My Wedding

It is finally time to share with you all my amazing Wedding day.

I feel very lucky to report that (as far as I know) everything went to plan and more importantly my husband and I had the BEST day and night celebrating our love with our friends and family.

I'm including some photos, minus the faces for privacy reasons so I hope you can understand that choice.

I'll step you through every little bit :)

My bouquet is made of artificial flowers so I can keep it forever, they looked SO real even my photographer didn't realise! I went with a mix of white flowers; roses, spray roses, hydrangeas and baby breath. 

Ok. I am one of those crazy women who went and ordered her dress to be made from an overseas online store for $300 (including the veil)... I know! And you know what, IT TURNED OUT AMAZING! This was my compromise so that we could afford a videographer as well. I ordered my dress from dressilyme.com and it was a great success. I did pay for someone to do my alterations once I received it but I had a friend who didn't need any on hers. Make sure your measurements are accurate. They also were very quick to respond to my emails, friendly, professional and willing to help make any changes necessary to the original design. 

For my Father of the Bride present I decided to go with a set of personalised cuff links, which my dad loved. One is our favourite picture of us from when I was little and the other had the words 'I'll always be your Princess' because that was (still is) his pet name for me. There are a lot of businesses on ebay.com and etsy.com who make this and can tailor to your needs. 

For my Mother of the Groom present I got my MIL an embroidered handkerchief. I bought the handkerchief from Myer (btw very difficult to find classic frilled edged old school style napkins so don't leave it last minute like I did). I went to a little kiosk store at my shopping centre and had her initials and name with the message 'Thank you for raising the man of my dreams' along with my name and our wedding date in our main wedding colour (yellow). I don't know if it was used but she really appreciated it.  

The Groomsmen gifts were superhero themed cuff links. It was fun to have this little bit of our quirkiness without taking over the styling of the wedding. The guys loved it (a lot more than I thought they would..) and it totally brought out the little 'super hero boys' in them. My husband of course wore the batman ones. 

A view of our chapel and my dad's pride and joy vehicle used to bring the groom and groomsmen.

Our ringbearers (aka our adorable nephews) wore our rings on a rustic style rope around their necks.

Our page boy (aka yet another adorable nephew) wore the 'Here comes the Bride' sign. We made this our self with just a piece of wood I found laying around painted with chalk board paint.

A very cute moment when he gave my husband a flower. You can't plan for this adorableness! 

A view of bridal party during ceremony inside the chapel. I fell in love with the floor to ceiling windows. Our photographer was very skilled to still get amazing photos despite the bright background.

The outfit our Ring bearers and Page boy wore. I ordered the suit set and bow tie separately from ebay.com

Another spectacular view.

A cute one of us.

Love my shoes (something blue).

Bridesmaids wore yellow chiffon full length dresses with lace top from forherandforhim.com 

They had baby breath (real) bouquets which just went so perfectly. They all had their hair in updos (my MOH had a little bit of baby breath in her hair) and for accessories; big tear drop silver earrings, silver shoes (I gave them the option to chose their shoes flat or high heel), and they wore the rings I got them as their present. See other post for those gems, click here. 

Groomsmen and Groom wore dark grey suits with white shirts, black dress shoes, yellow ties (all from Lowes, amazing quality and super affordable price), and baby breath boutonnieres. Groom had a black vest and yellow rose in his boutonnieres. 

Fun Fact: He proposed to me with a yellow rose so it was a special thing for us to bring into the wedding.

We hired large lawn games for our guests to be entertained while we took our photos. We had Chess, Jenga, Ring Toss and Connect Four. We found a business on gumtree.com to hire from.

Our delicious wedding cake. I found inspiration from a few cakes on Pinterest, photoshopped them together, sent the picture to a small business I found through facebook and Voila! She even delivered.

Our cake topper is lazered acrylic from a store on Etsy.com (on the right has our surname going down). It came with a stand to use as home decor afterwards which I love.

Our Reception set up. Large baby breath bouquets in tall thin cylinder vases which sat on a circle mirror and tea lights. 

Some entertainment for our guests. 

Bridal table.

Our bonbonnieres  were these jars I bought from Ikea. I ordered the chalkboard stickers and a white chalk pen from ebay.com as well as made the tags to go around. One side is what you see, the other side said 'Thank you for making our day complete'.

These were their jars to use to fill up at the lolly bar.

The oh so lovely lolly bar (which was practically GONE by the time we arrived btw lol). 

A MASSIVE HIT!

This wishing well was made by my older brother for my sister's wedding, then it was passed to an older brother for his wedding, and finally through to us as we got married. Now it is ours until we pass it on again one day.

Bridal table.

Back lights.

Sparkler send off.

And there you have it! The most amazing Wedding, I could never imagine it would be that wonderful.

Any questions or comments please leave below :)

Until we meet again my loves,

Wedding Invitations

I.

AM.

IN.

LOVE!

With these invitations - oh... and my fiance.

These are very chic and on trend with the rustic style. It has two brown cards, one as the main invitation with a doily attached, and the other is two sided with the RSVP and Wishing Well information. All in one!

You can find more information and buy them by clicking below:

What are/were your invitations like?

Chill Out Pass and Ways I Can Calm Myself resource for students

This resource is for any one who has a child in their life that could benefit from a card which gives a 'free pass' for the child to take time out to calm down. It also includes a few simple and easy tips that are effective in helping them to calm themselves.

In particular this is a great resource for the classroom, whether it is behaviour or anxiety targeted.

You can download my Chill Out Pass and Ways I Can Calm Myself resource from my TeachersPayTeachers account by clicking here.

I look forward to hearing how it goes for you!

How Long Does Makeup Last? [Did You Know]

Hello lovelies!

Today I learnt some valuable information that I would like to share because it kind of blew my mind, and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who didn't even realise this!

If you pick up a makeup item and have a look at the back of it you will see a symbol that looks like a container and has a number on it. This number represents the number of months that the product is good for. Like an expiration date.

= 12 Months

Here are the numbers of some products relating to this:

• Shampoo 12
• Face wash 24
• Make up wipes 6
• Mascara 6 (2-3 months is more hygienic)
• Liquid foundation 6-12 (Pump dispensers can be longer because less exposure to germs)
• Powder foundation 24
• Blush 24
• Bronzer 24
• Setting powder 24
• Eye shadow 12-24
• Lipstick 24 (can prolong hygiene because easy to wipe or even cut) DO NOT SHARE or try out the testers! So many germs!
• Lip gloss 18
• Lip liner 24
• Eye liner 24 (can prolong hygiene because of sharpening)
• Liquid eyeliner 6
• Liquid and cream eye shadow 6-12

Of course you may find different brands or products last a different amount but this is a pretty good guideline.

I am kind of a makeup hoarder, I have so much makeup and hardly get through it (especially lipsticks!) I am doing better - I promise! 

What is your makeup collection like? 

Cleaning Made Easy

Hello lovelies!

I have been working full time for the past 6 months now and my house has turned into a mess! There is dust everywhere, a pile of clean laundry left in a basket on my bedroom floor that I rummage through every day, and I just don't feel happy when I walk around.

This madness needs to stop!

Hazaa! I have created a Cleaning Schedule.

This allows me to have a spotless and organised house every week, with only needing to do a bit here and there every day, and better yet it keeps my weekend free to just relax.

Now just take note that we have pets so in this plan I have scheduled when we need to remember to change the kitty litter, and even bathe our stinky dog. 

I structured it so that each day focuses on a certain area of the house, and also keep those areas we use most or enjoy clean for over the weekend.

Let me know if you test this out, what you like or don't like.

Happy house cleaning every one!

Download the AllAboutZoe Cleaning Schedule here:

Rewarding Students to Please Parents?!

Since when did me pleasing you as a parent become more important than actually teaching your child? ...is the thought that has been going through my head for the past few weeks....

Apparently this is what I have walked into when I recently accepted a new teaching position. Unfortunately for me it is very difficult when you pick up where another teacher left off. Everyone was so comfortable, and now there are changes- and as humans, we hate change.

That is how I became the bad guy.

Is this you right now? Or have you been there (as you sigh of relief knowing you are out of that hell hole!)

Fear no more!

I developed these Gold Card awards. I pick a different student every day to reward. It states the child's name, what they got it for, and requires the parent to sign it so it can be returned to be displayed in the classroom. Like my sneaky way of making sure the parent sees it?...

I was very hesitant at first when my Deputy suggested something like this, but I made it into something I am proud of, and something that DOES recognise the child's hard work (not their parents!).

When they return it, it will be displayed on the Golden Students Wall in the classroom, to show off their achievement and get a great sense of pride.

Here is the link to my TeachersPayTeachers Website where you can download it (you're welcome, and yes I do accept cyber hugs)

Comment below your pesky parent stories!

Divorced Parents and Wedding Drama

My parents had a seemingly great marriage when I was a child growing up.

Little did I know until I turned 13 that there were skeletons in the closet consisting of 2 affairs (or more), 2 miscarriages, and a loveless relationship.

Yikes!

They stayed together for us kids... all 5 of us... and I am utterly grateful for that because I had a great time growing up with my family altogether. However now that I am older, have all the facts, and know a thing or two about relationships... it really wasn't the best thing and I don't recommend it.

So now for the past 5 or so years since they separated, we have had some family drama... no... A LOT of family drama. Who do I send the therapy bills to?

I found out that my mother had been telling my other siblings how she wasn't going to attend my impending graduation, engagement party, or even the wedding.

You can imagine how riled this had me, so I confronted her. And was shocked when she didn't even deny it.

I need to state that there is a lot more background to this mother-daughter relationship that ain't so pretty... but it would take me a few novels to get through it all.

Here is the topic: Divorced parents and the drama they bring to weddings.

Here is the question: How to deal with this. Anyone?...Anyone at all have the solution? No...? Great.

Well this is what I am going with:

1. Band all the brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles, dogs, cats, God, whoever, together and get their help to talk to your parents. In my case my father is completely fine, it is my mother causing my distress so she is the target. I am hoping my siblings will be able to give advice to her that will make her realise the importance of these occasions, and the regret she will have if she misses out. After all you only get one life.

2. Try not to stress over it. If a parent is doing this to you, then it is more than likely you kind of knew this was a possibility, and it is true to their unfortunate character to be so horrid. They are the ones making themselves look bad to everyone else, and yes it may be embarrassing to have everyone around you ask where the parent is... but the main thing is that this day is all about YOU and no one, NO ONE, should take that away. They are in the wrong.

3. Find someone to replace them that you can count on and will only bring joy to you, especially on the big day. For me this is my sister. She practically is my mother, and is in fact 12 years older than me. She is my rock. The one I turn to for any and all advice. She is extremely intelligent, and I always have so much fun with her. She is who I will be leaning on for support, and looking to on the day. She is even my Maid of Honor. I always focus on how lucky I am to have her in my life.


Has this happened to you? Please share you story, experiences, and any advice!

If you are going through the same thing that I am, I am so sorry and wish you strength.

When Does Sharing Become Bragging?

I have a friend who loves talking about herself.

I don't even think she realises it, or at least doesn't have that intention.

But in saying that I do think she tries to make herself sound or be better than others.


I enjoy hearing about what is going on in her life, and of course want to support her and be excited with her... but it is getting harder when every week there is a new guy that is the love of her life, who she sleeps with straight away, and doesn't understand why they all of a sudden disappear...

Which is a lie... because I flat out tell her, and warn her, and give her advice on how to prevent that. But still this vicious circle continues. Honestly I think she actually enjoys the drama, and victimising herself because then it is the guy's fault and not hers.

Because we are in the same or similar career, she also enjoys telling me about all her new job opportunities and has even laughed and said to me how she will finish her uni degree before me and get all the jobs... yep.

She is the one up friend.

Here are some thoughts and tips on the difference between sharing and boasting.


Being a Good Sharer:
- you pride yourself in being a good listener
- you ask how the other person is first
- you remember details of their life and bring it up, for example 'How did that big presentation at work go?'
- you listen to their stories as much as you tell them your stories
- you use words or sentences such as, 'Wow that is great news!' 'You must be so proud of yourself!' 'How exciting'
- you are actually interested in what the other person has to say
- you are respectful to the other person
- you don't talk negatively about others to make yourself sound better


When Sharing Becomes Bragging:
- you only talk about yourself and/or share your stories
- you do not listen to the other person's stories, or pay attention when they do
- you frequently forget what is going on in their life
- your response to all this is 'but they don't like talking about themselves'... Really? And you know this because you live inside their head?
- you enjoy competition, but it includes the kind where you think you are better than everyone else
- you get jealous when the other person has success
- you try to one up the other person's story of success by fabricating or exaggerating yours


Of course we should all be proud of our successes, but we also should celebrate others.

We are social creatures and love talking about ourselves and what is going on in our lives, but just be mindful that you are engaging in an equal relationship.

Remember, friendship is a two way street, it should not be one way.

Comment below your thoughts and experiences with this.

Who Are Children?

People.

Children have human rights.

(If you don't believe me that children have them, Google it. I dare you.)

They have thoughts, opinions, ideas, and they love to express these.

My background is teaching and human services. I feel I would be lost without my human services side of understanding.

The other day I heard a story from a student teacher whose supervising teacher yelled at a child for not having a book.... and also yelled at a child saying "if you didn't miss school so much then you wouldn't have missed out on having this template and would be able to find it!"

Fair arguments?

Perhaps... but...

This child was 6 years old.

I really hope your mouth is dropped and you let out a huge "GASP" of shock.

If you did not, consider these points:

- The child is 6. six. They are only just learning how to take care of themselves. There is a huge range of their abilities and not all 6 year olds are the same. Some can make their bed, some still wet themselves, some can count to 20, some don't know what their last name is, let alone how to write their first name.

- Is this the second, third, etc. time that this has happened? Do you see or talk to the child's parents/carers? Have you thought that they may not have the book because their family cannot afford it. Or the child's home life could be filled with domestic violence, and no offence dude, but a school book is not on their priority list in that situation. 

- Are there bullies? Does the child's things seem to go missing with no explanation and a look of fear on their face. 

- Yes. Sometimes the dog DID eat their homework. It's a stretch, but even I had a cat that would put numerous puncture holes into any piece of paper I was holding. Because apparently that was my cat's favourite game to play. 

- Is the child sick a lot? Are they always in hospital? Is there a more serious condition to their health, or are they poorly taken care of due to lack of income, lack of support, lack of a caretaker to give them adequate nutrition. Maybe this is why they were away for that extremely important lesson where the others got this template. I know, they are totally going to fail school and fail at life but hey, what are you gonna do. [sarcasm]

I'm sure there could be more scenarios to this situation. And I could have demonstrated way more annoyance and sarcasm...

I thought everyone learnt to put yourself in someone elses shoes. This for me is common sense. I have however realised over the years when I've been teaching children this, that even adults don't have this concept. Is it their fault? Probably not. Because obviously this skill is missing from the lack of someone showing them. We only know what we have seen. 

What are your thoughts on this?

Was the teacher too harsh on the 6 year old? 

I don't think it was ok to talk or deal with the student that way. There should have been more time to explore, or even just take a second to ask, "Why?". I of all people know how teaching can be a stressful job, but in those moments of frustration you should know better than to snap. You are an adult. You know you can give yourself that one deep breath and have a quick think of how to deal with that situation, and it is never to yell and make a child feel awful about themselves and be embarrassed in front of the whole class.

A teacher should be someone they feel comfortable and confident to talk to, share problems with, seek advice, and look to for guidance. You are a role model. There is a teacher-student relationship. And being at school may be the only positive thing in that child's life right now. 

Think twice before treating children however you feel. If you wouldn't talk to or treat a fellow adult a certain way, then you should not do that to a child. My motto with the children I take care of is basically I will treat you how you treat me, which is also reversed. For example, smacking. When I see a parent hit their child, and often it is for the child hitting their sibling, I laugh and wonder how they don't get it. When a child speaks to me rudely or ignores me I pull them up on it by saying "Please don't be rude to me, I listen to you all the time, so that is not fair if you don't listen to me." And guess what? It works every time. 

Stand up for children's rights. 

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe (of your life!)

Seriously.

I know I've got your hopes up high now, but honestly this is the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I have ever come across and I feel it suits all cookie types.

It's chewy and soft of the inside, and can be crunchy on the outside.
(If you don't like crunchy on the outside just take it out sooner rather than later)

I must warn you that these are extremely addictive... And oh so... un...healthy.
Let's pretend they're not so bad for us... And secretly cry inside knowing.

Here we go!

Ingredients.
allaboutzoes.blogspot.com

Serves 10 (approx. 40 cookies)

Preheat oven 160 C (320 F)

1. Add to the bowl:
125g butter (melted)

2. Mix in until dissolved:
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup caster sugar (white sugar)

3. Mix in:
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 tsp vanilla essence

4. Gradually add and mix in (option to sift):
1 cup self raising flour*
3/4 cup plain flour*
1 tsp baking powder

*I use whole wheat flour and still turns out perfect!

5. Stir in:
1 cup dark choc chips (I add more... sometimes...)

6. Spoon small dollops onto baking sheet on a tray.
Make sure to leave good space between cookies because they will melt down and spread out a bit.
I make a dollop of about a tablespoon, and that spreads out to approximately 6 cm (2.3 inches) diameter cookie.

DO NOT flatten out the dollop. I used to do this all the time, but do not with these! Trust me, if you follow the recipe they will spread out perfectly on their own and will not rise up.

7. Bake for 12-15 minutes
Let them cool for 3 minutes and eat!


YUMMY!


So simple, so delicious. You can thank me later :) or hate me because they're so darn good :p

Good luck!