All my Rambled Thoughts

A few days ago, Valerie from Along the Way with V & J posted a cute little organizational shopping list. You can find it here. I used it this morning and shopping is a breeze. I know some of you ladies don't follow her, so I wanted to post about it too!

Yesterday, I took my last pill in my pack of birth control. (TMI?) Sorry, I'm so excited. It worked out perfect. No more birth control while the hubby is away! Yay! back to feeling better, no bloating, not gaining weight. Need I say more?

I started using MyFitnessPal again. It is seriously like the best app ever. You can get it for FREE on the web, iPhone, iPad, all that i stuff, etc. You put in your weight, height, your goal weight, how much you exercise weekly. You can count all the calories, nutrients, all that jazz about your food. You can get your friends to join in so you can check in and make sure you are sticking to your goals. And you can add all your exercises in too! Totally works.

I also started working out again. Hoping to get bikini ready! :)

A few weeks ago, while Mr. Army Man was watching the super bowl I took a picture of him and a picture of me and uploaded it to one of those baby generator things. And this is what our super cute baby will look like a few years down the road.. (No, I'm not pregnant or do I plan on getting that way in the near future. The hubby is not even in this country!)

Isn't he/she precious! I bet it will come out even cuter IRL! Lol. Hope everyone has had a good week so far!:)

True Colors Blog Swap

Sorry for the inconvenience but we will not be posting about our swap tomorrow. A few of the swappers have emailed me about not mailing their packages out on time. So we will reconvene for the Blog Swap Post on Tuesday, March 6th. Sorry and thanks for participating!!

Weekend Recap

My weekend started Thursday afternoon. The Art Institute was closed Friday, for observation of President's day. We had an amazing dinner on the grill. We literally wrapped everything in aluminum foil and threw it on their. Mahi Mahi, pineapple, spinach and corn. And I made some rice. It was all so delicious.

Friday:
We had plans to go into Raleigh to do some shopping. For me to get a haircut and highlights. But instead we went to a neat little restaurant called Cafe 121 downtown. It was so good & I will defiantly be a regular! We picked up a few things from Wal-Mart and we had a pretty low key night. I made a yummy dinner. Fried steak, green beans, crescents. Easy and delicious. We finished up watching all the Grey's Anatomy seasons on Netflix.

Saturday:
I got up and ran some errands. Picked up a cute top and some earrings. And these amazing cupcakes that Mr. Army Man loves. We had Maple Banana Nut and Peanut Butter and Jelly they were filled with strawberry jelly.
We went to the movies and saw "Act of Valor" it was really good but hit too close to home. Being an Army wife and seeing what really goes on right before your husband is about to deploy.
We then went to Mr. Army Man's favorite restaurant. (Okay, okay it's my favorite too!) We ate and drank and had a fantastic time. We came home around 4 pm and watched movies until bed. Then up at 3 am to take him to leave. My good weekend pretty much ended there. But I've kept my head up and I've only cried twice. Just tears. I'm doing very well.

Here's some pictures of our weekend:

Mr. Army Man wanted to do an OOTD: Isn't he adorable!!

Shirt: Ralph Lauren
Belt: Fossil
Jeans: Calvin Klein
Shoes: Steve Madden
Watch: Fossil


Hope everyone has a great week!:)

Life as an Army Wife

Sorry I haven't posted this week. Trying to spend as much time as I could with Mr. Army Man.
Because..
The real task of my "Life as an Army Wife" begins today.

I dropped my husband off today for his "business trip." It will be a long 9 months but nothing that we can't handle.

"Distance between two hearts is not an obstacle, rather a beautiful reminder of just how strong true love can be.."

I believe in the above quote to no end. And in this one.. "Distance makes the heart grow fonder.."

Everyone says "how do you army/military wives do it, how do you spend so much time away from one another?" or "I wouldn't be able to handle that."

It isn't about being able to handle something.. It's about loving and supporting someone throughout anything and no matter what. If you say you 'I dos,' that's what you commit to. If you can do it when he's around, you can do it when he's away too. Your husbands all go on business trips. Well so does mine, it's just for long periods instead of just for a couple of days. I love and support my husband no matter what he does. He has the other half of my heart, and he will hold it forever.

Today, we didn't say our good-byes. We just said our "see ya later's..."

I dropped him off this morning around 4:00 am. And I've made it so far without crying. (I'll let you know how that goes.)

Up until this point my blog hasn't talked much about our "military life" but in the upcoming months be looking forward to seeing more of it. I will still have my day-to-day regular posts about what's going on, but look forward to seeing what a real Army wife life is about. Hope you will keep reading, but if not this blog is for me and the journal of our life. (Just saying.)

I'll leave you with some picture from this morning. BTW I had make-up on but my face is all red, because it was 24 degrees and freezing! Hope y'all have had a great weekend! I'll be posting more on our weekend later!

Monday, Monday!

Mr. Army Man & I were both off today. He had a four day weekend. I am normally off on Monday & Tuesday's so this is no big deal to me. The Art Institute is observing President's Day on Friday this year. Can't wait.. My Friday class is so boooorrrinnngggg.. Foreign speaking man.. blah blah blah. I teach myself. Yeah. Anywhoo.. Mr. Army Man is off Friday too. So we have lots planned.

Let's rewind:

We both have gotten a lot done today. Mr. Army Man straightened up the shed to make it accessible to me while he is away. (He leaves just a few short days away..) He mowed our yard, packed and organized our laundry room (he moved the washer/dryer and swept, & organized the shelves). He's amazing.

I did homework, ran to Wal-Mart, helped the hubby make dinner, and started some Pinterest projects.

I got these cute candles and place mats for our kitchen table. It needed some spicing up! Normally you wouldn't be able to see the bottom of the table. It is always piled with junk: mail, keys, spare change. You get the picture. It looks great now. Let's hope it stays that way! And it only cost me $2 per place mat & $10 for all the candles. :)

I also got a new rug for in front of our sink..For a whooping $5.00!

And a new 'decorative' dish rag. (I know the hubby will wipe his hands on it soon..Ugh men!)

And I did this little basket from which I saw the idea on Pinterest! I'm not quite done with mine yet but this is the start.

One from Pinterest.

This is mine.

I also made some of Harry Potter's Butter Beer. You can find the recipe here.

Mr. Army man didn't like his much but I thought it was delicious!

 

 

Hope everyone has had a great President's Day!

True Colors Swap Partners

__________________________________________________________

Carolyn

The Llife and Times of a Steel Magnolia

Email

Red

&

Anna

The Days When I'm Not a Nurse

Email

mustard yellow

__________________________________________________________

Kristen

Live, Laugh, Frappy

Email

lavender

&

Morgan

Stars, Stripes, and a Military Life

Email

sky blue

__________________________________________________________

Chloe

Life as We Know It

Email

green

&

Jaclyn (Jax)

Raviolis & Waterworks

Email

yellow

** You should spend between $20-$25 and have it out by Feb. 24th. And post on your blog by March first! Make sure you contact your partner and exchange addresses, likes/dislikes and get started shopping!



Fill in the Blank Friday: Love Ed.

1. The love of my life is Mr. Army Man.

2. Falling in love is something you fall head first and whole heartedly into. It's something you can't take lightly.

3. Marriage is a lifelong commitment. The best thing there is.

4. The longest relationship I've ever had was 2 years.

5. The key to a good relationship is never giving up on that person. Supporting them with everything you have. And doing things for them even if you don't want to do it, but knowing it will make their whole face shine:)
6. I feel loved when Mr. Army Man cleans the house, or makes my toes pop.

7. My favorite quote about love is "My thoughts go out to you, my Immortal Beloved / I can live only wholly with you or not at all - / Be calm my life, my all. Only by calm consideration of our existence can we achieve our purpose to live together. / Oh continue to love me, never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved. / Ever thine..Ever mine..Ever ours."

***Make sure you sign up for my True Colors Swap, tomorrow is the last day to sign up!

Valentine's Card Swap

 I paired up with the lovely Jax from Raviolis & Waterworks to do a cute Valentine's Day Card Swap! My girl Summer & Melina put together a swap for us for the day of love. Super perfect! The rules included making a homemade card and sending it out by February 8th.  Jax did a wonderful job. I opened a huge package to reveal an over-sized card & a chocolate rose! 

 

Inside was a sweet little message!

Bet you all wished you participate now don't cha? Well, I'm hosting a swap RIGHT NOW so be sure you all link up and participate. Everyone will receive amazing gifts!:)

My First Birchbox

I recently recieved my first Birchbox and I was so excited to see what I got for the first box!



1. Eye Rock- Pretty much these stick on cat eyeliner.. Cat eyeliner?? No.

2. Viva La Juicy- Amazing. Tiny bottle. Not so much.

3. Show Stoppers- Fashion tape in nude & black. Not sure how I'll use this.. yet?

4. Colorscience pro- travel puff. Just wasn't all that excited about this. Sounds great but I didn't really need something to keep my face shine free.

6. Jouer lip gloss in Birchbox Pink- Loved Loved this! It applied well & looked really great on.

7. Green River Ordinance download- awesome!

Have you ordered the Birchbox? What did you think about it this month??

True Colors Swap



I've participated in many swaps and I decided to host my own. How fun!

The theme is True Colors.  Each participant will send their swap partner a little information about themselves, the most important of which will be their favorite color. Your partner will put a package together containing items in this color. Now, you don't have to have the every item completely monochromatic. For instance, if my partner loves lavender, I could obviously send lavender-scented items but also a color of nail polish, a pair of silver-tone earrings with lavender beads, and maybe some chocolate that has a lavender-colored label. Look at your partner's blog for ideas. Do they have a dog? Send a pet toy with that color. Does your partner love classic literature? Find her a book that has cover art containing that shade. See? Easy enough.

Now, for the rules. I've participated in several swaps and have learned a little about what works and what doesn't. One thing I definitely need is a set of rules outlining the whole shebang. If you're not going to follow the rules, then please don't sign up. Good? Good.

Here's how to participate:

1. You must be a follower of my blog. If your not yet, scroll on up & hit follow.

2. Leave your name, email address (as to where your partner may contact you so you can swap adresses', etc.), and your favorite color.

3. Contact your partner with any allergies, dislikes, or anything else that may help them find a great gift for you.

4. You must be willing to put together a package that is worth $20-25, not including shipping. I would like at least one handmade item, please. Share your talents! And remember value...while some people see "vintage," others see "junk pile."

5. And you must blog about the swap by March 1. And have your package in the mail by February 24th.

Feel free to blog about this. The more participants we have the more fun we will all have!

You have until February 18th to sign up!

Backyard Update

This week Mr. Army Man and I have been working hard on getting our backyard back to it's original glory. The dogs and the weather have destroyed it.

I went earlier in the week to Lowe's and bought a shii ton of yard stuff. Flower boxes, weed killer, rocks, plants, a purple hoe, & soil.

Flower beds-before..

After

After

After. I love my garden sign.

After

My sweet hubby also fixed our walk way from our front yard to the back deck. It looks amazing.

Yea, it looks a mess right? Our dogs pull up the rubber border that kept all the rocks in place and began to pull up the black liner that was below the rocks. The rocks then began to be wash away from the rain. Result=a complete mess.

Hubby working on the walk way..

The miraculous end.

Doesn't it look 100 percent better? Next weekend I will begin planting my garden. Tomatoes, lettuce, okra, green onions, & some herbs. I cannot wait.

I also planted some flowers in our pink toilet. Yes, we have a pink toilet in our backyard. And in a flower box I have hanging off the back porch. I still have a few more flowers to plant and an arbour to put up. Mr. Army Man came home with a cute hanging basket full of pansies. I don't like cut flowers, like women get for Valentine's day because it's ruining something beautiful and your just killing them anyway. So he bought me some pansies. He's amazing! I'll post more as we do some more updates to our backyard.

Pizza Casserole

This is one of Mr. Army Man's favorite dishes I make. Pizza casserole...

This is one of my favorite kitchen gadgets, an electric skillet.

I can make the entire meal in this one pan. Only one dish to clean up. Perfect. Easy. Simple.

You'll need:

Italian dressing

Your favorite pasta sauce

Bloody Mary mix

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 packages of pepperoni (I use two sizes, large & small)

Swiss cheese

Cheddar cheese

Seasonings:

Garlic powder

Salt

Pepper

Italian seasoning

You need to make your pasta. I used rigatoni noodles. Boil the noodles in the electric skillet & drain. Brown the small pepperoni rounds in the skillet. Then add a small amount of the Italian dressing to brown the onions and garlic. Once the onions & garlic are cooked. Add the pasta sauce and about 3 Tablespoons of the bloody Mary mix it will make it a little spicy. Add the noodle back to the pot. Mix together and coat the noodles. Season well with the garlic powder, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Smooth out and place the large pepperoni rounds on top. Add a heavy amount of the two cheeses. Place the top on the skillet and let the cheese get melted and bubbly. Enjoy!

With the large pepperoni rounds on top.



Mr. Army Man doesn't like cheese so I only added a little. And it takes his lunch so the majority is his! Lol.

Hope you all enjoy this simple, easy meal. All of these ingredients can be bought at the dollar store. Yes, the dollar store. I bought the pasta, tomato sauce, & pepperonis there and spent $4. Most of the other ingredients I already had on hand. And of course you can use the cheese you prefer. :)

Best Mom Ever!

Look at what my mom SUPRISED me in the mail with. She is always sending me "care packages." And I absoultly love them all but this was exactly what I wanted along with some Tyler car scents. Yesterday, she bought me a pink skillet and I cannot wait to get it! Of course, I'll post pictures for you-thanks for asking! :) Have a great weekend!

Fill in the __ Fridays

 

1. I started my blog because I wanted some sort of way to document this time in my life. So I can look back on the years and know exactly what I was going through, the fashion, the outfits I wore, etc.

2. One thing I love seeing on other blogs real. The blogs that show us the REAL person behind the blog. I love seeing daily struggles as well as the good things too. If you cuss, I wanna see you cuss. I like the emotion people put behind their blogs.

3. Something I love about blogging is all the encouragement you receive from fellow bloggers. It shows that someone somewhere cares about what I'm writing & what's going on in my day to day life. I love all the friendships I've made and can't wait to make more!

4. A favorite blog post of mine is probably my bathroom make-over story. Cuz that shii is the real deal me.

5. Something my friends in real life know about me that I've never before mentioned on my blog is  

being indecisive.

6. My new favorite blogs to read are A. Liz Adventures, Every Mile a Memory, & Simple Girl, Simple Pleasures

7. Some things I tend to avoid doing on my blog are not responding to people's comments. It makes me so irritated when other people don't respond to me. So I try to respond back by at least following them. It's like they know your there but are being shady. LOL!

13 Thursday Things

Here are 13 random THINGS for this ThURsDaY!

1. I went and got a mani/pedi today. Boy, I needed it so bad! A sista's hands looked ruff!

2. I made a shiii ton of beef/veal stock today. Oh & chocolate truffles & peanut butter truffles.

3. I need to do laundry. BAD!

4. I've taken 3 showers/baths today. I know imma freakk!

5. My coffee table looks like a junky craft store. No lie.

6. I need to be doing homework, instead of blogging.

7. I ordered a 12 in. sweet onion chicken teriyaki sub from Subway. & I'm really tempted to go eat the other half. Shame on me!

8. Grey's Anatomy is my life.

9. Fighting the urge not to steadily ball my eyes out, because the Army sucks and I'm tired of them changing information on us. It can be so hard. I feel like all we do is play the waiting game.

10. Feeling like doing something new with my hair. Any suggestions??

11. My dog is such a sweety. She makes me feel so much better on lonngggg days like today.

12. Oh yea... HOMEWORK!

13. homework??

Thank Goodness Tomorrow Is Friday!

Fill in the Blank Friday

I am linking up with Lauren at The Little Things We Do for "Fill in the Blank Friday".

1. If money wasn't an issue, the first thing I'd cross off my life list is to fly first class to Harry Potter World. (And that would be two off my list..)

 

 

2. Mayo & hot sauce mixed together on pizza rolls & funyuns is something I like that other people think is weird.

 

3. If my life were a movie right now, the title would be "It's the Little Things.."

 

4. Three things I am looking foward to this month are Valentine's day, planning a trip to Charleston with Mrs. Lamm, & lots of date night's with the hubby!

 

5. My favortie song to sing in the shower is anything by Lil' Wayne.

 

 

6. If I found out that the production of Tyler's Candles was ending this month, I'd go out and buy as much as I could tomorrow.

 

 

7. One thing I'll never grow tired of hearing a baby I love call my name.