100 reasons care package - http://pinterest.com/pin/229331805995181497/
My last post was about A Year of Boxes. Here is the pin that inspired me. I figured it is a good idea to link back to these...After all, the people who created it first deserve some link love right?
~Lexxy~
(First off- all hail Pinterest! You inspire me to craft more & more!) For this post I will be sharing the box I jazzed up inside for my hubs for the month of Feb and what I have planned for coming months.
A Year of Boxes
:
What is a year of boxes? Where did this idea come from & what inspired me. Well Pinterest of course. Some time last year I pinned a box idea- the inside of the box was decorated with paper, love notes, and packed with goodies inside.
It was listed under deployment ideas and I pinned it to my "Army Wife" board for future reference. I really liked this idea but took it further. Each month I plan on sending a box whether it is big or small. Each month will have a "theme" to fit the box which I will share after the hubs has gotten his box. Since he can read this blog- I don't want to give away the surprise!
Anyway! Shout out to all military wives! Feel free to steal my idea! I took it further than the pin. For this month I sent a Valentine Box. I had my grandma in law & mother in law chip in too! They bought things for the box. I packed everything- wrapped gifts, etc.
The box decorating is fairly simple- I bought stickers, cool paper, glue, and keep my exacto rotary cutter handy if I need to trim paper. I glue fancy pieces of paper to the inside of the box- I do the "top" part of box where it is opened- but you can do all of the box if you want. This is where you can get creative. Love notes, valentine sayings, etc.
When sending foodie goodies and toiletry items I suggest using a food saver for toiletries in bottles- I seal all the bottles up and place the food in bags as well. You never know when something might "explode" or leak when sending a box overseas. No food saver- just use bags! I'm just weird and chose the food saver. It does work wonders for any baked goods you send though! Think "fresh" oh and it's a very good investment in the long run!
Anyway! Here is my first box of the "year" along with a cute kitteh to boot! (Never fails- if you have a box around the cat is surely to get "trapped" for hours in said box).
~Lexxy~
Now I had an idea like this one some time ago... keeping all the cards my husband has given me and creating some type of book. Then I saw a pin on Pinterest. I didn't read the entire link but it brought up that idea again. Not sure if mine is exact/ similar but here is what I did:
First I grabbed my hole puncher, a sharpie, and metal rings (two of them) I had stashed for my index cards for when I take notes.
Second I grabbed all the cards I had stashed in my room & began punching holes in them. Make sure you line up cards to create the "right" look.
I used sharpie to mark other cards from my starter card. Keeps things looking nice and neat.
Open metal rings and put freshly punched cards on rings and viola! You have just started the beginning of a "book" of sorts made with cards ( from whomever) that you wanted to keep.
I say get more creative if you like with ribbon, etc. Right now I'm keeping it simple as the cards keep coming and I need to go digging for the rest.
I like the way this turned out. Can't wait to see it grow. I really like this keepsake. While the husband is away( gotta love Army life) it really helps to have these cards where I can see them and read them when I am feeling down or worried about our marriage. Being apart definitely puts a relationship to the test! This is just one way I can make the coming months bearable.
~Lexxy~
It has been five weeks since Jimmy left and we have been trying to figure out different things to do via our Skype "dates". The latest is Family Home Evening.
F.H.E or Family Home Evening is a once a week event that LDS members hold as a time for learning about the gospel. It is a spiritual day that couples, families with children, and even single adults can do. Traditionally it is held on a Monday but since time zone differences and my hubs work we chose Friday evenings when we get to chat.
I really like the idea of doing this each week together since we cannot attend church together, etc. If you happen to be a military wife regardless of religion you can have something similar with your husband if you both have similar spiritual beliefs or practice the same religion. The possibilities are endless! And it helps to build up your relationship more and more during times when you are apart.
For us since we are latter day saints our F.H.E's will consist of learning things about prayer, scripture study, repentance, fasting, and the sacrament- to name a few things.
I'm still trying to figure how I will present our first F.H.E and will post about it later! It should be interesting! I am so grateful for technology right now. Getting to video chat with my hubs is really helping me stay positive.
When the love of your life leaves for deployment or like Jim, a year long hardship tour. You have a sadness to overcome and the first few months are not by any means fun. You have so many things to get used to. Sleeping alone, no physical contact, and you have to "switch" modes. When your husband is home you work together as a unit. While he is away you have to become independent and be able to work alone but always remembering him (or her).
This goes for any type of military wive/husband, fiance, or boyfriend/girlfriend. It is not easy, staying positive is key, working through each day and of course staying busy- and in this case coming up with ideas to help keep the bonds of marriage strong.
I can't wait for our first spiritually oriented chat. I can't wait to see us grow even with the distance between us. So I leave you with these tidbits readers.
Lexxy
So many ideas swim around in my mind. I have been a aspiring writer/ unpublished author for what seems... TOO LONG! Why am I not chugging along on my journey as a writer. Shouldn't I have the time to write a measly 500 words a day on my novel? Haven't I learned anything? That even when one is overwhelmed with school and life that there is still time to always write! ( or in this case blog too).
Maybe all my issues of stress, loneliness ( missing the husband), and life in general would be allievated by writing! Wouldn't writing be the perfect escape? To step into the lives of my creations. I hope I don't make it sound like I want to literally escape my life. My creative, ever searching, thirst for knowledge mind often needs a story to be complete ( feel complete).
And writing does this. I always envision stories. Whilest I sit and ponder a story comes to me. Whilest I watch the rain or snow a new adventure calls to me. If nothing else I should write the ideas as they come to me. Save them later, tuck them away for a later date.
So my own challenge is to write, write, write. I shall make the time and have time to do so.
~Lexxy~
Once upon a time,
I was sitting there searching the web for a variety of "things" from decorating your on base housing to PCSing tips. What can I say? A bit obsessed! *wink* and while I did this searching I found myself mildly disappointed! I wanted pictures to go with those decor ideas and some meat with that PCSing info...Maybe I wasn't so concerned with the information for myself but others!
I'm sure military family members are constantly Googling such things. You can't have enough resources at your fingertips. Anyway! My point really is this:
I NEED to blog about these two topics! I need to revisit my last PCS and hopefully present some new ideas. Maybe invite a friend or two to give their perspective.
A lot of the PCSing topics includes kids... not all military families have kiddos. I want to cater to those without just as much as those with! For my little family we have the Jimmy, my awesome husband! Lils the cat and two gerbils- Ms.Bitey & The Chunky One. I want to target those with different types of pets the best I can!
And then another question is raised! What else can I blog about? I have so many ideas and so little time! What would you like to see readers?
~Lexxy~
Now admittedly, I have never ( never say never) been much of a TV watching person. But suddenly there is this thing called DVR and I am in love?!?!? Nothing beats coming home from a trip to Columbia, MO to Pretty Little Liars recorded and ready to watch!
On to the Epic Awesomeness- not only did "The Vampire Diaries" premiere last night so did "Archer" my Thursday night was totally, utterly amazing due to these two favorite shows! What is going on here!?!?!
Sizzling hot Damon ( screw Stefan lol) and Archer doing what he does best. Of course don't forget Elena aka actress Nina Dobrev. I really enjoy her acting skills. It was a great episode start. I'm "dying" to watch the next episode but alas will have to wait.
Now let me give you all a background story. Hub and I usually stick to Netflix. We watch old episodes of shows and wait for new seasons to come out on Netflix- at $7.99 you can't really complain. Anyway, we would become addicted to a show and stay up way past our bed time! ( yes I'm 26 years old and have a bed time). For me this is so detrimental to my health! Sadly I suffer from chronic insomnia- the only thing that helps to keep bouts of insomnia away is routine- always going to sleep at a certain time.
So this TV bit isn't as bad as I thought- none of "my" shows are on past 11pm, but if I did have something I wanted to watch that was on late- bam! DVR biatches! ( quick note I'm just "waking" up mentally) It's brilliant! So hurray! To modern technology and all hail the magical DVR- without you, well I'd still be watching old episodes and wishing I could be watching new ones!
~Lexxy~
