5 travel must haves

Passport Wallet//

This is soooo convenient!! I purchased mine from Marine Parents on Instagram, it's custom made and super cute! When we travel, I'm the one who takes care of the booking and reservations.  So when we travel I handle the passports and paper work.  Before I got this wallet, I would just get a folder and put the paper work and passports in there.  Since I used a folder I would need to bring a backpack or a large purse.  When I travel on a plane I try to bring the least stuff I can on the actual plane.  After I got this, I could put my passports, paper work, and boarding passes all in one small wallet.  The back of the wallet has a place for all my paper work and inside the wallet can fit up to 6 passports.  This easily fits into my purse, so I don't have to carry a backpack.  Makes my life a whole lot easier!  Having all my important docs and passports in one place makes checking in a breeze!

Power Bank//

This is a lifesaver!  I brought the smaller one we own, its an Anker, has 1 usb slot and is good for about 3 charges.  I bought my from Amazon, one of the smartest buys ever! When we travel, we travel with 2 ipads and 2 iphones.  Depending on how long the flight lasts, layovers, hours driving, this baby comes in handy and has saved me from meltdowns. haha  When traveling, outlets aren't always readily available.  Weather its to recharge my kids' ipads to keep them calm on the plane or to give my phone a lil more juice for an emergency call....a power bank is a must have.  They are great just to carry for every day use.  Now they are small and slim and can fit into most purses.  Just know that it has to be in your carry on luggage and cannot be packed in your check bag. :)

Camera//

Duh!  When traveling you want to take pics of all your memories and sightseeing!  I use my Panasonic Lumix GF3, its user friendly, takes great pics and is light weight.  I alsobring 

my phone also, but I like to take better quality pics with my camera.  I use my phone pics for the quick uploads to FB and IG.

Hat//

Hats are so in style right now.  I'm wearing a fedora, got it from a local store.  Adding a fedora to any outfit definitely styles it up!  When traveling, especially to sunny places, it serves two purposes....looking stylish and keeping the sun out of your eyes.  I love wearing a hat when getting on a plane, I don't have to worry about my hair getting all messed up , I don't spend any time on it when getting ready and I get static while on the plane and the hat helps me cover my mop up.  Then I have a hat for pool/beach time.  Such a light and helpful accessory!

Cross body bag//

Out of all the types of bags I own, this is the most convenient for me when I travel.  This one is from Forever 21.  I find that it stays out of my way for the most part and since I carry a medium size one I'm able to bring a decent amount of stuff.  I used to carry a big travel bag {ie LV neverfull} but then after I arrive at my destination, I'm stuck with a big bag that gets in my way and barely has anything in it.  I would then pack other purses to use while on vacation, but that meant more stuff in my luggage.  Now a days I try to pack as light as possible, and I pack things that are multipurpose.  So I use a cross body when I travel.  It stays out of the way, is stylish, and convenient!

Since we just got back from vacay, I thought I'd share my 5 must haves while traveling.  All 5 have been a HUGE help

Read Across America

In most schools across America, March is read across America month.  Celebrating reading and the almighty Dr. Seuss. Just because we live overseas doesn't mean we can't participate. haha We'll Amelia goes to a DODEA school so lots of stuff is just like being in the states. Unfortunately Amelia wont get to participate with most the activities since we'll be on vacay for half the month.  But, we're gunna make the most out of the time we are here.

M is already on leave so we decided to volunteer at Amelia's class to decorate their door for the Read Across America door contest.  So happy that he came with me because we were the only parents that volunteered.  Plus Amelia was so excited to see us in her class and her teacher was super grateful!  We were more then happy to help!

 M and I were able to tackle most of the door ourselves.  We picked Dr. Seuss' Oh, the places you'll go as our theme.  I LOVE this book.  Its' been a favorite of mine ever since I was a lil girl.  I was more then happy with this theme.  It was a fun task to do together for our lil sweet pea and her class.  Her teacher was so stoked, she just wants to personalize it with a lil something for the kids.  I can't wait to see the finished product!  Fun times

Got my badge!  The bathrooms are so small and cute!

Couples that volunteer together, stay together!

LOVE it, turned out soo good!

Sunday's Best

This year, I really wanted to grow spiritually.  I've struggled with my faith for awhile now and every year it weighs more on my heart.  So that's why I've made it a point to focus on my religion this year.  M and I have struggled  with it too.  I grew up catholic, he bounced around a few churches and religions.  We couldn't really find a happy medium.  Well, I wasn't really willing to budge.  {I know such a B} I was scared, Catholicism was all I knew, for a long time I thought he would convert.  Change is very hard on me, especially when I was younger.  We got married in a Catholic church and baptized both of our kids in the Catholic church, because that's all I knew....it was a safe bet.  But here was always a part of me that felt like it wasn't the right fit for our family.  I know how the church can be and how intimidating it can be , M was always such a good sport and very supportive.   I knew I wanted something different for our family, to be comfortable in a church and to have religion in our household. 

For the first time in a long time, I agreed to go to a church that wasn't catholic.  This was a BIG {huge, gigantic,ginormous}  Truth be told, I was always so scared.  The catholic church is so intimidating, I thought that's how most churches were going to be like.  So I asked a friend {who grew up catholic too} about where she goes and she told me of this church that was so friendly and welcoming. 

The first Sunday of 2015 we went to Calvary Church.  It was like a breath of fresh air.  It was so different.  When we left, I felt like I understood what the pastor was talking about.  I understood the passage in the bible in a whole new way.  I was able to understand the passage and I could relate to it in my everyday life.  After the service we went out to eat and M and I were talking about the church.  We talked about how much we liked it there,   I was so happy to have found a place that fits our family. 

We've gone every Sunday since, and every time I'm more convinced that this church is great for us.  I'm definitely not knocking the catholic church, it was really great for me growing up.   I've learned a lot from it and its word.  It got me through a lot in my life.  It was great for my mom, dad, brother , sister and myself before I was married.  But once you get married and have a family sometimes what worked for you growing up with your family, doesn't always work the family you've made.  As of right now, its still very new for us.  Its still the same bible and the same teachings, just in a different way.    I feel so terrible about waiting so long to find a church for our family.  I guess, its better late then never.  I'm just so happy for myself and my family.  2015 you are so awesome so far!!!

Our Sunday routine now consist of church a lunch out.  Last Sunday we went to one of our favorite sushi spots!! Yuuuum

Quick Reflection for 2014 and Quick Resolution for 2015...

2014

My favorite experience of 2014 was our staycation with our friends to celebrate Morgan’s Birthday and Memorial Day weekend!  It was such a fun weekend of family and friends!  Made memories for a lifetime!

My biggest accomplishment was all the cooking I did this year!  I’ve always been so terrible and scared of cooking.  When I did cook it was very easy recipes with minimal skill needed.  This year I’ve learned more recipes and even took a couple classes to help me out.   I pushed myself more because I wanted to cook for my family.   I think that I’m finally getting the hang of cooking.

My favorite place to visit was South Korea!  We only went on one vacation this year out of the country and it was Seoul, South Korea.  We had an awesome time!  I was actually a little skeptical because it had never been one of those places I cared for seeing, but Morgan kept saying I would love it.  And he was absolutely right!  We had a great time, I would go again!

The best meal is……. sushi!  I love sushi so much that I took a class in how to make it.  Since being here I’ve branched out more and tried different and exotic kinds!  I am always in the mood for sushi 365 24/7

If I have a free day, I like to relax with the family!  Nothing beats a day of hangin in our jammies , snacking, curling up on the couch and watching movies.

My favorite book, I feel terrible, but I don’t think I finished a book at all this year.  I did read lots of cook books though! lol

My favorite movie this year would have to be Lone Survivor.  I’m actually not sure when it came out, but I know I saw it in 2014.  It was so good and very sad. 

One way I’d like to grow in 2015 is in my faith.  I haven’t been religious in a very long time.  I think that’s why I feel empty sometimes.  I’m going to make it a point to get more in touch with my faith.

2015

I want to continue to strive to be a better mom!

I want to try to learn more about cooking and baking!

I want to stop being impatient.

I’d like to visit the Philippines, Tokyo, and Osaka.

My goals for this year are to be a super mom/wife, eat better, drink more water, pay off debt, read more, and get out more.

Side Gigs

Being a SAHM, its important to have your own thing.  I practically work at home all day every day, 24-7.  There needs to be some away time to recharge your batteries, get your mind away off the chores, the babies, the bills, the house.   Morgan is always encouraging me to get into something , go out with the girls, go to the gym, go shopping, go do something.  He totally understands!  He likes to go to the gym and play basketball.  He goes to the gym weekly and is in a basketball league.  So I did it, my friend and I signed up for cake decorating classes.  I always loved baking, but totally sucked at decorating.  To be fair, I haven't put much effort in trying to decorate.  I've always used fairly easy methods to decorate my cakes and cupcakes.

The class was a Wilton cake decorating class.  There are 4 courses and 4 sessions per course.  One, two and a half hour class a week. Course 1 is building butter cream skills.  First week we decorated cookies, second week we decorated our first cake, third week we learned how to pipe flowers and decorated cupcakes, the fourth week we decorated tall cakes all on our own from start to finish.  Our last sessions ended last night.  After all is said and done I'd have to say that its a lot harder then it looks.  I watch all those cake decorating shows on TV and they make it look super easy.  I was fooled.  Its no joke.  There are a lot of components that go into making a nicely decorated cake.   I'd have to say tho that I loved it, it was very informational, challenging, and fun.  Its a great beginner class and the tips I learned I'll probably use for the rest of my days.  I liked this class so much that I'm planning on taking all 4 courses.   I'm definitely not opening up my own bakery anytime soon, but you never know. lol

Pulling the Plug

We did it!  We got bubs off his pacifier!

I've actually tried a couple times in the past, but have been unsuccessful.  This time we're done!  Thank the Lord!

This was a bit of a struggle for us both.  Not only was the paci a comfort for bubs, but it was a comfort for us too.  It was the one thing we knew that we could  use to comfort our lil guy.  Nolan took to a paci right away.  The first time I couldn't comfort him with by feeding or holding, I just stuck a paci in his mouth and it was a hit. {No judgement}.  He was really paci obsessed, he carried multiple pacis with him at a time and would switch them out.  We wouldn't dare leave the house without a pacifier.  I had them everywhere, the car, my bedroom, his bedroom, my purse, my diaper bag...everywhere.  The thought of not having one handy and him losing one would strike fear in my heart.  We knew that he needed to be off of it by his 2nd bday.  It was the same thing we did with Amelia.  M and I both agreed that 2 was the right age, we did't want them to go to college with pacifiers. lol

It was surprisingly quick for us.  A habit of 2 years we felt like we just needed to take it away quickly, like a band aid. So we cut a few of his pacifiers in half and gave him one.  His face when we gave him the paci was priceless.  He looked so confused! lol We told him that it was broken.  So he asked for another one, it too was broken.  He tried and tried to suck on them, but he looked so unsatisfied.  I told him they were broken and to throw them in the trash.  That was a bad idea, he kept going back to the trash and looking at them. it was the course of a day and he had gone through all the broken ones and thrown them in the trash.  Then it was cold turkey  He just went about his day and played, there were times where I could tell he was was searching for one.   He seemed almost a little lost.

Sleeping was a big struggle.  I didn't even want to put him down for a nap, I just let him tire out and he fell asleep on his own, no pacifier needed.  The first night was terrible.  He kept waking up and crying for it.  Poor lil guy.  He ended up sleeping with us because he was waking up so often.  it was a rough night for all of us.  In the morning he looked for a pacifier for a good 15 minutes then went on with his day.

Since then we haven't looked back.  Well, to be honest there have been a few breakdowns of his where I wish I could have just stuck a paci in his mouth.  Trust me, I was super close to doing that.  I did get my self control and just power through.  This wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  I totally feared it for nothing.  I should have just put more faith in Nolan.  He is doing fine a week later, like nothing ever happened.  I see more of his facials expressions.  He seems to be communicating more and hopefully we didn't mess up his teeth. lol

Pacifier Lover

                                   

Before pulling the plug

                                 

After :)

                                 

So handsome without his Pacifier :)

                                 

Surviving Duty Daze

This is how I survive duty daze.  The days when Morgan has duty.  I'm assuming Duty can last anywhere from 9 to 48 hours, just from past experience.  Duty days range depending on their jobs.  Currently for M's job he has duty every 24 days.  The last duty he had was a 26 hour shift.

Now I don't want it to sound like a death sentence, because it's not.  Nor do I want to take away from the spouses who are dealing with TDYs (Temporary duty in yonder; duty away from home for a period of time) or deployments, I've been there and that isn't easy either.  Another day, another post. But today we're talking about duty.

When M is on duty I have to mentally prepare.  I mean, I'm running the show for practically the next two days.  Sure he's coming back home and its only for a day or so, but it's still out of the norm and we have to adjust accordingly.   The next day he is usually off.   When he comes back from duty,  the next morning, he is still out of commission and I'm a one man show till he gets some rest.

Here are 5 things I do to survive duty daze::

 Plan easy dinner::

Made corned beef and cabbage MmmMMmm

Since it's just me and the kids for dindin, I like to make things easy on myself.  No point in making an extravagant dinner for 2 kids whose favorite foods are hot dogs and jelly sandwiches.  Not to mention that I'm one serving and the kids combined is another serving, so a lot of work for 2 servings isn't happeing.  However, I do make the usual amount because M will eat when he gets home.  I almost always make dinner in the crock pot or the nuwave for duty nights.  Both really simple cooking appliances that make cooking dinner super duper easy.

Activities::

Out and about running some errands for today's activity

I like to keep the kiddies busy on duty days.  It helps the day go by faster and keeps them occupied.  We'll plan a play date, I'll set up some arts and crafts, we'll head to the park, or even spend time in our front yard {in Japan our front yard acts as a backyard because of the limited space}.


Forgo naps::

Normally this was nap time but I just popped in the Croods, a fave movie in our house

Sounds nuts, but it helps.  I'd rather just power through the day and have them go to sleep extra early.   Sure I would love the midday break, but I find it more beneficial for them to go to sleep at 6:30 pm or 7 pm.  That way I get the whole rest of the night to catch up on chores or relax.

Sleep in my bed::

Yes, that's Hello Kitty.  My view , putting the kids to sleep in our bed.  Mills has a Hello Kitty pillow pet.

When M is gone, I have the kids sleep with me.  I love cuddling with them and makes my bed extra cozy.  Another great thing about co-sleeping is I'm right there for bathroom breaks, nightmares, water, and whatever else comes up in the middle of the night.  I don't have to leave my room.  Plus I'm really really paranoid and I constantly check on the kids. So them sleeping in my bed gives me more sleep and keeps me comfortable.  Double WIN!

Chores are down to a minimum::

No picking up toys today!!

They don't come to a screeching halt but ain't a lot getting done that day.  Both my kids are under 5 so lots of mischief happens, even if I turn my back for a second.  Especially Nono, he is also known as Evil Kenevil because that kid fears nothing.  He will climb a bookcase, he will jump off the couch, he will hang off the table...he's nuts.  When I'm alone with them I have to be alert.  Plus with all the running around and activities, it's hard to fit in a chore.  I usually save those for when they are in bed, if I still have the strength.

Well, there you have it.  My 5 go to's , to survive duty daze.

Our Christmas Cards!

Christmas cards are all signed, sealed, and delivered! Phew... This year I was really late to the game.  I generally like to get our cards out by the first week of December.  Since we booked our photo session mid November and it took our photographer 3 weeks to get us our pics, needless to say, but the stars were not aligned in our favor.  I like to send pictures of the kids since we live so far away and many of our family and friends don't get to see them grow up.  Its also a time honored favorite of the grandparents.  I always send them a few extra shots of the kids in their Christmas packages.  Well, here is our Christmas Card!  This year we did 2 designs and 1 picture.  I can't believe its about a week away!  I can't wait!!!!