Creative Long Distance Relationship Gift Ideas!

Long distance relationships are not the greatest relationships to have.

But they are unique and special in their own way. I believe the long distance relationship my husband and I went through really helped create us to be best friends. I mean 5 years long distance is a long time to spend getting to know someone.

If you haven’t read my post on how I survived a 5 year long distance relationship, click here!

While text messages and phone calls were essential, getting stuff in the mail created almost a Christmas like spirit in me. I would always run back into the house to open my package.

Here are my 5 recommendations for long distance gift ideas.

These gifts were sometimes a birthday gift or sometimes just a gift to show you care. All of these gifts provided a smile on my face and warmth in my heart knowing my then boyfriend took time to mail each of these to me.

1. Someone Loves You Bear. Now this gift actually wasn’t mailed but I think it is a cute idea to mail it anyway. My first birthday my husband and I were together, my husband drove all the way from Indianapolis with this little bear strapped in the seatbelt. That night when he got to my house, he showed me the bear “cutely” strapped in beside him. AND there was a beautiful silver diamond necklace connected to the bear! We had only been dating 5 months then, man was a lucky gal. 😉

2. Toolbox full of goodies. This I DID receive in the mail. It was during a stressful time in college. My husband found this cute purple toolbox and filled it with all kinds of goodies for me. It had a new phone case for my phone, tons of candy, some pens (pen lover!), a gift card, and a sweet note from my husband! This picture was from 2013, so excuse the quality. 😉 . You don’t have to send a toolbox though. Just pack up a container full of their favorite stuff. Trust me, if they are going through a stressful time, they will love it!

3. Handmade cards! They are the best. I have kept every sweet note my husband has wrote me. It doesn’t have to be a love letter. Sometimes a simple I love you is all they need.

4. Provide supper! My husband would send me all kinds of gift cards. It was fun when ever I would use them, it made me think just about him and his sweet act of kindness. Maybe you want to provide a gift card to their favorite restaurant or fast food place. Y’all could have a Facetime date while eating together!

5. Chocolate! Chocolate solves all problems. At least in my world. 😉 . I found the perfect candy shop on Etsy. It is called WhatCandySays. They allow you to send messages with chocolate candy! I surprised my husband with this for our 8 years of being together anniversary. The chocolate is delicious! Highly recommend!

These are just a few of the idea’s that my husband and I used during our long distance relationship. These gifts left such an impact on my heart that I smiled while writing this blog post. Sweet memories during an imperfect dating situation. I hope I offered a creative way for you to tell a loved one how much you care!

Please share any other gift ideas you received down below!

Much love,

-Brittany

August 3, 2018August 3, 2018

3 years – 1, 095 days together – Happy Anniversary!

Happy 3 years of marriage to my husband and I! We got married on July 12^th, 2015. Wow, why does 2015 sound so far away!

Our marriage is not perfect, but I can say I have enjoyed every day. My husband is my best friend. We went through a long distance relationship for 5 years before we got married.

Check out the post here for my tips on surviving long distance!

So when we got married, to be in the same state and house was magical. I can count on one hand how many serious fights my husband and I have had in 3 years. We both hate fighting and drama so we try to avoid fights at all cost.

This year, we decided to do something special! Before our anniversary, we decided to finally get weddings bands. My husband and I did not exchange rings during our wedding vows. My husband can not wear a ring where he works. Also we knew that regardless of a ring or not, we were making a commitment to God and to each other to honor and respect each other.

Have you ever had your engagement ring get caught on something? I’ve had that happen a few times. A fear always flashes through my mind of, “oh, that could have ripped my finger off.” It most likely is an irrational fear, but I love having all my fingers and want to keep them as much as possible. 😉 I’ve heard horror stories of it happening anywhere. Stories of people getting their finger ripper off by a bag, a door, a counter top!

So I found the company Enso. They create silicon rings. These rings make it less likely for your finger to get caught. The rings are very flexible and grip close to your finger. We fell in love with the copper color. My husband and I ordered the elements ring. I believe it has some medal mixed in with the silicon. I couldn’t tell though!

I ordered the thin elements options, because I liked having a thinner band. Also in regular rings I wear a size 5.5. The company recommend that you size down if you are a half size, due to the silicon gradually stretching over time.

We were so pleased with our rings! My husband still can’t wear it to work but he had one for the weekend! Also these rings are very affordable! The regular price is $50 dollars! BUT KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR DEALS. On Father’s Day weekend we ordered our rings. Our rings were on sale for $32 bucks a piece! So for both, it was just $64!!!

The company is very nice if you order the wrong size, which I did. 😉 I was able to get the right size pretty easy. Also the rings have a lifetime guarantee!

I highly recommend these rings, if you are looking for a unique affordable twist on wedding bands. They have all kinds of other rings as well to order!

So while I did want to tell you about our fun 3^rd year purchase. I also wanted to give some advice. Even though its just been three years, I do feel like I have some wisdom to share!

– Pray together – everyday!

– Talk about your dreams together.

-Snuggle – even if it’s just for 5 minutes!

– When disagreeing, say “this is what I understand you are saying….” Explain, talk it out.

-Watch your wedding video, or look through photos every anniversary. Reflect on that special day.

Our anniversary was not perfect. I was actually sick with a sinus infection. So we ordered take out from the Cheesecake Factory and brought it hope. We then sat on the floor, me leaning back against him. We watched our wedding video. We teased each other asking if we should turn the heat on while watching it, considering our wedding day 3 years ago was one of the hottest days of the years. We also got married in a barn with no AC. So we were definitely glistening that day. 😉

The video made it feel like our wedding was just yesterday. To watch our wedding video is a tradition I hope my husband and I continue to do every year.

1 Corinthians 13:4 – “Love is patient, love is kind.”

July 20, 2018July 20, 2018

DIY ANNIVERSARY GIFT – BOOKMARK!

Are you looking for a cheap, simple, creative gift idea?

That was me about two weeks ago. My husband and I celebrated our 3^rd wedding anniversary on July 12^th. We have been blessed with 3 wonderful years of marriage. I have always heard the first few years are hard. But ours has been completely opposite. Maybe because were best friends or dealt with a 5 years long distance relationship. But I can count on one hand the number of know-down-drag-out fights we’ve had in our 1, 095 days of marriage.

Check out my blog post on how I survived a 5 year long, long distance relationship!

My husband and I are Dave Ramsey fans and with our current situation and the fact were trying to save for a house, buying luxury anniversary gifts was not possible. I’m a simple girl and told my husband just get me some pretty flowers and buy me supper and that’s perfect to me. My husband didn’t ask for anything, he rarely ever does.

I felt bad though for me to be treated like a princess and the prince gets nothing in return.

So I put my creative mind to work. Here lately, my husband has developed a love of reading. If you had told me 5 years ago my husband would love reading, I would have laughed at you. 😉 But now he does, he enjoys financial, motivational, and leadership books. I can see how much his mind has grown over the past few months from reading those books.

This led me to the perfect inexpensive gift for him…. A BOOKMARK!

I contemplated trying to make a bookmark using Microsoft word. Then I thought, nah that’s too complicated. Then I used good ol’ google. I found a layout using a Canva print for a bookmark.

If you have never used the Canva website before its totally free! It has all kinds of layouts you can use for different projects. Pinterest graphic, post card, invitation, business card, the list goes on and on.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE VIDEO!

So here are the steps I used:

– First, google Canva bookmark – click on the very first link. It says free online bookmark maker, or something similar. 😉

–Next, click the green button, start designing your bookmark. Now you might have to create an account here. I didn’t because I already had one. But remember, IT’S FREE!

-It then takes you to a fancy page where you can design it however you like!

I was very impressed, they already had some layouts you can use, and they are cute! I wanted to make the bookmark more personal. My husband and I both love to travel. We hope by saving our money and following a budget that one day we will be able to travel more.

I picked 3 pictures of some of our favorite spots we’ve traveled since we’ve been married.

-Grand Canyon – so much fun, we drove there! Check out my blog posts for more info on our Grand Canyon adventure. We even vlogged it!

CLICK HERE FOR THE VLOG!

-Noah’s Ark – Williamstown, KY. Highly recommend! We went with our church. It was unbelievable to see what Noah built by hand!

-Windmill Island – Holland Michigan! Beautiful! Gorgeous flowers! Amazing windmill you can tour. Delicious chocolate! Oh, and some wooden Dutch shoes!

I wanted to add a saying to the pictures, so I chose, “I can’t wait to travel the world with you.” I still felt like it needed a little extra, so I added a small heart image and an airplane image.

For those images, you just search for them in the search category. Make sure you pick the free options. Not everything on the website is free… just like life. 😉

I printed the image off on my printer at home. It actually impressed me how well it printed. I cut it out to make it smaller. I then used poor man’s lamination (as my husband says 😉 ) aka duct tape.

Once I neatly covered it in duct tape, I went around the edges to cut off the extra tape.

I had meant to write a sweet message on the back. However, in my excitement, I forgot. I then wrote “happy 3 yrs!” on a small piece of paper and duct taped it on the back.

The more it looks handmade the better, right? 😉

My husband loved it!

He genuinely thought it was so sweet. Best of all, it didn’t really cost me a dime. I had all the ingredients already at home.

I really enjoyed making this bookmark. I enjoyed how creative I could be using the Canva program. I think this would make a perfect gift for anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, bridesmaid gifts, classrooms. Or just to make a cute one for yourself. 😉

If you have any other ideas or designs for bookmarks, please leave a comment below!

Happy Reading!

June 27, 2018July 18, 2018

INVISALIGN – BRACES FOR SECOND TIME – WHAT I DID WRONG

Hey guys! I know it has been awhile since I have written a post. A one-week break turned into much longer than it should have. I am still in the learning process of blogging, so I am trying my best.

Today, I wanted to write about the Invisalign braces that I got today. Now before I explain my situation, I understand that there are people who have had it worse than I do. I am very blessed by my dental health and my family helping financially support me. I am by no means trying to brag.

While my teeth might look decent now. They did not always look that way. I was born with an underbite. That means that my lower teeth were in in front of my upper teeth. This type of bite can cause all kinds of complications. My grandmother actually had this type of bite as well. It is thought to be an inherited trait.

Not only did I have an underbite, but I had crooked teeth and a large gap in between my two front teeth. I would show you a picture, but I am still not very fond of those pictures. It was because of my underbite and gapped teeth that I became very insecure about my teeth. I did not even want to smile for pictures.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY VIDEO!

My parents took me to an orthodontist. I want to say I was around eleven or twelve years old. That was so long ago, I now don’t even really remember. I think I’m getting a little old. 😉

The first thing the orthodontist did was put spacers in my back teeth. That was no big deal. They put a couple what looked like rubber pieces in between my back teeth. No pain at all, I thought well this is easy.

Next, I had to get an expander. The expander was placed at the roof of my mouth and was going to expand my upper jaw so that my upper teeth could go over my lower teeth. Anyone who has had an expander knows that while this is pretty neat we can do this… it is quite painful. My mom would have to stick a “key” up in my expander ever so often to crank the expander wider, which gradually also expanded my upper jaw. Ouch!

While having an expander, I also had to have a device for night time. The device was in the shape like a C. One part cushioned itself on my forehead, the other part on my jaw. I had to hook rubber bands onto it to also help pull my teeth forward. While it was a pretty shade of purple, I did not want any of my friends seeing me in this.

Next came braces, yes the kind they have to hook to your teeth. I had braces for close to two years. While I did have to deal with some pain, it overall wasn’t that bad.

Towards the end of my braces, I had to have a minor oral surgery. I am not an orthodontist, so I have no idea what this surgery was even called. I had to have the small part at the top of my upper lip snipped some, so that my front teeth could close properly. It was not painful and took less than 20 minutes. It did come for a pretty price. $280 bucks right there on the spot. I still remember my Dad’s face of shock when they told him the price.

Finally after years of dental work, I was free!! Well kind of. I had a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth. I also had to wear a top retainer at night. The orthodontist did tell my teeth might shift some.

I wore my retainer very well the first year. Every night I wore it. Then gradually over time I slacked. I was about the age of 14 and my family was vacationing in Florida. My best friend had gone with us. I don’t have to wear my retainer when I’m on vacation right? 😉

WRONG! And if I could go back in time and tell myself to put that retainer in I would. So please if you currently are wearing a retainer or your child is. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR RETAINER! EVEN ON VACATION! 😉

So fast-forward to 2017. I knew my teeth were shifting pretty well. I started to notice a gap developing in the front two teeth in pictures. October of 2017, my bottom retainer finally broke and I had to have it removed.

I remember after I had it removed, I sat in my car crying while it was raining. I called my husband sobbing. I wish I had just worn my retainer when I was 14. I was crying so much I could not even talk without gasping for air. My husband told me it would be okay, we could get braces again. And bonus he always wanted to kiss a girl with braces, he said. 😉

After discussing with another orthodontist, I decided to get braces. I was given the option of using Invisalign. This made me super happy not having to have stuff cemented to my teeth again.

So here I am, my first day, June 26, 2018. They are overall pretty comfy to wear. If you have worn a retainer, it pretty much feels the same. I can feel pressure on my teeth so I know I am going to be a little sore. I am also able to talk pretty well, although the letter S is a little tricky to say.

I will have 14 trays in total. I will get a new tray every 2 weeks. Hopefully, I will be done in January of 2019. I pretty much have to keep them in, unless I am eating.

I look forward to being able to share my progress with you guys. If any of you feel insecure about your teeth, I 100% can relate.

One of the most beautiful things about a girl is her smile.

If you have any advice, tips, or questions about my fun dental experience or Invisalign, just leave it in the comments below.

I hope my story can encourage y’all to seek out dental help if you need it and don’t forget to smile!

Oh yeah, and WEAR YOUR RETAINERS! 😉

-Brittany

May 24, 2018July 16, 2018

My Obsession with My Day Designer – NEW Midyear 2018-2019 Mini Planner

I am a planner girl. I cannot go a day without my planner. I’ve actually been a planner girl pretty much my whole life. I remember being in elementary school and I would always write down my assignments each day and fill out my calendar every month. Seriously, I do not think that is normal for a 9 year old. 😉

I first found Day Designer at Target. I was a newly wed and trying to manage my life just out of a notebook and it was about to make me go crazy.

It was actually the same design I bought this year. Very Kate Spade like. 😉 I have now purchased this planner for the third year in a row. I actually considered and looked at other planners this year, just to see if there was anything better.

I asked my friends about their planners and even watched a few YouTube’s comparing different planners. But none of them had everything laid out like I wanted it, except my Day Designer. What can I say Day Designer has spoiled me. 😉

So what does the July 2018 – June 2019 look like?

I get the mini size; I have had the larger and still just prefer the size of the mini. That’s just a personal preference for me.

I love the hardback cover this planner had. I have traveled with this planner and use it every day and I have never had an issue with the cover becoming damaged. And trust me, I am not the most graceful. 😉

You open the binder and it comes with two pages of adorable gold stickers to use through out your planner. Perfect! I actually do not use a lot of stickers in my planner but these are nice for special occasions.

Next you have two pages that introduce the planner as well as detachable ruler you can keep and use in your planner. I most likely will not use the ruler but it is nice to have if you need it.

The next 4 pages are goal oriented, which is great in planning your year. These pages focus on a reality check to see what you spend time and money on. There is a chart for your top 5 values, passions, and strengths. As well as charts to help meet your goals anywhere from three months to a year out. I think it is so important to look over these pages whenever you are feeling discouraged. They can be an encouragement to remind you what is really important.

The following two pages is a weekly layout to help plan out your weeks if you are interesting in creating a routine.

Check out my video review of this planner here!

The last two pages before the planner starts is a 2018 and 2019 year calendar, showing you a small monthly layout for each month that year.

One of the best things is that the planner starts out with the month of June! Thank you so much Day Designer for giving us that extra month. My last planner only went through May, so the thought of going a month without a planner was a little terrifying. 😉

My only dislike is that they did not give us a June 2018 calendar page. But that can be handled by printing off a June month calendar from the Internet. Crisis avoided!

My biggest love with the Day Designer is how the days are laid out.

You have-

Today’s Top Three – which is three things you must get done

You have a section to write things like:

Due – like bills!
Dinner – I use this for my meal planning.
Dollars – I have never really used this here.
Don’t forget – always helpful for a reminder.

Next the middle part of the page is split into two sections:

A daily agenda from 7 am to 7 pm- very helpful when needing to write down specific times.
The second part of the page is a to-do list, which I use every day. I write down my chores for the house, or errands I need to run.
At the bottom of the page is a note section, which is also handy to write down things so you don’t forget.
Last part is a daily gratitude. I think this is one of the most important parts of the planner. Because even on our worse days, or days when we didn’t get anything on our list done, we always have something to be thankful for.

Saturday and Sunday are a little different. They are both on the same page but there is still room for top three and daily agenda. Also, at the bottom there is a layout of small squares for each day next week. So that you can go ahead and write down anything that is important so you don’t forget next week.

My tip for Saturday and Sunday is to plan out your meals on the agenda. For example:

Breakfast – 8am – smoothie!

Lunch – 12pm – McAllister’s!

Supper – 6pm – Pizza!!!

I know that does not sound very healthy, but it sounds delicious. 😉 Also you can write down your to-do list on a separate small sheet of paper or just make little squared off sections on your agenda for your to-do list. I’ve done both ideas!

So I hope I have explained why I love my Day Designer so much. I’m pretty sure unless something better comes along; I am going to be buying this planner for the rest of my life. 😉 So check out the website for Day Designer!

Also, check out my YouTube channel for other planner reviews!

2017-2018 Midyear Day Designer

(They actually have a print for this year similar to this print!)

Plan with me, using my Day Designer!

Check out my review of my full size Day Designer Planner

Happy Planning!

-britt

May 9, 2018July 17, 2018

Gluten Free Vegetarian Junk Food Loves

If you would have told me ten years ago that I would be a gluten free vegetarian, I would have laughed at you. But here I am now. I have been gluten free for about a year due to allergy issues. I have been vegetarian about a year now as well. After watching a couple documentaries on Netflix about health, my husband and I both decided to give up meat. Since then we both have felt better and have clearer skin than ever before. We also have very limited dairy, which helps with clear skin.

Most people say to us, well what can you eat? It hasn’t been the most fun journey but we have discovered some really great food along the way.

Here are some of my favorite Gluten Free Vegetarian Unhealthy Food Loves

-1- Pizza

– I have finally found some delicious gluten free pizza, and trust me I’ve had to taste some pretty gross ones in the process. My recommendations are- Hungry Howie’s and Papa Murphy’s – both offer gluten free crust and you can put whatever you want on it. Sonoma is a good brand to buy at Meijer’s gluten free section as well.

-2- McAlister’s Grilled Cheese

-They offer it in some locations on gluten free bread… its delicious. You can also use gluten free bread on any sandwich there.

-3- Qdoba nachos and queso are a must! Plus you can get a burritos bowl with brown rice and it’s gluten free!

-4- Katz gluten free powdered donut holes at Meijer, so good! But don’t cook them too long!

-5- Ice cream – Freddy’s, Culvers, DQ, Sonic – all gluten free!

-6- Wendy’s French Fries

-Sometimes it’s fun to just get a large fry and pig out while watching a movie at home. 😉

So those are some of my favorite gluten free vegetarian junk foods. If y’all have anymore good ideas please leave them in the comments below! Yum, now I’m hungry. 😉

-Britt