Oh Shakeology!!

I'll admit it.

I was skeptical.

I mean, it tasted great. It sounded good.

But there was one thing holding me back.

The price.

So instead of committing to a full size bag of

Shakeology, I decided to participate in a

10-day challenge to really see how, or if, this

stuff works the way it claims to.

I wanted something to substitute breakfast with.

I know breakfast is the most important meal of the day,

I just don't feel like eating that early in the morning.

Its usually a cup of coffee and then I'm off to start my day.

I have been feeling very sluggish and down recently

and I wanted to see if drinking the vitamin packed 

Shakeology for breakfast would give me the pick-me-up 

I needed to get through the day.

I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised by the effects

of Shakeology! I loved having something tasty and easy

to prepare in the morning that filled me up until lunch time.

It gave me the boost of energy I was so desperately

searching for. I found myself being more productive and

even skipping my afternoon naps a couple of times.

Although I wasn't doing this challenge for weight loss,

other people in the challenge group were. Those people

had such amazing results from just 10 days of Shakeology

that I really became a believer.

Now is this stuff worth the cost?

Its not cheap.

$129.95 for a 30-day supply may shock you.

It sounds outrageous. But its all in the way you think about it.

A few people in the group replaced their lunches

with Shakeology which might be more cost effective,

especially if you tend to eat out a lot for lunch.

Another thing that persuades me to invest in it is the fact

that Shakeology is a product of Beachbody and Beachbody is

a direct sales company, which means somebody would be

benefiting from this purchase. In my case, it would be my

dear friend and Beachbody Coach Rikka who would get the

commission. I would love to support her and get healthy at the same time.

And one last reason, if you throw down $130 bucks for this

stuff, how likely are you to NOT do it. I would think that would

give you the motivation right there! "I spent $130 on this, I'm

not letting it go to waste!"

Now, some of you may remember when I was making smoothies.

That was fun while it lasted but it took work and buying all that

frozen and fresh fruit wasn't exactly cheap either. The convenience

of quickly mixing up a glass of Shakeology is so appealing to me

and I'm much more likely to stick to it.

So how can you get in on this goodness?

Contact Rikka to find out when she's holding another 10-day challenge.

Anyone in the US can participate, she will ship to you!

(Note: There is a fee involved for your 10-day supply of Shakeology)

If you're already convinced and would like to get some for yourself

you can buy from Rikka here: www.beachbodycoach.com/rikkapetty

Did I mention this stuff tastes amazing????? 

I'm a huge fan of chocolate and vanilla specifically,

but I've heard great things about the vegan strawberry.

Menu Plan 7/27-8/2

Here's my menu plan for this upcoming week.

I think I might go back to rotating meals now that Andrew is home.

It was so much easier to organize and shop for.

I had a master list of like 30 meals that were affordable and healthy

and that I knew everybody would eat.

I would just rotate those meals throughout the week days and use

the weekends to try out new recipes or spend money on steaks or

something. It worked out really nicely. Since I had a pretty good

sized list, we never got sick of anything.

As a mom of 3 little ones, I feel like I'm just trying to survive getting

through these days! Anything I can do to save a couple minutes here and 

there is worth it. And if I can still feed them healthy meals, its even more

worth it. So look for my master list of rotating meals next week :)

July 27-August 2

Chicken Croissants and Pasta Salad

Bratwurst and Beans

Crunchy Chicken and Steamed Veggies

Tuna Helper

Pancakes and Bacon

Texas Ranch Chicken Casserole

Fast Food

Please excuse the Tuna Helper lol! This is not a normal meal around here

but it was on sale and we're broke! We will be doing another fast food night

this week because we're headed to San Diego the following day and its always

nice not to have to deal with dishes and cleaning up after cooking the night before!

Friday Reflection

I am doing a Friday Reflection once again. I started this last
week as an attempt to take a minute out of my week to think
positively about my life. I'm also hoping it will give me a reason
to think positively in the upcoming week so I can answer the
questions again next Friday!

If you want to join me, you can link up your post below!
(Its super easy to link up and it could bring you more viewers!)

If you don't have a blog, feel free to add your answers in the comment
section at the bottom!

What is one thing you learned this week?

That there are badgers in the town I was raised in! I never knew!

What is one thing that made you smile this week? 

Hubby buying me a soda lol I've been soda free all week and I was

having a rough day!

What is one thing you did for someone else this week?

Partnered up with a friend to surprise another friend with lunch and
groceries for her and her kids.

What is one thing you did for yourself this week?

 I took a niiiice hot bath to soothe my sore muscles from working out!
It was glorious.

What are your plans for the weekend?
Making soup for one of my fellow LAR spouses who was recently
diagnosed with cancer and is starting chemo. Other than that, just
hanging out around the house with the family :)

Help Me Pick A Dress!

I'm really excited about this post!
I NEED YOUR HELP!

My husband's 10 year high school reunion is next month and

I'm stressing out over what to wear! I've collected a few dresses

as possibilities but I really want to look awesome since I want to

make a good impression with all these people Andrew grew up with.

(Ok...honestly... its to look amazing when his ex's see me!)

So here are my 4 possible dresses.

Please vote below!!

Dress #1

(It's dark blue)

Dress #2

Dress #3

Dress #4

Votes are anonymous but if you have any comments or suggestions
please let me know in the comment section below!!

Thank you!!!

What should I wear??
	Dress #1
	Dress #2
	Dress #3
	Dress #4
pollcode.com free polls

Life In Twentynine Palms Part I

Living in Twentynine Palms, CA is definitely an experience.

You really have to make an effort to learn about the area in order

to appreciate it and feel ok about making it your home.

I remember moving here and being so curious. I kept asking

people "What do they have there?" and they would say "What

do you mean?" and I would say "What do they HAVE? What is

there to do?" I just pictured a ghost town with tumbleweeds.

The first time I drove in to 29, I pretty much accepted my fate.

"Yep, it's a ghost town and there are tumbleweeds." and I

proceeded to spend almost every day holed up in my house.

It wasn't until I met some friends who had lived here for a while

that I started to see what this town had to offer. Once I started

to discover these hidden gems, I grew to like it.

Here are some things I recommend around here:

Eating Out

There are a few fast-food places here that we're all familiar with.

McDonalds, Jack in the Box, Del Taco, Subway, Quiznos, Burger

King. KFC, all the popular pizza delivery places. On base there is Carls Jr,

Taco Bell and Five Guys. The PX also has a Jamba Juice and Starbucks

as well as a food court with a couple different options.

There is a popular taco shop in town called Santana's. I grew up in

Southern California though and was raised on greasy taco shops. We

really like the food there and they are famous for their California Burrito.

The best part is they have a drive-thru! (This was a hot spot for me

while hubby was deployed!)

For Chinese food I have only tried two local places. Top 100 (they deliver!)

and TK Donuts & Chinese Express which is similar to Panda Express and its

easy to take the kids there for a quick meal. I like the food at both of those

places or I wouldn't be posting about them here!

Some other local restaurants I recommend are the 29 Palms Inn, Palm Kabob,

and Bistro 29. These are tried and true, people! There are still a few places I

need to try around here and I will add them into a Pt 2 post :)

For cold treats we really like Splash and Foster's Freeze. We also occasionally

pick up ice cream at the counter inside Rite-Aid. There is a frozen yogurt

place on base but between me and you, I'm not a huge fan.

For Fun

People like to pretend that there is "nothing to doooo" around here.
It's not San Diego, but there is a lot available if you look around.

One big favorite past-time around here is Joshua Tree National Park.
They are actually offering a free annual pass to military members right now.
I highly recommend taking advantage of this deal! When we first moved
here, we purchased the annual pass for $30. It more than paid for itself by
the amount of times we visited the park. If you don't have a pass, you have
to pay $15 to enter and your pass is only valid for 7 days. Entrance to JTNP
is easily accessible through 29 and its a really beautiful place to visit, hike or picnic.
My kids love to just climb all over the huge boulders and explore the caves.



Watching movies around here is low-cost fun. Being in a real city, going to
the movies can cost an arm and a leg. I can't stand paying that much for a movie!
We have the Sunset Cinema on base which is $2 a person. Yep... TWO dollars!
The concession stand is pretty affordable too! The theater occasionally offers
3D movies and even a free kids movie on Saturdays!

Our other movie option is the Smith's Drive-In off base. I know...cool, right?!
We looove going to the drive-in. Kids 3 and under are free and everyone else
is $5! They also have a concession stand available but accept cash only.

We really enjoy going to the library. There is one on base and out it town. We
tend to go to the one on base more often since its closer but they are both good
libraries! The story times at the base library are so fun and interactive. They also
host free kids craft days all the time, mostly around the holidays. I'm not sure
about story time off base.



During the summer, some of our other favorite activities are going to the pool
or the splash park. Base has a free splash pad which is really fun for younger ones.
There are also multiple pools available for our use. The family pool and the training
tank are free and open to everyone. Lincoln Housing has 3 additional pools available
to base housing residents. Off base there is Luckie Park pool. Swim lessons are
available at both Luckie Park and base pools.



The kids stay active through dance and sports on base and off. Willow Tree Dance
Studio is off base and is very popular for dance lessons toddler-adult. My daughter
was enrolled in ballet through the City of Twentynine Palms. We do most of our
activities through MCCS on base. They always have really fun stuff for kids to sign
up for but spaces fill up FAST so sign up as soon as registration opens to ensure a spot.





One last place I highly recommend for affordable family fun is the bowling alley on
base. My friends and I often take the kids around lunch time and let them bowl while
we chat. They recently changed up their snack bar and I'm a little disappointed with
the changes. It used to be a lot more affordable to feed everyone lunch there. Since
they made the changes, we haven't gone as much, but it is still fun every now and then!
 They do serve pizza and beer so it would make for a good date night too!

~~~~~~~~~~

 These are just some of things available around town. I hope to get out more myself
and discover new places to post about. I will do a part 2 post in the near future.

If you know anyone moving to 29 Palms, please refer them to my post! I wish
I would've had this information before we moved out here!
And if anyone moving here has any questions, feel free to ask!

Update: Our 7 Bank Accounts

A few months ago, I wrote this piece on the concept of

seven separate bank accounts to manage your family's finances.

I gave it a shot and have been using this system since then and

I want to update you to let you know how its going.

I highly recommend having multiple accounts, however 7

seemed to be too much for us. Our most difficult part was

distinguishing Dad's money from Mom's money, especially

when we went places together. It was a lot easier when he

was deployed. So this is what we have come up with:

1. Fun Money Account

2. Car Savings Account

3. Emergency Money Account

4. Expected Expenses Account

5. Family Account

I have gotten into the habit of depositing $20 each paycheck to

accounts 1-4. Seriously, $80 is not much and we don't miss it

yet our 4 savings accounts are growing.

With our Family Account we do a lot of communicating to make

sure we are spending within our limits. After our bills are paid each

month, we then calculate our budgeted gas, groceries, and Andrew's

weekly haircuts (gotta love the military!). Whatever left over is our

allotted spending money for the rest of that paycheck.

I still highly recommend mint.com for free online money management.

I use it daily.

I have 2 of our accounts with Ally which is an online high-yield savings account

and I'm REALLY pleased with them. Especially since it takes 3 days to transfer 

money between accounts which makes it harder to touch!

I also recently signed up (for free) with Captial One 360 for our Fun Money

account. They offer personal and refer-a-friend bonuses which is just a little

extra money for our savings!

Sign up for free here: https://r.capitalone360.com/H7NHbbiQwm

Menu Plan 7/21-7/26

I used to be very detailed about meal planning. I would plan every

meal of every day (including 2 snacks) for a week at a time before I

went to the grocery store. I'm not sure why or when I stopped doing

that...probably because its so much work...but I really liked knowing

what we were eating and when. It was one less thing I had to think

about. Recently, you're lucky if I can squeeze out a week's worth of

dinner ideas before my weekly shopping trip.

Some day I hope to get back to my super organized meal planning.

But I think I will start posting my weekly menu here. It will give me

the opportunity to share new recipes and recommendations and I'll 

be able to use it for future reference when I'm stuck on dinner ideas.

 

So for a little pregame warmup...

You can print out your own Menu Planner worksheet here.

The type of meals I plan depends on our budget.

 I budget $125 a week for the 5 of us.

(Rule of thumb: $100 per person per month)

If we have enough in our budget I'll throw in a "fast food night".

Feel free to ask for recipes or copy my dinner plans.

If the recipes are online, I will try to remember to link them.

July 21-July 26

Fajitas and Black Beans

Spaghetti and Garlic Bread

Chicken Croissants and Pasta Salad

Beef Tacos

Crockpot Beef w/ Broccoli and Brown Rice

Kentucky Brown Bake

Fast Food Night

Calling All Bloggers!

Serenity You has nearly reached 2000 Twitter Followers! and to celebrate she is having a giveaway

The prize will be Cash via Paypal and the total amount will be dependent on blogger sign ups.

You can only use your Twitter account for entries in the rafflecopter giveaway

Here's what the rafflecopter will look like
Links will be in this order

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Co-Hosts
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Free links
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• Co-host spots are $15. You will get you blog on the main giveaway page with a photo of yourself and link back to your blog and twitter account. You will also be sent the html to post the giveaway on your blog. 
• Sponsor spots are $10. You will get your blog or site button on the main giveaway page with a link back to your blog/site and twitter account. You can put the giveaway on your site if you wish.
• Group 1 spots are $8. Your link will be directly on the rafflecopter.
• Group 2 spots are $5. Your link will be directly on the rafflecopter
• Group 3 spots are $3. Your link will be directly on the rafflecopter
• Free Links are free only will an sign up announcement post and you must also post the giveaway on your blog when it goes live. You can pay $2 to opt out of posting the announcement and giveaway post

Click here to sign up

Sign up's close on Monday 29th July

The giveaway will run from August 1st - August 22nd

Here is the Link to the Announcement post html

Friday Reflection

I'm doing away with Wordless Wednesday and starting some

new Friday things. Since my goal is to be more positive and

encourage you to be more positive too, I figured we could use

Friday's as a time to reflect on our week. You don't have to

participate if you don't want to, you can just read mine, but if

you wish to answer the questions yourself, go ahead and link-up
your post or answer them in a comment so we can all see :) 

What is one thing you learned this week?

 I learned that I will be ok. Last week was rough, this one was better!

What is one thing that made you smile this week? 

My friends coming over Tues morning to pull me out of my rut!

What is one thing you did for someone else this week?

I mailed a small gift to one of my good friends as a surprise :)

What is one thing you did for yourself this week?

 I started focusing on my health.

What are your plans for the weekend?

Catch up on my shows and take the kids to the drive-in!

Please take a minute to follow my friend, Becca, who is teaming
up with me on this link-up!

Healthy Me/Happy Me

Ok I am getting serious.

I haven't had any motivation lately to do anything.

Smoothies and TurboFire have taken the back seat since Sam died.

I never officially completed the Sit-Ups challenge.

But as I deal with all sorts of mental struggles, I've realized that

I need to focus on taking care of myself to find that Happy Me again.

I'm going to the gym today.

This is huge. I don't remember the last time I set foot in a gym!

Our base community center has a free cardio room for us to use and

they even have a separate room where the kids can play, with windows

so we can see them the entire time.

I'm super excited about going and I've decided to try to C25K program.

I will start that today!

I've also committed myself to a 10 day Shakeology challenge with my

Beachbody coach Rikka. I obviously don't need to lose weight but I am

horrible at eating breakfast. I drink coffee and go on with my day. I know

breakfast is super important for you so I'm hoping that using Shakeology as

a breakfast meal replacement will give me a better start to my day and the

vitamins and superfoods its packed with helps my mind and energy levels.

I will report back to you after these 10 days and let you know how I feel.

I start that tomorrow!

The absolute hardest thing about all of this is changing my eating habits.

For the next 10 days, at least, I need to really pay attention to what I eat.

That is part of the challenge that I agreed to. No soda, no alcohol, no

fast food. The only thing I've got going for me here is that my husband is

studying nutrition science and will be on my butt about it every day!

Sooo wish me luck with all of these new adventures!

If you want to join me in any of these challenges, let me know! I can let you

know when Rikka does her next Shakeology challenge and we can keep

eachother motivated with workouts and eating right! That's what best friends are for!

:)

Will You Be My Best Friend?

Hello lovelies.

So chances are when I go on a huge hiatus from posting, its because

I'm in one of my "lows" as I grieve the loss of my best friend.

I know that's not something that everyone wants to hear or be open

about, but this is my blog and I can tell you whatever I want :)

I'm not going to pretend that its easy missing Sam.

I struggle every day. Just some days are easier than others.

However, this isn't going to be a depressing post.

One of my goals with this blog is to spread positivity to my sweet

readers. I want you to feel happy, inspired, and loved when you visit this page.

I want to do a better job at encouraging you all to be the best you.

And, most importantly, I want to take my own advice and learn to be the best me.

So from now on, you are all my new Best Friends!!

I'm sure most of you already have a BFF, that's ok.

I don't have to be your best friend but you are mine!

I sound really creepy.

"Best Friends are very special people in your life. They are the first people you go to when you need someone to talk to. When you’re sad they will try their hardest to cheer you up. They give the best hugs in the world! They are the shoulder to cry on, because you know that they truly care about you."

I'm hoping I can provide some sort of support for anyone who reads my blog.

You're my best friend and I'm here for you! Whether its helping you figure out what to make

for dinner, or sharing funny things to make you laugh, or giving you advice from my own

personal experiences, I want you to feel cared about and supported when you're here.

So, since you're my Best Friend now, here's 10 facts you probably didn't know about me:

1. I'm not a huge fan of the outdoors.

2. My favorite drink at Starbucks is an iced white mocha.

3. I am obsessed with Mexican food and will wrap anything in a tortilla.

4. I learned Spanish before I learned English because of my Mexican babysitter. (I don't understand it anymore!)

5. I named my blog Kelly Mae because that's what my Auntie always called me (my first and middle name). She passed away in 2009.

6. I used to request the Baby Think It Over dolls in high school because I thought they were fun. (The electronic training babies to show you the not-so-fun side of motherhood.)

7. In 2003 I was a Jr Charger Girl and got to perform at halftime during a Chargers/Bengals game.

8. The whole hashtag thing really annoys me. I wish it didn't because it's everywhere!

9. Full House was my absolute favorite show as a little girl.

10. Some day soon I hope to start school to study psychology.

:) Have a great evening and I'll talk to you soon Bestie!

Couponing My Way

I so wish I was an amazing couponer. I love watching those shows. 

I even know some people who are super good at it and save tons of money.

I don't know why I don't understand it.

I love my coupons, I love my sales, I even hosted a couponing class in my home by
some lady who knows the ins and outs of it all. Nope, still don't get it.

But even though I'm not entirely savvy in it all, I still try to use coupons as much as I can.

My Sources

1) Sunday paper coupons - I actually have my mom save them from her paper every week because she doesn't use them and I'm too cheap to pay for a paper!!! 

2) In Store coupons - the ones you find strategically placed near products every once in a while. At least our commissary does this. I end up ripping quite a few off if I see something good! 

3) Coupons.com - A great source but you have to have a printer.

4) Commissary Rewards Card - It's kind of a process but its worth it some times! I believe this is available at all commys now, so if you haven't gotten one yet, sign up!

My Routine

I shop for our groceries weekly around here. I try to go on Saturdays. I usually spend Friday or early Saturday making my list and going through my coupons. I have a little zipper pencil pouch in my HMB that I keep my clipped coupons in. I go through these, scour coupons.com for anything I might use, and go to the commissary site to see what coupons are available there.

I try to plan my menu around coupons as much as possible. After I plan my meals, I write out my list and I put a star next to anything I have coupons for. It helps me keep track. I usually end up saving $10-$15 a trip, which isn't a lot compared to other people, but its enough to make me feel good! That also translates to $40-$60 a month just by doing a little bit of planning before I go to the store.

Using Your Commissary Rewards Card

The thing about this is, its not your typical store card. I'm not even sure what the "rewards" are other than the coupons you get. Once your card is registered, you load electronic coupons to it online before your shopping trip. When you check out, make sure you hand over your card for them to scan so your coupons are applied. When I shopped yesterday, they had some pretty good offers like $1 off Luvs diapers and $1 off Pur water filter, which were both on my list already!

Here's my receipt from yesterday...

If you have any more good couponing tips, please share! I'm always eager to learn more :)

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Our 4th of July

I hope you all had a safe and fun 4th of July!

We kept it low key this year and spent it as a family.

We sat around the house for most of the day.

I made chicken tacos for dinner...

kind of an odd choice for America's birthday but whatever!

After dinner we went to our local park where they were

having all sorts of fun. Vendors, live bands, games and stuff

for the kids to do.

 

We grabbed an Italian Ice and enjoyed the music for a little bit.

 

Then we headed back to the car where we planned to sit and watch the show.

We were super excited that we had such a good spot to see the fireworks.

 We knew we were gonna be close.

I guess we didn't think about how our kids would react.

Let me start off by saying, this isn't their first rodeo.

However, most 4th of July celebrations are held far enough away that we

don't have to worry about the noise.

Once the fireworks started this is kind of how it went...

*boom*

- Britton starts screaming.

*boom*

- Davin asks if its over yet.

*boom*

- Britton starts having a panic attack.

*boom*

- Andrew puts Britty in the car where she proceeds to cry and scream.

*boom*

- Kayden's afraid of them landing on her.

*boom*

- Davin starts crying and jumps into my lap.

*boom*

- Andrew and I try to convince the kids that fireworks

are cool and pretty.

*boom*

- Kayden covers her ears and asks if she can sit in the car.

*boom*

- Davin clings to me for dear life and refuses to turn around and watch.

*boom*

- We decide to pack everything up and drive a few miles down the road

where it won't be so loud and scary for them.

*boom*

- We get all the kids in their carseats and drive a few miles down the road.

*boom*

- We park and get them out of their carseats.

*boom*

- Britton immediately starts crying again.

*boom*

Andrew: "Still too close....back in your carseats!!"

*boom*

- We get all the kids back in their seats.

*boom*

- We drive another couple of miles down the road.

*boom*

- We park so that the kids can watch out of the car window

instead of getting out again.

*boom*

- We stop just in time to see the finale.

*boom boom boom*

- Its over.

We couldn't help but laugh!

We know that our kids will have many more fireworks shows

in their lives and although this one didn't work out the way we had

hoped, it will still be memorable!!

Moving To Twentynine Palms

We got sentenced to 29 Palms in 2011.

This is our story...

Ok, it really isn't that bad.

But to be completely honest, when I heard we got orders here,

I flat out told my husband I was not going with him. We were stationed

at Camp Pendleton at the time, we owned our house, I was happy.

The last thing I wanted to do was move to Twentynine Palms.

Although I grew up in Southern California, I had never been to this area.

I mean, its not like people come here for fun.

I heard nothing but horror stories about living here. One girl I knew

at the time had just moved to Pendleton from 29 and when I told her the

news, all she did was shake her head and say "Good luck."

Criminals, desert yetis, sex offenders, no shopping, The Hills Have Eyes...

I don't wanna go!!! Don't make me go!!! 

Obviously my husband wasn't too keen on the idea of me staying put

while he went on to a life in the desert. He tried everything to get his orders

changed but alas, in January 2011, he checked into his unit at MCAGCC 29 Palms.

Yes, I know that acronym by heart now.

I followed him here with very, very, low expectations. My only condition was that

we lived on base. Our wait for a house was around 6 months so we rented a cute little

place out in town. I think we totally lucked out with this. "Cute little places out in town"

are pretty hard to come by, especially when you have to find one before you get here.

The internet is no help. But somehow I found the site www.rent29.com and we moved in

to the Cactus West duplex. The unit came furnished which was a huge plus since TMO still

had all our stuff. The people of Rent 29 were amazingly cool and helpful during the entire

process. They took great care of us and I would highly recommend them!

Our time in the Cactus house was short though, because a couple weeks later,

I found out I was pregnant with our 3rd baby. This bumped us to a 4 bedroom

house on base, which just happened to be readily available! Within another week

or so, we were moved in and I felt safe and secure in my base bubble.
You can see what our house looks like here.

 After a few months here, I came to the realization that it really isn't as bad
as everyone makes it seem. Compared to Pendleton, this base is so laid back!
There is no "rush hour" like there is at CP. Everything you need is close by. If
I needed to, I could walk from my house to the hospital, the commissary, the
CDC, the gas station, Carl's Jr, and the YMCA. I dread driving all the way to
the PX which is probably 2 miles down the road.

I feel like MCCS and Lincoln Military Housing do a great job at keeping us
all entertained with events and freebies. I'm actually very pleased with the amount
of free/low cost fun that is offered here. I will do another post later with specifics.

I'm not gonna sugar coat it though, the city of 29 Palms, outside of base, is not
pretty. The shopping rumors are true. We have to drive 45 minutes to Wal-Mart.
I look at the bright side though, at least we're saving money. There are some pretty
creepy people who live here and crime happens, just like everywhere else. With
basic precautionary measures, you'll be fine. There are a lot of mom and pop stores
and privately owned restaurants. I will also write a post with reviews on those.

Depending on where you come from, Twentynine Palms will take some getting
used to. My advice for anyone moving out here...

1) If you need to find a place to live off base, have a friend, or someone local,
help you out. A lot of what's available is not listed online and those of us who
live here know which areas to avoid.
2) Start working on meeting people before you get here. Your friends will be
your support system. I can't even tell you how much my friends here have done
for me. There are numerous spouse support groups, playgroups and other official
groups like MOPS that you can find online to start getting to know people.
3) Whatever you're expecting of this place, its not that bad. Remember that your
time here is limited and there's nothing you can do but try to make the best of it.
If you come here with that outlook, your time will be much more enjoyable :)

All About Learning Press Giveaway!!

To my homeschooling friends!

Secularhomeschool.com is giving away a $100 gift certificate

to the All About Learning Press Online Store!!

This is the home of All About Reading and All About Spelling.

We plan on using AAR for my 1st grader this year!

Click on the picture below to go to the site and enter to win!

Wordless Wednesday

My Top 5 Favorite Blogs

I follow a lot of blogs but there are a few that I make sure

to never miss a post. I thought I would share my top 5 favorites.

If you feel like being nice, visit their blogs and show them some love!

Favorite Blog #1:

 

This one is easy :) I've known Becca a long time. We went to school
together. She started blogging around the same time I did and she has
really taken off in the bloggy world. Her posts are always entertaining.
One of my favorite things about her blog is her complete openness and
honesty with her weight loss journey. Not everyone is that brave and I
love being able to cheer her on and witness her progress. I know it is
inspiring to others who are on that same path.

Favorite Blog #2:

I started following this blog around the time my husband deployed
to Okinawa a second time. I love seeing her posts about the island and
what its like to live there. Hopefully I will be able to visit the next time my
husband is sent there, this just gives me a good idea of what to expect.
She is currently blogging about their PCS back to the states. I've never
had to do a PCS this hefty so the process is pretty interesting!

Favorite Blog #3:

I love love love anything Stepford. I feel an automatic connection. I love
reading about her every day life and we have so much in common! The
polish heritage, the love for Real Housewives, I think the only difference is
which coast we're drawn to more (she seems like an East coast girl!). I
think we would be good friends lol

Favorite Blog #4:

This one is very new to my reading list. Like within the past couple of
days. But I'm intrigued! She's an American girl living in France and blogging
about it. As an American girl stuck in America, its so entertaining to read.
I just love the layout and colors of her blog too, it makes me happy. Her posts
are great and she seems to have some pretty good giveaways and link ups to offer.

Favorite Blog #5:



This is a more well-known blog that I've been following for a while. It's ran
by a former elementary school teacher, now stay at home mom, who posts
sooo many great ideas for learning at home. Since I'm homeschooling, I'm
always looking for new, fun ways to get my kids learning. Not only is this blog
SO cute, its a great resource for homeschooling little ones!

How Veterans are Overcoming Barriers to Employment {guest post}

Please enjoy this guest post and show Emma some love by following her blog!

How Veterans are Overcoming Barriers to Employment

Serving your country can seem like a thankless job if you've been out of the military for months and are having a hard time finding good employment. Take heart, that's not the case. Many people working with wonderful organizations are here to help. I want to see you successfully transition to your dream career and not feel overwhelmed by the process. I want to dispel myths and reinforce truths to help ensure you are prepared and enthusiastic for your job search.

Myth #1: There aren't any civilian jobs that will allow me to do similar work to what I was doing in the military.

Truth: That myth should never enter your thinking. While it's true some jobs require specific training that you might have received in the military, some of your best skills are less tangible. The Veteran Skills Translator function on the VA job website allows you to compare your training directly to civilian skills. Not to mention, employers are looking for workers who are responsible and demonstrate attention to detail. I don't need to tell you that those are skills the military instills!

Myth #2: Asking someone for a referral is time-consuming and annoys them.

Truth: More than likely, people familiar with your great work history will be quite happy to give you a positive reference. If possible, asking in person reinforces the relationship and refreshes the memory. If that's not an option, a personable email or phone call suffices. Services like JIBE, a mobile recruiting company, utilize platforms that allow job candidates to request referrals through sites like LinkedIn and Facebook. The most important part of a referral contact is being professional and engaging.

Myth #3: Because I now have a service-connected disability, no one will want to hire me.

Truth: Multiple programs are out there to assist veterans with disabilities. The U.S. Department of Veterans has specific services geared toward that end and so do most of the states. Supportive rehab programs team with on-the-job training and counseling to optimize veteran's talents and highlight them to potential employers. Companies can receive incentives for hiring disabled vets and often are more than willing to consider them.

Myth #4: Changing careers is basically impossible.

Truth: The modern workplace is evolving so rapidly that multiple career changes are becoming the norm. Jobs that existed 10 years ago may have disappeared while emerging career paths were just ideas. Having transferable skills is a personal trait that will help identify alternative careers you may wish to pursue. If you don't have the particular skills your dream career demands, don't let that deter you. Put together a plan and stay with it until your skill level matches what is being sought.

Emma is a mid 20-something year old with a passion for life, love, fitness, and helping others. She loves to be active and get involved in as many sport and community activities as possible. Emma is currently studying to become a Career & Life Coach, and loves to network with people from around the world! Check out Emma’s blog at http://smileasithappens.blogspot.com/!