Take A Break For Your Waistline's Sake

Need to shed a few pounds before your big day (or any reason for that matter)? Try this low effort idea. At lunch time, take a break away from your desk at work. Studies show that people who ate while using their computer ate twice as much as those who took a break. They also reported not feeling as full after eating and in some cases not remembering what they even ate!

::BIG ANNOUNCEMENT::

Celebrate The Date co-founder Michael M. is getting hitched!!! He is to wed is partner of 7 years, Arik on July 9th 2011! Congrats to them both!



This got us thinking about wedding tips. Check out some of our ideas below. More will come next week!

:: Must Ask Wedding Venue Questions::

01. Do you have a facility director? With they be there on my wedding day?
02. Do I have to be a member of the club where the reception is being held?
03. Will there be a shuttle between the ceremony and reception? Is it provided?
04. What is the back up plan?
05. What is the corkage fee if I bring my own wine?
06. What time must the guests leave the facility?
07. Is there a service charge on top of the bill?
08. Must I use the vendors of your choosing?
09. Are there any consequences for not meeting the food/beverage minimum?
10. Do you allow alcohol and open flames?
11. Will there be an open bar, a cash bar, or a combination of the two?
12. Who is responsible for setting up and tearing down the decor? When will it be completed?
13. Will you rope off an area for parking?
14. How early can I get to the site to set up?
15. Are there any restrictions for the photographers?
16. Are there additional costs including cleaning fees, insurance fee waivers, etc?
17. How many weddings will be booked on the same day?

::Whimsical Wedding We-Purposing::

Here are just a few wonderful ideas we found to re-purpose everyday items into chic wedding decor!

-Check out your local box store or even discount store and look for a fun, counter top toothbrush holder (the kind that looks cup with holes in the top). Fill each hole with an array of flowers and greenery that matches your wedding color scheme. You can dress them up with ribbon or any other embellishments. Using the holder guarantees that your arrangements will be full and equally spaced without the expense of using a florist.



-Search local thrift shops, second hand stores, and even grandma's china cabinet for an array of vintage (or even modern) tea cups. They can hold Jordan almonds on each table, or you could even fill them with decorative sand and place table numbers on skewers on them.



-Swap out the boring trays that wait staff always use to distribute beverages with something a little more intimate. Pick out some favorite snapshots of the happy couple through the years (For example, a cute photo of the groom when he lost his first tooth would be super sweet). Next, enlarge the pictures to at least 16x20 and print them in black and white. Next, purchase a bunch of picture frames the size of the photos. Frame the photos and volia, you have a personalized photo serving tray! After drinks have been handed out, these "trays" can then be displayed on a gift table or even hung (consult your venue) to create a gallery of memories!



-Who said wine glasses (and other bar glasses) should only hold spirits? They can easily be filled with decorative sand or pebbles to create chic votive holders that can be used just about anywhere! They don't even have to match to make an impact!



Thanks to Real Simple Magazine (Http://www.realsimple.com) for many of these tips and their inspiration!

::Harness The Tarnish::

Do you have a drawer or cabinet full of sterling silver flatware, tea services, serving trays, etc that are tarnished beyond your reputation? Here is a fabulous tip to clean it all in a jiffy without all that hassle! Grab a stock pot or other sizeable pan in which you can submerge your items. Next, place a piece of tin foil in the bottom of the pot. Now, place the objects on the tin foil and spinkle a quarter cup of baking soda and a few teaspoons for each quart of boiling water you will add. Leave the items submerged in the hot water for several seconds and remove carefully (Don't burn yourself). Dry with a clean cotton cloth! While it's soaking go grab your sunglasses to protect your peepers from the luster of your newly cleaned silver!

::Green Clean Supreme::

Drop the Draino! We have a fabulous "green" drain cleaning tip that we have tested in our new sattelite test lab in Essex, Vermont. Caustic chemicals? No! Putrid plunger? No! We solved this problem by simply opening our staff kitchen cabinets. First sprinkle a hefty amount(1/2 cup or so)of baking soda down the drain. Next, chase it with a 1/2 cup of vinegar. Cover the drain opening with a wet cloth and let it sit about five minutes. Finally, remove the cloth flush the drain with steaming hot water! Away go all your worries not to mention the nastiness in the drain!

::Foil Co-Mingling Electro-Magnetic Fields::

Have you ever been watching TV or a favorite movie and the image suddenly becomes disorted? It could be electro-magnetic waves from your devices. Slip a sheet of aluminum foil between your stacked TV and DVD player to keep co-mingling electro-magnetic fields from disrupting the picture!