Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 28:
I am thankful for friends that will help out on a moments notice, like when I forget I have a dentist appointment!

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 27:
Thankful that I finally found the ambition to really clean my house and Little Miss was willing to let me!

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 26:
I am happy that I penciled in a quiet day today! Me and Little Miss needed a slow day.

 
 

This is ME!

I have gotten quite a few new followers lately and this post from Household 6 Diva is the perfect excuse to re-introduce myself!

 This is my little family!

Me and the Hubs met in college at LSU (GEAUX TIGERS!) where we both graduated with a B.S. in Biology and minor in Chemistry

We sat across from one another in classes for an entire year, little did I realize my soul mate was just across the room!

Hubs was with the Air Force National Guard for 6 years, he received a phone call shortly after the second plane hit and was sent overseas promptly afterward

We will be married for 5 years on April 22nd this year

We lived as civilians for a while but didn't like it very much

One day I want to go to nursing school, I actually got into one but had to put that on hold once Hubs re-enlisted

Now he is active duty with the Navy, a nuke ET

We are currently surviving our first deployment as a family

We have a beautiful daughter, Little Miss, who has officially started her terrible twos but she IS the reason for my existence!

I like to keep busy, I started this blog as a tool to help me get through this deployment and an outlet for the thoughts going through my head

I am training to run a 5k in May

I am active in the FRG for our ship, play-group at The Little Gym, & a gym junkie

Little Miss attends at least 2 play-dates a week, she is full of energy! I can't wait until it warms up so I can bring her out running with me.

 TEAM EDWARD

I am a self-proclaimed nerd 

I owe my sanity to great family & friends

I feel like the luckiest girl in the world

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 25:
Have I mentioned how much I appreciate the patience of the childcare workers at my gym? One day Little Miss will be okay being away from me for an hour while I work out...

 

Guest Blogger: Tuscon Tragedy

While I have been running on the treadmill at the gym, I try to multitask and educate myself on what is going on in the political world. I watch both CNN and Fox News. I hate that I am not well-versed in what is going on in politics. My dad, however, is so very well informed I usually turn to him for what is going on. He is very conservative in my opinion, but he does a good job at presenting me with the facts. He loves writing letters to the local newspapers about the state of politics so I asked him to write something my blog! I was very disturbed at the situation in Tuscon but even more baffled at the reaction from the politicians. I asked my dad to write his thoughts about this situation. I hope you all like this piece as much as I did, I am hoping to have him write more for me in the future!

Many liberal commentators and reporters are using the Tucson shooting to advance 
their personal agenda. It ranges from blaming lack of strict gun laws to 
restrict possession of private firearms, accusing tea party and other right-wing 
opponents for verbal and symbolic violence used in their clash with the Obama 
administration to muffle rhetoric in political debates, indict talk radio for 
inciting individuals and the need to reimplement the Fairness Doctrine to limit 
free speech,  pointing the finger at Sarah Palin for targeting districts with 
cross-hairs in the 2010 elections to make her unfit for future political office, 
to charging that Arizona is “the mecca for prejudice and bigotry” so it will not 
enforce federal immigration policy. It appears that these commentators follow 
the Rahm Emanuel creed "You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.”
It seems that personal responsibility for ones actions do not enter their 
discussions. The fact that this violence was committed by a deranged individual, 
one who appears to have no political affiliation, was not religious, has no 
record he listened to radio or visited conservative websites but did read Nazi 
and Communist books. The fact is this mentally challenged perpetrator should not 
cause knee jerk political reaction that restricts any of the constitutionally 
protected rights that our military fights to protect.
The facts without opinions are summarized below.
 
A shooting near Tucson, Arizona, occurred at 10:10MST am on January 8, 2011. 
Twenty people were injured, nineteen from gunfire, six of them fatally, during 
an open meeting that U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords was holding with 
members of her constituency in the Safeway supermarket parking lot in La Toscana 
Village mall, which is in Casas Adobes, an unincorporated areanorth of Tucson, 
Arizona. News reports identified the target of the attack as Giffords, a 
Democrat representing Arizona's 8th congressional district.

A 22-year-old Tucson man, Jared Lee Loughner, was arrested at the scene. Court 
filings include notes allegedly handwritten by Loughner indicating he planned to 
assassinate Giffords. The motive for the shooting remains unclear, as the 
suspect has not cooperated with authorities and has invoked his right to remain 
silent. 
 
Giffords had set up a table outside the store and about 20 to 30 people were 
gathered around her when the gunman drew a pistol and shot Giffords in the head. 
He then allegedly proceeded to fire apparently randomly at other members of the 
crowd. The weapon used was reported to be a 9mm Glock model 19 semi-automatic 
pistol with a 33-round magazine. After the gunman ran out of ammunition in the 
first magazine, he stopped to reload, but dropped the loaded magazine from his 
pocket to the sidewalk, from where bystander Patricia Maisch grabbed it. A 
by-stander clubbed the back of the assailant's head with a folding chair in the 
process injuring his elbow and representing the 20th injury. The gunman was then 
tackled to the ground by 74-year-old retired colonel Bill Badger who himself had 
been shot, and was further subdued by Maisch and bystanders Roger Sulzgeber and 
Joseph Zamudio. 
 
While waiting for help to arrive, Giffords' intern Daniel Hernández Jr. applied 
pressure to the gunshot wound on her forehead, and made sure she did not choke 
on her blood. David and Nancy Bowman, a married doctor and nurse who were 
shopping in the store, immediately set up triage and attended to nine-year-old 
Christina-Taylor Green. Police arrived on the scene at 10:15 am, with paramedics 
arriving at 10:16 am. 
 
Five people died at the scene, including United States District Court for the 
District of Arizona Chief Judge John Roll and Giffords' community outreach 
director Gabe Zimmerman. Nine year old Christina-Taylor Green was later 
pronounced dead at the hospital. According to Green's father, her organs were 
donated "to a little girl in Boston." 
 
Within 38 minutes Giffords underwent emergency surgery where skull bone 
fragments and a small amount of necroticbrain tissue was extracted by doctors. 
Part of Gifford's skull was removed to prevent further brain damage caused by 
swelling.

According to Dr. Peter M. Rheeof the medical center, she was "shot through and 
through on one side of the head....[it] went through her brain. The bullet 
traveled through the left hemisphere of her brain without crossing the midline, 
where the most critical injuries result." Neurosurgeon and medical commentator 
Sanjay Gupta said that the exit of the bullet was a factor in her survival as not 
all of its energy was transferred to the brain. Giffords was placed into a 
chemically-induced coma to allow her brain to rest. 
 
The gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, born on September 10, 1988, lives with his 
parents about 5 miles from the site of the shooting, is described as a white 
male, with short hair and "dressed in a shabby manner", was arrested after being 
detained by bystanders. The FBI attempted to question the suspect, but it was 
reported he was refusing to cooperate with authorities and had invoked his Fifth 
Amendment right. Authorities have said the alleged shooter's motivation was 
unknown. Caiti Parker, who claimed she knew the suspect in high school four 
years earlier, described him as a politically radical loner. Classmates noted 
that Loughner was critical of religion. 
 
A YouTube channel under an account called "Classitup10" was attributed to 
Loughner. The profile of this account stated among other things that some of the 
subject's favorite books were The Communist Manifesto, Animal Farm, Mein Kampf, 
Plato's Republic, and We the Living; one video told viewers that they "don't 
have to accept the federalist laws", called for a return to the gold standard, 
and accused the government of mind-controlling and brainwashing the citizenry. 
Sheriff Clarence Dupnik conceded that there was no evidence that the shooting was 
a result of anything in particular that Loughner might have read or heard. 
 
Loughner attended Pima Community Collegeuntil school authorities suspended him 
after receiving complaints of his inappropriate behavior in class. He described 
the college as "one of the biggest scams in America". Loughner chose to drop out 
in October 2010, rather than having the mental healthevaluation and clearance 
which would have been required for him to re-enroll. 
 
According to court records, Loughner had two previous offenses, one of which was 
for drug possession. U.S. Army officials said that Loughner had attempted to 
enlist, but his application had been rejected as "unqualified" for service in 
2008. They declined further disclosure due to confidentiality rules, although 
an administration official indicated to the media that this was due to a failed 
drug test.

Bryce Tierney, a friend of Loughner, received a voice message from Loughner 
eight hours before the shooting. Tierney stated that Loughner held a grudge 
against Giffords for failing to answer a question sufficiently, in his view. 
Loughner previously met Giffords at a "Congress on your Corner" event in a 
Tucson mall on August 25, 2007, where he asked the congresswoman, "How do you 
know words mean anything?" 
 
Pima County Registrar of Voters records show that Loughner registered as an 
independent on September 29, 2006, and voted in 2006 and 2008 but not in 2010. 
 
Police reports reveal he had purchased a Glock pistol at a Sportsman's 
Warehouse store less than six weeks before.

What are your thoughts? 

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 24:
It made my day knowing that Hubs was able to get off the ship and see a beautiful part of the world!

 

Busy Bee

Sorry for being MIA lately, I seem to have overbooked myself! Not that I'm complaining at all. I welcome the distraction and busy-ness. I just haven't had a spare moment since last week Tuesday and now it looks like Little Miss may be A) coming down with something, or B) cutting her eye teeth. Fun stuff! I've managed to designate workout time, I even ran 3 miles on Sunday. I've been meeting up with new and old friends for play-dates, it's only Tuesday and we've already been on 2 this week plus a birthday party tomorrow! I've been busy planning stuff with the FRG, but its so exciting at the same time. I've been given the chance to meet & interact so many other spouses/fiancees/girlfriends/families because of this position and its been awesome. Just a lot of planning going on right now and once this part is done comes the fun stuff!

Little Miss has definitely been under the weather lately. I haven't quite figured out if its just teeth or if she has a bit of a cold. She was coughing briefly but it went away as quickly as it came. I think I'll be buying a humidifier for her room tomorrow. We'll see if that helps. Even though she has been mopey lately, once I gave her some tylenol she really pepped up and was happy baby again! She was running around playing and laughing. Its those moments that remind me that I am the luckiest girl in the world.

 Look at that smile, how did I get so lucky?

 

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 23:
Thankful for the unexpected angels in my life who swoop in at the exact moment I need their help the most.

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 22:
I am glad Little Miss gave me a reason to stop running around like a crazy lady and just hang out at home cuddling all afternoon. I have been so busy lately!

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 21:
Proud of myself today, I ran over 3 miles today! I am gracious that my body still remembers how to run after all this time. 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 20:
I am happy to be so extremely busy that the days are flying by!

 
 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 19:
So thankful my Hubs W2 finally came out! Hooray for income tax return money!

 
 

Giveaway Winner!

Hooray its time to announce the winner of a $25 gift certificate from CSN stores! Since I had 16 entries, I assigned everyone a number 1-16. The first comment is #1 and the last is #16. And the winner is... 

 #9 is the winner! Congrats Lindsay, I hope this helps you buy that double stroller! I sent an email with all the certificate to you. Thanks everyone for participating, I look forward to doing more fun stuff like this in the future!


 

Bullies

Bullying is a form of abuse. It involves repeated acts over time attempting to create or enforce one person's (or group's) power over another person (or group) , thus an "imbalance of power". The "imbalance of power" may be social power and/or physical power. The victim of bullying is sometimes referred to as a target. Bullying types of behavior are often rooted in a would-be bully's inability to empathize with those whom he or she would target. Bullying consists of three basic types of abuse – emotional, verbal and physical.- Wikipedia

At least once a week I hear something on the news about bullying. This is such a terrible epidemic that is ripping through jr. high's and high school's across the country. Personally, this hits close to home. I was first bullied in jr. high. I was made fun of on a daily basis in gym class. I didn't wear Nike shoes. My clothes were from WalMart. I wore glasses, had bad skin, didn't wear makeup, and I was smart. Apparently this made me an easy target for bullies. I came home every day from school crying. Both boys and girls would tease me. I had a huge crush on a very popular boy and they tormented me about that. I was called all sorts of names and made fun of for reasons beyond my control. I was so humiliated, why couldn't they just be nice to me? I never did anything to them, I was too afraid to even say anything back when they teased me. I had no friends, all I had were my books. By the time I got to high school, I made a few friends through baton and on the flag team. The teasing stopped, but then the rumors started. I dated a boy for 3 years in high school and I lost my virginity to him. It was way too early but that story is for another day. Unfortunately, the guy gets congratulated and the girl gets the bad reputation. While I wasn't labeled a slut, I had a few guys try and date me because they thought they would get lucky. I ended up kicking one in the man parts. After graduation, I was the flag team instructor at my old high school while I was attending college. Now I started dealing with bullying from ADULTS. Ladies and men in their 30's and 40's attacked me verbally. People that I grew up admiring tried to take me down because I was now their competition. I received hate mail and had to contact the police. Thank goodness I had Mr. B around to help me through this difficult time. He taught me that the bullies only have the power over you if you let them. I am once again faced with bullying but now I am an adult. The lessons I learned growing up will serve me well. 

Bullying has gotten out of hand, in both children and adults. In my experience, adult bullies get other people to gang up on one or more people as a way of exerting control. They are insecure, selfish, jealous, and they lack empathy. They want attention no matter whether its positive or negative. Sometimes they incite other people to act out aggressively and sit back to watch the show. They form groups that pick and choose members at random and exclude others without real reason. They form alliances with other social groups in an effort to jockey for popularity and positions of power among peers. 

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself." -Harvey S. Firestone

"After all of the fights and the lies, Yes you wanted to harm me but that won't work anymore,'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture, I wouldn't know how to be this way now, and never back down, So I wanna say thank you, 'Cause it makes me that much stronger, Makes me work a little bit harder, Makes me that much wiser, So thanks for making me a fighter, Made me learn a little bit faster, Made my skin a little bit thicker,
It makes me that much smarter, So thanks for making me a fighter"  

-Christina Aguilera "Fighter"

Don't take bullying in any form from anyone. Don't allow someone else to be bullied either, stand up for one another there really is strength in numbers. Don't bully the bully, fighting never solves anything. Try to do the opposite and befriend them or just kill 'em with kindness! If that doesn't work, just ignore them because they aren't worth your time or thoughts. Just think this is easier to deal with as an adult than when we were kids.

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 18:
Thank heaven for dinners in a box that take only 4 minutes to make!

 
 

Thursday Five

 

Here are the Five things that made me:

Blessed
Incredible
Productive

Elated

Happy

 

I am Blessed to have such a great support system: the FRG, the Play Group mommas, family, and other friends I've bonded with along the way!

 

It felt Incredible to work out today! I went to spin class and really burned off some frustration.

 

I was Productive and bought an organizer to keep up with all the FRG stuff since I am now Vice President.

 

I am Elated Little Miss was so cooperative today when she had her pictures taken by BLP Photography.

 

I am Happy we have kicked one week of this deployments butt! 

 

 

 

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 17:
I am grateful that the Navy finally let my husband get some adequate sleep so I could get a nice email :)

 

Full of Happiness

Today has been an amazing day. I haven't felt this good in a really long time, well with preparing for deployment its as gloomy as preparing for a funeral. We had our first FRG meeting today since our sailors left and I left feeling filled with happiness! For me the FRG was the first group of people that really embraced me. Ever since it has been my goal to help out other women and tonight I felt like I paid it forward. It was great to see such a large turnout today too. Everyone was so interested to get every bit of information they could about what was going on with the ship and what activities we had planned. We were able to hear from the CO and I actually teared up for the first time since Hubs left. I was thinking, this man is on the ship with my husband, they are thousands of miles away but I felt so much closer to Hubs when the CO called. I was able to talk to so many wonderful women after the meeting and hear their stories. It is positive encounters like this that keep me going and I am sure I am not the only one that feels this way. I am just so overfilled with joy right now. This deployment is starting to look easier to deal with every day.

"Real" Housewives?

Lately all I seem to be talking about is the deployment. Frankly, I am so over of it. There is more to me than this woman going through a deployment, I can be interested in other things too!

I have a few guilty pleasures, one of which being reality TV. I hate to admit but I keep up with "Teen Mom", "16 and Pregnant", and I especially love all the "Real Housewives" shows on Bravo. Some reality shows are more real than others. I think the "Teen Mom" and "16 and Pregnant" series are pretty realistic and show just how hard being a mom is period, especially when you are still in high school. How many of those girls end up staying with their baby's daddy? By the reunion show most of the guys are either no shows or have moved on to their next girlfriend. I think some young girls glorify pregnancy and see it as a chance at "Happily Ever After". They think if they have a baby it will fix all the problems their relationship has and magically everything will work out. I know there are nay sayers out there that say the shows in fact makes teen pregnancy seem more attractive because you have a chance at being a TV reality star. For me, if these shows had been around when I was growing up I definitely would have waited until after high school to loose my virginity. I was fortunate and didn't end up pregnant but even though your parents tell you about the consequences, hard headed teens just don't get it sometimes unless someone else tells them. I bet if you ask any Macy, Farrah, Leah, or any of the teen moms they would say the same thing.

Now for my favorite reality shows, "The Real Housewives"! Even though I don't believe for one second these shows are very realistic, I can't help but watch. I've viewed every season of every different city and I am the biggest fan of the New Jersey wives. If I ever got into a fight, I'd want Caroline backing me up! I started wondering today, why isn't my life so magnificent and dramatic, I'm a housewife?! Why don't I get to dress up and attend glitzy social events, does going to the command holiday party count? I wouldn't mind having someone to drive me around, clean my house, fix my food. Oh I would LOVE having someone styling my hair and doing my makeup every day, selecting my clothes for me too. Who wouldn't like that?

You know what they should do? A "Real Housewives" series based on military wives. At least there would be something admirable about a show centered around milispouses because our S.O.'s serve our country! Plus, there is plenty of drama to keep an audience hooked. I think a show like that would be more relate-able to the general public. We have to penny-pinch, sacrifice sleep & sanity, fix what is broken, run errands, and have our lives revolve around the military's schedule. I guess while it all may be inspiring to people, they may not want to see something so realistic and would rather watch the fantasy these other "housewives" have to offer. 

Have I mentioned my giveaway? Click here to enter!

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 16:
I was happy to make it back to the gym today for the first time in months. I am even happier to have found a gym that offers inexpensive yet very hands on childcare! Great childcare makes it easier for a momma to make it to the gym daily.

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 15:
I was able to hang out with a friend today that I've been trying to meet up with for weeks but our schedules just wouldn't allow it! But we all know how it is with kids, spouses, & the military how our schedules change at the last minute. I am thankful we were able to finally meet up and chit chat :)

 

2011 Golden Globes

How many of you watched the Golden Globes last night? A friend made a request that I blog about it so I hope this is up to your expectations :) Personally, I LOVE all the glitz and glamour that comes with awards season. But you know what is equally impressive? Watching the train wrecks, bad hair, ill-fitting dresses, and the OMG what were they thinking? So here is my run down of the night:

Who else out there is in love with Natalie Portman? Did you hear her acceptance speech for Best Actress? She seems like the type of person that I would be friends with if she weren't all rich, famous, and oblivious to my existence. I could never pull off that pale of a pink but for Natalie it just adds to that pregnancy glow she has going on. Her hair was perfectly swept up and she wore just the right amount of jewelry. I wish I looked that good when I was preggers! Another trend I was happy to see: comeback of jewel-toned dresses. Angelina Jolie, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Elisabeth Moss, & Mila Kunis all wore a gorgeous emerald color. I was not a fan of how much Angie had covered up it looked a bit too matronly for a sex-bomb like herself. I am a huge fan of GLEE and I loved how each and every one of the cast members dressed! I was most stunned by Amber Riley. The girl has curves and knows how to show them off, she really reminds me of Jennifer Hudson. She pulled off the one-shoulder dress impeccably. You know how sometimes those one-shoulder tops make your boobs all lop-sided? The belt around her waist was brilliant because otherwise with all that sparkle on the dress her figure would get lost.
Another dress full of sparkle I LOVED was on Olivia Wilde. She really rocked that ball gown, did you notice her spikey gold glitter shoes? Her hair and jewelry was very simple (nonexistent?) and I thought it was a good choice because you don't want those to compete with that amazing dress. There were a few women that went the opposite direction with their gowns and went for simple, comfortable, yet sophisticated. Claire Danes and Emma Stone owned this look. Their dresses were very simple and clean. I think if I were a hollywood starlet, this would be my signature look.

Now for the "OMGoodness what were they thinking?!" looks. Ok Julianne Moore, I think you are a wonderful actress but please please please get a new stylist! She looked like she stepped right out of a bad 80's themed prom with the big puffy shoulder and neon pink color. Then there is Michelle Williams. She did an amazing job in "Blue Valentine" but in this dress it looks like she should be running around in a field of flowers in an advertisement for feminine hygiene products! Oh dear Heidi Klum, are you wearing one of your "Project Runway" contestants' designs? This gown is no where near formal enough for an awards show, unless you count the Nickelodeon Kids awards. What is up with the bows around the waist? I thought you wanted to make yourself look skinnier on the red carpet. Lastly, Leighton Meester must be cold standing in the shadow of her ultra-trendy co-star on Gossip Girls because she has covered herself in this pioneer inspired dress. Well, she is covered up except for the slit in the front of the gown that goes up to her lady-parts. The dress seems a bit bi-polar to me.

All the photos I used are over at Wonderwall so check them out to see what all the stars were wearing last night!

Have you entered in my first giveaway yet? If not, click here and find out how to enter! You only have until midnight (EST) on Thursday January 20th.

 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 14:
Little Miss ate raw veggies today! I was so surprised when she devoured the broccoli, I feel like an accomplished momma today!

 
 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 13:
Thankful for Cheesecake Factory cheesecake, good friends, and great conversation to help keep me sane!

 
 

Can We Keep the Drama to a Minimum Please?

My dad has always taught me to find the good in every situation and to look for the good in a person no matter how badly they have acted. My Hubs does the same thing. Ladies, has your mother ever told you that you married someone just like you father? Since I am far away from my dad and I can't solicit advice from him everyday, Hubs has filled in adequately and always gives me great advice. He is especially good when it comes to the unnecessary drama that milispouses can create. His ship just pulled away yesterday and already he has taken the time to give me advice and guide me down the right path. But he didn't say I shouldn't blog about it! Muahahaha...

I just don't understand why of all days people would try to stir the drama pot on deployment day! We should all be supporting each other, especially on deployment day. I know it is impossible for everyone to like each other. There are over 5,000 sailors on the ship and that makes for many different personalities. But just because you don't have the same interests or even hang out doesn't mean we all can't support each other in this situation. We are all navy wives going through a deployment. Come on guys where is the love? Part of me is bothered that I am blogging about this. The ongoing drama isn't affecting me personally because I am not letting it. I am just concerned about how this affects the other spouses. I guess that is why I am putting this out there.
 
I am the type of person that wants to know why things work. This is why I am horrible at abstract things, like geometry and calculus and physics. Why is there gravity? There just is. Don't even get me started on limits and all that infinity stuff. The point is I want to know how things work, especially people. I loved developmental psychology when I was in college and I wish I could have studied further into it. It really helps you understand what makes someone tick. I have been trying to wrap my head around why some people see the need to cause drama. Are they that unhappy in their lives that they feel the need to make others just as miserable as they are? If that is the case, I don't harbor any ill will towards them. I actually feel sorry for them. Life can really suck sometimes. Bad things happen to good people for no reasonable explanation. If you don't have people there for you that have your best interests in mind, I can see how that can create bitterness and unhappiness. They need to surround themselves with positive people that will help them during their time of need. Everyone needs a support group, especially spouses separated because of deployment. It doesn't matter if its the FRG, a church group, a play group, or family! Everybody needs somebody sometimes.

Today, Hubs reminded me that every one of the people involved is going through this deployment and needs someone there for support. He reminded me that everyone likes company even if its just idle chat to keep your mind off things. Damn he's good isn't he? He thinks I need to just keep trying to "kill them with kindness". Well not really cause them physical harm but I need to just keep "extending the olive branch" (don't you love all the quotes?) Also the Hubs knows that I am a bit different and I get some sort of high when I am able to help someone out. Like if someone calls me just to rant or invites me over because they need a shoulder to cry on, I thrive on that sort of stuff. It actually makes me feel like superwoman, like I could carry everyone's problems on my shoulders so no one would feel any pain. Wouldn't that be amazing? 

So I am going to keep following Hubs advice because it hasn't failed me yet, well not that I can recall at least! Be sure to enter in my first giveaway, it ends Thursday Jan. 20th at midnight!



 

Project Gratitude

I decided to start participating in the Milspouse Weekly Roundup. Interested in reading some great blogs? Head over to Flip Flops and Combat Boots and link up!


Project Gratitude Day 12:
Thank goodness for emails!!


 

Thursday Five

Time for Thursday Five! Make sure you join in & link up over at Flip Flops & Combat Boots! Here are the 5 things that made me:

Happy
Jubilant

Grateful

Loved

Thankful

I am unexpectedly Happy today and one reason is because of all the plans I am getting to make to keep busy during deployment! The Bestie & I got into a crazy brainstorming session (Thanks to A.W.!) and the possibilities are looking pretty amazing. 

I am Jubilant because I am hosting my first giveaway! Click here to find out how to win!

I am so very much Grateful for the ladies that I was able to meet up with this morning after we were kicked off the ship. Thank you ladies for distracting me and keeping me company.

I felt so Loved today because of all the unexpected well wishes, kind words, and friends out of the blue showing support for me today. It means so much to me that so many have offered to help me in any way they can. Thank you.

Have I mentioned how Thankful I am for my parents? I found out I am going home in March to visit and its perfect timing since its MARDI GRAS! 

Project Gratitude

Project Gratitude Day 11:

Today was supposed to be a dreadful and depressing day. I am both happy and surprised that it wasn't! Thanks to all my supporters today, the friends who met up for breakfast, the Play Group for not letting me go home and throw myself a pity party, and the Bestie for being there all day with me.

My First Giveaway to my Blog Followers!!

 

I was contacted by CSN stores before the New Year and was asked to host a giveaway! They would like to give one of my lucky followers a $20 gift certificate* to use on ANY of their products from ANY of their stores! How amazing is that?!

CSN stores have a huge variety of products, basically something for everyone! They have everything from modern furniture & home decor, cookware, and luxury shoes & purses. Here are a few things on my wish list:

This would look gorgeous in my dining room!

 

They have a HUGE variety of quotes that are wall stickers

Kalencom Tote Bags look like chic purses and are also fully functioning diaper bags!

The Hubs could use a new leather wallet!

 The kitties would LOVE this!

So enough of what I want. Go check out their websites to find something your heart desires, then enter my giveaway for a $20 gift certificate*! They have over 200 stores so there is bound to be something you could use...or just something you want!

HOW TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY

Entering is simple! Here is all you need to do:

1. FOR 1 ENTRY: Become a follower of my blog! See those beautiful faces on the right side of my blog? See that button that says "Follow", click it! Once you are an official follower of my blog, leave a comment with your email address (so I can get in touch with you if you win!) AND tell me what you would buy from CSN stores if you won the gift certificate!
2. FOR A BONUS ENTRY: Go "Like" my facebook page! Once you do that, leave another comment on this blog telling me you "Like" me on facebook. 

See, that is not tough at all! Remember to leave a different comment for each entry! This contest will end at midnight on January 20th and I will choose the winner using random.org and post the results.  

Good luck and thanks for following my blog! 
 








*Gift certificate does not include shipping costs. However, a lot of items in stores do offer free shipping.