Juicing - A Bride's Healthy Lifestyle

We have all known that bride who will do anything to drop those couple extra pounds three days before her wedding. Or the bride who will try anything to get her skin looking gorgeous on her big day. Even if you are one of those brides you know that no matter what you do, there is never an easy way to lose that weight or get clearer skin when you are trying to get ready for your upcoming wedding.    

  Luckily, there is something you can do to help with these things... Juicing!   Juicing is the latest health fad across the nation where people will take various fruits and vegetables and put them in a juicier or blend them up in a blender to create a smoothie drink. 

  I'm sure you have heard a lot of positives and negatives about juicing, but the truth is, when you juice the right way, it's a great way to implement more fruits and vegetables in your diet, lose the couple of stubborn pounds that just won't seem to go away, give you clearer skin, shinier hair and and a whole lot of energy.   My suggestion would be to start the juicing process slow. Most people associate juicing with a fast, where they just drink juice and water for 3-7 days. This is actually extremely unsafe and should not be done.   

In order for juice the correct way, I would suggest making a smoothie or a juice drink in the morning and having that as your breakfast. It's a great way to get in a large portion of your fruits and veggies for the day and won't leave you starving until lunchtime. Check out some juicing recipes that will help you get started. It will take some time for your body to adjust to the change since the juice acts as a detox, so you may feel tired or hungry in the first week; but afterwards you will being to feel more energizes and start to notice your body feeling better as well.
Because there are a lot of myths about juicing we decided to make a video discussing the most common six myths about juicing. Please take a look and learn some new tips and tricks to starting the juicing process today. 

  Happy Juicing!!!!

Fun Fact Friday!

Today I thought I would be fun to put up a  fun fact about weddings. Enjoy your weekend!

The Gift Guessing Game!

When invited to a wedding, there are many things that come to mind, like “What should I wear?” or “Are we available on that date?” But, more importantly, people wonder about what to get the special bride and groom. It’s a complicated job to pick out the “perfect” gift, but here are a few tips to go by.

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First, how close are you to the bride and groom? If one of them is a family member or close friend, the gift obviously will cost more. Also, if you are in the wedding party, you would give more than if not.

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So, let’s start with the most obvious and easiest. If the couple is registered at one or more stores, then a gift from one of them would be the easiest. Couples can spend lots of time at stores picking out items that meet their domestic needs or things that they would really like to help start their lives together. With a registry, it eliminates duplication of gifts and receiving gifts that the couple really does not need or want. If you want to purchase a gift on their registry, but want it a little more personal, then you can add something extra. For instance, if a set of wine glasses is selected, you can add a bottle of the couples’ favorite wine and a monogrammed wine stopper. A gift card from the registered store is also a good idea, so they can purchase something they did not receive. Or, you can purchase a less expensive item, but also add a gift of money as well. You can’t go too wrong with a gift of cash!

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Since we are talking about cash, the dreaded question of how much cash should be given to the newlyweds is a tough one. However, a few guidelines can be followed. As mentioned above, if the couple is close to you, i.e.; a family member or a very close friend, the gift amount should be higher. Keep in mind that you should give what makes you comfortable, but for those close to you, a minimum of $100 is appropriate. If you are in the wedding party, $100 is a good amount as well. But, if you are just an acquaintance or co-worker of the bride or groom, then a minimum of $50 is suggested, but it really depends on the closeness to the couple. Also, experts say that the more expensive the wedding, the more expensive the gift should be. If you are invited to a formal black-tie, sit-down dinner wedding, your gift should probably be at least $150-$200. For a simple backyard wedding, with a less formal flare, a $50 gift is acceptable.

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No matter what you decide, you should always bring a gift, and if you choose to give a gift of money, make sure you put it in a card to be given to the couple at the reception. Of course, if you cannot attend the actual wedding, then mailing the gift of money, gift card or present is appropriate. If you order the gift from the registry online, many stores also offer shipping directly to the couples’ address so you don’t have to worry about getting the gift to them.

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The ideas above are by no means the only things you can give the new Mr. and Mrs., but it’s a good basis to follow, especially if you haven’t been to a wedding recently!

Back In Business

Hello readers and fellow wedding enthusiasts,

I am glad to say that starting this week, Something Borrowed will be back up and running on a weekly basis. Both Devin and myself have been extremely busy with school, but now that my most challenging class is over I have a lot more free time to dedicate to the blog. I apologize for the long break, but now the wait is over!

Fall Fabulousness!

With autumn right around the corner, couples who are planning fall weddings are probably pretty set with the details by now.  But if not, and some clever fall wedding favor ideas are still needed, here are just a few.

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 There are many creative themes that the bride and groom can adopt for fall weddings, including sayings such as, “Falling in Love”, “Falling for You” or “Apple of my Eye”. Of course, outside weddings are a must; which saves the couple some money because the fall nature is the perfect wedding backdrop.

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The lovebirds can include these sayings with cute favors such as tea bags or hot chocolate packets with a fall scene and the couples’ names and wedding date inscribed on them. There are also many leaf shaped items that can be incorporated, such as chocolates wrapped in golden, orange or red foils.  Candles are another perfect fall favor and the packaging can be personalized as well.  Pear shaped mini brownie bites can also add a fall flare to any wedding as can chocolate covered or caramel apples. Mint tins and small boxes adorned with leaves are also a great idea and can be filled with candies. 

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As for decorations, a popular trend right now is using pumpkins of all sizes. Many couples have incorporated mini pumpkins in their table centerpieces. The pumpkins can be painted to fit the wedding theme and can be used in almost every aspect of the wedding decor. Another great idea is the use of apples. They can be placed around the cake, used as candle, or used as centerpieces. 

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The flowers of fall include flowers with shades of red, yellow, orange sun flowers, calla lilies, orchids, dahlias and of course roses. Fall also brings the use of other items such as squash, ornamental berries, greenery like Ivy, Bruce Spruce, dried leaves and a new trend that is growing quite popular: wheat and cotton.

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Fall is a beautiful time of the year, and weddings can sparkle with rich fall colors and creative favors and décor.  Enjoy!

What’s the Most Important Thing?

            What’s the most important thing when planning a wedding? Well the bride and groom, of course!  All joking aside, for most couples, the wedding venue is the most important thing.  Finding the perfect wedding venue that is available for the special date that’s been chosen can be a tricky endeavor -- that’s why this should be the first thing couples secure.  The venue is the foundation of the wedding.  Some couples have a specific date that they must be married on and others may have a specific location where they must be married at.  Weddings can take place on the anniversary of when the two first met, in a special church or next to the ocean as the sun sets.

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            If a couple is having a traditional church wedding, they should contact the church office first to see if the date is available, and if it is, reserve it right away.  With a church wedding, a reception location is also needed.  So, once the church is secure, find that perfect setting for the celebration.  If living in a small town, these venues are going to be harder to come by, so the availability will be more limited.  In a big city, there will be more to choose from, but there will also be numerous other people to compete with.  Venues such as hotel ballrooms can also be hard to reserve because not only do folks have their weddings there, they are used for business meetings, corporate parties and other large events.

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            The bride and groom may decide that the date isn’t as important as the actual location where they want their nuptials to unfold.  If they want to make sure that the wedding and reception are at a favorite winery in the fall or on the beach in Hawaii, but the date can be flexible, then they may have an easier time.  However, it’s still the first and foremost thing that should be determined.  Once the venue is set, then the details can fall into place.  The dress, the flowers, the photographer, the decorations can all be selected and based around the special location.  For instance, if being married in a beach setting, the bride’s gown will probably differ than if she were to be married at a formal church.  Some venues will not need many decorations due to their existing elegance, but if the reception is in a relative’s backyard, then appropriate décor will have to be purchased.  For all these reasons, no matter where the wedding will take place, the venue should be secured first to guaranty that the show can go on!

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Hot and Not

In case you haven’t noticed, weddings have become an extremely important part of our society. I mean they always have been, but now it’s all about who can have the most creative wedding, how many DIY decorations you can have, and for a very small minority of people, how much money is spent on their wedding. Did you know that the average wedding in today’s society costs over $25,000? Crazy right?!? 

Even though many weddings are super expensive, a number of brides are looking for any way possible to save money. Most of the time, decorations are the first thing to go. Instead of gorgeous DIY decorations such as mason jar flower vases or window pane placement settings, some brides are cutting corners to an extreme! Now ladies, there are some decorations that are just too tacky and cheap to be used in a wedding. For those of you who disagree with me, I apologize, but I feel like some decorations should be used for showers, birthdays, and other various parties and not weddings! 

For instance, keep balloons and streamers away from the ceremony and reception site. Some balloon arrangements can be made in an elegant and tasteful manner, but most of the time, that is not what brides use. Take a look at some of the decorations that are a “not” and how they can be replaced with something “hot”.

The first "Not" decoration we have are balloons. Now, like I said before, they have the potential to look really elegant if done right. However, this is an example of the type of balloon decoration that you should stay away from. 

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As you can see, these balloon arrangements are extremely tacky looking. This is not something that should ever be at a wedding. You can easily find giant size round balloons that are much more tasteful and appropriate. Like the ones shown below.

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The next decoration in the "Not" category are streamers. Streamers are perfect for a birthday party or a baby shower, but have no place in a wedding. 

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Now these streamers can be easily replaced with a new trend that is also very inexpensive. Ripped fabric has recently taken over for DIY and vintage weddings and you can see why. All you wold have to do is go to your local arts and crafts store and pick out 3 or 4 different fabrics that you like. Cut or rip them into shapes and hang them where you would like. 

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The final "Not" I have today is the abusing the use of lights. I love lights as wedding decorations, but sometimes people tend to go overboard. Simple lights complement any wedding decorations, but if you overuse them it will turn into a hot mess.

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If you are looking to do something more unique, yet still beautiful a great idea is to use is mason jars or hanging lanterns.

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So the moral of the story is to be careful when choosing decorations for your wedding. Most of the "Nots" and turn into "Hots" with a little planning and a lot of creativity.