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Kamis, 08 September 2016

Fourth Anniversary Inspiration- Fruit and Flower Inspiration and Fun


By your fourth anniversary, it sure can be easy to phone it in. Just head out to dinner and call it a day. I know we did that here way more than I would have liked, but we are also 9 months into a pregnancy, so I forgive us. Some years you just aren't going to nail it.

On the other hand, I think this anniversary (and it's fruity theme) actually lends itself to TONS of cool and fun ideas for activiities and decorations. You can do this one WELL, my friends. Do better than we did.

 Make this year a fun memory, not just a throwaway.

What to Do


The ideas on Pinterest for this anniversary are particularly lame. Basically, just fruit puns. I have nothing against fruit puns, but its no inside tent or leather den or really anything fun. But clearly, they have missed the boat here, because I think so many great ideas are waiting to happen!


1. Berry-picking- I know it sounds cheesy, but we have had the best time doing this. Living in Northern California, we could actually go pick strawberries right by the beach. Can you hear the sea lions when you look at this picture? Needless to say, it was cool. Lots of areas, rural and urban have picking farms nearby, and dependent on your anniversary date, you could do whatever is seasonal and available. Then go home and make something with it. It's an activity that is out of the ordinary, but it won't break the bank either.

2. Start a garden- Are you a late-spring/ early-summer couple? You got this. Plant something. Plant a bush or a tree in the anniversary's honor, and every year you can see how much it grows. Don't have a yard? Plant an herb garden you can use at home OR look and see if there is any planting that needs done in your neighborhood. You could even volunteer together for replanting somewhere or to work for a day in a community garden. It can be so fun to get your hands dirty, and isn't it always somehow better to do this kind of thing for someone else?

A good way to revise the flower/ fruit theme is "Growing." Your marriage isn't new anymore, but now we all know the secret that things don't stop growing just because they aren't saplings. Think about things that grow in your life and build your anniversary plans around keeping things growing.


3. Go to (or Make) Dinner Together- We went out for a fancy dinner this year, and when food is part of the theme, a dinner makes sense (otherwise, it can feel a little bit like the easiest possible answer).But I do think food in general makes sense, and if you have a fruit that especially resonates, you could pick it as a theme for food for the week!

Do a fun fruit salad. Or carve something out of fruit? I want to see some anniversary- themed watermelon sculptures!

I mean, come on. From Seasons of Joy
Maybe try a whole week of new recipes? Could you make a whole week of mango meals? Or try all the weird fruits in the grocery store you never go near? I think there is a fun adventure here waiting to happen. On that note...

What to Eat



This anniversary screams cake, so I am kind of freaking out that I haven't picked a cake (or its toppers yet). How do you pick when there are so many good options? Two years ago I made a lemon cake, and I will be honest with you, it wasn't that good. I obviously didn't pick the right thing. So this year I am looking for some fruity inspiration:

from Design Sponge
Pie! I love this anniversary pie from Design Sponge. So simple and chic, and it might be a good choice if you aren't a cake couple. I love this heart pie crust as well.

from Eat Spin Run Repeat
Fruit Cake. You can do an actual fruitcake for a Christmas anniversary, but how cool is this for summer anniversaries? I love Eat Spin Run Repeat's step by step tutorial, but you really could make an amazing cake with whatever fruit you like (or matches your wedding colors).

Just a Regular Old Amazing Cake. There is infinite pinteresty goodness around cakes with fruit. This is a goldmine, so you only have to find what idea fits you best. I had all sorts of ideas, and our cake was jank. I mean, really jank. Such a mess that I won't even put it up here, which I am never above doing. So let's look at other people's successes and ignore my 4th year failure:

from Baker by Nature
Baker by Nature has a recipe for a seriously beautiful lemon and blueberry cake. So nice, and it looks so pretty.
from Dagmar's Kitchen
This chocolate cake by Dagmar's Kitchen was the vision I had in my head when I thought about the cake. So pretty with the chocolate and the berries. Someday later I will make this cake. This one from Tastes Better from Scratch looks like a nice combination of the two.

from Plain Chicken
Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake from Plain Chicken looks less fussy but still very pretty. Might be a good route if you don't have a ton of time.

Ok, these are my best fruit and flower ideas! What did you do for your 4th anniversary?
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Rabu, 23 November 2016

Leave Thanksgiving for Gratefulness

We have our first ever guest blogger! And it is one of my favorite people in the whole world! Black Friday is a few days from now, and it really isn't my deal, but every year it creeps a little further into Thanksgiving festivities. Paige is going to tell you why this might b a problem we can solve.

Thanksgiving is almost upon us! If you’re my family, it means watching the Macy’s Day Parade and getting together for turkey. As far as traditions go, we’re pretty unoriginal. We do diverge in one way though- never do we ever go Black Friday shopping.

This is a tricky one for me. On one hand, I understand that finances can be tight, and it’s hard to turn down a deal (especially when Christmas gifts are on the mind). On the other, we’ve taken a holiday based on being thankful for what you have, and immediately follow it with reminding everyone how much they “need” a new TV, couch, clothes, etc.

I am not here to tell you to stop going Black Friday shopping- everyone has their traditions. But please, for the love of all of the underpaid and overworked retail associates, leave Black Friday shopping for Friday. Give Thanksgiving the full 24 hours it deserves, and allow those employees time to be with their families.

I was lucky enough when I worked retail that I was able to avoid working Thanksgiving (although I did start at 5am and finish my day at 9pm- it’s a marathon, not sprint!) but many of my friends have not been so fortunate.

So this Thanksgiving season, vote with your money. Do you really want to explain to your coworker why their daughter had to miss thanksgiving dinner so you could buy a discounted comforter set?

Top 5 Grinchiest Stores for Holiday Shopping:
  1. Family Dollar and Dollar General - Both of these stores are open at 7am on Thanksgiving day. What could you possibly need at a dollar store that couldn’t wait until AFTER the holiday? Do you really need your $1 bottle of nail polish half off?
  2. Old Navy - They open for black Friday at 4pm Thanksgiving day. So not only are you cutting the holiday short, you’re also asking your employees to come in before their traditional thanksgiving dinner? No one deserves vending machine food from the break room as their thanksgiving feast. Shame on you.
  3. Kohl’s - They open at 6pm on Thanksgiving, so once again, you are rushing your family members out of the house to skip the holiday of appreciation and thanks in order to get the newest Lauren Conrad collection.
  4. JC Penney - These guys are truly the worst. 3pm? Seriously?? What do you have to sell that is so important it can’t wait until AFTER the holiday? If you will be shopping that day, I hope you intend on apologizing to your cashier and give a damn good reason as to why your new curtains were more important than their getting to spend time with family.
  5. Big Lots - 7 AM, PEOPLE. I have nothing left to say.

I am not even going to bother mentioning Walmart for this list, as they are open THE WHOLE FREAKING DAY. There is so much shade to be thrown at that company.

Top 5 Best Choices for Black Friday Shopping:
  1. Barnes and Nobles- They don’t open any earlier on black friday than they do any other day (although there are some that it looks like they may open earlier at bigger cities), BUT they do sell tons of signed books as their gimmick! Maybe that is only appealing to a nerd like me, but I am all about that kind of deal.
  2. TJ Maxx- Not only do they open at 7am on Friday, they specifically make a point to let their customers know that there will be no tomfoolery, and to be respectful of the employees that work hard to be there. Kudos to you guys for thinking of your team members.
  3. Costco- Not only are they closed for Thanksgiving, they don’t even open until 9am on black Friday. I’m not sure what the draw would be for any type of deal (I’ve never been to a costco) but you’ve got to love a company that keeps in the spirit of the holiday
  4. Hobby Lobby - Sure, there are a few shady things about this company that I don’t love, but you have to appreciate that they live by what they preach. They are closed thanksgiving day and open during their regular hours Friday.
  5. Finally- Why not support some of the smaller online boutiques like etsy? This website <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shannon-whitehead/50-ethical-businesses-to-_b_6226410.html> has a great list of companies worth supporting while doing your black friday shopping.

And finally, the best solution of all- Small Business Saturday! Who needs black Friday when you can be enjoying the same type of deals while also stimulating local economy and putting money back into your community? Some towns even have special programs going on if you participate- one year in Franklin, I was doing my small business saturday shopping and was randomly chosen to receive a $20 giftcard to any downtown shop for participating. So check out facebook, talk to some of your local retailers, and vote with your money! This site has some of my favorite reasons for why to buy local <http://www.independentwestand.org/what-happens-when-you-shop-local/>. DId you know that for every $100 you spend on a local business, $68 stays in the community- but buying that same $100 item at a large chain only $43 stays in the community!

So the moral of this story- shop local, don’t ask people to work for you during the holiday season, and be kind to one another.

Finally, I leave you with this:

“Thankfulness creates gratitude which generates contentment that causes peace.”
-Todd Stocker
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