Posts Tagged ‘mom blogger’

I cannot take credit for this one but HAD to share it with all of you.

As most of you know we are on Deployment #2 and Megan, one of my bestest friends ever gave this to me after my husband left.  This was such a sweet gesture and going through everything that she put together made me feel that much more capable. Okay, okay, I’m not going to lie it also made me cry.  But more importantly,  reading each of the inscriptions made me realize that we CAN raise our children when they are away, we CAN keep up the house and the yard and the cars when they are away, and we CAN continue on with our lives while they are away because of one thing; EACHOTHER!  There is nothing like another Military wife to understand all of the ups and downs and be there for you through it all.

So….what’s in the Deployment Survival Kit?

• Marbles; for when you’ve lost yours
• Worry Stone; to take your worries away
• Stationary; for all the letters you’ll be writing
• Pen; to sign your X’s and O’s
• Sucker; because deployments suck
• Kleenex; to wipe away all the tears
• Flashlight; to remind you that there is light at the end of the tunnel
• Paperclip; to help you hold it all together
• Mounds Bar; to remind you of the “mounds” of love and support you have from family and friends
• Laffy Taffy; to remind you to laugh
• Hershey’s Kisses; to remind you of your Marines Kisses
• Life Savers; to remind you that you are one

She also included a picture frame with a beautiful print of encouraging words and a copy of The Silent Rank by Elizabeth Soutter Shwarzer.  If you’ve never read it, you MUST! (I’d write it out here but then I’d just start crying again).

Megan~  Thank you so much for this!  You have been such an amazing friend!!!

This year’s camping trip certainly wasn’t perfect (the weather at the beach was horrible, the clouds were too low to see all of the fireworks, and one of the mama’s was on crutches) but when you add 5 marines, their wives, and 11 Devil pups to a couple of campsites on the beach….LOTS of fun will be had by all!  And, watching Dolphins swimming  just a few yards off the shore, certainly makes up for the cold windy weather!

If you are Military and have access to the camp sites on San Onofre Beach I HIGHLY recommend going.  There are RV hookups and cottages to rent also but in my opinion, a tent on the sand is the way to go!  Each site is equipped with water and electric, a picnic table, fire ring, and an amazing view.  And what better time to go than to celebrate Independence Day!

The resort beach also has bathrooms and warm showers, lifequards on duty, and playground for the kids.

My girls, especially, enjoyed the playgrounds on the sand.

Of course, there wasn’t much that little Pixi didn’t enjoy about her camping trip.

The digging conditions were superb!

and the Guacamole was plentiful!

The big P’s did a little “Surfing”

And Bubba had a blast just being a boy!

But the most fun was had around the fire ring, roasting marshmallows, enjoying our friends, and celebrating the good ol’ U.S. of A!

I hope you all had a wondeful 4th of July!

The Port of San Diego Festival runs from June 30th-July 8th, at 1140 N. Harbor Dr., and includes lots of family fun with inflatables, and a Giant water slide.

On the 4th of July the Festival is the official home of the Big Bay Boom Fireworks.  This festival looks like SO much fun and best of all, it benefits the Armed Serivices YMCA!

If you are looking for something fun to do with thte family this week or wanting a fun way to celebrate the 4th of July, check out Plum District for discounted tickets.  They are $20 for 2 (regularly $20 each) and non-participating parents are free.

The BevMo!  5 cent wine sale is going on NOW and they asked me to head on in to check it out.  Here’s what I can tell you, if you are a wine lover or just an occasional wine drinker, you NEED TO KNOW about this sale!

From now until July 9th, at BevMo! you can purchase a bottle of wine at regular price and get the second of the same bottle for 5 CENTS!  (In case you didn’t do the math, that is like 2 for the price of 1!)

So I went and checked it out.  There were so many different wines to choose from.  Everything from red to white to bubbly, North Coast to Chilean.  And for every price range, too. Bottles that I saw ranged from $8.99 on up to $29.99.  I was in there so long perusing the aisles that I was asked 4 times (twice by the same employee) if “I was finding everything ok”.  Don’t worry, if you don’t have an hour to look around and search for your perfect wines, you can do it online!  Just go to Bevmo.com and find your local store.  You can search through the wines and purchase them online, then simply go into the store and pick them up.  They will have them boxed up and ready to go for you.

The wines on sale always vary which makes it fun to try somehthing new!  The employees can usually offer great recommendations and if you buy something you end up not liking just bring it back!  With your original receipt and bottle they will exchange or refund, now how’s that for great service?!

The 5 cent wine sale is the perfect time to stock up!  I now have a variety of wines on hand to give as gifts, use for dinner parties, or just enjoy with a delicious dinner on a Saturday night.

***Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed in this post are my own.  For purposes of content I was supplied with a gift card to use for  purchasing from this sale***

Since Peyton ended her Kindergarten year reading well above her grade level,  I wanted to make sure I kept her reading throughout the Summer.  Summer Reading Programs are a great, fun way to keep the kids  engaged.  This year we have joined the DoD Summer Reading Program: Reading is So Delicious. 

This is the 3rd year that the DoD has offered a Summer Reading Program and you can register your child at any of the Military Installations Libraries.  The main goal is to keep your child reading during their summer school break, and they make it fun by raffling prizes (our Library is giving away several sets of tickets to Sea World!), hosting a weekly story time with crafts, and handing out themed material such as Tshirts, pencils, and erasers.

Our personal goal is to read 100 books (we only have early readers in this house so the books aren’t too lengthy) this summer and we are well on our way having completed 25 already.  However, reading 10 books earns them an entry for the grand prizes at the library!

If you are interested in Registering you children contact your local installation’s library.  Not Military?  No problem!  Most of the local city libraries also offer a Summer Reading Program!  Also, you can check out PBS kids~they are hosting an online summer reading challenge, or the Scholastic Summer Reading challenge.

One of the items we added to our Summer Bucket List a little late was to “Go to the Farmers Market”.  Last Sunday, that is exactly what we did!  I have to say, the North San Diego Farmers Market was a little smaller than I had hoped.  It is really somewhere you could just swing by and pick up your produce for the week not really a “make a day of it” kind of market.  But, it is located on a historic farmstead (which just happens to be dirctly behind a golf center~oh today’s world) and you can tour the farmhouse.  It was 90* last Sunday so we didn’t, but I’d like to go back  and check it out!

The P’s LOVE fruit especially berries so they were happy with their purchases of Strawberries and a Berry/Eugenia mix.

The only other fruit we found there last week was citrus so we didn’t buy any.  The woman there informed us that they are very local farmers (San Diego County only, unlike bigger markets that bring in produce from all over SoCal) and that each week varies.  She assured me that this week there would be plums and other stone fruits.

Want to visit?

The North San Diego Farmers Market is open on Sundays from 11-4pm at the Sikes Adobe Farmstead 12655 Sunset Drive, Escondido, CA 92025.  They do accept credit/debit cards but you must get “Market Money” from the booth at the front and there is a $1 charge for every $20 you get from them.  In my opinion it’s better just to bring some cash.

If you are looking for a Farmer’s Market in your area check out: Eat Local Grown for a map of local gowers and Farmers Markets

The P’s have never been to the fair so when Peyton was invited to perform with her dance studio we jumped on the chance to take the whole family (well, most of the family….thank you USMC for stealing Wunderdad from us while he was on leave) and cross another item off our Summer Bucket List.

I was really pleased with the ‘Family Friendly’ quality of the San Diego County Fair.  Aside from the massive crowds, which alone can give a mama a massive coronary, the people working the fair were very pleasant.  Seriously, it seems like they were mostly high school kids and senior citizens, quite a far cry from the typical ‘carnies’ you envision.  And the crowd itself was mainly families and teenagers.  We were there on a Wednesday afternoon so I don’t know if the demographics change a little on the weekends or at night.

The performance was a success and afterwards the P’s took a spin through KiddieLand.

Having little ones I really appreciated this area of rides and games that was specifically for kids!  The rides took an average 3-4 tickets as compared to 4-6, and the P’s had a great time on the ’roller coaster’.

We were lucky enough to come home with a new family member too!  Meet Goldy the Goldfish.  At the goldfish game it is $2 for 15 tries or $5 will guarantee you a fish in a tank.  Guess which one we did!

For Pixi’s enjoyment we perused the Agri-Fair (She loves her “A-mee-mows”) where we saw cows, piggies, sheep, chickens, and lots of  ”Bunnneeee!”s.  (pictured)

A trip to the fair wouldn’t be complete without some sort of treat so we finished off our day with a Snow Cone (cotton candy flavor)!  I didn’t get a treat (although for surviving 5 hours and a dance performance at the county fair, solo with 3 P’s I should be awarded a medal) so I may need to go back just to have some funnel cake.

Planning on visiting the San Diego County Fair?

• The SDfair runs through July 4th
• Adult admission is $13, Children 6-12 $7 (Tuesdays they are FREE), and 5 and under are FREE

Welcome to motherhood! You have a lot a lot on your plate right now, and one of the many seemingly daunting tasks before you is getting back your pre-baby body. Here are some quick tips to help fit exercise into your new mommy routine.

Before making any changes to your routine, speak to your doctor about your plans for exercise and dieting. During pregnancy, you consulted with your doctor about choices concerning pain management, umbilical cord blood banking, and immunizations but your doctor’s involvement doesn’t have to stop after delivery. Your doctor knows your health well and can make informed recommendations about the best time and way to go about losing the extra baby pounds.

Getting back into tip-top shape does not have to require several hours a week at the gym. Some new moms form exercise and support groups. You can meet at a local park or school track and walk and talk with other new moms or sign up for mom and baby yoga classes together. This not only provides valuable exercise and bonding time with your baby, but also connects you with other moms who are going through the same things you are.

Dance with your baby. Turn up the tunes and let loose! Babies love motion and music so it is a great bonding experience. They are used to the motion of your walking and moving during pregnancy. Hold your child close while you dance. This has the added benefit of providing mother-baby bonding.

Another tip is to use your baby while you exercise for resistance training. Lift her up to strengthen your arms. Hold her and squat or lunge a little bit. Get creative and try new things. Make eye contact with your child during your exercise.

Some moms enjoy wearing their baby in a front carrier. It is like a reverse backpack that holds baby close. This enables mothers to carry on their normal, everyday activities. You can go shopping with your baby this way. Park the car farther away than you usually do. Make a few extra loops around the grocery store or shopping mall to burn extra calories.

Check your local library or video store for exercise videos. There are many popular exercise videos for new moms. Many of them even include baby into the workout routines. Baby yoga is a growing trend. Workouts for new moms are nice because they take your special needs into account. For example: modifications for a woman recovering from a c-section or episiotomy.

Not all exercise has to include the baby. If you have a video you already like that does not include carrying extra weight, let the child have their tummy time or play on a mat while you sneak in a few minutes of cardio. Lay him on a blanket while you work in some sit-ups.

The most important thing is to be sure to support your baby whenever you incorporate her into your exercises. By staying flexible and exercising a little at a time when your body feels ready and when you have a few moments, you’ll notice the pounds will fall off in no time.

“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”

This year the P’s made a gift for Father’s Day.  Since Daddy is preparing to head out again we thought a pillowcase to take with him would be perfect!

I bought a tan pillow case to match the sheets he’ll be using and we used red and blue paint to add each of the P’s handprints.  Since the P’s say “Now I lay me down to sleep” everynight as part of their bedtime routine I came up with a little verse that started with the same phrase.  I used silver puff paint to print it onto the pillow case.

It reads:

 Now I lay me down to sleep, 

Our handprints are here for you to keep,

To remember exactly the way they are,

 Even when you are so far. 

And we will keep you in our hearts,

Until the day we’re no longer apart.

We Love You Daddy!

We crossed off another one from the Summer bucket list today; Visit a Museum.  And I can’t wait to go do it again!  The P’s LOVE museums but after living in DC a couple of years ago and making our way through the Smithsonian’s we haven’t visited any here in San Diego.  That all changed today when we went down to Balboa Park for their Resident Free Tuesday!

Each Tuesday of the month they host FREE entrance to certain museums.  Today we were able to visit the San Diego History Center and the Veterans Memorial Museum.  We can’t wait to go back and check out the Science Center, Natural History Museum, Air and Space Museum and SO many more!  Not to mention, just walking around the park is a great day…it’s Beautiful!

Resident Free Tuesday’s Schedule:

First Tuesday Reuben H. Fleet Science Center Centro Cultural de la Raza San Diego Model Railroad Museum San Diego Natural History Museum (Not valid for Titanic exhibition or 3D films)

Second Tuesday Museum of Photographic Arts San Diego History Center Veterans’ Museum and Memorial Center

Third Tuesday San Diego Art Institute Mingei International Museum San Diego Museum of Art San Diego Museum of Man Japanese Friendship Garden
Fourth Tuesday San Diego Air & Space Museum (Not valid for special exhibitions) San Diego Automotive Museum (Last admission 3:45pm) San Diego Hall of Champions SELECT House of Pacific Relations International Cottages
Fifth Tuesday Normal museum prices in effect. The Timken Museum of Art is always free.

Have you visited any of these museums?  I’d love for you to leave a comment and let me know which one’s your favorite!