One thing I loved about getting married at my parents’ house was that I didn’t have to worry about forgetting any wedding day essentials.  If you’re NOT getting hitched at home, it’s wise to put together an emergency kit to ensure that you look your best, no matter what curve balls are thrown your way.  (Gift Idea: Put them all in a cute case labeled “Wedding Day Survival Kit” and give a kit to each of your bridesmaids with a thank you card!)

Check out these must-haves for the big day:

Fashion Tape: don’t let a plunging neckline turn into a wardrobe malfunction

Safety Pins: straps break, bustles fall… keep a few different sizes on hand, just in case

Cinnamon Mints: did you know that cinnamon is a better bad-breath buster than mint?

Clear Nail Polish: stops runs in panty hose, keeps rhinestones in place if they start falling off your shoes, keeps nails from chipping

Bobby Pins: for stray hairs

Lip Balm: go for balm instead of gloss, so your lips look lustrous without being sticky

Oil Absorbing Sheets: to keep your face looking fresh in photos (and in real life!)

Bandaids: just in case those gorgeous wedding shoes of yours start to give you blisters

Q-tips: easily fix smudgy eye makeup, spray with hairspray to keep brows or stray hairs in place

Deodorant: dancing will make you sweat, I promise!

Wet Wipes: After the ceremony, I got dirt all over the back of my dress (from taking photos at a barn) and we were able to get it all off with wet wipes!  So handy…

What do you think of this survival kit?  Past brides: did I leave anything out?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

Happy Monday, my sweets!  I hope you all had a lovely weekend.  To celebrate Mother’s Day, I booked an afternoon at the spa for myself and my mom— complete with champagne, massages, and big jacuzzi tubs.  Everything about the day was perfect, except for one thing: I had a male masseuse.

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I’ve had my fair share of massages over the past ten years, and I always make sure to request a woman because that’s what I’m used to.  There must have been a hiccup in communication at the spa yesterday because in walked a 20-something man to take me into the massage room.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being massaged by a man, but for me personally, I became very aware of the fact that I was practically naked in a dimly lit room with a guy that wasn’t my husband.  It just felt… wrong.  The masseuse was very professional and totally great at his job, but I was never fully able to relax— such a bummer!

I’m curious how you ladies feel about this, and if you think that being married makes a difference.

Would you get a massage from a male masseuse?  Does it make a difference if you’re married or single?  Do any of you prefer to be massaged by a man?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

On of the gals in my book club is planning a wedding in another state, and last night we were chatting about wedding planners.  She had gotten frustrated and overwhelmed planning her big day from afar, so after much contention from her husband-to-be, they hired someone to help handle all the details.

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Most of us agreed right away that the money spent toward a wedding planner would be well worth it in her situation.  But, how do you feel about hiring one when you’re getting hitched in your own county?

There’s a huge push for brides to be ultra DIY these days, and as much as I love that, I also think it’s a little unfair.  Many elements of our wedding were done by us, but during the course of our engagement, I had three 6-week chunks of time off from school/work/life where I was able to turn the wedding into my full time job.  (I also had a ton of help from my mom!)  Had that not been the case, planning my wedding would have been nearly impossible without a wedding planner of some kind.

Planners have relationships with vendors that can save you a lot of time searching on Yelp or asking other brides for their opinions.  They have enough experience to guide you through the timeline of your reception so that guests don’t get bored and you don’t feel too rushed.  They take a lot of the stress out of planning your wedding, but I can see how they could take some of the fun out of it, too.

Since our wedding was held at my parents house, we hired a day-of coordinator.  She didn’t plan the wedding, but she made all of the little details run smoothly on the big day.  I’m SO glad we had her— she was a huge help, but all of the decisions were still up to Travis and me.

I really don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to plan your wedding— there are pros and cons to doing everything yourself versus hiring some help.  But I’m dying to know what you would choose!

How do you feel about hiring a wedding planner?  Would you feel nervous turning over the decision-making to a third party?  Would you feel relieved?!  Do you consider yourself a DIY bride?  Share your thoughts in the comments!

In honor of the 42nd Earth Day earlier this week, I thought I’d provide a few ways for you, lovely readers, to not only look good but feel good about doing so. Amazingly enough, many beauty and fashion brands are paving the way for Earth-conscious efforts and awareness for our environment – all while keeping up with the latest trends, of course.

Here are four fab ways to put the green in your wallet toward an even greener cause!

Shop H&M Conscious Collection

The affordable, trending retailer now has an entire collection devoted to Earth-friendly practices, which is part of a company initiative to incorporate more sustainable fabrics into their apparel. The conscious collection uses 100% organic and recycled materials, from cotton to polyester. In fact, H&M is the largest user of organic cotton worldwide! Check out their site to learn more about how this company is saving 300 million liters of water and donating 2.3 garments to charity, and go ahead and get the eco-conscious looks online or in select H&M stores. Affordable shopping never sounded so good, right?

Buy, Use, and Save MAC Cosmetics

We all know and love MAC for its high-quality makeup and outrageously gorgeous  colors. But did you know that for every six empty MAC cosmetic containers you return to a MAC store, counter, or online, you get a free lipstick of your choice? I did this once and ended up discovering my favorite lipstick color of all time (so far, at least!). Going beyond using recyclable materials, this iconic company has taken matters into their own hands by rewarding customers for participating in this Back to MAC Program. Now, that’s a good incentive!

Rock a Sprout Watch

With the warm months upon us, timepieces in bold, bright colors are a great add-on to give an outfit that extra pop. Sprout watches are affordable and guaranteed to last a lifetime on your wrist – but will do no such thing to our precious planet. They’re made with biodegradable (and renewable) corn resin or organic cotton, mineral crystal (rather than synthetic plastics), natural mother of pearl and bamboo, and mercury-free batteries. With a rainbow of color options and unique face designs like sweet blue birds and diamond embellishments, these watches are a fashion staple that does the environment a lot of good!

Visit GreenGlamGo

Check out this website, which features all things green—from beauty and fashion to bridal and handmade goods— all from up-and-coming green designers and retailers. You don’t buy directly from the site, but it is linked to hundreds (if not thousands) of places that will put an eco-friendly spin on your style. Seriously, what better way to stow your good-for-the-earth cosmetics than a colorful dopp kit infused with renewable materials and a whole lot of beachy, Caribbean flair?

Did you celebrate Earth Day over the weekend?  What do you do to go green? Share in the comments!

Five and a half months ago, I struggled to run two miles.  You might not have known it from looking at me, but even after getting fit for my wedding, I wasn’t in very good cardio shape.  A friend suggested I start running, and although I had watched my dad transform himself from a non-runner into an ultra-marathoner at the age of 47, I wasn’t sure I could do it.

But due to some health stuff and the fact that I wanted to feel my absolute best, I decided to train for a race.

If you’ve been following the blog, you know that I ran a 10k in February, which was a really big deal for me and brought me a lot of satisfaction.  By then, I had already discovered that “runner’s high” that everyone talks about (the one that I thought was made up until a life-changing 5 miler in late December.)

After the 10k, I set my sights on a half marathon.  I trained and pushed my body beyond what I ever thought I could do, and on Sunday the big race had finally arrived.

I woke up at 4:30 on Sunday morning, full of nerves and excitement and disbelief that I was actually going to run 13.1 miles.  I had completed 11 miles in my training, and I was praying that the adrenaline and excitement would take me farther than I had ever gone.  My dad was running the race with me, to support and coach me as I ran (which turned out to be infinitely more important than I ever could have anticipated.)

(feeling strong and excited)

My goal was to run the half in 2 hours and 8 minutes (a 9:45 pace), which was an ambitious goal for me, but I knew it was possible.  The race started off slow— it’s hard to run with 2,000 other people crowded around you!— and by the second mile when everyone had spread out, I’d already lost a little bit of time.

(mom cheering me on and dad making a ridiculous face… typical)

The course ran through wine country.  Translation: it was MUCH hillier than 99% of my training runs through the relatively flat Golden Gate park.  Needless to say, I continued to lose little bits of time and then gain them back as I navigated the hills.

When I reached mile ten, my body started to fight me.  I was tired in a way that I can’t put into words.  I knew I had to stay hydrated, but drinking made me nauseous.  I had 3.1 miles left and it felt like an impossible feat.  It’s amazing how much mental strength it takes to do long runs.  This is where my dad’s support made all the difference.

He encouraged me up every hill, reminded me that it was almost over, and wouldn’t let me slow down because he knew how badly I wanted to hit my goal time.  I had nearly a minute to make up in the last mile, and I started to feel the disappointment of not meeting my goal before I had even crossed the finish line.

But somehow, thanks to my dad’s encouragement and the sheer will to finish what I started, I finished the race in 2 hrs. 7 mins. and 06 seconds, narrowly achieving the time I had trained for.

(checking my watch as I crossed the finish line)

(moments after finishing the race)

(proud hubby)

I should have been happy, but something else happened instead.  Almost instantly, my body went into shock. I was dizzy, nauseous, disoriented.  I went to the med tent and asked for an IV, thinking I must have been severely dehydrated.  But after two IV’s and a few hours of medical attention, it was clear that hydration wasn’t the issue.  I was suffering from extreme exhaustion, likely caused by factors outside of the race.  Pushing my body for 13.1 miles literally pushed me over the edge, and I spent the rest of the day in a completely altered state.

(congratulations from mom… I was feeling beyond terrible at this point, but I still love this photo :)

Even now, days later, I’m still drained.  But I’m still proud to say that I achieved something I never thought I’d be able to do.  If I were to do it again, I might have postponed the race until I was able to reduce the level of stress in the rest of my life.  But all things considered, I’m happy to say I’m a half marathon survivor!

Sorry for the enormous post (I told you on Monday it was a long story!)

Have you ever run a 10k, half marathon, or marathon?  Training for one now?  Got your own athletic story to share?  Please do in the comments!