Written by Candace on February 11, 2014 | 2 Comments

Date Idea:
Dining Table Tennis

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it hundred times more – there is value in date nights.

Each one is like making a personal investment into your relationship. Whether they are simple or elaborate. Whether they are emotional or just plain fun. Each is worth the time and energy you put in.

I have a lot of friends with children who have a hard time making date nights happen. Babysitters are expensive and date nights take even more energy to plan when you already feel depleted. If you’re in that boat, we have a treat for you today. I got a little help on this one from my friend and mother of two, Kate, from StyleSmaller. She found a perfect way to have a little friendly competition with her husband without having to leave the house. A perfect date idea to enjoy after putting the kids to bed at night.

Introducing Dining Table Tennis by Red Envelope. Let the games begin!

This would be a unique Valentine’s Day gift and one that could result in a ton of fun. And since February is all about being affectionate, feel free to offer hugs, kisses, tickling and teasing to your opponent.

If you think someone else might enjoy this date idea too, please feel free to SHARE.

P.S. Check out our instagram feed to see the date idea in action!

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Written by Candace on February 6, 2014 | 7 Comments

2014 Goal Setting

A couple weeks ago, Vitaliy and I started going through our personal photos from 2013 in order to design a family photo album to commemorate our year.

I came across this photo of me and it made me stop. I wish I knew what I was thinking. I don’t recall the moment clearly, but I look so free and relaxed. That’s what I want! I want to make more moments like this in 2014. I want to feel the wind blowing in my hair. I want to breathe. To close my eyes and take it all in. To rest.

I’m slowly but surely making my way through my powersheets. I haven’t even completed them yet and I can already see them helping me make real change in my life. Here are the goals I’ve set for 2014. I’ve broken them down much more in detail in my worksheets, but these are the overarching goals I’m working towards this year.

1. I want to live a life of less.
2. I want to know God, love Jesus, and hear the Holy Spirit.
3. I want to be a healthy person – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
4. I want to make marriage happen – my own and others’.
5. I want to book 25 weddings this year.
6. I want to grow as a leader.
7. I want to grow in my knowledge and understanding of finances.
8. I want to be a better wife, daughter, sister, aunt and friend.
9. I want to cultivate a heart of thankfulness and grace.
10. I want to continue learning, through reading and writing.

These are obviously big picture goals, but I’ll soon be breaking them down into monthly, weekly, and daily goals. The smaller the goal the more achievable it becomes. Each step I take on my achievable goals will bring me that much closer to my big dream goals above. I’m seeking progress, not perfection.

I thought I’d share these here to hold me accountable. To get my thoughts down on paper and out into the world. And in case anyone else wants to make some change happen in there life, come join me! You can find the powersheets here.

P.S. I also previously wrote how we are using the powersheets in our marriage too.

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Written by Candace on February 5, 2014 | 3 Comments

Featured
Delighted Magazine

I cannot believe the amount of writing I’ve been doing lately, but I’m loving every minute of it.

I first discovered I enjoyed writing while I was in Ukraine after the accident. I would send home emails to friends and family giving them updates and asking them for specific prayers. People often replied sending their love and they would mention my writing. I suppose that’s how it all started. Something else good that came out of the bad. Thank you, Lord.

Just this morning I submitted a condensed version of my faith story to Lara Casey who is looking for stories for a book she is writing. I tried to keep it concise, but that is one thing I’m not so great at – keeping things short, cutting out the unnecessary. I’m learning though. Whether or not my story is chosen for the book, I am thankful to have gone through the process of writing my story. That was one of my goals for this year and now I can already check that off my list. If you have a step-of-faith story you’d like to share, go here. Lara is accepting submissions until Friday.

I also had the pleasure of doing a fun interview with Delighted Magazine a few weeks ago. We share all kinds of details I’ve never shared before and you can see some pictures of our little office space. One of the questions we answer is, what do you love most about being a part of the wedding industry? I told a sweet story about a wedding coordinator I know, Rhi from Hey Gorgeous Events, who both surprised and inspired me with the way she serves her clients. I had to give her a shout out here too because she’s incredible. If you are getting married, check her out, you will be in good hands. I got very personal in this interview so I hope you enjoy getting to know us better.

You can read our interview and all kinds of other goodies in Delighted’s latest issue here: DELIGHTED MAGAZINE: WINTER 2014

And big thanks to Mandy for including our photo on the cover!

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