Monday, December 10, 2012

Deck the Halls!

Christmas is now in full effect here in the Granger home even if I am currently in a t-shirt & flip flops.  The tree is decorated, the manger scene is up, the Christmas cards are stamped, & the gifts are BOUGHT.  I only have a few tiny extras for Eddie, but he still has almost all of his shopping for me to do.  Other than each other we are DONE DONE DONE.  So relieved to have everything bought before my grandparents arrive.  Now I can visit with them more when they are here.

Next step will be wrapping, crafting, & in some cases shipping.  I have opted to do a few homemade gifts this year thanks to pinterest:

 I will be making "Candy Cane Vodka" in which you put candy canes in a mason jar and fill with vodka.  Let sit (it turns the clear liquid red) then decorate with a lovely bow. You may want to attach a drink recipe or two that use the peppermint drink.

I am also making a homemade scent jar.  Put cinnamon sticks, an orange, cloves, and dried cranberries in a mason jar and decorate.  You then attach the directions card. "Cut up the orange and then put it and all other ingredients in a pan with water and heat on low."  Makes a yummy smelling potpourri you can use over and over all winter long.

I love wrapping gifts it really gets me into the holiday spirit.  Next will come cookie baking followed with family time.  I hope people remember the reason for the season.  Sometimes too much focus is placed on the gifts and not the spirit of Christmas.  I have tried to follow the "Acts of Kindness" pledge.  I bought the coffee for the girl behind me at the Starbucks drive through (she looked like it was a rough morning).  I also donated money to a charity at work and mailed Christmas cards to the troops.  Next stop is Angel tree or something similar in nature.

It is a wonderful time of year and I hope everyone enjoys.

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

When did I turn 24?!?!

Tomorrow marks the 24th year I have been in this world.  I am so thankful for my life.  I continue to pray and appreciate and remember to experience everything I can.  Its fun to look back and think about birthdays past.  Remember friends you had and where they are now.  Patterns develop as we grow.  The events and the people become similar with each year.

This year we started a day early with pizza and tons of story telling at my Dad's with my brother.  It was nice  to be able to spend time with both my brother and father since we all work completely opposite schedules.   Eddie had me open my gift early.  The gift was great , but my favorite part was the card.  He normally addresses them "Birthday girl", but this year it read "Birthday Wifey".

Tomorrow after works we are taking the puppy and going over to my moms.  I am so excited to go see "A Christmas Carol" Friday with my mother-in-law, grandmother-in-law, Eddie, mom, and Pulley.  It will be so much fun.  This year to celebrate with friends we are going out on Saturday and I am very excited.

The cards are finally done.  I bought 3 different kinds and tried to match the card to the family.  You never want to send a "Merry Christmas" card if they don't celebrate Christmas.  Investing in some general "Happy Holidays" to send out to associates, friends, or those that do not celebrate Christmas is always a good idea.  They also allow for you to have more options and then everyone doesn't get the same card.  Each year we try to personalize them a little.  It's nice to be able to send cards to your loved ones and use them to touch base with some people you may not get to keep in contact with often.  We also send out smaller batches of other holiday cards through out the year.  I suggest creating spreadsheets then you just have to print labels each season.

My friend Sam has taken the "100 Random Acts of Kindness" Challenge.  Her first 4 have been very inspiring and yet relatively easy acts.  This has inspired me to try to do at least one a day between now and the new year.  Tis the season of giving.  "Remember the Reason for the Season:  CHRISTmas" is one of my favorites this time of year.  I worry too many people concentrate on gifts and materials.  This is a nice way to keep things in perspective.  We sent extra cards out to the Red Cross to be sent to our troops.  We all complain about working some on Christmas Eve or day or New Years Eve or day; when these men and women are risking their lives all day, every day being deployed.  The least we can do is send some cards.  I think my first "Act" will be taken from yet another friend's.  I plan on a starbucks run in the morning and I think I will pay for the coffee behind me :)

This is the first Christmas as husband and wife and I couldn't ask for a better partner in it all.  I am truly blessed to be married to such an amazing man. 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Thanksgiving Eve

Can't believe its already Thanksgiving.  Soon it will be Christmas and then a brand new year.  Tonight I am baking two pumpkin pies for tomorrow's yummy festivities.  I am also borrowing a pinterest inspired recipe for an appetizer.

Take
 mini fillo shells
brie cheese
and cranberry preserve
put some of the brie topped with a little cranberry preserve in each shell then bake until melty.  Should be amazing.

This time of year reminds you to be thankful for what you have.  Always strive for more and aspire to be the best you that you can, but never forget how lucky or fulfilled your life is.  I want the high paying, high powered job and to come home to the mansion with the secret rooms and water slides; but until then I am so very thankful for what I have.
I have a great job that I enjoy. These days you are lucky to have a job let alone one that you do enjoy.  I have the most amazing marriage with my best friend/husband.  We have great friends and family and we enjoy our lives.  It is easy to get caught up in what you want or don't have, but its more wonderful to concentrate on all that you do have to be thankful for.

Married life has been a blast.  We have finished up the Thank you cards for the generous gifts.  I love snail mail and have also sent out Halloween cards, Veterans day cards, Thanksgiving cards, and am working on starting Christmas cards.  It's nice to have something other than a bill in the mail.  It is also a nice way to let people know you're thinking about them.

I have been put my wifey skills to work and have been putting the crock pot to use.  On chilly Sundays its nice to have something warm and yummy cooking all day for dinner.  It also makes week night meals easy.  For chicken BBQ I use:

4 chicken breats
a bottle of BBQ sauce
1/3 cup apple cider (more or less to taste)
1/4 cup of Worcestershire
some chili powder
And let is slow cook for a least 8 hours.  Then take a fork and simply push the meat apart.  Its so tender it falls apart.

Be sure to eat too much, smile too big, & laugh to hard with friends and family tomorrow.  Most of all be Thankful.  Happy Thanksgiving!


Sunday, October 21, 2012

MARRIED

The best day of my life so far.  It went perfectly.  It was so nice to see it all come together and see everyone we love and have an amazing time. 

The fun started when my grandparents arrived.  We created 20 "welcome buckets" for hotel guests.  They were so fun to create.  I glittered wine and champagne bottles and then we also got popcorn and Tylenol and covered the water bottle labels in patterned duct tape. 

My god mother hosted a beautiful bridal luncheon at Sonoma Wine Bar in Town Center.  It was great to have so many women in my life come together.  Everyone told stories and of course we are all a bunch of girls so we started crying.  The food and wine were AMAZING!

We did a fun nail party with all the girls.  It was more fun bonding and girl time.  It also allowed everyone to have time to get their nails all pretty for the wedding. 

Our rehearsal dinner was great.  Everyone had such a fun time.  We tried to intermingle people so everyone could meet someone new if possible.  We gave all of our parents gifts to thank them for everything.  We gave our dads unique cuff links that were of their hobbies.  We gave our mothers earrings with their birthstones.  We also gave our wedding party their gifts.  We gave all the guys signs for their homes.  Some were personalized like "Jay's guitar lounge" and some were funny like " A man's gotta believe in something & I believe I'll have another drink".  The girls all got bags embroidered with their initial.  Inside the bag was a personalized matching makeup bag and a coffee tumbler and Starbucks gift card, tissues for the next day, & hand sanitizer, Tylenol, & band-aids.   We toasted with my great great grandparents 50th wedding anniversary cup.  It was very funny because one after another about 10 people stood up giving sweet or hysterical toasts.

The day of our wedding was great.  I remember everyone saying to cherish every moment of the day and days leading to the wedding and that is what I tried to do.  I tried to stay in the moment and really absorb everything.  We had a blast getting ready and then to see him at the end of the aisle was the best.  We both made it through the vows with only a few teary eyes.  I didn't want to be that bride sobbing through her vows haha.  The night was a blast.  TONS & TONS of dancing and people in the photo booth and eating and drinking.  So much fun and the room was filled with love and happiness.  We had the best time and feel very blessed.

The honeymoon was so much fun.  I managed to forget all my dresses at home and bikinis aren't dinner attire so we "had to" shop hehe. I really did laugh at the fact that I had prepacked everything, but left them hanging in the closet in their bag.  I also managed to have a bruise on my chest from my necklace bouncing from dancing.  On the cruise we went snorkeling and discovered Atlantis.  It was nice to go out of the port here.  Cutting out flying was a major benefit.

Today we organized all of our wonderful gifts.  All the china is staying safe at my moms until we move as well as extra fun things we don't have room for here.  We are hoping to buy a home this winter and then can utilize everything.  We used gift cards and money to get a few things we hadn't gotten like the keurig.  So much fun to be able to tell people exactly what we used their stuff for.  We are stunned by how generous everyone was.  We are so excited to build our home together. 

I am making my first crock pot stew tomorrow since we both caught a cold upon returning home.  I wonder if that was a sign to stay on vacation.  I have to do all the name change stuff tomorrow.  Guys are lucky when it comes to that.  DMV lines here I come woohoo!

 

Monday, October 8, 2012

Planning, Prepared, Packing

The 3 "Ps" are a must when preparing for a big event.  Plan, Prepare, and Pack.

Since there will be multiple cars and multiple outfits we have to have everything prepicked and prepacked. The plan is only to have to move make-up and toiletries from one place to another.  I have a bag to take for getting ready for the wedding the day of (as well as a mini bag holding my outfit for leaving the reception).  I have a bag for the next day with my outfit to the cruise ship.

We are already packing for the honeymoon and I have everything that needs to go to my mom's house for before the rehearsal in another bag.  I have seen other brides use this multiple bags and everything goes smoothly.  I have also seen some "wing it" and things are forgotten and a mess.

A lot of people will have a emergency kit with them for bridal 911s, but the bride should have one too.  I took an old coach case and filled it with the following "just in case" items:

Anti-bacterial ointment
Alcohol wipe
2 sizes of band-aids
Tylenol
Midol
Benadryl
eye drops
spare contacts
chapstick
bobby pins
safety pins
spare pair of earrings


However,  no matter how much we try "we plan and God laughs".   You have to be ready to roll with the punches.



Saturday, October 6, 2012

Glitter Glitter Everywhere

Game plan is to have EVERYTHING done this weekend so that we can enjoy this week ahead.  It has been nice to have some help.  As much as I love crafting, it can become tedious.

At one week until the big day I am getting so excited.  More family arrives this week.  It is an added bonus to life events that you get to see lots of family and friends that you may not always get to see.

I do suggest  cleaning your whole house and do all you laundry (including sheets, towels,etc.) a week before your wedding.  In the midst of running in and out and having things to do a cluttered house can only add anxiety.  Having it all set keeps for a calmer environment and lessens the probability of forgetting something. 

Most of our wedding things are at my mother's house.  I do not know what we would do if she hadn't opened her house like this.  Currently it is filled with gifts, welcome baskets we made, favors, wedding party gifts, table markers, etc.  Its nice to have a home base for it all.  Plus she has more space to get things done.


We are going to church in the morning.  Our last Sunday as "singles".  Last Sunday our pastor congratulated  a couple celebrating 60 years and announced our upcoming nuptials.  It was great to get so many well wishes. 

I have had people ask what I am going to do next after the wedding.  Well in regards to this blog I am going to keep discussing becoming Mrs. Granger.  We still have a lot of "firsts" to experience together.  Also, we will be house hunting for a home of our own soon and that opens a whole new adventure.  No matter what is next I cannot wait to spend it with my husband.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

10 days left

My grandparents arrived on Monday and the wedding fun kicked off.  I love having them here and hate that they live so far away.  They celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary tonight and it is so inspiring.  To see a couple so in love so very many years later.  Eddie and I both have grandparents that have been married for over 50 years.  We are hoping to have some of their great marriage luck rub off on us.  To help us with that luck we are incorporating a tradition from each couple into our wedding.  We will be cutting out cake with my grandparents' wedding knife.  It has their initials engraved and will soon have ours added.  We are using Ed's grandparents' wedding cup to toast from.  The story says that if you drink without spilling your marriage will be full of love.

We have been so blessed and touched by everyone's generosity.  We have received such lovely gifts that we cannot wait to use in our home as husband and wife.  It is great to know that every time we use a certain item we will think of the person(s) who gave it to us.  My grandfather told me there is some silly rule about not giving knives as gifts.  He and I agreed that is just plain silly and everyone needs knives.  Wouldn't ya know he gave us our set tonight.  Made me giggle.   We have been receiving pieces of our china left and right.  I can't wait to think of each of my aunts every time we use it and about family friends.  Ed's stepmom and dad sent up several large boxes with a bunch of our china in them.  We owe them a meal or two!  I cannot wait to serve our family meals for decades to come.  Every time my mother pulls  out her china she shares a story about whomever gave that piece to her.  We will be able to do the same and it is exciting.

We had our last meeting prior to the wedding with our pastor.  She is an amazing woman who is very inspiring and very confident in us.  Premarriage counseling was a wonderful experience.  Whether it be with a pastor, counselor, or any other unbiased third party it is worth it for every couple to share in that experience. She was floored because most people come across a topic or two they hadn't thought of, but Eddie and I talk about everything and have a game plan.  She couldn't believe how well we communicate and how in sync we are especially being such different personalities.  Its nice to know she believes so strongly in us and our love for one another.

This week has been theme week at work.  It has been nice to have something entertaining during a week that is seemingly taking its sweet time to pass.  Friday I will be up at 5am baking my buffalo chicken roll ups.   I got the recipe online and then changes it a bit.  Boil and shred chicken breasts and mix with a cup of blue cheese dressing, a cup of franks hot sauce, a cup of your favorite shredded cheese, and 8 oz cream cheese and mix together.  Then take egg roll wraps and wrap them up spray with canola oil and bake until golden.  they are addicting! I am so excited for next week to arrive.  I want to enjoy every activity and cherish every moment.  This week I have been getting emails and texts with fun messages filled with love a good thoughts for our upcoming nuptials.  Its so special to know others are excited for us and want us to succeed.

Mom and I went into a store the other day and the cashier was making small talk and we mentioned we were wedding shopping.  The girl rolled her eyes and said to me "oh so I bet you are a total wreck and freaking out on everyone aren't you?"  First of all that is no way to make a sale.  I simply smiled and said "not so much".  I actually am quite fine.  I love to plan and have time lines and lists and truly a wedding shouldn't be stressful.  It does take time and money management, but it is fun.  Picking out colors, vendors, gifts, wedding guests, etc is all an exciting event that is leading to a life changing moment.  I know many say that marriage doesn't change anything.  I feel bad for those who believe that.  It does change things.  It makes you someone's wife or husband.  You vow in front of everyone to love, honor, and cherish.  No matter what anyone says marriage is a different experience and shouldn't be treated the same as your live-in other half.  This is your spouse for eternity.  You will build a home with them and a life with them.  I am so excited to do that with Eddie.