Tips For The Planning Road Ahead To The Newly Engaged

Sponsored with love, by Keurig Green Mountain®

Yay! You're engaged. And congratulations, you're going to get way too much advice and far too many ideas sent your way.

"Here's what you HAVE to add to your registry."
"You HAVE to book the photographer we used for our baby's first birthday."
"You HAVE to get married in a church."

A whole lot of advice that you're going to have to take with a grain of salt.

So I'm here to tell you that you don't HAVE to do anything that anyone tells you...even though everyone and their mother thinks they're the know-all for weddings. (Why is that??)

But I am going to give you some wedding planning advice for the newly engaged so you can take the ideas you like and leave the rest at the table.

1. Set aside your planning time.

I think the reason so many people get sick of planning their weddings is because the planning never stops. You're constantly scanning Pinterest on your work breaks, texting ideas to your fiancé throughout the day, and your wedding is the topic of conversation at every meal. And that's just too much wedding for anyone to handle.

So set aside your planning time -- once a week, every other week, or whatever you need.

With the push of a button, brew any of your Green Mountain Coffee® favorite coffees right at home on a Keurig® brewer and whip out your wedding plans. Make "baby step goals" for each meeting and enjoy that time together planning the start of your marriage together. And I promise, you'll get a whole lot more done during those times and you won't get sick of "wedding talk" all day every day.

2. Set aside "Us Time"

Of course the wedding is always going to come up in conversation because that's just natural. But every so often, set aside some "us time" too.

A Thursday night coffee date night featuring any of your favorite tasty Keurig K-Cup® pods at home, snuggled up on the couch binge watching a new show or just chatting and enjoying each other is the perfect way to ensure that your marriage is the center of your wedding and not the spectacle of the wedding day. Because the wedding IS about your marriage and you need those constant reminders.

3. Wants vs. Needs

Okay, you don't NEED a wedding. But in my eyes, it's a great way to celebrate the new, beautiful life you two are forming together. But throughout your wedding plans, there are lots of things you're going to have to decide on - Do we want this or need this?

When you're deciding what to put on your registry, decide on what you'll really use. For example, a Keurig® K575 brewer was a top item on our list since we enjoy coffee every day. And while everyone told us that we needed fancy china, that wasn't a necessity in our eyes. In marriage, there will always be compromises. But with a Keurig® brewer and Green Mountain Coffee® beverages, enjoying “your favorites, your way” isn’t one of them. 

And do you need to spend an extra $5,000 on favors that are going to take you over budget? Nope!

Think long term and weigh your options in every decision you make.

4. Enjoy this time.

Have fun, make wedding planning a time to get closer with your fiancé and make every decision for you, not anyone else. Your wedding is your wedding and you don't HAVE to do anything anyone tells you to do. As long as you remember that this wedding is about your marriage and nothing else.

A Keurig® brewer celebrates your union, as well as your individuality and unique tastes, just like your wedding day and your future marriage. With Keurig®, you’ll never have to compromise on enjoying your coffee or tea, your way. It’s the perfect blend of “me” and “we.” 

New Years Resolutions for Two

Written with love, by Felicia Zammit-McMann

Ah, the New Year! It’s time for reflecting on the year gone by (usually way too fast), feeling hopeful for the year ahead, and setting resolutions for a better you in the New Year.

I don’t know about you, but I never set resolutions. I feel like they always kind of set you up for disappointment because, more often than not, they are not realistic goals. I’m going to stop worrying about the small stuff (that takes more than a year to master, I’m sure), I’m going to travel more (well, that’s great if you can afford it, but things happen and money gets tight), I’m going to lose 75 pounds and run a marathon (um, ok…great). You start off strong and then, more often than not, fizzle out before the end of January.

Instead of resolutions, I prefer rather to always commit to doing something bigger, and better, and more fun and exciting – no matter if it’s January 1st or June 1st. You should want to do all of the above not because it’s the New Year, but because you should do it for yourself, no matter what the calendar says.

I challenge you to do something different this year:

Make your “resolutions” for two. 

Here’s why…

Bleudog Fotography

Say you really do want to lose 75 pounds and run a marathon. Making this resolution together automatically gives you an accountability partner, and it’s always easier to reach a goal when you are accountable to someone else for reaching it. If one or both of you need to shed a few pounds, you now have a cheerleader, coach, and if you are competitive, you can make it into a fun game (though, gals, men lose weight so much faster than women, so you may lose just by default). If one partner is an avid runner and the other isn’t – you now have a coach. If neither of you run, you are learning something new together.

If you want to travel more, work with your partner to make three lists of places to go: one with real “vacation qualities,” say going to Europe or Hawaii; another with weekend getaways; and the other with staycations. Save your money then see how the year starts to progress. If one of you gets a promotion or a super big raise, take a trip on the “big list” – like celebrating a great accomplishment; if things kind of remain the same, pick a trip on the weekend getaway list; if things get tight, do a staycation. By making three lists, you always have a trip to look forward to, no matter what.

If you want to stop worrying about the small stuff, guess what? I bet that’s going to help your partner, too! Work together to communicate through issues that have been trigger points. Communicating better is not only something that will help you this year, but for years to come.

So, I’m interested to know if anyone has made any “resolutions” for two. What were they and how did they go? Do you have any for this year?

Hosting Your First Christmas As Newlyweds

Easy Ways to Impress Your Family this Holiday Season

Written with love, by Felicia Zammit-McMann

I need to start off by saying two things: I love Pinterest, and I love having the family over for Christmas.

One of the things I love most about Christmas these days is hosting in our home – creating new Christmas traditions, cooking a meal that came from our oven, and forming lasting memories as husband and wife.

But what I also love about Christmas is decorating and cooking. My quest for Christmas ideas and recipes usually starts somewhere in September or October (or sooner). Just like with weddings, people remember the little, unique details that make your day different and special, and reflect you as a couple. I love the details that go beyond a Christmas tree and lights. While I am constantly crafting and cooking, I often find myself, especially around the holidays, with limited time and a stretched-out budget.

While I wish I could take original credit for these ideas, I did want to share with you some of what I created based on some of my favorite Pins. They are affordable, delicious, easy, and will leave your guests “ooh”-ing and “ahh”-ing all the way home. As a side note, these photos are ones I took last year as a keepsake to remind me of what I do each year, they are not photos from Pinterest, as you can tell by the quality – not as professional as the photos you find on Pinterest, but none-the-less, a good visual anyway.

Appetizers

I love appetizers! So much creativity and yumminess shoved into a bite-sized morsel. My mother-in-law was telling me how when she was first married, her “signature” dish was a cheese ball. I like cheese, so I did a quick search for Christmas Cheese Balls and pinecone-shaped cheese balls were one of the first Pins I saw. For a few dollars, and about 20 minutes, you can make this. The “hardest” part was really sticking all the almonds on because it was a bit time-consuming. The most expensive item are the almonds, but if you do any baking, you might have some lying around anyway. Once you get the basic cheese ball recipe down, you can add whatever you like inside. I added bacon bits, chives, and cheddar cheese … all stuff I had around the house as leftover from other recipes I was making.

If you want to get a head start for next year, you can make one of these turkeys for Thanksgiving. This was a lot of fun to make and the reaction from your guests will be priceless. You can see that you need to have a snug fitting pan to put it in. I needed to reinforce it with foil to secure it from wobbling around during transport. The best part about this is no part of it (except the skewers) goes to waste. When you are done eating what’s on the skewers, you can dice up the melon and serve it as a healthy side to the pies that same day.

Table Settings

One of the most overlooked, but highly visible part of your Christmas celebration is your table. I love a neatly set table, but I love it more when there are little hidden surprises on and around my plate. The one thing my family (our moms, especially) noticed right away was our napkins. One of my friends had sent me a Pin she found on Pinterest and said she was going to make them for her table. I decided I was, too. Of course, that meant I had to buy green fabric napkins, but it’s a good investment. Everyone at the table was too cute: They didn’t want to touch them or unfold them. Once you get the first one done, depending on how many place settings you have, you can be done in less than a half-hour. They aren’t hard to fold at all. What made these even more special was that they were put on top of dishes we registered for and received as shower gifts.

Favors

I love sending guests home with a little something edible. For me, I show my love through food; and so, giving guests an edible treat to take home is like sending my love home with them. Each year, I do something different. Our first Christmas, I made little snowman-shaped cakes, the next year I made spiced nuts, and last year I made homemade granola. If you’ve never made granola before, I highly encourage it. It’s so easy and affordable to make, it makes a ton, and it leaves your house smelling so good. I wanted to jazz my granola up a bit, so I went back to my trusty online friend and with a mason jar, a little burlap and fake flowers, I ended up with this. You can find mason jars anywhere these days for a relatively cheap price. The burlap and flowers came from the dollar store. Just a quick note: tell your guests to keep the bottles (unless you really want them back). Mine gave them back, and now I’m trying to figure out what to do with them all. I think I might turn one into a soap dispenser.

I hope these ideas gave you some thoughts for your holiday celebration and how to host your first Christmas as a married couple. Do you have any Christmas crafts or foods you’d like to share? We’d love to see them.