Sapphire723

Hmm... wanna help me break a rib or two so I can squeeze into it? :-) It's beautiful. I wish I were a size 8!

For the NYE question: I think it depends on what your friends and family normally do for NYE. If you normally hang out with them anyway, then awesome! If they have traditions that don't include you, though, maybe you could have an AHR that doesn't go until midnight and then have an afterparty with those who wanna stick around. My opinion is that unless they have standing plans (ie family tradition), it shouldn't be a problem. You may want to consider being flexible with the guest list, though, so you don't force people to choose between their usual NYE and your AHR. If it were me, though, I'd love to go to a NYE AHR. Especially since a lot of the places around here that have decent parties charge over $100 a head, so I usually can't get enough of my friends to go to make it fun. As for inviting people to the AHR that you don't invite to the wedding, I think it's difficult to do that without offending anyone. If it is going to be immediate family only, I would make sure that people knew that. Otherwise, they might think that they are just B list friends and family. At the end of the day, you should do what you want, but be mindful that it may hurt some feelings.

I say if you want beer centerpieces, go for it! I think you should put them in koozies that match your wedding color and put them in a pretty bucket to class them up. To be honest, I think that's a lot more functional than flowers that are going to die out anyway, and if that's what you and FI want, then I think it's a great idea.

I may be interested depending on the time and cost. I live in CT, but I work in upstate (Somers) NY.

Hey... for those of you sparkers, do you want to form a team on Sparkpeople? I don't think there's currently one out there for the BDWers.

I don't take packs, but I take a Multi V and a B-complex V from Naturemade. They're gelcaps which are easy to swallow and don't upset my stomach like others do. When I take them regularly, I notice that I feel less lethargic and I don't get sick as easily.

Quote: Originally Posted by nsbride2010 I didn't know it had an iphone app, what is it called?? If you search the apps for Sparkpeople, you'll find two. One is called "Healthy Recipes - By SparkRecipes" and "Diet & Food Tracker" is the other one.

Amanda, it has a forum attached where you can connect with others, but it also has a food tracker that lists out your nutrients based on what you want to track and an exercise tracker. It also has some useful recipes and resources, including two iphone apps.

I like Sparkpeople.com. As an added plus, they're starting their bootcamp on Sunday, which I'm planning on joining.

Hey, sometimes suggestion can be sexier than skin itself. If he thinks that's sexy, then I think it's a great gift idea!

I see no problem with it if he and his mom are close and that's something he really wants to do, but if it isn't, then he shouldn't be forced into it.

Jan 13th is good for me.... or... the sooner the better!! I've been getting a little chunky lately, and although I've been trying, I'm having a hard time self-motivating. Thanks for doing this! Maybe I'll win this time. :-)

If she had asked me "How do you expect people to come to your wedding?" I would have given her this response: "We chose a DW, because we knew that it would sort out the people who really WANT to celebrate with us from the people who are just showing up for the free dinner and open bar." In all seriousness, it sucks that she's acting like that, and hopefully that's just her negativity and not your father's. And this is all about you and your FI, NOT her, so don't sweat it.... and feel free to vent any time you need to.

My mom was 40 when she had me and she had no issues through the pregnancy. I was born on my due date (first and only time I've been on time for anything!) and was almost 10 pounds. If your doctor causing pressure or doing more than just informing you, then I would switch doctors. Your doctor shouldn't be pushing you to have kids when you're not ready, and a good doctor would know better. Of course, your doc should still give you all the facts and info, but not in a way that makes you feel bad.

Count me in!

Quote: Originally Posted by Jess Good luck! Shop around...you would be surprised at how drug pricing differs between pharmacies...do you have a Costco near you? Also, I'd find out to see if they have a generic version of the medication which would cost you a lot less. Unfortunately, there's no generic or alternative drug or formulation for this yet, otherwise I'd totally jump on that. I'm allowed two more refills at a retail pharmacy, but then I have to order it through an online company affiliated with my insurance (which costs the same as I just paid at CVS) or start paying twice as much at the retail pharmacies. I will shop around, though, and see if someone else sells it for cheaper than CVS and fill it there for the next two fills. Thanks for the idea!

So, I've struggled for years (since at least as early as my pre-teen days) with UTIs, and nobody really knew why I was so susceptible to them. I wasn't sexually active at the time and I was always super careful about the things that could possibly lead to an infection. A few months ago, I got another UTI, and the antibiotics helped a lot, but didn't seem to make it go away fully. My Gyno decided to run a few more tests, including a urine dip test, STD tests (even though I knew that wasn't the problem, unless FI has been cheating and I would bet my life on the fact that he hasn't), and a catheterized bladder test. She finally decided that I probably have Interstitial Cystitis (IC) aka Painful Bladder Syndrome. Today she shot irritating liquids into my bladder so I could rate how much it hurt and/or made me want to pee. After that fun, she prescribed me drugs that I'll have to take three times a day for three months before I'm likely to notice a difference. I just filled the pills and found out that after my insurance pays a couple hundred dollars, I still have to pay $54 out of pocket every month for a drug that may or may not help even after the recommended three month trial period. It also might make parts of my hair fall out. Overall, I know that this isn't anywhere close to being the worst diagnosis I could get, and that plenty of people deal with a lot worse on a daily basis. It's not life threatening; it's just really uncomfortable to deal with. So, I'm still keeping it real and trying to be thankful that this is the worst of my problems, but I'm still super annoyed that I'm going to be popping these expensive pills several times a day for something they can't even prove that I have. Blech. Thanks for letting me vent! Hopefully I won't be a bald bride, but I already warned FI that he might not be the only one with a bald spot!

I would go ahead and plan for him not attending. Don't stress over what he keeps saying to people. It sounds like he's mostly talk, and I don't think you should go out of your way to make OOT bags for him or include him on the program if he's going to back out and disappoint you at the last minute. And don't stress about his sisters. They're lucky to even be invited! You don't owe him anything, and it was nice enough that you included him, so don't stress further about it.

I've sent a request into a mod, and if I get an ok, then I will let y'all know.

I like HotCouponWorld.com, personally, but I'm not a very good couponer.

When we stayed at Dreams Tulum, we tried to leave cash for housekeeping, but she wouldn't take it. We ended up leaving a note in Spanish (with our limited knowledge of the language) saying "Thank you. This money is for you." I think it was greatly appreciated because we received amazing service (above and beyond the awesomeness we already had) afterwards.

I watched this last night and it made me really sad. The way some of these girls were talking and crying makes me think that at least one of them may be suicidal when she doesn't win.

If you used a search from Expedia or a similar site, try using a different computer or clearing your cookies. Often times they will offer you a great deal the first search and then jack up the price on the second search because they know that you really want it now.

Quote: Originally Posted by mich999 My only other suggestion would be that if she continues to complain to remind her that you are paying for alot of this yourself and that's all you can afford and if she wants to invite more people, she can always pay for them. What she said. Make it clear that it's not in the budget to invite her friends, and if she wants to invite people (ones you're ok with having attend), she will have to contribute. Not all parents pay for weddings, especially nowadays when most girls fend for themselves before getting married instead of being supported by daddy and then by hubby. However, I wouldn't allow FMIL to make wedding decisions if she was being pushy and not contributing.

A brownie sundae bar sounds really awesome! I would MUCH rather have that than a cake. My only worry is that with a buffet comes a bit of a mess (at least for me!) and I know I would get it on my white dress. As for your mom, tell her that you value her opinion, but that it's important to you that you actually LIKE your dessert and you're not going to choke down yucky cake just for tradition's sake.