Army Wife Life: We're Moving To...

Now that plans to move are more concrete I am ready to officially share where we're headed next. I thought our next move was going to be overseas but God had other plans for our family and we are headed to the great Pacific Northwest...

Washington state to be exact. I am beyond excited to live there for the next few years. Savannah and I took a girl's trip with my Mom (to visit my brother) years ago and I remember loving it there.

The air was so crisp and clean. The scenery was amazing - the mountains, the trees, the culture and the people. The food was so good. While in town we ate in Chinatown in Seattle. Hands down the best egg rolls I have ever had in my life. We also took a walk thru Pike Place Market and it was exactly how it looks on tv.

I remember the vibe being so chill even though there was tons of city life around us. There were street musicians (that I wish I could find video of), food trucks and that sense of hustle and bustle that only a city can bring. 

There was also lots of history to take in too. The totem poles were absolutely breath taking...

I'm looking forward to being stationed near family. My husband and I both have family members that live in driving distance to where we'll be. I'm excited about exploring a new place, walking trails and getting reacquainted with all four seasons. I haven't had a Fall or Winter in years.

Most of all I can't believe that we'll be surrounded by water and the mountains. Something about the thought of that immediately puts me in a good mood. 

Here was my view from the plane during our girl's trip...

So the countdown has officially begun! The movers have been scheduled and I'm in the process of preparing our house for their arrival. The amount of excitement I have is unreal.

Have you ever been to the Pacific Northwest?

Army Wife Life: Planning Our Move

When March greets us tomorrow that will officially give my little family 90 days (or less) in our house. We are in the beginning phases of planning our move and it's making me that much more excited.

At some point during my pregnancy I started to get that ready to move itch that military families get. It may have been the hormones but I was so over this current duty station and ready to experience something new.

This is our fifth move in 11 years, not too bad. Now that I'm a bit more seasoned with how the process works I have figured out a few things that make the transition easier on all of us. I think moving in general can be hard on a family. It doesn't matter if you're moving across the street or to a new time zone like we are.

Now that we are three kids deep I am going to be proactive, organized and down right militant to make sure this move goes off without a hitch. Here is my plan to make sure we have the best move possible this Summer...

Celebrate where we are - I plan to have the family make a list of all the places they want to visit again before our time here is up. I feel that this helps us deal with saying goodbye a bit better. We'll check out all of our favorite places one last time before we chuck the deuces...

The logistics - When are the movers coming? Are we driving? Are we flying? How long will we be in a hotel? How much stuff will we need while in limbo?

Purge, Purge, Purge - I have already started getting rid of anything I don't want to see or deal with when that moving truck pulls up at our new house. Toys, clothes, shoes, baby gear, unused furniture - you name it. Everything that has not served a purpose must go.

Organize, Organize, Organize - When the movers arrive to pack everything it helps to have things as organized as possible. When like items are together when they arrive you have a better chance of them ending up in the same box and labeled for the same room. This is how I avoid having a flat iron boxed up with a blender.

If you need it while in limbo... - PUT IT IN YOUR CAR! Do not leave it in a room or closet. Do not think that labeling a room or closet will keep them from boxing that stuff up. Whatever we need to make it until our things are delivered to us always goes in the car.

Plan activities for packing day - There is no way I'm going to have all these kids running around while movers are here. The movers tackle your entire house in a day. Having kids running around doesn't sound like the best idea so I plan to leave my husband here to deal with the movers while the kids and I go play.

Focus on the future - Research schools, neighborhoods and fun activities in your new area. Plan some activities for the few days that you'll be living in the hotel. It's kind of like a built in vacation so take advantage of this time to become familiar with your new surroundings before your service member returns to work.

I have the next three months to get us ready to go. We have already decided what fun things we want to do again before leaving. This week I am going to start the purge process. With soccer season starting back up it will probably take me a while to get things thrown out or donated.

Tis' the season for new beginnings - let's get moving! Anyone else moving soon? How are you preparing?

Thought Bubbles 2052016

The Carolina Panthers are going to the SUPER BOWL!!!....

When they win I hope Cam dances ALL up in the camera...

I finally saw The People v. O.J. Simpson and it was really good...

I still need to watch Lila & Eve...

My little NICU Grad is growing up so fast...

Lately I've been listening to a lot of Anita Baker and Big Tymers...

Everybody get your roll on... Caught up in the Rapture of you...

My Birthday is on Sunday and all I want to do so far is eat Chinese food on Saturday and watch the game on Sunday (with nachos and wings)...

Chuck E. Cheese was at school pick up yesterday and it caused quite the cluster...

Kids were screaming and begging parents to take them to see the mouse at his house...

Well played PTO...

I was recently presented with an award from the United States Army for being an awesome wife...

They also gave me a tote bag. I think I'll regift that to my husband to use as a diaper bag though...

I really hate that Periscope has turned into such a big classroom...

I miss interacting with people without it being a lesson...

Looking forward to receiving a Calphalon Dutch Oven in the mail soon...

Blogging has its perks...

Watching them play gives me the most overwhelming feeling of happiness...

My goal for the day is to sanitize the floors and paint my nails...

Beyoncé is back in the halftime show. Wonder how many people are hating that...

I'm here for it. Make that money Bey...

Grown Woman is pretty much my anthem for the year...

Watching that video makes me feel like the gym is a necessity...

A new blog series all about me getting in shape after #grandfinalebaby will be starting soon...

Join the Operation Snap Back™ community on Facebook to stay motivated about your own fitness journey...

I may pop up on Periscope later on today to lighten up the mood over there...

No expert advice. Just me and these kids...

Who do you have winning the Super Bowl? It better be the Panthers...

Giving Back to Veterans: Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund

Hi there it's me. I'm sorry I haven't been around much lately. When I said that I was going to live more in my 30s I meant it. It's hard to live and blog at the same time I'm finding. One of the things that I've been doing more of is getting involved in my community.

As you might remember I am an Army Wife. One of the ways I have been trying to give back to my community is getting involved with more of what goes on here on base. Giving back to our veterans and active service members is something that I've always wanted to do. I'm glad to finally be at a place where I'm able to serve the community that serves us all.

Over the summer I'll be working with the youth on base in a couple different ways. I'm excited about what's to come. You always learn something when you reach out to others and I'm ready for my lesson.

I'm finding that there are so many ways to give back to our veterans. One way to give back is by drinking wine. Yep. That's right. You can have your wine and drink it too and give back in the process.

CK Mondavi is the only American made/grown wine in the “supermarket wine under $10” category. A percentage of each bottle sold between May-August is donated to Intrepid Fallen Heroes (up to $50,000).

Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF), an organization that supports the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families. Funded entirely by public donations, IFHF serves U.S. military personnel wounded or killed in service to our nation and their families. 

I have been enjoying the CK Mondavi Chardonnay. I mix it with a lemon lime soda and it's such a refreshing drink. It's pretty tasty on it's own too.

“Please comment below to share your own story about supporting veterans and/or American-made products. I will select ONE reader to be entered into CK Mondavi’s grand prize drawing by May 15. The grand prize is a $500 donation to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund in the winner’s name!”

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

7 Days of Love: Romantic Dinner Date

They always say that the way to a man's heart is thru his stomach. That couldn't be more true for my husband. I make him dinner everyday but every now and then I make something a bit yummier than my normal crock pot one pot weekday wonders. When I really want him to feel extra special I make one of his favorite meals that he'd order if we were out at dinner.

He always orders a salad with his meals when we're out for dinner so I make sure to do that for him at home. Then I'll make his favorite pasta dish and we'll have brownies for dessert. Come to think of it tonight's dinner would have been perfect to share. I made a steak and shrimp pasta with mushrooms, spinach and roasted zucchini. It was delish. 

I tried to find some pins that are similar to what we had tonight. Pair this with his favorite wine (or beer if he's a beer guy like my man) and one of those outfits from yesterday's post and you're all set for a great start to a nice evening. 

Visit Fatima, Drea and Carissa to see more romantic dinner ideas!

7 Days of Love: Sexy Date Night Outfit

I am going to keep it all the way real with you. We hardly ever get out for dates outside of the house. We don't live close to friends or family so a true date night is hard to come by. Since most of our dates happen here at home that's the outfit I'll be sharing with you today. 

Once the kids are asleep my husband normally preps the living room for our movie or DVR mini marathon. While he's doing that I shower and find something to wear. My husband appreciates the dressed down, relaxed, girl next door look. If I'm being honest I love it too. There's something so sexy about not being so over the top.

My favorite date night outfit has to be some shorts that fit perfect. Short enough to be inappropriate for public wear but still long enough to not be considered panties. I normally pair that with a fitted tank top but I'm also loving these new sheer crop tops I recently bought.

pajamas by thechicsahm featuring tall shirts

So what do you think? You probably didn't expect to see this. Don't worry. I have plenty of 'real' outfits    coming up in my Vegas recap. To see more sexy date night outfits visit Baby Teems, The Green Eyed Lady Blog and So She Writes by Miss Dre.

7 Days of Love: How I Keep My Marriage Hot and Sexy

I think so much goes into keeping a marriage hot. For me personally, the first thing I do to keep my marriage popping is to feel good about myself. I workout, eat good and I try to make time for myself. I strongly believe that having a life outside of your marriage keeps things interesting. When I feel good about myself it makes me happy and you know what they say, "Happy wife. Happy life."

As a soldier my husband works long hours. Between their workouts and his actual work schedule he's gone for the majority of the day. I always try to make sure that dinner is ready when he gets home. It's the little things. I know he's going to be starving when he walks thru the door. Having dinner done is my way of saying thanks for all you do on a daily basis. We have dinner as a family at the table. This gives us a chance to connect and talk before I start the kids bedtime routine.

Having these kids in bed at a decent hour does wonders for my marriage. My husband and I enjoy watching TV together. Our favorite shows get DVR'd and we catch up together. Another thing I did to keep the sexy in my marriage was get these kids sleeping in their own beds. Let's face it, your husband wants to sleep with you not you and the kids. It took a lot of work for me to get them sleeping in their own beds every night and it's been great for my marriage.

Our recent getaway to Vegas did wonders for us. It was a beautiful thing being alone with him for those three days. Date nights are great too but this trip was everything. It reminded me what it was like before the babies. I think we both needed that.

So I keep my marriage rocking by feeling good about myself, cooking dinner for my man and making sure we get ample amounts of alone time to reconnect. How do you keep your marriage hot and sexy?

For more posts in the 7 Days of Love series check out my fellow motherhood lifestyle bloggers Baby Teems, So She Writes by Miss Dre and The Green Eyed Lady Blog.

Seven Days of Love: Marriage Has Taught Me...

For Valentine's Day I'm collaborating with some amazing motherhood lifestyle bloggers to reflect on love, marriage and how to keep things spicy while living this mommy life. To see the other posts in this 7 Days of Love Series visit The Green-Eyed Lady Blog, So She Writes by Miss Dre and Baby Teems.

When I think about my own marriage, I think about a girl who was so young. I'm not even sure what my expectations were of marriage back then. I just knew I wanted to be happy and I knew I was making a great decision marrying my husband. That was back then.

Now that we've been married for eight years I would have to say I have learned a lot about myself and about marriage. My marriage has taught me that it's okay to be exactly who you are. It's taught me it's okay to speak my mind and be a strong presence. I can be in charge and aggressive without being afraid of someone else's opinion. My marriage has taught me how to be a grown up. A grown woman.

My marriage makes me fearless and free. I have talked about this before on this blog. Here and here. My marriage has taught me to hang in there when things are tough and enjoy every second when things are amazing. Marriage has taught me to be more compassionate and a lot less self centered.

What has your marriage taught you?

Happy MLK Day

If you follow me on Instagram you might remember me sharing a pic of Savannah on set in front of a green screen. She was participating in a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with the 264th Medical Battalion. I am sharing the video below. It came out great. Enjoy!

264th Medical Battalion Equal Opportunity MLK Observance 2014 from JOE MUSTANG on Vimeo.

Army Wife Life: Being Homesick

Today I am going to share something that has been on my mind quite a bit lately. Some of you might know, but for those that don't, I am an Army Wife. I rarely ever talk about the military here. There's really not much to say. My husband has been in for almost nine years. I have really enjoyed this lifestyle for the most part. Moving constantly is kind of rough but it's also very exciting and you get somewhat use to the adventure.

Up until now I've never really been homesick. We have always been blessed enough to be stationed in driving distance to family. Living this far away from the people that really know you and get you is tough sometimes. Sometimes I just want to meet a friend for lunch without it being a scheduled "date". I just miss the feeling of having friends that are like family. The easiness of that relationship.

pin

Before any military spouses start attacking me about "getting out there" and "meeting people" I just want to say that I am out there and I have met people. I've met a couple great people who I know will be lifelong friends and I've met some people that I wish I hadn't. As an Army Wife I feel like I'm constantly in that "getting to know you" stage of friendships. I have learned that it's a double edge sword. I can either dive right in and become "instant friends" with someone. (which isn't my preference) Or I can take my time getting to know people. The only problem with that is by the time you really become great friends it's time to move again. It sucks.

Anyway. I know I'm not the only Army Wife that feels this way. We have our good days and our bad days. If it wasn't for the few friends that I do have here I'd probably be counting down the days until we move again. Hopefully this post wasn't too all over the place. Does anyone get where I'm coming from?

A Chic Thanksgiving: The Menu

I have been anxiously waiting for this week to come so that I could start my series on Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is by far my favorite holiday. I do love what Christmas is about but because that is often lost with the "fuss" of Christmas, Thanksgiving has hands down become my favorite holiday.

I love the time of togetherness with my family. I love the way Thanksgiving smells and the way the air feels outside. Y'all already know I'm an Autumn girl and Thanksgiving is one of the main reasons why.  It's a great time for reflection and recognition of all of our blessings. It's also a time to enjoy some amazing food guilt free.

During this series I will be sharing four different posts. The first is about a traditional southern Thanksgiving menu. Right after I got married my Mother made me a Thanksgiving cookbook full of all of our family's recipes. It has everything from appetizers to desserts. She even wrote me a beautiful letter about life, love and marriage. I hope to pass the book down to Savannah with a letter for her when she gets married. 

As a young woman it was so helpful to have this menu. At the time, I wasn't the cook I am today. As an Army Wife, not living near family, I needed this book as a guide. It taught me how to pull off a very successful Thanksgiving dinner with no help. I actually get excited about Thanksgiving. It's like the Super Bowl for women who like to cook, it's a big deal. I find that part of my success comes with keeping it simple and traditional. 

So. If you're someone that doesn't live close to family but you still want to have a bomb Thanksgiving... OR you're someone that just needs a plan for how to do Thanksgiving dinner without getting all stressed, this series is for you.

Here is what we're making for Thanksgiving this year. It's very simple but it's PACKED with comforting flavors. You will love this easy to do meal. 

Coming Up in this series:

A Chic Thanksgiving: The Shopping List & The Grocery Store

A Chic Thanksgiving: Getting It All Done

A Chic Thanksgiving: Decorating and Hostess Tips

Happy Memorial Day!!

I hope everyone is enjoying their Memorial Day! It's a great time remember all of those have served and are currently serving our country. I'll be spending the day with my Soldier. 

My parents also served in the Army. This is me wearing my father's original BDU coat. I kind of "borrowed" it in high school and never gave it back. Now everyone is wearing camo jackets! So glad I got a vintage one for free! Thanks Mom and Dad for your service to our country!