marriage update: 7 months

In so many ways, as newlyweds, we are immensely rich.

We are rich in our new growing love for each other.

We are rich with the Lord at the center of our marriage.

We are rich with such a caring family around us.

In one other way we aren't as rich, but in reality that is the least important way we can be rich. Even though our bank accounts aren't overflowing, it makes us appreciate all that we really do have. It also helps us to budget and make the most of what the Lord has given us. Here are our 7 tips for a household that may be a little strapped for extra spending money.

Check-over before you check-out

I learned this trick from a girlfriend a few years ago: before you check out, look over what you are about to purchase and take out at least 1 item that you can live without. I am a total culprit of being an impulse buyer. I see something cute, add it to my purchases and before I know it, I'm spending $35 dollars on home decor that I can create myself with a little time on pintrest and the right supplies.

A budget app

My husband and I tried out quite a few different apps to help keep our budget on track. Keeping track on paper just wasn't practical for us since we are on the go so much. We also needed an app that we could both use on our separate phones and after lots of looking we found HomeBudget. The first month or so is free so you can try it out to see if it works for you, but unfortunately it’s a $5.99 charge to buy it. For us {who never buy apps} it was an investment that was well worth the $6 buckaroos. For some of the budget apps we found you had to link it up with your bank account and we didn't feel comfortable with that. With HomeBudget you can just punch in what your accounts have in them instead of giving out your bank access. The app really makes us pause and think about what we are purchasing since we have to record each expense.

Talk about everything

We have made a rule to talk about all big expenses. Anything over $100 we check with the other, This prevents us from splurging on items that aren't really necessary.

Play off credit cards & debt asap

Credit cards are terrible for accruing interest. That is where they really get you. Even though paying them off can take a chunk of your savings, in the long run it will save you money since you won't have to pay all the extra interest on top of your payments. Besides I would much rather use the money we were spending from interest on something fun that my hubby and I can both enjoy!

Buy in bulk

Whether it’s garbage bags or baking supplies, I love to buy in bulk. This is somewhat of a new concept for my hubby considering before we got married he would run to the store about every other day and get a few groceries here and there. I am much more of a make-one-trip-a-week, and make-it-count type of shopper. In the long run it saves more money because you don’t make as many impulse buys, and {as I said before} that is a weakness for B & I.

DIY

There are so many resources out there for doing-it-yourself projects. There is everything from recipes for making your own laundry soap & cleaning supplies to countless ways for recycling everyday items. It can be a time consumer, but I can't even count how many times I have heard "Oh, I found this idea on pintrest." You can check out my page here.

Find good deals at the grocery store

We love our trips to ALDI, now don’t judge if you have never been cuz you can find some great deals. I might not get raw meats there, and I’m a little picky when looking at the product but for the most part it’s such a good deal. The popsicles, frozen fish, veggie chips, and pastas are just a few of our faves from there. Another staple store for us is target. I love looking through the Sunday adds and clipping coupons, but I sometimes get annoyed with the hassle of making sure they don't expire and keeping track of which ones I even have. This is why I love target with it's consistently low prices. We still love hitting the grocery stores for their good deals, but don't more frequently make our trips to target & ALDI, and an occasional Trader Joes run.

So there are a few ways we have kept our spending in check. It's a good strengthener for our marriage, and even a fun opportunity to reward ourselves when we come in under budget.

our wedding: part 2

After our photo opt at the apple orchard the wedding party headed off to the church. We had a little time to relax and refresh before the big event.

Surprisingly I didn't get too weepy on our wedding, but in this moment {pictured below} I couldn't hold it in. As I stood there looking at the wide empty church where I would be entering in an hour to be joined together with B, I lost it. I welled up with tears knowing what would be coming next: me & my dad taking the final walk before I became a wife. Oh, boy I still get teary just thinking about that...hold it together Emily!

If a picture says a thousand words, then these 2 pictures say about four thousand words. I loved that our photographer managed to catch this lovely moment of my dad taking a few minutes out of the crazy day to soak it all up.

There must be a dozen pictures of me & my sister making this pose. From age 2 till 22, we still do the same pose.

I just love the smirk on Brian's face here. When walking up the isle on the arm of my dad, all I could see was Brian. I knew I wouldn't be able to look away from him or I would loose it. And sure enough I took one quick glace at his mom who {who was right behind B} and my eyes instantly filled with tears.

It was also such a wonderful addition to have the pastor who baptized me as a baby, be the pastor at our wedding.

There is something magical about this picture that seems to transport me right back into that moment. We felt so overwhelmed with love from everyone around us. 

Coming up next: the reception...

our wedding: part 1

It only took a few weeks for us to realize that we were the perfect fit. In each other we found a best friend, someone to lean on when things get challenging, a supply of constant laughs, a loving partner,  and ultimately a spouse.

After a whirlwind romance of dating, Brian popped the question and I started planning our wedding. The planning process of our wedding was a labor of love. I spent countless hours getting ideas, planning out projects, shopping for materials, and many days creating our day of bliss. I can't say enough that I loved every minute of it. Well, there might have been a little stress involved {wink-wink}, but it was what I always dreamed of doing. I enjoyed living out my fantasies of having a sparkler send off and walking down the isle to a song that I heard in the 9th grade and instantly knew that would be the song.

On October 19 2012, my husband and I were joined together to become husband & wife. We had a magical day filled with unforgettable moments & emotional tears. I am so excited to be sharing some of our captured moments with you.

For today I am going to share some of our pre-wedding pictures. B & I were blessed enough to have an amazing photographer Rebecca, on our special day. It was so nice to previously know our photographer and be so comfortalbe with her. Another tip: make sure you and your photographer are on the same page, it will make the day go by without a hitch!

We decided to forgo many of the formal wedding traditions. There was no way we would be able to wait till the ceremony to see each other, and besides I wanted to take some pictures in a beautiful setting. Me and my girls got ready at my parents house. I slipped into my dress with the help of my mom & sister {and trust me I needed the help}, and all together the girls got to see me for the first time.

Brian & his boys joined the scene mid-morning and my mom slipped a blindfold over his eyes so he could sneak a peak. Near my parent's house there is a beautiful field where we decided to have our first look pictures. It was a magical moment that I would suggest to any bride!! Take the time to have a special moment with just you 2 {and your photographer of course} because that may be the only uninterrupted time you get all day.

The wedding party ventured out to a local apple orchard where our lovely photographer snapped some breathtaking shots. Even though it was a little on the chilly side, the girls were troopers and we had a blast. We even heard a few funny 'Brian as a little boy' stories from his sister.

I got to live out the fantasy not only of a dream wedding, but the man of my dreams. Cheesy I know, but I never thought such a fairy tale like this could exist.

Coming up next: the ceremony & reception....

featured on The Wedding Notebook

On Monday morning I woke to my Bridesmaid Boxes featured on The Wedding Notebook. What a perfect start to the week to see a piece of our wedding featured on the lovely wedding website. Check out the Be My Bridesmaids Ideas post and you can find my boxes along with 4 other wonderful ideas.

In February my DIY Coloring Mason Jar tutorial was also featured on the Wedding Notebook. I literally squealed with joy at seeing my mason jars up on a website devoted to tying the knot. So hop on over and take a peak. 

happy happy Heart-Day

What an wonderful Valentine's Day to celebrate. Last year we were newly engaged and this year we are newly married. I'm so excited that I get to show you a few pictures from our wedded day of bliss. What better day to share them then on the Heart-Day.

I am still amazed at how blessed we are as a newlywed couple.

Hope you enjoy them as much as we do.

1 year ago

It's been 1 year. One year since my fiance surprised me under the Golden Gate bridge with an engagement ring and a question to follow. I can remember the numbing feeling wash over me as I stared at the sparkling ring.

It still gives me the chills thinking back to our California vacation. I remember my mind instantly turning into 'wedding mode' as I thought about when we would tie the knot, what our colors would be, who would stand up with us.... I guess others had the similar thoughts because we instantly got showered with questions, and I was all to eager to bounce ideas off of anyone who would listen.

I can never tell my now huband enough how special it was that he asked me to spend the rest of our lives together in such a special place. San Francisco has always been one of my favorite cities, but now I love it as the city where Brian became my fiance.

After we got engaged we celebrated with a trip on the famous cable cars and a visit to the Ghirardelli factory for a ice cream sunday.

This morning Brian ran a few errands including taking my car to get the oil changed, {what a good husband he is} grabbing a few groceries, and he also surprised me with the ingredients for our own Ghirardelli sundays. It felt like our engagement celebration all over again.

If you know my husband well, you know that he is not the best at keeping secrets. He kept this surprise {the presents pictured below} from me for a full 30 minutes before caving in and giving me my valentine's gift early. He truly does spoil me.

It's nights like this where I can't believe just how blessed we are. I sit here in bed with my hubby cuddled up sleeping beside me and I catch myself thinking back to a year ago. We had only been dating for 8 months, and while some may say that's no time at all, we knew where our forever's were going. We knew that our forever's would be with each other.

marriage update: 3 months

What I have learned in our first 3 months of marriage:

#1 Meshing our lives as a married couple can be challenging but rewarding.
Brian and I have each been independent on how we go about our normal routine, for example, making tasty dishes, doing laundry, or grocery shopping. We are still learning on how to not sweat the small stuff or accidentally push each others buttons.

After all, we have both been living separate lives for years and have gotten on just fine. It's not that either of our ways is superior, we just have to meld our ways into one that works best for the both of us.

#2 Even when you are upset/angry/frustrated hug it out.
How can you be upset when you have your best friend's arms around you. When you have the love of your life's arms around, you can't help but melt into their arms and forget whatever it was you were pointlessly arguing about.

#3 Men & women refer to the same things in 2 very different ways.
The other day I was crossing things off my grocery list and light bulbs was the next item to find. I didn't even make it into the isle {that's how intimidated I was by the sheer mass of choices} and I just thought to myself, that will be a task for my hubby.

We were at target yesterday and heading over to the light bulb isle and was explaining how I was previously intimidated by the amount of choices. I described the types not by the voltage or color but by the two options in my head: the circle one or the spinney twirly one.

#4 Life now involves 2 people.
That may involve B waiting just a few extra minutes longer for me to get ready, or me planning out the meals for the week so we don't have to run to the store every day. Our lives don't just exist together, now our lives revolve around each other.

#5 Honesty is the best policy.
We tend to be very honest with each other. It took a few weeks, but we realized that there is no reason to keep anything from each other, no matter what it is. Whether is't something as small as how your day really was {not just the sugar coated version} to keeping our bank accounts in check, honesty is really the only way in a marriage.

wedding advice

Here is some advice from me and my new hubby:

-listen to other people's advice {I know that's a funny one to put first, but at times the advice that others gave me really helped}

-get as many projects done before the last week or two before the wedding because there will be plenty to do the last 2 weeks

-write down specific pictures that you want taken for your photographer, because when the day comes you will not remember any of them

-have fun {hence the picture above} because the day flies by

-take lots of time to spend with your fiance before the wedding because when the day comes, it's a whirl wind

-make sure you inform everyone who is close to you what is going on the week of the wedding

-delegate projects even if it feels strange to, I was overwhelmed with the amount of people who truly wanted to help out

-even though I certainly did this, don't stress about the little things because when it comes to your wedding day, those little details won't matter

-plan a honeymoon, you need the break with your new husband/wife

-make sure you focus on your relationship with your soon-to-be husband, not just the wedding details

-check your attitude at the door**

-think about opening your gifts after you get back from your honeymoon. Brian and I left our gifts at my parents house and we were so excited to come back and open them with just our immediate family. If we would have done it the day after with 2 dozen people watching, it would have been waaay to overwhelming!!

-don't procrastinate when you can do something earlier because your wedding day will come a lot sooner than you might think

-ask your bridesmaids what they would like to wear. I stayed in contact with my girls and we chose a dress that was comfortable, they could wear a regular bra, they were flattering on everyone, and they could dance the night away with no "technical problems" {if you know what I mean}

-pray about everything, no matter how small it is God wants to hear it

-make sure you have people in charge of the little things on the day of the wedding, like: who will clean up the church, who will drive the wedding party around on the day of the wedding, who will be at the reception hall before everyone arrives to make sure everything is in order

-everyone says the day goes by sooo fast {and you will hear that a million + 1 times} so don't sweat it if you are a little off schedule or your dress gets a little dirty, just enjoy every moment you can!!

**When Brian and I got engaged, I made one promise to myself, family, and Brian: I will not become a bridezilla. While most everyone said that I didn't really freak out or get too stressed, there was one person who did take the brunt of my stress. Brian and I weren't in the same town as we went through the planning of our wedding, so I worked closely with my mom and there were a few times quite a few times when I lost my cool and let the stress overcome me. She was such a great help to our wedding and was such an amazing mom the whole way. I only wish that I can be as patient when my daughter gets married {disclaimer, I don't have a daughter and am not even pregnant but I hope to have a girl one day and would love to help her plan the wedding of her dreams}

I'm sure I will think of other advice, so don't be surprised if this list grows over the next few months. I have lots of advice so feel free to shoot me an email or a text. I love talking to future brides about their weddings now that we have been happily married for over a month!