This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own.

There's a lot of uncertainty right now over when events like weddings will be able to resume again. I really feel for couples who had weddings planned in March, April, and May. :( And with summer (and my sister's wedding) right around the corner, I am reallllyyy hoping that we get this virus under control soon! Of course, you can get married even if you don't have a big crowd at your wedding, but when you've put a lot of thought and planning into choosing the right guest list, the perfect venue, and the date you envisioned, it's hard to imagine postponing or starting all over. Although if worst comes to worst, plan B could be a small elopement on the beach with just you two, your officiant, and your photographer (from 6 ft away)...which actually sounds pretty nice too! You could hire a videographer or set up a camera to videotape the whole thing, so you can show it to family and friends. And you can always have a reception later when the restrictions are lifted.

On the other hand, I've been seeing a few engagements pop up during this quarantine (yay, I'm glad something good is coming out of it!!) so if you're newly engaged, you should be safe to start making plans for a wedding that's in the fall or later. Here are a few things you'll want to consider.

Your Budget

At the start of the process, think about how much you and your partner want to realistically spend on the venue. The cost of the venue will depend largely on how many people are attending, the type of venue you want, and where you live.

Of course, there are certain ways that you can save money on your wedding – like going for a simpler venue such as a restaurant or keeping it to close family only. I don't recommend going into debt for your dream wedding, but if you need a short-term loan, there are Legitimate loan companies that can help you finance some of the expenses. 

Who You Want To Attend 

Next, create a guest list for your day. When you’re looking at venues, enquire as to how many people they can cater for and whether you’ll be able to include all of the family members and friends that you want. If you’ve stumbled upon a venue you that you absolutely love but it's unable to fit your ideal guest list, you then you'll have to choose between cutting down the numbers or moving on to a different venue. 

The Location 

Do you want to get married in your local area or further away? The location will make a big difference to your wedding day, so you’ll need to decide on this early. 

If you’re thinking of getting married closer to home, then look for venues that will accommodate your guest list, within your budget. If you want a destination wedding, you might only need a smaller venue as fewer family members are bound to travel over for it.

All-in-One? 

Are you going to get married in a church and then head over to your wedding venue for your evening celebrations? Or do you want a venue that encompasses the whole day? Consider this when searching for your wedding venue. Either way can work great!

Date Flexibility

How flexible are you with your wedding date? If you aren’t flexible at all, you’ll want to enquire into venues early – at least one year before your wedding date. Venues usually get booked up quickly and you don’t want to miss out on your dream location!

Emmett is two! His birthday was Thursday, and you know what? Yeah, there's a quarantine going on. He couldn't have grandparents or cousins or friends at his party. We couldn't go to the carrousel or the gondola or even the park (everything's closed)...but he couldn't have cared less. He had a GREAT day. His dad stayed home from work, he woke up to balloons all over the floor in the living room, he got chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, we went for a big family walk, he got some new toys, he blew out candles, and he got to eat ice cream and cake with sprinkles. He was so happy all day and kept saying "it's my happy birthday to you!" I love the simplicity of toddlers and how they can get excited over such small things. Emmett at two is a real joy. He is running and jumping constantly. He's strong and tough--when he falls down or gets hurt, he is quick to jump up and say "I'm ok!" He loves to sing and has many songs memorized. He knows his colors and can count to ten!  His vocabulary is really impressive--and not just in English. He is learning Chinese from my mom and really picking it up. His number one insult is calling you a big bad wolf. He's very gentle with his baby sister and loves to give her "tisses." He really enjoys puzzles and is quite good at them. He has the brightest smile and the deepest brown eyes. He has such a generous heart and is always quick to share. He loves vehicles of all kinds. And so many more things I want to remember. We love him so much!!!! Here are a few photos from his day.

This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own.

With people quarantined at home all over the world, I'm curious if any effects will last even after the shelter in place orders are lifted. Will more companies allow their employees to work from home, now that they have the capabilities in place? Will colleges offer more online classes? Will more parents choose homeschooling once they've gotten a taste of it? And now that we're all getting to wear PJs all day...will daytime pajamas become a thing?? Pajamas are so comfortable, and often come in chic fabrics and stylish, colorful prints. I can see us trying to get away with wearing them out of the house! Why not? Mix-and-match your favorite nightwear pieces with your favorite daywear pieces, and finish off the look with the right , and finish off the look with the right accessory in fiery opalescence tone. No one will be the wiser!

Image source: Bayabelle Boutique

Trade Your Blazers for PJ Tops

Jackets, cardigans, and wraps are perfect for cool spring nights, and they’re a necessity in the summer, when office buildings feel more like walk-in freezers. When you're getting sick of your usual go-to cardigans and blazers, try a long-sleeved, button-down PJ top with a nice wide lapel. Ones with solid colors or simple patterns (like stripes and checks) can totally pass for a light jacket.

Turn Your Nightgowns into Day Gowns

Your great aunt would have rather died than been caught walking down the street in nothing but a slip, but times have changed. Pajamas for women have gotten more stylish, and slips and nightgowns can be worn as tops or dresses without raising any eyebrows. Pair a simple, satiny slip with a nice cardigan, black pants, and dressy flats for a sophisticated day look. A pretty nightgown with lace detailing can work as a cute dress, if it's topped with a structured blazer and a pair of high heels.

Wear Your Blingiest Jewelry and Your Nicest Shoes

PJs are the definition of casual, so the easiest way to make your pajamas look like they're, well, not pajamas? Fancy accessories. This is an excuse to wear your nicest statement jewelry and your chicest shoes. Go for something eye-catching and quirky! While you shouldn’t toss out the rules of matching shoes to your outfit, choosing an interesting shoe is okay – even encouraged. Just make sure you leave the sneakers and running shoes in your closet. To pull off the PJs-all-day look, you need to dress it up.

Complete the Look with a Bright Lip and a Bold Eye

You shouldn’t wear your makeup to bed, which is precisely why you should wear makeup if you're going to pull off daytime pajamas. A bold makeup look will make you look put-together and glamorous (and not like you just rolled out of bed). You can go all the way with a colorful, dramatic look or stick to a sharp and retro cat’s eye in black eyeliner.

What do you think? After this quarantine is over, can you see people successfully rocking the pajamas-all-day trend?

How are you using all this time at home? Are you being productive and cranking through all the house projects, spring cleaning, and organization that you've been meaning to get around to? Are you soaking in the slower pace of life, snuggling your kids extra tight, staying in PJs all day, and relaxing the rules on screen time? Are you working out every day and going for long walks and runs outside? I don't think there's really a right answer. Whatever helps you keep your sanity and joy during this weird, unprecedented time. For me, I've mostly been on the lazy side, but I'm also planning some minor updates to our master bathroom.

This is what it looks like currently. We have done absolutely zero to it since moving in, not even changing that awful paint color on the walls. It's functional, but there's definitely room for improvement. This room is pretty small for a master bathroom, so (unfortunately!) there isn't enough space for a tub and a shower. Originally, we wanted to do a full remodel and install either a walk-in shower like we did downstairs, or a more luxurious tub/shower combo with tile instead of a plastic surround.

But with the possibility of us selling our house this year, not to mention all the economic uncertainty right now, we decided it would be smarter to do some smaller budget-friendly updates. That means we're keeping the vanity, toilet, tub/shower surround, and the beige floor tiles...all the basic elements that would be expensive to replace. The plan is to paint the vanity navy blue, add a new countertop, and update cosmetic elements like the cabinet hardware, mirror, faucet, and light fixture. We also want to upgrade the showerhead because we currently have a crappy white plastic one that sometimes pops off the wall mid-shower...a very luxurious experience. :)

1. Chrome shower/tub faucet - $123 / 2. Brass vanity light - $159 / 3. Brass mirror - $70 / 4. Chrome faucet - $79 / 5. Prefab marble vanity top - $289 / 6. Navy paint - $32 / 7. Knobs - $3 ea / 8. Cabinet pulls - $5 ea

I won a Home Depot gift card in a giveaway last month, plus I have some store credit left over from when we did our kitchen remodel in the fall. In total I have about $600 of Home Depot store credit to spend. So these items are almost exclusively from Home Depot (it's probably where I would have shopped either way, but having a gift card definitely helps!). I'm hoping to get away with less than $200 of cash out-of-pocket.

Overall, I'm trying to make the vibe flow with the other bathrooms we've remodeled in the house. A mix of brass and chrome, with some blue and white and marble. See our kids bathroom here and our guest bathroom here.

The part that's making me nervous is the tile. I really don't like the existing floor tile, but we also don't want to deal with demo'ing it and paying for new tile to be installed (labor is expensive). So we are going to try working with it. I searched for photos of bathrooms with this type of square beige tile, and this is the best inspiration I could find, via Bless'er House.

With a blue vanity, the tile is not so bad. We also plan to paint the walls white, which will help a lot to tone down all the beige. Since we're keeping the tile, I tried to find a countertop with warmer tones as I felt like grey Carrara marble wouldn't look right. I'm hoping the one I found (in the mood board above) will work. Worst come to worst, I have seen a lot of tutorials for painting tile, so that is a possibility.

So that's my quarantine project! We'll see if I can convince Ben to help me tackle it.