Eloping sounds so nice right now...

I think I’m missing the wedding planning gene.

You know, that inherent trait most girls have that gets them excited about throwing tea parties to get girlfriends together to create handmade party favors and invitations and other such crafty items. Or that makes them care about or want to scrutinize over the type of flowers or fabric of the table cloths. Or that programs them to think spending around $27,000 (the average cost of an American wedding!) on a single day of their lives is acceptable.

I find all of this terrifying, even nauseating.

I cringe at the notion of resurrecting arts and crafts class into adult form to make doilies or centerpieces – I can barely cut a straight line in a piece of paper and have no patience for gluing ribbons onto cardstock.
And I truly do not care whether the flowers perfectly match the place settings or the bridesmaid gowns.

I don’t even want to make these decisions or stress over them! All I really care about is having a fun, stress-free day with my hubby-to-be and our family and friends. And, of course, feeling gorgeous in a glamorous wedding gown! I am afraid that getting mired in the details will only set me up for disappointment when some of them inevitably fall short.

But what really turns my stomach is the cost. The thought of all the other ways I could productively use the money that's currently direct depositing into our "wedding fund" each week is unsettling and makes me question our sanity. Let's see... we could spend thousands of dollars to throw a big party for ONE night, or we could apply that money toward student loans, paying off my car, a down payment on an investment property, or even a future baby fund!

A couple of my friends are also engaged and well ahead of me in planning their weddings... they also gripe about the expenses and how scary it is, yet they didn't hesitate to book their venues and submit a hefty deposit. How are they able to calmly sign their savings away? When my travel agent sends me quotes for the different all-inclusive resorts we're considering for our proposed destination wedding, I keep finding ways to stall her and delay putting any money down. By the time I do come around, the date I have in mind will probably be taken.

Perhaps it would be a bit less daunting if the wedding costs among the various resorts were easier to compare. It's not even apples to oranges - it's like comparing apples to eggs to shredded cheese!

Part of the reason we're leaning toward a destination wedding is to avoid getting caught up in the details of planning. But just choosing a resort requires a lot of thought, as all of the resorts charge for their wedding packages in VERY different ways. Some packages include almost everything you need, while others offer more of a cafeteria style selection, in which you have to choose among different levels of service or luxury. Then you need calculate how many guests above the wedding package limit you plan to bring, for whom you'll need to pay extra per plate, plus the cost of each table which seats 8 at one resort but only 6 at another, plus liquor fees per person per hour (wait - I thought these were "all-inclusive" resorts?!)... but then you can subtract some of these costs if you have enough guests to book a certain number of room nights, which seems impossible to calculate when I don't know who's coming and in what room arrangements... and the list of fees, upgrades, and complex formulas goes on...

I aced AP Calculus, but all this math is making me dizzy! I tried to compile a spreadsheet to compare what the wedding would cost us based on scenarios of different numbers of guests and the different packages and perks associated with each of the resorts. Instead of helping me to feel more organized, this exercise triggered a mini meltdown! I became so overwhelmed, poring over the confusing wording of the brochures, unclear whether certain items are included, extra, or even necessary - the clarification of which could mean a difference of a few thousand dollars here and there!

I gave up and cried to Dustin that I didn't even want a stupid wedding anymore. But once I got over my tantrum and the sticker shock, I thought back to why I wanted a wedding in the first place - to celebrate our love with those closest to us. And our love is pretty awesome - definitely worth celebrating, in my opinion.

So maybe devoting one very expensive day to making it official isn't so silly, after all...

Homemade birthday treats for my baby!

Dustin's birthday was Monday. I love when his birthday comes around, not only because it means he and I are the same age for a little while (I'm 8 months older), but also because I get to have fun shopping for him and making him yummy treats! 

This year, since we're saving up for our wedding and also in the process of buying a house (Yes! I think we are actually about to seal the deal, but I won't get too excited till the closing date is set), we decided to scale back a bit on the presents. I bought him something small, but I felt like it wasn't enough to honor my favorite boy on his special day, so I decided to cook up a smorgasbord of birthday treats that didn't cost much but made for a very happy fiance.

First, I surprised Dustin when he arrived home from his vacation with some Birthday Cake Oreo bark! It was sooo easy to make and even more delicious. 

Birthday Cake Oreo Bark

All you need to make some Oreo bark is about 9-10 oz. of white chocolate, parchment paper, and a box of Oreos - in this case, the limited edition Birthday Cake flavor. Be sure to buy real white chocolate that contains cocoa butter, not that fake "white candy confection" crap! Quality matters when it comes to my candy! I chose Baker's Premium White Chocolate squares from the baking aisle. 

1. Chop up all the Oreos into quarters, and then randomly chop again to get smaller pieces of random sizes. 
2. Line an 8x8 in. pan or baking dish with parchment paper.
3. Melt the white chocolate in a medium saucepan over low heat. It's easier to melt if you break the chocolate into smaller pieces before putting it over the heat.
4. Once the white chocolate is liquefied, remove from heat, and stir in 80% of the Oreo bits.
5. Pour the delicious mixture into the parchment-lined pan, and try not to lick the spoon!
6. Sprinkle the remaining 20% of Oreos on top of the mixture. 
7. Optional - if you have some rainbow sprinkles handy, add these on top for a pop of fun color.
8. Chill the pan of Oreo bark in the fridge for at least an hour or until hardened. 
9. To serve, simply stab the Oreo bark with a fork to break it up into snack-size pieces, and place into a pretty candy dish of your choice!

Notice the little flecks of color - that's from the "Birthday Cake" Oreo filling! Yum!

I found a cute and colorful little Happy Birthday box at Dollar Tree that made a perfect container for my Birthday Cake Oreo bark!

All of this cost me about $10 - not bad when you consider that one small piece of Oreo bark at Godiva can run you about $6! 

In addition to the Oreo bark, I also cooked Dustin a romantic birthday breakfast and a fancy dinner that cost me very little as well! Here are the recipes I used, FTW!

Breakfast - Eggs in a Basket - just like the ones in V for Vendetta

I followed the recipe but added my own loving twist by cutting heart shapes out of the bread instead of plain old circles. I free-styled it, so my hearts came out a little funny looking, but full of love nonetheless. I served on a plate with lots of halved strawberries to add to the heart effect. The lightness of the strawberries also made a nice, healthy contrast to the buttery eggs and toast versus the usual bacon we eat on the side! This dish was cheap to make - organic strawberries were on sale for $3.99 and I used only half of them. I used a total of 4 slices of whole wheat bread and 4 cage-free organic eggs, so that must add up to maybe $0.75 worth, right?  Add some fresh squeezed OJ and it was about a $5 breakfast for two when you factor in all the leftover ingredients I was able to use later in the week.

Dinner - Cornish Game Hens with Garlic and Rosemary

This recipe is super delish and surprisingly easy to make, considering how tasty and impressive it is! The recipe is simple with just a few ingredients, but the combination of the garlic, lemon, and rosemary provides a burst of robust flavor that enhances the chicken and goes great with a mild side like rice or potatoes.

It also makes for a pretty cheap dinner - the cornish hens were 2 for $7, and I already had garlic and lemon on hand. I bought some rosemary for $2, and some white/wild rice for $1.50. I served with some salad on the side, which I always keep around the house.

In total I'd say it was about $12 for a fancy dinner at home for two. Add a bottle of cheap white wine and you're dining big at home for $20.

Overall, it was a successful birthday full of delicious food, savings, and one satisfied hubby-to-be!