Bye-Bye Wedding Day Emergencies!

There is a little rumor going around that weddings are stressful... Well, I'm sorry to break the news to you, but this is an understatement. The planning of a wedding is an emotional roller coaster, full of dips, turns, and surprises, sometimes unpleasant ones. This mega theme park of a roller coaster ride ends by tenaciously pulling you, your future spouse and wedding party up a steep track and dropping you down the other side, i.e. your actual wedding day.
There will be so much to do and think about that day that you would be doing yourself a huge favor by doing as much preparation as possible and being prepared for small mishaps. This is where a wedding emergency kit comes in handy. Before my wedding day arrived I tasked my maid of honor with the duty of putting together a few supplies we may need on the big day.
A wedding day emergency kit is not something I invented. This is a really popular idea that I actually discovered on Pintrest. In case you aren't familiar, a wedding emergency kit includes all of the supplies you need in case of an unexpected accident on your wedding day, mainly concerning your dress/ personal needs. It can't help you if the DJ isn't on time!

Bridal Emergency Kit by Ray

An emergency kit is a great DIY project you can do yourself but in the event that you don't have time for that you can purchase a pre-made kit. Enter the Bridal Emergency kit by photographer Ray Alvarez. This kit is sold online for $19.99 and includes a wide array of products you may need on your wedding day in the event of an emergency.

Not-so-Naughty Bridal Shower gift Ideas

 When it comes time to buy a bridal shower gift everything thinks of one thing. Lingerie: Duh. But maybe you want to go a different route. I know when it came time for my bridal shower my mom and a few of my aunts felt slightly uncomfortable gifting me with g-strings and skimpy things. If you find yourself in this situation, for what ever reason, here are a few alternative for you.

5 Nice, not Nasty, Bridal Shower Gift Ideas

1. Cute Pajamas
Every night for the new bride won't be a lingerie kind of night, and she must be prepared for those as well. So if you don't feel comfortable buying crotch-less panties you can still get the bride to be some nice bed-wear. I would suggest you buy her some really cute pajamas for her new life as a wife. Target is one store that always has really nice pajama sets. Make sure when you are shopping you are thinking comfy meets effortlessly sexy. Go for shorts/ cami sets made of really soft fabrics. Lace trim and mesh backs are always a good idea. If you are able to spend a bit more money check out Victoria's Secret's sleepwear. They have really simple, yet sexy sleep shirts and nightgowns.

2. Bride gear
Every bride will like literally anything you get her with the words "Bride", "Team Bride", "Wifey" or "Mrs" stamped on it, so you have my permission to go crazy. Think t-shirts, mugs, phone cases and stationary but anything cute and shiny will do! Again Target has a bunch of bride gear. Products in stores can vary but online usually has a better selection. Amazon.com and Charming Charlie also have really cute bride gear. Shop around and be careful of shady sites. I like to stick to trusted brands to make sure I get exactly what I am looking for.

The Novice Mom: Flying with your Toddler

I recently took my 17 month-old toddler, Baby P, on her first flight. I was very excited but also nervous about this so during the weeks leading up to this I did a lot of research. I watched several YouTube videos and read a lot of articles to help me prepare. When the trip came I felt very prepared and now that it is over I feel confident enough to share some tips and tricks!

6 Tips for Flying with your Toddler

1. Get a great stroller
Having a great stroller really made navigating the airport a lot easier. For this trip I purchased the Summer Infant 3D lite convenience stroller and it truly is convenient! Baby P sat in the stroller during long lines at check in and while waiting at the gate. The only time I needed to take her out of the stroller was to go through TSA screening. This process actually wasn't bad. The stroller easily collapses and opens so I was able to get her in and out of it quickly and without help from others.
I suggest keeping your stroller with you and checking it at the gate right before you board the plane. Be sure to stop at the gate attendant to have your stroller tagged for you. We dropped the stroller off right at the door of the plane during family boarding and picked it up at the door as soon as we got off the plane. I collapsed the stroller and carried her down the ramp to the plane so that I could drop it off at the door and board the plane seamlessly. These other parents boarding with children can be a little hasty, so this will help you board without losing your place. I did not buy a stroller bag for this trip but I did buy a travel bag for my car seat from Amazon. There was no damage done to my stroller or the car seat during the flight.

Continue reading on my new site SheisWright.com 

8 Big Ways to Save on Your Wedding Day

Here are the 8 methods I used to save big money on my wedding. If you are in the process of planning a wedding and looking to trim some fat, take a look at my list!

1. Cut Paper Costs:

There is a lot of paper in weddings. Engagement party invites, save the dates, bridal shower invites,

not to mention that the actual wedding invites often include Reception info cards, RSVP cards and envelopes. Even if you shop around, the cost of this can get pretty expensive, especially if you plan on inviting more than 30 guests.
Trust me, I looked at many websites; wedding paper divas, shutter fly, tiny prints, FedEx and Vista Print to name a few. None of those companies gave me the look that I wanted for the price that I could afford.
This is when I decided to attempt printing my own invitations. I found the blank card stock & laser cut invite holders I wanted on amazon.com, designed my own invites on word and printed them myself. Click here to check out my blog & companion video on my invite process for more in-depth info.

Stroller show down: Graco Vs Summer Infant

In preparation for my New Orleans vacation with Baby P, I purchased a new umbrella stroller. During my search, which lasted quite some time before I settled, I realized that many parents often have more than one stroller. When registering for my baby shower I had no idea that this was the case. I figure that $300 travel system we received would be our stroller for this baby and the next but now I see that 1 is just not enough.
The Graco FastAction Jogger is a great stroller to have and we have used it a lot but our new Summer Infant 3D lite Convenience stroller is a game changer. Think of this as an upgrade to your $20 grocery store umbrella stroller.
Let's compare these two stroller to give you an idea of which may suit your life style better.