*Wedding Planning Advice*

Getting married? Think it's too early to plan ahead? Think again. Whether your wedding is in 2016 or 2018, it's never too early to organize yourself. Start by buying a binder or downloading, "the knot" app. If you decide to buy a binder, seperate each section with tabs. They should be labeled venues, floral arrangements, cake possibilities, photography, videography, etc. Make sure you have a budget and if you don't, that's amazing. Without a budget, you should be stress free and can plan the wedding of your dreams without a struggle. If you're not that fortunate as most of America isn't, it's vital to have a realistic outlook on what you plan to spend. It's never too early to set up payment plans with venues. That way, you aren't stressing out the week before your wedding worrying if you have enough to pay each place. Venue search as early as possible. Make as many appointments with as many venues as you can to find the place of your dreams. If you're comfortable with the venue, set a date as soon as possible. Remember, most venues fill up quickly. Reserving a date, holds your place. My strongest suggestion is finding a venue that doesn't treat you like a business transaction. It doesn't matter how beautiful the place may be, if you're pressured into booking your date, chances are, the place isn't right for you. If you're getting married in South Florida, I highly recommend the Royal Fiesta Event Center in Deerfield Beach. It isn't the most beautiful venue in Florida, but they make you feel like a part of their family. They don't rush you into anything and are the most accomodating venue I have ever seen. If you plan on getting married in church, make sure to research the proper procedure necessary to do so. If the wedding is on the beach, you need permits to have the ceremony. There are many diverse companies that provide the necessary documents. The one that I used in South Florida, is Weddings By the Sea. If you're having a big wedding, I suggest you hire a wedding planner. Either way, Pinterest should become your best friend. When choosing invitations, please ensure that the ink used is high quality. If not, it will run. Once you have reserved your date, you can send "save the dates" if you choose. Stay focused and keep organized the best you can. Happy planning and good luck!

*Check Twice for Your Child!!!*

As a parent, my biggest fear is leaving my child behind. I don't understand how people could leave their children in a car. How could they walk away and forget their children? A child depends on their parents for everything. When someone leaves their babies in a car in smoldering heat, that is not a mistake. Your child is a priority! How do you continue to live your life knowing that you did that to your baby? I would never be able to breathe again. Yet, careless parenting happens every day. People "forget" their children in  cars. It takes 15 minutes for a baby to suffocate in a car. I urge every parent to look twice before leaving their cars. Check your car completely before you walk away. Being trapped in a car without being able to talk or move for yourself must be the worst feeling in the world. Don't be that parent! Don't "forget" your child! Please don't make that tragic mistake. Their are millions of people who can't conceive. They would die for a child. If you can't handle parenthood, don't bring innocent lives into the world only to be taken away. Give them better lives. Spare them the pain! Children deserve the world. Their precious lives are irreplaceable. So, please check your backseats before leaving your car. I don't care what kind of parent you think you are! Don't make a child pay for your carelessness. You are the center of their world. You are their voice!

*Who Do You Think You Are- Really?*

Isn't it fascinating to evaluate your heritage. Obviously, we are told a rough estimate of our nationalities by our parents, but is that where it ends? You see, I became interested in digging deeper into my routes after watching the show, "Who Do You Think You Are?" I found it captivating that with a simple swab of DNA, celebrities were able to uncover their ancestral roots. The show also traced last names to original towns and were able to go as far back to the 1800's or more. Personally, I knew I was of Italian descent. I am first and second generation Italian. My mothers parents are italian immigrants and so is my father. I wanted to save the $200.00 necessary for the swab test. Over the years, I forgot it existed. It wasn't until I had a discussion with one of the girls at work that I heard she had done the swab test. The price had drastically decreased. It was only $100.00. I immediately typed in the website she told me to go to: ancestry.dna.com. I was 7 months pregnant and my thirst for heritage grew stronger. I thought it would be an amazing gift to share with my future child. The DNA kit was shipped and received in approximately two weeks. I had to wait thirty minutes without drinking or eating and put my saliva sample in a tube. I mailed out the kit and received my results within a few weeks. My Italian heritage was confirmed. I was indeed 70% Greek/Italian, which amazed me. The 100% didn't exist. I was also 9% Middle Eastern and 4% Eastern European. When I logged onto ancestry DNA to view my matches, I discovered so much about my origins and I was absolutely astonished. I could see a link between all of my results. I was 12% West Asian, which I would like to attribute to the Etruscan tribe that invaded Tuscany, where my surname is said to originate from. As I digged deeper, I knew it wasn't a hoax. I recommend everyone to do this test. It's 100% legitimate and if you don't know who you are, you will become emotional uncovering the past. It's the best thing I've ever done in my life.

*Confederate Flag: History Gone too Far

The Confederate Flag has stirred up controversy from the beginning of it's existence. The original purpose of the flag was for families who fought in the war to remember the victory. It was supposed to be used for the family of loved ones to remember them. Instead, America has twisted the meaning of the flag and turned it into a symbol of white supremacy. It has been turned into the main flag for the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). In recent weeks, a 21 year old boy decided to go into a predominately black church and murder the people in cold blood. His symbol of pride: the confederate flag.  caused an uproar across the nation forcing stores and the country to ban the use of the flag. This has upset people who's family members fought in a battle that waved the confederate flag. Unfortunately, the ignorance of people like the KKK and the 21 year old boy has destroyed the definition of the confederate flag. It has caused tv networks to pull the classic show, The Dukes of Hazard. Has society gone to far? That's a question I leave to my readers. It's insane how people can turn a flag into a symbol of hate. The purpose of my writing is to educate the ignorant and racist people of America. Because of their stupidity, a country has been suffering for years. We are all human and racism exists within black and white people combined. We choose whether to live on hate or love. I hope that everyone chooses love, but in a world filled with destruction and violence, it's impossible. It will continue. All we can do is spread the love.