Last night I managed to get into bed before 9 p.m.
I put on an eye mask to block out the light (the sun doesn’t go down until after 9 p.m.) and drifted off to sleep within 20 minutes. Victory!
I can tell that my lack of sleep is affecting other areas of my life (I’m snackier, more irritable, less creative and less motivated to work out, etc.), so I am trying to prioritize my sleep. On nights when Ryan works late and doesn’t get home until close to 8 p.m., it stinks to only have an hour or so with him until I feel like I need to go to bed, but I’m beginning to realize that may be the way it needs to be for a while. At least Ryan was a good sport last night and got into bed early with me so we could read and hang out together for a little while.
I just realized that the second paragraph of this blog post might lead you to believe that I am miserable, but on the whole I feel much happier since I started working at the gym four months ago. It has been a good change for me, but I’ll elaborate on that a little more in another post since I’ve been meaning to blog about the whole working from home versus getting out of the house thing.
Breakfast
Breakfast this morning was a toasted whole wheat bagel topped with almond butter.
I toasted the bagel and topped it with almond butter before I left the house this morning and it held up just fine until I was ready to eat it in the break room at work around 5:30 a.m.
My hours today have me at the gym from 4:45 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., so it will be a long day. Phew!
Leslie and Ross: Wedding Update
I have some good news on the wedding front from Leslie and Ross! They officially put a deposit down on a wedding venue.
They will be getting married on…
A spring wedding!
Ryan and I told Leslie and Ross that they definitely didn’t need to wait an entire year to get married if they could find a venue they loved that had availability sooner. We took a little more than a year to plan our wedding and have always said that we felt like we booked a venue and then did nothing for seven or eight months!
With their wedding date on the books for the beginning of March, my head is already spinning with bridal shower and bachelorette party ideas. I can’t wait!
Question of the Morning
- If you are married, how long was your engagement?
- If you are engaged, how long is your engagement going to be?
We were engaged for a year and a month, but I definitely think a shorter engagement would’ve been totally manageable. We booked our venue and then months passed without any wedding planning until things picked back up about two to three months before our wedding.
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My sleeping has been out of whack too these past couple weeks! We were engaged for a year and a half. It was a little too long for me, but since we got married in Mexico we had to book things more in advance.
I got engaged last September of 2012 and we are getting married in October of 2013. I totally agree with you Julie, a year and a month is MORE than enough time to plan a wedding. I booked my photographer and venue in November then pretty much did nothing until this past weekend when I started getting busy. I felt a little guilty about not doing anything for that long, but you made me feel a lot better about it! Hahaha Now its crunch time!!
I got engaged on 4-27-13 and we aren’t getting married until 10-4-14….the reason for the long engagement is because I have always wanted an October wedding, and in Baltimore, places literally book up over 2 years in advance. We are getting married at this amazing museum downtown, and when I first went to look, May, June, and October 2014 were already taken, and they only had ONE date in September 2014. Then, a bride cancelled her 10-4-14 wedding and I JUMPED on it! Also, I am in grad school and will be graduating that semester, so I figure it’s best to get most of my school out of the way before the wedding so then I can have fun being married after the wedding 🙂
Congrats to your sister. Planning is seriously SO MUCH FUN. I recommend theknot.com, BHLDN, and wedding paper divas, among other websites. I do agree with you that I feel like I booked my venue right away, and now I am kind of just slowly doing the rest. The great thing is that I have time and don’t feel rushed. I already went to 3 bridal gown shops, and I plan to go to many more. It’s fun, and I have so much time that I’m not stressing about ordering a dress right away in the fear that it won’t get here on time!
Again, Leslie and Ross seem like a fantastic couple. Best wishes to the whole family!
I also got married in Baltimore! We got engaged in March and I was lucky enough to find a place for that October… Good luck!
I totally just creeped your wedding posts on your blog! Amazing and also a bit weird because a lot of your ideas are some of my ideas…the color scheme, the wedding dress, the first look without a look, etc. I am getting married on Oct 4, 2014 and yours was Oct 6, 2012! Crazy how similar. Haha anyway, I am now a follower of your blog 🙂
I got engaged February of 2012 and am getting married October 26, 2013. We have such a long engagement because the church where we are getting married was pretty much booked through October already. Congrats to Leslie & Ross. She will make a beautiful bride.
I’m engaged now and when we get married it will be 13 months. We definitely needed the 13 months because I only have one parent (a sassy mama). We are 3 months away and I am definitely getting antsy!!!
I start work at 6 AM every day, so my alarm goes off at 4:45. I’m in bed as close to 9PM as possible. My husband is a night owl, and will stay up until 1 AM or later. It’s still an adjustment to get used to not spending time together … but I can’t function on less sleep and he can’t fall asleep earlier.
Exactly one year! We were engaged on 10/4/02 and married on 10/4/03. It was perfect- plenty of time to get everything done and October 4th is officially our special day:)
My fiance and I got engaged this past February and are getting married December 14th, so our engagement will be exactly 10 months, which I think is perfect! We are having a big wedding, and I think we could do it in even less time. Ross and Leslie will be perfectly fine! Also, I don’t know how it is in Florida since the weather is so much nicer, but March isn’t really “wedding season” yet, which means they shouldn’t have a hard time booking any vendors. I also think that having a shorter engagement makes you more productive during the planning process – you have to make decisions a lot quicker, and you have less time to change your mind about colors, decorations, flowers, etc. My only piece of advice to her is to write down the top 3 things she wants most of her money to go to (for example, I picked our reception venue, flowers/centerpieces, and the photographer) and set meetings with those vendors first and make the decisions on those first. That way the most important things are out of the way, and she’ll feel less stressed since she has a shorter engagement. Oh, and tell her to start a spreadsheet of her friends’ and family’s addresses now so she won’t feel as overwhelmed when she starts to send out save the dates and invitations!! Sorry for the long post :). Good luck, Leslie!
We were engaged for 18 months and it was perfect for me. I was able to secure all the vendors etc I wanted booking far in advance and never had to settle for #2. I also did things at a pace that was comfortable to be and no decisions had to be rushed.
We got engaged December 31, 2012 and we will be getting married November 9, 2014. We just booked our venue and now I feel like I have nothing to do for a loooooonnnnnngggg time. Congrats to your sister, she will be stunning!
We were engaged for just over 3 months. My husband’s unit was called to Afghanistan, so we were in a hurry! Thanks to the help of family and friends, we were still able to plan the wedding of our dreams!
Thanks for the advice. My latest goal has been not eating the bulk of my food late in the day. It’s tough!!
I got engaged 01-03-11 and got married 05-10-11. It was a whirlwind of emotions to plan, but I had lots of help from mine and his family. It’s like the old saying goes… Once you find out who you want to spend the rest of your life with, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible!! Definitely no regrets on the short engagement. If anything it brought us closer. 🙂
I’m not engaged yet, but I hope it is around a year. I love planning things so I am sure I will need that extra time hah.
We were engaged for 9 months and I think that was perfect. We could save some money but didn’t feel rushed to get everything done. I always tell people if they don’t need the time they should not prolong an engagement.
My husband and I were engaged for almost exactly one year. I felt that was the perfect amount of time though because Indian weddings usually consist of 5 or so events (ours did at least), and we needed the entire year to iron out all the details. But you’re right in that once the venue is booked, everything else starts to fall into place little by little!
This is really funny that your brought this up because my fiancé and I were just talking about this! I got engaged last September and I am getting married in October. I definitely would have moved my wedding up!we feel like we are doing so much waiting and as abride, the time allows me to have more ideas,! The more ideas equals more crafting and money! Also, Pinterest allows me to think hmmm even though everything is all done- maybe I want a purple wedding lol it’s ridiculous!
About three months….it was right for us! Yes we chose to do it quick like that. It was simple and perfect and we were overjoyed to be getting married. Nine years later I would do it the same way again!
I can’t wait to hear an upcoming post on working outside the home… I’ve noticed you seem very busy with your new job and I’d love to hear about the transition since I’m sure it can be challenging at times. Also I love that you are keeping us in the loop with details of the wedding! I always go back and read your recaps, since I’m currently planning my wedding for next fall!
I feel for you with the lack of sleep! Something I was just pondering myself on the drive to work this morning…. I’m glad you mentioned realizing it can really take a toll on other areas of life. Sometimes we don’t realize it as it’s happening. Keep fighting for your zzzz’s and don’t be afraid to adjust your work if need be in the long run to keep your priorities where you want them. 🙂 All the best!
I say the shorter the better! I am engaged now and our engagement will be 6 months in its entirety. Once we were able to establish the major details, it has been pretty laid back since then. I am planning an Iowa wedding from Texas without my mama and sisters which has its difficulties at times. I am ready to marry this man though so I am already getting antsy! Each person is different though :). Great post today!
Tried your overnight oats for the first time and really like them!
Congrats to your sister and Ross! I got engaged in September 2012, and our wedding is in September 2014–almost exactly 2 years of engagement. We’ve booked the venue (which was filling fast; when I approached them in November, they were beginning to book for 2015 already!), and a florist so far, but I’m enjoying taking everything else at a leisurely pace! The one downside, I suppose, is in that in Chicago there are SO MANY options for all of the vendors that I fell compelled to research all of them because I have so much time.
We got engaged in December 2012 and will be getting married in July 2014. I’m a graduate student who works full time, so we’re trying to plan everything around my school schedule. By time we actually get married, we’ll have been together nearly 6 years, so I feel better about that too. 🙂
I’ve been going to bed later and later the past few days, and it’s definitely affecting a lot of different areas of my life. I’m working on getting more sleep! And I’m SO excited for Ross and Leslie’s wedding–that’s so awesome that they have a venue booked! I can’t wait to hear about it!
March will be an absolutely lovely time to get married!! And it will be here before you know it!
I’m glad you were able to get a good nights sleep. I always feel so bla when I have a few nights of poor sleep. I always feel so much hungrier when I’m low on sleep.
Im engaged now…for a year already. Our date is next september, so it will be 2 years and 3 months of engagement! We wish it would be sooner, but locations are keeping us apart right now 🙁 wishing ross and leslie lots of luck in planning!
My husband and I were engaged for almost 2 years. In the process my at the time fiancé got a job in Florida so he moved and I eventually moved as well not knowing a single person in the state except for my fiancé. Planning a wedding from 3,000 (Wedding was in Oregon, I was planning from Florida) miles away and having no family or friend support made it very difficult. Esthetically my wedding was not what I would have planned if I actually lived where the wedding took place and I am a little bummed about that, also I feel that if we had our wedding sooner I would have been more productive because the gaps of time in between can get you out of “planning mode”. All and all it is not about the wedding glitz and glamour it is about marrying your best friend and life partner and I would not have that any other way!
Thank you so much for the wedding update. I’m so excited for Leslie and Ross. I tribute it to your blog; you are so personable and you make what you talk about relatable to your readers. Thanks Julie for sharing so much with us all!
I would definitely recommend a short engagement. I think it’s one of the best things we did! We got engaged in February and were married in October, so it was about 8 months of planning. If you can find a venue, have the time to plan everything, and can afford it financially, it’s the way to go. The one downside with a shorter engagement is that you may not be able to get the exact florist, DJ, etc., because most are booked a year or two in advance. But, I felt like I did a lot of waiting, so I can’t imagine waiting a year or two. We had also been dating for 6 years, so I was more than ready to tie the knot!
My boyfriend and I are currently in the same boat for our work/sleep schedules. It really stinks! He has to work every other Saturday, too, so I have been seeing him a lot less :(. We have already been together for more than 5 years, so we want to get married as soon as possible after we get engaged!
we were engaged for almost a year exactly, but I completely agree that you can plan a wedding in less time!
We got engaged in February and got married at the end of June so our engagement was just a few months and I thought it was the perfect amount of time. Everyone seemed to love it too. I liked it because there was no down time, it was full on planning mode the entire time!
Hooray for going to sleep early!! I was the same last night, I crashed around 9:45, which I was thrilled for, means earlier workout, UP AND OUT OF THE WAY! I am neither engaged or married, but I would think that at the most I would be engaged for a year, probably only if I had a busy schedule, otherwise it will be probably be sooner 🙂
We got engaged this past March and are waiting until September 2014 (over 16 months!) The venue we wanted was not available until then and we have to work around my sister who lives in Brazil. Plus we live in Madison, WI and are limited to just a few nice months out of the year to tie the knot! You’re right, I feel like I have all of this time now to do nothing but its kind of nice enjoying summer and the engagement period without having to plan much yet. I am thinking once I hit the year mark this September planning will come full force!
I love that their wedding is so soon! And hopefully in March there won’t be too much humidity! I’m glad I don’t have to wait to long to hear about the wedding 🙂
We’ve had a fairly long engagement, compared to most couples. We got engaged last August and our wedding isn’t until June 2014. Soo.. almost two years! It seems like a long time but the past year has flew by and we are so busy with work that I couldn’t imagine planning a wedding right now.
I TOTALLY get the sleep thing. Not trying to scare you off from working at the gym by any means, but that’s one of the main reasons working at the gym just didn’t work for me. Some nights I had to train clients at 7 or 8 PM, I wouldn’t get home until 9, and then I had to be back at 5 AM to train more clients. I was just exhausted all the time, and it was affecting me big time. I think if you can figure out how to regularly get into bed early, and you consistently have an early morning schedule, your body will adjust and you’ll get into your routine. So glad you were able to get a good night of sleep last night!
Congrats to your sister and Ross! Very exciting! 🙂 We were engaged for about 9 months, and it was a good amount of time for planning everything.
I’m so excited for your sister and her fiance! I was engaged almost exactly a year.
We were engaged for 15 months. It was perfect for us because I was still in school so I would plan the wedding during breaks.
ahh wow thats so exciting!! I got engaged on March 30th and we set our date for 8/31/14. The venue that we loved was booked up every saturday for 2014 already so we went for a holiday weekend so people wouldn’t have to take extra days off! We also have done a lot since booking because I am afraid of people being taken given the holiday weekend. I also would like to have everything taken care of.
We got engaged in October 2011 and were married in November 2012 – my husband’s job forced us to pick a date in the off-season so waiting until after baseball was over was a must but I would have been happier with a shorter engagement. We booked our reception site and church within a week of getting engaged and then crammed as much planning into the first few months as possible before he left again for spring training – once he was gone planning slowed down until later in the summer when I started back full speed. Such a fun time though!
Best of luck to Ross and Leslie – I know you will have such creative ideas for her shower and Bachelorette Party too!!! Can’t wait to follow along 🙂
I’m engaged at present. My fiance popped the question in January, and we are getting married in September — “only” nine months! I think this was plenty of time, but will say that it was a bit difficult to find venues/churches because people book sooooo far (like 15 months) in advance and had already reserved them for our date. Other than that, it’s been a breeze!
We were engaged for exactly 9 months and it was a perfect length for us. I’m a planner by nature so like you, I had all the big things done right away and then did little things here and there up to the big day. I would have been way to antsy to go too much longer!
We got engaged in February of 2011 and got married October of 2011! To me, it was the perfect length for planning a wedding, long enough to plan, but short enough that I didn’t feel like it was a forever engagement! I’m so excited to see all of your sisters wedding plans! What a fun time for your family!
How exciting! My engagement was 6 months long! Honestly, I wish it would have been just a few months longer because it literally felt like I was planning every single day! I think Leslie and Ross planned it perfect!
I got into bed extra early too! Def makes a difference on my attitude waking up!
We were engaged 3.5 months!! Somehow we got it all together!
It is funny – no one mentions $ when they talk about length of engagements?! Weddings are EXPENSIVE! And if you are paying for one yourself, sometimes 6 months, or 1 year is just not enough time to save for all of the costs involved. We were engaged 2 years – it took us a bit of time to decide on where, how many guests, etc, then we spent the rest of the time planning and saving. I definitely could have planned a wedding in a lot less time, and I would have much preferred that, but we had to save money.
Like you, I experience similar effects from not sleeping well. A good night’s rest truly makes all the difference!
We were engaged for a year (almost to the day) and I would have LOVED a shorter engagement. My husband was in law school, so we had to plan around his school schedule. A longer engagement means more time for things to go wrong!
We got engaged September 10th, 2010 and were married September 24th, 2011! We wanted to get married September 10th, 2011 (09/10/11, thought that would be cool!) but the reception place we wanted was already book that day….bummer. I really wanted to get married in September, because my parents and my grandparents got married in September and I love the fall here in Minnesota! It was a gorgeous day and I am glad we got married when we did but I wish we would have had a shorter engagement and maybe did a smaller destination wedding!