We're Off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In just a few short hours I will be joining my favorite ladies on the planet for a weekend of fun!

These 7 ladies are whisking me away to Tower, Minnesota...4 hours out of the city for a Bachelorette weekend on the lake!

I don't think I could be any more excited!!!

Saying Goodbye is Hard to Do

Remember a few months ago when I introduced you to the newest member of our family, Simon?

Well, after a lot of thought J and I decided it was best to bring him back to the lake where Bailey and I found him. Simon had a great little set up at our house but he was getting bigger, and the bigger he got the more space he was going to need until eventually we would have had to get an aquarium. While I was willing to invest in a suitable home for him I realized that I would be spending A LOT of money to keep him captive, when what he deserved was to be free.

So, Monday evening J, Bailey and I walked to the lake and set my little Simers free. I was sad.

please excuse the no-makeup face

But, Simon was so happy. He immediately swam in to the lake and began to eat. He's always been a big eater, but CRIPES, this kid was going to town! Algae must taste WAY better than baby turtle food.

The next morning, I woke up with a pit in my stomach. There was a thunderstorm and I was so nervous about my little tiny baby turtle being out in the great big lake, during a thunderstorm all alone. After two days of worrying, me and Bailey went back to the lake. I knew the chances of seeing Simon were slim to none, but I had to go back. While, we did not get to Simon we did see a great big turtle in the middle of the lake sunning himself and something about that turtle made me feel better, like Simon was going to be OK.

And, whenever I miss him I can walk to lake and visit him and maybe just maybe someday he'll pop his little turtle head up to say "hi" to his mom.

Wedding Wednesday: Thank You Ettiquette

Now that my first bridal shower has come and gone and as the wedding gifts start to arrive (so exciting, by the way), it's time to get on my game in the way of Thank You cards. I highly recommend selecting and ordering your Thank You cards way in advance so that you are prepared when guests start sending you gifts. I didn't even consider the fact that some guests may choose to send the wedding gifts ahead of time, but when the first one arrived on the doorstep I was so glad I already had my Thank You cards!

At first I wasn't sure what the etiquette was in regards to early gifts. I was so excited when we got it that we opened it right away, then I realized maybe I was supposed to wait until after the wedding. But, I also didn't want the sender to think that we didn't receive it. So, what to do?

I did a little research and thanks to my favorite stationary site, Wedding Paper Divas, and was able to find some great tips.

*Bridal shower notes should be sent within 2 weeks of the event

*Wedding notes should be sent no longer thank 6-8 weeks after the wedding

*It's recommend that the bride & groom order Thank You notes with the Wedding invitations to provide a more cohesive look, and to have them in advance

*When making specific reference to the gift, tell the giver how you will use the gift. For example, "We use the cappuccino maker every morning. We cannot live without it." If you do not like the gift, simply say "thank you" or say "I'll think of you every time I use it."

*For monetary gifts, thank them for their generosity without mentioning a specific amount. You may even want to say something such as "Your generosity will help with the down payment for our new home."

*If the guest did not give a gift, it is still important to send them a thank you card that says, "Thank you for attending." Providing thank you cards to vendors is also an important detail to remember as they helped make your day special, too.

*When sending your thank you notes, you should address each one to the individual who attended or the individual who signed your gift card. For families, you should address the envelope to "Mr. and Mrs." The salutation inside can use their first names as long as you have a close relationship with them. For those you have a more formal relationship with, you should maintain the Mr. and Mrs. greeting inside the note. In the body, mention your gratitude to the other family members who attended.

I found these tips to be extremely helpful not just for the showers and wedding but for Thank You cards in general. I think handwritten notes are becoming more and more a thing of the past, but I always have and always will write them because I know how special it is to receive them!

What are your Thank You tips???

My First Bridal Shower!!!

This past Sunday was my first Bridal Shower, and holy smokes, I wish I could do that every weekend! I was a big ball of emotions before the shower, I've been to so many showers before and to think that I was the bride this time, this shower was for ME was completely overwhelming.

My Aunt Toni and Cousin Ali were the lovely hosts:

So sad this pic is blurry!

The shower was out by Toni's pool and it was a perfect day!

We played some great games, one of which was a new spin on the old "Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Game." My Aunt got a ton of random items and each team had to construct a wedding gown, veil and bouquet using the ridiculous things.

My mom and step-mom were the team captains (and models) and the end result was absolutely hilarious!

After the games I opened presents, and to say that I was showered would be a huge understatement. My friends and family are so thoughtful and so generous and I absolutely love everything I got! 

downing my last bit of wine before opening

The best part about the shower, though, were the fabulous people that were there!

7 out of 8 of my gorgeous bridesmaids

My friends Jackie & Shelly and my step-mom

Baby Sister

Step-sister and mom

The gorgeous Mother of the Bride

Soon-to-be Mother-in-Law and Sister-in-Law

Mary Kay & Ashley!

High School besties

The Beebs

And it wouldn't be a party without dessert! This cake was adorable and DELICIOUS!

It was an absolutely incredible day and I can't get over how unbelievably blessed I am to have such wonderful people in my life.

The Smartest Thing I've Done

Throughout the years I have done some really not smart things but I did something so smart recently that I just HAD to share.

Probably about 6 or 7 months back I got this idea to buy myself gift cards to all the places where I would be getting any pre-wedding pampering done. Now, I'm not rich so I couldn't do it all at once, but over the past 6 months when I had even a little extra money I would put it towards facials, waxing, tanning, etc.

And, actually, in regards to tanning I waited until my favorite tanning salon was having a promotion then I bought 15 tans for the price of 10! Then, I somehow I had the willpower to not tan ONCE in the spring or summer and now I have 15 tans just waiting for me all paid for! Now I can keep my summer tan going, have a wedding day glow and get a great base for Mexico without paying a PENNY!

To the same effect, my amazing esthetician Shannon has a deal where if you pay for three facials ahead of time, you get one free! So, in April when I had my last facial I took advantage. I paid for that one and now have three more facials already paid for so I can get one each month before the wedding! Same thing with my facial waxing....DONE! I can go in once each month and the week before the wedding and the service and tip are already taken care of!

All my fellow brides, you know how crazy it gets when you get down to the wire. Little things are popping up left and right and somehow there's always still something to pay for. Had all this stuff not been paid in advance I know for a fact my pre-wedding pampering would have been the first to get cut from the budget to make room for everything else. AND I NEED MY PAMPERING!

So, my piece of advice for all you brides-to-be.....take advantage of gift cards, promotions and sales at your favorite salons and spas! You will be SO PUMPED you did! I sure am!

I've got my first bridal facial today and I am so excited! After yesterday's amazing shower, I am pumped to lay back, relax and get pampered!