Wedding Checklist

Now that our wedding day is over, I've had time to analyze that special day (and the weeks leading  up to it). I've made a list of all the items we needed, even the little things that hit me a day or two before the wedding. A bride can find "wedding checklists" online, but many of them included items such as "Rented China" which we did not need, but didn't include "Card Box" which we did need. Some of these things seem obvious, but in the middle of the wedding whirlwind, can go forgotten.

Here's the list of items I needed, including all decisions we had to make:


- Application for marriage license and name change form (provided a court house in the county of bride or groom’s current residence) In Indiana, it has to be obtained within 30days-72hours before the wedding

- Minister and church

- Reception hall

- Dinner- pick meal, types of dishes/utensils, head count-- (ask for extra plates for bride and groom to take home after reception)

- Bartender, liquor/alcohol, liquor license, bartender fee

- DJ- Songs: Father/Daughter, Mother/Son, First Dance, Bridal Party Entrance, Cake cutting, Dinner Music,

Anniversary Dance, Dollar Dance, Bouquet Toss, Garter Toss, Last song

- Photographer- make a list of desired photos

- Dress

- Alterations

- Crinoline

- Shoes- ceremony and reception

- Strapless bra and bridal underwear

- Hair accessory (tiara, headband, flower)

- Jewelry- rings, necklaces, bracelets

- Dresses- Bridesmaids, Flower Girls, Mothers, Grandmothers

- Tuxedos- Groom, Groomsmen, Ushers, Ring Bearers, Fathers

- Colors and style of vest, tie, shirt

- Style of Tuxedo- 2 button, 3 button, tails, etc.

- Type of Shoe

- Ring pillow & Flower girl basket

- Petals for flower girl to throw

- Stationary

- Invites (color, style, design) and envelopes, Save the Dates, Maps, Reception cards, RSVPs, Menus, Programs, Itinerary for guests and/or bridal party, Reserved seating signs for reception tables

- Flowers
     -Bouquets (bridal, toss, bridesmaids), boutonnieres (groom, groomsmen, ushers, fathers, ring bearers),corsages (mothers, grandmothers, attendants--guest book, bubbles, cake, etc.) memorial, door decorating, pew decorations, accents on dresses and in hair, guest book table

- Garters (1 to keep, 1 to toss)

- Hair style for self and/or bridesmaids

- Wedding night accommodations

- Reception décor

- Centerpieces for guest tables, head table/s

- Table linens

- Chair covers/sashes

- Backdrop

- Entry Way

- Window covers

- Door décor

- Special sized/shaped tables if your reception hall doesn't have them (cake, sweetheart, guest book tables)

- Food, drink, cake, candy, & gift table décor/centerpieces

- Décor around the room—trees, columns, lights

- Cake design, flavors of each layer of cake, and cake stand

- Cake topper

- Card box

- Cake server

- Guest favors

- Videographer

- Veil

- Make-up/nails—eye brow wax, highlights, hair cut

- Bubbles, Birdseed, confetti, rose petals, etc for church exit

- Vows- traditional or personalized?

- Limo/Transportation/Get-a-way car

- Guest book and pen

- Toasting glasses for couple and/or bridal party

- Bridal party gifts (bridesmaids, groomsmen, flower girls, ring bearers, ushers, any and all assistan—bubbles, programs, readers, singers, pianists, etc.)

- Gifts for parents/grandparents

- Gifts/Cards for each other at rehearsal or wedding day

- Unity candle and stand or sand ceremony with vases

- Paper Goods/Dishes

- Cups (for dinner, bar, punch)

- Napkins (dinner, appetizers and cake)

- Plates (dinner, appetizers and cake)

- Forks (dinner, appetizers and cake)

- Ceremony décor-

     o Pews, altar table, candelabras, doors, aisle runner, windows

- Ceremony Music- interlude, seating of mother’s, bridal party entrance, processional, unity candle, recessional

- Announcements in newspapers

- Guest list for wedding, bach. parties, and shower

- Rehearsal dinner- location, guests, decorations, dinner

- Collect addresses

- Clothing

     o Rehearsal and dinner, intimate apparel for you and him, honeymoon clothing

- Candy buffet- types of candy, containers for guests to fill (sacks, boxes buckets), containers for display

- Something old, new, borrowed, blue

- Signs between ceremony and reception (and someone to post them), as well as directions

- Appetizers/Drinks

- Memorial candle, vase, decal

- Personalized attire for self and/or attendants

- Containers for left over food and cake to be sent home after reception

- Stamps for invitations and thank yous

- Emergency kit for wedding day

- Mints & nuts with serving containers for cake table

- Baskets/Containers for bubbles and programs

- Prescriptions of medicine and/or birth control

Come Sail Away--- A Boat Themed Baby shower

Here are some ideas to help you keep afloat while planning a boat themed baby shower.

1) Make sails out of dowel rods and patterned paper. Put the sails in buckets or bowls of food or pots of flowers.

2) Buy blue & white striped material and use it as a table runner. After the shower, the material can be made into pillows for the baby's room!

3) Buy a cheap decorative fish net to hang on a wall or to decorate some tables. Add some kick with sea shells or fish hanging on the net.

4) Borrow sail boats, pelicans, oars, messaged bottles, starfish, alphabet flags, maps, steering wheels, artificial anchors, lighthouses, knotted rope, or life preservers from friends. One of your friends probably has a nautical themed room in their house.

5) Use removable letters to create a welcome message on a life preserver for a welcome message to guests.

6) Add a more delicate feel to the room with simple vases of white flowers as centerpieces.

7) Use reds, blues, and whites throughout the room!

8) Get wooden letters to spell out the baby's name and decorate them with thin rope. Make it more creative by adding some knots to some.

Check out these links for photos and inspiration: Enchanted Expectations   Celebrations at Home

Yee-Haw! Western Baby Shower

Giddy Up!! Here are a few unique ideas to help you with your western baby shower!

1) Serve your guests western style with cornbread, chili, chicken wings, potatoes, chips and salsa.

2) You can also give the shower an old fashioned touch with homemade root beer or ice cream or spice it up with a salsa bar with different kinds of salsa.

3) Use bundles or bales of hay as decor around the room, or smaller one for decor on the tables.

4) Tip cowboy hats upside down or use cowboy boots and fill with flowers or baby items for a centerpiece.

5) Use red or blue bandannas as napkins.

Yard sale the right way

Are you a "yard saler??" Do you know what to look for when shopping through others' unwanted items? Remember, this is something that someone else didn't want--and there may be a logical reason why it's in the yard sale. Here are some tips and tricks so that you're not left with a piece of junk that's "non-returnable!!"

Baby clothes-
Look for stains around the neck of the outfit--this is a common location of stains that can become
deal breakers
Check to see if all zippers, snaps, buttons, etc are working and still attached properly--- check in
the bottom area of a onesie to make sure that snaps haven't been ripped off
Examine garment for any holes, rips, stains, etc.
Examine garment to make sure its been washed properly---has it become short and wide? Have
the colors bled? Is it an item that will become difficult for you to wash?

Furniture, Wall Hangings, Etc-
Check that all hardware is included and working properly--hinges, handles, pegs, posts, shelves,
and so on. If it's a picture frame or wall decor, is the glass in good condition? Do the pegs that
hold the glass in place work properly and are they all there?
Examine the wood (or material) to make sure its in good condition--is the wood painted? split?
bowed? swollen? can it be easily stripped and stained if you are planning to change the color?
Is the material/cloth ripped? Torn? Stretched? Stained? Smell bad? Covered in animal hair?
Speckled with cigarette burn marks? --- Check under cushions and pillows because you may
be surprised what's hiding. Maybe a grape soda stain?

Adult clothes-
Check to see if all zippers, snaps, buttons, etc are working and still attached properly.
Examine garment for any holes, rips, stains, etc.
Examine garment to make sure its been washed properly---has it become short and wide? Have
the colors bled? Is it an item that will become difficult for you to wash? Is it dry clean only?
Hand wash?
Hold the article of clothing up to-- Are the sleeves a good length? Does the garment hit you
where you want it to or is it too short/too long/too wide? Does the neck of the shirt suit you?
Is it a material/fit that's going to hug your body in all the wrong places? Have the bottoms of
the pants been cut to fit the previous owner? Do the cuffs of the sleeves, hem of the pants or
neck of the shirt have an area that won't lay straight or that will need ironing for each wear?

Shoes, Purses, Accessories-
Do the shoes have straps that will be uncomfortable? Is the heel on the shoe secured well or does
it appear it might break soon? Are the soles of the shoes worn out and slick?
Check the purse for rips, stains, busted pockets, sturdy straps, etc.
Do the clasps/closures function properly?

When shopping, just remember that you're looking through items that someone else didn't want and there may be a reason why. Try to find that reason!

Re-Arrange a Room

With all the decorating shows out there that demonstrate how you can spend $500, $1000, or even $5000 to re-do a room, many of us having the desire to re-decorate a room in our home--if not the whole house. Well, let's be honest--- who has that kind of money to spend?? Not many of us! With that being said, let's see how the furniture you already own can be re-arranged to form a room with a different feel, a different flow.

The size of this room is quite unique. It's a lengthy room with three doorways- the front door, an extra wide doorway to the dining room, and a doorway to the hallway and stairwell. The furniture in the living room consists of two identical couches, a TV table and tower, one recliner, a glider rocker, and a few end tables.

Before the room rearrange, all the furniture was along the outside walls, making an open walk way and room, but not a very warm or "home-y" feeling space. By pulling the furniture up and creating a room divider with one of the couches, the size of the space utilized as a living room decreased and all walkways through the space were eliminated. By doing so, the atmosphere of the room was changed, just as the home owner wanted. Also, an entry way and designated walkway through the room was created- rather than having numerous walkways through the living space.

The couches were placed in an "L" shape with an end table in the corner of them. One of the end tables (with extra storage inside and shelves on the front) was able to be used as a coffee table in front of the couches. The TV table and tower were slid into a corner to make the most of that odd sized space, and the recliner was able to fit snuggly into another corner. The glider rocker, an end table and a sofa table all fit into the new "entry way" to create a more welcoming space.

All wall hangings were able to keep their location, except for one shelf that has to be relocated due to a walkway being created in the area where the shelf was at head level. The new "coffee table" was decorated with a simple place mat (found on clearance), basket and candle holders (found at a yard sale) that the homeowners already owned. A bouquet of bright flowers were put on the end table just inside the front door to offer some cheer for incoming guests. The family's willow tree figurine found a new location on display in front of a display of candles (found on clearance racks and at yard sales.) Due to a small child living in the home, several items had (and others will soon be moved) to find home on shelves out of reach.




I hope this room makeover can be inspiration for you if you've been wanting to try something like this also. Good luck with your re-arrange and be sure to comment and tell me all about it!

Thanks for visiting and have a great day!
Krista

Refrigerating or Freezing Food

How long can you freeze food?

Raw Beef Roast and Steaks

Refrigerator: 3 to 5 days
Freezer: 6 to 12 months

Raw Pork Roast and Chops

Refrigerator: 3 to 5 days
Freezer: 4 to 6 months

Raw Lamb Roast and Chops

Refrigerator: 3 to 5 days
Freezer: 6 to 9 months

Raw Veal Roast and Chops

Refrigerator: 3 to 5 days
Freezer: 4 to 6 months

Cooked Meat

Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days
Freezer: 2 to 3 months

Soup

Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days
Freezer: 2 to 3 months

Raw Chicken Pieces

Refrigerator: 1 to 2 days
Freezer: 9 months

Cooked Chicken Pieces

Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days
Freezer: 4 months

Pizza

Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days
Freezer: 1 to 2 months

Luncheon Meats

Refrigerator: 3 to 5 days
Freezer: 1 to 2 months

Raw Fatty Fish (Salmon, Tuna, etc.)

Refrigerator: 1 to 2 days
Freezer: 2 to 3 months

Raw Lean Fish (Cod, Flounder, etc.)

Refrigerator: 1 to 2 days
Freezer: 6 months

Cooked Fish

Refrigerator: 3 to 4 days
Freezer: 4 to 6 months

Advice for College

"Things to know" for college

*Elementary Education major*

Ratemyprofessor.com

This website will help you create your schedule. Create an account and then you can look up almost any professor and find what others thought of the teacher style and how the class went for them. Ratings will be given in multiple categories and will be a big help in selecting teachers you’ve never heard of, especially for core classes.

Weight gain

The freshman fifteen is a known concept for college, but it’s not just for drinkers. The lifestyle, sleep schedule, and food intake changes will lead to a weight gain. You’ll probably want to go out to eat often and the pounds will start to add on. Take advantage of the FREE gym, pool, track, courts, and so on.

Textbooks

Ask around for people who might have taken the class before you with that same professor (the same class will have different books depending on who taught it) to find out if you need the book or not. If you do, ask to buy theirs or maybe just borrow it. If you have to buy your own, check out half.com before paying the bookstore price. To buy offline, you’ll need the ISBN number from the book. You can go to the online bookstore or the campus store to find the ISBN in the front of the book. Also, your text books are rarely needed in class. It’s not necessary to take all your books the first day. Your teacher will probably let you know if and when you should bring the book, otherwise it can be left at home.

Good shoes, umbrella, backpack

The three things to spend money on for college are good walking shoes, a good and big umbrella, and a strong backpack.

Discounts

Many restaurants and stores in college towns offer discounts if you show your student ID. They’re not much, but they do add up!

School supplies

Many ED classes will expect you to create posters, signs, games and so on. To make these projects cheaper, invest in the back-to-school sales in the fall. Buy crayons, markers, glue, pencils, and so on when you find them cheap and keep them all together. Also, some Dollar Tree stores have “Teacher’s Corner” where you can find a lot of cute and useful resources for your EDUC classes and presentations.

Binders

Almost every ED class will require a binder at the end of the semester. Most will want a 1” binder with the plastic insert on the front. If you find them on sale, buy as many as you can. You may find yourself using binders for other classes just because they help you stay organized. (Some classes require the plastic sheets and others don’t, but if you find them on sale too, you might buy a couple of packs of those, as well)

Take Praxis early

This test is similar to an I-STEP or SAT test. It costs about $150 and must be taken on your own time at a testing facility in town. This test is usually a pre-req for ED classes over a certain level, such as EDUC 350. If not passed, classes over that level can’t be taken and this can become a major set back for many students. Take it early in your college career!

Use professors’ office hours

Professors offer the office hours for help. If you’re struggling in a class and a teacher sees that you’re trying and making an effort to get help, they may “help you out.”

Where to sit

Sitting in the back of the class often allows you to get distracted and not get as much out of the class as possible. These classes cost a lot of money and re-taking a class can cause a lot of problems in your schedule. Sitting near the front will make a good impression on your teachers and increase what you learn in the class.

Meet as many people as you can—teachers and students

Make a strong network. Get phone numbers and email addresses and add people to Facebook or Myspace. This will come in handy when you need help with an assignment, forget how the teacher said to start that paper, or want to study with someone.

Don’t spend all your graduation money

Most likely, you’ll receive a lot of cash for graduation--- save some of it. Buy what you need for college—maybe a computer, printer or other necessities, but put some back in a “rainy day fund.” If you buy a computer, I suggest buying a laptop. That way, you can take it on campus and to other apartments for group projects or study nights. But-- don’t take it to class, its just a distraction.

Learn how to study and take notes

Every person learns differently and you have to find what helps you study. This will be most helpful for your core classes. Learn to write fast and to take notes on almost everything that is said.

Printing

Professors expect a lot of papers, articles, and lesson plans printed, turned in, or passed out to the class. This can get expensive! Buy a lot of printer paper and find free printers in the classrooms, or use the printer in a building like the Residence Life. Also, always carry a small stack of printer paper with you. You or a friend might need to print something you forgot about quickly before class starts.

Library Cards

Get a library card to the library in town. In many towns, if you can prove you have a residence there then you can get a card for FREE! Libraries have a large selection of CDs, DVDs and software--check here first for something before you buy or rent. Also, for some classes you’ll need children’s books and libraries will be great resources.

Cramming classes into a few days

It may seem like a good idea to make your classes all Tues/Thurs or Mon/Wed with a couple of night classes, but it’s really not. It creates a lot of stress and a lack of time to complete homework, or to go out with friends and get away from the stress. Unless you're commuting or have to create a school schedule around a work schedule, then spead your classes out a little bit more.

Attend the optional review sessions

Some professors will offer an optional review session before a midterm or final—attend it! Even if you think you’re already prepared, go to the review because sometimes the professor will go through the test, nearly word for word.

On-Campus beds

The mattresses in many dorms and apartments are plastic covered, so investing in an egg-crate or memory foam pad may be beneficial.

Learn to cook

You’ll get tired of cheap oven pizza or macaroni and cheese, and going out to eat will get old (and expensive), so learn how to cook a few cheap and easy dinners. Start collecting recipes, especially old family favorites- you’ll miss them L

Spend money on comfortable dress clothes and shoes

ED classes require observations in elementary schools in town or teaching lessons in the campus classroom. This requires dress clothes, so start creating a “teacher wardrobe.”

*File cabinet, binder, box, etc*

Start creating a resource collection for teaching. Keep anything you think you might use in a classroom. Invest in a filing cabinet, binder, box, crate---something that will keep lesson plans, books, articles, websites, etc. that you might be able to use or fall back on while creating lesson plans later in college, as well for your first year of teaching. Spend your down time looking up ideas for lessons you might want to teach, books you might be able to use, classroom management skills, or decoration ideas for your classroom.

Free Events

During “Welcome Week” there will be free activities on campus--- check them out! There’s probably free food, free games, and often-- free prizes! You’ll get to meet people and enjoy all the free stuff!

Last and most important tip for college: There will always be another party.