If you’re able to get the RCA digital wonder camcorder out of the impenetrable packaging then you’re off to a great start! It took me seconds to get it out of the cardboard box but it then took no less than about 5 minutes to cut through the Fort Knox style plastic packaging.
Go here to read the full snapshot review…
My niece turned 1 on Saturday! I still can’t believe a whole year has passed already…
The highlight of her birthday party (besides the sweeties and chocolates), was making her birthday cake with my sister. We used the same design book that my mom had used for our birthday cakes growing up so it was quite a special process.
As the theme of the party was “Ladybugs”, we went with the obvious choice of making a ladybug cake:
We used a simple vanilla sponge recipe to make the cake and baked it on Friday night. We allowed the cake to cool overnight in a cake tin and iced it on Saturday morning. I used my own butter icing recipe and once it was ready, we separated it into two bowls. We added cocoa powder to the one bowl of icing for the head, and we added red food colouring to the other bowl for the wings. However, no matter how much red food colouring we added, the colour remained a dark pink. We used smarties for the eyes and the spots on the wings, and licorice for the edging, legs and antennae. And for the grass we used coconut mixed with green food colouring and runny icing so it would stick to the board.
Not only was the cake a gorgeous sight to behold (if I do say so myself), it tasted absolutely amazing!
I’m looking forward to the many birthdays ahead!
Hugs & Kisses
Jessica Giggles
Out of the many, many apps on my iPhone, these are the ones on my home screen and the ones I use the most. The ones I use when I need to know something right now, or when I want to put my own touch on the normal.
Take a look here for the full story.
I’ve often sat down to blog but since there’s so much going on at the moment, I just don’t know what to say… A little sad, no?
First a quick follow-up from my Auntie Who post… My step-sister’s little one arrived early this past Saturday morning weighing just over 3kgs. Unfortunately she did develop a small infection and was placed in an incubator so when Gary and I went to visit on Sunday, we weren’t allowed to hold her or play with her. (We didn’t go visit on Saturday as my BIL advised not to as my step-sister was still zonked from the medication etc.) I am happy to announce though that baby is all better and she and her mommy were discharged yesterday. I haven’t had the chance to visit them again but I’m sure they are settling in nicely at home.
My brother’s little one is due on 28 March but apparently he can come any day now… Hope our care package arrives in time!
With regards to work… As always I am busy! And busy is of course, always an understatement! We have been on the go since we reopened in January (after our December holidays) in preparation for upcoming events. We are now in March. (Already!! Can you believe it?!) The month that is so busy with events that we are all counting down until it’s over. Let me put it in perspective… We had two weddings this past weekend – 1 in Cape Town and 1 in Pretoria. We then have a wedding in Cape Town this Saturday for a UK client. Then next weekend we have a 40th birthday. And the following weekend we have a 21st birthday on the Friday and a wedding on the Saturday. Most of these functions we have been working on since last year but unfortunately the real slog can only start once we have final guest numbers. Luckily I am so super duper organised that most aspects have been organised. It’s now just a waiting game for RSVP deadline dates so we can finalise numbers for catering or hiring etc.
The cool thing about work at the moment is that we recently bought a laptop for me to work off. My old machine was too damn slow and froze constantly. Now I have a super fast machine at my finger tips! And better yet, when I go home each evening, I have something to blog with etc. Fabulous!
And finally, the part you’ve all been waiting for… My personal life! Well… We have received our wedding invitations and we are now trying to find the time to get them all delivered. No small feat when work is keeping us both busy. My dress has arrived and I am going to see it on Tuesday. Excitement! All dress fitting appointments have been made so now it’s just a count down until my dress fits perfectly. My shoes have been found, I just need to take them past a shop where another hole can be made in the strap. Not sure who can do this but I don’t think it’ll be too difficult. My hair and make-up trial went wonderfully so that’s sorted too. My bridesmaid has her dress but we still need to find her some shoes. Gary and his best man still need to sort out their outfits but that’ll be a quick and easy process. So basically everything is sorted.
Between you and me, I was chatting to a few friends the other day who are getting married in April and they were stressing about this and stressing about that. Meanwhile when they said they haven’t thought of X, I was thinking “Check! Been done already!”. I am now stressing that I’m not stressing! It may not make any sense but I can’t help myself…
What’s news with you?
Hugs & Kisses
Jessica Giggles
AT A GLANCE
- Built-in EDGE modem and memory card
- Operates Vodafone Opera Mini Browser
- Based on Android 2.1 platform
- Uses a normal sized sim card
- Requires a power source
- Needs a TV with RCA inputsInstallation was a breeze! You literally insert the sim card and battery on the underside of the keyboard, insert the micro SD card on the side of the keyboard, plug the RCA cables into the same coloured sockets, and finally plug the keyboard into a power source. You then flip through your television sources until you find the Vodafone logo.
Take a look here for the full review…
I went shopping yesterday at your branch in Cresta Shopping Centre. I was in search of wedding gifts from two gift registries that my friends had set up for their upcoming weddings. In one word my experience was a nightmare!
First off your gift registry counter is tucked in the back of the shop. I had to ask at the paypoint if they could assist me in finding the registries and they merely pointed me in the direction of the gift registry counter. The next torturous step was getting the registries printed off. Nowadays it is cool and easy to have touch sensitive screens. But that’s if they work correctly. And that’s also if they have a competent person behind it. It took about 10 minutes to get the two registries found and printed off. Then it was time to scour the shop to find the items I wanted to buy…
I walked around the store for about an hour trying to find the few items I would be purchasing. It would have been quicker if one of your store attendants were to have offered to assist me. Or if it were perhaps store policy that the person working behind the registry counter assist customers purchasing off a registry. If this can’t be done, can you not find a way to make it easier for us to choose off a registry? Perhaps you can have a set of shelves in a back room set aside for registries? It would take a fraction of the time to find something and make the experience that much more enjoyable!
If I had “fun” searching for the items I ended up purchasing, more fun was to be had while watching the lady wrap the presents… To say the very least, I am a perfectionist. And to stand behind the counter and watch one of the shop attendants attempt to wrap the presents, was a feat in keeping my OCD under control. It took longer to wrap these gifts than it had taken to find them. Surely the time spent wrapping would ensure the gifts looked perfect? Unfortunately not! These gifts are going to be presented to a bride! Surely more care should be taken in wrapping them? Surely old boxes should be kept in the back for times when the object is an odd shape and would thus be a hassle to wrap? Instead one of my gifts looks like this:
Why wrap everything using one piece of paper when you can wrap separately and then wind sellotape around all four items to stick them together? And then strategically place the ribbon to mask this atrocious sellotape job! And why keep the paper all neat and uncreased when wrapping if you will just tip the gift on it’s side crumpling the unfolded paper in order to fold on the other side. And why keep the sellotape usage to a minimum to keep it neat and clean when you can use an entire roll on just one gift! The mind boggles!
Would you present this gift to a bride at her wedding? I think not… So I will be rewrapping them myself. And if I ever have to buy off a gift registry from you again, I’ll be sure just to buy the items and wrap them at home myself.
Regards,
Jessica Giggles
I am getting married in May this year. And my fiancé and I are paying for it ourselves (with some helpful contributions from our parents). It seems to be the norm these days for couples to pay for the wedding themselves. As it can be a costly event, I thought I’d share some hints I’ve learnt in the wedding planning industry that can help you lower costs.
The day & time to wed
- Costs can be saved if you decide on a breakfast or lunch wedding. A wedding reception during the day means there isn’t a need to get a DJ as you can easily put together a playlist of background tunes that you can ask the venue to play for you. A day reception also means no expensive bar tabs.
- If you aren’t concerned about the day of your wedding, book on a weekday or Sunday as the rates are usually cheaper. However keep in mind that if you book on a weekday, guests will invariably have to take a day’s leave to attend. And if you book on a Sunday, and you’re having an evening wedding, expect to have an early-ish night as many of your guests will need to leave as they’ll have work in the morning. Take note that if your wedding is booked on a Sunday and the Monday following it is a public holiday, a discount will more than likely not be applicable.
The venue
- If you’re not set on a summer or spring wedding, try and book during the winter months. Most venues have discounts available on venue hire during the months of May to August as this is their “slow” season. Take advantage of the discounts as a little saving goes a long way.
- When enquiring with a venue that you’re interested in, find out exactly what is included. Don’t be afraid to ask if the chairs, tables, table linen and gratuities are incorporated in the price. Some places charge you to utilise their chairs. Some don’t. By investigating wisely you may find yourself with a complimentary honeymoon suite! Or better yet, you may be able to utilise the suite to get ready for your big day.
- Once you know when you’ll be getting married (time of year and time of day), take a critical look at the venue you’re interested in. Will the flowers or greenery look good? If not, is there interesting architecture that can be used for photographs?
The catering & bar
- I strongly urge you to make use of your wedding cake as dessert. Instead of having a three course meal followed by wedding cake, make the most of the money you have spent on your cake and have it as the only dessert. There won’t be any desserts that go to waste. And your perfect wedding cake will be money well spent. Just make sure it’s a flavour you like and that most guests would eat.
- If you’re thinking of having a bar tab, think again. Guests are known to drink more alcohol (and the expensive stuff at that) when the drinks aren’t bought by themselves. Rather have the bar available on a cash basis where guests can drink until their wallets are empty. This being said, if you do want to supply the wine or champagne, have it served by the waitering staff as this will decrease the amount of bottles opened but unfinished.
- If you are thinking of giving guests thank you gifts, think again. Instead of giving the tired pink and white almonds in a bag, or chocolate or nougat, rather indulge your guests with a hearty meal and a night they’ll remember.
The guest list & invitations
- Discuss the amount of guests you can afford and put together your guest list. Once it’s finalised, leave it for a day or two. Relook at it then and see if you’ve left anyone off. Also look with a critical eye to see if you can take remove anyone. The rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t be inviting someone that you haven’t seen in the last 6 months. If it helps, perhaps make two lists, an A and a B list. People on list A are the have to haves. The ones that would make your wedding memorable. People on list B are people you’d like to have but will only invite if someone on list A can’t make it. Harsh but very effective.
- When it comes to single friends, advise that you’ve counted them as bringing a date, but suggest that they rather don’t bring someone as there’ll be other single people at the wedding. Firstly, your guest won’t panic because they now need a date. (I’ve been there, done that.) Secondly, you won’t need to pay the catering costs for someone you’ve never met before. And lastly, weddings are normally where people meet and hook-up. And don’t we all secretly want to be Cupid. If you still feel bad that you’re telling them what to do, suggest that if they are in a meaningful relationship by the time they need to RSVP, then they should bring him/her along.
- Think about going electronic with regards to your “save the dates” and/or your invitations. Save a tree and use an inexpensive option to notify/invite your guests. Nowadays there are even options to have a “wedding website” where you can include the story of how you met, the invitation details, an online RSVP form, as well as your gift registry.
The decor
- Weddings don’t necessarily equate to flowers. Research online and page through magazines to see how you can save on your wedding decor. You don’t need to use flowers to make an impact. You can use feathers or twigs or inexpensive ribbon or candles. The list is endless, just use some imagination.
The dress
- A lot of money can be saved on your bridal dress (or bridesmaid dresses) if you take advantage of sales. Bride & Co (and other bridal dress shops) often have sales where you can find the perfect dress at a fraction of the price (sometimes even at half the price). Just remember to get to the store early as any sale will see the store bursting at the seams with brides and bridesmaids in search of the perfect dress.
- Another option when it comes to your bridal gown, is to consider hiring it instead of purchasing.
Hope this has been helpful! If you’ve got any great tips, please let me know!
Hugs & Kisses
Jessica Giggles
Continued from part 10…
First a recap…
In the November of 2009 His Sexiness placed a gorgeous engagement ring on my finger and asked me to marry him. I said yes and the wedding planning began. In the January of 2010 we found the perfect venue and booked it.
Now came the arduous task of formulating our guest list…
I sat down in front of my computer, opened up an Excel spreadsheet (because I don’t believe in simple pen-and-paper lists) and began inputting names. I started off with Gary and myself, because you do need to count yourselves in if you’re hoping to eat on the night, and specifically if you’re working towards a specific number of guests. Then I continued with my mother, my father, my step-mother, my brothers and their wives, my sister and her husband, my step-sister and her husband, and then family friends. Then I followed on with friends from high school and university. And then I made Gary sit down and send through his list of family, family friends, and friends. And then the real fun began…
Because, not only had we reached our estimated amount of guests really quickly, there were still some others that we needed to invite. As we’re both quite involved with Twitter, and had got to know quite a few on a personal “in-real-life” level over the months, we needed to add them to our guest list. And that meant diminishing the list a bit on the family and other friends parts.
So we went through our respective lists of friends and family and Twitter friends. And we looked at the list with a harsh eye and removed people that we haven’t spoken to in a while or aren’t that close with. The list diminished ever so slightly.
In the February of 2010 we sent our electronic Save the Date through to everyone on List A (as we now call it).
Now a lot happens in a year. Some people you lose touch with. New people arrive in your life and become good friends. And so, right before we finalised the amount of invitations we would need, we looked through the list again. And yes, some people were added and some people were taken off. It was difficult. It was tough. But it was necessary.
Having the final guest list in hand, we designed and ordered our invitations. They’re now sitting safely in a box on my kitchen counter. And guess what, between the time of “okaying” the design and getting them printed, there’s one or two people that have creeped onto the list… Can you say “back to square one”…
Continues in part 12…
I was excited to be the first to use the Vodafone Webbox and had high hopes for it when it was put in my hands. It takes a normal sized sim card (for its Internet connectivity), so I unfortunately had to wait for the fiancé to get home before I could activate the sim card and get started (my phone takes a microsim).
Take a look here for the full snapshot review…
