You Need to Try These 5 Ways to Celebrate June, Plus Celebrating Milestones!

Happy June 1! I Cannot believe we are here already! This is already shaping up to be an epic month! 

I have a milestone birthday this month, as well as celebrating a wedding with some family this month.

So many great things coming up, I cannot wait!

May- Came in under budget!

Decluttered!

Mindfully-ate so that I wasn’t blindly going for food if I needed a pick me up.

Hubby and I both got crazy sick with a sinus infection and colds and other yuck, but we pulled thru just in time for June 1!

June Goals:

Spend more time outside

Stay under budget

Celebrate my 40th birthday in the coolest way possible!

Sleep more

Work harder at my day job

Continue to eat more mindfully and eat more organic produce- it really does make a difference!

What have you on the agenda for this month?

5 Ways to Celebrate June

1.          Make a smoothie with in-season ingredients- avocados, strawberries, bananas.
2.          Have a shot of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a glass of water with raw honey.
3.          Take a day trip and try new cuisine.
4.          Have breakfast in bed- enjoy fresh squeezed juice, rustic toast and organic jam, and snuggle in after enjoying breakfast.
5. Give thanks for what you have, take a deep breath in and breathe out, and listen to your body- what do you want to do with June?

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Sound Sensation Will Help Make Your Big Day Sensational!

Recently I’ve been to several wedding receptions—too many—in which the DJ was either too loud, too involved, or not involved enough in the festivities, thus making the evening less than spectacular for the guests. 

Thank goodness, Sound Sensation DJs, and its proprietor Frank Raffa, breaks this trend. Sound Sensation takes the time to listen to the bride and groom and plan ahead for a fantastic evening. They move the party along at a brisk but reasonable pace, allowing for special requests and mini-events within the reception. 

Sound Sensation employs a sophisticated online party planning system that allows for the scheduling of toasts, dances, and more, aligning them with specific songs. It also allows you to request as much music as you like, and if it’s out there, Frank and his team will find it and play it. It makes planning a breeze. A week or so before your event, Sound Sensation will meet with you, ensuring that your reception goes off without a hitch. 

For instance, I planned to sing a song to my beautiful bride, Christine, about halfway through the reception. It required my use of the DJ’s PA system, and we needed to mic my brother’s acoustic guitar for the accompaniment. No problem! Frank mic’ed the guitar flawlessly, and the song went over beautifully. 

Frank was able to move the party along at an excellent pace while still allowing the guests to relax and have a wonderful time. There was plenty of dancing, and Frank played some of my favorite folk-rock tunes as well as some popular line-dances and modern dance music. 

We decided against having some of the more traditional elements at our reception, like the bouquet toss and garter throw. Instead, Frank suggested an Anniversary Dance, in which all the married couples came out to the dance floor, and one by one sat down until only the couple married for the longest time was left. It was a poignant moment and an excellent substitute. 

In short, I’d recommend Sound Sensation for your wedding reception, party, bar or bat mitzvah, or any event, heartily and without reservation. They’re experienced, service-oriented, and reasonably priced, and sure to make your event truly “sensational.”

Written by my husband, Stephen M Trimble

PS- Today is our wedding anniversary of 4 months!

Pantry Escapades: Tacos Bake, Mason Jar Oatmeal, and Scones

Since our wedding, we’ve gotten into the takeout routine, and now are trying to cut back on that to save money. 

We belong to the local CSA, and yesterday Steve got some wonderful cantaloupe, tomatoes, squash, carrots, onions and peppers. Being a part of the CSA is interesting because every week we anticipate what we are going to get, as opposed to going to the farmers market and specifically picking out corn, etc.  It’s made me a more innovative cook.

Last night I pulled out the canned chicken, seasonings, cornbread mix and thawed black beans and corn (that I had made from a bag o beans, soaked and had several containers of beans, for 49 cents). Steve chopped up the peppers and onion, and we had ourselves a taco bake- I poured the prepared cornbread mix (Jiffy, 25 cents) on top of the seasoned taco mixture and baked. YUM! Plus, lunch for today.

I also made chocolate chip scones (thanks to pal Ronnie’s present for my bridal shower- a basket of Trader Joe’s goodies!).

AND I tried Mason Jar Oatmeal. We got many generous wedding gifts, many of which were gift cards to Williams-Sonoma. I got the apple cinnamon cranberry steel cut oats for $5.99 (not a terrible price, but still too high and too full of sugar and flavorings).

I didn’t love all the added stuff, so I added a pouch of Trader Joe’s organic flax and oats to the Mason jar to cut the sweetness, along with a scoop of the WS oats, a cup of boiling water from my glorious Cuisinart PerfecTemp kettle, plus nutmeg, honey, and walnut. I mixed it up, put the lid on, and let it sit, and cool. Before bed I put it in the fridge.

I wasn’t sure how it would be bc I usually do microwave insta-oats in the am, and it’s never any trouble.

But, early this morning at work, there were no bowls, spoons or even cups to be found, so I ate it cold out of the jar. (the mason jar wouldn’t fit in the microwave either!)

And it was good!

I was sick earlier this week, and still have a cough, but I decided to work out today, and was hungry. The oats-in-a-jar were creamy, satisfying, and tasty. I’ll make a bigger portion next week and add in more things from my pantry: cranberries, almonds, cashews, nutmeg, cinnamon, and honey.

DINNER: Seafood Alfredo Trimble…cream, parmesan, peppers, onions, tomatoes, frozen shrimp and canned crabmeat (again, all pantry and CSA items!) over pasta

My Wedding Advice Checklist

Well, Steve and I have been married for about 4 1/2 months now, and it's been pretty great! A lot of good friends got married this year (I'm looking at you Tonya, Amy, and Emily!) and we all had little things we learned throughout the day!

I'm never going thru all that ever again, even though it was a fantastic day, and so here is my wedding advice to new brides-to-be!

My Wedding Reception Checklist:

-Drink a Gatorade at the reception and eat a banana before bed to ward off crippling Charlie horses that make you wake up in terror the next morning. 

- Def have the makeup artists and hair stylists come to your house, relaxing and saves time, and special thanks to S and E!!

- Hold on to your Dadu, it's a special day for him too!

- Eat! Don't get drunk! ( I think I drank maybe 2 drinks) and I somehow had NO coffee all day!! Ppl kept coming up to me while I had dinner but I ate most of my delicious dinner.

- But drink water!!!!

-Don't get shanghaied by old ladies at the reception. This one lady kept commanding me to sit bc she had a picture she wanted to show me. When I went back to her table a second time, she sniffed, you sit down now. When I was called away again she goes you keep leaving! And I'm like yeah. I'm busy, I've got 178 guests to see. Later, she proceeded to show me a pic of ppl who didn't come to the reception. I was like, yeah ok? The next morning she loudly proclaimed I should be in the kitchen cooking for us bc my mommy isn't going to do it for me, I'm married now and have to cook and clean. 
(ha)

- Surround yourself with positive happy people who want the best for you.
I didn't want to believe it, but there will always be people who feel the need to impart their jealousies to others about you. And forget them. Your wedding day is about you- not about others' petty feelings. If they love you, they will be there for you, and talk things out if needed. 

- White yoga pants under your dress feel awesome. (Bc I love my yoga pants, and you can too)they were like bloomers!!

- A limo is not a necessity. 

- Enjoy the hell out of your day!

-Have your reception at a hotel if possible.
Our wedding was on a Friday. We all stayed over at the awesome wonderful Hilton Valley Forge in King of Prussia on 202 where we had the BEST RECEPTION EVER! 200 people had the times of their lives! It was glorious just going right upstairs to relax and change, then we all hung out in the bar downstairs.
Then, we all woke up and enjoyed a breakfast buffet that my parents had included for all our guests. After that us newlyweds checked out, went home, took a nap, then relaxed and had Thai food and champagne. 

On Sunday, my parents hosted a picnic at their house and many of the guests came over and we hung out and grilled and relaxed with family and friends.

- Plan to leave on your honeymoon a few days later! 
We left on Monday, so we had the whole weekend to relax, rehydrate and see visitors and friends. We flew to Orlando on Monday afternoon and arrived in time for a fabulous lobster dinner out after checking into our timeshare at the Hilton tuscany Resort...and then onto Harry Potter World at Universal! 

Honeymoons are glorious.
I suggest you all have one!

Thanks again everyone who was a part of our wedding day!!! Stephen and I thank you and love you!!

Duca Photography: Preserving the Wedding of Steve & Christine in 2015

Duca Came Through in a Big Way on Our Big Day

It was April 17, 2015—a big day for Stephen Trimble and Christine Tarlecki.

Soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Trimble, the couple had all the details sorted, and it was time to get ready for the nuptial festivities. My groomsmen had all arrived at our condo, and Christine, her bridesmaids, and her parents were all getting ready at her family’s home.

Then Tony—my photographer—showed up. Right away, he took charge of the situation, for which I was extremely grateful. He even helped me with a piece of my tux that wasn’t cooperating. He led us through several shooting situations and poses, and made us all feel at ease as we took shot after shot.

I had a sullen 12-year-old as part of my contingent (my cousin), and Tony had him laughing and smiling as we went through all the needed shots. Tony even helped me incorporate my beloved Chow-Chow Leo into some pictures.

In a little while, it was time to go and meet up at the church. One of my groomsmen, Jimmy, thought to pick up some sandwiches at a local deli, and we munched them in the parking lot as we waited for it to be time to go inside. Of course, Tony got some shots as we ate, and they made for some of the more entertaining photos.

Now, as we went into the church and made ready for the ceremony, I was really getting nervous. It was a bit of a blur from here, but I caught sight of Tony and the girls’ photographer, Cassie, as they took shots of the church, the guests, the clergy, and the entering bridesmaids. 

I'm nervous and ready!

Finally, my bride walked down the aisle, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her—and neither could anyone else. Both Duca photographers got some fantastic shots as she entered and approached the altar.

After the ceremony, we were able to get photos of the entire group of guests as well as the bridal party. Soon, however, it became apparent that there was a problem with the limousine, and we weren’t going to be able to ride in it to our other photo location or the reception. “No problem,” said Tony, “Bride and Groom, get in my BMW, and the rest of you follow us in your cars.” Problem solved!

We all met up at the beautiful Valley Forge Park, in full spring bloom, and quickly were able to take hundreds of beautiful shots there. These are easily my favorites of the bunch, as the natural setting complemented our dress and comportment.

From there, it was off to the reception. Both photographers captured the action masterfully as we danced, drank, ate, and sang. It was truly a magical evening, and I’ll never forget it. Thanks to Duca’s skill and professionalism, we have nearly a thousand memories we can look at any time we like as the years pass.

Thank you Duca Studios, and Tony and Cassie!

By Stephen Trimble, special correspondent

T minus 3 Days...

I'm getting married in three days! it's pretty astounding. I went from dating guys I tried to love who certainly didn't care much about me to finding an old boyfriend on FB from 11 years ago and who had moved away...and the rest, as they say, is history.

We went on a couple dates, the chemistry was still there, and after 6 months of dating, he proposed.

It's been amazing- the way we feel about each other is awesome, we are friends and companions and lovers and it is just great!

Planning the wedding has been a struggle, but in the end, I know who my true friends are and those who are truly happy for me! I am always generous and thinking about others and it's been kind of wild with the focus on me, and people are happy to help and be there for me!

We are having our reception at the Hilton of Valley Forge in King of Prussia, and DUCA Studios is photographing and documenting our day. KING Limos is transporting us, and I got my dress at the fabulous David's Bridal and Stephanie's Bridal! Our wedding favors are thanks to Station Bistro Chocolate Creator, Nancy Dill Miller.

 Just about everything is done except the favors, the flowers, and my nails...we still have three days!

And I love Stephen, and marrying him is gonna be awesome!