[MommaTrish]

For this one you can do whatever you want just so long as you include five stitches and ten buttons.

[Sk8ermaiden]

I was the kid who spent the days before school started packing andbrepacking my pencil bag, picking out my outfit and organizing my binders. Hi. my name is Kellie and I LOVE to plan.

A lot of the women I know rate planning their weddings as their personal hell. I loved it. LOVED IT. I would do it every year if we had that kind of $$$ to throw around! I planned for over 2 years - I booked all my vendors well over a year in advance. Not only did I get first choice (after reading hours after hour of reviews, of course), but I saved thousands of dollars by avoiding the next year’s inflation
hikes. Andyou know what? It was perfect. Everything was so perfect and people were happy and EVERYONE danced and the kids loved their bags and our vendors were amazing. And it was ALL because of the hours of research and planning I had done. I wanted to have the kind of wedding that other people loved going to - not because it was fancy or expensive, but because someone took the time to think about their needs and wants and see to them. So many women lose sight of the fact that even if you are the bride - you’re still the hostess!

Home buying? We probably could have done without the realtor until the very end. First I researched home buying, mortgages, parts of town and school districts. I used the local realtor website to find the houses I wanted and then I printed off their listings AND their HCAD appraisals, appreciation history and tax costs. I did drive bys in heavy rains to check on the drainage.

Vacations....ooh, vacations. I start planning a simple weekend away 4+ months in advance. We only stay in B&Bs and don’t spend more that $100 a night. AND it has to be gorgeous and have good location and the amenities I want...it’s a challenge and I throughly enjoy it. My friends tease me about “the spreadsheet” I make in Excel. Listing the B&B, room name, cost, amenities, location, etc...before making a choice. And THEN it is time to research things to do in the area. This month we are taking a train cross country, so in addition to my normal stuff I am researching all the things I should know/bring to have a good train trip, and how to keep a 2 year old entertained.

I didn’t get to plan the first baby, but I do get to plan this one. I am already stepped into high gear! I can’t wait. I am already researching double strollers!

Lots of women do this stuff, but I LOVE it. I wish I could get paid for this. I get such a sense of satisfaction putting in all this effort and getting a result that is so perfect. We never stay in bad hotels, we never don’t have our tickets, we never get surprised by the fine print, we never have buyer’s remorse on big purchases, we never “didn’t plan for that.” It’s all because I put so much effort into making the right choices and thinking of everything. Sometimes I wish my husband could understand how much woek I put in and how much it benefits us. But mostly I am just quietly satisfied with my efforts and the results. It is how I take care of my family.