowl Party

Go Team Wedding! Whether you’re rooting for the Patriots or the Seahawks or you don’t even care who’s playing, there’s no escaping the Super Bowl this Sunday. That’s right- say goodbye to your mimosa brunch and say hello to light beer and hot wings (it’s okay- this can count as a cheat day). If you’re throwing a Super Bowl party we’ve got five awesome tips to keep it fun and score you some serious cool-future-wife points.

Fresh Cut Flowers

You may associate a football field with fresh cut grass, but we like to accent everything we can with flowers. Pick up some hydrangeas or lilies dyed your team’s colors and put them out by your door, table (aka, where the hot wings go), and windows. Flowers always light up the room, make everything a little more feminine and classy and are a great way to show off your team pride!

Dress Code

Your friends are of course going to wear your team’s colors, so make a game of it! Have everyone dress as hardcore as possible and have a prize for whoever dresses the craziest. Once everyone has arrived, have a ‘fashion show’ during the halftime show. The best outfit that hits the runway can get a prize like a gift card or an extra pie to take home after the party. This is a great way to break ice with people who may not know everyone and get the crowd in an upbeat mood before kick off.

Keep it Light

The Super Bowl is such a great food occasion- you can seriously pig out all day and it’s just part of the festivities. If you do want some guilt-free options though, there are a ton of fun foods to lay out. You can start by slipping in some organic veggies with guilt-free hummus and spinach kale dip. If you want to take it another step further, skip the cookies and brownies and get some fruit for dessert. Be sure you always have an organic option for each stage of the meal to combat all the oils, salt, and calories.

Por Favors

Wanna be the hostess with the mostess? Get some party favors for all your friends! Do something small and cute like candy wrapped in your team’s colors bagged up. Something small and sweet is always a great takeaway from a party. Doing a cute DIY is great practice for your wedding too, so get crafty!

Make it a Party!

Want to make your party feel like a well produced event? Use one of our favorite go-to’s and set up a selfie station. Grab fun things like footballs, helmets, and ref whistles as props on top of your favorite standard props. Open up a closet or door and hang streamers over the side that people will take pictures in front of and BAM- you have a selfie station! It’s super fun and easy to play around with and it gives everyone something to do during the commercials that aren’t very funny. You can use the official hashtags for the superbowl, or you can make up your own to find your friends that much faster.

Top Five Bridal Shower Games

Party time! If you’ve got a bridal shower coming up, you know you’ve got an awesome day ahead of you with your girlfriends. Bridal showers are really fun, and can range from family friendly to crazy girl’s night out material. Either way your bridal shower ends up going, one awesome way to bond and laugh with your friends is to play some fun bridal shower games. We’ve got five games that will match any crowd and create some fantastic memories! Party on, pretty ladies!

Bridal Pictionary

Get a few white boards or sketchpads and throw some fun wedding-related phrases or words in a bowl. You can split the room up so that people can mingle and play with people they may not normally interact with. Throw words in like “toast”, “honeymoon”, and “groom” but also throw in some specific words to the bride. If she’s a teacher, throw in the word “classroom” or “teacher’s pet”. Keep it light and cute but also centered around the guest of honor.

The Newlywed Game

A total classic and perfect game for bridal showers. Have some questions ready to go and split the group up again. Grab those handy dandy white boards and have the teams guess on the answers to the questions you have- and make sure they always have to do with the bride. Have questions like where they met, where their first kiss was, how many days they’ve been together, etc. You can throw in a few silly ones too, like would they rather go skiing or spelunking, things like that. Keep it light, keep it fun, and keep it moving fast enough that it doesn’t drag out.

Count the Kisses

This one is a super easy game that everyone will be able to play, even if you’re shy. Have a vase or bowl of kisses out with a lid so no one eats any. Have everyone guess how many kisses are in the bowl, and whoever guesses closest wins the vase and the kisses! If you want to do hugs and kisses, you can label the vase ‘XOXO’ to make it super cute. It’s an easy game plus someone leaves with a whole lot of chocolate!

Make Memories

Have all the guests write down a cute story about themselves and the bride without using their name. Once everyone has been able to write down their stories, have the maid of honor or some of the bridal party read the stories out loud. The bride has to guess who wrote what story, and everyone gets an awesome walk down memory lane! You can’t have the bride read the questions off though- the handwriting could be a giveaway!

Mouth-watering Mystery

Whatever your bride’s favorite snack is- get a ton of different brands. If she’s a chocolate fiend, pick up some hersheys, godiva, sees, all sorts of fun stuff. If she loves gummy bears, grab some trolli, black forest, haribo, anything you can find. Unwrap everything and pour them into different bowls. After dinner or anything savory, everyone gets to go pick a piece from each bowl and guess what brand each piece of candy is. Whoever is closest gets a pack of their choice! This is a fun game that gives everyone an excuse to munch on something sweet.

 

Top Five Maid of Honor Life Skills

Are you a Jill of all trades? If you’ve got the honor of being a maid of honor, you better be! Being the maid of honor is a seriously huge deal and it can be a lot to live up to. If you have the time to prepare, it can be a good idea to pick up a few new hobbies that could seriously come in handy. If you want to be the best maid of honor ever, get started on learning these life skills!

Sew Skilled

If there’s one life skill you’ll need as a lady in life, let alone as a maid of honor, it’s to be able to sew. You don’t need to learn to do anything crazy, but if you can string a thread through a needle and efficiently sew something up you’re good. From here on out, keep some clear thread and a needle on hand in a small container for anything that may come up. If the bride finds a small tear, you’re the go-to girl to save the day (which will result in some serious love!). If you’re nervous about sewing on the spot, try out some small projects at home- that button’s not going to sew itself back on and practice makes perfect!

Lash Out

This life skill can be a little intimidating, but if you CAN’T do it you can get in some serious trouble. Many brides wear falsies for their big day, as do bridesmaids, family, basically everyone. False lashes are so fun, but if they start peaking out or if the glue becomes unstuck it’s such a nightmare. If you can master putting on lashes and fixing any lashes that start to fly off, you’ll be such a hero! One of our favorite tips is to dab glue on a flat surface and use the pointed end of a pen to re-apply glue. You can also get lash glue with a built in wand for easy re-applying. All you’ll have to do is start wearing lashes more and then you’ll be ready to fix any lash drama that may arise in the bridal party.

Re-Powder to Re-Power!

This is a super easy life skill, but if you go too heavy it can ruin a look. Learn to re-powder your face like a pro and you’ll be able to get everyone camera ready in no time flat! The trick is to keep it light, use the right brushes for your powder, and know the skin type that you’re working with. An easy way to re-powder yourself or your friends is to lightly dust an HD powder over the T-Zone. We like duo fibre brushes and retractable kabuki brushes for on-the-go applications.

Heel the Heels

It’s the big day, you’re all running around, and then it happens- someone’s high heel breaks. UGH! That’s such a nightmare and if it’s fixed improperly, it can ruin the shoes and the night. It’s a bummer, but be sure that you fix the heel with serious super glue (not to be mistaken for the lash glue you’ll also have on your person) and let it sit until it doesn’t wiggle at all. If you’re able, give it about ten to fifteen minutes to fully dry with super glue and try to keep your full weight off of the shoe until it’s been dry for about an hour. The big mistake people tend to make is that they try to wiggle the heel to see if it’s fixed- that sets back the entire process and makes the shoe unstable. Learn how to properly fix a heel for life and you’ll save your girls from a fashion emergency!

Short End of the Stick

This life skill will save you ways that extend past weddings, girls’ nights, and girly things in general- it’s just a great life skill. Do yourself a favor and learn to drive a stick! You never know when you’ll need to pick up the keys and do a last minute run for the bride. If it happens, you don’t want to get stuck screaming at the clutch and contemplating ubering the groomsmens’ vests over from across town. Learning to drive a stick is such a useful life skill and isn’t too complicated once you get it. It’s just like riding a bike, except you have a little more freedom to dance while blasting Beyonce while you do it.

 

Top Five Tips for Multitasking Brides

Weddings get CRAZY! While you’re getting deeper and deeper into into the craziness that is planning your wedding, you’re going to feel like you’re juggling a whole lot. It’s totally normal to start feeling overwhelmed while you’re planning the best party of your life. If you want to take some steps to keep yourself from getting overwhelmed, follow our tips to be the most marvelous multitasking bride ever!

Organize your Tasks

Write down literally EVERYTHING you need to do. Yes, this will take a while but it’s totally worth it! Get everything you can think of written down and from there, organize it. Use color coding to highlight everything into different categories, such as things that are dress/suit related, things that are venue related, dates that you need to pay vendors, etc. From there you’ll be able to group tasks together and even prioritize them. Once you prioritize your tasks, you’ll be able to knock out our next tip in no trouble!

Calendar your Completion Dates

Got an idea of what you need to get done? Get it on paper and and plan that out! One of our favorite ways to calendar our completion dates is to open a google calendar just for your wedding and input all of your tasks into it. You can even share that action items with friends by forwarding the invite to their calendar. You can even share the whole calendar with people who need to know, like your maid of honor or fiance. Sync the calendar to your phone so you get accessibility to the calendar no matter where you are. Be sure to set reminders for yourself so you’re sure to get everything done!

Keep a List of To Dos on Hand

After your calendar is uploaded, be sure you also have a list of things you can just pick up and work on. If you know you have to go to the doctor, DMV, or anything with a waiting room, be sure you have a list of things you can work on. If you have a few minutes, facebook message friends for their addresses. If you have a few more minutes, call and make appointments for teeth cleanings, mani/pedis, and anything else you need. Maximize your time by always working on running tasks!

Pass it Along

While you’re looking at your list of things to get done, see what you can trust your friends to do for you. You can ask them to do simple things like picking up samples, dropping off invites at the post office, or verifying addresses. If you have some awesome Type A friends who seriously have your back, you can even trust them with bigger tasks like delivering vendor checks, picking up your dress, or picking out wines. It’s okay to delegate- they’re your bridesmaids for a reason!

Budget in a Book

One awesome way to keep all your expenses straight is to create an excel book for all your expenses. You can create solutions within the book to automatically show how much you’re spending, how much you’ve spent, how much of the budget is spent and what it was spent on, basically anything! If you don’t excel at using excel, watch a few video tutorials and follow along. If anything, it’s also a good life skill to be able to use excel.

 

Top Five Tips for Announcing your Engagement Online

You said yes! Congratulations, you beautiful bride! Before you hit ‘upload’ and type out ‘He liked it so he put a ring…’, read our top five tips for e-nnouncing your engagement. Trust us- you don’t want to be that girl. We’ll help you keep the energy alive and the buzz going until you walk down the aisle.

Take Some ‘We’ Time

Before you start calling your girlfriends, parents, ex-boyfriends (kidding!), and anyone else, just stop and enjoy the moment. Treat it like a long romantic date- leave your phones at home and just take time to enjoy being with the person that wants to marry you. Don’t worry about not spreading the word the moment it happens- all those ‘likes’ will be there tomorrow!

Slowly Spread Word

When you’re ready to let other people know about the big news, pick who you tell first. Some people may be sensitive if they don’t hear from you first. As a general rule, you’ll want to tell your immediate family and anyone in your bridal party first. You wouldn’t want any of your future bridesmaids to find out that you got engaged by scrolling through their newsfeed. If you live close enough to your loved ones, it’s acceptable to show up and tell them the good news. You can also arrange for an impromptu brunch or drinks nearby to show off the ring. If your inner circle is a little farther away, a phone call will do- but try to at least skype! An engagement needs some imagery to it- which brings us to our next point.

Pics or it Didn’t Happen

Ready for the general public? Make sure you debut your new status in the best way possible! This is one of the chances you have to take as many selfies (or couplies!) as you can until they’re absolutely perfect. Make sure that the first picture of the new engaged you speaks to you and your fiance as a couple- if you’re silly, be silly! If you’re romantic and sweet, show it off in your selfie. There’s just one big rule- you HAVE to show off the ring.

Think Long Term

Before you throw in #RandomHashtags into your post, think about what you’re going to want to look back on. Saying something simple about the engagement is usually a safe bet- talk about how long you’ve been together or just how much you love each other. Skip “this ring is bae” and go for something that will give you butterflies in five years.

Mass Blast

Want to get the news out there to everyone? Link all the posts! Just use instagram and link your twitter and facebook- it’ll get your message out all at once so all your friends will have the opportunity to see it at the same time. This takes care of you going through to make sure no stone was left unturned and maximizes the visibility of your announcement.

Want some tips on where to go from here? Check out this previous post for tips on using social media throughout your engagement, wedding, and beyond into married life! Leave a comment below with your tips for sharing your special moment online.

 

Top Five Under the Weather Bride Activities

Is it just us, or is this season especially bad? We’re all bundled up in jammies and blankets over here, but are you brides doing alright? If you’ve got some big things coming up but are feeling under the weather, no worries. We’ve got five fun things for you to do while you’re sick that will keep you on track and get you feeling better.

Mask Yourself

If you’re stuck at home for a few days, might as well make the most of it and get pretty. Since you have the time, do at-home hair and face masks. If you feel crafty, go ahead and do a hand and/or foot mask. You may not feel cute when you’re stuffy and sniffly, but you can help smooth out your skin and hair! Skip anything that has too many chemicals in it- keep it organic and au natural so you don’t risk any irritation.

Pre-Plan the After Party

If your head is on straight enough to get through some planning fun, start checking out honeymoon travel. There are a TON of great deals right now, and if you’re feeling like daydreaming this is the perfect bedrest activity. Check out deal sites like Expedia and Kayak, but also compare it to booking directly with the airline. Take the time to get deep into reviews online of resorts and different cities so you know exactly what kind of honeymoon you’ll have.

Make a List (to Check Twice!)

You can also take this time to get organized for anything you’ll need to follow up on after the big day. Take you guest list and create an excel workbook with everyone that’s invited so you have a checklist for when you create thank you notes. When you receive a gift from someone, just log in what they got you next to their name and when the time comes you’ll have a super easy way of referencing what to thank your guests for! It can also be handy to do the same for all the vendors you use- write down who they are, what they did for you, and how much you owe them. It’ll help you keep track of any checks you write or payments you make.

Do Serious Research

If you’re still in planning stages, do the most productive kind of lazy day tv watching- make it wedding research! If you’re all curled up on the couch kind of sick, skip Orange is the New Black and check out wedding shows! We love Say Yes To The Dress and wedding episodes of our favorite sitcoms (Lily and Marshall’s wedding on How I Met Your Mother anyone?). It may not look like you’re working, but doing research like this can totally pay off! Watching other weddings can help you decide what you want and don’t want at yours (plus it’s an excuse to watch lots of Netflix).

Network from Bed

If you have vendors to reach out to, now is a great time to shoot out emails! Most people are available during working business hours, so if you’re skipping your job for the day, you’re in prime time to catch people at theirs! If your throat is sore or you have that raspy thing going on, it may be smart to notate in your email that you can’t talk just yet but prefer email communication. If you have the time, you can get different prices on things like your goodie bags, bridal party gifts, food, etc. Use this time to make sure you’re up to date with all of your vendors if you already have some picked out. Following up with others makes sick time productive!