Working for the Weekend

I've shared earlier that one of my {goals} for this year is to have more of a work-life balance.

Having a social life doesn't mean I'm not an effective teacher. It means that I realize there are more important things than work.

Last weekend was jam-packed with a friend's wedding festivities.

Friday night consisted of happy hour with friends from work.  

B was working on his fantasy draft, so I brought him home pizza.

Saturday we saw friends, went out to dinner, and went dancing.

Sunday we set up for her wedding at Mount Charleston and celebrated her magical day.

Monday we dropped our friends off at the airport and then I headed to another friend's bridal shower.  

A magical four days of teaching ensued and then it was the weekend again!

Friday night was low key with laundry and laminating new centers:

Saturday brought a lunch date at Olive Garden, grocery shopping, a nap, then a friend's birthday celebration.

Sunday brought putting the finishing touches on an upcoming baby shower, another nap, football, walking the pup, and a relaxing evening.

A busy week lies ahead, but next weekend is full of craft plans, family time, and more naps.

In the upcoming weeks, we've got a baby shower, 2 more weddings, friends in town, and an all day teacher conference (but it's close and paid!).

Reclaiming My Weekends

After school on Friday, I stayed late to hang my bulletin board. It's a two person job and I'm grateful my hubby came in to help.  We tackled a few other chores (labeling books, stapling letters to the wall, setting up folders) before calling it a day and picking up take out food.  

I took very little work home with me this weekend and it felt great.

On Friday's prep, I finished the lesson plans for the next six days.  On her prep, Ms. H finished the copies.  Team work there.

My weekend tasks for school included:

1) Purchase a new book bin from Joann's.  I had coupons and already needed to stop by the neighboring Bed, Bath, and Beyond for a wedding gift.

2) Put names on clothes pins for the data board.  This is easily (mindlessly) accomplished while watching TV.

3) Put washi tape on the bottom of markers and colored pencils to color code by table.  Annoying, but necessary for keeping order.  Full disclosure, I only did the markers this weekend. Oh well. We aren't using colored pencils today anyway.

4) Make a new seating chart.  I let them sit where they wanted the first week and now it's time to make some adjustments. I have 2 tables of 6, 1 table of 5, and 1 table of 7.  It's been bugging me for a week.  I have one student at the back of the room that I just got a medical alert for that states the student needs to be up front.  Oops.  Another student was having trouble with a neighbor and told family, who then told me what happened.  And some boys just got too cozy with their best friends and while school should be fun at times, they were having a bit too much fun.  Time for some changes.  

I do have them write to me about where they'd like to sit.  For the first time, I had them tell me a classmate who might help them learn and if they speak Spanish (I have a very new to country kiddo who is just learning English and needs translations).

That was it in terms of school work. I'm okay with this because I'm reclaiming my weekends in the name of work-life balance.

I'll have a late night this week to get ready for Open House (which is Thursday) but am looking forward to my classroom being fully set up so I can leave around 4 each day.


So what did I do instead of work this weekend? 

Friends marathon with my hubby

Slept in while he made a breakfast casserole

Went shopping and got some jeans and wedding gifts.  Lids also had a buy 1, get 1 half off sale and since B couldn't find a second Broncos one he liked...

I got a new Cardinals one!  I also practiced making funny faces while I spent more time than I cared to looking at cleats at Dick's Sporting Goods with the hubs.  He suggested we get a kayak.  I am horrible at kayaking. 

 
Had date night at Dave and Buster's with 2 other couples.  

This drink was too overwhelmingly Fireball, but I got to keep the sea monster.

Took a dear friend out for a champagne tea for her bridal brunch.  She gets married in 2 weeks!  

It was fun to get dressed up and have girls time.


I feel as well rested as I can be and ready to start another week of school.  Next weekend is already planned, so it's nice to have something to look forward to at the end of a long week.  But to be totally fair, I'm also looking forward to the eclipse mayhem being over.


 

A wonderful wedding!

Day 8 of April's photography challenge focused on hobbies.

I like event planning. I like hearing about other's plans for their weddings and acting as a sounding board.

My dear friend, Ms. S, got married yesterday.  I hosted her work bridal shower, went to her friends/family bridal shower, and of course went to her wedding.

Her work bridal shower:

Full disclosure: I do not make the cakes, I simply enjoy eating a slice.  

My tasks are decorating (which usually involves wandering around my home and bringing things in), buying supplies (cutlery, drinks, table cloths, etc), and running the event.  I'm fortunate enough to have awesome coworkers who take pictures, slice up the cake, and make lists for thank you cards (if I'm unable to).  

She had a wonderful time, felt loved, and even brought donuts the next day.  However, I somehow missed the memo and didn't get a donut (boo!).

Her wedding:

We arrived a little early and found seats on her side.  We were served champagne before the ceremony which was an awesome touch.  

(I was sad when the champagne was gone.)

They had a small, intimate wedding party.  Her brother was a bridesman and her sister served as a stunning MOH:

(That dress! I want to just wear it somewhere fancy.)

Her dad walked her down the aisle and I immediately began the first of many "pretty crying" moments.

The ceremony was playful and romantic.  They both teared up during their vows, which made me cry.

While they went off to take pictures, we enjoyed cocktail hour with signature cocktails and passed buffalo chicken won tons.

 (Gorgeous flowers)

(We found our table numbers based on our champagne glasses.  We were at table ten. We had a very good time.)

(They enlarged one of their engagement pictures to serve as the guest book.  We all signed in the white space around them.  Now they have a gorgeous piece of art to hang on their wall and remind them of their wedding day.)

(Not to worry, I enjoyed several of the signature cocktails throughout the night!)

(We found the bride and groom during cocktail hour!)

(Gorgeous table decor.  It's hard to tell from the picture, but the poker chips were personalized with their faces and their wedding date.  What a fun, whimsical touch!)

(Their delicious wedding cake that told the story of their relationship.)

(Their head table, right off the dance floor.)

They had a caricature artist on site, which was a super fun unique touch and made for some awesome favors.

There was an open bar, delicious food, and a photo booth.  The couple had a wonderful time and we definitely danced, a lot.

(We each got a piece, so we got to sample both flavors!)

(Table ten was full of shenangians.)

(Group selfie! Janel, the bride, and the MOH)

Back to our photography challenge...I stated that my hobbies include celebrating others, drinking, and taking selfies with others.  Needless to say, mission accomplished!

Photography Challenge (Catch Up) and the start of Spring Break

At precisely 3:31 pm yesterday, Spring Break started.  At 3:40, I was in my car.  By 3:53, I had a tall Blue Moon in front of me and four giggly coworkers in our booth at PT's for girls' night.

#feedyoursoul #ladytribe

Glorious, glorious decisions.  I'd like to brag and say we had a wild night, but I was in pajamas by 7 pm and out by 8.  It'd be a long week!

Photography Challenge Recap


Day 5: "Not Mine"

Technically I took this picture on day 4, but saved it for Wednesday.  Tuesday was my work wife's birthday, so I snuck into her classroom before she got there and decorated on behalf of the grade level.  

I did get caught by two other teachers, so I'm clearly not up on my ninja skills.

She felt loved and valued, so that's what matters. 

Day 6: "Spring Is In The Air"

Spring means my allergies are a mess.  We are dealing with some epic winds and drastic temperature changes, which doesn't help.  I'm on a daily decongestant, nasal steroid, and Allegra to keep things contained.

I also frequently wear a face mask while outside, so I decided to have a glamour shoot with my mask.  It's my favorite accessory to any spring day.

Day 7: "Where I'd Rather Be"


First, my bed. We have a new bed and I love naps.  

Second, I wanted to be at happy hour.  As posted above, we made that happen pretty much as soon as possible after work ended.

Third, I want to be on my honeymoon!

In July, the hubs and I are off on a grand adventure.  We'll be visiting some friends in Florida, going to Harry Potter World, and then off to an island resort in the Dutch Caribbean for a week of relaxing and outdoor adventures.  The fur babies will be staying with my momma.  We'll be back in town for a few days before both of us have to return to work.

Day 8: "Hobbies"

One of my hobbies is getting dressed up with my hubby and celebrating.  Tonight we're celebrating a fellow teacher's wedding.  She's one of the kindest people and we're thrilled to get to share in her special day.  We are sharing a table with some other fun coworkers and there's an open bar, so two other hobbies (drinking and selfies) will also be occurring!  

I've cleaned out my phone for the night so Facebook will be filled with pictures tomorrow!

Marriage, 3 months in

We just celebrated 3 months of being married and four years since our first date.

Already, I'm a little sick of these questions:

1) What's changed?!

2) When are you starting a family?!

3) Are you sad the wedding is over?!i


First, nothing has really changed.  We already lived together. We already started a life together.  

I changed my name with the social security office, my bank, and DMV.  I'll be changing it with the school district this summer.  I have a legitimate worry that changing my name will come with the unintended consequence of losing my grade book and all my documents on the shared folder.  So instead, I'll deal with this over the summer.  I'll change my name on car registration in August when I get my annual smog check & pay my fees.

We have new silverware, I guess that's changed.  We are enjoying our wedding presents. 

But honestly, nothing has really changed.

I sort of feel like if things drastically change after the wedding, you're doing something wrong.  I know who I married, our wedding didn't change our relationship.  


Second, the whole starting a family thing...this one really frustrates me.  I have friends that have struggled with infertility.  I have friends who have miscarried.  I have friends that don't want kids.  This is a super personal question and not one I feel comfortable discussing with coworkers.  I've been married three months.  Even if I was pregnant (which I'm not), I wouldn't be sharing it yet anyway.  We'd like to pay off our wedding (and new bed set) first.  We'd like to wait until he's done with school (May). I'd like to enjoy drinking on our honeymoon this summer.  Would we like a family? Yes. Would we like one right this second? No. The puppy is enough for now.

Third, no, I'm not.  The wedding was lovely. I spent a lot of time and energy preparing for it. I have amazing friends and family who were tolerant of the process.  But I'm glad it's over. We can focus on us, and not seating charts. He can focus on homework and I can focus on helping others get ready for their special days.

Wedding Steps

With a few friends recently engaged, I figured I'd share our "how we got married without killing each other" system:

Announcing Our Engagement

First, we called our families and friends.  Those closest to us deserved to find out in person (or via text) before social media.  After we'd contacted those that we needed to, we posted the cliche kissing picture with my ring hand out.  Many congratulatory messages ensued.

Insuring the Ring

Thank goodness for pinterest because I didn't know I had to get my ring inspected, appraised, and added to our home owner's insurance policy (or renter's policy).  I set up an appointment at a local jewelry store and took the information to my insurance agent.

Picking a date

We knew we wanted to get married outside with pleasant weather.  For us, that meant early spring (Feb-April) or late fall (Oct-Nov).  We looked at 3 day weekends and holidays for out of town guests.  We didn't want to take any major holidays (Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Valentine's Day, or Thanksgiving).  We considered New Year's Eve until we realized out expensive hotel rooms in Las Vegas would be for our guests.  B didn't want it near his birthday (April) and I didn't want it overshadowed by the first of April because some of our groomsmen have the tendency to take jokes a little too far.  We knew we wanted to get married on a Friday because it was significantly cheaper and that way we could afford an open bar (one of our must haves).  We picked Veteran's Day (11-11) and conveniently, many of our teacher friends already had the day off.

Touring locations

We asked for suggestions from friends and coworkers.  Some venues never got back to us (cough Springs Preserve cough), some were too small for our event (Mt. Charleston), some weren't going to be practical (lake cruise at sunset wouldn't work for seasick guests), some were run down, and some were simply stunning.  We toured a half dozen venues over several weeks, never seeing more than 2 per day.  I went into each appointment with a good 2 dozen questions.  Some venues laughed at my prepared and logical approach, so we knew that wasn't the choice for us.  I took notes during the meetings and refused to commit to anything that day. We thought about hotels nearby and accommodations for guests.  We narrowed our choice down to two different venues.  We were fortunate to be able to take our moms to see both venues and listen to their opinions.

From there, we made a pro-con list about each one....

on massive chart paper.  One of us is way more type A than the other.

Our top two venues were gorgeous, but we ended up going with {Stallion Mountain} because it felt more like us.  The other had a grand ball room and massive staircase, which made him feel uncomfortable.  Stallion Mountain was close to our home (under 10 minutes), had 2 hotels nearby, and was close to the Las Vegas strip for visitors.  It also had a spacious parking lot, security guards, and perhaps the most catering and kind staff I've ever worked with.

We booked our wedding (14 months out) and announced our date on social media...

with the pets of course!

Asking our bridal party

We had a small engagement party over Labor Day weekend so we could ask our bridal party.  I originally wanted a small bridal party, but he kept asking groomsmen so my original idea of one bridesmaid went out the window (which turned out to be wonderful).  I saw my bestie a few weeks before (we live on opposite coasts) and got to ask her in person at the airport.  We decided on asking our mutual friend to be our officiant and I asked her over lunch.  We "popped" the question to many of the other bridal party members at the engagement shower.  I popped the question with cute bags of flavored popcorn.  

B ignored the cute bags I made and asked his boys outside, with beer.  

Meeting with the coordinator

We lucked out with our venue because we had a coordinator handle many of the logistics for us.  We were fortunate enough to have a coordinator for the day of logistics, freeing up my bridal party to spend the morning getting ready, snacking, and enjoying mimosas.  

Picking colors

We went with deep navy, blush, and gold for our colors.  I originally wanted blush for my bridesmaids, but since they were all on the paler side, they looked a tad...naked.  Not the classy look I wanted.  So we had our girls in deep navy and the boys in gray suits with navy accents.  B was in a classic black tux and I had my cream gown.  Navy was a flattering shade (since one bridesmaid was pregnant), but not as harsh as black.  We then picked our theme (slightly rustic, slightly polka dotted, classic, with fun quirky twists).  We wanted our wedding to be elegant, but still reflect us as a couple.  After all, it's a celebration of our love.

PC: Stephen Salazar Photography, LLC

Favors

Since we had a photo booth (one of my must have's), I asked our photo booth rental about book mark strips.  Not only would this tie in my love of reading, but also give our guests a space to save their photo strips.  I typed up "consider yourself booked for our photo booth" and did my own ribbon, saving some money in the process.  I was able to pick up ribbon at Joann's with coupons and sales, which cut down on the cost.

We also did "hugs & kisses from the Mr. and Mrs." favors.  I ordered pink kisses from Oriental Trading, waited out sales for Hugs, and got pre-cut tulle circles in navy and cream.  I ordered custom tags from Etsy because the frustration of hand lettering 150 small tags wasn't worth it to me.

PC: Stephen Salazar Photography, LLC

Photographer & DJ

Booking these next was crucial.  We got recommendations from friends and our venue, then looked at sample pictures.  Our photographer actually did our engagement pictures (round 2) and was easy to work with, which made a huge difference.

I met with her about a week before the wedding to go over a shot list and create a time frame.  If your photographer doesn't do this, ask.  We spent too much money and time on the wedding for the pictures to be something we just winged.

Jewelry

Honestly, my wedding earrings and bracelet were from {Charming Charlie}, a trendy teen store.  I wanted something fancy and elegant, but I wasn't going to wear them again.

PC: Stephen Salazar Photography, LLC 

Similar styles at the bridal store were several hundred dollars, but I snagged the earrings and bracelet for $10 each.  They photograph well, held up on the big day, and didn't break the bank. 

Flowers

For us, these were a low priority.  I went with what was in season and a few colors to save on costs.  I wanted to keep my bouquet, so having a toss bouquet was important (and something I had to bring up to my florist).  We had flowers for our bridesmaids, boutineers for the groomsmen, and corsages for our moms (and his grandma).  We had a good half dozen meetings with our florist and she still managed to mess up the wedding day by arriving an hour late and unprepared.  

The Rest

I tried to set aside an hour or two each week to work on wedding events, but at times, nothing happened for weeks and that was alright.  Having a long engagement meant we could spread out our expenses and not feel rushed to make any sudden decisions.  We could also wait for items to be on sale or use coupons (Joanns & Michael's) for crafting materials.

I asked for help assembling the favors.  My bridesmaids (the ones who were able) came over.  We had a craft night with wine and Chinese food.  

We made sure to still go on date nights and talk about the future.  Our wedding was one beautiful, expensive day, but I hope it's not the best day.  We have the rest of our lives to look forward to and it saddens me when people spend so much time thinking about their picture perfect wedding, but not the picture perfect life they want to build.

Even with the most meticulous planning (because I'm quite type A and own it), things will go wrong.  Our cupcakes had a different flavor frosting (not that I cared).  Our florist was awful (that I did care about).  The rehearsal dinner restaurant couldn't find our reservation (I got a little bridezilla in that moment).  The groomsmen forgot to give B his gift, meaning it wasn't in pictures.  Even with a detailed schedule, things didn't go 100% according to plan.

But at the end of the day, I married my best friend, surrounded by our favorite people, and had a big party afterwards.  That's what counts.

PC: Stephen Salazar Photography, LLC