Wedding Footage And Cringe-Worthiness

Because I have been really naughty over the last couple of weeks with my posting, I have a bonus post for you guys today: my wedding video!

Last week we received it on the mail, and seriously, I could watch it over and over again. I love it so much! It conveys all the special moments of our day: the excitement previous to the event; the nervous bride getting her photos taken before walking down the aisle; the guests waiting; the vows; the love on both our faces; and of course, the party time!

What I have here is a short 3-minute trailer with all the highlights. The full video is about an hour long, with all the speeches and a lot more dancing that I won't bore you with. Hope you enjoy it!

***Oh, and by cringe-worthy, I mean my voice!  Seriously, I sound horrendous while saying my vows. Turns out, the week of the wedding I had a minor cold, and my voice got so rough! Luckily, on the actual day it was already much better but my voice wasn't fully back! I was trying so hard to sound "normal" that I ended up sounding childish and just plain weird. Oh well, a funny story to tell the grandkids...  so if we could just move past the funny voice... thanks!***

Anyway, so here it goes:

The song is "Hasta Mi Final" by Il Divo.

Why I Almost Killed My Husband Two Days After Our Wedding

Pic taken by Sean in Mexico, two weeks ago

It was December 17th. On the next day we were traveling to Cartagena, the city where we were going for our wedding on December 21st. Naturally, there was a mountain of jobs to be done before leaving for the next three weeks, so I gave Sean some jobs to do and I took on some too. On his list were things such as "Finish wrapping the Christmas presents", "Grab our passports", and "Buy snacks for the trip". We finally managed to get everything done (or so I thought) and the next day a van picked us and Sean's family up and drove us to Cartagena.

We spent the next four days busy with last-minute details, throwing up on boats in front of the in-laws (whole other story!) and then finally getting married. On December 23rd, after those blissful days, it was time to fly to Medellin to spend Christmas there. Tommy, Sean, Sean's family (mum, stepdad, brother and sister) and me went to the airport to catch our flight. We all handed our ID's at the counter and for some unknown reason, Sean decided he wanted to give them his passport, so he reached into our suitcase to find it. After a few moments, I see Sean give me his signature "You-are-not-going-to- like-this-so-I-better-say-it-fast-and-pretend-to-be-angrier-than-you" look. I feared the worst, but it turned out to be worse than that: he didn't have his passport! He didn't need it for that particular flight, but he did need it for the honeymoon, which we were leaving for three days later!

But wait a minute... "how can you not have your passport? it was on your list of jobs to do, you told me you had packed them... I asked if you had double checked and you told me (very annoyed) that you had...? are you sure?" When it hit me that yes, he was sure, my blood had never boiled so quickly. My brain immediately became busy with ways to kill him painfully and slowly: "I don't care if 'till death do us part' means two goddamn days!" was pretty much my frame of mind at the time.

Thankfully for him (and me! in the end, I do love the man) his mom was there, and I am pretty sure she was the reason I didn't go through with my plans: I don't think she would like me as much after murdering her son, right? Knowing her son's life depended on her, she tried to calm me down: "We better focus on ways to solve this, dear". I believe that little sentence right there is the reason my hubby is alive with me today: I actually did come up with a good plan five minutes later, which involved a housekeeper, a four hour trip by bus and overnight mailing. The passport finally arrived in Medellin the day before we were to leave on our honeymoon, much to our relief, and we did have a great trip, where I did not feel any urge to murder him again.

The best part? Sean is never again allowed to complain when I ask "are you suuuuure" for the twentieth time! woohoo!

Note: I was just kidding about actually "killing" him, obviously! ... Sort of.

I Am Back! Wedding, Post-Wedding, Honeymoon And Everything In Between

Whoa, has it really been almost three weeks since I last posted? Where has the time gone?
I have very clear goals for this blog, and it is one of the things I love doing and working on the most, but sometimes, there are things in life that just require our full, undivided attention, and that was December for me.

What a surreal month it was! First, on the 15th my in-laws came all the way from New Zealand to be with Sean, Tommy and me after nine months (and of course, to be at our wedding!). Then we travelled to our wedding destination, the beautiful city of Cartagena, and finally on the 21st of December, Sean and I GOT MARRIED! That's right, we did it, we took the plunge and now we are a pair of over-the-moon-happy newlyweds. The wedding ceremony was very touching, Sean said the most beautiful, meaningful words I have ever heard, and then we danced all night. That's exactly how I wanted it to be: nothing too OTT, nothing extremely complicated or traditional or cookie-cutter, just something that was simple, but fun and that people would remember, and I am certain all those things were accomplished. And Sean and I were left full of happiness, and a commitment we had long ago decided to make to each other, now official.

Sometime after that came Christmas, and Sean's family and mine spent it together (a priceless occurrence in itself!). Tommy got spoiled rotten, and enjoyed the first Christmas where he was actually aware that there is a good, old man in a red suit who comes and delivers presents. It was quite cute to watch him grasp the idea, and then be delighted and excited about it. Two days after Christmas, my mom, step-dad and brothers left with him to Disney World in Florida, so that we could have a nice, relaxing, kids-free honeymoon. And boy, that we did! We had eight days in the Mayan Riviera near Cancun, Mexico, where we just relaxed by the pool and the beach all day. And ate. And ate and ate and then ate some more. All day long we ate. But it was worth it: Mexican food is one of the best pleasures on this Earth and we certainly indulged in it.

Yesterday we arrived home, and real life has kick-started again. I won't lie: I have post-wedding blues. I had almost an entire month full of celebrations, travel, and people I love that I hadn't seen for so long, and then all of a sudden real life has to start again. But that's the beauty of life I guess: invaluable moments come and go in life so that we learn to cherish them and appreciate them more. And that is exactly what I plan on doing: grabbing all those beautiful, unforgettable moments from last month and keeping them in my heart forever. Moments such as these:

1. Me with my gorgeous bridesmaids, getting super excited before the ceremony:

2. The loving look of my husband, while I was saying my vows to him:

3. Tommy wanting to make a toast to us during the speeches (raising his plantain chip!):

4. The embrace of my brother, who was also one of Sean's groomsmen:

And many, many more....!  I will perhaps share a little bit more about the wedding, but don't worry, I will most definitely not drown you in wedding posts or pictures at all.

Starting today, I will continue blogging as often as I was last year (every weekday, if possible!). I have some great ideas I wish to develop too (a lot more tutorials and recipes, for example), and a lot of fresh content for this year, so make sure you come back everyday and check it out! It feels really good to be back to bloggers world; it is by far one of my favorite activities and I always look forward to sharing what is on my mind every day. Thank you for reading this and making it so much more worthwhile.

10 Ideas For Wedding Favors

I wrote here about what to give a couple for their wedding, when they already have all their basics. Today, I want to write from the opposite perspective: if you are the one getting married, what are you going to give your guests? The best favors are the ones that represent you as a couple, but which the guests will actually enjoy: If you or your fiancé are great at cooking or baking, giving out something made by you will mean a lot and you know it will be delicious. If you are the crafty type, a DIY favor is a great idea!

Brides have a million things in mind when planning for a wedding, so favors might not be their top priority, and then suddenly the guests end up with a pair of craft store feathered birds with the couple's initials (true story!). Planning a wedding is crazy, and little things that you hand't even thought of just keep popping out of nowhere, but it is a lovely gesture to spend just a little time (and by time I don't mean money) showing the guests just how much they mean to you. However, the internet is full of innumerable ideas that can easily overwhelm any bride (such as yours truly!), so I compiled here a neat little list of 10 wedding favors for you to choose from, all in one place. That way you can spend less time researching the favors and more time perfecting your dress/vows/cake.

(By the way, I also think this post is quite fitting with the American Thanksgiving, which is today, as favors are a way to say thanks and show your appreciation to the people that mean the most to you and your new hubby!).

1. DIY Honey Favors from Bubby And Bean
There is something so romantic and nostalgic about these mini jars of honey, tied with ribbon, and complete with a personalized message. Plus, they are pretty easy to make (go have a look at the instructions!). It basically ticks all the boxes.

2. A bottle opener will always be useful. No one can ever have too many at home, can they? These, for instance, would go perfectly with a more romantic or vintage type of wedding:

Vintage key bottle opener from ebay

3. These beer cozies just scream "fun couple!". Also, you get to personalize the color and message so it fits your personality (and wedding!).

4. A lot of people are doing it these days, but a mix CD is definitely a great favor! Just make sure the music is varied, you don't want your elderly grandparents to have to sit through 12 Iron Maiden songs. Even better, if you are up for it, customize your favors according to age groups! Now that's a winner favor right there!

5. If you two are known for your witty sense of humor, and don't exactly have a ton of money to spend on the favors, something that will make your guests smile is a creative match box. Why with a clever line, of course!

6. I am totally in love with the idea of seed paper hearts! Not only are they ridiculously cute, they are also environmentally friendly, so it's a win-win!

7. Also for all the nature-loving brides out there, these succulents (or any small plant) in a vintage cup is also adorable:

8. Who doesn't love a good fortune cookie? Plus, they also give you a little room to get creative, and they won't be too expensive either.

9. If your wedding is taking place somewhere tropical or during the warmer months, a favor that is sure to be extremely appreciated by all the guests is a nice fan. You can get them in all sorts of shapes and sizes, easily adapting them to your budget and wedding style.

10. Finally, a nice shot glass is also an excellent favor.The great thing with these is that you get to be as creative / fun / romantic and personalized as you wish, and your guests still take a useful memento home.

***Last but not least***, for all of you my American readers celebrating today (and anyone else, for that matter!) I have compiled an awesome (modest, huh!?) list of Thanksgiving-themed cocktails for WhatTheFlicka, which you can find here. Go check it out, there is a cocktail for basically every taste and style! The best part? almost all of them are super easy to make!

My Pre-Wedding Exercise And Fitness

Let me start by saying this: I am the least sporty person ever. Ever. Yes, I was the last one to get picked for a team, and I always had to stay during recess and practice my volleyball serve. I never played soccer, or basketball or tennis. I did love to swim but only for fun. I also enjoy going to the gym, and usually did before our big move to New Zealand last year, but after starting my sales manager job this year, and the blog, and with my son, and planning the wedding, finding a suitable gym ended up in the very last corner of my mind, along with getting regular haircuts and changing the car oil (big mistake!).

This week though, it hit me that I am less than five weeks away (!) from our wedding, and my dress would definitely look better if I lost three or four pounds... and I am nothing if not determined, dammit, so with my fiancé's help I worked out (see what I did there?) an exercise routine to help me at least be a little more toned for the big day. I started last night, and right now I am pretty much dying, but that means it's working, right? RIGHT!??

So my routine basically goes something like this:

• Stretching
• 5 minutes of star jumps  (Could I look any sillier!?)
• 25 minutes of running (My first time exercising after eight months, I only managed 15 minutes, but hey, it's a start!)
• 10 minutes of sit-ups (yeah, didn't actually get to those after running)
• Stretching and warming down 

Me, right before working out. Not particularly looking forward to it, but totally enjoyed it

Yes, yes, it is ridiculously easy. Bear in mind though, that I haven't exercised at all in eight months, and I had never ran, so I am satisfied with yesterday's workout. Hopefully, by this time next month I will be fitter, healthier, and motivated to keep exercising, and not let life get in the way of things that are so important in the bigger picture, like exercising (and remembering to service your car!).

Wedding Gifts For The Couple Who Already Has Everything

My fiancé and I have been living together for four years now. Even though we have moved a lot (and I mean a lot!), we still have pretty much all the basics for our house. And we even plan on making another big move circa 2015. For some guests, this might pose a problem, as we don't exactly need any more salad bowls. Like us, many more couples are living together way before getting hitched, so I decided to compile a list of some thoughtful gift ideas to give to the couple that already has everything. Even if you don't have a couple-to-be to give these to, the holidays are approaching so here you can find an idea or two for some of the people on your list:

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8 // 9 // 10 // 11 // 12

All these gifts are thoughtful, heartfelt and original. Take #1, 5 and 6, for example: no matter how prepared a couple is before getting married, there are always going to be bumps along the way, maybe even times when it seems easier to just walk away. Books like these make you realize that with a lot of love and patience most obstacles can be overcome. 

Gift #2 is a very meaningful one, specially for a couple who comes from two completely different parts of the globe. 

The personalized stationery (#8) and cutting board (#9) are just too cute, as are the picture frames that serve as mementos of their journey as a couple (#12).

If you want to give them something that carries a lot of meaning, try #10, which is a Health, Happiness and Wisdom reliquary box, with best wishes for the newlyweds; or #11, which allows the couple to send each other messages in a very original way.

If the couple is very traditional, but you don't want to give them just some boring old gifts, #3 and #4 are some creative alternatives to the typical "his n hers" gifts. And if they are the adventurous type, they will surely appreciate the Waxed Canvas Travel Zip-Case (#7), perfect for storing passports, cards, letters, notebooks or anything else they want to store in style. 

Top 5: Things I Wish I'd Known About Wedding Planning

My wedding is approaching much more rapidly than I realize... it is, as of today, exactly seven (!!!) weeks away. To say that there is still a lot left to plan and organize would be an understatement (hello wedding rings!).

Source

It has been a very joyful ride. I am full of excitement to finally be making this commitment to a man who was been there for me for four full years, held my hand (and sometimes my hair, but that's another story) throughout the time I was pregnant with our son, and cooks delicious meals for me every day. But it has also come with no little amount of surprises, so I am sharing, from my own personal experience, some of the things that I had absolutely no clue about when I started down this road:

1. I always said that I didn't want to put too much effort into the actual wedding, and smugly declared that I wanted to save all that effort and put it into my marriage. What a load of crap! I have put so much effort into this wedding already! I think I underestimated the amount of work having your wedding in another city would entail. The logistics have been so difficult, but we are slowly getting there. Yea, the part about not putting too much effort? definitely didn't happen.

2. I read wedding magazines and blogs saying that the budget you start with will most definitely increase with all the little details that go into a wedding. I never thought it would happen to me, though: That stuff only happens to other people, who aren't as committed to their budget, or didn't know where to find the best deals, or didn't let go of some ideas. As of today, our budget is almost twice the amount we planned at first. TWICE! I should have known I was only jinxing myself.

3. I wanted a totally non-traditional wedding, and I kept declaring (apparently I am a big fan of that) that I wouldn't be having all the traditions everyone else has. "Mine will be completely different and unique!" I naively exclaimed to anyone who would listen. However, on that day two (very) different cultures will be coming together, so we decided to incorporate traditions from both New Zealand and Colombia into the wedding to portray the union of the two. And that's why we ended up with a wedding that will be around 80% traditional! I don't know about you, but I wouldn't call that "totally different". (I can maybe get away with saying that it is unique in the sense that it incorporates elements from those two cultures, does that count?).

4. I shockingly discovered that one of the things that freaks me out the most is my entry. Having 70 pairs of eyes on me is giving me a little bit of anxiety just to think about. I am not sure if my walk is going to be clumsy or if I will be smiling properly. I am not exactly gracious, so when I started planning walking towards my hubby-to-be, I panicked.

5. Being engaged for almost two years would ensure that I wouldn't be stressing out with last minute details, right? WRONG! For one, finalizing the guest list took much longer than expected and so did designing the invitations, so we embarrassedly ended up sending them just under two months before the wedding. Also, some of the things we are still running late with include: Sean's requirements to get married in Colombia; our wedding rings; the flower arrangements; the favors... just to name a few. Our photographer was booked only last week. A long engagement had the exact opposite effect I though it would: you think you have all the time in the world to get it done, and next thing you know the wedding is two and a half months away, and you are arguing with your fiancé over inviting that friend from High School you haven't seen in years but who kind of invited herself through facebook...

The Grasshopper Debacle

Remember when I said here that my fiancé had seen me at my most exhilarated estate, and then I mentioned here how I've made him aware of all my weaknesses? Well, apparently I seem to think it was real fun, so I showed him yet another facet of me last night. Listen, I have strengths as well, don't get me wrong: I am very committed, passionate, caring, smart, etc... but I have the odd flaw here and there that is so ridiculous that I am just forced to write about it on here.

Like last night, for example.

It was a nice, relaxing evening. Sean was cooking dinner while I played with Tommy and read some books with him. Then it happened: a screeching, terribly loud noise that is one of the worse things I've ever heard. My first thought was that it was a dying bird, because it really did sound like that. I sent Sean to check what it was.

He came back two minutes later, with a nervous smile, and said: "Yea, don't come out there. You don't want to know what it is." If you've ever had a completely irrational, out-of-control fear of something, you'll know how I feel about bugs and insects (whatever you guys, whatever). So I immediately knew there was a frigging insect in my house making a terrifying noise, bad enough for my fiancé not to tell me what it was. He said it had gone under the fridge and there was no way of getting it out. Needless to say, I wasn't going anywhere near the kitchen anytime soon.

For almost a full hour it kept making noises every now and then, and I completely freaked out but wasn't allowed to make a scene because my fiancé would kill me on the spot if I passed on my "completely insane fear" to our child (I agree with him, by the way). I was trying so hard to keep it together, but on occasion the tiniest gasp escaped my mouth and my fiancé immediately shot me a dirty look.

Bedtime came, and Sean was putting Tommy to bed because I was on the phone with my dad. What I hadn't noticed is that he left our bedroom door ajar. All of a sudden, while deep in conversation, I spotted an UFI (Unidentified Flying Insect) out of the corner of my eye. That's when I completely lost it. It was the equivalent of finding out you've missed your favorite designer's sale. Or watching an insane guy with an axe getting closer and closer to you. I don't know how, but I managed to jump all the way from the bed to the bathroom, all the while screaming bloody murder. Oh, and still on the phone with my dad, who worriedly asked what was going on. When I told him, he was, how do I put this? "slightly" annoyed. Sean came a second later, and took the UFI out. After at least 10 minutes curled up in my bathroom, and several reassurances that he had gotten rid of the incredibly frightening thing, I dared to go out.

He later informed me the culprit of the whole disaster had been a grasshopper. Slightly less terrifying than what I was picturing in my mind (think those creepy rats from Quarantine 2), but still. I was in the dark! Right then and there I decided that Sean has got to include the following line in his wedding vows:

"I promise to stay by your side and get rid of every single bug threatening to end your life". Only then will I say "I do".

My (Pretty Much Nonexistent) Cooking Skills

With my approaching wedding, one of the things that keeps me calm is knowing that me and my fiancé know each other's facets like the back of our hands. He has seen me at my very worst, and my most excited; I have been there when he has been overwhelmed, and when he has been as calm as a clam (try to say that fast!). Most importantly, we know and accept each other's strong and weak points, and try to grow together.

One of my weakest points, which he found out about very early into our relationship, was my cooking skills. The very first time I stayed over, he made for me this incredible breakfast with poached eggs, sausages, toast, the works. The first time he stayed over? toast and... jam perhaps? Poor thing. But I just can't pretend to know how to cook. I am so useless. To give you an idea, last year while we were staying with my mother in law, I tried to help her out with dinner (big mistake!), and offered to boil some potatoes. How hard can that be? Who on Earth could mess that up? Me, that's who! Turns out I overcooked the damn things and we ended up eating mashed potatoes. Polite as she is, she smiled and said it was okay, "we love mashed potatoes anyway"... but the damage was done. I will always be the girl who can't boil potatoes!

On the other hand, I am lucky to be marrying a guy who is a cooking star. It appears that way to me, anyway; I suspect Wolfgang Puck would say I'm exaggerating. But he truly is: he improvises with whatever we have at home and makes fantastic, complete meals. He is the one to call me when I'm at the supermarket and instruct me on exactly what meat I should get, what ingredients, etc. For a short while he even made gourmet pizzas to sell, which were a great hit with family and friends. There never was any question as to who did what in our household: he cooks, I clean the dishes. No potatoes get overcooked, no one gets poisoned, no one burns the house down. It works like a charm.

When he cooks he is free and happy, and truly enjoys the experience. When I cook,  I spend half an hour staring blankly at all the ingredients, not really knowing where to start. In a very traditional country like mine, this is seen with shock horror, as the cooking is a "woman's role". And while I do agree that I need to expand my cooking portfolio further than noodles and sandwiches, the cooking role will always remain his and I guess we will just have to be a "modern couple" like that.

The only thing I have ever made that was acceptable: this Teriyaki Chicken and rice for my fiancé! I was (am) so proud of it, I snapped a photo with my iPhone (forgive the quality) and sent it to almost everyone I know. How sad.

Pinterest Wedding Inspiration

Oh, Pinterest, you endless source of inspiration for everything and anything! You have again come to my rescue with the most gorgeous ideas for my upcoming wedding, and to thank you I dedicate this post to you.

Below are some of the pins I have found that I am dying to incorporate into my wedding:

1. DRESS
I always said I did not want a typical wedding dress, with a long train and larger-than-life veil. I wanted something a lot simpler, to go with our wedding theme and location, very tropical, very caribbean and laid-back. This dress below was the one that inspired the one I will actually wear. Mine is very different (of course, I wasn't going to ruin the surprise), but the general idea came from this one: (Thanks Pinterest!)

Picture from Style Me Pretty

2. SHOES
I still haven't decided what type of shoes I am going to wear yet... there are so many choices! I just hope the process will be as easy as it was with the dress... so here are the two styles that I am leaning towards the most so far. Both are completely different, so you will just have to wait and see which one I end up being inspired by:

2.1 I definitely love me some lace, and I think it is sweet and romantic to incorporate it in your shoes. The details in these shoes are so delicate, that when I saw them they went right up to the top of my wishlist:

Image from Style Me Pretty

2.2. I think sandals go perfectly with our wedding, and I adore this color. They definitely add a fun touch to the whole outfit, which is one of the things I am aiming for:

Picture from Style Me Pretty

3. DECOR
I don't want to ruin the surprise for those people reading this that will be attending our wedding, but here is a little snippet of the pics that inspired our decor:

My fiancé would definitely be in favor of this:

Source

A cute, little advice box wouldn't hurt anybody:

Picture taken from Etsy

Paper lanterns are a fun, versatile. touch that go with most wedding themes:

Picture from Glue Arts

4. FLOWERS AND BOUQUET
This is going to be a tough one. There are so many styles and options and colors and shapes available that I have no idea where to even begin choosing my flowers. I don't have a particular preference like say, lilies or roses. Most flowers if they are feminine, delicate and elegant will appeal to me. But here are some that I absolutely love, and my bouquet and flowers will possibly resemble one of these:

Image from Bippity Boppity Boo

Image from The Frosted Petticoat

Image from Style Me Pretty

Image from F J Flowers Australia

Decisions, decisions... but we are getting there. Exciting and probably overwhelming times await us until that evening on the 21st of December... it is getting so close!

Booking a Honeymoon

For me, one of the most exciting things about planning our wedding was to decide where to go on our honeymoon.

Sean and I sometimes differ on our ideas about a perfect holiday. For me, a perfect holiday is a place where I can find lots of different things to do, to see, to go to, to explore. For him, it is a quiet oasis away from any potential source of stress. I suggested New York. He suggested a cruise around the caribbean. The New York idea got dismissed pretty quickly after considering that the trip would be around New Year's eve, and we don't really want to be freezing on our honeymoon. Then we considered the cruise, but it turned out to be more expensive than expected since we would have to get to the port where it would leave from, and besides, we have already done a cruise before (where we got engaged).

Back to square one. My dad spends almost half his life on a plane, so we immediately turned to him for advice. He guided us pretty much towards the caribbean: white sandy beaches, with everything available to us and days of enjoying nothing but sun, ocean and margaritas. That idea appealed to us pretty quickly. We looked at places like Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. We were mesmerized in the end by the prospect of going to Cancun, with its cultural richness, incredible food and beautiful places to visit... and hmm, not at all for the tequila... (yeah right!).

We finally did it today: we booked our Mexican honeymoon in an all-inclusive resort. We found that it met both our expectations: some days we can go to the mayan ruins and explore their absolutely mesmerizing history, and other days we can toast ourselves like lobsters by the breathtaking caribbean sea. Ultimately, it is all about finding that one place where you will both feel happy, excited, and of course, completely committed to celebrating the big step you have both taken. And we feel like we have accomplished that with this choice of location:

A stunning, never-ending turquoise sea

And even more sea...

The Mayan ruins

And of course, you can't forget the Mayan pyramids!

If you are married, where did you go on your honeymoon? was it difficult to agree on a destination? If you aren't, where would your dream honeymoon be?

Motherhood in Your Early Twenties

Girl goes on exchange to a strange country, where she knows absolutely no one. She is excited, thrilled, and a little nervous about what she'll encounter there. Girl sees boy on her very first day at university. Girl sits next to boy and introduces herself.

One month later: Girl is sick of her university accommodation and boy suggests she move in with him. She has never done anything this impulsive, this irrational, this exhilarating. She moves in three weeks later. Girl and Boy start falling hopelessly in love with each other.

Six months later: the pregnancy test comes back positive. Girl runs to tell Boy. Both of them are surprised, scared, happy, and a thousand more emotions at once. Boy decides he will move back with girl to her home country, 36 hours away by plane, which they ended up doing in the second trimester of the pregnancy.

Three years later: Boy proposes. Girl says yes. They start preparing the wedding, which doesn't take place until a year and a half later.

If you think this is a story taken from some old rom-com movie, let me tell you that this is my very own true story. I met Sean in New Zealand in July 2009, and on the 13th of September 2010 our son Tommy was born in Colombia.

When Tommy was born, we were both 22 (I am older than Sean by exactly 17 days!). It has been quite a ride, full of ups and downs. I always thought being a mother was going to come easily to me. Throughout the whole pregnancy I kept daydreaming and picturing how we were going to raise our son, the values we would teach him, and the habits I didn't want him learning. Three years down the road I can see how naïve I was. I was really smug and thought I had it all figured out by the time he was born. I was prepared and ready.

Except I wasn't. I wasn't prepared for those moments in which I have wanted to scream in frustration because he just isn't cooperating very much. I wasn't prepared to feel like I was missing out on my youth because of him, nor for the inevitable guilt that comes one second after thinking that. And I definitely wasn't prepared for the strain it put on my relationship with Sean.

We come from completely different cultures, so our ideas about how to raise Tommy, discipline him and teach him right from wrong sometimes differ greatly. And that for me has been the biggest challenge of motherhood in the early 20s: you are only just starting to know yourself, but are forced to know what kind of mother you want to be and on top of that, reconcile that concept with that of your partner's.

Also, in order for me to function, I need some me-time. It is part of who I am, and if I don't get it often enough, I become stressed, anxious and overwhelmed, definitely not the kind of parent I wish to be. But it is hard to get that me-time when I am working at a full time job and trying to spend as much time as possible with my toddler and fiancé. I feel guilty very often, and that has also been very hard. I don't think this happens exclusively to mothers in their 20s, but when you have children a little further down the road, you have had enough time to be on your own. I didn't have a lot of time when the only person to consider when making a decision was myself, and I have resented that at times.

Sleepy Tommy. 24 hours old.

A dirty, just-after-dinner Tommy at age 1.

Tommy at age 2

Tommy three weeks ago, aged 3.

However, I have also enjoyed many aspects of being a young mother. I love that we are both young and energetic (most of the time, anyways) to play with our son. I love that we have our whole lives ahead of us still and get to enjoy them with this little person that looks up to us. I love how when he is a teenager, we will be in our mid-thirties and although he will probably think otherwise, we won't be too old for his stories. I also like the idea that we will probably get to meet and enjoy our grandchildren, just like our (still very young) mothers are enjoying Tommy: my own mom is 47, and Sean's is only 43 having had him at the age of 18.

Those early mornings when he wakes up at 6am; those times when I have had a long day at work and he is being especially clingy; those times when our friends call us to go out but we can't find someone to look after him... all those times are worth it when I come home and have someone waiting eagerly by the door to give me a big bear hug. Or when he is in bed and tired beyond belief but still manages to give me a little kiss and whisper "I love you mommy" with half-open eyes. Or when he comes home from kindergarten, and excitedly starts telling me snippets of his day. Because of these and a million other moments, it is all worth it. Those moments fill my heart more than any amount of outings or parties ever could, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

There are few things more adorable than cute baby stories, so if there is/has been a special baby or toddler in your life that has completely melted your heart, I would love to hear about them in the comments.

Weddings and Gifts

I got engaged to a wonderful man, Sean, in January 2011. Finally, after moving countries last year and then moving back again, we are getting married on December 21st.

I was never the type that started picturing her wedding dress at the age of five. I mean, I thought of my dream man, yes, and getting married and living happily, but never about the wedding itself. I have always been a little bit (or quite strongly, actually) against traditions and doing the same everybody is doing. Take my exchange, for example. In 2009 I decided to go on an exchange to another country. Everyone was going to countries such as Australia, France, Uk... and I said, "no way", I need to go somewhere much more exotic and uncommon. So I chose New Zealand, and upon getting there I met Sean. Four years and a toddler later, we are getting married.

As fate would have it, Sean is big on tradition. He wanted the whole deal. The big wedding, with me walking in a stunning white gown down the aisle, speeches, a full bridal party, nice champagne, the whole lot. I wanted something a lot more relaxed: 50 people tops, barefoot at the beach, at sunset. Something intimate and beautiful, that followed only OUR rules, and speaks to who we are as individuals and a couple. To me it was always, ALWAYS, about what comes after that one day. I guess I am on the other end of the spectrum to bridezillas.

After much debating, discussions, and even a little argument, we are finally preparing a ceremony that we will both love and that means something to both of us. It took us a very long time, but we got there, and ended up with just over three months to plan it. The first thing I wanted to do was the gift registry. I might as well start with the most fun part, right? So I went last week, and spent a whole day choosing what I would like to have in my home. We already have pretty much all the essentials, but I find our home way too cold and empty, so I mostly went for decorations.

Some of the things I chose are:

1. A beautiful, huge, vintage clock. It will give any room so much character and color. I fell in love with it the second I saw it.

2. Beautiful wall art with different messages. There were many, but I chose five that really speak to me and have simple but powerful messages that I want to be reminded of every day: Breathe; Free Yourself; Connect to the energy of love; Trust the Universe; and finally, Dont Give Up, pictured below.

3. Bright-colored China. Our dinnerware at the moment is pretty dull, just plain old white. So when we saw these beautiful, bright, cheerful plates from United Colors of Benetton we just had to add them to our list. They are sure to make meals a little happier.

Image is from http://www.falabella.com.co/, where we made our registry. They didn't allow me to photograph it. Also, not all of the plates we chose are hot pink. We also chose bright green and blue  ;)

4. Aside from some more home decor items, the last thing we picked was this one "big item": the Fujifilm FinePix S1600 Semi-professional Digital Camera. Our camera is getting pretty old now, and I have wanted a semi-pro for quite a while now, and especially since starting this blog. This one in particular is pretty awesome: it has a 15x zoom lens, 12 megapixels and a 3" LCD screen.

I'm curious now: if you are married, what made in onto your gift registry? Also, what type of wedding do you lean more towards: very traditional? more rustic and relaxed? a destination wedding perhaps?