The power of smell is a seriously amazing thing.  It can change your mood and affect your memory. So it’s no wonder that perfume is hugely important to women.

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I bought Travis a bottle of cologne almost three years ago, and he wears it just about every day.  I love the way his scent lingers in our bathroom in the morning— it takes me back to when we were first dating.

I’ve been on the search for “my” scent for over a year now.  I was given a little bottle of yummy perfume by a friend, and now that it has almost run out, I’m feeling like I should spend some time shopping around to see if there’s anything else I’d rather invest in.  Unlike many girls, I don’t have hoards of perfume laying around my house.  I’ve never been able to commit to a scent long enough to warrant the purchase of an entire bottle.  But I have friends with a dozen different perfumes or more… what about you?
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(Side note: I’m planning on buying a brand new perfume just for my wedding day, so that every time I wear it or smell it in the future, it will remind Travis and me of our special day!  I read about that somewhere and thought it was such a cool idea, so I’m stealing it!)

How many scents do you own (and how many do you actually wear)?  Do you wear perfume every day?  If so, do you switch up your scent regularly?  Any suggestions on a perfume I should try?

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Two separate people asked me this week what Travis and I are planning for favors, and to be honest, I didn’t really know how to answer.

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Favors have the potential to be really cool: they’re a little souvenir/thank you for your guests, and they can add a little individuality to your day.

Edible favors are definitely something we’re considering.  I also read about a couple who gave all of their guests hologram glasses for a whimsical touch.  I’m sure there are a bunch of other options, but it’s hard to think of things that are both inexpensive and thoughtful.  We don’t want to give out favors that our guest won’t enjoy… any ideas?

Do you have any good favor ideas?  What’s the best favor you’ve ever received?  Are favors even necessary?  Tell me what you think in the comments!

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Over the past year, I’ve been fluctuating between wanting to have a baby now now now and wanting to wait a few years to have some time to develop my career.  I don’t know what it is, but I’ve had some serious baby fever lately.  (Don’t get too excited, Mom… I still plan on waiting a while!)

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I was a nanny for many years and before I started cosmetology school, I taught mommy-and-me music classes in San Francisco.  So I am definitely a kid lover.  But those experiences have also taught me just how hard it is to raise a child.  And I guess I’m still a little too interested in sleeping in on Saturday mornings to have a baby right now.

There are pros and cons to having a baby at any age.  Young parents may have more energy, but they may also be giving up career aspirations in order to prioritize family.  Older parents likely have more wisdom, but they may not be as flexible after spending so many years doing their own pre-baby thing.

What do you think?
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How old do you hope to be (or how old were you) when you have kids?  What’s your reasoning?  How many kids would you like?  Let’s talk babies in the comments!

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When you curl your hair, does it fall flat after a few hours?   Not anymore!

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To keep your curls in place, it’s all in the preparation!  The secret: Heat up your hair with a blow dryer before you use your curling iron.

When cold hair is curled with a hot iron, the change in temperature is shocking to your tresses and results in a limp curl that doesn’t last.  But when you heat up your hair beforehand, it will curl more evenly and hold much better.

Think about when you’re sautéing onions… you heat up the olive oil before you put them in the pan, right?  This helps them to cook more evenly.  It’s the same idea with your hair!

Next time you bust out the curling iron, try this trick and tell me how it goes…

Do you curl your hair often?  Have you ever used a blow drier on your hair pre-curling?  Any other tips for getting the most out of your curly hair?  Tell me about it in the comments!

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Fridays put me in a wonderful mood!  So let’s start off our day with a little fun…

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How did you answer the questions?  Were any of them particularly hard or easy?  Got any fun plans for the weekend?  I hope it’s a great one!

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