Wine Review: Cloud Break Pinot Noir

I don't know about y'all, but when I'm throwing a party or having people over for dinner I like to serve a nice bottle of wine...but wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good!  The wine store can be really overwhelming and intimidating if you don't know where to start.  Fortunately, I have a fool proof wine to suggest for y'all today!

Cloud Break Pinot Noir
California
$8.99
Image Source: Total Wine

Mr. 3 and I found Cloud Break Pinot Noir over a year ago at our local Total Wine store.  We picked it out based on the price and the fact that it was a California pinot noir which always seems to appeal to both of us.  Not only did we love it, all of our guests have as well!  We had a wine tasting party where everyone bought a bottle of pinot noir under $15 to share and we voted at the end on which one tasted best and this wine was chosen by our friends as the top pick!

Total Wine describes Cloud Break as: Elegant, Strawberry, Cherry, Medium-bodied, pairs well with salmon

I'm not fancy pants enough to identify 100% of all the notes in a wine, but I can say that it pairs well with just about everything, is very mellow, and super drinkable!

As for using it for parties or taking it as a hostess gift, the label artwork looks nice and the price is even better!  We bring this quite frequently when we are invited to dinner at other people's houses. Sooo, if you are in need of a go to wine that won't break the bank, I highly recommend Cloud Break for your next event!

***This post was not sponsored by either Total Wine or Cloud Break. We just like to share our ways to make your Posh Purpose lifestyle easier!***

Collect App and Scrapbooking

I am terrible about taking pictures. J and I spent a whole weekend in San Francisco last year and I think I took four pictures total. My sister Bekah loves pictures; she is the one who took pictures of me and made scrapbooks of my childhood. She also introduced me to this awesome new app called Collect. It is apparently only available for iPhones right now, but hopefully they will expand to android soon.

Basically, the app reminds you to take a picture every day. It also formats the pictures into a square and prompts you to add a caption. The app also keeps track of the date the picture was taken, which prints out below the image and above the caption. The best part is that you can fit two picture/date/caption sets onto a regular 4x6 print - be sure to use Ebates to get 4% cash back from your Walgreens photo purchase AND wait until they have specials on 4x6 prints! The size of these pictures work really well with the Project Life pages.

Here are a few screen shots of the app on my phone. I started using the app February 27 and have only missed one day (March 3) so far. Of course, that is only 83% at this point but the app has encouraged me to take far more pictures than I otherwise would have. You can also upload previously taken pictures that are in your phone's photo gallery. The app pulls the date they were taken from the photo data and places them on the calendar accordingly. Collect also stores any new pictures taken through the app to your phone's photo gallery, which you should upload to Dropbox or another free cloud storage service for safe keeping.

Overview of February

Overview of March

The picture below is a screen shot of when you tap on a picture on the calendar above. I had taken the picture of J grilling before downloading the app, and using an iPhone filter. By the way, those are a ton of fun so play around with them if you have an iPhone. The picture will not have the blue buttons at the bottom when printed out, or the T- Mobile, wifi, time, and other phone status icons at the top.

Bekah is using Project Life and Collect app to do a 2014 picture of the day album for her family. I am trying to put together an album for J and myself using what pictures we have taken since getting married. I still have to upload a ton of pictures to the app so I can have the dates and any captions I may think of, but I am slowly making progress. At some point, I am sure I will print them out and put them into a scrapbook so that we can enjoy looking at these pictures away from the iPhone screen.



This post contains affiliate links and brand suggestions based on our Posh Purpose experiences. We are only compensated if a purchase is made through our links. However, we always encourage our readers to find the best deals in their area even if that means not using our affiliate links. Happy shopping!

Product Review: Cascade ActionPacs

I usually wind up getting overwhelmed by products in the cleaning aisle.  Unlike beauty products where I know some things to look for (i.e. packaging that keeps the sun and air out), cleaning products are a little bit different.  I'm not a chemist so the ingredients mean nothing to me and I don't know what might make one cleaner better than another.  I usually err on the side of getting a name brand that is on sale and if there are multiple products available in the line, I go for the mid-range one.  I've been practicing this method for the past 8 years and it seems to work out ok (off-brand Magic Erasers are just not as good as the ones my friend Mr. Clean makes!).

Once we moved into our new apartment back in September and I got a dishwasher back in my life (Hallelujah!), I started using Cascade Actionpacs in my dishwasher.  Since it had been 5 years since having a dishwasher, I was behind in the times and didn't even really know about Actionpacs.  Growing up, I remembered my mother using Cascade so that was another reason I veered toward the brand.  I started using the Cascade Complete which isn't the bottom rung option, but also isn't the Rolls Royce Platinum version either.

Cascade Complete
$15.99 for 48 ct.
Image Source: Amazon

I liked the results overall, but on a recent trip to the grocery store, the regular old Cascade bottom rung Actionpacs were on a far better sale, so I decided to give them a whirl.

Cascade Actionpacs
$15.46 for 85 ct.
Image Source: Amazon

Much to my surprise, the cheaper version worked way better than the more expensive kind.  They did a better job of cleaning the dishes and with fewer water spots on the glasses and silverware.  I'm a big fan and super excited to save money on my grocery budget!

The Verdict: Sold and saving!

Anyone else come across cheaper cleaning products with better effects?  Let us know below!

Bloglovin'

I love Bloglovin' - do any of you use it? I have a terrible habit of not being very thorough when I am checking my favorite blogs every day. Sometimes I even forget that a blog exists for weeks! But then I discovered Bloglovin'. It is so easy to use. All you do is create a quick profile and then add your favorite blogs. You can add absolutely any blog! Bloglovin' then populates your home page with all the new blog posts from each of your blogs and marks each one as read when you finish reading it. I love the streamlined format and how little work I have to do to read each new blog post - no more checking blogs that haven't been updated that day!

You can follow Posh Purpose here (and in the obnoxious links above), and see which blogs I love here. One particular blog to note is my sister in law's Trial and Error Creativity. She and her husband just bought a new house so now is a great time to start reading about her home decor projects.

We Love Ebates!

Melinda introduced me to Ebates about a year ago, but I didn't really get into it until it was time to order my fine china from Bloomingdales. For those of you who have not heard of Ebates, let me explain how wonderful it is. Ebates gives you cash back on things you are already planning on buying. Before I place an online order, I check to see if the store is listed on the Ebates website. If so, all I have to do is log into my Ebates account and click on the link to the store I want. You have to place your order through the window that pops up to get the cash back credit. My trick is to fill up my basket on the store website, and then visit ebates to click on the store link right before placing my order so I know that I will get the cash back. Cash back percentages vary between stores, but Sephora is usually 8% back and Macy's is 6% just to list a few.

Anna Weatherly Simply Anna

That is my china above. Love it! Now let me tell you about my amazing cash back story and Ebates review. Remember that I mentioned my fine china above? Well, normally Ebates offers 3% cash back on all Bloomingdales orders but they often schedule double cash back opportunities with coupon codes and sales. When I went to order my fine china (almost 12 whole place settings plus serving pieces), Ebates was offering 6% cash back and Bloomingdales had a 20% off coupon that I could apply to my china. I ended up saving a TON of money! Around $850 total! Ebates gave me $166 back just for clicking through their website before placing my order. Talk about an easy way to save money!

My Ebates payout history, Melinda's is far more impressive :)

Ebates sends out payments quarterly, so I got a check in August and will get another (much smaller) in November for cash back that I earned from purchases that I needed to make anyway. There are a ton of stores available through Ebates, although Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma are not on that list (get with it, Ebates!). Right now, there is a sign up bonus of a $10 gift card to Macy's, Walmart, Target, or Kohls, or you can select the $5 Ebates credit which means you already start out with $5 for your first check! Click here to start saving!

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Ebates is not paying us to blog about them, however this article does contain affiliate links. If you sign up through our link and make a purchase, we will be compensated. But we want you to sign up for Ebates regardless of if you use our link or not - Melinda absolutely loves it when people save money!

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Product Review: Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment

The Issue: I wrote last week about my amazing experience with the Josie Maran Argan Oil.  I mentioned how chapped my lips were, but didn't get around to telling you what I did to fix 'em.  Let me tell you, Burt's Bees didn't cut it.

The Product: Fresh brand lip balm.  I had gotten two sample sized chapsticks as a part of my birthday gift from Sephora for being a VIP member.  These aren't ordinary chapsticks, made by Fresh, they call them "a sugar lip treatment."  One was a clear color and the other a pink tinted balm.  They are filled with all sorts of good for you vitamins, SPF 15, and leave out the icky stuff (parabens, sulfates, synthetic dyes, etc).

Sugar Lip Treatment SPF 15
$22.50
Source: Sephora

The Regimen: Exfoliate lips at night and in the morning using a dampened washcloth and gentle back and forth movements.  Apply Fresh balm morning, noon, and night.

The Verdict:  Hands down the best lip treatment ever.  This is a bit of a cheat.  I had known that this stuff would work because I loved it so much last winter; however, I had only seen it in action on last year's regular winter lips.  What I had on my hands was lost in the desert for 5 days cracked lips.  Seriously, seriously baaad.  At $22.50, I wasn't sure about spending that much on lip balm.  Mr. 3 asked me if it would really work and when I said yes, he said $22.50 sounded good to him to take care of the problem....that's how bad they were, a man felt like that was a small price to pay to get rid of the problem.  Luckily, my lips were back to normal in about 4 days.  I got the Rose color which looks great and smells yummy.

Have you tried this product or brand before?  What did you think?

Product Review: Josie Maran Argan Oil

The Issue: After moving into our new apartment, my face promptly lost all moisture.  My face was soooo dried out and my lips got really chapped.  My usual regimen consists of:

Face Wash: Philosophy's Purity Made Simple
Astringent: Neutrogena Clear Pore Oil Eliminating Astringent
Night Time Cream: Origins A Perfect World Skin Guardian Serum (I also slather my neck in this stuff which smells a-mah-zing!)
Day Time Cream: Philosophy Take A Deep Breath

After my face started feeling like Tales from the Crypt, I discontinued the astringent and became even more generous with my night time cream without luck.  As I usually wander around with a slight glisten to my face, dry skin issues are not something I'm familiar with at all.  I ran over to Sephora to see if I could find something that would do the trick without a $$$ price tag.

The Product: After much perusing, I came across Josie Maran's 100% Pure Argan Oil.  According to Sephora: this 100% Pure Argan Oil is a legendary oil that's rich in vitamin E and essential fatty acids, and grown organically in Morocco.  100% Pure Argan Oil is first cold pressed to ensure the best quality, highest-grade oil.  It is housed in a recyclable glass bottle and purchased from women's cooperatives in Morocco to support their social and economic welfare.  These cooperatives work within a UNESCO biosphere reserve that ensures the protection and reforestation of Argan trees. 

Sephora - Josie Maran Argan Oil

BUT, despite all the good-for-you and do-good benefits, it also came with a not so fun price tag of $48 for 1.7 oz.  I did not want to spend that much, nor did I think that I would actually use the entire bottle, nor was I positive that face oil was actually the route I wanted to go - in my head, face oil = vegetable oil, and I didn't want to look like I'd spent the summer over a deep fryer.

The girl at Sephora said she used it on as her everyday moisturizer without issue and I knew the reviews online were good, so I decided to bite the bullet and spend the $48.  When I headed over to the cash register, I started looking through all the small sized products they keep at the check out line for impulse buyers (hello!  that's me!  target audience!).  This time it paid off!  Josie Maran had a much smaller 0.5 oz bottle for $14!

The Regimen: Based on Sephora's sales girl's instructions, I began using 1-2 drops of oil mixed in with my regular creams for the next week (I told you I looked like the Crypt Keeper...face oil on top of regular creams = she must have agreed).  If I happened to go into the bathroom and see a dry spot, I would massage a drop directly into my skin.

The Review: Now for the verdict.  This stuff is amazing.  My face didn't feel greasy and the oil absorbed quickly.  It mixed right in with my other products.  My skin is usually quite sensitive, but I had no irritation.  The dryness went away in about a week, but it started feeling and looking better immediately.

Now that my skin is back to normal, I haven't had to use the product in a couple of weeks.  I'm really glad that they had the smaller bottle for less moo-lah, because I have probably 90% of the bottle left...which should see me through the cold DC winter.

Anyone else tried this product?  What did you think?  I'm adding it to my pin board as one of my products I love!

Guest List Google Doc

My Save the Date post got me thinking about how people organize the massive beast that is the guest list. Since I have three people working on the guest list - Mom, J, and myself - it made perfect sense to create a google doc so we can all edit whenever it is convenient. I created this template for myself since it organizes the guests perfectly for us - feel free to download and alter things as it suits you! It has a page for the Bride and for the Groom, and on each page there is a section for family, friends, and mom's friends. I have a summation for each page and a total on the bride page. I keep adding in columns for various things so that I only have one location to check when I have a question. I hope this doc will keep me organized about gifts and thank you notes, too! We are having the gifts shipped out to Josiah in Vegas, so he will have to open them (sad, I know but he will do it over facetime so I can enjoy the gift opening - then he will close it up so I can reopen when I get there) and then type the description of the gift in the doc so that I can write the thank you note.

Of course, my template won't work as well for people who have a lot of shared friends or those who have a guest list with minimal parental additions, but it works great for us. Did you make your own guest list doc on google docs? Or did you go another route? We would love to hear about what works for you!

Product Review: Non-Greasy SPF. Yes Please.

As spring comes along, I become much more vigilant about sunscreen (I'm not really sure why I assume those evil sun rays can't wrinkle my face from October-March), but I absolutely hate sticky/greasy sunscreen on my face.  I don't like the Crisco-esque feel and I usually just wear mineral foundation with SPF in it to compensate (which really is not the same thing at all).  I wandered into an Origins store recently with the vague idea of getting a day moisturizer and I came across this product:

A Perfect World SPF 35
Origins, $29.50 

Origins has helpfully found a solution for my disgust for sticky sunscreen by creating a thin sunblock that is also infused with Origin's white tea moisturizer....which is quite possibly the best smelling skin product.  Ever.  I've been trying it out and I really, really, really like it!  I can wear it on top of my thicker moisturizer and under makeup with no problem and after about a minute or so, my skin absorbs the product.  I'm seriously in love with this product, but I have to see what happens to it when DC hits 102 degrees this summer and I'm hauling myself around the city trying not to stroke out.  Stay tuned....

Munchie Monday (1 day later): Bliss Bites

Sorry for the delay on our munchie Monday!  Briana and I have been crazy busy.  I don't want our readers to think we are neglecting them, so I'm sharing the EASIEST, no bake dessert recipe that you can take to any event (or eat snuggled up on your couch...I won't tell).  Ladies (and gentleman), I bring you Bliss Bites (you may thank me later!):

Bliss Bites

(aka sweet little tastes of heaven)

Ingredients:

1 bag of Oreos (I love Double Stuf!  Oh, and please don't bore me with the reduced fat kind.  Oreos are bad for you regardless...you might as well own it!)

1 block of cream cheese (softened to room temperature)

1 bag of either chocolate chips or that melting chocolate (for variation try Mint flavored chocolate)

That's it!  Three ingredients! WAHOO!  You can probably find at least one of these items on sale at the grocery store too.

Directions:

Take Oreos and smash them up in a big bowl with (CLEAN) hands.  Dump block of goodness, er, I mean, cream cheese into bowl and mix with Oreos. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and form small balls of Oreo/cream cheese and place on cookie sheet.  Now, you can go two routes depending on (1) how much time you have and (2) how egregious you want this dessert to be. 

Prepare a double boiler, heat in microwave, or stir chocolate in pot - however, you like to melt your chocolate without burning it.  If you are watching your calories (stop making this recipe, in fact, don't even bother buying the ingredients) or you don't have very much time, drizzle the melted chocolate over the bliss bites and stick in the refrigerator. 

If you have the time, refrigerate the bliss bites before preparing the melted chocolate for about 30 minutes.  Then dunk, dump, or drop the melted chocolate over the bliss bites and refrigerate.

This recipe makes...a bunch...depending on the size of your bliss bites. If you keep them to about meatball size,  then you should be able to make at least 48 bliss bites!

Totally easy (and inexpensive), right?  If my office is any indicator, these will be gone in minutes.  I recommend eating two at a time and with milk!

Wedding Tip Wednesday: DIY Craft Storage

One of the reasons why Melinda's wedding planning is so exciting for me is that I know she will be doing a bunch of DIY crafty projects. She is so creative! Of course, this also means that I will soon find myself with a glue gun permanently in hand. Oh! the things we do for family (love you, Melinda!).

Now since I love to know things, I have been searching for lots of craft ideas and thinking of the logistics for Melinda. During one of my google searches, I came across a brilliant idea for storing your crafts. Martha Stewart, like always, never fails to disappoint. She suggests using the clear storage containers to hold the pieces for each craft. Create the labels by taking a picture of the assembled project.

This is such a great idea! It is especially helpful because it allows your lovely, amazing, lifesaving helpers to assemble your vision without you having to direct every detail. This system will make that day of scramble so much less stressful! In the very beginning of decorating, you simply place each box where you want the items to be set up and then your lovely, amazing, lifesaving helpers know exactly what to do. My only suggestion beyond Martha's is to include typed assembly steps for the more complicated crafts.

Another benefit is that, during your crafting sessions, you can see what you have already accomplished and easily visualize how all of your projects will go together. Seeing your crafts organized and labeled with a lovely picture will give you satisfaction and motivation to keep crafting!

Thrifty Thursday: Heartsy the Groupon for Etsy

Sooooo, I know that I am totally addicted to Groupons and Living Social deals for great savings on dining, tickets, and things I wouldn't normally spend a dime on.  Now, I've found Heartsy which combines my love for a daily deal with my love for Etsy and all things crafty/handmade!  Heartsy is a free email subsciption service that features private sales on Etsy vendors (you must sign up to receive the deals).  If you are interested in the daily deal, simply purchase and redeem at the Etsy vendor's shop.  I know I'm keeping my eye out for good deals on Christmas gifts and weddings thank you's (Reminder: Savings Dollars = More Shoes Dollars).  Check out a few of my favorite pieces from the featured vendors for today's sales:

DiBA Jewelry

Czech Rhinestone Bracelet

$46

Heartsy Deal: $21 for $42 Online Store Credit

Waterwaif

Crystal Necklace

$34

Heartsy Deal: $10 for $24 Online Store Credit

Shiba Designs

Amy Butler Love Zippered Pouch

$15

Heartsy Deal: $9 for $21 Online Store Cedit

I think these will make really cute gifts for the right girl and the deals are are an awesome value!  If you haven't tried out Etsy yet, you are missing out!  Heartsy is a great way to save some moo-lah and get into the Etsy world!  What do you think, do you love Etsy as much as me? Give Posh Purpose the scoop on your favorite vendors!

Wedding Tip Wednesday: Not a DIY Bride? Try Etsy!

Not a DIY bride, but love those cute details that show up all over the wedding blogs?  Check out Etsy vendor Purple Peony Couture.  This uber fun bridal accessories and decor shop is run by Colleen, a friend of a friend, located in Baltimore, MD.  Her products will save you the time of DIY, while not having to sacrifice the cuteness!

Check out these cupcake toppers ($12.95 for 12) that I love for a bridal shower!  Briana and I think they are tons of fun!  Briana said she also thinks they could be used to ask your friends to be in your wedding party.

Copyright Purple Peony Couture 

Use this great banner ($14.95) to hang across your gift table and this Mr. and Mrs. banner for either your table or the getaway car. 

Copyright Purple Peony Couture

Copyright Purple Peony Couture

Finally, be sure to check out her selection of birdcage veils and bridal hair accessories.  I especially love this petite birdcage veil ($44)!

Photo by A. Dawn Ward
Design Copyright Purple Peony Couture

Fresh Idea Friday: DIY Magnetic Makeup Portrait

My friend Ashley always sends great links my way. She knows my makeup collection in all it's massive jumbled glory, so she suggested a few ways to organize. I thought this DIY magnetic makeup display was super cute!

It is definitely great for those items you use every day. However, I doubt I could find a frame large enough to contain all my purple eyeshadows (I own about every shade of purple Urban Decay has to offer). I'm thinking a smaller frame for my more popular eyeshadows and a couple cute cups for my tinted moisturizer, eyeliners and mascara placed in front would be a great addition to my future bathroom.


Check out the instructions at Laura Thoughts blog and get crafting!

Fresh Idea Friday: Windex for Your Diamonds?

I recently received a call from my freshman year college roomie, Mary Elizabeth, who remains one of my dearest friends. We don't get to talk that often so it was quite a treat to catch up with her! Over the course of our chit chatting about all things wedding, including engagement rings and wedding bands, Mary Elizabeth told me that her dear mama, Miss Bonnie, uses Windex to keep her diamonds sparkly and bright. According to Miss Bonnie's jeweler, Windex won't harm the diamond or setting and with a quick squirt and rub with a cotton cloth they will shine right up. Mary Elizabeth has followed her wise mama's advice since the day she got married in December 2006 and has not noticed any problems with this cleaning method.

I did my due diligence through some google slouthing and found step by step instructions from eHow.com for using the Windex. I also conference g-chatted with Briana about this great idea. Briana thinks that although you may have to be more cautious with softer stones, pearls, or opals, your diamonds should be ok. As she puts it, "Diamonds are very hard. Anything that can harm diamonds also kills people." I now may have to rewatch My Big Fat Greek Wedding in order to try all the other miracles that Windex can perform.

Fresh Idea Friday: Breaking in Your Shoes

Like many women out there, I have a weakness for a pretty shoe. I've bought shoes that I knew would hurt my feet but make my legs look great. I've also bought shoes knowing they will make an outfit look beautiful, even though I don't have that outfit in my closet at that moment. Finally, I've bought shoes knowing that they would be "sitting" shoes only (i.e. no distance treks from a DC metro stop to a restaurant four blocks away).

I'm not at a stage in my life where I'm willing to give up the heels for the orthopedics, but I'm sure that day will come. Until then, I've come across a few tips to share to making the pain a little bit more bearable.

1. If you are trying to break in a new pair of leather shoes, rub vaseline around the back of the shoe or on the straps to soften them up. You may have to give it a couple of coats, but this definitely works!

2. Invest in Blister Block! This is designed to be rubbed on your skin in places that you are more likely to get blisters. You have to rub a good coat of this on before putting on your shoes and heading out the door. Keep it with you in your purse so that you can reapply in the ladies room. Since it's small, I keep it with me always.

3. For those of us who have wide feet, take your shoes to a cobbler/shoe repair place. They can stretch your leather shoes to make them wider for a small fee. Nordstrom and Dillards will also stretch your shoes for free while you shop around.

4. Invest in heel pads or foot pads to give you more cushion as you are walking around. I have a friend who swears by Foot Petals. I like this assortment because they come in multiple colors.

5. Don't buy plastic or vinyl shoes! These are very hard to break in and cannot be stretched. If money is a concern, there are plenty of pretty leather shoes on sale out there. Please buy them and stay away from the plastic!

What about y'all? Do you have any good tips to share that will keep us stylish but painfree? Please share!

Wedding Tip Wednesday: Wedding Planners

Thank you so much for all the kind words on my engagement! I could not be more excited about marrying Mr. 3 and starting a different chapter of our lives. Mr. 3 is truly one of the "good guys" and I feel very lucky to have him in my life.

The excitement still hasn't ended for me, but I feel a eensy bit calmer, enough to get in planning mode. That said, the wedding countdown has begun. Mr. 3 would like to get married next week, but I'm hoping for next summer. We currently are running around trying to figure out the who, what, where, when for the affair. Despite writing this blog and reading/researching so many other wonderful blogs out there, I've always looked at these things more as "pretty pictures" and "cute ideas." It dawned on me (and slightly overwhelmed me) that I will now have to make decisions, including big financial decisions. That's a little scary for me and I'm hoping that I make all the right ones (well, right for me).

I'm about to get hyper organized out of necessity. I'm generally an already organized person, but I refrain from alphabetizing my spices or ironing my sheets. Not that I judge or anything if you do. In addition to planning our wedding, I've also just been assigned a project with a six month turnaround time at my 9 to 5 (projects usually run 9 months or longer in my office)...and I'm in charge. Our wedding will also be outside of the DC area, which means I'll be planning from afar and spending lots of time in the car. Yikes! I've decided that as much as I love electronics for things like guest addresses, I really need to write things down...like with pen and paper, not an ipad. So, I ran over to Barnes and Noble after work yesterday to begin my wedding research and find something that I was certain would be like the Holy Grail of wedding planners.

I started with the magazine section and I came across a GREAT magazine from the U.K. on flowers. I've decided it's easier to bring in magazine pictures to show vendors than try to print them out online. So, I shelled out the $10.99 for Wedding Flowers magazine. Not the most creative of titles, but the inside is what counts! The magazine is FILLED with great arrangements (bouquet, centerpiece, corsage, etc.). There is also a guide to the language of flowers (who new that yellow roses conveyed jealousy?) and a seasonal guide to flowers with pictures. Although, I'll be honest, I was completely sold on this magazine after I saw that they had documented the royal wedding flowers (I <3 you K. Middles for your church trees and elegant style!).

The second magazine I picked up was Brides. I chose it because I literally thought "Hey! That's me!" Also, the $5.99 price tag made it more affordable than another $11 magazine. I should have saved my money. The magazine is filled with wedding dress and honeymoon ads. Normally wouldn't have problem with the ads, but the wedding dresses looked like bad white prom dresses. The bridesmaid ads were even worse. The honeymoon information was tempting, but I'm not even close to planning that part of the events.

Finally, I headed over to the wedding planning section and started searching. I looked through many planners and found that none of them had the 100% solution I was hoping to find. Spiral bound notebooks mean that you can't hole punch magazine pictures or handouts. Heavy planners will probably throw my back out or at the very least give me an unflattering Quasi Modo hunch. There were also many planners that were bogged down with every last piece of wedding advice and knowledge...which since I have Briana, I'm pretty sure I don't need. I also came across planners that had built in folders and even an accordion file folder attached, but they added a lot of bulk to carry around. Finally, I came upon the Martha Stewart wedding planner. For $30, I can get a 3 ring binder (yay! hole punching), in a reasonable size/weight (I so dislike a hunch), and with a limited, but useful amount of wedding advice (so poor Briana can have a break). The best part about this wedding planner is that there are clear plastic pouches in the back for holding receipts, samples, and possibly my sanity. There is also another clear plastic sleeve for storing business cards (think like the ones you used to hold your baseball cards). Now, I'm not one to spend $30 if I can find it cheaper someplace else (especially since my mom wants us to have identical ones for maximum organization). So, after a quick google search I found that you can get the planners on Amazon for $19.77.

I'm excited to get started on the planning and just hoping I don't get too overwhelmed. I'll keep you posted as I go along. However, now that I have a planner picked out (my first wedding purchase!), I'm suddenly overwhelmed with the need to alphabetize my spices and iron my sheets...

Wedding Tip Wednesday: Google Wedding Planner

The Google Wedding Planner is an absolutely essential organizational tool. You can download (or use in google docs) an amazingly thorough spreadsheet that contains practically any expense you may incur for your wedding. The spreadsheet was created by google with the help of the Style Me Pretty ladies so there are helpful tips as well.

It has pages for budget estimators, actual budget, guest list, all types of vendors lists, specific photograph list, and music list. This spreadsheet will keep all the important information in one location while reminding you of various details to consider.

One issue I have with this spreadsheet is that it is set up so that you must enter in a percentage of your wedding budget for each category (such as 47% for the reception) rather than the dollar amount you want to spend on the category. However, this is a quick fix depending on your preferences. Also, there is a bit of redundancy - the Ceremony category has expenditures for things that are also included in the Flowers category.

Google also has a great and easy to use website building service if you want to create a wedding website for free! And don't forget about using google docs for real time collaboration with your bridesmaids and other members of the wedding planning committee!

Thrifty Thursday: GasBuddy

For Thrifty Thursdays, we're going to send out some great tips on saving money while living poshly and purposefully. Our features will include cost saving suggestions for entertaining, weddings, and day to day life. First up, GasBuddy!

GasBuddy is an AWESOME, FREE application for your mobile device (although they have an online website as well) that allows you to find out the cheapest gas in your area. You can search by zip code or there is a "find near me" option that uses your GPS coordinates on your phone. GasBuddy provides a list of gas prices at nearby stations. GasBuddy relies on user input to update the prices and the list timestamps all the gas prices so you can see how current the price is. You can also search by fuel type if you have a diesel engine car. GasBuddy is available for Android, iPhone, and Blackberry (which should have everyone covered!).

I've been using this app for about 3 months and I think it's great! It keeps me from wondering, "is next gas station 6 blocks away going to be 20 cents cheaper?" It's also great for vacations to just to determine where the next gas station is on the road (to paradise, I hope!). So save those extra few pennies so you can treat yourself later down the road of life!

Tip for Wedding Pictures

As I was browsing Sarah Beth's photography blog (by the way, she is amazing), I came across this wedding photography blog post with tips for brides and wedding photographers. Assign the Maid of Honor (or another helpful and detail oriented person) to gather up all the items you want for pictures. This way, you don't have to worry about giving the photographer your rings, something blue/borrowed/new, or any other items while you are preparing for your wedding.