Wedding Season- How to Make it Through

We're knee deep in wedding season and the end seems far. I want to start off by clarifying that I am a huge fan of weddings- in fact, I would dare say I love them. I love seeing friends, eating good food (or hoping to), seeing the bride's vision and all of her efforts unveiled, and of course, I just adore watching the newlyweds! BUT (and you knew this was coming) weddings hit in waves and can truly wear on you. It's not like after you've gotten a few under your belt they get easier or less exhausting. Sure maybe navigating through Target or Macy's to grab those registry items is, but the travel, outfit selection, and money spending isn't.

I consider myself a generous person when it comes to gift giving- it's one of my love languages. So for me, it's hard to have weddings come along so close together because it starts to limit what I'm able to give. A lot of people say its not about the gifts, its about being part of their big day and that is true... to an extent. A lot of the weddings we are attending are for young christian couples just starting out and they have n o t h i n g. I can identify with this place of need. Nine months ago when Jake and I tied the knot, he was a student and I was the only one working (and I wasn't bringing home the bacon...it was more like bacon bits). We were moving into an apartment with no furniture of our own and an assortment of plates & cups from college. We didn't own a single pan; so for us, the gifts we registered were things we really needed to get started and we genuinely appreciated each and every gift we received.

So how can one get through this season without compromising their preferred caliber of gift or checking account? Plan, plan, plan. As soon as I hear a couple has set a date it goes on my calendar! Then I scope out their registries. I try and buy the gift early enough that there is still a selection within my price range. Also, keep an eye out for coupons. The Bed, Bath, and Beyond coupons never expire (pay no attention the marked expiration date) and I have had a ton of success with online coupon codes. When it comes to Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn I search high and low online for free shipping- those are dollars that could go toward the gift!

At the end of the day it isn't the couple's fault that your cousin, college roommate, and friend of the family is getting married the same month... so don't let the unrelated events affect each other. Plan ahead.

a work in progress

Tank is exactly 7 weeks old and Jake and I have been proud owners for officially one week (and a day). Despite having pets before, it has been interesting having a puppy and actually being the primary caregiver. We both have learned a lot...

First, never again will I be fooled into thinking that kids can have pets... their parents can maybe, but they can't. I remember being on the other end of this argument in middle school when I begged my mom to keep our lab puppy, Emma (originally purchased for Dani, which is an entirely different story) promising I would take care of her. My Mom tried explaining to me that I couldn't care for Emma at that age, but I was determined to prove her wrong... and in her wise way, she was determined to prove me wrong by letting me experience first hand that I was utterly clueless past playtime. Lesson learned. I mean I am almost 25 and I'm still wondering if I'm actually a qualified pet owner.

Second, I've come to find that puppy teeth are extremely dangerous and are most attracted to quick moving hands, feet, and sometimes faces. Tank in particular thinks this is the best game ever. Wrong. I think both Jake and I would go as far as to say that's the worst game ever. Our little piranha, he's a nightmare.

Third, if a puppy looks like he has to pee then he probably has to pee. Seems simple enough, but when you're taking a dog out constantly for lack of a yard it gets tiresome to keep bringing them in and out and in and out and in... you get the point. Another lesson learned after Tank peed in the apartment 5+ times this weekend. Now we know.

Fourth, Boston Terriers are gaseous... even as puppies. I thought the coast would be clear for awhile with this common breed "issue", but I was wrong (are you seeing a pattern?). Although it hasn't happened as often as Jake has blamed him, Tank does already pass gas and it is gross! How could something so sweet and small let out something so awful?

It's been an interesting week full of lessons, sleepless nights, & bites... but we survived and Tank is still adorable.

Photos courtesy of Meme Tomasulo

Tank's Arrival

Yesterday Jake and I drove to North Carolina and back to pick up Tank! We hit the road early to make it there by 3 but gave ourselves enough time before leaving to tie up any loose ends. I don't know why I was dead set on doing things like vacuuming before Tank arrived, but I was, and I did. We packed his "go bag" and excitedly started our trip.

Our original plan to stop and eat in Greensboro was altered when we realized how far it was when lunchtime hit. We stopped in Hillsborough instead, which was a decision made out of hunger... not always the best kind. I found a restaurant named "The Dog House" on the GPS, so in the spirit of our trip's purpose we agreed to try it. We had already decided beforehand that we didn't want to stop at a chain, so this seemed like an exciting choice. After I entered it into the GPS, Jake immediately got frustrated because he realized it wasn't taking us the shortest way. He complained and I offered to just forget the idea altogether (really hoping he wouldn't stop at Wendy's instead), but we kept on route. Finally Jake saw it in the distance (not where the map took us) and it was a hot dog stand. I'm not joking- it was actually more like a shack near a car dealership... which on top of everything was closed because of the holiday! It was hysterical (to us anyway)! We kept driving to another place called Bandino's. Honestly, even if the stand had been open I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have stopped, it was that s h a d y.

But enough pre-Tank details, I know what you want to hear about! We met the family who had Tank at a steakhouse parking lot in Yadkinville, NC. Their whole family was there and Tank was right in the front seat with Amanda, the puppies' care taker. I could barely hold in my excitement. I jumped right out and went immediately over to their car. She met me pretty quickly and without hesitation handed him to me. I was in love with him instantly. I held him in his blanket and kissed his lil face. After a few minutes, Jake very excitedly asked to hold him too. I couldn't believe I had been hogging him up until that point. I didn't feel too bad though- he had been talking to the owner about shots & food... very important details to know! We got back in the car after about 30 minutes of chatting with their family and gushing over our new puppy! We forgot all about the crate and let him cuddle in my lap. Jake was looking at him so much we both worried we would crash; at one point he was trying to take a picture- while driving!!! Crazy, I know! Anyway, Tank rode all the way home without a single yelp. He was such a good boy! Now bedtime was another story, but I'll skip it and go straight to pictures. He is so cute!