Best Monday EVER.

I have been looking forward to this Monday for a WEEK.
I know, I know...strange...but I am filled with pride!

First off, we are kicking off TWO giveways on TWO of my favorite blogs. As you all know, Kelly is my Blog GF and I almost fainted when Raven allowed me to grace her blog with my OWN giveaway! You will find these babies, so go check them out!



Secondly....

Did you know that the last month of a deployment, the soldiers are fed a diet of MRE's?

-AKA-
 "Meals Rejected by Everyone", Morale Reducing Elements", or "Materials Resembling Edibles"

I found out last week, and was not happy about it. Everyone thinks that they get lobster and steak over there, but that is NOT the case, and now...to hear that this is all they have to get them through their last month of deployment? I won't stand for it.

I'm not the only one that feels this way:

I am now excited to get the last round of Care Packages going!

If you are interested in participating, you can find info here or just comment and I will fill you in!
even if you can't send a package, I am taking PayPal donations as well.
Whatever works for you!

This round the guys specifically asked for:

"Anything shelf stable will be amaaaaazing. We have a microwave presently.
Hopefully it doesnt break. Healthy and delicious please."

I'm thinking the Healthy Choice meals, microwavable soups, veggies, unsalted nuts, fruit cups, and the like will be good. They are probably good on the jerky and snacks, so focus on the meals. He also asked for tupperware, so if you have any spare around the kitchen, feel free to add a few.

I also want to share the last blogger, Cynthia, that sent a package (two actually), and how AMAZING she did. Let me tell you, She got rave reviews from the soldiers.

Find her original post with ALL of the photos here.
You will also notice that she sports the "I Support The Troops" Button.
{I LOVE seeing that on your sidebars.}

It's amazing that packages made with love can truly help with their morale.
They are protecting us, so it's the least we can do and to be honest...it just feels good to be able to support. When I get pictures like these, I fill with pride:

Anything and everything will help, so just let me know!

But wait...
That's not all!

The amazing Tabitha, a dedicated soldier herself, came up with ANOTHER way to support the soldiers, that will be easy for EVERYONE!

We all love snail mail, right? 

Well, imagine how important it is to a soldier that is essentially cut off from the world. I know that even though I talk to my hubby twice a day, a card or handwritten letter STILL means the world to him. Well, now we are going to allow you the joy of giving in such a simple way that anyone can do it!

All you have to do is add your link to let us know that you are interested, and then we will pair you with a soldier overseas. For the cost of a card and a stamp, YOU could make a difference.

Let's show our boys and girls that they are not forgotten over there...

Phew...Now do you see why I've been looking forward to today?

It feels good to do good, and to be a part of things that are bigger than ourselves. 

I hope that you all have a FABULOUS Monday, and remember, any day can be a good day.

What Gets Me Through...

Tabitha and I, have some fun comin' at ya on Monday, so I'm going to keep it light today.

Well...maybe not "light", but short.

I had several ideas about what I wanted to share today, and then the hubs came in and trumped them all. After we had said our good byes for the evening, he posted this video and dedicated it to moi and  a few of the other Military wives that we are close to.

It had me in tears (surprise, surprise) and was just what I needed.

It also reminded me of another video I meant to share.

Awhile back, Tea from Creating Footprints was so sweet and shared this with me. I love that she thought of me and feel so blessed to have her support, along with so many others. It is all the little things that get me through this deployment, which includes every sweet comment and bit o' love.

Lover, you are worth EVERY minute that we are separated.

Source: perceptioniseverything.blogspot.com via Janna on Pinterest

Squeeze your loved ones extra...just because you can.

Have a great weekend!

Inspire Me: Healthy

Today, I have two things to share.

#1 Go pick up this book:

Source: barnesandnoble.com via Janna on Pinterest

 Do you find yourself lured by McDonald's arches?

Do the large portions beg you to finish them?

Does the thought of a chocolate layer cake send you into ecstasy?

Well, then you NEED to read this book. For me, it was my battle with wanting what I told myself I couldn't have and then overindulging on the "good food" to make myself feel better about it. Yes, homemade trail mix is a great healthy snack...that is until you eat the whole bag in one sitting!

Basically, this book breaks down how the food industry figured out how to control our minds with food and have capitalized on that while we internally struggle against them to no avail.

I'm sure this sounds like a conspiracy theory, but all I know is that I now have control over what and where I eat! 

#2 Eating healthy is NOT expensive.

Source: sodahead.com via Janna on Pinterest

So eating bad is cheaper? 

Is it cheaper when you add up how much you spend on eating out? Is it cheaper when you have to pay for gym memberships to work it off? Is it cheaper when you lose money missing work for sickness? Is it cheaper when you have to pay for meds when you are sick? Is it cheaper when it causes long term or fatal illnesses? Shall I go on....

Source: google.com via Janna on Pinterest

Is that scary to you? Cuz it freaks me out!

People ask me how I refrain from eating out all the time, and THAT is exactly why. I can whip up a WEEK of healthy food, and spend a few dollars a day on food that KEEPS ME FIT.

Not only that, but I rarely get sick, I sleep better, I have more energy, and I'm always happy...

That makes the choice very easy.

Source: google.com via Janna on Pinterest

I wonder how many of you are going to be surprised by this...I hope that many of you are, so that you can be inspired to make those changes that we have all been talking about.
Go get the book or just download it through Google.
You won't regret it!

As for my own "progress", I was hoping to lose another pound or two for next week, but so far I am only maintaining :( I'm totally okay with how I look now, but the pressure is on for finals!
Here's hopin'...

Define Your Own Perception, Part III

I think my new favorite day of the week is Wednesday.
I can't even put in to words how proud I am of my sponsors, as they open their hearts and share such amazing lessons and stories.  When I thought this idea up, I had grand hopes for how it would go, and I can't believe that my hopes have been SURPASSED.



First up, is Zara, who happens to now be an IRL friend!
She inspires me with her talents, her outlook on life, and her budget skills...oh wait, we are still working on those. Hehe.



Eckhart Tolle once wrote:

Some changes look negative on the surface but you will soon realize that space is being created in your life for something new to emerge.

Life is full of changes. If there was no change life would be consistent and boring, and what’s the fun in that? Without change we wouldn’t be able to appreciate the good things. We wouldn’t know the difference between hate and love, sorrow and joy.

About this time last year, my husband and I were told that we’d have to move from my beloved Colorado to Tucson Arizona. This was unexpected, as Hubs had applied to positions in Texas and Florida, not Arizona. Neither one of us had ever imagined living in the desert. We would much prefer to be next to an ocean, or in my case stay in my beautiful Rocky Mountains.

The first sunset picture I took when we came to visit Tucson for the first time.

Initially, I was excited about this change. I was excited to be moving on to the next step of our lives, buying a house, putting down some roots. HOWEVER, I never thought I’d be so far away from family and friends. As the move got closer and closer, all I could think about is how much I wanted the job to fall through, for me to be able to stay in the familiar with my family and friends. You can read about my freak-out here.

As the move drew closer, I kept finding more and more negative things about Tucson. My list was miles long, and included things like; it’s hot, it’s dry, there’s snakes and scorpions, it’s in the middle of nowhere, the closest Chipotle is 45 minutes away, we don’t have friends there, we don’t have family there, and so on.

I’ve come to add to that list, with things such as: ITS REALLY FREAKING HOT! And not only are there snakes and scorpions that get into your house, there are also poisonous Colorado River Toads which could stop my precious dobies heart in a matter of 15 minutes. Not only that, but the fancy restaurant in town is a pizza place, and the Mexican food is TERRIBLE!!!

About a month ago, I had a major breakdown, tears and all. I got mad at the Hubs for bringing me to the middle of nowhere, where I don’t have any friends. Where we have dirt for a backyard, where the walls of the house are insane-asylum white, where the temperature at 8 AM is over 90 degrees! I even went as far as contemplating moving back to Colorado to live with my parents while Hubs finished out the two year contract he has out here. You can read all about it here. 

In the middle of this whole fiasco something unexpected came up. A beautiful friend of mine (Miss Janna herself) reminded me that it’s all about perception. We've got to perceive things on a positive note, for every single positive has 10 negatives attached to it, and if we choose to view life with the negatives we’ll never be happy. AND I mean never ever ever!

Lao Tzu wrote: Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.

So about a month ago, I decided to take Janna’s advice and listen to the wise words of Tzu. We can’t resist change. It is a natural course of life. Without change we’d be stall and boring. I’ve physically and mentally chosen to embrace the change in my life, and part of what helps is that it’s not permanent. We’ll move to a different place eventually, and I bet when that move comes I’ll resist it just as much, but maybe, just maybe I’ll be able to dive in with a positive perspective over a negative one.

Today, I’m happy and thankful to be married to the love of my life, to be able to travel with him, and support him in all of our adventures and undertakings. I’ve come to realize that without this move, I would not have been able to adopt my beautiful Doberman, Lilly.

Or have the opportunity to meet some wonderful neighbors and good friends.
 I wouldn’t have had the opportunity or the courage to really start up my photography.

Nor would I be able to appreciate the cool mornings brought on by evening monsoons and so many other things.

I’ll leave you with a quote from a man I believe to be a complete ass, especially to women, but a brilliant mind nonetheless.

“The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.” ―Friedrich Nietzsche

These two keep me on my toes, because they are sweet AND sassy. They are both outgoing, lovely women, but they are also two of the most honest and real people that I know. What you see is what you get with them, and that is just what I look for in a person's character.

BLOG || FACEBOOK || TWITTER

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Nicole's story inspired me because she does not PASS JUDGEMENT, and I think that is a great quality. I love that she can see things for what they really are, and not let them negatively affect her.
In this situation, most people would shun the person for her life choices. She doesn't.
Most people would walk away if another judged them. She doesn't.
She knows that this woman has a long way to go on her journey, and she is willing to be patient instead of walking away. That is true character.

In college I became friends with a girl that lived on my dorm room floor. As our friendship progressed I learned that she grew up Catholic but didn't really believe those teachings.
 She met another girl on our floor who was Wicken, and eventually the friend started claiming she was an Atheist. I grew up in a Christian home but I never judged. I know that people go through things in college and see many different experiences. I just kept praying that eventually she'd find her way back.

 After a few unfortunate events we grew apart and were no longer friends, in fact we couldn't even be in the same room with each other. It was a bad ordeal, but this girl and I had mutual friends so they still kept me in the loop from time to time.
This girl hit rock bottom eventually and tried to harm herself indefinitely.

 After that she started attending church again on a regular basis and in the more recent years she and I have become friends again. Although, the real kicker of the deal is since all of this, she has told me that I'm not Christian enough. What can I say?
I had to blow that comment off, and I'm just glad that she's found her way again.

BLOG || TWITTER
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I must say, it is hard for me to picture cute little Pamela getting mad, but when she does share those stories, she cracks me up. She looks all sweet and innocent, has a big heart, but also tells you what for.
{That's Southern for trouble}

I used to think... that since I went to school for Interior Design, I would be working as an Interior Designer at a huge furniture store.

Now I know... that life doesn't always pan out the way that we want it, but I am perfectly okay with that.  I love my life & where I am now!

People see me... as an outspoken & honest person.

But I hope that... they know it's apart of who I am, & I don't claim to be anyone else but me.  

I blog because... it is my outlet from everything else & our scrapbook, since I have been slacking on our scrapbooks!

BLOG || FACEBOOK || ETSY

These are three of the most honest and real ladies I know. When you read their blogs, you feel like you are getting the real them and they don't sugarcoat anything. They are the perfect mix of good hearts and open minds. That is a rare find these days. Don't you think?

PS. There is a fun giveaway that I am participating in over on Pink On The Cheek!
Do you want a free button designed just for you by yours truly?
You will find that and more!