Some Wedding Planning Tips!!

We have a year and a half engagement so we have had a lot of time to figure our shit out if you know what I mean... Even then, it has been overwhelming at times. I have been thinking back to our first few months of engagement and these are some tips that I wish someone would have told me.

1. Pin a lot, but don't mimic or expect everything to come to life straight from your inspiration boards.


There is a ton of really great inspiration online that can kickstart your wedding planning process but sometimes it can be overwhelming and it can also set your expectations a bit too high. Don't get me wrong you most definitely should have incredibly high expectations for your wedding day but it is really important to keep in mind that the wedding is symbolic and the important part is that you're marrying someone really special.


You also want to showcase both of your personalities using inspiration from what you find online, not mimic exactly that. It's so easy to get swept up in the Pinterest vortex, but make sure you're being realistic and not stretching the character of your wedding and definitely try not to overwhelm yourself.

2. Create your own checklist.


There are hundreds of checklists and timelines that you can follow but every wedding, every bride, and every relationship is different. Compile the checklists that are most reliable and realistic for your specific wedding day.


I started simply by printing out checklists, and scratching irrelevant points off the list. Then I hand wrote my own checklist and timeline and threw it in my binder. Sometimes I'll stumble upon a new checklist and I'll add a few points to my list. Customizing your lists is key to keeping yourself organized.

 3. Let the people who want to help, help, and let those who are uninterested be.


I spent a few months at the beginning of our engagement trying to really engage my bridesmaids in the planning process, because I was so dang excited. I didn't really realize at first that there are a few reasons this wouldn't work.


Firstly, everybody still has their own life happenings, and while that is common sense, I got a bit overexcited and thought that they would make more of an effort. Secondly, when you have a group of girls that are coming together to support you, personalities can conflict. I had a lot of this in my bridal party which seriously upset me at first, until I realized that they're not in the wedding party to be friends with each other, they're in the wedding party to support me on my day and be of help on the way.


You asked your girls to be in the party for a reason, so cling to that. Don't expect everybody to be friends or be super engaged in the planning process because in all honesty, there isn't THAT much to be done that you'll need all hands on deck for other than the actual day. Let your friends and family hell where they offer and have one key person picked out that you can ask for specific and constant help (my person is my momma) and let the rest be.


This is just the beginning of my reservoir of wedding planning tips that I've acquired over the past year, and I hope this helps! Keep your eye out for more coming soon!


xx
Sarah Beth

3 Easy Ways to Liven Up Your Living Space!

Since I was a kid, I've always loved decorating my bedroom, making crafts, and creating a space for myself that I feel welcomed and at home. Our financial situation right now hasn't allowed us to purchase all of the decor pieces that we would like to, so I've picked a few small ways to fancy up our home, and make it feel homie! Here are my top 3 ways that I use to liven up our home! 

1. Plants.

For my first birthday I remember asking for a plant. My mom filled our home with plants, and our backyard was complete with 6 or 7 large flower gardens, and 1 or 2 vegetable gardens. The simple life that thrived in our house was just so inspiring.

Now, my home is crawling with little plants, and I couldn't be happier! I will admit, plants do come with some small responsibilities, but they will bless you with light and life if you care for them! I highly recommend starting off with some succulents and cacti, if you're new to plant caring. Ikea has some beautiful (and super cheap!) tiny little cacti and succulents that just add such a cool vibe to your living space. Succulents are also a great way to spruce up a small space, if you're in an apartment, or still living at home with your parents!

Here are a few of my favorite plants that we have around our home:

2. Something you made.

I'm a huge believer in the warmth creativity brings to a home. Not only does it bring a personal, unique aspect to a home, DIY projects are great conversation starters for when you invite guests over!

My favorite DIY piece that I have in my home is one of the first things you see when you walk in the door, my pallet shelf!

This was a longer project, and one that took some man power, but it's such a fun piece to decorate, and it just looks so unique, not to mention homie! *if you want a tutorial on this, let me know!*

For all you small living space folks out there, don't be discouraged! When I lived with my parents I accessorized my room with paintings by yours truly! Seriously, go to your local craft store OR dolarama to pick up a few canvases and a small amount of acrylic paint and you're set!

This was one of the first paintings I ever created, and it's still in my house today!

3. Candles!

This is probably the easiest way to make your living space a big more chic, and lively! Having a flicker of light and a wash of your favorite scent can completely change the mood of a room, not to mention many candles come in cute little containers! 

Target has a great selection and a wide range of pricing. If you're on a budget, purchase scentless candles, or candles with little scent payoff, they'll be the least expensive and will still look beautiful! My personal favorites are of course, Bath & Body Works candles, but I only ever buy them when they're on sale. I might do a full post on my favorite scents from there soon so stay tuned!

Let me know if any of these tricks work for you! 

xx

Sarah Beth

A Quick, Tired, Thought Process/Rant.

Life has really gotten the best of me lately. I have been writing a 5 Tips To Relieve Stress post for the past few days, compiling my best tiny little things that can help you get through your day without pulling your hair out. But today, it just feels like none of those things are going to do it for me today (and trust me, those tips are normally my rituals).

Today it just dawned on me right as I awoke at the ripe ol' hour of 5:50am, that I simply don't have time to accomplish all that I need to. Two papers due in two days, three exams next week, two jobs, a home to take care of, pets to take care of, two songs to write keyboard parts to, and trying to keep up with friends and family when all I really want to do is snuggle Kyle and sleep for a few days.

Obviously these are the times destressing is most important because there is so much to do and so little time, but when you're just not in the right mindset it really is a difficult task to get your difficult tasks done. So here I am, supposed to be writing two papers for classes that I'm seriously disinterested in, but I'm writing something that I actually care about.

It's days like these I question my path in life. Should I really be in university right now? If I quit university, what would I do? Do I even want to be a teacher? I always have to remind myself that getting a degree will help me later in life, if I don't get my teaching degree right away at least I'll have a degree to stand on, especially if I decide later on down the road I'd like to teach.

I know this post is going to be super ramble-y, I just figured I'd be an open book with you guys. No matter what you read, or see on social media, absolutely everybody has days like these. That's what makes everyone real, and strong, and push to make life what they see in their dreams.

In short, what I really wanted to say in this post (which didn't really come out) was: Keep truckin', friends. Let me know what you're dealing with in the comments, lets start a conversation!

Xx
Sarah Beth

My Relationship/Engagement Story!

Kyle and I dated seriously for a year and a half before we got engaged. We actually met in the weirdest way I could ever have imagined meeting my soulmate bff person. The story goes like this:

It was Thanks Giving here in Canada which usually is the first or second weekend of October. My step sister, Jenn, had invited her long time boyfriend, Chris, and we were all hanging out and having a few beverages. My dad and his wife went to bed early but we all stayed up to hang out. Chris ended up calling his older brother Kyle to bring him his alcohol that he had left at home, and somehow I ended up on the line with Kyle trying to convince him to come hang out. At this point, Kyle was 24, and I was 17.

After intense persuasion, he ended up driving over (he was still living at his parent's house not far from my dad's) and we convinced him to come inside and hang out. He didn't quite know my age yet but he know I was a lot younger than him so he was a bit wary, but we hit it off right away. We ended up pranking Chris a few times, and just laughing and having a really good time. He knew how to play one classical song on the piano so he played me that and you betcha I swooned. After that, he went home and I didn't think much else of it, because I couldn't fathom that he would actually be interested in someone so young. 

The next day, Jenn went to Chris and Kyle's family's Thanks Giving dinner and started talking me up. Little did I know, when she was texting me asking what I thought of Kyle, she was relaying the message right to Kyle (I actually said "omg yeah he's goooorgeous," and yes she showed him that). Still though, I didn't think anything would actually happen because I just figured he was so unattainable!

Next thing I know, Jenn is setting us up on a double date with her and Chris. We went to a stir fry place that's super popular in our city, and we, yet again, had an amazing time. We went on 5 or 6 dates after that alone, then he came over to my house a few times to watch movies with my family, and then he asked me to be his girlfriend.

About 6 months later, he bought a house in the city, and a month after that we went to the Humane Society and picked out our very first puppy. Commitment was pretty quick after that and we both knew that was it for us, we were going to get married some day.

After a year and a half of dating, Kyle asked me to marry him on Christmas Eve of 2013. I moved in with him shortly after the engagement, we got another dog and cat, and our life together started there! It's been a year and two months since our engagement, and the wedding is in four months!!! I can't believe how crazy this ride has been and I'm so blessed to have found my person at such a young age. I can't wait to share more of our story with you!

xx
Sarah Beth

Who Am I?!!?!?!? Welcome to Living The Good Little Life!

Well hi friends!!!

My name is Sarah Beth and I am a 20 year old (80 years old at heart) little lady trying to figure out what this life is supposed to be! You'll probably find a mishmash of a thousand different topics on this blog, all about my good little life. Some things you might be interested to know about me are as follows:

• I'm a full time university student at the University of Winnipeg, currently finishing my B.A. and possibly continuing on into the Education stream (to be a kindergarten teacher).
• I'm a full time doggie and kitten mama to a 3 year old border collie named Tali, a 3 year old mutt (we have no idea what breed he might be) named Jack, and a big black and white kitty named Enzo.
• I'm also a full time fiancé and co-homeowner to my wonderful man, Kyle.
• I have two part time jobs, one as a receptionist at a Self Storage company, and the other as a receptionist/assistant at a Music School.
• I am part of a newly acquired band (you might hear more about that soon...).
• I'm a DIYer.
• I LOVE having plants in the house but I'm rubbish at keeping them alive (succulents all the way).
• I really enjoy playing with makeup and personal care products. I like talking about it even more!
• I really really love connecting with people, and that's what I hope to do here!
• My dream is to be a stay at home mom, to live in the country, and to have many many animals for our kids to frolic with in the great outdoors.
• My goal with my blog is to create a network/platform where positivity is radiated. I truly believe that everybody can live a good little life. Its the perspective that really creates the life you want, not the items.

I really hope to chat with you and be your friend via the wonderful internet! This will simply be my journey to bettering myself, and growing with the life that I am so blessed to lead. I hope you find something here that's worth something to you!

Have a good little day!

xx
Sarah Beth