Tutu Giveaway???

I have made quite a few tutu's now and have a ton of tulle .. Soooo I was thinking.. why not have a tutu giveaway!

I love tutu's but couldn't find the colors that I wanted so I started making my own! So far I have made a pink and black rocker girl for my daughter and one for my niece. 3 red and green Christmas color tutu's that will be used for pictures very soon and an orange and black Halloween tutu dress!

So here is the thing.. I want to know if there is anyone out there that would like a free tutu?? If I get at least 6 responses to this blog then I will do a tutu giveaway! I will list the colors that I have and you can tell me what you want and even the size! This can be for an adult or a child! I know lots of us runner types enjoy wearing our tutu's to the running events!

So lets hear it! Who wants to win a tutu?

Here is one of the Rocker Girl tutu's that I made!

You would think....

That as a photographer I would always have my camera in hand and there would be more pictures of everyone around me.. but lately I haven't been carrying my camera much.. and I haven't been taking many pictures.. Other than for work of course.

I realized last night after a very frightening dream that I need to change that.. and of course my point and shoot is just not as good as it used to be.. so I don't use it much anymore.. so until Christmas and the present that I know I am getting ;) I will just have to irritate my family and friends with my big camera.. hehehehe..

I did however take a few pictures of us decorating the Christmas tree.. but alas they are on my other computer.... It is time for me to reinstall windows on my laptop again and erase everything so that it will actually work like it is supposed to again.

I have so many pictures that my hard drive hardly has any space left!


So who is enjoying the giveaways??? Share me with your friends cause you can live anywhere and win!

Jewelry Giveaway!

Just in time for Christmas I am doing a giveaway of this Navy Wife inspired bracelet and earrings hand created by Gambizzle Jewels

To enter the contest just post in the comments section saying who you want it for and what your military affiliation is.

The drawing will be done on Dec. 11th. Goodluck!!

Thunderstruck Giveaway!

There is a cute new kids movie out that you can get for free just by entering this giveaway!

Here is what Thunderstruck is about.

NBA superstar Kevin Durant plays himself in this action-packed family film about a basketball star who switches talent with a klutzy 16-year-old fan. When Brian (Taylor Gray) magically switches basketball skills with his hero, Kevin Durant, he becomes the star of his high school team... while Kevin Durant suddenly can’t make a shot to save his life! But with the playoffs approaching, Brian learns that being a true winner means working hard at your own game, and he tries to make things right in time to prevent a catastrophic end to his hero’s season.

To enter all you have to do is play this blog app and enter your results below! That's it!


Have fun! The drawing will be done on 12-10.

Looking for a Liquid Eyeliner??

Look no further! I have searched for one that I would love FOREVER and finally I have found it. I tried several different brands and most recently I tried Ulta brand.. and was severely disappointed! The weird sponge material that they (and a few other) eyeliner brands use dried up quick and left a very flaky mess on my eyes.

I really find it pointless to have an eyeliner that flakes off only minutes after putting it on. Not to mention that you get eyeliner pieces in your eyes. Eyeliner should never come off in pieces! Not only that the Ulta dried up in only a few days! I barely got a week out of it before it would not work anymore. Take note of that Ulta.. your eyeliner sucks. I recommend not even wasting your money on trying this brand. You will be disappointed.

So I went into Sephora looking for a liquid eyeliner that would actually work and the lady there recommended Lorac. Not the cheapest around with a price tag of $23... but I figured I would give it a try anyway.

It glides on smoothly and stays! It doesn't clump or run. It doesn't flake or peel. It STAYS! I love it! You can make the line as thin or thick as you like since Lorac uses a BRUSH instead of a sponge! I have found my brand and will stick with it unless I find something that works just as good if not better and cheaper!

So go check it out and give it a test at an Ulta or Sephora store near you.

Navy Wife Jewlery Giveaway!!!

I will be doing a giveaway for some jewelry from Gambizzle jewels but I would first love to see if I have any readers that would participate. If you are interested please post a response to this blog and I will get the Giveaway up in the next couple days.

Veteran's Day Guest Blogger

In Honor of Veteran's Day I have a special guest blogger. Courtney Biltmore
Thank you Courtney for taking the time to write for my blog and share such great information.

Celebrating American Heroes
Have you ever wondered why we celebrate Veterans Day? Have you ever gotten it confused with Memorial Day? Many people in the United States have no idea why we celebrate Veterans Day or the reasons behind it. It is a day that has more meaning than most people think and the history of the holiday is extremely significant.

Veterans Day first started back in 1918, when the United States signed an armistice with Germany on November 11th, at 11am. The signing of the armistice signified the end of World War 1, and the following year President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the day a holiday. Almost twenty years later in 1938, congress passed a resolution that made November 11th a legal federal holiday. Finally, in 1954, congress moved to change the name from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, in order to honor all the men and women who served in World War 2 and the Korean War as well as the preceding wars. Today, Veterans Day is a day to celebrate all men and women who have served in the Armed Forces since the inception of our nation.

Many people confuse Veterans Day with Memorial Day, and, while they are similar, their meanings are quite different. Veterans Day is a day dedicated to celebrating those who have or are serving in the United States Armed Forces. Memorial Day, on the other hand, is a day given to memorialize those who have died in the service of this country.

Celebrating Veterans Day
Because so many people forget the true meaning of Veterans Day, the day often goes with less celebrating and more relaxing that it deserves. People who have the day off from work use it to relax and run errands, but really there is so much more that can be done! Here are a few ways you can celebrate Veterans Day this year:

1. Decorate your House – Getting your family and neighbors involved in showing your support for the men and women who protect our freedom is a great way to thank our service members as well as teach your children (if you have any) about the importance of Veterans Day and gratitude. Putting up flags, posters, patriotic banners or pictures that your kids make is a great way to spend the day focused on patriotic activities.

2. Go to a Parade – Many cities hold Veterans Day parades to honor those who live locally and have or are serving in the Armed Forces. By going to a parade, you are able to meet those in your community who sacrifice to protect your right and you are able to thank them in person. Additionally, most parades have other local performers or musicians and they are a great way to be more involved in your community.

3. Give Service – Giving service at a VA hospital or at a veteran’s memorial in your community is a great way to get involved on Veterans Day. Many communities have memorials that honor local citizens who serve, and hospitals allow people to visit and talk to patients or the elderly who may not be able to get out as often as they would like.


No matter how you choose to spend your Veterans Day this year, remember that your ability to have a day to thank the men and women who protect this country comes from their sacrifices and willingness to risk what they have to protect the greater good of the nation. Be sure to take some time to think about this sacrifice and show your thanks in the best way possible.

Courtney Biltmore writes about VA news for MilitaryVALoan.com, a site that helps veterans and service members find the lowest VA home loan rates and save money on their VA mortgages.

Viper Pilot Book Giveaway!!

It is giveaway time again! This book is about the life of an Air Force Fighter Pilot. As a milspouse myself I enjoy reading about what our military men and women go through so I was happy to be able to do this giveaway. I look forward to hearing what you all think about this book as well. Here is a link to an exceprt from the book. https://www.facebook.com/ViperPilotAMemoirofAirCombat/app_329898510397252?hc_guid=6285b8e8-0440-4511-b3de-15448f38fba5

Post below to enter and just tell me a little bit about why you want the book or what you like to read. I will be doing the drawing on October 17th. Good Luck!

Winner for Dark Shadows!!!

Hello again! Today is drawing day so I used RANDOM.ORG to choose my winner.. I wish I was able to give something to both people who entered but I only have one prize. :( Here are the results... ... .. .. ....

whitney woodallOctober 2, 2012 3:33 PM mwaaahaaahaaa..... COLLINS CREEP-TASTIC!!! You are the official winner of the giveaway. Please email me your address at phughens1@yahoo.com to claim your prize. If you do not claim within 3 days it goes to the runner up. Thanks for playing.. I will have more giveaways coming up very soon!! Hint: It is a book!!

Debates...

This is the first ever presidential debate I have watched.. Mainly because our country has never been in as bad of shape as it is now. During the debate I watched a lot of people post about it on fb.. I have to say that I am thoroughly disappointed in the "issues" people chose to make their voices heard on. I didn't see ANYONE post about education or tax reform... Nothing on health care.. No.. I saw people posting about Sesame street... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? YOU WANT TO CHOOSE YOUR VOTE BASED ON A CHILDREN'S SHOW?????? YEAH, CAUSE THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO MATTER! Come on people, please for the love of God and country, choose your candidate not based on the color of their skin or a children's show which we have about 1000 other shows to choose from.. Choose based on real issues, taxes, health care, education! Our country is in higher debt now than they have ever been .. violence is getting worse... and Military funding is being cut only to be cut further.. I know where my vote is going as a Military wife. Where is yours going .. and more importantly WHY? Is it going where it is going? Please try to allow some logic to lead you to what is best for our country instead of issues that don't make a bit of difference.

Dark Shadows

Ok, so we all love Johnny Depp.. I mean who doesn't love him in Pirates of the Caribbean?? Well he is back in quite an interesting roll in the movie Dark Shadows! I for one am interested to see how this vampire movie is portrayed especially with all the vampire craziness going around. It would be a nice brake to have a little humor involved. The even better part?! I get to give away a blu-ray combo pack of the Dark Shadows movie!! To enter to win this awesome prize just take the "Are you creepy enough" quiz and post your results and email (so I will be able to contact you) in your response! Drawing will be held on October 11th!

Tristan Updates

Well, school has started and my baby boy had to have his hair cut as per the rules of the new charter school that he attends. I was so sad that I cried. He has had long hair since he was born and it was very hard for me to see it go. Not quite so hard for him though..lol.. He was happy to have something different for a little while. He said he still likes his long hair.. but he likes this hair cut too. He still looks as handsome as ever but not anything like he used to. However, he is loving his new school. He comes home happy and energized. He loves his class and his teachers. It is like when he first started school again. My old Tristan is back. The happy, fun loving, friendly child, whom everyone likes. Forrestal had done everything they could to squash his spirit and make him a sad depressed child. Thank God that he was only there for one semester or there might have been permanent damage. I also credit his Taekwondo class to helping him be more like himself as well. When he first joined he wouldn't even speak to the teacher or his classmates. He was afraid to line up with them without being told where to stand. Now he is quick to say hi to everyone and talks to his teacher on his own without me having to stand next to him and end up doing it myself. He has done wonderfully in his class too and is now a yellow belt after two months of study. He has learned form 1 with some help from me and he learned form 2 (what he needs to get his next belt) all on his own! I am so impressed by him. He makes me so very proud. Without further adieu here are some beautiful photo updates of my little man. Family Pictures the day before his hair cut.

The day he got his yellow belt! I am so proud!

The first day of school.. Such a handsome boy!

With all the hustle and bustle of back to school sometimes you can forget that you are out of milk... again... So why not try out one you can keep in your pantry? That way when you run out of milk you can just grab one out of the pantry and the disaster of dry cereal is averted once more! lol.. Milk unleashed has now produced a shelf stable milk! Yep, you read that right! Check out the app below to get a little more information on this great product! Milk unleashed has also offered to give away a small variety pack of their milk! How awesome is that! In order to enter just either post your favorite On-The-Go Games from the blog app! or take the Family On-The-Go Quiztacular and post your results in the comments section!

It has been awhile since I have blogged.. so since I was on the site today I decided it was time to catch up a little. Things have been going good here at home.. I am loving my life and the great people I have in it. Extended family has done nothing but try to bring drama into my life but I am just ignoring it because if they want to spread lies to make themselves feel better then that is their prerogative. I won't be a part of it. I have been staying super busy this summer with dance class for Alora and Taekwondo for Tristan.. along with lots of playdates every week. We made some new friends here and it has been great connecting with someone. I was planning a trip to Vegas to see one of my best friends but unfortunately that got changed due to her schedule. Hopefully I will be able to make a trip sometime in the fall but who knows. I am now planning to make a trip to see my two best WA friends and my beautiful Goddaughter in August. I am so looking forward to seeing all my girls again. Guess that means I need to pack my tripod and my camera even though I really don't want to lug it through the airport..lol.. Kris went on a little vacation down to Florida last week for his cousins graduation and will be flying back today. I wish I would have been able to go with him but unfortunately vacations together cannot really happen when you have 4 children to take care of so I stayed behind. Maybe one day we will actually fly somewhere together..lol.. Tristan & Mcleod got into the charter school and we are thrilled! That means they will be getting a much better education than they could at all of the other schools here which makes us very happy. The school system here is very broken and since teachers have tenure no one is willing to do what his necessary to fix it. I say just fire everyone and restaff the entire roster of schools. That should make a serious change for the problem. Your job should be based on performance.. not tenure! Mystry is doing well.. although a bit sad since her boyfriend went off to bootcamp.. I know how hard that is.. communicating only through letters. However, she is keeping fairly busy with school work that she was assigned for the summer from all of her AP classes. She is a wiz at school and is looking at colleges for 2014.. Today I am taking her down to do her test for her driving permit. So I need to get off of here now and do that.. I will try to update again soon.. for now though I am off! Pamela

On Thursday I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot for Sexual Assault Prevention. I feel very honored to have been able to participate in creating awareness for such a great cause. Here are some of the photos from the shoot.

I am currently working on a PTSD awareness project as well and am looking forward to getting those pictures done as well.

I reached my goal!

I said that I wouldn't blog about my weight again until I reached my goal. Well I have! I am finally here! After 3 years of saying that I am trying and not I finally decided to do it! I got serious and started eating right and exercising.. I am stronger than I have ever been.. I have biceps and triceps and calf muscles that you can see! Thanks to my surgery I am also thinner than I have ever been! I started this journey on March 15th 2012 at 145 pounds. I stuck to it and it got easier as time went on.. Here is what I looked like before my surgery and weight loss at 145 pounds. My stomach always held a lot of my weight, which is why I decided to have the laser lipo last year but that wasn't a fix all. I did not lose any weight from the surgery but I did lose size in my stomach and love handles. :) You can see those results in a previous post that i made called surgeries. It took me 3 months and a lot of hard work to get here but I am here! Finally! I am happy and it is so easy to stick to my lifestyle change now that I am back here again. I have even had my wedding dress cleaned and taken in and very soon I will be having new bridal pictures taken in my gorgeous dress but this time with me being beautiful in it! :) If you are on the edge and ready to do it .. let me tell you that you can.. all you need is the motivation. I got mine from a friend.. I hope I help to inspire some of you to do the same. So without further ado.. My after pictures!!! 125 pounds!! 20 pounds lost in 3 months!! :D

Coming Soon to Florida!

We are finally making a trip back home.. Last time I was there was the beginning of 2010 so it has been almost 2 years for me. Even longer for Kris who left in Sept 2009. I will be happy to see everyone and be WARM!!

We have been living in cold weather places for the last 4 years so I am ready for a little vacation from it! Right now we are stationed in Illinois and we will be here for 3 years before the option to go somewhere else even arises. Hopefully we can get back to Florida but who knows. It would be nice to be somewhere warm for awhile.. I sure do miss my tank tops and shorts.


I will be wearing those tanks and shorts for the entire week we are in Florida!! No doubt I will be coming back up north with a tan! haha.. I have been making plans to see everyone that I can.. a week isn't much time but I am going to do my best to see everyone. If you want us to try to schedule something with you please let me know! :)

I got my motivation!

A few days ago I was cruising around on facebook and as usual feeling bad about my weight and how much I eat when I happened across a friend of mines progress pictures from her weight loss. Her picture spoke to me.. motivated me.. moved me to do what I had done so long ago. Take control of myself, my eating, and my life!

Before I got pregnant with Alora I stayed comfortably at 125 and it was easy. I didn't overeat. I rarely had "cheat" days. I didn't need them. I was always satisfied by the amount of food I ate. I had taught myself how to eat right and how to eat the right amount of calories for my lifestyle. When I got pregnant though I lost my mind. I forgot how to take care of myself. I forgot what it was like to eat right and feel good about doing it. Instead I felt bloated and uncomfortable most of the time and never let myself feel hungry.

Do you know what it is like to feel hungry? I mean actually hungry. I used to.. and now I do again. I have to tell you.. it feels GOOD! Yes! GOOD! I started REALLY counting calories again! I counted them before, but I didn't actually restrict myself to the amount of calories necessary to lose weight. I have been working out a few times a week. Just making sure I get some kind of activity in for at least 30 minutes is the main thing.

Regardless.. The whole point of this post is to hold myself accountable. It has only been 5 days now since I started this new education period of relearning how to eat and finding out how my body feels when I am really hungry and when I am REALLY FULL!
That is another thing that you have to really pay attention to.. eat slowly so that you know when you are full! Don't eat until you are gorged and over full only till satisfied. You won't feel full for a few weeks, it takes time for your body to adapt to the right eating habits and to shrink back down to its correct size.

So far I have lost 1 pound.. in 5 days! I think that is pretty good. They say 1-2 pounds a week is a good goal.. My goal is to top out and make it to 2 pounds a week. We shall see what happens. I probably won't post here again until I make my goal because I keep track of my progress in a personal written journal. :)

Here is a little virtual image of where my weight is now and where I am trying to get to.

A HUGE thank you to my motivators!! You know who you are! :)

Happy Eating!

The Art Of Marriage App

Hello again.. As you may have read in a previous blog of mine I like to support marriage and help my fellow military wives out cause it can be rough being away from your spouse so very much.

I have been contacted about a new app that is called "The Art of Marriage" and I wanted to share it with you all. So here is the app.. Please feel free to leave me a comment below and tell me what you think about it. I may even have a giveaway soon if I get enough interest!

Basking in the Silence....

I am sitting here in silence while my daughter takes her nap and it feels good.. The quiet is comforting.. My life is comforting. As I look around at all the pictures on my walls I know how lucky I am. How much love I have.

Some people dread the moment that their lives become comfortable... or as they would describe it.. mundane.. repetitive.. I however bask in these times. I like the feeling of knowing tomorrow isn't going to explode in my face. At least in the sense that my husband & kids will not stop loving me. I know that not everything is a guarantee.. I know that bad things can happen.. I do worry about those things from time to time... but in the moments like this.. when I feel safe.. I feel love and comfort... I am truly happy.

I love having friends and family around me. I love meeting new people and doing new things.. But I also love being alone.. standing on a beach just breathing the warm, windy air.. Walking down a road taking in the world around me.. Driving down the street and looking at the scenery.. beautiful trees and flowers. Alone time is when I get to reflect on myself.. to learn more about me and the things I like. To be me as a person and not be anything else for anyone else around me.

When I am alone I am not a mother, wife, daughter, friend, or anything....I am just Pamela.. I don't have to be any of those other things.. I have a moment to breath where no one depends on me to say the right thing or read them a story.. fix a problem or take a picture, give a present or help with homework, it is just me.. no expectations.. no rules, no work.. just me. ..

I find many people have trouble with alone time.. maybe they are not comfortable with themselves.. or the silence.. I have found that these moments can be the most beneficial.. They make you want to be a better, wife, mother, friend, daughter, sister, lover... everything..

Give yourself these moments.. Bask in the silence for a day.. enjoy time to yourself to just have you and your thoughts. Love yourself.. then you will be better able to love others.

School days & growing up fast.

As I sit here listening to my daughter play I think back to the time when she was too small to talk or play.... To a time when laying on my chest and looking up at me was all she wanted to do. I think back to the time when my middle son did the same things. Time has flown by and my middle son is now 6 and my daughter is 3.. those years have flown by too fast. I have tried my best to capture all of those sweet moments in my mind. Reading books, playing games, giving hugs and kisses...

Sadly I did not have all of those moments with my oldest son. .as a working mom then I did not have the time to watch him grow as I have had the privilege to do with my youngest two. I wish I could get those moments back.. but they are forever gone.. and now he is 12 years old.. taller than me.. and growing fast in height and attitude.. I do my best to keep him a grounded person .. but sometimes those preteen hormones get in the way. Time stands still for no one so hug them while you can and take many many pictures.. for when your memory fails you.. those pictures will not.

Now my little Tristan is in school.. spending much of his time away from home. I worry about him in this new school.. In this place that cares more about money than his education. I pray that I am doing enough for him. I ask him everyday how school is and if he learned anything.. most days I get the same "no" answer.. I pray that I can somehow keep him up to date on his learning in the 3 years we are here before we are able to find another duty station an hopefully better schools.

I have seriously been contemplating home schooling him because of how bad the schools are here. I know that I will be home schooling Alora when the time comes.. if for no other reason than to keep her from moving mid school year the way that Tristan has had to. He mentions frequently how much he misses his old school and how much he wants to go back. He had friends in his old school.. He loved his teacher.. I loved his teacher.. and now.. nothing.. the kids are mean.. the teacher is seriously lacking in ability.. and the school system doesn't care. sigh..

I know I won't be able to teach Mcleod.. he doesn't like to learn and I am not a very patient person so he will stay in school.. and I will do my best to help when he is home.. but that will mostly be his dads job.. since I don't do so well in math and that is usually where he needs the most help. Reading on the other hand.. I can help with that. :)

I know that I can help Tristan & Alora because they are still young and the things that they need to know I can do easily. I hope that I am able to give Alora the head start that she needs and have her reading and doing some math by the time she starts school.

So for everyone that teaches their kids.. I commend you.. For everyone that knows their limitations I commend you.. and for everyone who knows how quickly time can get away from us.. Hug your little one just one more time before bed.. they might not remember it.. but you will.

Good Deeds, Great Needs

There is a new movie coming out on Feb. 24th called "Good Deeds" it is by Tyler Perry.. and although I have not watched any of his previous movies I have heard that they tend to be humorous. The real reason why I find this particular movie so worthy of a blog is that it has joined up with Covenant House in efforts to help homeless youth. This program will also be partnering with a gift card company that collects unused gift cards and donating them to covenant house. How wonderful that people can give great things to the at risk youth of our country and give them a chance at a better life.

Covenant house does its best to provide hearty meals, warm beds, and safe shelter to homeless youth and in my opinion that is always a good cause. So I would like to share with you this video because lionsgate has offered to make donations each time this video is shared.

Good Deeds. Great Needs. | #GoodDeedsMovie

I hope you will take the time to just click on the movie, it will only take a few minutes of your time and it will help out a great cause.

Communication is the key...

In the past.. what seems like the very distant past now.. I knew some people.. people I no longer know.. people that I apparently never really knew. People that could walk away from me without so much as a word to say why.. People claiming I had done something horrible to them so they did not want me in their life but never mentioning what this horrible thing was.

I have taught my children an important trait and that is this.. If you have a problem with someone.. an issue with something they have done, said, or are doing, then tell them. Things cannot be fixed if they are ignored. Do not ignore the small things that bother you for one day they will become big things in your mind. Give others a chance to know what is bothering you. If you don't tell them then how would they know?

We always tend to assume that everyone else in the world knows what we are thinking and that they do things purposely against us. 98% of the time, that isn't true. Most people go about their daily lives just minding their own business.. living their own lives, not realizing that something they did or said upset someone else.

No one is perfect. It isn't possible. Not everyone is meant to be friends or even like each other. There are people that fit with our personalities and those that don't.. and that is ok.

I have met many many people in my short 32 years on this earth.. I am proud to have met them. I cannot say that I have enjoyed the company of all of them or that they have all enjoyed my company, but I can tell you that I enjoyed meeting them and having them in my life for whatever amount of time they were there.

Be the happiness that you want to see in the world. Treat your friends and acquaintances with respect by giving them a chance and letting them know when you are having issues. Break the silence. Be strong and be happy. Remember that if you come to someone with a problem in a mature manner without accusing you may find that what happened was a miscommunication.

Give people the chance that you would want to be given to explain themselves.

I pray that everyone in my life knows that I care about them and I try to tell them when I can. I hope that if any problems do arise that my friends would be good enough to come to me with the problem. Let us fix these things together rather than letting a world of confusion tear us apart.

Love to all..

DIY Activities: Occupying Your Time and Having Fun

DIY Activities: Occupying Your Time and Having Fun

A Guest Written Blog by: Kristin Wells

Military wives lead stressful lives. Their husbands are overseas doing a dangerous job and their loved ones constantly wonder about the well being of their men. While it's probably impossible not to worry, it's important to try and relieve the pressure as often as possible. Sitting around and fretting all the time is a good way to experience an emotional meltdown. This will be bad for the wife, and also for her husband who will become worried when he calls home and talks to a crying bride. Thankfully, there are fun and productive ways to take your mind off the stress. One of the easiest and most creative options is composing fiction.

Anyone can write, regardless of their talent level. All you need is a notebook of lined paper and a package of pens or in today’s time it may be more appropriate to say a computer. If you're going to write fiction, try to clear your mind and avoid making too big a deal out of it. After all, you don't want it to be something that adds to your stress. Tell a story the way you'd want to be told one. Think of a book you'd like to read that has not yet been written, then start writing it. Let your imagination flow and see where it leads!

Worrying too much about the technical quality of your work will stop you in your tracks. Write for yourself and put the possible opinions of others out of your head. The great thing about fiction is that it doesn't require any kind of research. Simply write down whatever comes to you. The more you write, the more you'll find your hurtful emotions spilling onto the page, which can be therapeutic. In fact, according to the Pennebaker paradigm, those who write about traumatic experiences show a strengthening of their immune system and significant increases in psychological well-being. It not only decreases depression as well, but helps when stricken with diseases like Mesothelioma.

Another good trick for writing fiction is to write the way that you'd tell the story if you were talking to someone. Grammar and punctuation should be the least of your concerns. Remember that first drafts are allowed to be messy and scattered. Writing a novel or a collection of short stories will help take your mind off the stress of not being near your husband, and will bring the joy of pure artistic creation.

The first and only rule of writing fiction is to have a good time. Let your mind say what it needs to say and document it on paper. I think that many people today never give it a try because they may think it can turn into an arduous task negating your initial goal in the first place. No matter how much time you have on your hands or how creative you may think you are, we’re all natural born writers!

Kristin Wells




I would like to thank Kristin for taking the time out of her busy schedule to share her ideas with us. I hope she is able to come back and guest write again.

Congrats Justine!!

The shared memories giveaway is now over and Justine is the winner! Contact me to receive your code to get your free software!

Keep an eye out for more giveaways in the future. Also please share my blog with your friends so that they have the opportunity to win things also!

Broken??

I have been having intermittent leg pain for about 4 weeks now.. Never knew why but one day while I was playing one of my dance games the pain started to get really bad.. So I finally decided to go and try to have it looked at. Luckily my doctor actually listened to me and sent me in for an xray.

Ten days later I still hadn't heard from him so I called.. A different doctor returned my call and gave me my results.. he said he couldn't see anything there.. I said ok.. but it still hurts, so what now. He ordered a high contrast bone scan.. Which basically means they inject radioactive material into your blood stream then do another xray.. only this time it is on this giant machine and takes about 30 minutes cause they scanned my entire body... The machine looked a lot like this one.

After the scan I looked at the picture of my skeleton and noticed a white spot on my right leg (the one i was having pain in) .. I have no pictures of what it looked like because as soon as the tech saw me looking at it he took down the picture.. Techs aren't allowed to tell you anything.. So then I waited until the next day and called. The nurse called me back to inform me that I indeed have a stress fracture in my right leg and that I should rest for 8 weeks.. fat chance of that happening..haha.. So in 8 weeks I am to go back and get my leg re-scanned to make sure it has healed.

It is so weird that my leg is broken when I haven't really done anything to break it! Makes me wonder if I have the beginnings of osteoporosis.. ahh the thrills of getting older..lol.. Doc has me on calcium supplements now.. so hopefully that will help. Well.. that is pretty much it.. no running for me for awhile.

My Memories Software Giveaway!!!

I was contacted by My Memories and asked to review their scrap booking software.. As one that is not very good with doing scrap booking I was impressed. I found the software very easy to use. Adding pictures was just a simple click as well as adding any text I wanted. Not only do they have a slue of different styles to choose from in their package but they also offer other free add-ons to go along with it. Here are some of the pages that I created in only a few minutes.

This program is so easy to use that I am going to start scrap booking now! I know I have said that many times in the past but I am all about things being easy to do so that I can still have time for a life! lol..

So here is the deal.. My Memories suite wants to give one of my wonderful readers a copy of this software too! For FREE!

Ok, so here are the rules for the giveaway!

1.) Go check out http://www.mymemories.com/ .. Once you get there choose your favorite digital paper pack or layout.

2.) Post a comment on this blog with your choice from #1..

That's it! Easy enough! All you have to do is post a comment about your choice and you have a chance to win some free digital scrapbooking software!


If you would like to check out the My Memories Suite fb page you can go add them by clicking on this link. http://www.facebook.com/pages/MyMemories/140359372717593

As a little bonus for everyone, here is a code for anyone that wants to get a $10 coupon to use whenever you decide to make a purchase! STMMMS88775 Just type that code into the coupon code box at checkout and you are good to go!

You can also click below to use the code. :)

Giveaways over!

Well the giveaways are done and the winners were chosen on random.org.


The winner of the book is entry number 1 out of three.

The second winner is NavyWife & Mommy.. I need you to contact me with your information today or I will need to choose a new winner.

Thanks to those who entered the contest!

Locating Veterans

Nowadays we have many ways to locate people online.. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter.. etc.. But what if you want to find a Medal of Honor recipient? Find a grave site of someone who served in the U.S. Military? Well it turns out that there is an easy way to do that now.

There are now two easily searchable websites that you can use to do those searches and hopefully find who you are looking for.

First there is the Grave & Burial Site Records Website This site will help you to find lost friends and relatives who served in the U.S. Military but just searching for last names, cemetery name, or even the date of death. I found it to be easily searchable and it runs the search rather quickly too.

The second link Medal of Honor Recipients allows you to choose the war you want to search along with the name of the person you are looking for. So if you have anyone that you would like to look up this website makes it easy.

The main site is called Find the Data and has many options for different searches but these two links are primarily geared at Military members past and present. I hope you enjoy taking a look at it.

Homecoming Giveaway!

We all know that deployments can be hard, being away from family and friends, adjusting to life as a "single" parent for the ones left behind and adjusting to life on a ship or in the desert somewhere.

As hard as deployments are, coming home can be even harder. Readjusting to roles as husband, wife, father, mother, and all the chores that go along with home life. Integrating your spouse back into daily routines can cause stress for everyone involved. The left behind parent doesn't want to give up the "power" so to speak and the returning parent may not know how to handle the new requirements for their time.

There is hope for families dealing with these situations. Sometimes it can be hard to go ask for help from a counselor or even talk about it with your own spouse but communication is key to moving past the reintegration period.

I have recently found out about another helpful tool for people dealing with Coming Home to family.

You can check out this wonderful tool by clicking here!

Finally Home To Family Widget



IF you are interested in winning a special prize just post a response to this blog. You have until Saturday at 12p cst to post a response and then I will be choosing a random winner!

Giveaway of American Sniper!

The publisher of AMERICAN SNIPER by Chris Kyle contacted me and sent me a copy of the book to read. I am about half way through it now and it is hard to put down. It is so interesting to read about the life of a Navy Seal! Especially the most Lethal Sniper in Military History!

So here is the thing.. The company once again contacted me and offered to let me do a giveaway to my readers of this book. So, If you would also like to win a copy of this book then post a response on this blog and I will do a random drawing on Saturday to pick the winner.

Here you can check out an excerpt of the book to see if it is something that would interest you. I can tell you that just reading about Hell week gave me more insight into the life of a SEAL than I ever had before. I hope you enjoy it as much as I am! I am finding it very hard to put this book down to go to sleep!

All the things you have wondered about including what they are like in their downtime is all in this book. Wanna know what it takes to be a Navy SEAL? You should go grab a copy today, cause it will be one of the most interesting books you read this year.
AMERICAN SNIPER by Chris Kyle

So get to posting and we will see who wins!

6 years have flown by...

Each year seems to blow by faster than the last one as my babies grow so quickly. I remember the day he was born and holding that sweet little one in my arms. It is hard to believe that 6 years have past since that day.. but here we are celebrating his 6th birthday.. This past year he started Kindergarten and unfortunately had to leave his very first school as we pcs'ed to Illinois. He still misses his school and Washington and tears up cause he wants to go back. I don't blame him. The schools and teachers there were so much better. I wish I could ship his teacher here cause I would do it in a heartbeat. He is such a sweet kid.. very emotional and a tad whiny at times...lol.. but so loving and giving. I am very proud of him. So of course I follow this with all the great memories of my baby growing up. I love pictures. :)


My baby boy when he was first born..

Around 6 months old



May 2007 16 months

Dec. 2007 at almost 2

Jul. 2008 at 2 1/2

Jul 2009 3 1/2

March 2010 4 years 2 months

Nov. 2010 4 years 10 months

Jan. 2011 5 years

Jul. 2011 5 1/2

Dec 2011 almost 6!

My big boy is 6 years old!

And of course a picture of him with his cake.

I cherish all of these moments and harass my children with the camera constantly.. because who doesn't want to remember every little moment, every little facial expression, every little goofy thing they do that tends to slip away from us with time. Capture those moments cause they leave us all too fast.

Its that time again!

Well.. 2 years ago I got my Droid phone.. and I LOVED it.. I love android phones.. I got the original droid with the slide out qwerty keyboard.. mainly because I had always had an actual keyboard before and was afraid to go full touch screen. Well it turns out that I NEVER used the keyboard on my phone..lol.. only the touch screen.

So when it came time to replace my phone because as electronics sometimes do it has started acting badly and having many issues. I decided I would go with a full touch screen. My choice left me torn between the
Motorola Droid Bionic

and
The Droid Razr

After much research on price, specs, and reviews I decided on the Razr. It has a bit faster processor and a well made Kevlar backing. I found consumer reviews on the two phones to be about even but CNET's professional review put the Razr a step ahead of the Bionic and since that is what I am looking for .. that is what I went with.

My new phone should be arriving on the 12th and I am looking forward to seeing if we are in a 4G area and if it is as fast as it claims to be. I will say that I have played with both phones at the Verizon kiosk and the Razr did seem to be faster than the bionic.

Hair Saver!

With all the moving around we do and the super dry weather I have had to deal with my hair was fighting back. It felt very dry and damaged, broke off easily, and was very dull. I always use conditioner but once it was dry it always looked bad unless I used a straightener, and lets face it .. that isn't good for your hair.

So I went to Sally's looking for a leave in conditioner that actually worked without making my hair look greasy as some leave ins can do. I am happy to say that I found one. It really feels like it hydrates my hair. I will warn you though it will increase your hair drying time by quite a bit. This stuff really works. Don't spray it too close to your head or clump it in one place or you will end up with the greasy look.. but I can tell you it makes my hair look and feel so much nicer. So go and check it out for yourself!
This product is made by ION..

And in case you are concerned with that sort of thing.. this is a completely VEGAN product.

Acne problems?

I have had skin issues most of my life.. but when I turned 25 they got worse.. I am now 32 and have acne worse than most teens! I have 3 different kinds! Cystic acne (under my chin), rash like acne(all over my face!) and regular white head pimples.. oh and lets not forget blackhead.. YUCK! Ok so what is my point? Other than my skin sucks..lol

Here is my point. I have been using proactiv for years.. .and it helped.. a lot.. as long as I didn't miss my day and night appointment with my face wash and cream! The rash acne (which bothers me the most) went away completely. The other 3 became less frequent but was still there. I haven't found any products that get rid of it all and trust me .. I have tried a lot!

So I have been looking for something that would work and cost LESS than the ever expensive proactiv.. but it seems that most products are made with salicylic acid.. Which for me.. just makes things worse. So here is a list of what I have tried.. Well.. not a full list.. that would take forever! lol

Murad-- Stay away from this product at all costs! I have oily skin and it is super drying, uncomfortable to put on and made my acne and blackheads WORSE! YES! WORSE!

Biore Blemish fighting Ice Cleanser- This one is great for blackhead but still a salicylic acid product and my rash acne came back.

Neutrogena Morning burst-- I couldn't use this more than once.. It says no oil but it feels extremely greasy to me.

Neutrogena night scrub (purple container)-- Felt nice on my skin and good for blackheads but my rash acne came back fast.

Proactiv heavy duty formula-- works great but the price is crazy high

Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser-- Doesn't erase anything or help in any way.. for me anyways.

And now for what I have recently found that WORKS! and doesn't break the bank!

Neutrogena Clear Pore Daily Scrub- Contains the magic ingredient 3.7% Benzoyl Peroxide ! This stuff cleared my rash acne in 3 days! The greatest thing is it is only about $6 at walmart!
With it I needed a Benzoyl Peroxide lotion.. Well walmart has come out with their own Proactiv like line! So I got a 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide lotion for only about $4! Great thing is it actually feels good on the skin and absorbs well! (keep it away from your clothes though cause it will bleach things quick as will all benzoyl peroxide products)
The face wash & lotion I use.

I do use a toner occasionally and have found that plain old witch hazel works wonderfully and it very inexpensive at around $5 for 16oz bottle.

Alora is growing up.

Well, it has been quite awhile since I have posted anything and a few things have happened.. One big one is that Alora is now completely potty trained! The day before we left for Illinois she decided to start using the potty and kept on going with it. Once we got to Illinois she switched to panties and hasn't gone back! She has done wonderfully and all on her own. I knew the time would come when she was ready which is why I didn't rush it. There has been no fight.. she goes when she needs to and has had no accidents.

Not only has she potty trained herself but she also decided it was time to move to her twin size bed from her toddler. She was more than happy to make the move herself as both beds are currently in her room set up. She was still in her toddler bed through Christmas as we had family visiting and one was using her twin bed. However, she informed me that after Christmas she would be sleeping in her big bed and has happily moved there on her own.

My little girl is growing up way to fast.. but so time marches on and I will just try to enjoy these moments with her.