- BOO Hoo I Miss You -

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     WOW. This care package was a lot of fun to make! I think I went a little overboard, looks a bit cluttered...oh well! Fall and Halloween are my favorite, I couldn't help myself!!! Best part is, I sealed it with cobwebs, so my Husband will have to rip through them in order to get to the goods :)

     This care package is not only for my Husband, but for those who are in his Division as well. It's filled with non melting candy (i.e. NO MILK CHOCOLATE), glow sticks, vampire teeth and pirate eye patches! Haha, what sailor doesn't pretend to be a pirate? They practically speak the slang.... We are almost half way through this Deployment, I figured they would appreciate some items to goof off with! I included a special "trick or treat" bag for my Husband filled with some goodies of his own. Here is everything the care package included to help give you ideas:

For the Division:

• Laffy Taffy
• Skull and Bones Sweet Tarts
• Orange and White Nerd's candy
• Tootsie Rolls
• Werthers Caramel candy
• Glow Sticks
• Vampire Teeth
• Pirate Eye Patches

For my Husband:

• "For my Boo" Love Note
•  Candy Corn
• Orbit Gum
• Orange and Black Ring Pops
• Pumpkin Pop Rocks
• Sour Worm Gummies
• Glow in the Dark "Kanye" glasses
• Glow in the Dark Sword
• Silly Halloween Visor (they have Silly Hat Day every Wednesday. Since Halloween is on a Wednesday, I thought it was appropriate!)
• An AWESOME Pen that looks like a Syringe Needle with fake Blood!!!

     Most items were under $3.00, about half were only $1.00 - found at Target and JoAnn's. All materials used in decorating I got from JoAnn's. Candy and Card are from Target. Hope you enjoyed!

Stay Strong.

 

     Had a BLAST at Disneyland this week with my Daddy! Had to share a few of the photo's :) Halloween and Fall are my favorite time of the Year. I've practically grown up in Disneyland, I might as well have popped a tent in Toon Town years ago.... So, I am SHOCKED I had never been during this time of the year. The whole park was decorated and the Haunted Mansion was turned into, The Nightmare Before Christmas! Military discount tickets are $125 for a THREE day park hopper - absolutely an amazing deal!!! GO! GO NOW!

P.S. I'm totally wearing a Mickey Mouse shirt my Husband bought me waaaaay back when we were dating. UHdorable.

 

- Fall Theme Care Package -

     Decided to have my 10 Month Old Niece help me with this one! I'm extremely bad at drawling...I can screw up stick people - no joke. So, the lovely design on the right "flap" is supposed to be a Fall Tree. I made the Fall colored leaves with her hand prints - definitely needs more leaves but she's only 10 Months, I'm surprised I got one hand print in every color!! So, you can obviously make a more full tree with an older child. But, thought this was a cute idea and had to share. I believe any little personal touch you can do to a Care Package, can make them that much sweeter.

     On the bottom flap I included two "Love Notes" explaining what "love" means to me (pretty much explains my loyalty and Faith in him). Also, sent him a flash drive with some music on it and attached it to the top flap - we mostly listened to Pandora so he has been requesting that I send him some music to listen too. Then I wrote him a note on the left flap that lists everything I miss about him. I also included some notes on the OUTside of the box.

     My Husband has requested that I stop sending him so much "junk" food, LOL. He's trying his best to watch what he eats and hitting the gym on the Ship - which is outrages because he's gorgeous and fit. He's also having to stand a crappy watch for the next few months, causing him to miss dinner and sometimes breakfast. So, I tried my best to fill this Care Package with more healthy but filling snacks. I'll list what I sent him compared to what I used to send him (in case you want to send more healthier items too) Care Package includes:

• Single Serve - Orville Red N Bocker, Low Calorie and Low Fat Popcorn (instead of overloaded movie theater butter popcorn. I got some of this low calorie popcorn for myself too, honestly, delicious!)
• Anna's Almond Cookies (delicious and of course better for you than Orieo's)
• Single Serve - Kashi Cereal (instead of the yummy Cinnamon Toast Crunch)
• Nature Valley Sweet and Salty bars (packed with protein vs. Quaker Chocolate Chip Granola Bars)
• Single Serve - Emerald "Breakfast On The Go" Nut and Granola Mix with Yogurt Covered Raisins (instead of Cheez-It crackers)
• 5 Hour Energy Shots (instead of sugary-heart-racing Monster's)
• Now, you should never completely deprive yourself! So, I did included ONE container of Lay's Stax chips, ONE Kraft Easy Mac and ONE Chef Boyardee.

Things I included but are not scene in the picture:

• Notes and Audio CD from Church
• Book - Fathered by God written by John Eldredge
• Two PSP Games

Hope you enjoyed this and possibly got your creative juices flowing! I'm working on two more Care Packages at the moment which I will post soon. Look out for, Halloween and Anniversary (ours is Oct. 28th) theme Care Packages.

Stay Strong. And thank you for the support, lovely feedback and encouraging emails <3

 

- 1st Attempt at Shipping Cookies Overseas -

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     I can't seem to find any solid information on how to send cookies overseas - that guarantees they will arrive fresh. So, I've decided to try all the ones I come across, post them here, and through my trial and error, we'll find the best method on Shipping Cookies Overseas! You're Welcome. I'll make a post, like this one, with details on what to do and then re-post with an update once my Husbands receives them and gives me the verdict.

Apple Peels

     Apple Peels? That's right!!! Apparently people use fruit peels to retain moisture for lots of things like brown sugar and tobacco. I found that a few people have had success with Apple Peels when sending baked goods. I thought this was extremely interesting and I just happened to have an apple! Here is what you'll need:

• Ziploc Bags
• Paper Towels
• Disposable Tupperware
• and of course, Apple Peels!

     While explaining this method, I'll be referring to the pictures above to give you a better idea of what I am trying to say. I'll use numbers so be a good blogger and imagine I added numbers to the pictures (I'm too lazy to boot up my Photoshop again). First picture being "1" and then in numeric order from left to right.... I promise to add numbers the next time I do this!

OK, here we go -

1. First, bake your cookies. I decided to make White Chocolate Macadamia Nut cookies. My Husband is not as much of a sweet whore - who can eat an entire batch of cookies to themselves...like me - so I wanted to make something mild that he'll enjoy.
2.  Once cookies are cooled,  peel an apple. Now, take half a paper towel, fold it in half and place it inside a Ziploc bag (size of paper towel will obviously very depending on the size of the Ziploc bag you use)  and place the Apple Peels in-between the folds of a paper towel (I did about 4-5 peels). Place the appropriate amount of cookies to fit inside the bag and place them on top of the paper towel and then vacuum seal them (by sucking the air out yourself). See picture 5 for a visual.
3. Then place more paper towels with apple peels between the folds at the bottom of the tupperware you choose. Place the sealed bags of cookies inside the tupperware, add more paper towels to the top, and then seal the tupperware with the lid. See picture 6 for a visual.

     This seems too simple to be true. I do have some concerns. As you can see in picture 5, the apple peels were moist and it was soaking through the paper towels. I feel like by the time my Husband receives the care package the cookies may have a hint of apple taste to them. I'm also afraid the peels may get moldy.... But, we'll see! If anyone else has tried this before, comment and let me know! Or even let me know if you plan to try this, feed back is always appreciate :)

- Children with Anxiety -

     I am currently studying Early Childhood Education and one of my assignments this week was to write an informative article on a current event. I have the lovely honor of experiencing the ups and downs of Anxiety, it's something I deal with on a daily bases and makes normal situations like grocery shopping and traveling stressful. I basically become difficult and a pain in the ass at times, but I'm lucky to have a Husband with amazing patience.

     I was a little shocked with the statistics I found when it comes to Children with Anxiety. Thought I would share the article I wrote for my class with all of you. Anxiety is more common with Americans than you probably think! Unless you have Anxiety yourself you will never fully understand how much it can hinder someones life. I also found that children can develop deployment related Anxiety. Knowledge is bliss people! So, here you go....

Children with Anxiety

     In the United States alone there are forty million people who suffer from some type of Anxiety disorder – that’s nearly 18 percent of the population. To help put this in perspective, if you were to pass a hundred people on the street, about fifteen of them will have suffer from some type of Anxiety disorder.  You most likely brush shoulders with Anxiety sufferer’s everyday without even realizing it; Anxiety is often a disorder that people suffer with alone. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, twenty five percent of Anxiety sufferers are children – that’s one in eight children who are affected. 

     Every child goes through phases of Anxiety because it is a normal part of childhood. Phases are temporary and usually harmless but children who suffer from an Anxiety disorder will experience fear, shyness, and nervousness and will start to avoid people, places and activities. This disorder often co-occurs with depression, stress, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), sleeping disorders, and eating disorders. Research has shown that children with Anxiety, who go untreated, are more likely to engage in substance abuse, perform poorly in school and are afraid to participate in social experiences.

     Anxiety is caused by thinking distortions that tend to cause unnecessary worry, fear and panic in children. Though treatment for disorders is individualized, standard approaches like, therapy and medication, have been proven to be effective. Helping your child recognizing some of the thinking distortions can help them eliminate some Anxiety. Here are a few of the most common thinking distortions children have:

• Jumping to Conclusions: This is when a child makes an assumption based on little or no evidence. For example, if a child is afraid of dogs and he/she sees one tied up outside of a store or house, they may assume it will bite them even though there is no sign of the dog being vicious. 

•  Highlighting the Negative: This is when a child only sees the negative in his or her situation and ignores the positive things completely. For example, a child may only focus on the shots they missed, while playing baseball, even though their team won the game.

• Extreme Thinking: This is when a child uses the words “never,” “always” and “forever”. The child thinks their situation is permanent, that the outcome of the situation will be bad, scary or stressful. This can increase a child’s Anxiety.

     There are many ways a parent or caregiver can help manage a child’s Anxiety. You should pay attention to the child’s feelings and remain calm when the child becomes anxious in situations. Praise and recognize all the child’s small accomplishments and do not punish their lack of progress! Try to be flexible and keep a normal routine but make sure to allow extra time when needed for more difficult situations. According to Lynn Siqueland, PhD - who has specialized in treating children with Anxiety disorders for 15 years - it is okay to let your child experience some Anxiety. Your child needs to know that Anxiety is not dangerous but something they can cope with.

Work Cited

1. Nicoletti, Chris. "Anxiety in Children Causes 5 Common Thinking Distortions." Positive Psychology. Mental Health News Organization, 30 Aug. 2012. Web. 05 Sept. 2012. <http://mentalhealthnews.org/anxiety-in-children-causes-5-common-thinking-distortions/842395/>.
2. "Facts & Statistics | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA." Facts & Statistics | Anxiety and Depression Association of America, ADAA. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Sept. 2012. <http://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics>.
3. "Parenting Tips for Anxious Kids." Parenting Tips for Anxious Kids. The Children's Center for OCD and Anxiety, 2008. Web. 05 Sept. 2012. <http://www.worrywisekids.org/parents/parenting_child.html>

 

- Wish Someone Would've Told Me Earlier! -

    Like every other young girl, I grew up dreaming of my Prince Charming. That he would someday show up, riding on his beautiful white horse and take me away to an enormous Castle to live "Happily Ever After". I guess I could thank Disney for that unrealistic expectation. Lucky for me though, I definitely got my Prince Charming! Except, he came dressed in Digi Camo and floats around on a Naval Destroyer. I never would of imagined that I would be apart of the "roller coaster" life of a Military Spouse. 

     You constantly hear the Military Spouse stories, read their blogs and may even be friends with one, but you will never truly know how hectic, unpredictable, lonely and stressful it is until you have the honor of becoming one. Despite the constant heartache and indecisiveness that comes with the Military Lifestyle, its been the most rewarding journey filled with unconditional love, the gain of life long friends and the self discovery of how strong you truly are. I just wish it would have came with a hand book titled, "What to expect when you marry the Military" or maybe even "Now that you have vowed to leave your home, family, friends and promise to take care of EVERYTHING during deployment and move across the country at a moment's notice.... Here's what you can expect". But in all reality, no one can ever prepare you for what's about to come. All we can do is warn you. So, with that said, here are a few things I wish someone would've told me earlier about marrying a Sailor and the horrific wonderful experience of Deployment.

     Before I continue, let me just say that the Military life is not for the faint of heart. It involves incredible patience, the acceptance of change, being able to adapt anywhere, tremendous strength and one hell of a funny bone! In order to deal with it all, I usually turn to humor. So, before I receive lots of hate mail, let me just warn you that I can be pretty witty and sarcastic! Honestly, my Family, Friends and fellow Military Spouses play a huge role in me being able to keep my sanity. But, its just so hard not to poke fun at them sometimes!

 

Now, lets begin....

•      Fight the urge on wanting to punch people in the face. Be prepared for family, friends and even strangers to repeatedly ask the same questions...on a daily basis. Or the awkward moment's when people ask "where is your Husband?" when you are at social functions and then, of course, the pity look you get from them when you explain. Oh, and the famous "My Husband going away on a business trip is just like your Husband going away on deployment". Of course, my Husband floating around on a ship on the other side of the world for months at a time - putting himself in danger - is just like your Husband going away for a few days somewhere in our continent for a Conference Meeting. I totally see how you can relate to my pain.... Hah! Now, that's just silly. I mean, I know everyone has different tolerance levels but, come on! 

• People will say some pretty stupid things. It's weird, since marrying my Husband I have this weird ability now to make people put their foot in their mouths when they speak to me. It's extremely entertaining. My most recent and favorite conversation was with someone trying to convince me that what my Husband is currently doing is wrong by saying, "Don't you resent him for making you go through all this? I can't believe all those people would put their family through this". All this what? Please, don't insult me by pretending to know what I'm actually going through.... My response, "Well, I know this is a totally crazy way to think, but with out those people joining the Military, sacrificing their life, withstanding horrid weather conditions, working longer days than what any of us could possibly tolerate and retaining an overload of important information, our Country would be S.O.L. - I think the least we can do is suffer the heartache of them being gone, hold up the Flag at home and give them a reason to do deeds of bravery in order to insure our Freedom". Well, Mr. Stranger (who is standing next to my car and started this whole conversation because I have "Proud Navy Wife" displayed on my license plate frame) I'm sorry if my Patriotism for our Country and Service members offends you, but your lack of spine, common sense and respect offends me.

•       Always write on your calendar in Pencil. It isn't a matter of if it will change; it is when it will change. There's nothing like becoming a basket-case because you received a homecoming date just to watch it change, multiple times. Or to RSVP to a wedding with a +1 just to end up going alone. Actually, that experience wasn't too bad...I ended up with two plates of delicious food and two glasses of champagne to toast with. Awesome.

•      Your cell phone becomes your best friend. I recommend changing your data plan to an unlimited one. Your cell phone will sleep with you, shower with you and eat with you during the entire Deployment. I can't tell you how many times I almost broke a body part trying to fight my way through the shower curtain to answer my cell phone when my Husband calls. I've also increased my ninja skills and can successfully jump over the couch if necessary to get to my phone when an email is received. It's totally worth the risk of injury when the email is from him.

•      Google-ing just to understand him! Holy Jesus. I was completely lost with the terminology I was forced to learn. Definitely had to Google Military Lingo just to understand and relate to my Husband when he would come home from work and tell me about his day. The benefit, you'll be able to notice flaws in Military movies and TV shows like a bad ass. With that said - Rihanna, hunny, the CIWZ and 5" Gun are controlled by two separate consoles, not one. Learning his environment was important though, it helped me connect with him. Knowing what he does, how he does it and the way this whole Military thing works, helped me not take the demands of his job personally.

•      Becoming Emotionally Disorganized. Here's the painful truth: You wont be able to avoid unwelcome tears. I sometimes wake up in the morning not sure how I should feel. Sometimes I feel happy, sad, angry and content all in one day. Depression and the desire to withdraw from the world do occur. I constantly feel overwhelmed by responsibility and the need to be/do everything all by myself. You may experience this too, but cheer up cupcake! You have to put yourself out there in order to ease the Deployment Blues. Your family and friends may be miles away from you but the Military is apart of your family now. The military community has an amazing group of spouses that will always be there when you need help. They are the most supportive and loving people I have the honor of calling my true friends. Setting up monthly goals and going back to school have been beneficial in making this Deployment pass by. I encourage you to take part in organizations and events on Base. It gives you the opportunity to get out, be social and meet other Spouses. Spouses who will totally not judge you for drinking an entire bottle of wine to yourself while sulking during River City.

     Overall, this Deployment has done nothing but make my Marriage stronger. I've realized that every second I spend with my Husband, when he is finally home, needs to be cherished! I've learned to appreciate and love every flaw he has, even the extremely annoying ones. The appreciation and respect between me and my Husband has blossomed. We now know the roles we need to play in order to have a successful marriage and to comfort each other through this Deployment. I had no clue I would be able to fall more in love with him! While he's been gone, I have received such lovely and compassionate emails that absolutely make my heart flutter and reminds me why I would do anything for him. I admire him, his strength, Faith and what he is doing, right now, for our country and for our future. 

     Deployment is a blessing in disguise, seriously. There are many ups and downs, your patience, tolerance, love and strength will be tested. The distance sucks and the sleepless nights unfortunately don't go away. But, through learning independence and to spoon my pillow like a boss, I have been able to cope and relieve some of the anxiety and other effects of Deployment. All the heartache, stress, loneliness and distance will ALL be worth it when I see his face splitting grin on the day of his Homecoming. Besides, everything about Deployment is not too terrible - being able to wear yoga pants and t-shirts every day and not having to shave my legs often is an awesome perk.

In the end, I did get my "Happily Ever After".

- Disney CHOC Walk in the Park! -

This post is for Family and Friends of the USS Benfold

 

     Hello Benfold family! Hope everyone is doing well and staying strong. I thought it was a good time to post something that can take our minds off this Deployment for a brief moment! I’ve come to realize how many children we have in this Benfold family and how often some of us participate in Charity Walks/Runs! Every year, CHOC Hospital and Disney team up together for a Fundraiser/5K walk around and behind the scenes of both Disneyland and California Adventures. It’s called “ CHOC Walk in the Park”. CHOC Hospital is the 17th busiest children’s hospital in the country providing the highest quality medical care to children. CHOC also offers many primary and specialty care clinics, over 100 additional programs and services, a pediatric residency program, and four centers of excellence - The CHOC Children’s Heart, Cancer, Neuroscience, and Orthopedic Institutes. During the 5K you walk through Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, you’ll be joined by Disney friends and Characters cheering you on and providing unique photo opportunities. Walkers are in for a treat this year as they get to stroll through the all-new Cars Land, located in the newly expanded Disney California Adventure Park! At the end of the 5K walk, the celebration continues in Downtown Disney District where event sponsors, hospital support groups, shops and restaurants have special offers for Walk participants. They will also have discounted park admission tickets for the Walkers so they can enjoy the rest of their day in both parks.

     I have participated the last 2 years and it’s absolutely a BLAST. It’s a very kid, family and STROLLER friendly event. All we do is create a team, make shirts and a banner (if we want), collect donations on line (or cash/checks) and walk. We can also win prizes individually on how much money we raise (like free park admission tickets and discounted coupons to restaurants and stores in Downtown Disney)! Best part, you don’t have to be local to participate in the fund raising! If you would like to make a donation online (completely secure) to the Benfold Team, you can! That way, all families are able to join this cause.

     I HAVE ALREADY created a “Benfold Team”. This event takes place October 14th, 2012. I figured it would be a fun way to mark the HALF way point of this Deployment and an excuse for all of us to get together and have FUN with the kido's :) Trying my best not to over load you in this post, haha. So, for those who would like MORE information, please email me by clicking on the “email” link located at the top right of my blog. I will send you a Personal Message with more info  about how to join the team and details about how this 5k walk works. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns! I will definitely be participating again this year and would love for you to join me!

 Helpful links:

Benfold Team Page    CHOC Hospital info     CHOC Walk in the park info

- Flying in the near future?

     Three beautiful words, Military Airfare Discounts! How the hell did me and my Husband NOT know about this? As I was waiting for my Husband to email me back that it's OK to book my plane ticket to Philly for $530, I cam across this site. Just saved myself $100! Thank you my trusty friend, Pinterest, for guiding me to saving some money...I love you.

 

- Instagram Magnets -

       Had to share this, thought it was cleaver! For those of you who use instagram, this website turns your instagrams into magnets! You get 9 of them for $14.99! {Oh, and here is a $2 off coupon code – FRIEND896} My Husbands rack is made of metal so I thought they would be cute to put in my next care package :)

- Worst Nightmare -

 

     Yup. This is pretty much my life until Spring next year.... *sigh*

“Be anxious about nothing but in everything, with prayer and petition make your requests known to God, and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:6-7