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.