Selecting the Perfect Bridesmaid Dress: Top Things You Need to Know

Preparing for your wedding is no easy or quick task; it takes patience, planning and lots of time and support. While you are planning the wedding things might seem chaotic and stressful but it is amazing how on that special day everything just falls into place nicely.

One of the most thought about decisions other than your wedding gown is the gowns your bridesmaids will wear. You want them all to be happy but you also know what you want to see on your wedding day. Here are a few things to keep in mind when trying to pick out bridesmaids dresses.

1.     1.  Try to pick a style that will compliment any body type. While this may be a bit trying to accomplish if your bridesmaids feel comfortable in their dresses everyone is bound to have a great time. The last thing you want is to make one bridesmaid feel horrible in her dress. Enlist in the help of your bridesmaids, take them on a trial run of dress shopping and try out as many styles as you can and see which looks best on all the body types. Another idea for this topic is you picking the color and material of the dress you want and then giving your bridesmaids free run to decide which style of dress they want. This can add variation to the wedding line up and it helps ensure everyone is comfortable with the choice.

2.    2.  Start the shopping early enough that you can try different styles and also have plenty of time to order in the dresses should you need to special order. You also want to be sure the dresses are in with enough time for alterations to be done if they are needed as well.

3.     3. Consider your colors, the color scheme you have chosen might not look good with all styles of dresses, so before you go making purchases try to see the color you have chosen on the style of dress you like best.

4.      4. Consider your bridesmaids input and opinions as well; after all they are the ones who have to wear the dresses. It would be the same thing as your mother picking out your wedding gown and just handing it to you saying “here you go.” Depending on how connect your mother and you are that may or may not be a good thing. So, before deciding on the bridesmaid dresses ask what your bridesmaids think first.

5.      5. Don’t forget that your bridesmaids may or may not bring home as much income as you. When selecting bridesmaid’s dresses remember typically the bridesmaid is responsible for purchasing the dress and alterations, so be kind. Don’t pick a dress that is $500 and can only be worn once. Try to find dress styles that can utilized and worn on other occasions that way your girls aren’t spending hundreds of dollars for a dress for one day. I wish wedding gowns were that versatile.

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding, hopefully these tips can help you while you are on the hunt for the perfect bridesmaids’ dress.

By: Trista Wilson

How to Stay Safe in the Summer Heat

Summer is a time most people look forward to all year, especially through those cold winter months when the snow just seems to never end. While enjoying the summer heat and weather you must keep in mind you also want to be safe, it is very easy for our bodies to become overheated which can lead to serious consequences. Below you will find some tips to help you stay safe while enjoying the summer heat.

1. STAY HYDRATED - You could be drinking any beverage and it will help to keep you hydrated, but the best drink to consume on a hot day is water. Just be careful leaving your plastic water bottle in the sun, the plastic chemicals can leech into your water. Instead, opt for a stainless steel or aluminum reusable bottle.

2. PROTECT YOUR SKIN - While the heat may not be a factor in getting sunburn, you should still take precautions to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Remember even on days that are overcast you get sun exposure, so be sure to lather up often with a high SPF sunscreen.

3. TAKE BREAKS - Be aware of the heat and how your body is reacting to it. If you are spending time outdoors and are partaking in strenuous activities like sports or yard work, be sure to take frequent breaks. While on your break sometime in the shade with a cold drink is highly advised to help cool your body temperature. If your body temperature rises too high you run the risk of heat stroke and other serious consequences. While we are on this topic here are some common signs of heat overexposure you should be on the watch for. Heavy sweating, pale skin, muscle cramps, feeling weak or tired, headache, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and passing out. 

4. DRESS FOR THE WEATHER -  Don’t wear your heavy black wool slacks to a picnic in the park, and opt for lightweight and light colored clothing to help keep your body cool. Throw a sun hat on as well to protect your head from the rays of the sun. This can also be said for children, be sure to dress them the same way you would dress so that you do not end up over dressing them. The typical rule of thumb is if you would wear a t-shirt and shorts than your baby or child needs the same. You could always pack a blanket if you think a young baby would get chilly later.

5. PROTECT YOUR EYES - One of the most important accessories you can have when spending any length of time in the summer sun is a good pair of sunglasses. A good pair of sunglasses will protect your eyes from sun damage as well. The sun is linked to higher risk of cancer growths, macular degeneration, and even cataracts, so keep those baby blues or greens covered and protected. 

By: Trista Wilson

Family Vacations on a Budget

Everyone needs a little time away from the grind of daily life every once in a while, but how do you take a family vacation with the family without spending a fortune? According to ABC News the average family of four will spend about $1,180 per person for their summer vacation. There has to be a cheaper way to vacation, right? Of course there is as long as you are smart and budget accordingly.

First, try not to vacation during peak season times. Going to the beach in June and July will cost you more per person than going in say, October or November. Depending on which beach you plan to travel to it might actually be nicer to visit in the cold months especially if you experience winters normally. When you travel off season you tend to get better hotel deals and the destination tends to be less busy, meaning less people to deal with.

Second, skip the expensive restaurants and opt to cook from the hotel. When you book your room try to book an efficiency room that will have a fridge, stove and microwave in it. By cooking in the room or condo you can save hundreds of dollars. Let’s take a look for a

moment; the average person eats three meals a day, not including drinks and snacks. The typical meal at a restaurant in a tourist destination, costly roughly $10 per person. So, for your family of four to eat three meals a day at a restaurant it would cost about $120 per day for food alone! If you cook in the hotel room even 2 out of 3 meals you will save lots of cash.

Third, skip the costly attractions and opt for the natural beauty of things. Instead of going and playing golf or go karts, or some other costly attraction choose to see the local sites like state parks and wildlife refuges. Most times

these places are free to visit, are educational and very fun. Our last trip to OuterBanks, we got to explore a sand dune at Jokey State Park and see some wile animals. I think the kids had more fun there than in the actual ocean.

Fourth and maybe the most important. Before you even think of planning a vacation, plan a budget, save the money, and set it aside. Use only this money while on your vacation, if you took cash then once the cash is gone that is that, there will be no more. Do not use the cards or other forms of payment unless of course you need gas to get home or something like that, but don’t break out the credit card for a dinner on the pier. 

Remember your family vacation is about spending time with those you love not about spending the most money. You can have a wonderful vacation without spending your life savings, just plan it out and stick to your budget.

By: Trista Wilson

Cool Summer Treats

Summer is here and the weather is getting hotter! How can you stay cool and refreshed while maintaining a healthy lifestyle?

A typical favorite summer snack among kids and adults alike are frozen juice pops. If you make these with natural juice and not the sugar laden stuff, you can make a healthy and refreshing snack you won’t have to feel guilty about consuming.  

Healthy Frozen Juice Pops

Have you tried to freeze fruits yet? Frozen bananas and grapes make fantastic snacks on those hot summer days. Peel your banana and stick a Popsicle stick in the end of it and freeze. It is super creamy and delicious and best of all…healthy.  

Frozen Bananas

Who doesn’t love a good kebab on a summer day, especially when they are grilled over a fire pit or the grill. As delicious as they are they aren’t very refreshing though, how about trying out a frozen fruit kebab! Simply take your kebab sticks and cut your fruit into bite size pieces. Slide the pieces onto your sticks and place on a cookie sheet in the freezer for a little while. When they are done you have a healthy, cool treat that is super easy to eat.  

Frozen Fruit Kebabs

If you prefer vegetables to fruits why not try a sweet and sour cucumber snack this summer. Simply slice your cucumbers and place in a gallon plastic bag, marinate them with your favorite marinade and place into the refrigerator. Once chilled pull out and serve. For this one I personally love my marinade of vinegar, stevia, and mayo. It makes the cucumbers creamy and delicious.

What are your favorite go to summer snacks? Leave a comment below and let us know, we love trying new things, especially recipes.

By: Trista Wilson

All about THE G-Q Diaries

THE G-Q DIARIES

It’s been awhile since you have heard from us because we have truly been quite busy, but we are back and we have something incredible to share with you. It's time that you meet the newest addition to our team....G-Q.

G-Q is a yellow lab/golden retriever mix and one of the hardest working dogs in entertainment today because she is the service dog of Simply D.   Although it is common knowledge that Simply D is visually impaired, what most of you don't know is that last year he stepped away to receive training to obtain his very first seeing-eye dog.

While Simply D was undergoing the training to build a strong bond with G-Q, the Innermix team kept the show running as they transitioned from radio to Google Hangouts and continued to entertain the fans while solving everyday relationship issues around the world.

But let's talk about the real reason this blog is re-emerging G-Q... We realized that although the public may know of a few celebrities with visual impairments or other disabilities, it is rare for them to let you into their life and see how they adapt to the world around them.  This blog will take you on that journey, but from the perspective of the service animal itself. Welcome to the G-Q Diaries.

Launching March of 2015

www.THEGQDIARIES.blogspot.com

By: Trista Wilson

Back to Basics: Technology and Communication

A homemade birthday card. A hug from a friend. A nice, long letter. Nowadays, these simple gestures seem more and more like a thing of the past. Gone are the days where a scene like “What’s the Story, Morning Glory?” in Bye Bye Birdie would fly; instead, all the characters would be linked up on their laptops, texting the song lyrics back and forth. In this day and age, where we are all so easily connected through technology, face-to-face interaction and handwritten communication seem almost obsolete.

During my meeting with Simply D and Jules the other day, Jules mentioned that this has been on her mind lately. The world is become more and more globalized every second, and the ways that humans are able to connect to one another is continuing to advance rapidly.

Although two people may be thousands of miles across the world from one another, they can still see each other through a webcam as though they are interacting with in person. People can send messages to one another, no matter the location, with just one tap of a button. If you want to see just how far advanced we humans are when it comes to digital connection, all you have to do is look online at how powerful social media is, how the message of viral video can reach hundreds of thousands in just days.

All of us at Innermix know all about this kind of communication; as we all have our hands in all kinds of projects and have the seeming inability to say “No” to any project that excites us--a great thing, in our opinions--we have a tough go of it finding times to all sit down and meet in person. Instead, we do most of our meetings and planning in cyberspace. Whether it’s through Skype, Gchat, or even just a phone call (something that now seems old school, if you ask me! - Kat) we stay connected with the touch of a button--or a few.

But while all of these technological feats are laudable and have significantly increased the east of doing business worldwide, we at Innermix can’t help but wonder—what has happened to connecting to one another in the most basic way? Has true human interaction gone the way of the dinosaurs and come extinct?

Nowadays, when you want to see how an old friend is doing, what do you typically do? Call them up and talk on the phone for hours? Only if you want your call to get rejected and instead receive a text asking why on Earth you didn’t just do that in the first place. Or you would write on their Facebook wall, Vox them, shoot them an email, etc. While this doesn’t apply to everyone, I think you get my point. Even I’m guilty of this pretty regularly.

But why do we do this? Why has it become so much easier to type out, “Hey, how are you doing?” onto someone’s Facebook wall instead of just meeting up with an old friend over coffee and actually finding out how he or she is doing? Why do we spend hours texting e-smiley faces and winks to a potential love interest instead of getting to know one another through a phone call late at night?

It’s the vulnerability that we’ve become so accustomed to protecting ourselves from. This barrier that technology has given us enables us to hide behind our cell phone and our laptops, deleting, backspacing, and rewriting our thoughts and desires to connect once again, until ultimately, we become totally disconnected.

The most important thing to realize in our techno-connected world is to strike a balance. Yes, we at Innermix do a lot of our inner Innermix (what a mouthful!) meetings in the virtual space, but we put a lot of effort into building our relationships in person, too. In fact, one of biggest Innermix’s mottos is “doing business with a good old-fashioned handshake”. Not just with business, but just with life in general, Simply D and Jules always make it a point to emphasize the importance of building an genuine relationship with every individual who they help, whether it’s through business, entertainment or just friendship, and maintaining that relationship, no matter how far away they may be.

So if you’re ever having one of those days where you find yourself thinking about an old friend or acquaintance who you haven’t spoken to in a long time, call. Write a letter. Meet up for coffe.  I know it may be tempting to just take a second and send them a text or e-mail, but between a series of exchanged one-liners and a face-to-face conversation, I think you know which one will give the both of you happiness and satisfaction in the end.

And besides, there’s nothing like hugging an old friend after not seeing them for a long time. I may be stating the obvious here, but come on, hugs are awesome. That instant connection, that warmth of familiarity? Those are things that the Internet will never give you the same way a face-to-face meeting can. 


Until next time, 


Tiffany
Editor’s Note: I agree with Tiff 100%! And I can’t help but wonder, with all of this technology, how far away are we from getting holograms sent to us? What will the first hologram say? “Help me, Obi-wan Kenobe. You’re my only hope.” Duh. -Kat

We Are Family: Shine Factory Radio and The Reese Patterson Show

Now ya’ll* may or may not know this, but our Innermix family is part of an even bigger one: Shine Factory Radio, which produces a variety of shows for BlogTalkRadio. It just so happens that this lovely month of June is the one year anniversary for Shine Factory Radio, the--surprise--radio arm of the still-bigger Shine Factory family. To celebrate, we thought we would introduce you so some other members of this creative, innovative, exciting family tree. Think of it as our little blogosphere family reunion! First up? Reese Patterson. 

I sat down virtually--thanks, Internet!--with Deon and Reese Patterson, host of The Reese Patterson Show. Reese’s show is the variety show of Shine Factory; if Innermix is there to give you advice on life, love, and relationships, Patterson is there to be a chameleon. He’ll cover everything under the sun and then some--plus a little more.Deon said it best: “Reese will talk about everything from tennis shoes to rocket ships and you’ll be entertained the whole time.”

Patterson didn’t just sit back and wait for the opportunity to entertain to fall into his lap. His success with Internet radio comes from sheer force of will, desire, and drive. To hear him tell it, one day he decided he wanted to do a radio show and simply refused to quit until he got one.  And the attitude that got him on the air was obvious from the first question I asked:

If there was a piece of advice that applies to everyone, everywhere, all the time, what would it be?
Never give up. If something is going wrong, doing the same thing—that’s insanity. Don’t do the same thing over and over again, but don’t just give up on your dream.

That may not sound too unique of an experience at first pass, but to be clear, he just knew he wanted to be on the radio and be himself. When The Reese Patterson Show first started, there was no real plan to it. Reese just felt a burning need to share his point of view and take a risk, and he showed real tenacity in making that happen. It was a calling, an intrinsic understanding: “I just had the feeling that if you just set me in front of a mic, something great is going to come out.

Talking to Reese, you hear not only the drive that quite literally pulled a radio show out of thin air, but also the humility and gratitude that earned him the trust of Shine Factory. To put a radio show on the air with no real direction takes guts and good will, and Reese Patterson has both of those in spades. He ended almost every interview question by thanking Shine Factory for the support, trust, and opportunity to pursue his now-successful show, demonstrating why someone would be willing to take such a huge risk.

The Reese Patterson Show has been on the Internet airwaves for a full year now, and both the show and its host show no signs of slowing down. Ask Reese what he wants to do next, and you’ll get an earful or five. From diversifying show topics (mentioned as potential topics: deserts, divorce, cherry pie) to bringing on more guests, The Reese Patterson Show is going to be capitalizing on the blank check written to him to explore his creativity.

Besides addressing the fun and varietal stuff, Patterson is looking to venture into more socially conscious show topics. He gives 100% raw truth on a lot of topics already, but he’s really itching to cover what really matters in today’s world. I, for one, am a huge advocate of this—not only because we definitely need more awareness of social issues, but because Reese is so articulate and passionate about them. To hear him talk about the Trayvon Martin case—not only the injustice of it, but how it demonstrates the need for more education and acceptance in this country—is a truly staggering experience.

But one thing you can consistently expect, even as the show fluctuates between silliness and seriousness? In Reese’s own perfect words, “Expect emotion. I want you to feel something, to get a reaction. I want that reaction, whether it’s anger, whether you agree or disagree, I want you to feel something when you listen to the show.”



*I’ve been at home in Texas; sorry if the Ragin' Cajun cowgirl comes out in my writing!


**Be sure to check out The Reese Patterson Show on Tuesdays and Thursdays 10pm-12am, and to follow on Facebook and Twitter.**