Hitting children at Wal-Mart???

Just when you think you've heard it all....! There is another story on the news or in the papers that makes you go "WOW!".

I am sure you all have heard about the "grandpa" who went around wal-mart hitting children with his closed fists, keys in hand. Now these children didn't have to be doing a thing except breathing, but he would take it upon himself to hit them as hard as he could then run away. Luckily, one mom acted quickly and caught the little sucker before he could do it to another child. His excuse.....he liked the feeling of being able to get away with hitting someone's child while they were nearby.

I can only imagine what I would do if I found out that any of these things happened to my child. What can we do to protect our children more? What would you have done in this situation?



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The Greatest Casualty is Being Forgotten

I know firsthand all too well what the effects of war can do to a soldier. I have seen so many people in the military community deal with the physical and psychological aspects of war, and it is often left unspoken of. Countless numbers of soldiers deal with PTSD and TBI. Some even come home missing limbs. Many times they don't have a voice to advocate on their behalf and miss out on great opportunities for themselves and their families.

I recently came across a wonderful resource called The Wounded Warrior Project. According to their website, their mission is to honor and empower wonded warriors, raise awareness and enlist the public's aid for the needs of severely injured service members and assist each other, and to provide unique, direct programs and services to meet the needs of severely injured service members.

The Wounded Warrior Project provides countless programs including benefits counseling, caregivers retreats, coping/family services, warriors to work, peer mentoring and so much more.

One of the most intriguing programs is Soldier Ride, which is a rehabilitative cycling event designed to challenge wounded warriors who deal with the physical and mental wounds of war. Check them out on the Soldier Ride Blog, their facebook fan page, and twitter. You can also lend your support here and 10% of the proceeds support their cause.

You can also follow The Wounded Warrior Project on Facebook.

I plan to highlight some of these amazing organizations in the future!

~Savory Sunday~ Carrot Cheesecake Bars

~Savory Sunday~ Carrot Cheesecake Bars

This week's recipe comes from Kraft Recipes for Carrot Cheesecake Bars. The recipe is as follows:

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time 6hrs 5 min

Makes 24 servings

What You Need:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

1-1/2 cup HONEY MAID graham cracker crumbs

1 cup sugar, divided

1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon divided

3 pckg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, softened

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN sour cream

3 eggs

3/4 cup finely shredded carrots (about 2)

1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP whipped topping

Make it!

Heat oven to 325 degrees

Mix butter, crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon: press onto bottom of 13X9 inch pan. Bake 10 mins.

Beat cream cheese, vanilla, and the remaining sugar and cinnamon in large bowl with mixer until blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time,. beating after each just until blended. Stir in carrots; spread over crust.

Bake 45 to 50 mins. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hrs. Serve topped with COOL WHIP.

Kraft kitchen tips

SOUR CREAM-TOPPED CHEESECAKE BARS

Omit COOL WHIP. Prepare and bake cheesecake as directed. Mix 1 container (16 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN sour cream, 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Spread over warm cheesecake. Bake 5 mins. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hrs. Refrigerate leftovers.

SPECIAL EXTRA

Top each serving with a PLANTERS Pecan Half.

For my last ~Savory Sunday~ I posted the recipe for Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies. I made them last week, but hubby took off with my camera in the truck, and I wasn't going to wait around for him to return before my daughter and I devoured the batch! Fortunately, Krystel at Army Wife 101 made them also. I'm stealing this pic from her Facebook Page. I'm sure she won't mind!

DON'T FORGET to enter the Outback Steakhouse Gift Certificate Giveaway and the UPrinting Business Cards Giveaway!

Outback Steakhouse Gift Certificate Giveaway

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THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!

Outback Steakhouse is a huge supporter of troops in the U.S. They recently donated $1 million to Operation Homefront, which is a non-profit org that provides emergency and morale support to veterans, active troops and their families. Outback Steakhouse has also sent volunteers overseas to give soldiers in combat a "taste of home. They have also contributed to the relief effort in Haiti.

I am thrilled to host a giveaway with this great company. Outback Steakhouse is giving a winner a certificate with a value up to $45. This is good at any Outback Steakhouse in the U.S. and includes appetizers, beverages, and desserts.

To Enter the giveaway: Tell me what food(s) you would like to try at Outback Steakhouse. Please leave your email address so that I can have a way to contact you.

Extra Entries:

Follow my Facebook Fan Page by clicking the link on this side of my
site --------------------------------------------------------------------------------> (1 extra entry)

If you already signed up here you have been entered automatically.

One winner will be chosen on March 31, 2010 via Random.org and have 48hrs to respond via email. Good Luck!

I Won An Award!

I received this award from Amanda at Thecurlyblogger.

She totally made my day!

Thanks so much!!!

I am Leading a Double Life

It never ceases to amaze me how little civilian people tend to relate to my military experience as a spouse. I have witnessed the most offhanded comments, which I now attribute to lack of knowledge or someone just really not knowing what to say. I have been married to the army for seven years. Out of those seven years, that little mistress has taken my husband away from me for about four years. During those times when he is gone I have gone through a range of emotions. Sadness, confusion, pride, loneliness, bitterness........But, recently I have found myself missing the single life. Not the single life of not being married, but the single life of being married while being single. Does that make sense?

Don't get me wrong, I love when my husband is at home, away from the dangerous confines of war and working 18 hours a day. But I do miss my single time. You know those times when I can just pig out on Baskin Robbins and leave the container by the recliner cuz I feel like it. Or not having to cook a well-balanced meal Sunday through Thursday cuz my soldier is coming home hungry after a long day's work or he is just hungry period! Or feeding my anxiety and loneliness by giving Ross or Target an extra $50 that I know I should tuck away for something more important, but I'm an Army wife so I can do whatever I want while my husband is fighting for our freedom and I am feeling crappy at home alone. Or leaving the bed unmade cuz I wanna crash on it when I feel like it and will mess it back up anyway. Or not doing laundry and letting 4 loads build on top of one another cuz I don't have ACU's to wash so I really don't care at that point. Or having all the televisions to myself with the DVR's set to Property Virgins, The View, Ellen, Chelsea Lately, Oprah and all the other shows my hubby doesn't care to watch.

Sounds like I'm lazy now that I have reread it but that's hardly the case, believe me. I guess its a way of dealing with my emotions, those emotions that most women won't ever get to experience on the same level as I have. Whatever the case, I do miss it. Selfish? Maybe. I dunno. What do you think?


pic courtesy of

If you are in the military or are the spouse of someone in the military, leave your current location and email address below. I have something special for one lucky winner!!!

Nothing Can Be Salvaged. I am Doomed!

We've all been there. Myself more than once...more than a few times actually. In a few short minutes everything can literally be destroyed. What you worked so hard to get is now gone! It's useless. Nothing you can do, in most cases, can ever bring it back. You stand there in utter disbelief wondering how you could have let this happen, holding the remnants of what once was in your hands. This time it was no fault of my own. It was his fault. Yep! My husband did it. He ruined the laundry!

He was just trying to help out. This isn't the first time he has ruined my mommy wardrobe though, so I should have known better than to entrust him with my minimal garments. Hey I don't have lots of clothes, especially to throw away!

The pic below shows a few pieces I care to share out of a large load of laundry. It's just too painful to take a picture of all at once. Yes it hurts that much hehe. Out of that load of laundry everything is speckled with green dots from a permanent marker left in one of the pockets of his ACU's. The entire load kind of looks like the leftovers you'd find in the street after a Mardi Gras Parade. The pic does not do it justice though. Since I posted it you can barely see the green stains, but trust me they're there. They're EVERYWHERE!

So, lesson learned here. Check the pockets of everyone's clothing thoroughly, even before my husband does the laundry! Or be prepared to get rid of most of your wardrobe.

If anyone knows of a way the clothes can be salvaged please let me know. I'm not sure Clorox can fix this one.

UPrinting-500 Business Cards Giveaway

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!



The folks at UPrinting have done it AGAIN!

They are giving my readers a chance to get a free set of Business Cards! These cards can be really useful: from the classic business card, to blogger cards, designer cards, and so much more. Business cards have evolved from the classic rectangular shape, to more edgy and modern square and slim cards. They offer them all! UPrinting also offers a print online discount.

One Lucky Winner will get:

500 Business Cards

Sizes: 2 x 3.5”, 2 x 3”, 2 x 2” (square card) or 1.5 x 3.5” (slim card)

Paper: 14 pt gloss cardstock, 14 pt matte cardstock or 13 pt recycled uncoated cardstock

Specifications: Full Color Both Sides; Offset Press; 3 Business Day Printing

Shipping: FREE UPS Ground Shipping

Eligibility: Limited to US Residents only

Mandatory: Tell me how you would use these cards. Leave your email address so I can contact you. Thats it! Easy right?!

Extra Entries: Tweet about this giveaway and leave me the link. Can be done once a day. Don't forget to leave your email address. (2 extra entries )

Giveaway ends March 30, 2010 at 12pm EST. Winner will have 48hrs to respond. You must be at least 18 years of age to win.

Good Luck!

Disclosure: I will be receiving a blogger appreciation prize for doing this giveaway.

JumpStart Review and Giveaway

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

As a former preschool teacher, and mom to a four year old, I am always looking for ways to provide fun learning experiences that are also educational. Video games are all the craze these days, but few teach children learning concepts. I was excited to receive a free membership to www.jumpstart.com. JumpStart is a browser-based virtual world for children 3-10 years of age that teaches everything from math to reading.

I logged in to the 3D virtual world, and added my daughter to the account. She was ecstatic, as you can see in the picture below.

She created her own avatar, which are called Jumpeez, and started exploring the different worlds. There is AdventureLand and MarineLand for Kindergarten to 2nd grade, FutureLand for 3rd-5th grade and StoryLand is aimed at 3-5 year olds.

We spent a lot of time in StoryLand since it catered to her age group. In StoryLand she could decorate her own house and play games that taught colors and numbers and shapes. She could also watch a movie in the theater.

She enjoyed the following game, because the bugs would crawl around through the leaves and she had to catch the correct number and color of the bugs shown on the notepad and place them in the box.

This game was also a favorite. The monkeys would come out of the trees and she had to choose the one with the correct card number that corresponded to the number in the middle of the tree.

Once my daughter figured out how to manuever her Jumpee, and it wasn't hard to figure out, she had a blast! I did have to help her along the way a few times until she got the hang of it depending on what she had to do, but it wasn't too difficult for her. She loved the fact that she could make the Jumpee fly and swim, and she could earn coins to spend on her Jumpee in the Downtown area.

Buggy Racer was also a cool game! She had to drive the jeep and launch ice bolts at the tiki's to collect all of them and win.

JumpStart is a great fit for my daughter. I would recommend their products if you are looking for something educational and entertaining. They also have a blog with content for parents where you can stay up to date on the latest happenings with Jumpstart!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED. CONGRATS TO BIGTEETHCLOUDS! HOPE YOU ENJOY!

Win it! The lovely people at Jumpstart will give one of my lovely readers a free 3 month membership!

MANDATORY: Go here and tell me which character you think your child(ren) would enjoy the most AND why.

Extra Entries: Single post for each entry. Please leave email address for each entry or comments will be deleted.

GIVEAWAY ENDS MARCH 23, 2010 12PM EST. Winner will be notified and have 48hrs to respond via email.

Follow me publicly (1 entry)

Follow Jumpstart on twitter. (1 entry)

Grab my button and leave link so I can find it (1 entry)

Follow me on twitter and tweet about the giveaway (You can do this once a day). Leave comment with link to your tweet (1 entry per day)

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GOOD LUCK!

“Disclosure: I was provided with a JumpStart membership at no cost by Knowledge Adventure in order to test the products’ abilities and give my own personal opinions on it. The opinions I have given are mine and may differ from others but were not influenced by the company or the free product provided.”

1-2-3 Preschool Projects Review

1-2-3 Preschool Projects is a professionally designed preschool curriculum that offers a variety of textural materials that encourages the love of learning in a young child. They offer monthly packets that contain full theme based activities to encourage development in the areas of fine motor, gross motor, cognitive, language, math, drama, science and tactile skills for children ages 2-5 years old.

I received a free sample from them in the mail a few days ago. I was impressed at the neatness and contents of the packaging. I received 3 activites with cut-outs and textures that related to the number 4 and fish. My daughter colored fun faces on the fish. She then glued bubble wrap and the number 4 onto blue card stock paper. She glued the four fish onto the bubble wrap to create fish swimming in the ocean. We counted the fish and traced the number 4 with our fingers. We also popped some of the bubble wrap and sang The Fish Song. we talked about what kind of animals live in the sea and how the water is different from the water in our bathtub. We pretended to be fish in the ocean and read the book Rainbow Fish by Marcus Herbert.

We both enjoyed the activities in the project. I like how all of the materials were already packaged. My only gripe would be that the fish cutouts and the number 4 cutout could have been a little bigger for her to pick up being that we had to put glue on the back of them. It was hard for her to pick them up at times and draw the faces on them.

I think this company would be a great avenue for homeschooling parents and preschools alike.

I was not asked by this company to do a review of their product. These views expressed are mine solely and I did not received any type of compensation for this review.

MyMomfessions Monday with Army Wife 101 and Giveaway

Since we PCS'd to Hawaii two years ago, I have seen many people come and leave. I am used to it now. The military life causes you to become somewhat numb to the friendships you create. Not in a bad way. It's just that you know pretty soon you will be leaving, or your friends will be leaving before you. You have to prepare yourself to have long-distance relationships, and hope that one day you will see those friends again. Maybe even live on the same base or city as them. Rare. But it could happen.

I met Krystel, Army Wife 101, on a website called Hawaiimomslikeme. Usually people send you a message and you correspond for a while, maybe even meet, but then lose touch. Krystel sent me a message and I thought it was prob one of those messgaes I had received time and time again. "Hey how are ya! I'm so and so and would love to get to know you better. Maybe we can meet up with the kiddos and have a playdate?! Hope to talk to you soon!" I don't remember the verbage of her message, but I did respond and she responded back in a few hours. We talked on the phone for a few days and finally I went to her house on base for chat and lunch that consisted of pizza, chicken wings, and salad. The rest is history. Although there have been gaps in our communication, we have kept in touch. When she told me about creating a blog I had no idea what she was talking about. Now, I have one lol.

If you haven't been to her website yet, you have to visit. We had a very candid interview at Starbucks while we sipped on our Grande White Chocolate Mocha Latte's with lowfat milk and whipped cream. With that being said, I am more than excited to share more about her with you! There is also an awesome giveaway!!!

1. Describe yourself in 3 words. Calm, Cool, Informed

2. What trait to you like the most about yourself? I like the fact that I am a giver. I like doing for others, especially when it comes to helping other military spouses.

3. Do you have a motto? My motto has to be my favorite quote ever, even though it's popular. "Do not make someone a priority who only makes you an option."

4. How long has your husband been in the military? My husband spent 8 years as a marine and 4 years in the Army. He is currently on his second deployment.

5. How is this deployment different from the first? Well for one, it's shorter. The first deployment was 15 months, this deployment is only 12. Secondly, I didn't understand what to expect with the first deployment. I was scared, stressed mentally and physically, I stayed home most of the time, and was overcome with loneliness and anxiety. This time around I have the worries of any other normal military wife with a spouse deployed overseas. I also get to talk to my husband more this time around.

6. Why did you decide to start Army Wife 101? The idea started when my husband was on his first deployment. My cousin suggested that I start a deployment blog. We were already into his fourth month of deployment, so I figured it might be pointless. I was moderating a few military spouse forums online and for some reason seemed to be the go-to person for all things military when people had questions. So I figured hey, why don't I just answer their questions without them having to flip through pages and pages of books and magazines related to the military. So I started to blog.

7. What would be your ideal project to work on with Army Wife 101? My ideal project would be to work with Michelle Obama. I think that she could do a lot for military spouses to help bring an awareness to things that are going on in our lives. While people go about their day doing their normal everyday routines, our soldiers are defending our country so that they can enjoy those very freedoms. I think she can help make people more aware of what miltary spouses sacrifice everyday, especially during deployments.

8. Where do you see the future of Army Wife 101? I see the future of Army Wife 101 growing into an international site in the sense of conus and oconus. I want it to be a community where military spouses can share what we all endure on a daily basis.

9. Do you have any advice for miltary spouses whose other half has deployed or is deploying? Be patient. Be supportive. Know that just because your other half hasn't called you for a few days doesn't mean that they don't want to. Don't be afraid to show your feelings. Make sure you have all of your paperwork in order.

10. Any advice for spouses who have PCS'd or looking to PCS soon? Stay on top of things. Research what you don't know about your new duty station. Prep your house months ahead of time. Throw away things you don't need and get organized.

Any other thoughts? Google is your friend, but Army Wife 101 is your BEST FRIEND!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED: WINNER IS GERRY. CONGRATS! BLOGGER IS ACTING UP SO I WILL POST SCREENSHOT OF RANDOM.ORG WHEN IT LETS ME.

*GIVEAWAY* Krystel, aka Army Wife 101 has some fave snacks and you get to win them! Thats right, you get to win a package that includes one of each: NaturesValley Sweet and Salty Almond Bars and Nut Clusters, French Onion Sun Chips, Sour Cream and Onion Pringles, Nacho Doritos, and Honey Roasted Cashews. Plus a $5 Target gift Card!

Mandatory: Follow me publicly on my site from an authentic site or blog.

I must have a way to contact you. Please leave your email address!

For Extra Entries:

Follow me on Facebook and tell what your fave snack is. (1 extra entry)

Follow me on Twitter and tweet about giveaway...can be done once a day for extra entries...please come back to my Facebook fan page and post your tweet with your twitter name so I can find it ...you can post

Win an Army Wife 101 Snack Pack and a $5 Target Gift Card from mymomfessionshttp://www.mymomfessions.com/2010/03/mymomfessions-monday-with-army-wife-101.html

Follow Army Wife 101 on Twitter and tweet about the giveaway...can be done once a day for extra entries...please come back to my Facebook fan page and post your tweet with your twitter name so I can find it

(1 tweet per day=2 entries per day). List a separate entry for each tweet.

Follow Army Wife 101 on her blog (1 entry)

Giveaway ends March 19, 2010 5am EST. GOOD LUCK!

If you would like to be featured on MyMomfessions Monday email me at stephanie@mymomfessions.com with MyMomfessions Monday as the title.

~Savory Sunday~ Easy Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Cookies

I found this recipe on www.kraftrecipes.com . It looks so yummy I thought I'd share this with you!

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1/2 cup finely chopped PLANTERS Unsalted COCKTAIL Peanuts

HEAT oven to 325°F.

MIX peanut butter, sugar and egg until well blended. Refrigerate 30 min. Roll into 18 balls. Place, 3 inches apart, on baking sheet. Flatten each ball, in criss-cross pattern, with fork.

BAKE 18 to 20 min. or until lightly browned. Cool 5 min. Remove from baking sheet to wire rack; cool completely.

MELT chocolate as directed on package. Dip ends of cookies in chocolate; gently shake off excess. Coat with chopped nuts; place on parchment- or waxed paper-covered baking sheet. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

These easy-to-make cookies don't need any flour!

HOW TO MELT CHOCOLATE

Microwave chocolate in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted

I almost died like Michael Jackson

When it comes to our looks and bodies I am sure there is something we all would like to change about ourselves. In the day and age that we are currently living almost anything is possible. If you want a smaller nose you can get it. If you want fuller lips you can get them. Larger breasts? No problem. Smaller tummy? You got it.

Collagen injections, implants and the like are not just all the rage in Hollywood anymore. You and I are now jumping on the bandwagon. Well, not literally, for me anyway. Yes, there are things I would love to change about myself to get the perfect face and body, but its not happening. For one, nobody is cutting me unless it's a life or death situation. Two, I am perfectly okay with not being perfect. But, some people are not. For them, being perfect means going under the knife to fulfill whatever it is they desire to become "more" cosmetically.

When I came across this YouTube video of Heidi Montag I wished I could have been a fly on the wall, or maybe even her brain. She had ten surgeries in one day and almost died like Michael Jackson as she put it! She did accomplish looking totally different, but I wonder if she has achieved inner peace. I thought she looked perfectly fine before the surgeries, but it just goes to show you what inner demons people wrestle with inside even though the outside image may seem perfect to some. What do you think of her new look, her decision, and what the future holds for her?

Wordless Wednesday

This is me on some random waianae coast beach. I am pregnant at the time trying not to fall off the rock! :)

Winner of $20 Wal-Mart Giftcard Giveaway

The winner of the $20 Wal-Mart Gift Card Giveaway is Lois S. Thanks to everyone who participated!

How Many REAL Friends Do You Have?

As I was talking with someone earlier today that I considered a friend, I realized that I may be using the term "friend" to loosely. Would this person come running if I needed help at home? Would she offer to help me out in any way? If I were in a crisis could I count on her to be there? Could I trust her with my deepest thoughts and feelings? Probably not. We can LOL all day long, hang out occasionally, blah blah blah, but at the end of the day could I count on her for anything else? Nope!

So, what exactly is a friend? When I pondered this question over and over in my mind I realized that "she" is not a friend, but merely an associate. She is someone I laugh with, occasionally hang out with, share family stories with, but just an associate. Is that harsh to say? Or is it just being honest? I think that a lot of times we call people our friends who are not really our friends. We use the term "friend" without having a second thought about what we are truly saying. We even introduce people as our "friend(s) that are just people we are associated with. Would it be rude to introduce someone as your associate? Hmmm. Or is it just politically correct to say "Hey this is my friend!"? I think that's what most of us have grown accustomed to.

As I thought more about this I realized that I only have 3 REAL friends. Yea I talk to lots of people almost everyday, my contact list in my cell is at an all time high. They all have different traits and characteristics, and I may be able to tell one something that I wouldn't tell the other. Yet, they are just associates.

Out of my 3 REAL friends I realize that I can share the same things with each of them. I have no fear of judgement, no reason to believe my thoughts and feelings are being shared with others without my knowledge, no bearing witness to snarky sarcastic remarks (that I have been doing oh so well at ignoring what I have dubbed "foolishness")....I have been biting my tongue extremely well being that I am an outspoken person. With my REAL friends though, I don't have to bite my tongue. There is no reason to. I can just be me, and fully me. What are your thoughts? Do you use the term "friend" too loosely? How many REAL friends do you have?

pic courtesy of