For the first time in ten plus years, my Monday nights are not revolving around The Bachelor franchise. This is the first season I remember where I have zero investment. I am still watching the episodes, but sometimes not until a week after it airs. I am not keeping up with Reality Steve, all his spoilers, and the play by play of what is happening off air. Maybe I am finally growing out of it, or maybe I am just bored with Colton...likely a mixture of the two. However, I still enjoy catching up with past contestants and sharing their whereabouts on my blog.

While making an early name for himself on Becca's season of The Bachelorette when he threw Lincoln's wedding picture off the balcony, he seamlessly faded into the background afterwards, flying under the radar with the rest of the season's drama. Connor Obrochta, not only made it halfway through Becca's season with major Clark Kent vibes on your television screens, but he was also a contestant on Bachelor in Paradise this past summer.


Prior to becoming part of Bachelor Nation, Connor was a baseball player in the Braves organization and a personal trainer in St. Petersburg, Florida. He was focused on growing his business, opening a gym, and potentially getting into TV hosting before he ended up on the show.

However, since returning home from Paradise, Connor has jumped right back into his fitness business, adding on charity work to his resume. He has helped Colton Underwood, this season's Bachelor in case you're living under a rock, with the Colton Underwood Legacy Foundation, as the lead instructor for bootcamps. Connor has also been doing hosting and fitness modeling, while using his platform to be a role model to others to have a positive outlook on life.

The show helped Connor learn a lot about himself, grow as an individual, and take on each day with positivity and faith at the forefront. While he loved being on both shows, his favorite experience was Bachelor in Paradise. His only regret with Paradise is not being able the be there long enough, which gives him (and all of us fans at home!) the hope that he will return to our tv screens this summer!

When we got engaged, I wasted no time asking my girls to be my bridesmaids. If I remember correctly, my text to my 3 college besties telling them Jared popped the question was a picture of the ring asking them to be my bridesmaids. I knew I would want to ask them in a more formal, Insta-worthy way, and began scrolling Pinterest a couple weeks later.



However, as I began searching for the perfect Bridesmaids proposals, I found out that every way to ask that I loved was SO expensive! Etsy has a ton of adorable handmade boxes that can be shipped to your bridesmaids, which I was going to have to do since 5 of my 6 bridesmaids live out of my area. However, I couldn't justify the couple hundred dollars for ask gifts, when I knew I had a laundry list full of other expenses coming up for the wedding.

What I did first to create the perfect ask boxes was decide what my priorities were. I wanted something sweet for my friends and family to know I loved and appreciated them, and wanted them by my side on my special day. However, I felt like it was more important for me to get nicer, and likely more costly, gifts for them on my actual wedding day, as a way to say thank you for all their love, support, and hard work leading up to our day.

Second, I looked at the trends I saw in the boxes I loved on Pinterest and Etsy. Pink and gold seemed to be in every box, which ironically is similar to our wedding colors. (Hey, at least I am consistent!) Because this was something I kept feeling drawn to, I decide to make this color scheme the theme of my gifts.

Next I began searching the holy grail of quality products on a low budget...Amazon. I immediately was inundated with adorable products to include in my boxes, and realized the high price on Pinterest and Etsy was because someone else is making the proposal box for you! Because there were so many options on what to include, and I had a price point I wanted to stay under, I spent a couple days thinking about what would go in the final product.



I ended up choosing gold bracelets that have a knot, with cards that say "I can't tie the knot without you!" hair ties that say "Bridesmaid" and a card that says "to have and to hold your hair back" and floral scratch off cards asking them to be my bridesmaid. I also ordered white gift boxes and pink crinkle cut filler paper to include in the boxes. I included heart shaped candies and Hershey kisses to keep with the theme of love. I wrote each girl a little note, specific to them, again asking them to be my bridesmaid...yes I asked them a million times, I gave them numerous opportunities to say no, but they still ended up saying yes.

The incredible ladies include: my sister in law, Sara, as my matron of honor. Sara has been my rock the last ten plus years, and I wouldn't be who I am or where I am without her as my sis. My college besties, Jade, Kiersten, and Courtney, and my two other sisters-in-law, Jessica and Leslie. I am so grateful for these women and I can't wait to have them with me when I say I do!