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Posts Tagged ‘planning’

Mom’s Summer Bucket List

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SummerList

Whether you’re a Mom who stays-at-home with kids all summer or a Mom who works full time, we hope every Mom will take some time for herself this summer to cross some things off the summer bucket list.  Here are 10 suggestions:

1.  Read a book or two Mom…. one in July and one in August… is that doable?

2.  Go on a picnic – they seem like a lot of work – preparing the food in advance, packaging the food, carting the food to an outdoor location – However, think of it this way… once you’re in the park or at the beach, there is at least another 2-3 hours of activities for kids to do that doesn’t require your constant attention (sure, watch them on the monkey bars and don’t let them drown in the lake but they’ll be amused for hours) and all you had to do was pack a sandwich and some crackers – I’d say that’s a pretty good return on your efforts.

3.  Have a sleep over – with or without your children.  If you have close friends who also have kids you could have a family sleep over in the living room (or tents in the back yard?).  OR, better yet, if you can get some time away from your dear children, maybe you and your girlfriends could have a girls-only-old-fashioned sleep over.  Remember when you were a teenager and you watched girly movies (Dirty Dancing, The Notebook, The Princess Bride, Titanic to name a few), you ate junk food and stayed up really late?  You and the girls played board games and truth or dare?  Fond memories, right?  Make it happen again!

4.  Visit a new town or city.  Chances are you haven’t explored all of the nearby towns so take a day-trip to a new place within a reasonable distance from where you live.  It’s amazing what you can find when you set your mind to have an adventure!

5.  Try a new recipe. Do you use Pinterest?  It is the best source for finding inspiration on new foods to make and try.  If not, you can google pinterestsummerjust about any recipe that might interest you.  Have you always wanted to learn to make amazing fudge?  With or without nuts?  Try 3 or 4 different recipes and see if you can find the perfect one!   Taking a trip to the store or market to get the necessary ingredients, preparing the recipe, and eating it, can be a new way to spend 3-6 hours.  If you did this once a week all summer, you’ll have tried many new recipes and expanded your horizons.

6.  Make a craft.  Painting, home-made jewellery, needle-point, etc.   Your local dollar store is FULL of inexpensive stuffs from which you can make some pretty interesting things.  You can keep children and adults busy for hours on $10 or less.

7.  Help someone; volunteer.  You don’t have to spend your entire summer donating your time, efforts, and talents (although some people do, and kudos to them!), but it does feel good to help out in your community.  Maybe you can cross off “Good Samaritan” from your bucket list this summer?

8.  Visit and appreciate nature.  Some people like to hike, ride their bike, jog or walk.  If you live in a city, you might choose to leave the city to find some country-side or wooded area to explore.  However, there are walking paths and trails within many major cities.  Is there one you haven’t explored yet?  There is a great big outdoor playground waiting for you (and your children); go visit it.

9.  Have a tea party.  Again, with our without children; it can be fun either way.  You just need to make or buy some scones or tea biscuits, make some “fancy” sandwiches (which don’t have to actually be that fancy to LOOK fancy – eg. spread cream cheese on white bread, add sliced cucumbers, remove the crusts, cut into triangles – not ‘fancy’ but looks high class!).  Make a pot of tea and you’re set!  A tea party can be themed (e.g. I’ve read about some Downtown Abbey inspired teas lately) or dress up (fancy hats), for an added flair.  Really, it’s about the experience and the fun!

Tea Time ideas from Pinterest!

Tea Time ideas from Pinterest!

10. Connect with an old friend. You probably have friends you haven’t connected with in a long time, too long.  Reach out to someone who you’ve lost touch with; chances are they’ll be happy to hear from you.  Get together for coffee and discuss what’s new in each others’ lives.  See if you can rekindle a once-strong friendship.

Those are our great ideas on ways to make this summer more interesting and keep busy doing some new and old things.  Tell us, what is on your summer bucket list?

 

From your Things Engraved Social Team,

Things Engraved Social

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7 Signs you May be a Bridezilla

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Bridezilla

Bridezilla

Bridezilla; a dubious distinction all brides probably intend to avoid!  It is believed the term “bridezilla” was coined in a Boston Globe article in June 1995. Since then, it has been widely used for an overbearing bride who is difficult.

A woman who is obsessed about every detail of the wedding might turn into a bridezilla. There are several traits that many bridezilla’s have in common. If a bride-to-be sees her own behaviors on this list, she may want to make some changes quickly or risk alienating friends and family members.  Yikes!

#1  Talking about the wedding nonstop. Getting married is exciting and stressful at the same time. It is good for brides to have enthusiasm about the big day, but speaking incessantly over every little detail, especially when the conversation often veers to complaints about vendors and other arrangements, can be off-putting to people. Remember, the world is still turning outside of a bride’s wedding realm.

#2  Extreme dieting. It’s understandable when a bride wants to look her best on her wedding day, and this can create a desire to shed a few pounds. However, if dieting becomes extreme, including dramatic calorie control, binging or purging, it can be unhealthy and dangerous. Putting appearances before well-being may constitute bridezilla behavior.

#3  Failing to spend time with a fiance. When wedding planning and meetings take precedence over spending time with your fiance, it can set a poor course for the future marriage and strain the current relationship.  Don’t forget the reason you wanted to marry this person in the first place!

#4  A “me-first” attitude. It’s unproductive for a bride-to-be to think that her family, bridemaids and others involved in the wedding will drop everything for the sake of the event. Although it is expected that a bridal party will partake in some tasks and responsibilities, they are not the property or employees of the bride. Also, diva behavior and meltdowns — where all the attention is directed toward the bride-to-be — is not fun for anyone.

#5   Going well over budget. At its core, a wedding is the union between two people who pledge to spend the rest of their lives together. While many people want to have the perfect wedding, fixating on every detail and spending excessively to achieve what is perceived as perfection is bridezilla behavior. Entering a marriage already in debt can put a strain on newlywed bliss.

#6  Fighting with friends and family. Oftentimes brides- and grooms-to-be mask apprehension about starting a new chapter in their lives by getting into disagreements with others. Brides may bicker with their moms over seating arrangements and hairstyles, but they might just be glossing over their evolving mother-child relationship. Fighting just to fight and draw attention to oneself is bridezilla behavior; beware!

#7   Expecting preferential treatment. Many bridezillas are rude to wedding vendors and think that they deserve something extra. Individuals should remember that florists, dress shops, musicians, and photographers work very hard in their lines of work and often with couples who are emotional and feeling the stress of spending large amounts of money. Adding even more animosity to the situation could result in less-than-stellar results on the big day.

Brides, are you seeing yourself anywhere in this list?  Put yourself in check before that Bridezilla title is applied to you!

From your Things Engraved Social Team,

Things Engraved Social

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New Years Resolutions

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As New Year’s approaches, many people will start to think of their goals and resolutions for the upcoming year.  According to the Toronto Star, 54% of Canadians regularly make New Year’s resolutions.   Self-improvement resolutions are the most popular type of goals made for the New Year.  Unfortunately, only 19% of New Year’s Resolutions are successful!  To help you keep your New Year’s resolutions we’ve put together a list of tips to help you achieve your goals.

New Year’s Resolution Tips:

Be Specific: Be detailed and very specific about your goals.  For example, “save money” is a great goal to have, but if you are not specific in what your actual goal is or how – how can you succeed?  Be specific in your resolutions, such as “save 10% of earnings” or “skip the morning Tim Hortons run to save money”.

Break it Down:  A year to achieve a goal can seem like forever, and if you’re a natural procrastinator it’s hard not to think, “I have all year!”.   Give yourself monthly goals to achieve, or specific deadlines.  Achieving part of your goal or resolution will help keep you motivated and on track.

Share your Goals:  It’s great to know what your own New Year’s resolutions are but by sharing your goals with others it will make you accountable to achieve them!  Share your New Year’s resolutions with anyone, everyone,  even us!  Not only will you gain a sense of responsibility to succeed, but it will help motivate others.

Write it Down: One of the best ways to increase your chances of achieving any goal is simple: Write it Down!  The simple act of putting pen to paper can help you succeed in achieving your New Year’s resolution.  Put your list of resolutions somewhere you will see every day – such as your mirror, fridge or computer background.  An even better way to keep you on track is to  have your resolutions engraved on a keychain or charm that you will see daily.  If your resolution is for weight-loss or fitness have a Before & After frame engraved to motivate you.  Put a motivational picture in the “After” side for extra motivation.  Our Double Brushed Aluminum Frame would work great.

Tell us on Facebook: What are your New Year’s resolutions?

 

 

 

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