Free Printable: Holiday Gift List

They say when you’re pregnant you get “mommy brain” and forget things, but that it all returns to fully functioning order once the baby comes … LIES! I’m a HUGE list maker and am pretty certain I’d forget a body part if they weren’t already attached. If you’re like me, you utilize various methods to keep yourself organized and Christmas time is one of THE best times to put extra organizing techniques into action because it seems like the list to buy for gets longer and longer each year … there’s nothing like realizing you forgot to get your secret Santa person a gift so … I designed this ultra cute printable holiday gift list that even has a section for your budgeted amount and what you actually spent to help keep you on track with your Christmas budget. Snag your list to take with you and check twice while you’re out doing your holiday shopping!

Tutorial: Flower Girl Wands

A super cute alternative to flower petals and baskets for your flower girl, or even your junior bridesmaids, are the ever adorable flower girl fairy wands. They can be made with real, dried, or fake flowers, but for our tutorial we simply used fake ones in our chosen color.

You’ll need
Flowers & ribbon in your chosen colors
Styrofoam ball
Dowel
Glue gun
Glue

1. Remove the stems from your flowers and push them one at a time into you Styrofoam ball, strategically placing them where you want and making sure to cover the ball; utilize a small dab of glue to hold your flowers in place.
   


2. Cover your dowel with the ribbon. Play around with multiple colors for a different look.
   


3. Carefully push the dowel into your Styrofoam ball making sure to only push it in a little bit and not all the way through. Pull the dowel back out and reinforce the hole with hot glue before placing it back in.

You’ve now completed a great DIY project AND you’ve got a beautiful wand for your flower girl and/or junior bridesmaids to carry.

In the event it didn’t turn out the way you would have liked it to, you’re just not as "craft savvy", or you really prefer to compensate others for their work (nothing wrong with that), here are a few fabulous Etsy boutique options we *heart* at Bum Bum & Button.

Clockwise from right hand corner: Blue & Silver Sparkly Wand – Blue Belle Boutique TN, Pink Flowers, Crystals, and Feathers Wand – Pretty Keepsakes, Vintage Plumes & Pearls Wand – Ardesign, Dried Flower Wand – NHWoodscreations

Q & A: Including Some Kids, While Excluding Others

I recently came across a bride wishing to have only a select number of close children at her wedding, but she wasn't sure how to tactfully exclude others.

I think a great way to handle this situation would be to give the children you hold close to you a role in your wedding (if possible) perhaps as junior bridesmaids, pages, etc ... With this you accomplish two things at once ... you've found a way to not only have them there, but also have a special job on your special day and you can follow up with other guest, via telephone after invitations have gone out, letting them know space/budget constraints only allow for children in the wedding party.