In the true spirit of adulthood, we're hoping to purchase a house soon (but haven't yet, so this is all pre-meditated, wishful thinking). So, I - being the dramatic human that I am - thought maybe we'd go the extra mile with the party planning, right? Maybe be a little extra and create an entire housewarming party invitation kit, complete with invitation, RSVP card, registry information, and directions all inside a fancy little pocket to keep it together.

I checked out the website over at basicinvite.com and explored all the options they have available and let me tell you - there are so many. I decided to choose from the wedding invitation sets and there are over 1000! I chose a couple different options including the new hearts moving announcement and for the full set I went with the flowing ferns wedding invitations, thank you cards, and response cards alongside the floral celebration registry cards and directions cards all enclosed inside the basic invite traditional pocket. Even though these options came from different sets, I was able to customize the colors and fonts to create a consistent look between the different cards.

















While I was sifting through all the options available on Basic Invite, I may have come across a few random options too.




Graduation announcements

I know it's been a few months, but I worked long and hard to earn my master's while working full-time and I'd like everybody to know, okay? Don't judge me. So, I compiled a few of my wedding pictures taken by the wonderful Sarah and popped them into the finally done graduation announcements because HELLO - it took me an extra year but I freaking did it!






Business cards

On my second round of 101 in 1001, I talked about finally ordering some business cards for the blog and social channels, and so this was a perfect opportunity to give a few options a try. I am absolutely loving the clear and frosted options Basic Invite has (including wedding invites!), so I knew I wanted to try out the big intro clear business cards and the big name clear business cards. I opted for one to be totally clear and the other to be frosted.









I'm still deciding between the two. Which one is your favorite?




Wedding invitations

Okay, okay. So I actually got married almost four years ago. And I really liked our wedding invitations, but these forest watercolor seal & send wedding invitations are so cool. They're pre-addressed and include a tear-off RSVP postcard to send back. It's everything you need all in one and I am obsessed. These would've gone perfect with our fall whimsical woodsy wedding. I'm also a huge fan of these fall coasters wedding favors, though I actually really loved the Whitter button pins we had on our big day.









Seriously, Basic Invite has so many options, there's bound to be something you're looking for regardless of the occasion. Everything is fully customizable (as you can see from the fact I made wedding invitation sets into housewarming invitations). You can pick the colors and fonts and move everything around. There are so many different paper options to choose from (I chose different papers for all the different items above). And it's the only site I've found where you can actually order custom samples so you can truly see what your order will look like in your hands before ordering full sets of multiple invitations or whatever.

If you’re getting married sometime soon, maybe you’re trying to figure out honeymoon options.


Honestly though, not everyone wants or can afford the typical beach honeymoon on a remote island somewhere - so if an exotic vacay isn’t in your plans, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a wonderful honeymoon - even if it’s just a few days away together. In fact, sometimes a shorter minimoon is actually more enjoyable after the stress of planning a wedding, and after all, you have your whole lives together to take fancy vacations. Travelling internationally wasn’t an option for hubby and I when we got married because we were on a tight budget, but we still had the best time and truthfully, our honeymoon is still one of the best weeks of our lives that I look back on often and smile.


In this post, I’m sharing some tips for where to have a great minimoon no matter what kind of things you’re interested in, and no matter what kind of budget you’re working with.




Las Vegas

Although Vegas may not be the most budget-friendly place in this list, it’s also not impossible to visit on a budget - especially if you’re not going to be throwing all your money away at the Blackjack table. Vegas could be a fun change from your daily life and a memorable way to start your new married life together after the formalities and stress of planning a wedding over the past months. Vegas offers hotels to suit a variety of budgets, and also has some of the best shows and musicals in the world. We’re actually taking our first trip to Vegas together next month, so keep an eye out for a recap of that trip!




Sedona

Sedona is said to be a truly magical and unique place by all who have visited, and even if you’re not overly convinced of the magical aspect of this charming town, it’s undeniable that it’s one of the most beautiful places in the US, if not the world. There’s really nowhere else quite like it, and with so many hiking options and nature trails nearby, you can visit places like the Grand Canyon and Horseshoe Bend through some of the tours offered to those visiting Sedona. Phoenix is just about two hours away, as well, if you’re looking for a bit of a day trip.




Road Trip

Road trips are fun, and taking one for a few days or a week will be a budget-friendly and fun way to explore some of the country and will pretty much cover every interest, so both you and your new spouse will be able to find something you enjoy. Whether you want to take a drive to explore some national parks, or head south and visit the Kentucky Bourbon Trail hotel, you’ll find so many options for amazing places to explore on visit on your road trip minimoon. I never even rode in a plane until I was 24, and so far, every plane ride I’ve taken has been for work. Road trips were part of our vacation rituals growing up, so I’m forever a fan of hitting the road with those you love.




Denver

Denver is not only a beautiful and quite unique city as far as cities go, it’s also the perfect place to visit if you enjoy winter sports, such as skiing, or even if you just enjoy being in nature and making the most of the fresh mountain air. Flights to Denver are available often and affordably from many places, and even if you don’t want to venture into the mountains, then Denver itself is one of the most walkable cities in the US, so it’s the perfect place to get out and explore the city and all that it has to offer. A visit to Colorado has always been high on my bucket list, so this is one city I’m yearning to see.























*This is a collaborative post.

I'm so excited that we've hit the three-year mark on our marriage. It's been a wild and crazy ride and I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm so happy to have that guy up there as my best friend and biggest supporter. Here are some things we experienced this past year.






Five favorite memories from our third year of marriage:
1. Our two-year anniversary Atlanta staycation. It was so fun to get to use the CityPass to go some places we'd never been or hadn't been to in a while.
2. Going to a beer launch party - I won tickets on Instagram and it was so random and fun, but something we both really enjoyed it.
3. Our weekend trip to Savannah - it's amazing getting to travel together.
4. Going to the Atlanta Botanical Garden for my birthday. It was such a great birthday gift, even if it was one million degrees.
5. Hubby's work holiday party that happened in January because December got snowed out.





Four hopes for our fourth year of marriage:
1. I'll be graduating, so I'm hoping to see some big life changes - maybe moving closer to Atlanta or purchasing a home.
2. Learning to always make the most of our time together, whether we're stuck at home or waiting while getting the care serviced - I'd love to see how our relationship continues to blossom even during those boring "adulting moments."
3. More travel. This will probably be on the list every single year, but I'd love to continue to gain new experiences together.
4. Take more pictures together. Hubby hates pictures honestly, and when I do take pictures they typically don't end up on the blog or social out of respect for him. BUT I would love for us to have more pictures of us together, just for us to look back on.





Three life changes during our third year of marriage:
1. I started an insulin pump, which has been a pretty big deal and quite an adjustment.
2. Hubby bought a brand new car, and seriously that thing is slick.
3. We've both tried to be more invested in our health by making small changes to our daily habits.





Two things you can probably find us doing if you stopped by our house randomly:
1. Binge-watching our favorite tv shows together.
2. Individually doing our own things, like hubby playing video games or me reading all the books.





One thing left to say:
1. Happy third anniversary! I'm so glad to do this life with you.

Though we didn't start our tradition when we first started dating, we did start one main tradition after we'd been dating a while.


What is that tradition?


Collecting magnets. When we take a trip (whether out of town, or just a local-ish day trip), we purchase a magnet to commemorate our time. While magnets don't necessarily have a practical use, they are small and inexpensive, making them ideal souvenirs. They are displayed throughout the year, and don't take up a ton of space - which is why we love them.

I wanted to share the magnets we've collected over the nine years we've been together.


Check it out.

When I worked retail, I didn't have any ounce of time to enjoy the holidays because all I did was work. Now, I have adequate time off, but a ton of events and other things to do. So regardless of why you may be busy this holiday season, it's imperative to have some designated downtime to relax.

Between the holiday parties, gift exchanges, and family dinners, I really just need some special time to spend with just the hubby. Maybe that's all you're really needing, too.






1. Put the phones away. It's the best option. We get so accustomed to having our phones at the tips of our fingers. The hubby and I do it all the time - when we're out to dinner, or watching a movie together, we're also on our phones looking at social media, watching videos. It can be an issue if you're not aware of it. So, for an at-home date night, throw your phone away from you; plug it up in your room while you're in the living room. Just get it out of your sight for no distractions.


2. Pick some activities to do together. We tend to put on a movie to watch together. There are a ton of wonderful holiday movies you can stream or rent to get festive. We tend to multitask, too. Pick some fun board games to play together, or wrap holiday gifts. Or literally just cuddle up to watch a movie and do nothing else. It's all up to you.


3. Cuddle up in cozy socks and blankets. Seriously, is anything better than cozy socks and blankets? We're big fans of keeping it a bit chilly in the house and cuddling up in blankets. That's pretty imperative to me for a stay-at-home date night. I'm honestly not trying to get too dressed up for a night in. I prefer cozy jammies, and feeling comfy and happy with the hubby.







4. Light some candles for a nice, soothing vibe - and an awesome scent. Pine is always my go-to for the holidays, but I'm oddly also a fan of mixing complementing scents. We usually have anywhere from three to six candles burning at a time, and it really throws off the best vibes. Our house also always smells pretty good because of it.







5. Pick up a super quick and easy meal. Picking up a bottle (or two or three) of Coca-Cola™ products and a Kroger ready-to-heat pizza are a great way to go. First off, the pizza is huge so there's more than enough to last you throughout the entire date night. And let's be honest - if I'm trying to have a night in to relax, you can bet your butt I am not going to be hand-making a full dinner.

Luckily, this awesome Coca-Cola and pizza combo is so easy to do and inexpensive (fresh ready-to-heat pizza for $5.99 and save $1 off a 1.25L Coca-Cola beverage or 1L DASANI®). It took less than 15 minutes to make the pizza. It's honestly the easiest meal, but so yummy! We chose an ULTIMEAT pizza (loaded with so many meats), paired with Coca-Cola™, Diet Coke^Ⓡ, and Sprite^Ⓡ. Let me tell you - that Diet Coke really hit the spot. I've been sipping on it since.

































From now through January 3, 2018, Kroger loyalty members can purchase a fresh ready-to-heat pizza for $5.99 and save $1 off a 1.25L Coca-Cola beverage or 1L DASANI® (making the drink nearly free). The pizzas can be found over by the deli, and the Coca-Cola products are over on the soda aisle. Go here to find a local Kroger Banner Store near you!












It's seriously so important to make time for yourself and your significant other, especially when there are so many events and things going on in your life. Living in a world where everyone is always on-the-go, take some time to not leave the house. Enjoy the small things.
How do you make time during your busiest times?