Event Styling Tips (Part3) -How to Throw a Budget Friendly Kids' Party

Hi Everyone! 

I'm back on blogging to announce that our little space ranger turned two this weekend! Noah has brought so much joy and laughter into our lives and we're so grateful that God has entrusted us with two precious boys.  We're also learning, as parents, to love, embrace and cherish the terrible-two toddler stage.  Although he's slow in speech, (he fully understands both Korean and English but I think he's just refusing to talk! lol) his vibrant energy and excitement for every little things make us appreciate the little things in life too.

Last year, we didn't do a big 1st birthday celebration since we thought it was better to wait till Noah can remember and join in on the fun. Instead, we decided to sponsor 3 kids who share the same birth date as our son through World Vision. (Read about this post here) This year, my husband and I told ourselves to keep things simple and throw a small party at our concrete backyard (technically our carport area). We wanted to make as many fun memories at this house before we think about *possibly* relocating.  Plus, it was a great way to do some MAJOR house cleaning! ;) Like every other toddler, Noah is obsessed with Buzz Lightyear, so it was a no-brainer that we wanted to do a Buzz Lightyear themed party. I know… so typical but boys are easy to please! 

First thing, I envisioned was a long table for the kids under the shaded carport and a lot of benches for the parents to mingle and enjoy. Huge thanks to Luna Party Rentals providing all the benches, chairs, tables and draping to cover our trash bins, storage, toys and etc. and to La Tavola for providing linens for the tables and the purple sequin for the sign-in table to make it just a tad fancy!  Here's a before and after picture of our concrete backyard space/shared carport. Please excuse the mess. This picture was actually taken after the party, hence, the garbage overload but draping makes such a difference, right? 

I did an event styling tips and tricks series a while back Part 1 and Part 2, so today, I will finish it off by covering how to throw a budget friendly party with STYLE. 

I know every celebration (weddings, showers, kids’ parties) can get out of hand if you don’t stick to a strict budget and I'm a believer in minimalist living, that we can re-use what we already have.   Plus, your child will only remember all the fun she/he had but not necessarily what was on the table decor. 

Here are a few tips to get your party planning started!

Tip 1: Use what you already have

For example, Grant's car themed 3^rd birthday party was at My Giggle Place and I used black butcher paper, white duct tape, white marker, and Grant's old toys to create a race track but I did splurge a little on those orange cone drinking cups to tie in the theme. :) 

Tip 2: Goodie bags can also double as a part of your decor/centerpieces. 

Yes, those 20 alien goodie bags took 3 hours of cutting and gluing but it was all worth it! I lined up the goodie bags as table centerpieces and put together 3 aliens on Noah's seat, since we all know how those little aliens are "eternally grateful" to Buzz! :) 

Tip 3: Choose your battles wisely.  Keep it simple but impactful. 

I'm sure all the parents know what I mean when they're raising their little ones.  Even prepping for a party, there's no need to go too crazy with all the cute details you see on Pinterest! If not done right, it looks messy and tacky!!!!  Choose 2-3 DIY projects that will make a statement and you can let go of other details.  I say this only because if you get too ambitious with so many DIY projects, set up not only gets difficult, BUT the cleanup is even more painful at the end of the party. Trust me, DIY projects does NOT save you much money. 

Tip 4: Have a photobooth!  

Kids have way more fun taking pictures than the adults. FYI, I got the biggest box from Home Depot to cut out a frame for the booth.  Again, I used my black butcher paper to cover the cut out and also hung it as a backdrop for the booth. Voila! Super simple but something personalized! 

I think Grant was jealous he didn't get to dress up as Buzz... lol

Tip 5: If it all fails, just rent a bouncer and you're good to go! 

It was our first time hiring an entertainer because we thought Noah would be star struck if he actually saw Buzz at our house... That only lasted for about 10 seconds before he was busy playing in the jumper. lol! I think having a bounce house is what every kids’ party needs.

P.S If you liked any of these Buzz Lightyear themed signage, my husband would be thrilled to send you the files! He is no graphic designer by any means but gotta love that he's trying! 

Hope this post inspired you to get creative with what you already have at home and be sure to check our IG for latest updates!

The heart issue.

There was a time when I actually enjoyed writing blog posts. Then, the kids arrived and I sort of stopped exercising my brain. It involved too much thinking (lol!) and the last thing I wanted to do at night, after putting the boys down, was to look at the computer screen and write a post about wedding stuff.  yeah.. wedding STUFF… so much enthusiasm and love for my job, right?

2013 felt like I was always on the go whether it was rushing to a playdate, gymboree classes or running around working. And balancing motherhood and the business has gotten much harder now that Noah is a toddler.  Although Grant goes to preschool full-time, Noah is still at home with me all day with barely any help from either side of our parents.  Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE staying home with Noah, but it doesn't leave me much time for real work. I found myself complaining and whining that I wanted to quit this “wedding stuff.”  I came up with excuses (i.e. the wedding industry is competitive and snooty, my creative juices aren't flowing, I don't have the passion to continue and etc.)  

Last year, I booked almost the same amount of weddings as I would any other year but I didn't factor in the time I wanted to spend watching my two growing boys. And something was definitely suffering… my ATTITUDE.

I was burnt out trying to juggle everything that I had going on and my attitude clearly showed it. You probably didn't recognize it on my Instagram feed or my Facebook page, but I was complaining to people around me that I wanted to take a break from weddings and discover what I really love doing. Yeah… like I had something I loved doing other than sipping coffee and watching Korean drama. Haha! 

It all came back to the heart issue.  I didn't want to grow, learn, or be challenged as a person.  God gave me a special talent but I wanted to bury it because it required too much work and stress on my end. 

Then just last week, something happened. I won't share the story since it will be too long for this blog post and I might lose your attention, but it has definitely shed some light into my soul. 

My productivity looks different than someone with no kids, but that's ok. 

I may not be doing any wedding styled shoots or booking high end profile weddings, but that's ok.

I may have tricked myself into thinking I'm not progressing and that I’m falling behind, but that's ok.  

My everyday mundane sort of stuff may not be always exciting and amazing, but that's ok. 

At the end of the day, it's not just about accomplishments, reaching your dreams, how much you make, or how passionate you are about your job, it's about what God has entrusted us with and I need to stay faithful while doing it. Because ultimately… my job, kids, family, house or anything I *want to* claim as mine are not MINE, just a steward of God. 

So... to have a healthy attitude, I have decided only to book 6-7 weddings in 2014 and leave the rest to my associate coordinators (You'll get to learn more about them next month!)

Weddings will come and go but my kids won't stay this young forever… I would hate to be stretched too thin like last year and let my *evil* Esther take over me. 

Thank for reading my honest, personal post, and of course, I now leave you with some of my family portraits from last year because every blog post needs a picture ;) Thank you SO much Kevin Lee for graciously offering your talent! 

This is NOT the look I give my husband when he's home! Don't be fooled! ;) but he's my better half!  

Bald men get finer with age... :) 

our baby Simba!

 And last but not least, I would also like to thank our dear clients for entrusting me with their big day. You guys are one of the main sources of inspiration and I have gained so much out of our relationship, more than you can ever imagine.  Thank you for inspiring me and believing in me. 

My Bride Story from Ken Shin Films on Vimeo.

We are always honored when clients give us a huge shout out during their thank you speeches and this time, Ken Shin Films was right there to capture it. Here is a sweet shout out from Chi & Myles' wedding, which I will blog shortly!

Out of Office (Maternity Leave)

Shhh...Baby is Sleeping! This blog will stay silent for a while until I fully recover! ;)

Noah Kim finally arrived on March 23rd weighing in at 6lbs 12oz and 21" (he was 4 days late!) I had relatively a smooth pregnancy until we found out at week 35 that the baby was measuring really small. The doctor put me a mandatory bedrest until I give birth so it was pretty miserable not to do anything but to stay home. I had anticipated baby #2 would arrive sooner but I finally had to induce him out on Friday morning and took me nearly 11 hrs for my cervix to open up!

Now that I'm a mom of two boys, my mission on earth is complete! yes, no more babies although I'd be extremely tempted to have a girl. ;) Seriously.. if I looked this HOT nursing my own child, I'd be so willing to pop out 3 more! lol!

  Please remain patient with us and we'll be back shortly! :)

I can tell it's gonna be a good day...

Can't believe it's already first week of February! At this rate, I'll be popping out the baby in no time! I was supposed to be on a maternity leave after our last Oct. wedding but that hasn't happened quite yet since we've been busy booking 2012 weddings and currently working on a side project which we'll launch shortly. I'll reveal the big news sometime in Feb, hopefully!

As we look back 2011, it has been such a blessing & successful year for MBS and we're so grateful for our amazing clients who have trusted us from the start. I asked anything & everything productions to put together a sweet video from some of the 2011 weddings we worked on together. The bride gave us a thank you speech to our team during the wedding and so glad they were able to capture it! :)  We also want to thank our wonderful clients who posted glowing testimonials from Project Wedding & Wedding Wire  and we have been selected to receive the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2012 for Wedding Planning.  It means so much that our previous clients think highly of our services and we'll be sure to work with the same attitude & passion for 2012 events.
Hope this video will also make you want to have a good day with us. ;) I fell in love with Priscilla Ahn after going to her concert back in 2009 and have been a huge fan of her music ever since. I think this song depicts the reason why we do the things we do.  As cliche as it may sound, our desire is simply for our brides to have a good day and leave all the worries to us.
Have a good day, everyone!


My Bride Story Weddings & Events from Anything&Everything Productions on Vimeo.

Happy 5th year anniversary to us! (Out of Office)

Just a few updates before we head off to Korea tomorrow. Eeeek! We'll be there for two weeks to celebrate FIL's 60th birthday and I'll also be connecting with the Korean magazine {My Wedding} 's creative director & editors there for future projects. It's pretty exciting to venture out into Korea but I've always had a vision to do something bigger so hopefully this will lead to another great opportunity. Next week is also our 5th year wedding anniversary and we're off to Jeju Island, Korea to celebrate while Grant will be having a blast with grandparents in Seoul.   Personally so excited about this trip since I don't recall a last time we spent a weekend together.

We also found out the gender of baby #2 and as you can see in this picture, we're having another boy.....To be completely honest, I was pretty sad and emotional for a few days because I was secretly hoping for a girl this time around... Hopefully the third one will be a girl! ;)

The cutest cake & yummy macaroons were custom ordered through 'Merely Sweets' in Brea. It's a new (super cute) bakery that just opened and I'm already addicted to their macaroons!!! A must visit if you're in the area.

Last weekend, we successfully finished all our 2011 weddings and you have no idea how relieved and grateful I was. Here are some few shots I captured with my iPhone. We still have a handful of weddings we haven't blogged yet so I'll be sure to share with you once I return.

Seriously was in love with the girls' bouquets. ;)

I will have limited access to email so please email sally.mybridestory@gmail.com for immediate response. Otherwise, I will get back to you once I return.

Can't wait to devour all the food in Korea! Watch this intro video of Kimchi Chronicles if you haven't already. ;)

Surprise! Baby #2 arriving in March!

That's right! We're expecting baby #2 in March and we couldn't be happier!! It was definitely unplanned but we're so thankful for God's perfect timing & His provisions for our family. I'm currently at 13-14 weeks and morning sickness was so bad this time around that I almost regretted getting pregnant. But these images are making up for all the nasty vomiting, nausea & headache for the past month and a half.  :)
Hope you enjoy these photos taken by our talented friend, Sam Lim. It was such a last minute decision to take family photos and soooo pleased with how they came out! Thanks Sam for gifting us with these precious images!!!

Yeap, Grant is extremely happy to be a big brother and he kisses my belly every morning! such a cutie!

My husband thinks I need to start contacting modeling agencies for Grant.. lol! I don't know how Sam was able to capture these shots on camera because Grant would NOT sit still! Sam had two other photographers to keep my son entertained and focused! :) 

I think he came out very much like me here ;P

And of course, my hubby has the most awkward smile whenever we're posing... :P I still love you so much, hun!

Leaving you with two of my favorite images.... xoxo, Esther 
Have a great weekend everyone!!

Umm.. Is Esther still alive?

So, I bet you are wondering where I've been these days. I can't believe its been about two months since my last post! Yikes! Well, wedding season is in full swing and we've been extremely busy since the beginning of the wedding season. Very grateful but we definitely have a ton of work to do, finalizing details and such.

A whole bunch has happened since my last post. But here are a couple quick updates before I really forget that I have a blog and lose all my loyal readers. ;)

1) My in laws are visiting from Korea for 6 months. yes, for 6 MONTHS! We have nothing in common except to talk about Grant during our conversations but it's all good.  I'm now really good at whipping up a quick meal for all of us and pretend to act like I really enjoy their company. (Hope my MIL is not reading this!lol) But I still respect them for who they are and very grateful for their sacrifice, love and faith.

2) I'm sure all of you have read about my journey of getting back to my old self. and as of today, I finally lost a little over 25 lbs since Jan. 3rd! I won't lie. It took a lot of self control, discipline, investment to build a healthy lifestyle, but it totally paid off. Thanks to WW, bootcamp, Jillian's DVD workout, cooking blogs and my dear husband who watches Grant while I go for a jog at night.  I'll share about ALL the nitty gritty details of what worked and how I did it so be on the look out for my very personal & special post! I promise, I'll post a before & after pic. Hopefully, it'll be inspiring enough to change your eating habit and I hope to be reminded everyday to maintain & live this kind of lifestyle. *crossing fingers*

3) we now have 3 associate coordinators, they have been handling most of month-of coordinations and so far, it has worked out great! I'm extremely grateful for these ladies and glad that they still don't hate me. :) The best business move I made was to hire my coordinators and I couldn't be thankful for all their encouragements and support.

I bet you are wondering, will I ever see MBS clients' beautiful wedding photos & the details we designed? of course.. but please be patient as I'm going through the images & selecting which weddings to share. I might be blogging away two posts in one day, maybe! or you might see them in the blog world. 

see you all very soon!

Closet Turned Reading Nook (For under $150)

Hope everyone's enjoying the beautiful SoCal weather! We have been in full swing since January but the photos will have to wait a bit since they're pending for possible features so sit tight as we reveal some of our gorgeous 2011 weddings!

To give you another personal update, our son, Grant turned two last month! Time surely flies and we couldn't be thankful that he's growing into such a sweet, lovable & happy camper! This year, instead of throwing Grant a birthday party (I'm sure I'll always come up with excuses to plan parties for him in the future), we decided to take on a mini project and renovated his nursery to a boy's room (Of course, on a tight budget).

 Again, I'll do a full blog post when I'm done with his room, but for now, I'll show you a before & after picture of Grant's empty closet, which was being used more like storage space. It has been transformed into a reading nook and you have NO idea how much he absolutely LOVES spending time in that corner!!!!  Total cost of renovating his closet: less than $150 dollars. I think my husband was surprised that I actually kept things under budget!

Here's the breakdown of the cost
Home Depot's sample paint for $3 dollars (didn't think it would actually cover the wall with the 8oz bottle)
Ikea TV shelf & red cushions- $80
Robot wall decal from Etsy- $25
Vintage truck wall decor from World Market- $12 each, $36 dollars total 
Total= $144 dollars 

I also displayed his current favorite books, hung Schylling ABC Nesting cubes (he no longer has interest in playing with them) on a string and used our old halogan lamp for night time reading.

 I was first inspired by this project here on Ohdeedoh but since I can't use any of the power tools or drills, I had to come up with simple, easy and practical ways for my son to feel like it's now a part of his room- filled with his favorite toys and books. 

A huge thanks to Apartment Therapy Ohdeeoh for featuring our son's reading nook yesterday! If you're a mom or expecting, make sure you bookmark their site! 

Published on Serendipity Magazine & Giveaway!

Hello Readers!
I know it's been a while since my last update...I told myself that I'd blog again when I lose the 15 pounds and guess what?! As of this week, I have shed a little over 15 pounds and now have 10 more pounds to go. Well..weight loss isn't too important as long as I can comfortably fit into my old jeans and maintain a healthier lifestyle. In case you missed my personal entry, click here before you read further. 

It feels like it's been a long journey of self discipline, healthy eating (not dieting) and exercising almost everyday, but I feel so much lighter & I definitely have more energy throughout the day. Seriously, all I think about these days is trying out different healthy recipes to cook at home, testing different work out routines (I joined a women's bootcamp last month and I have a love/hate relationship with the program. lol!) and think about how I can continue to build a healthy lifestyle for life. Once I lose all the pregnancy weight, I'm planning to do a full blog post about what has worked for me, which I'm hoping will be by the end of May or June. Losing the 15 pounds doesn't look too dramatic, but there is one behavioral difference my husband has noticed and it's that I spend so much more time exercising than browsing online! :)

As I was watching what I was feeding my body, I've also come to realize that I needed to make a conscious effort in what I was feeding my brain as well. I came to realize that too much information about various weddings & resources sometimes cause me to envy other people's work (we begin by coveting what we see every day)  or just 'copy' someone else's idea other than really listening to our clients' ideas and bring about fresh, innovative design concepts. If you were following me on Twitter & Facebook, I stopped tweeting  because I was being way too distracted by all the beautiful weddings out there that are constantly being updated through social media. Although I do think that Twitter is a great social media tool to stay connected with the industry and other event professionals, I'm a one track minded person and I really needed to take a break from social media in general to focus on myself & family...at least for now.

Anyway, to celebrate my weight loss & the ongoing journey, I decided to give away one copy of the latest winter/spring issue of  Serendipity Magazine! I was honored to see Lydia and Ricardo's wedding published on their latest issue. So simply leave a comment with your email address by March 27th and I'll pick a random winner! This issue is packed with so much eye candy real weddings and great articles!

Good Luck everyone! You have until next Sunday!

Finding The NEW Me.

Oh hello, faithful followers & readers,

I've been meaning to update you and you've been on my mind for the longest time but had no idea one month has flew by so quickly and there's a reason for this. To make a long story short, when I turned 31 in December, I was hit with a reality check, or shall I say, a wake up call. One day, I took a look at myself in the mirror and saw the mother of a beautiful child & a wife to a wonderfully faithful husband, but could not see me. Esther.
Yeap, this is how much I DON'T like taking pictures after the baby arrived! Covering my face w/ the Iron Man mask at the WI Spa in LA :P

The woman I used to be in the past was gone. Somewhere in between the diaper changes, playdates and my career, I had lost myself. With the business thriving, I devoted all my energy, time and creativity to each of my clients and felt quite proud of all the accomplishments I had achieved. Each wedding was so special and near to my heart as I developed attachments with all the wonderful brides, but deep inside, I was not loving the way I looked or felt.

You see, ever since high school, I have been battling with my weight. Unlike the 80% of Asian women who are petite, I always struggled with being 20 pounds heavier some years, and 20 pounds lighter other years. I know I should always watch what I eat for my health, but after the baby arrived, I lost complete control of what I was eating. I had gained 40 pounds throughout my pregnancy(definitely took advantage of all the cravings) and was expecting the weight to come off in a year or so. As the business grew and I got busier, I found myself eating as a way to relieve stress. I consumed junk food in between house chores, meetings, emailing & watching Grant, and started taking care of meals with takeouts more and more. I barely exercised and sat on my butt for hours on end, sometimes all day, as I responded to emails. As other moms and friends encouraged me by telling me that the postpartum weight will come off after a year & that women need to eat more when breast feeding, I learned to convince myself of the BIG FAT LIE that it is ok for me not to take care of my body and make excuses. Sure, I was conscious of what I was feeding my kid (especially with the whole fruit/veggie bar we created) but that was far from what I was eating on a daily basis. I didn't mind eating veggies and fruits as long as I got my daily dose of Starbucks Frapp or Iced Caramel Macchiato. Oh...and can't leave out a side of Chipotle burrito bowl... :P Ironic, isn't it?

2006 in New Zealand looking healthy & fit ;)

2009: 25 pounds heavier me & my son on his 1st birthday

But please don't get me wrong, I love motherhood.. ;)

Sometime after New Year's Eve, I weighed myself & realized that I was the heaviest I had been in my entire life. I felt quite depressed. It wasn't so much the weight gain but the fact that I had let myself go was far more painful for me to swallow. The confidence I had way back when was gone, as putting on clothes became so discouraging that shopping was no longer fun. Some people say that weight doesn't effect your self esteem as long as you're happy with yourself, but I don't think that's entirely true. Although my husband loves me regardless of the changes in my body and constantly reminds me of how beautiful I am, it was evident that my weight gain was affecting my mood swings, attitude, and loss of confidence.

So on January 3rd, I finally decided to make a change. Oh yeah! Jennifer Hudson, you sold me! ;) A change for the better & healthy living style that would impact not only my health, but my family's health as well. To help me get started, I joined Weight Watchers (my first time ever joining a program!) to lose the 25 pounds I still needed to take off after the baby arrived. So far, the program has been a break through for me both mentally and emotionally. I'm learning about food in a different way and can definitely choose healthier & filling food options without consuming too much high calorie foods. It's only been two weeks but so far, but I've already shed a few pounds. One of the most dramatic differences that my husband noticed is how I cook at home much more often, and no longer dine at restaurants or eat late at night.

I still have a long way to go in this journey, but I really hope that some of you can relate with me in regards to this topic and encourage me from time to time. I also hope that you all readers can keep me accountable as I strive to develop a healthier style of living & gain myself back. As I am being vulnerable and sharing my weakness, it would help me tremendously if you can also share with me the journey of finding yourself.

As we all know, a happy mom = a happy & health family! Here's to the NEW me in 2011!

I NOW LEAVE YOU WITH A SHOCKING BEFORE & AFTER PHOTO.. Hopefully it will be the other way around by end of this year. :)

BEFORE picture of me was back in 2008 after I finished a half marathon.. It's probably one of the biggest accomplishments of my life!! And AFTER.. well you get the picture. I could have used a better photo but this is pretty dramatic that I'm going to print it out and post it on our bathroom mirror. lol!

Sincerely,

Once lost, but now found (hopefully soon! :)), Esther

P.S Any brides who would like to shed some pounds before their big day, maybe we can check our progress together~ :)