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31 Jan |
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1:14 pm Posted by Kristy |
This year’s Superbowl falls on the 3rd day of the month, so we think it’s a good time to talk in threes. Three is that special number that makes things easy to remember. If you’re planning on hosting a gathering this Sunday or anytime soon, with say, three families or more, here are 3 things to help you plan your party, starting with ordering online party invitations.
THREE Party Ingredients
- Party Invitations. Try for quality personalized online party invitations whenever you’ve got at least a week til party time. With fast 24-hour turnaround service and overnight shipping options, you can get it done. Don’t ignore the attraction to guests of receiving a personal invite on paper that they can hold…feels more real and important than just a text or email!
- Crockpots. Moms know the magical world of crockpotting well. Too many delicious home-cooked can be done with very little effort in these appliances. Read on for real recipes.
- Punch. What to serve to drink is best handled when you consider that you have different types of guests. See Punch recipes below for ideas.
THREE 3-Ingredient Crockpot Recipes
- Weenies or Meatballs
The classic Welch’s recipe:
- 2 packages weenies or large bag meatballs
- 1 cup grape jelly
- 1 12-oz bottle chili sauce
- Buffalo Chicken
Serve with rice or in buns:
- Boneless chicken breasts (can be frozen)
- 1 bottle wing sauce (like Frank’s)
- 1 pkg dry ranch dip mix
- Chocolate Dip Dessert A kid-friendly fondue great for dipping strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels, graham crackers, whatever!
- 1-1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 c heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
THREE Punch Recipes for 3 Kinds of Guests
- Kids. Go for color. Ravens fans will love this grape-colored punch recipe. Sherbert is also a great add-on!
- Grown-ups. A margarita punch goes great with the spice of buffalo chicken (above) or any Tex-Mex inspired dish.
- Teens (non-alcoholic). Go for fizz over color. Any lemon-lime soda with any combination of juices tastes great.
If you’re ready to get started, check out all of the inspiring online party invitations at www.looklovesend.com. You can personalize your favorite design with the text you want. Some designs will also accommodate a photo or other image. Orders generally ship out within 24 hours once approved.
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28 Jan |
Time to Respond: When to Order Personalized Wedding Invitations |
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2:38 pm Posted by Kristy |
Whether you’re engaged for an 18-month stretch or want to pull off a wedding in less than 4 months, be aware of what affects the timing of ordering and mailing personalized wedding invitations. There’s plenty of wedding planning timetables, checklists and other tools to follow, but without understanding what goes on before your cards hit the mail, you could run the risk of running out of time.
As experts in personalized online wedding stationery, we’ll help you keep things organized for the 3 major wedding stationery components: (1) Save the Date cards, (2) Wedding Invitations, and (3) Thank You cards.
General Time Guidelines for Personalized Wedding Invitations
- Allow up to 1 week for your order to print and ship (more for more complex assembly)
- Allow 1-2 to address and assemble (depending on which tasks you hire professionally)
- Allow 1-2 weeks mailing time to reach guests
(1) Don’t Be Late with A Save the Date
Otherwise, what’s the point? The essence of wedding save the date cards is so guests will mark your special date on their calendars–early! The sooner the better. Don’t wait, don’t be late, and order as you know your date! You can mail them…
- Up to 12 months before wedding for a destination wedding or during the busy spring and summer weekend season
- 6-9 months for most weddings
(2) Save All Night for Your Wedding Night, not the Invite
All-nighters were fine for college, not your wedding. The bottom line with when to mail out your invites is knowing when you need a final headcount. Work backwards from there! Here are the things that must happen before personalized wedding invitations actually hit the mail:
- Print & ship!
- Assembly….More pieces means more time!
- Addressing. Check with a calligrapher if you are hiring one.
- Postage. Don’t risk return-to-sender…take your assembled invite to the post office to weigh for exact postage!
(3) No “Air Quotes” … Write Real Thank You Notes
Yes, you really do have to plan for this, no matter how daunting it seems. Mail wedding thank you notes…
- Within 2 weeks for gifts received before the wedding. Order your notes as early as 4 months before for shower gifts.
- Within 1 month (or 6 weeks latest) for gifts received at or following the wedding. Order before your wedding so you’ll be all ready to go when you return from your honeymoon.
For a look at beautiful, personalized wedding invitations and components that coordinate with your wedding invitation design, including save the date cards and thank you notes, shop www.looklovesend.com. If you find yourself in a time crunch even after following our guidelines, we’ll do our best to turnaround your order to ship within 48 hours.
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22 Jan |
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9:29 pm Posted by Nicola |
Whether you’ve received a baby shower invitation or are registering for your own baby bump, 2013 brings some baby gear trends that are both stylish and practical. Read on for some of our favorite items for those 2013 babies.
Stylish car seats: move beyond the traditional gray and black baby car seats to embrace new colors like carrot cake, keylime (shown to right), raspberry rose and cherry pie – these seats are refreshingly bright and cheerful!
Separate bedding pieces: bedding manufacturers are moving away from traditional bedding sets that contain a fitted sheet, bed skirt, bumper and quilt. Since the American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines against the use of bumpers in 2011, the sale of separate bedding pieces has skyrocketed. And checkout Skip Hop for fitted sheets that look like bumpers!
Gray: gray is the new brown for the nursery. Combine a neutral gray with blue, yellow, pink, green or purple for a fresh décor that won’t feel outdated when your baby reaches toddlerhood.
Mixie bottle: a simple solution for formula feeders. Fill with water and formula mix in advance, then push a button on the bottom of the bottle to release the powder to mix at feeding time. Available in either a 4oz or 8oz bottle.
Organic, neutral clothing: Pink and blue onesies will always have a place at any baby shower, but most baby clothing brands also offer an organic cotton line, often in neutral beiges with modern graphic designs.
Magnetic closures: For sleep-deprived parents who have wrongly fastened a baby’s sleeper, the magnetic closures offered on Magnificent Baby clothes may be a welcome addition. These baby-safe, washer-safe fasteners are the perfect solution for quick night-time changes.
Amidst all the standard essentials for baby feeding, clothing and sleeping, it’s always fun to see those few hot new gifts at any baby shower. If you’re hosting a baby shower this year, checkout the fresh collection of baby shower invitation designs at LookLoveSend for easily customizable cards that are sure to delight.
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20 Jan |
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10:42 am Posted by Kristy |
The very next question after telling someone that you are expecting is almost always: “Are you going to find out what you’re having?” Your answer is very personal, but unfortunately, may not always be respected as such. So watch out if you sense that the person you’re talking to has a different opinion. It can get heated with people on the “Green Team” (I didn’t even know there was a team!). What’s dumber than arguing over this one anyway?
It’s true–some “wait-and-seers” have a sense of superiority when they actually brag about having waited to find out the gender of their baby. Like the experienced this MileHighMamas.com blogger described, they attach some kind of virtue to the experience of being “surprised,” implying some kind of weakness in others who find out via today’s ultrasound technology.
But it’s not just the planners who want to get their baby birth announcement cards ready beforehand. It’s also those of us who’ve experienced other kinds of “surprises” that keep us from wanting any more. From labor issues to pre-mature birth or other more difficult outcomes, having a healthy baby on time is the ultimate surprise, and whether we already know the gender totally irrelevant.
So for all the “waiters” out there, here are a few specific and personal reasons people choose to find out their baby’s gender:
- SIBLING BONDING Younger children have a stronger identity with their new baby when they know whether they’ll have a new sister or new brother. Take the “It” out of the discussion, and make the concept of a human growing in mom’s belly a little bit more real.
- PARENTAL PREFERENCE While most parents will instantly fall in love with baby regardless of gender, if one parent is holding a gender preference, knowing the outcome ahead of time helps that parent adjust.
- TWINS No one should question your desire for preparation if you’re having twins! From nursery set-up to apparel and all the other equipment that is increasingly gender-stereotyped, there’s strong economic incentive to know ahead of time when you’re buying double.
- BABY #3 OR MORE If you already have a boy and a girl, you’ve probably ended up with bins of clothes and toys for both genders. It helps to know which ones to keep and which to clear out.
No one should stand on a soapbox when it comes to making a personal decision about finding out the gender of their baby. After all, the best surprise is holding that fully-formed human being in your arms and looking into his or her face. It’s the best version of Peek-a-Boo you’ll ever play!
For a look at wonderful baby birth announcement cards to share the details you choose, shop the collection at www.looklovesend.com. You’ll find baby girl birth announcements to swoon over, and clever ones for boys too. You’ll also find just as many fresh original designs for gender-neutral card no matter what your preference!
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16 Jan |
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8:32 pm Posted by Kristy |
There is a well-known list of ‘vices’ that most expecting moms steer clear of, or at least minimize their exposure to. Despite contradictory studies reported in the media, the list is consistent enough that any baby shower hostess worth her salt ought to be in the know. If you’re getting ready to send out baby shower invitations, here’s how you can gracefully handle four basic vices and turn them into virtues for a gracious and smart party for your expecting guest-of-honor:
Cigarette Smoke: Smoking Section!
This tops the list. Steer smoker guests who need to light up outside. A shower hostess can handle this most gracefully by making smokers aware of available outdoor space to use when they “need some fresh air” (a favorite smoker euphemism).
Alcohol: Get sign-off first
Just because you’re expecting doesn’t mean everyone else has to feel like its Prohibition. It’s okay for your shower host to offer some cocktails, such as the appealing Skinny Girl line or the classic mimosa. But don’t assume it’s okay if you are the shower host; check with your guest of honor first.
Caffeine: Decaf alternatives
Every expecting mom has different opinions about this because caffeine affects all of us differently. But caffeinated beverages are a staple at any party, and so too are the decaffeinated alternatives, whether for tea, coffee or soda.
Sushi: Really?
From the wedding menu to the big box supermarket, sushi is a healthy, delicious, easy menu option for entertaining. But eating raw fish just isn’t a smart move for any pregnant lady, so skip it at a baby shower and stick to California rolls.
It’s a fairly safe bet that you won’t find many baby shower invitations featuring a wine glass, coffee mug or sushi motif. Not unless their circled with a big slash line through the center. To find fresh, fun baby shower invitations that fit your expecting guest-of-honor’s style, shop the collection at www.LookLoveSend.com. Many baby shower invitations also have coordinating baby thank you note designs, many which can be personalized with a photo or monogram. These make a wonderful baby shower gift and will get plenty of use immediately following the shower.
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13 Jan |
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10:57 pm Posted by Nicola |
We’ve shared our princess party ideas for those pink-wearing, princess costume-wearing little girls. Next up: the construction theme party for imaginative young builders from ages 3-6. From birthday party invitations, to party games and favors – read on for our favorite party picks.
'Crane Construction Birthday' by Sarah Trainor
Birthday Party Invitations: Your guests will expect cranes and trucks when they see the ‘Crane Construction Birthday’ invitation by designer Sarah Trainor in the mail. Then yellow border looks like yellow ‘caution’ tape so buy a roll to decorate your party area and continue the theme.
Games: All kids love to dig. Setup large shallow buckets, provide plenty of toy trucks and bury small road signs for them to find using only their trucks. How you fill the box depends on how adventurous you are – from the cleanest option of rice (buy several large bags in bulk) to the traditional sand, to truly authentic but potentially messy piles of dirt. Think up construction crafts and activities such as hammering golf tees into Styrofoam blocks and building towers with marshmallows and toothpicks (prizes for the quickest and tallest).
Party Extras: Write each child’s name on a plastic hard hat to wear upon arrival. Search online for orange construction vests or pickup pocketed aprons from your local Home Depot (available for $0.77 each!) Bring out a Bob the Builder piñata or spray-paint any round piñata black to resemble a wrecking ball.
Party favors: Buy inexpensive plastic toolboxes and fill them with a few plastic tools, a small tape measure, and a construction truck. Inflatable hammers are also a big hit!
If you are lucky enough to know someone with a bobcat or tractor, ask to borrow it in your yard to pose some great kid photos to insert into those birthday thank you cards. And to set the tone with a high-quality construction birthday party invitation; checkout LookLoveSend for easy customization and guaranteed customer satisfaction.
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8 Jan |
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10:13 am Posted by Kristy |
Wedding planning can be a stressful undertaking. No matter the size of your budget, it always feels like you’ve got to get everything right. The antidote is to lighten things up a little, and have some fun. One trend we are seeing at LookLoveSend are personalized save the date cards that showcase your sense of humor. Clever, unique save the date card photos let your guests know you plan to have some fun on your wedding day, and make your wedding date all the more memorable.
source: Art + Life Photography via BridalGuide.com
Photo Ops for Save the Date Cards
Whether you use professional or personal photos, creating personalized save the date cards is a fresh, visual alternative to the traditional save the date card. Here are 4 ideas that will grab your guests attention and make your wedding day all the more memorable!
Sports Fan Jerseys
Save the date with your favorite sports team jersey! Print your wedding date numbers on the back of the shirts. It’s especially fun if your team’s season is the same as your wedding. This couple photographed (right) by Art + Life Photography in a BridalGuide.com post tried out a number of poses for a creative, fun save the date card.
Coming Soon Marquee
If you’ve got a local art film house or small town theater nearby, find out about arranging your names and wedding date on their marquee. Photograph it beneath the Coming Soon, and you’ll have a fantastic movie lover’s save the date card.
Stamp it on His Forehead
Poke a little fun by writing your wedding date right on his forehead with washable marker. Not only will he never forgot your anniversary, your guests will know they can expect to enjoy themselves if the bride and groom are having this much fun. A close up shot works best, one that includes both of you from the eyes up, with “Save the Date” written on Her forehead, the actual date on His forehead.
'Elegant Swoops' by Bethany Harrell
Prop it Up
There are any number of ways to share the date in your photograph that also conveys the theme for your wedding day. Write it out on a chalkboard to hold in front of you. Carve a heart into a tree or sand with your initials and date. Print it on the soles of your shoes. Always consult with your photographer for fresh ideas he or she has seen–they are a perfect source for new ideas.
For personalized save the date cards that work with your favorite photo, shop the extensive collection at www.looklovesend.com. We print photographs with beautiful crispness and clarity, with your choice of paper textures to match your taste and style. Turnaround is fast, and we guarantee your complete satisfaction or we’ll reprint at no cost to you.
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6 Jan |
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5:03 pm Posted by Nicola |
Once the holiday decorations are put away and the gift boxes are taken away, there is a noticeable lull in celebrations before the Valentine’s red and St. Patrick’s Day green take effect. If your child has a birthday during these winter months, why not embrace the quiet holiday calendar and use your party planning skills to throw a truly spectacular themed birthday party? Pick a theme and start planning around it – from birthday party invitations, to party games, food and party favors – make it a party to remember! Over the next couple of weeks, the team at LookLoveSend will be featuring some of our favorite themes for your child’s birthday celebration. First up: the princess party.
'Princess Party' by Charla Weaver
Birthday Party Invitations: Announce your party in perfect princess style with the cute pink (of course) or purple ‘Princess Party’ invitation by designer Charla Weaver. There’s no doubt about the party theme with this invitation design and we recommend customizing the text to invite guests to wear their favorite princess costume to the event. A group of young ‘princesses’ makes for a priceless photo to remember the day.
Games: Add a princess twist to any of the standard beloved party games such as Pin the Tiara on the Princess or Hide the Tiara. Modify musical chairs to ‘pass the poison apple’ – the object is NOT to be holding the apple passed from guest to guest when the music stops!
Music: Easy. Pick from dozens of Disney music CDs or iTunes download to compiler your playlist. Girls of all ages love a dance party!
Refreshments: Whether you prepare a special tea party or stick to traditional birthday party snacks on princess-themed paper ware, it’s easy to put a ‘princess spin’ on food and beverages for your party. Think pink.
The princess years are short (take it from a mom who recently recycled two bags of princess costumes, shoes, tiaras and play jewels!) so why not take advantage of this sweet girlie theme while it lasts? Most party stores carry several styles of princess decorations, paper goods and party favors. Make your food cute and pink and you’ll be all set. And to set the tone with a high-quality princess birthday party invitation; checkout LookLoveSend for easy customization and guaranteed customer satisfaction.
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2 Jan |
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10:44 pm Posted by Kristy |
Many bridal fashion highlights seen on 2012 runways have become mainstream trends for gowns in 2013. Demand for certain features is evidenced by availability in budget-friendly brands, as seen in this clip featured on The Today Show. Guest and site editor of the popular wedding website theknot.com, Anja Winikka, talks about how to get the look of these 5 hot bridal fashion trends on an average–or even tight–budget:
Bridal Gown Trends
- Overlays, or the layering of sheer fabrics like lace, tulle, and organza, lends a romantic look.
- Peplums, a single layer of fabric at the hips or waist, add structure.
- Ruffles of all sizes are everywhere, seen on every part of a gown, and bring a playful quality.
- Bling in the form of sequins, beading and jewels adds sparkle, and a little goes a long way.
- Corsets can be both downright sexy or subtle and romantic.
Bridesmaids Dress Trends
- Shorter dresses are gaining in popularity, especially in cuts that fall above the knee.
- Prints and patterns are a refreshing alternative to solid colors.
- One shouldered necklines make a unique statement and flatter most bust sizes.
- Gray, ever coined “the new black,” comes in many shades.
Some of these same trends are also reflected in today’s unique wedding invitations. Certainly brides are dressing up their invitations more with ribbons, colored paper layers, special die-cuts and patterns of all styles and colors. Whatever your taste and style, you can find the unique wedding invitations perfect for your wedding day at www.looklovesend.com. Invitations coordinate with all the components you’ll need for your special day, from save the date cards to personalized thank you cards. Choose from premium, heavy weight papers, and expect fast turnaround for your order.
