Honeymoon is where the heart is . . .

We went down to AAA this morning to meet with a travel agent and price out some honeymoon options. This next year is going to be a savings account killer, but we still want a honeymoon and we want to go somewhere nice. Honeymoon is still a priority in our budget because it is an important bonding time and decompressing time for us. Plus, with the LDR we are enduring now, we deserve a luxurious honeymoon.
Here are the top contenders

Riviera Maya - Now Jade

This is a gorgeous all-inclusive resort. Many of their preferred rooms have an outdoor jacuzzi on the balcony. yes.please.please.please. All food and alcohol is included as I mentioned as well as movies on the beach, snorkeling, kayaking, biking, ocean trampoline (sounds amazing!). It is not an adults only resort which is a downside for us. There are swim up bars which was a requirement on my honeymoon check list so CHECK! Plus, FI and I love to do a little historical sight-seeing and what would be cooler than pyramids and Mayan ruins? We could also spend a day on the island of Cozumel snorkeling, shopping and lounging by the beach. Total package including airfare: $2800 for 8 nights

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Hawaii - Island Hopping
The travel agent went a little crazy on us and checked out 11 nights, three islands, five star hotels, car rentals etc. The total of the package was $5300 including airfare out of Boston. We cannot afford that option. It sounds amazing and FI would die if we could go check out the Volcanic National Park (I forget the name sorry). She said she could easily get that down to between 3 and 4,000 by changing some hotels and taking off some of the days of car rental etc.
Again, swim up bars are prevalent as well as tiki hut restaurants. We would love to see a luau and some of the island culture. Both of us would feel privileged to go to Hawaii and maybe bring back some of the island attitude and culture.


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Riviera Maya (hotel option two) Valentin Imperial Maya
This resort in Mexico is also all-inclusive as well as adult-only. We love that about this option. The rooms all overlook lagoon (which I read was really neat), pool or ocean. The rooms have jacuzzis in them with an upgrade or a jacuzzi tub without an upgrade. The food is amazing from what I read from tripadvisor. It is a great spot for couples. They also include a romantic dinner for two. They are offering a deal with $200 resort credit which would be great because we would love to do a couples spa treatment. They don't advertise any "extras" like entertainment as the Now Jade does. Of course this would be a more relaxing trip . . . decisions decisions. Total package cost $3400 for 8 nights(source)

Finally the last option is a cruise. We have been talking about a cruise for awhile - we both have cruised and loved it. There are great options but we would probably best afford The Royal Caribbean which is a great line. We printed out an option to go via The Oasis - the largest cruise ship which has a zip line on ship. Need I say more? Ok fine - hot tubs, aqua park, LARGE casino, outdoor theater. You need to google this thing!
Again, we would not have to worry too much about money for food but booze would be expensive of course. The boat has lots of entertainment and we could visit a variety of exotic places. Who would not love to do that? We could visit Aruba, Jamaica, Cozumel, St. Thomas, etc. The Oasis Cruise ship is a bit more expensive and if we wanted to upgrade to a balcony room we were looking at $1800 per person not including airfare. Yikes.

So what do you think? Where should we go on our honeymoon? Did I leave a good option out? Where are you thinking for your honeymoon? I want to hop on a plane and go right.this.minute.

Warming My Heart

Does anyone watch parenthood? The show with Lauren Graham (who I want to be when I grow up)?
If you haven't seen it, I would check it out. It is the most real show I have watched in a while and it essentially deals with relationships between married couples and parents with their children. One family has a child with aspersion and their struggle with it so heartfelt . . . It has its humorous moments too.
Regardless, I give it an A+ and would definitely watch it - I am usually brought to tears because I feel so warmed about the potential families have for success.

Struggling

I am struggling.
I love my new job and I have never loved my FI more, but I am still struggling. It is really hard living back home and being in a long distance relationship. Granted, he is home every weekend, but we have no privacy and no alone time.
I love my future in laws and my parents. But visiting them on the weeekends when FI and I had alone time all week was one thing. Now we spend all week apart and then all weekend visiting, doing chores, getting weekend things done. This leaves very little time for "us time." We try to have a date night each weekend to just unwind and catch up, but that isn't what I miss most.

I miss sitting on the couch watching tv with him, fumbling around the kitchen at night preparing lunches and coffee for the next morning, greeting him when he gets home from work, grocery shopping, making dinner in our own kitchen when I want and doing the dishes when we get around to it. I miss sitting in our living room doing separate things, not speaking but just being together.
These are the things that are what living together is about for us and what defines our routine. I have realized that I am no longer comfortable at my parent's home even though I lived with them for 20 years of my life - I am way more comfortable with my FI who I lived with for only a year.

We need a weekend away but that would just set us back from our goal of buying a house. Anyone hit a rough patch in your relationship that was really out of your control? Anyone have something shake up your daily routine that you can't seem to get past?

My Wedding Weakness

Have I mentioned my undying devotion for OOT bags. I don't know what it is - maybe the beautiful way it feels to say "oot," or the lovely gable boxes so many brides use, or my passion for all sorts of snacks, or how incredible it was to get an oot bag at my FI's cousin's wedding . . . the possibilities are endless. However, my passion for them remains. Everyday I go to the DIY page on weddingbee and look for OOT bag inspiration photos.

I am pathetic. So I thought I would share some of my loves with you all. Please share any you have - I am a fiend. I want them all!

Source Door Hangers

Chocolate Bars Courtesy of Mrs. Cloud

I did not upload the PDFs here but I love the idea of doing a brochure or welcome packet for the guests. They are personal and can give a lot of great info. Welcome Brochures! and this one is cute too!Wedding Ring Mold - These are for chocolates but I would love to do a little bag of homemade soaps used with a mold like this. They also have wedding bells. It would be great to find a massachusetts state one, but so far no luck.
Canvas Tote Bag

If I didn't want to spend a lot of money or didn't want to get a lot of goodies and snacks, I would probably go this route - which is so freaking cute too!

Source

*Sigh* Can't wait to have some space to make and store some of these beauties! Did I mention my FFIL does homebrews and will be making our OOTers some of our own personal love beer?

Are you doing OOT bags? Have you ever received a good OOT bag?
Let's see your OOT bag inspiration photos!!!