Weekly Meal Planner

Anyone else like me and every night is a rush to figure out what to make for dinner? Can't figure out what to make well fear not! Here is a super easy meal planner to do!
Not only will it make dinner time less stressful but it is also super easy to make!

You will need:
8x10 frame
hot glue gun
clothes pins
cardstock scrapbook paper
small box ( i used a crayon box)
alphabet stickers
permanent marker
magnets (optional)

First you will need to cut the scrapbook paper to fit into the frame. You will also remove the glass from the frame. Also at this time you can cut stripes of scrapbook paper and write each meal idea on them.

On the scrapbook paper you can put the alphabet stickers to say what you want. For mine I put Menu.

Next you write each day of the week in permanent marker on the clothes pins. Then you will hot glue the clothes pins to the side of the frame.

The hardest part is making the box for the meal ideas to fit into. I took a 24 count crayon box and cut scrapbook paper and glued it on all the edges to decorate it. You could also make an envelope out of the paper and put your meal ideas in that as well. When you have decided what to do glue it to the scrapbook paper.

Once you have this all done before you put it in the frame you can glue magnets to the back of the frame if you would like to hang this on your fridge. If not then you can always use the leg of the frame to have it rest on the countertop like a traditional picture frame.

How Time Flies!

It has been FOREVER since I have written on here! I totally thought coming here I would have ample amounts of time to blog to my heart's content...WRONG! I am so busy all the time and I swear I have more free time at home working full time and taking care of the kiddos than I do here kiddo free! But I will say that I have actually had a pretty good time so far on my deployment and I can't really complain because there are far worse places to be! So here is the run down of things I have gotten to experience since the last time I blogged.

1. Met the Secretary of State John Kerry

2. Experienced the culture off base

3. Got to work with the Singapore Air Force

4.My hubby came to visit!

Until next time folks! Which I promise won't be another month and a half :) Enjoy!

2 weeks down!

You know that song "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall"...yea that should be my theme song on this deployment. Maybe it will make the time go by faster. 

I feel like I should give you all an insight into my "deployment." It isn't really that hard...really the hardest part is being away from the family (a no brainer) and finding things to do to fill the time. 

I am at a pretty nice base with quite a bit of amenities such as a movie theater; which by the way we get new releases just as you guys do so that makes it nice. We also have an outdoor pool, a gym, and a bunch of restaurants in case the chow hall gets to be bland. And it does fairly quickly I might add. And there is free wifi...yes I can't really complain about where I am at considering there are worse places I could be. 

One of the perks of being where I am is that we can take a cultural tour off base. I can't wait to do one but I might add that I'm a little nervous because I hear that the drivers here literally have the world's worst road rage and accidents per capita. Yikes! But it will be an adventure non the less and I can't wait to see how other people in this world live so differently than us. 

So this is a picture of my small abode here. 

So this is small abode here. 

It is my part of the room as there is also a bathroom and two other bunk beds. I am just now getting a roommate so 2 weeks without one has been pretty nice. 

So I am adjusting fairly well to the time difference and to the heat...it has only been 108 so far!! It is strange because some people think that since I am a "weather girl" that I am used to this heat...umm negative. When I left Arkansas it was only high 70s!

Well as most of you are starting to wake it is actually bedtime for me so until we write again...see you soon!

Throwback Thursday

In honor of my sweet "Taterbug" turning 9 yesterday this post is dedicated to her!

It seems like just yesterday I was told I was going to have a baby in a few short hours. At almost 21 years old I hadn't a clue what I was getting into bit I was ready for the challenge nonetheless.

Now I have a smart beautiful and talented 9 year that has taught more about life than I thought was possible. I can only hope that when she is a "teenager" that we are still as close now and she still thinks cool!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Magazine Giveaway for your daughter!! 

Be Your Own You Magazine Giveaway

Cancer Sucks

I wish I was writing a post on how much cancer sucks on different terms but sadly it isn't so. I feel bad that I have been so absent from my blog these past few weeks but my mind has been elsewhere. This is where the correlation to cancer comes in. A few years ago my mother was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. She fought long and hard and even through the most difficult times she always had her beautiful smile and positive attitude. Sadly my mother lost her battle on June 16th. While I am beyond sad and lost at times I know my mother isn't suffering anymore and ultimately that is the most important part. Even though for my own selfish wishes I wish a million times over that she is still here so I can call her when I have something to talk about or just hear how her day went. I just miss hearing her voice. It was so comforting and so calming. 

My cousin had the perfect quote for my mom and just wanted to share it:

"I am in a thousand winds that blow, I am the softly falling snow. I am the gentle showers of rain, I am the fields of ripening grain. I am in the morning hush, I am in the graceful rush of beautiful birds in circling flight, I am the star shine of the night. I am in the flowers that bloom. I am in a quiet room. I am in the birds that sing, I am in each lovely thing." - Mary Elizabeth Frye

So if you take anything away from this post...please make sure you get your mammograms and do your self checks! Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death among women so please take the time and care for yourselves! I know I will!!

I wanted to add this photo of my mom when she was pregnant with me. I know the photo isn't the best quality and I was taking a picture of a picture but it reminds me of how blissfully happy she always was. But also it reminds me of a scene in the movie The Family Stone when Sarah Jessica Parkers' character gave a picture of Diana Keaton's character when she was pregnant to all the family as a present. I think I will try to get this picture cleaned up a bit and do the same. 

Happy Birthday Girl Scouts!

So 100 years ago today, Juliette Gordon Low founded Girl Scouts with 18 girls in Savannah Georgia.

Wow! 100 years and still going strong. 

I was a Girl Scout and loved every minute of it. I think mainly because we weren't one of those troops that sat around and did badges at every meeting. We went out and did things. We explored, traveled, learned things we might not have if it hadn't been for Girl Scouts. I most definitely cherish my childhood memories of this because of all the cool places we went. We were pages for a day for the Texas Senate in Austin. We went camping (and even did a Troop Beverly Hills campout), went to California, San Antonio, Oklahoma. Just to name a few places. I went to camp and met new friends and had a blast for the few weeks I was "away from the parents" every summer. 

I have to say none of this would have all been possible without some really good troop leaders that came up with all these ideas and inspiried us. When my troop finally disbanded the summer before my senior year we still had over half the girls that started in our troop back when I joined in second grade!

My oldest Taylor recently started Girl Scouts and I think secretly I am more excited about it than she knows! I feel in a society that encourages girls to grow up so much more quickly than necessary, Girl Scouts helps preserve some of that innocence. I remember growing up watching Strawberry Shortcake and Rainbow Brite and now it seems that the only thing on TV is drama shows were kids are boyfriend and girlfriend and they discuss cheating on the other! Really! Is that necessary already!! 

Thankfully there is still some goodness out in the world and I encourage all those moms with daughters to think about Girl Scouts to teach them morals and values that our daughters so desperately need!

If you want more information on Girl Scouts look here:  Girl Scouts