Category: Fab Fridays
Planning your wedding is hard work; don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Whether it’s a small, intimate backyard gathering or a huge, elaborate celebration, there’s a lot to do. So I’ve been gathering some simple tips (stay tuned for the detailed tips) for my couples to help them survive this wild ride!
1) ) Join a wedding community such as A Practical Wedding, Wedding Chicks, Once Wed, Off Beat Bride, I Do Venues etc. Follow the blog, take part in the conversations, reach out and ask questions. It’s important to know that there is a community of people out there that know and understand what you’re going through and have fabulous advice to share!
2) Get the right vendors for you. Do your research and make sure you are going to get what you expect and deserve. Talk to them over the phone, via skype and if you can, meet them in person to make sure your personalities click. Ask for references and read their reviews (on their website or Yelp etc). Make sure you have a contract with each and every one of them! We are all here to help you achieve the best day of your life, so make sure we are the right people for the job!
3) Talk to and lean on the vendors you already have! We are all in the wedding industry, which means we have worked with all kinds of caterers, DJ’s, planners, make-up artists, videographers, etc., and we can help pair you with someone who is just right for your big day! Use your resources to your advantage; we’re here to help.
On that note I have a vendor page on my site if your in need of awesome people: http://173.255.253.231/chloejackman.com/public/info/vendors/
4) Open an email account just for the wedding. This is a simple yet very important tip: a way to keep everything wedding-related organized. Also, it gives both you and your boo (fiancé) access to all the same information without overwhelming your daily life.
5) Make a binder!!! This is a great way to keep everything organized and in one place: from price lists to contracts to colors to contacts to samples and so on. There’s a lot of information to gather and track, so this will make the planning process way easier and less stressful. And make it fun/creative/cute… that always helps me get more into it!
6) Make a Pinterest page! Maybe you’re not into Pinterest, or maybe you don’t know what it is (If that’s the case let me know and I’ll walk you through it). But I think it’s an essential tool for gathering inspiration and ideas. Keep in mind that you can OD on it and become overwhelmed, so try to keep your focus on searching for specific things you’re in need of: hair ideas, center pieces, color schemes, nail polish designs, favors, and other details. In order to prevent ODing, most of my brides swear off it one or two months before the big day, so as not to overwhelm themselves with new ideas.
7) Most importantly make sure to take ‘non-wedding’ time out for each other. Don’t lose focus on what really matters which is the love between you and your fiancé!
No matter what, this is going to be one of the most amazing days of your life and I hope to be there to enjoy it with you, but if I’m not please let me know how it goes!
xo,
I don’t know about you, but stress gets the best of me more often than I care to admit.
Stress can get the best of you while planning a wedding, raising your first (and then maybe your second and third) child, starting a new job, going through a break-up, college, buying a house (especially in this market!)… the list goes on. Stress is a part of our lives, and we can either choose to ignore and suppress it until it rears its ugly head, or we can face it, breathe it in and be the boss of our reality.
Owning my own business, I have chosen to surround myself with like-minded people who can offer input, advice and understanding to help me manage my stress. One of those people is my good friend Gina Zappariello of Pathfinder Coaching: today she is going to break down four easy ways for us to de-stress. Thanks Gina!
“She had finally allowed her negative feelings to surface, feelings that had been repressed for years in her soul. She had actually FELT them, and they were no longer necessary, they could leave.” Paulo Coelho
How many times have you shut out the feelings you are having when you are under stress, believing that if you just ignore the feelings they will eventually go away? How often is that method successful?
For many of us, we have learned over the years to suppress our negative feelings, and not fully experience them, believing they were bad for us. In doing so, we are merely putting them aside briefly, but we’re never really getting rid of them.
All feelings, whether positive or negative, have validity and should be experienced. From experience comes learning. From learning comes growth. It’s how we handle the negative feelings that will have a detrimental effect on us.
The next time you are feeling stressed, try these 4 Easy Steps to De-Stress. The more you practice these steps, the more they will become a natural part of your life.
Step 1:
BREATHE. When you feel that tightness in your chest, neck, shoulders, etc. that comes with stress, pause and take in a deep breath through your nose counting to 5 slowly and let it out through your mouth, counting to 5 slowly. Try to fill your lungs to capacity each time, and feel your stomach extend. Do this 3 times.
Step 2:
NOTICE. Without judgment, notice and name what it is that is causing your negative feelings. You could feel stress, guilt, overwhelmed, angry, anxious. Just be aware of it. Don’t try to explain it. Simply say to yourself: “I’m feeling _______.” Say it out loud.
Step 3:
AFFIRM. Again out loud, affirm yourself with an affirmative statement or mantra. Make one up yourself or use one of the following statements:
“I am doing the best I can.”
“I can handle this feeling and manage my day.”
“This feeling of _____ will soon pass.”
“I am safe and I am loved. I can handle whatever I am feeling.”
“I love myself. I will take care of this feeling later on today.”
Steps 1-3 help you notice what you are feeling without judgment, and be present so you can move through your day in a calmer frame of mind. However, as I previously stated, there may be a powerful learning in the stress or difficult feeling that you might want to explore. So therefore, I recommend moving to Step 4, even if it is later on in the day. This step proves you can take care of yourself, and as you get better at it, your stressful or difficult feelings will become easier to handle.
Step 4:
REFLECT AND LEARN: for this step, find a time where you can reflect on your feelings uninterrupted. It may only be a few minutes, but it should be in a quiet place free of distractions. Consider:
What is important about the feeling of _____ that you had today?
And
What do you need to learn from it?
Avoiding our unpleasant feelings and stress may help us get through a difficult day or week, but it can be a destructive habit which actually increases our stress in the long run. Our feelings show us who we are – and when we avoid looking at what we feel we literally abandon our ‘selves’ – removing the ability to learn what our feelings are telling us. When we allow our feelings and look at them without judgement, we not only learn from them but we also find that our feelings ‘move on’ – because we’ve got the message – and they’re not needed any more.
About the Guest
Professional Coach, Experienced Educator and Transformational Leader.
I coach people who are struggling to move past personal and professional obstacles and move toward LIFE: Living In Full Empowerment.
*Interested in working with Gina? Here’s how to get in touch with her!
Website: pathfinder-coaching.com (PS I did her head shots!)
Book Coaching Sessions Online: http://pathfindercoaching.genbook.com/
Coaching Referral Service: www.noomii.com/users/gina-zappariello
Skype: coachginaz
Cell: 415-902-4977
“Acupuncture is a collection of procedures involving penetration of the skin with needles to stimulate certain points on the body. In its classical form it is a characteristic component of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a form of alternative medicine, and one of the oldest healing practices in the world. According to traditional Chinese medicine, stimulating specific acupuncture points corrects imbalances in the flow of qi through channels known as meridians. Scientific investigation has not found any histological or physiological correlates for traditional Chinese concepts such as qi, meridians, and acupuncture points, and some contemporary practitioners use acupuncture without following the traditional Chinese approach.” -Wikipedia
I have always been intrigued by acupuncture, and I wish I hadn’t waited 30 years to try it because it has changed my life! When I met Denise about a year ago, I was in serious pain; my right shoulder, arm, and wrist had to be in a brace most of the time, and I was losing feeling and strength in my hand. Needless to say I was in trouble… a photographer who can’t use her shooting hand/arm or a computer due to pain isn’t going to be very good at her job. So, when I met my acupuncturist Denise at the networking group we are part of and felt her calm, caregiving energy, I knew it was time to try it. I was blown away after the first session! I was beginning to think I would need surgery for my carpel tunnel syndrome, but instead I started seeing Denise regularly, and within weeks I was back to 100%. AMAZING!!! I can’t say enough wonderful things about her: she is my go-to person whenever I start feeling pain, and 90% of the time she can make it go away.
In her post, Denise is gonna talk specifically about acupuncture during pregnancy. I know that when the day comes that we choose to have children, Denise will be play a huge role in my pregnancy.
Thank you for changing my life!!!
P.S. Did you know that in Chinese medicine they can tell your current general health just by looking at your tongue…AMAZING!!!!
Acupuncture in pregnancy
by: Denise Cicuto
Is acupuncture safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Licensed acupuncturists are trained to know what acupuncture points and herbs are safe to do and which should be avoided during pregnancy.
What about fertility? Can acupuncture help me get pregnant?
Yes. Acupuncture alone or combined with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) treatments can help women get pregnant. Once you are pregnant, regular acupuncture sessions can help make sure you have a healthy pregnancy.
What other conditions can acupuncture help with during pregnancy?
Acupuncture can help with conditions such as morning sickness, back pain, premature cervical ripening, preeclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension), fatigue, heartburn, constipation and gestational diabetes.
When it’s almost time for the baby to make his or her appearance in the world, acupuncture can help prepare the mom for labor and delivery. Some acupuncturists are available to do acupuncture or acupressure in the delivery room (depending on whether it’s allowed in the hospital).
What about care after pregnancy?
Acupuncture as after-care for new moms is really important. Fatigue and depression are two of the common things that happen after delivery. Regular acupuncture and moxibustion are great to help moms recover and get stronger. Some acupuncturists make house calls for women during the first month after pregnancy.
Denise Cicuto is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Chinese Herbalist specializing in Women’s Health and in Immunity. She has offices in San Francisco’s Richmond district and in the East Bay on Alameda.
www.cicutoacupuncture.com
415.404.6109
Cheers to your happy, healthy pregnancy!!!!
Succulents are the latest and greatest craze these days and living in a San Francisco apartment without a deck or backyard I’ve had to get my fill of gardening in a new urban way… indoor gardens! Succulents are adorable and come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, sizes, and cutenesses. The other thing I love about them is that they are durable, which is important for busy people like me (I know they aren’t going to die if I forget to water them for a couple days). They grow and split off and re-roote very easily, so the few that I purchased at my local flower shop (Sloat Garden Center on 3rd Ave) have been able to produce multiple new gardens.
Here’s a pic of the one I made for our kitchen table!
Today I’m going to explain the steps needed to plant your very own indoor, adorable, durable succulent garden. Make one for yourself, make one for a friend, or make lots of little ones as favors for your upcoming wedding or party!
What you’ll need:
-An old sheet or a few towels
-What you want to plant your garden in… GET CREATIVE!!!
-Your succulents 
-Potting soil, I used E.B. Stone Organic but for no other reason then the garden center by my house suggested it
-Horticultural sand (do NOT use sand from the beach!), I used E.B Stone Organics again
-Charcoal, when you plant things without drainage at the bottom you need to use charcoal to absorb the stagnant water that drains to the bottom of your planter/vase etc.
-About an hour to get it all done!
Step 1: Lay something down on the ground you don’t mind getting dirty (because it will) and give yourself enough room to spread out.
Step 2: Clean the vase, bowl, dish etc that you will be using for pretty project.
Step 3: Gather the succulents you plan to use in your new garden.
Step 4: Your soils… the charcoal, potting soil and horticultural sand. Remember: DO NOT use sand from the beach because it has too many micro organisms and other things that can affect your garden.
Step 5: Pour charcoal in your desired planter/vase first, enough to cover the base, about half an inch.
Step 6: This step isn’t necessary, but my mom is the flower queen and she introduced me to earth worm castings (sounds gross right?!?), but I was able to find it online and it makes an amazing natural/organic plant food so I mix it with my soil!
Step 7: Pour your soil (and a couple table spoons of earth worm castings if you want) on top of the charcoal. You’re shooting for layers so keep that in mind, the dirt layer can be an inch+ thick. Pat it down and smooth it out.
Step 8: Now it’s time for the pretty layer, the sand. Carefully pour the sand on top of the dirt (remember layers!). I suggest at least an inch of sand (I’ve gone too light on the sand before and found that the dirt creeps through). Aside from being pretty, the sand helps distribute the water and weigh down the soil so it doesn’t move around when you water it.
Step 9: Yay! You made it to the really fun part… planting your garden! I always like to have a centerpiece, so I chose this sturdy, round guy.
Step 10: Then you can begin placing your little biddies where you want. I like to start small and fairly spaced out because they grow fast!
Step 11: As I mentioned earlier, I take my other succulents that have alot of growth and break pieces off and re-plant them in my new gardens… see!
Step 12: Stand back and revel in the fruits of your labor! This was a gift for our friend Dominic as a thank you for giving me a beautiful desk for my office and he is enjoying it everyday!
Watering: I water my succulents every week and half or so, but watch and listen to them, they will tell you what they need, so pay attention!
**All these images were shot with my amazing OM-D
