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
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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
