Ladies, you do have to remember that 4″ heels may look good with your dress, that may not be a good idea to carry you through the reception and what promises to be a long day.

What do you do?

First, make sure that the shoes you choose for the ceremony will be shoes that you can walk in, fit properly (don’t buy a smaller size because yours isn’t available), and you will be able to stand in for a few hours.

Between the ceremony and the reception you can change your shoes to be a bit more comfortable.  If you go with a second pair of shoes, be sure to choose white and make sure they are elegant and classy, like your dress.

I’ve seen brides with bejeweled sneakers for their reception.  While that may seem like a good idea at the time, think about the fact that you’re wearing sneakers at your wedding reception.  Do you want to remember it that way?

Instead, try selecting a shoe with a lower heel or even a flat shoe that will allow your feet to rest for the next few hours and still allow you to dance, move around and have fun.

So, make sure your shoes fit properly for the ceremony, and if you buy a second pair of shoes for the reception, avoid sneakers and slippers — stick with a flat or lower heel dress shoe.

Until next time!

For example, if you are going with a strapless gown, be sure to bring a strapless bra with you to shop for dresses and all fittings.

After you have picked your dress, buy the best fitting undergarments for that type of dress and always bring them with you for fittings.  The same goes for your shoes so that all alterations are true to form.

Doing this will keep you and the seamstress from any miscommunications and last minute disasters!

Or maybe you have a reunion or special event that you want to be more fit to attend and look great.

Either way, you’ll want to check out my blog and podcast for running for weight loss.

And, it’s called, you guessed it, “Running for Weight Loss.”

The blog and podcast offer answers to some of your pressing questions as well as tips to get the most out of your workouts.

And while you’re visiting the blog or podcast page, make sure you become a list subscriber to take advantage of certain subscriber-only deals and invitations (including one free week of email coaching).

Click below for the blog and postcast pages:

“Running for Weight Loss Blog”

“Running for Weight Loss Podcast”

*Wendy Stewart, Wedding and Event Planner, Personal Shopper, Personal Trainer and Professional Organizer

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Check out my other blogs:
Professional Organizer
http://thebaltimoreprofessionalorganizer.wordpress.com

Running for Weight Loss
http://runningforweightlossblog.com

For some of us, it’s really easy to show appreciation to our mothers.  After all, they gave birth to us.  Fathers are a different story.  Many fathers have been the unfortunate recipients of untold numbers of ties from kids who don’t know what else to get them (tools are popular as well).  Not only that, but sometimes we just aren’t sure what the father-figures in our lives really want and would love to get on Father’s Day.

What you do for the father figures in your life and the gifts you give will depend heavily on the personality and interests of the recipient.  But don’t forget to think out of the box on this one.

In upcoming articles, I will give you ideas on how to choose a gift for Father’s Day and how to celebrate Father’s Day.  (For some of you, that may involve a personal shopper and/or an event planner — good thing you know one!)

Make sure to subscribe to the feed so you don’t miss any of these great ideas and other event and gift ideas for your summer celebrations.

*Wendy Stewart, Wedding and Event Planner, Personal Shopper

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You’re going to throw the party of the year but you don’t know where to start or how long things should take to get done.

While many very specific details will depend on the size and nature of your party, there are some general planning guidelines to follow to help keep you on track and not scrambling at the last minute.

Before I get into the timeline, let me first say that the further out you have to plan your parties, the easier it will be and the more money and effort you can put into it.

Also, be sure to get some reliable help.  Whether that is a relative or a professional party/event planner, do not do everything yourself.  That’s a recipe for going insane.

So, here’s my general party planning timeline:

2 Months Before

List general details.  You want to make sure you cover about how many guests there will be, venue/location, budget, and theme.  While these are just general details, they will be important for establishing how you handle the planning from here on.

1 Month Before

After the theme, guest list, and venue have been finalized, send out invitations.  People are so busy these days that the more time you give people to plan, the easier it will be for them to put your party in their schedule.  This is another way to ensure success.  This would also be the time to finish paying most or all of the fees for the venue.  Depending on the venue, the entire fee may be due in advance or the balance may be due at the conclusion of the event.  Be sure you are clear on what you owe and when it is due.

2-3 Weeks Before

Confirm the number of guests who will attend and ensure there are no last minute surprises with the venue and any other vendors with whom you have contracts.  This also includes finalizing the menu.

3 Days Before

If you plan on handing out goody bags or favors of some sort, take this time to put them together.  This is not a task you want to do the day before your party.  Again, do not do this all yourself.  Make a mini-party out of getting the favors together.

The Day Before

If you have access to the venue the day before the party, take this opportunity to decorate as much as you can.  This will give you more time on party day and less to worry about.  If any of your decorations are perishable, such as flowers, save those for the day of the party.

Party Day!

This is the day you’ve been waiting for! But before you get to partying, be sure that all decorations are complete and you have arrived at the venue at least 1 hour before guests are too arrive (this will vary depending on how much decorating you did the day before).

You may also want to hire a party/event planner just for the day of the party to oversee the party and the details so that you are free to have fun.  If this is the day final balances are due, the planner is also a good person to turn those details over to as well.

Remember to arrange for clean up after the party and send your guests thank you notes for coming and get them excited for your next smash hit party!

I hope this timetable has been helpful for you.

*Wendy Stewart, Wedding and Event Planner

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Enjoy.

All of the contestants’ transformations were amazing and inspiring.

I encourage anyone who is even thinking about getting back into shape or need to be healthier for a variety of reasons, then start now!

You do not have to wait until the beginning of the year. Start your very own transformation now!

Rather than totally repeat the article I wrote on avoiding holiday debt, I’m providing you with the link to it.  Also because I’m so excited that it is featured on the front page of eHow.com! How exciting! So check out the article and leave your comments!

Happy Gifting!

*Email baltimorestylist@gmail.com to book your appointment with this Baltimore area Personal Shopper.  There’s still time to hire a shopper, save money, and get your holiday shopping done before the very last minute.

I think Ms. Thomas is forgetting a couple of things.

1. If you take a look around, people are hardly in the dire straits we know existed during the Great Depression.

2. We pretty much talked ourselves into recession by listening to what people like her say about what you should and should not worry about in terms of your money.

3. When I got my degree in history, I seem to remember that it was World War II and its resultant increase in industry that brought this country out of the Depression — not one singular stimulus package.  After all, how can you motivate people who have lost trust in the system? Get the trust back and you’ll get the people back.

As I’ve gone all around the Baltimore area over the past couple of days, it is clear to me that people are intent on spending whatever money they have.  And even when the association of retailers reports losses, what they don’t tell you is that they are still making a profit, just not as much as before.

Being a lifestyle consultant, I help people make the most out of their lives.  And in the spirit of doing so I would like to take this time to remind you that there are plenty of great things in this world to look forward to.  Not only that, but it is up to you to decide when it is time to worry.  It’s not the job of the reporters, your friends or your family.  Only you can decide how you are going to feel about what is going on in the world.  You can throw your hands up in the air and say “What’s the use?” Or you can go on about your days making every day better than the last.

Sure, tough times will come, but how will you respond? Will you buckle under the pressure or be prepared when the moment comes to test your strength and resolve?

The decision is up to you.

Hydroxycut HardBody Challenge 2009

If you are willing to follow the Hydroxycut Max Hardbody Challenge, you could be $100,000 richer.  I don’t know about you, but that sounds great to me!

I actually have a bottle of Hydroxycut Max, but I haven’t used it in awhile because I wasn’t disciplined enough to keep up with the directions.  I had already received clearance from my doctor for the product, so I knew I was good to go on that front.  Now, I think I’m going to enlist the help of another local personal trainer to get myself back on track.

Now, back to the contest.  You have from January 1, 2009 until June 30, 2009 to finish at least 4 weeks of training.  Of course you must take before and after pictures and you must also write and essay.

Complete rules and details can be found at HydroxycutHardBodyChallenge.com.

Also, 25 runners up will be awarded $2000 each.  So if you’re the type motivated by competition and cash prizes, go for it.  I will be!