Month: April 2020

The size of your wedding list will affect almost every aspect of your planning, including the venue, catering, transportation, and most importantly–your wedding budget. For this reason, having a small wedding is a huge money saver, way more intimate, and generally less stressful to plan and execute compared to a big wedding.

Do you and your spouse want a small wedding? Here are some tips that should help with your planning:

1. Downsize your guest list

Before you look for the modern or rustic wedding venue of your dreams in Kent or wherever you want, the first obstacle that you have to tackle is the guest list. If you’re not sure how to keep your guest list short, here are some strategies you can try:

• Divide the number of allowable guests between you and your spouse. If one spouse doesn’t maximize their list, that’s the only time the other one can invite more people.
• Make three lists. The first list is for your close relatives, the second list is for your close friends, and the third list for other people you would like to invite to your wedding (but don’t really have to), such as co-workers or friends you haven’t spoken to in a while. If the number exceeds your target number of guests, start crossing people out from the third list.
• Don’t give out plus-ones. Doing this can easily blow up your guest list and consequently ruin your budget.
• Limit your parents’ invites, even if they are paying a part of the wedding. Ask your parents to only invite a certain number of people so that the event remains intimate.

2. Choose the right venue

For an intimate wedding, look for a wedding venue that is just the right size for your number of guests. For example, instead of renting out an entire ballroom, go for a barn or estate venue. If you are more of an adventurous type, consider outdoor weddings in a forest or beach venue. After all, there are fewer venue restrictions when you have a smaller wedding guest list.

3. Have a child-free wedding

Aside from expanding your guest list, children disrupt weddings. That’s a fact. So if you want your wedding to be intimate, having a child-free wedding is the way to go. This would mean no crying, no tots running around, and no distracted parents because of their kids. Moreover, you want your guests to enjoy the wedding, and having a child-free policy is a great way to give them a break from parenting life (while not torturing other guests with unavoidable child antics).

4. Make it fun for everyone

With a smaller guest list, you will have more budget to invest in your guests’ experience. Make your wedding more fun and memorable by treating your guests to round-trip transfers, an open bar, top-notch catering, a professional DJ, and other things that can make the wedding feel more special.

An intimate wedding, in some ways, feels more special than a bigger one. More importantly, it is less stressful to plan and makes the experience quite enjoyable for you and your future spouse.

If you want a small and simple event to celebrate your marriage, use these tips to keep the wedding as intimate yet memorable as possible.

Pets are known to improve a person’s well-being. They offer comfort and companionship that can soothe feelings of loneliness and anxiety. 74% of pet owners when surveyed by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI) reported mental health improvements from owning pets while 75% shared their family members and friends also benefitted from spending time with their pets.

In normal circumstances, the temptation to get a dog or a cat is present especially with social media feeds full of adorable pictures of people playing with pets. But as more people are feeling anxious due to the pandemic, the motivation to drive to the nearest adoption center is amplified. Don’t let the videos of well-trained dogs being obedient to their owners fool you. Taking care of a pet is a big responsibility and you will need to make adjustments to your lifestyle. It won’t only be your personal haircare products that you’ll be buying online. The benefits and challenges of owning a pet go hand in hand. Consider these questions first before bringing a dog or a cat into your home.

1. Are you prepared to clean every day?

Dogs and cats shed a lot of hair especially those with thick coats. Breeds favored by most influencers like the Golden Retriever, Samoyed, and Corgis are notorious for leaving their fluff everywhere. To be in control of all the hair, owners need to accept regular house cleaning will be part of the norm. Routine grooming by brushing and combing can also help remove dead hairs before they wreak havoc on carpets and hard to reach room corners.

2. Do you have the free time for training and taking care of their needs?

They’re not called fur babies without a reason. Part of being a responsible owner is to train your pet to behave, which involves the tedious task of potty training and abiding with mealtimes. They need guidance and practice to know the dos and don’ts in your household. You can’t expect a puppy or a kitten to know that papers on your desk are off-limits.

3. Can you afford all the expenses that come with your pet?

Food, toys, medical check-ups, grooming and destroyed items can rack up a hefty bill if you’re not prepared to shoulder it. Better to do research on what kind of animal or breeds can fit your lifestyle in terms of financial resources. Maybe you’re better off starting small with a hamster or a fish if your savings account still needs time to grow.

4. How attached are you to your household items?

Remember when Mufasa told Simba that everything the light touches is their kingdom? Your pet thinks the same way with your house. No curtain, plant or toilet paper are safe from the onslaught of your pet’s playfulness and hyperactivity. You have to deal with teaching your pet which areas are off-limits, putting up fences, and regularly buying replacements.

5. Are the people living with you ok to share their space with a pet?

Not everyone in your house might be enthusiastic about sharing their space with a fur baby. It’s not only your lifestyle that has to be adjusted. Ask everyone in your household if they’re amenable to coexisting with a pet especially during inevitable destruction and times when you’re away. Have everyone tested for allergies to avoid health complications.

Owning a pet, in reality, is a different ball game than watching cute puppies running around and fluffy felines being surprised by cat Instagram filters. It takes time, money, effort and a lot of patience to take care of their needs and build a home they will come to love. But all the hard work will be worth it as experience their companionship and unconditional love.

Whether you are a starting vegan, want to know about veganism, or are an expert vegan, it helps to be armed with information vital to this lifestyle. It is not particularly hard to be a vegan. The point of veganism is never to consume products with ingredients and materials coming from animals. Vegans do not see animals and their by-products as things we can consume. With around 32,000 (as of 2019) products registered as vegan, it is not exactly impossible to find a product that complements this lifestyle. Still, it pays to be well-informed about the products you’re buying.

If you’re a vegan, shopping online seems to be impossible because you cannot check the labels and the allergen information. With a little bit of effort, you can make this tactic work. Why should shopping for vegan items be any different than shopping for regular products? You can ask the seller to send you more information about the products. Or you can research the products on the Internet and read reviews about its vegan quality.

Labels

The easiest way to tell if a product is vegan is to read the labels. There should be “suitable for vegans” or “certified vegan” labels on the product’s packaging. If you’re a vegetarian and a vegan, look for the “cruelty-free and vegan” label. Because followers of vegan diets are increasing, these labels are appearing more in your grocery aisles.

Allergen Information

The law requires food manufacturers to put a label on the products indicating if it contains common allergens such as dairy and nuts. Moreover, they are required to put the label on bold letters so that the buyers won’t miss it. The allergen information usually looks like this: “May contain traces of nuts, eggs, or milk” or “This product is processed in a facility that also processes eggs, nuts, and milk.” The allergen information might miss ingredients such as honey and egg lecithin, but for the most part, it covers the usual suspects.

Ingredients

This is when it gets hard. The list of ingredients is confusing for most people. What’s in a gelatin or whey powder, for example? Gelatin comes from animal bones, and whey powder is from milk. These are not vegan ingredients. You have to research more about the ingredients. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) lists down animal ingredients on their website to guide vegans.

Cruelty-free

Another characteristic of vegan products is whether they are cruelty-fee. So the products may not include animal-derived ingredients, but they could have undergone animal testing. This is particularly for those who want to use only vegan cosmetics. Animal testing is not being advertised on the packaging. Before you buy a blush-on, an eyeliner, or a lipstick, make sure to check the Internet if these were tested on animals.

When looking for vegan products to buy, shop only in vegan establishments and look for products trademarked by vegan organizations. You should also ask your vegan friends for recommendations. Google is also the best place to know about vegan products and ingredients that you should stay clear of.

Homeowners often hire professionals, such as interior designers, to improve the aesthetics of their property. Others prefer to design their own homes by themselves. They can look for design inspirations posted on websites or blogs. If you are planning to redesign or redecorate your home, you can also ask an expert to accomplish tasks for you. If not, you can ask for help from family and friends regarding your DIY home project. Either way, you need at least to have an idea about basic home designing. This way, finalizing your home’s interior style will be easier.

You have probably searched for home design inspirations online. That is a great start, but it’s better if you also learn a few basics, such as rules about colors and patterns. If you learn how to mix and match patterns, you won’t consume a lot of time figuring things out. Here are a few tips to help you decide about your home’s design:

• Choose your main color—Know that you can choose any color that you like. Think about one color that you will never get tired of. Imagine your home painted with that color and start checking out specific shades. That is where you will base the other colors and patterns that you will be using next.

• Observe the most prominent pattern at home—Check if you have a patterned rug or upholstery at home. Choose a few colors from that patterned item. For instance, if you have Turkish kilims from Scottsdale, AZ, mostly made of red patterns, take note of that. You will need to choose color palettes, which will complement that color.
• Ceilings should always be light-colored—If you are deciding on what to paint your ceilings, stick to light colors. White is a popular choice, but you can also go for cream or light gray. You only need to take note that ceilings should have the lightest color followed by the walls. The floors should be darker than your walls and ceiling.
• Always include neutral colors—Patterns can make things look cluttered and messy if not used properly. To break a busy pattern, include neutral and plain colors in between the patterns. Neutral colors can also help balance loud or bright colors, especially on walls and large furniture.
• Don’t go over three patterns—A basic rule about patterns is that you should never go over three of them in a single space. One to three patterns should be enough. For example, if you want them in your bedroom, the design of your pillows can be different from your bedsheet and blanket. If all these items have different patterns, the rest of the room should be plain and simple.

Colors and patterns are fundamental elements in interior design. Learning about them may seem irrelevant to some people. However, if you understand a few concepts about these elements, you will find it easier to redesign your home in the future. Aside from this, you will also find new opportunities to change your home’s design whenever you want. You don’t always need to consult experts to decide on a new wall paint color. You don’t have to browse the Internet to copy designs from someone else’s home. Now, you won’t find it complicated to improve your interior design, especially when it just involves colors and patterns.