Things to know before applying for your Passport.

Planning a vacation? Spring Break is rapidly approaching, followed by wedding/honeymoon season. Are you prepared for travel outside the country? Here are a few helpful hints for applying for your passport.

·         APPLY EARLY - The process is not as difficult or confusing as it may appear at first but the added stress of an upcoming travel deadline isn’t helpful.

·         BE PREPARED -  Print out your paperwork at home, carefully read through the documents before filling out your information. Click here for the appropriate documents https://www.usps.com/international/passports.htm

·         BE CAMERA READY - Save time by having your photo taken ahead of time. Many places such as Walgreen’s and Walmart provide passport photo services that take only minutes and you won’t have to worry about meeting the special size requirements for your application. There are additional guidelines on what not to wear….do NOT wear white, try to avoid wearing clothing with logos or you’ll be sent back to take a new photo. (or worse, your application can be rejected and you’ll have to start again)

·         CALL AHEAD - You can apply at your local post office without making an appointment. I would suggest calling ahead of time to find out the hours that they will accept your application.  They may also be able to give you a heads up as to when the “slow” time of day is so you can save yourself additional time standing in line.

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Engagement Photo Ideas and Tips

Engagement photos are a great way to celebrate and share your exciting news. Over the years they can become a beautiful reminder of how your lives began together. Here are a few ideas to help you make your engagement photos memorable.

CAPTURE YOUR PERSONALITY: Are you world travelers? campers? Are you the couple always hosting game night? Express your identity as a couple through the mood and location of your photos.


Photo by The Nichols



Photo by Gwendolyn Tundermann

SHARE THE MOMEMENT: With a little planning, you can share the surprise and joy of the exact moment of your engagement with your friends and family. Talk to your photographer for ideas and locations that would work well for such a candid moment.



Photos by Tanya Velazquez

INCLUDE THE WHOLE FAMILY: Maybe your blending families or perhaps your family wouldn't be complete without your four legged friend, why now add them to your photo shoot? They'll be a part of your lives together too.



Photo by More Than Just Pictures

Photo by Megphoto

DOUBLE DUTY: Use your favorite photos as your Save the Date to share your news and prepare everyone for your special day.



Save the Date Postcard by Serendipity Beyond Design

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School Valentine's Day parties used to be a celebration filled with sugar hearts, chocolates and heart shaped suckers but many schools are opting out of sugary treats.

While I'm happy to hear that my kiddos won't be loaded up with cookies and cupcakes before heading home on Valentine's Day, we have had to do a few internet searches to find fun Valentine's. Stickers, pencils and temporary tattoos are popular selections. We found a few more cute ideas and included them on our Kids Holiday Party Pinterest board. The kids and I are really looking forward to making the Valentine's cards together.

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4 Fun, Easy Ways to Reduce Stress

 

EXCERCISE: release stress through activity and clear your mind. Just stepping outside for a quick walk can be helpful.

 

SLEEP: the proper amount of sleep rejuvenates your mind and body.

 

MUSIC: an instant mood changer! Rock out to your favorite upbeat song to transform your current state of mind. Better yet….Dance it out :)

 

SUNSHINE: boost your Vitamin D and soak in the many benefits for a strong, healthy body.

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The Meditation Lounge Group Meditation: Friday Flip

Dear Bert,

The holiday season can be filled with a number of triggers for stress….crowds, travel, last minute dashes to the store and crazy work schedules just to name a few. This year we were blessed with a midmonth invitation to The Meditation Lounge for a guided group meditation session with Selena Johnson.

The beautiful open space immediately surrounds you in light and warmth.  

 

We took our seats, got very comfortable with plush pillows, mats and blankets. Selena lead our group in breathing exercises and then through a journey of imagery that helped each of us focus on our individual connections to our inner strength. It was very relaxing and empowering all at the same time.

 

Afterwards we all enjoyed a buffet of snacks and discussed our experiences during the meditation. On the ride home, our carload decided we would be happy to visit Selena again! An overall positive experience, wonderful for our Friday Flip.

 

Happy New Year!

Anita & Ema

 

 

The show Trip Flip and host Bert Kreischer, have encouraged us to expand our list of experiences. Open doors to possibilities, say Yes! We have created Friday Flip as our way to engage in new adventures, share experiences with friends and celebrate life together. At Sosia we find reasons to celebrate and we celebrate often! Our wish is that our customers do the same. For more information about Trip Flip and how Friday Flip got started click HERE.

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Thanksgiving Leftovers: Ideas for adding flare to your guests' take out boxes

Thanksgiving Take Out Boxes

 
 
 


We recently added Take Out Boxes to our collection of To Go products. These lined and microwavable kraft boxes are an ideal way to send guests home with Thanksgiving leftovers without losing your entire Tupperware collection. We offer the boxes with festive labels but here are a few more ways to dress up your holiday leftovers.

Instead of placing the label directly on your take out boxes, use them on a tag and add a personalized message on the back and tie with a ribbon.

 

Create a colorful arrangement of leaves from your yard to add autumn charm to your leftover boxes. We wrapped green raffia around the boxes to secure the leaves in place.

 

Tie a beautiful bit of fabric around your take out box and slide a plastic knife and fork under the knot so your guests will have everything they need to enjoy your Thanksgiving goodies.

 You can find more Sosia Take Out Boxes and other products in our Etsy shops Sosia and Sosia To GO!

 

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Haunted Tour of St. Louis: Friday Flip

Dear Bert,

It's officially October and we are looking forward to all that Autumn has to offer. The leaves are just beginning to transform the local scenery into a colorful Fall display and the nights are slowly getting cooler making St. Louis the perfect backdrop for spooky storytelling, just in time for Halloween.

This month's Friday Flip set the stage for all the Halloween festivities to come. We attended an evening with David Riordan of Roirdan Tours for a Haunted Tour of St. Louis. We met David and the rest of the tour group at The Morgan Street Brewery, one of the oldest buildings in historic Laclede’s Landing.

 

As we walked surrounding areas of The Landing and weaving around The Arch grounds, David shared stories of bizarre events, unexplained experiences and their historical connection to St. Louis. Stories of ghosts and spooky encounters including tales of Bloody Island, the mysteries of Lemp Mansion and events that inspired the famous movie, The Exorcist were a small taste of all that David had to share with us throughout the evening.

It was a beautiful night and David's enthusiastic storytelling was a great kickoff to the Halloween season! We will continue to celebrate the month with new ideas for Halloween favor boxes and party recipes inspired by our spooky adventure. We'll be sure to share them all in the coming weeks.

Stay Spooky St. Louis,

Ema & Anita

The show Trip Flip and host Bert Kreischer, have encouraged us to expand our list of experiences. Open doors to possibilities, say Yes! We have created Friday Flip as our way to engage in new adventures, share experiences with friends and celebrate life together. At Sosia we find reasons to celebrate and we celebrate often! Our wish is that our customers do the same. For more information about Trip Flip and how Friday Flip got started click HERE.

www.shopsosia.com Follow @ShopSosia