Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lists. Show all posts

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Carepackage Idea List




Recently, I've had a lot of friends and family requesting a military carepackage idea list. I typed one up real fast and wanted to share it with all of you looking for something new to send your service member. Remember this is just a list I threw together. Feel free to add suggestions in the comments.

A few care package ideas:
• Oral care: Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Mouthwash, Floss
• Deodorant
• Fitness/Car/Truck/Gun/Tattoo Magazines
• Deck of Cards/Uno/Dice
• Hacky Sack
• Black/White/Olive Green Boot Socks
• Gold Bond Foot/Body Powder
• Sunblock
• Eye Drops
• Vitamins
• Q-Tips
• Chapstick (tubes only)
• Nail Clippers
• Lotion
• Liquid Body Soap
• Shampoo/Conditioner (2in1 is best)
• Razors
• Kleenex (Travel Size)
• Twin Size Sheet Set
• Bath Towel/Washcloth
• Books
• DVD’s/CD’s
• Headphones/Earbuds
• Word Search/Game Books
• Instant Coffee
• Power Bars/Protein Bars/Granola Bars
• Chicken/Tuna Lunch Kits (Pouches)
• Nuts/Sunflower Seeds/Pumpkin Seeds/Dried Fruit/Trail Mix
• Hard Candies
• Cookies
• Pop Tarts/Cereal Bars
• Bags of Snacks/Box of Crackers
• Gatorade Mix
• Crystal Light
• Beef Jerky
• Jelly Beans/Licorice etc.
• Gum
• Mints


Thursday, February 14, 2013

How well does he know me?








This was fun. I sent a list of  questions to the Mr. in an email and within a couple hours he was on the phone laughing saying how much he needed that fun little pick-me-up. Thank you, The Life Of A Not So Ordinary Wife.







 




 
So here we go :
How long have you been married?  
his: 11 awesome years
hers: 11 years

Where was your first date?  
his: Well the first time we went anywhere together was McDonalds for lunch. Our first real date would be Applebee’s and a movie, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back -and we left early.
hers: McD's drive thru on our lunch breaks
 
Where was your first kiss? 
his: Swing set at the elementary school, more specific on a blue slide. 
hers: a playground. we went for a walk one night. 
 
Who first said, "I love you"?  
his: Most def I did at the river.
hers: Him. :)
 
What were your wedding colors? 
his: LOL Blue and Gold... baby. (go Rams)
hers: no real set on colors. 
 
What is her most commonly used phrase?  
his: Really, seriously, whatever.
hers: Are you freakin kidding me?
 
Who is her celebrity crush?  
his: Dan in real life. ( or any manly dude that cries) 
hers: Steve Carell  
 
If she was ordering drinks for both of you what would you each get? 
his: Coors for me and the list is too long to just pick one, bit of a drinker this one.
hers: if at a bar or pub, beer for both!
 
What is the best meal she has ever cooked you?  
his: Hands down chicken and dumplings.
hers: I think I make a mean pot roast.
  
What is the worst meal she has ever cooked you? 
his: It was just once but it was these weird green chicken things
hers: HA green chicken for sure! it was a total accident too.
 
What is the most-played song on her iPod?  
his: again a very long list, let’s say at the moment i would say Tegan and Sara, or Florence and the machines, or any number of indie rock girl bands. 
hers: I love so much... hard to say, but 'Back in your head' is played A LOT.
 
What would you say is her most annoying habit? 
his: Self confidence (or the lack there of)
hers: forgetfullness
 
What is the last thing she does before she goes to bed?
 his: (smoke a bowl if she can)    Sometimes he just shouldn't speak :-)
hers: play a game on my phone. 
 
If you could throw out one item of her clothing what would it be? 
his: any and all flip flops
hers: he hates crop pants.
 
What would you say is your favorite thing about her? 
his: Her laugh 
hers: sense of humor. 
 
What's her go-to drink at Starbucks?  
his: Carmel Macchiato
hers: Carmel Macchiato
  
What's her blog's name?! 
his: I gave it to her so i think i would know it, Ballistic Gypsy.
hers: Ballistic Gypsy!   
I miss him so very much.

Sunday, January 20, 2013

wink-wink, nudge-nudge

Hows all the New Year Resolutions going?

I made a few general goals for myself this year. Not included on that list are things like going on a diet and quitting caffeine. Lets be real. Being hungry and going through caffeine withdraw simultaneously will land my ass in jail for murder faster than a pissed of woman can text. This I am sure of.

a few things on my list are:
  • Become a hugger. I know this sounds weird. I get it. But living down here in west Texas, these people hug and kiss on the cheeks when they meet you, greet you and to say goodbye. This may be the norm for some of you,  but I haven't been this intimate with random girls in, well, lets just say its been a while. {Flu season, please stay kind to me.}
  •  Blog only when I want to. I didn't like feeling like this was work because that is not why I started blogging in the first place! If I am uninspired for a few weeks, so be it. I'm not going to feel guilty. I'd much rather come here and blog about whatever randomness my little heart desires than to feel obligated to do so. 
  • Socialize more in real life than on Facebook. What do ya know, I've joined a Pinterest Group and went to my first Pinterest Party Friday night. There was wine (I brought some, to be sure of this) and there were crafts and many many many laughs. I think I'll go again.
  • Watch less trash T.V.  Who am I kidding? I'm hooked. I love me some trash t.v. My latest obsession is Shahs of Sunset. M.J. is my hero and I want to be best friends with Reza too.
  • Finally figure out my style. I may need to enlist the help of a stylist for this one... smh. Some days I stand in my closet and cry.
  • Read those books I bought five years ago. I have some gems on the shelves, I just need to sit my happy ass down and read them. 
  • Pull out and dust off the DSLR. {Nikon, I'm going to use you so hard.} I recently met a brilliant photographer and have been re-inspired. Time to put the iphone down and pick up that sexy beast I call my camera.
  • Go back to school. I start in a couple months. Wish me luck.


Thursday, September 6, 2012

The Name Game

Becky Becky bo Becky!  Banana fanna fo Fecky!  Fe fi mo Mecky!  BECKY!

Naming your unborn child can either be a lot of fun or incredibly stressful. We weren't quite sure what we were doing when we were naming our son, eight years ago. 

I knew I wanted him to have his fathers name as his middle name. Patrick. I love the name Patrick. We searched high and low for name ideas for a first name. I wanted Corbin & the Mr wanted Aidan. He liked Corbin alright, but his mind always went right to Corbin Dallas. Well, he won. No Corbin. (insert sad face here) It was our first child and a boy. He was to be my husbands namesake with the middle and last names being the same as his. I though I was doing the right thing by letting him have final say on a first name even tho I didn't completely LOVE it.  Aidan Patrick it is. 

I hate to say this, but both the Mr & I somewhat regret naming him Aidan. Little did we know about the whole Aidan, Hayden, Jayden, Brayden, Kayden CRAZE! ugh.

oh well. what can ya do? 
[you can learn learn from this]

For our second pregnancy, I was determined to have the last word on our daughters name. First, she was Danika Rose. She was called Dani Rose almost he entire time she was in my belly. We adored her & her new name. Until.... fricken Danica Patrick was all in the news towards the end of the pregnancy. With my husbands name being Patrick and our sons middle name being Patrick, we were asked DAILY if we were naming our daughter after Danica Patrick and everyone thought it was a grand idea to use Patrick as her middle name as well. 
Two Weeks before her due date and after a very long wait at the doctors office, we both came home and started talking about our thoughts on the name we had loved so dearly. He was asked three times earlier that day about the whole Danica Patrick connection and I was asked multiple times as well. We were done. We were over it. We wanted to distance ourselves from that name. But we had grown to love our Dani Rose. What were we to do?
I gave the hubs a list of a few names I was loving at the time. (I was on a short name kick)
Mara
Nora
Myra
Cora
Nova
Ella
Mia
Myra won. Since we couldn't stand to lose our Dani Rose, we went with Myra Danielle Rose. I have my Myra and he has his little Dani Rose. I am happy to report that her name fits her to a T. 

Sweet Green Tangerine is hosting her weekly Book.Chat and this weeks topis is Literary Names. 

Little fact about me. I was named after a literary character, or so the story goes...
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm   
and I've yet to read it. Oops. 


If I had it all to do over again and we were to pick a Lit Name, I'd go with Finn & Daisy. 

[Here are a few of my favorites]




Daisy
Rhett
Romeo
Emma
Huck
Juliet
Rebecca
Pippi
Finn
Sawyer
Holden
Ariel
Twain
Bennett
Scout








PS- If I had a cat, I would totally name her KATNISS
(is a reference really needed here, I don't think so.)





Photobucket

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Ten on Tuesday

  1. I have a new addiction. His name is The Doctor.
  2. Today, I made the Perfect Cup of Coffee. Do you know how amazing that is? To actually have a PERFECT cup of coffee in the morning? 
  3. That glorious moment when you realize all back to school shopping is COMPLETE. 
  4. I found the 30 most inspirational quotes ever here.
  5. Since the husband is confined to the bed for 30 days we got all the of the seasons to LOST. Begin obsession #2. I had no idea how original and interesting this show was. 
  6. I almost had to throw an elbow this weekend while shopping for school lunch bags. I am not proud of this. People are assholes. 
  7. The Price Is Right is coming to town to tape a show next month. I want to go for my birthday. I doubt I'll be able to and I am fully prepared to pout that entire day if I'm not there. 
  8. Cleaning the pool sucks. 
  9. West Nile scares the shit out of me. 
  10. Pretty excited to get my GetGlue stickers. I just started using it and became totally obsessed with earning stickers. I mean, who doesn't love stickers?! STICKERS!!------>


Friday, August 17, 2012

its funny because its true

Well, I'm a little late on posting this meme. They were all the craze last week amongst bloggers, SO here I am, as fashionably late as ever, Darlings... (spoken in an Absolutely Fabulous voice)

Oh, if you really knew me you would know:

I am an only child, a middle child, the oldest of four, and the youngest of three. It’s safe to say that I am a sister to several.

I am the keeper of many, many secrets.

I am a news junky.

I was given my first typewriter for my 5th birthday.

Wrote my first ‘story’ by my 6th birthday.

I have a dream of completing a novel. Right now, I have notes, an outline, the first three pages, and several random pages. It is not as easy as I remember when when I was six was.

I swear like a sailor!

I am a compulsive picture taker. I own way to many cameras and I bought the iPhone, in particular, because of the camera and photo apps available. My kids jokingly call me Paparazzi Mama.

I suffer from mild migraines, but lately they have been getting worse. I think its time to call the doc.

My husband is my best friend. Always has been, always will be.  Hands down, no questions asked. Its him.
Yet he gets on my nerves so badly that I want to throat punch him daily. 
I love that man.

I am much more disappointed in my lack of personal accomplishments than I could ever express in words. 

I have anger issues.

I am a horrible cook.

I am overly sensitive about way to many things. I try not to let this show because I know how ridiculous it is that I care about so much that has nothing to do with me.

I cry during movies, commercials, songs, books, anything. If it truly moves me, I promise you, I am probably fighting back tears.

I am happiest during a Midwest fall. I miss the crisp to the air and the colors of the trees. Desert life is not for me.

I am a roller derby wanna be.  I wish there were more hours in a day and I wish there was a Derby Fairy & she would bring me all the awesome gear required for practice & play. Shits expensive!

I over think and over analyze EVERYTHING and I usually make myself miserably sick because of this bad habit.

My dad has stage 4 Melanoma cancer. The doctors told him he would be lucky to make it another 12 months. That was two years ago. Sadly, he is the person I am least compassionate to. I'm working on this.  

I love bad jokes. Like, really love them.  
Did you hear the one about the roof?

I want to be covered in amazing tattoos, but I am scared of how some respected family members would react. My parents wouldn’t mind, but other elder family members would. I wish I didn’t care about what they thought of me.



I have severe body image issues. 

I lose everything. Everything. From keys to wallets to sunglasses to jewelry to phones to children. It is, by far, the most frustrating thing. 

Friday, July 6, 2012

Little Miss Pissy Pants

BS Things That Piss Me Off.





  •  Chocolate Chip ice cream makers cheaping out and filling the center with vanilla only.
  • Cheap-o Wall-Mart coffee pot not working properly & leaving me with coffee grounds in my cup.
  • Crappy letters on Words With Friends.
  • People who have to bitch about the same thing 50 million times. Hello, the horse is dead.
  • Ordering pizza. Dollface not liking what we order. I tell her to pick off what she doesn't like. She. Does. This. ------->
  • Not taking enough reusable grocery bags with me to the store. Then the idiot bagger thinks is a grand idea to start placing one item per plastic bag. Because CLEARLY I bring the reusables just for fun and I don't actually give a shit about reducing the amount of plastic bags I use. IDIOT.
  • Demanding deployment preparation schedules. 
  • Not being able to locate my large suitcase one week before flying to St. Louis.
  • Laptop batteries that aren't worth a shit. 6 minutes. That's all I get when I disconnect it.
  • People who makes these lists. Whoops. 
  • My daughter now thinking its ok to take my phone and run off to watch the I Think I'm a Bunny YouTube video over and over and over again. And of course, forgetting where she sits my phone down before something shiny catches her eye. This one I blame SGT completely for. 
  • Bar soap in public restrooms. WHO DOES THAT?! OMG GROSS! "Don't touch anything! - here, I'll use my super human mom powers to open the door for us. Keep your hands in the air. I repeat: DO NOT TOUCH A THING!!"

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Revamping the old Life List

Isn't it funny how, at one point in your life, things that seem so important to experience can suddenly seem so unimportant just a few years later? I went back to look at the list that was created years and years ago and all the additions made throughout the past few years. I couldn't help but notice that the way I once saw things was no more. I see things completely differently now. Things that were once so unbelievably important for me to do in life are no longer, yet other things are even more important. Life lessons and maturing are to blame, I'm sure. Am I becoming a more responsible adult? Say it ain't so! I still want to do some of those things, but they no longer feel like a need.

A few additions made to the list were:

*Visit All 50 U.S. States ~  How can I appreciate other countries without truly experiencing and appreciating my own country & state? Unless we get orders to go over seas, odds are that I am not making it out of the U.S. any time soon. Might as well explore!
It looks like I have the lower half taken care of. Oklahoma will be marked off the list next month when the kids and I drive home to Missouri. Then California will be taken care of next summer/fall. We are planning a family vacation to the Legoland Resort & San Diego Sea World.

via

*Planting a minimum of five trees
*Vote in every presidential election throughout my entire life
* Finish my fricken BA then work towards my goal ~ my masters
*Write a children's book dedicated to my two kiddos
*Donate my hair to Locks of Love
*Go to a psychic or a medium ~ OK, Confession: I've actually attempted to visit a psychic a few times and it never worked out... hmm maybe its a sign? Maybe I'm not meant to hear what they have to say??
*Give a homeless person a wrapped gift ~ Everyone loves the excitement from unwrapping gifts! Perhaps Christmas time would be ideal for this.
*Hug a stranger ~ I'm actually sure I've done this, but sometimes people just need to be hugged. I need to start hugging. I used to be such an affectionate person. Always laughing and smiling and hugging someone. I think I grew out of it? I want to get this quality back. 

Do you have a list?
Have you felt the need to revise it lately?
Any suggestions?
 

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

TOP SEVEN

Ordering delivery, popping popcorn, sleeping bags sprawled across the floor, and giggles- lots and lots of giggles. Of course, I am describing family movie night. It’s so simple yet so memorable and special. I am going to share with you our Top Ten Seven favorite whimsical family movies that are not cartoons.

OK, well I tried to come up with ten, but I was struggling. This list is of our absolute without a doubt forever favorites. Fun, exciting, whimsical, and enchanted movies that we LOVE to watch with our kids. 

1.      The Princess Bride
"Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."



2.      Big Fish
 "There are some fish that cannot be caught. It's not that they're faster or stronger than other fish. They're just touched by something extra."


3.      Secondhand Lions
  "Hub: Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in."


4.      Stardust
 "Yvaine: You know when I said I knew little about love? That wasn't true. I know a lot about love. I've seen it, centuries and centuries of it, and it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable. All those wars. Pain, lies, hate... It made me want to turn away and never look down again. But when I see the way that mankind loves... You could search to the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. So yes, I know that love is unconditional. But I also know that it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable and strangely easy to mistake for loathing, and... What I'm trying to say, Tristan is... I think I love you. Is this love, Tristan? I never imagined I'd know it for myself. My heart... It feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it's trying to escape because it doesn't belong to me any more. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I'd wish for nothing in exchange - no gifts. No goods. No demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you loved me too. Just your heart, in exchange for mine." 

5.      Labyrinth
"I can bear it no longer! Goblin King! Goblin King! Wherever you may be take this child of mine far away from me!"

 

 "Jocelyn: Better a silly girl with a flower than a silly boy with a horse and a stick."

"No matter what they tell you, you don't have to stay within the lines."
 



 What movies are on your must watch list that you share with your kids?

Thursday, March 15, 2012

DIY Day

Today, I am determined. 
I will do something. 
I will do more than one something. 
I will finish each project I start.

Confession: I'm posting this from my Draft's. 
I didn't even finish the blog post last night. Whoops! 
Oh, and my 'Pinteresting Canvas Art' is not complete either.
I'll finish it up today and post my results. So far, I have a few Pinterest Fails under my belt and no real success stories.


Lookie what I got! A complete color chart thingy from Behr. How awesome is this?!

Flowerpot Makeover:
$1.98 flowerpot from Lowes
$3 scrapbook rub-on's from Michael's
Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Clear Gloss Finish from Wal-Mart

Disclaimer: I can not vouch for the longevity of this little DIY, but I will update this post when/if they start to come off. So far so good.  
 This damn thing both infuriated me and completely grossed me out. I did learn, however, that the next time I buy a house (if there is a next time) I will require the previous owners to remove their own black garbage disposal thingy because holy freakin nasty! I couldn't even get the damn thing out. There was so much grossness that I had to soak it with Goo Gone for a good 20 mins and pried it out with a butter knife and scissors. Gagging the whole time. But...
VICTORY IS MINE
and yes, because of my struggle, I deemed this blogworthy.






Next up, the guest bathroom. 
This is a job for the Mr.
Changing out the ugly old faucet and adding a way cute new one.  
P.S. How bout the $2.99 Pier 1 toothbrush holder.
THRIFTED - Score!
(ignore the mirror - thinking about 
doing this to it later, but that's a whole other post)


 




Its going to be
HOT HOT HOT!
I'm so going to love it!!
Cannot wait to post the AFTER pictures of this Home DIY.




 Aww, My Mr. hard at work! ^^

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Timeline


I was sitting here the other night, thinking about, pondering, and pretty much just trying to remember the past few years of my life.

Isn’t it funny how the things that mean so much to you, seem to escape you at times.  So here you have it. The extremely under exaggerated version of my past and how it all plays into how I ended up here.
~~~

2001: age 19 Met Patrick . . . at Wal-Mart. Little did I know...

2002: age 20 took a huge leap of faith and became his bride. Moved nearly 900 miles away from everything I knew to Savannah, Ga. 

2003: age 21 learned to live alone and in a constant state of fear. The war had started any my new husband was right in the middle of it; Kuwait & Iraq. This would be Deployment # 1 and the beginning of a reoccurring nightmare. 

2004: age 22 became a mother for the first time on May 28 

2005: age 23 Deployment #2 - Iraq; baby and I moved back to Missouri for 6 months.

2006: age 24 Deployment # 2 ended and I became a mother for the second time on September 20

2007: age 25 Deployment #3 for the husband - Iraq again.

2008: age 26 Deployment # 3 ended

2009: age 27 Landon Pigg & Among the Oak & Ash live in Atlanta, Ga. with Jessica  
Deployment #4 started - Afghanistan


2010: age 28 Deployment ended 


2011: age 29 In April, Jess & I went to an Iron & Wine concert in Savannah, Ga. Looooved it. Later, I moved to El Paso, Texas where driving skills are optional. Bought our 1st house and completely love our neighborhood & amazing neighbors. 


2012: age 30 the husband is scheduled to deploy again this year… Deployment #5 is on its way. Blah.

Friday, January 13, 2012

The Good & The Bad

Lists Lists Lists Lists Lists . . . I find them to be quite therapeutic.




GOOD:
  • Autumn Afternoons
  • Emails From Old Friends
  • The First Snowfall
  • A Good Book
  • Military Homecomings
  • Warm Blankets Right Out Of The Dryer
  • Carefree Days With Camera In Hand
  • Colorful Sharpies
  • Houseplants
  • Stargazing On A Warm Night
  • Road Trips
  • Bear Hugs
  • Peppermint Moca Anything






BAD:

  • Being Ignored 
  • Bad Drivers
  • People Who Love Drama
  • Being Neglected
  • Missing Appointments
  • Whinning
  • Laptop With A Dead Battery
  • Kids Not Flushing The Toilet
  • Bad Neighbors
  • Messing Up Freshly Painted Nails
  • Writers Block
  • Being Late For Anything
  • Forgetfulness  - I have a horrible memory
  • Bad Movies Filled With Bad Acting

Monday, January 2, 2012

Lovely Lists



Random fact about me; I love to make lists. Like, love LOVE lists.
I rarely adhere to said lists, but I enjoy the heck out of making them all the same. 

This year I plan on making more lists (for fun) and referring back to them often. 
If I were to get another pup, I'd name him/her:

  • Yeti
  • Burt-Reynolds
  • Lannister
  • Warwick (after Warwick Davis)
  • Hoggle
  • Bogart
  • Tyghe
  • Rufus
  • Gandolf
  • Gunther
  • Chaka-Khan
  • Bishop
  • Charo
  • Jose
  • Curry (after the one and only, Tim Curry )
  • Lancelot
  • Atticus
  • Amos
  • Raul
  • Birdie
  • Lola
  • Betty-Davis

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Random Thoughts Of The Day



1.       Harry Potter marathon on abc family + cat naps + ice cream = one of the most relaxing and enjoyable Sundays I have had in a long time.
2.       Cannot spend two Sundays in a row on my bum. Next week, we are going for another hike.
3.       Glasses: I need them, I own them, I hate to wear them.
4.       Pinterest, if you give me any more damn 404 errors when trying to edit all my many boards and pins, I am likely to cancel my account or scream at my computer. Who am I kidding, it would be the latter.
5.       Socialization, I miss it. In Savannah, I would often run into people I knew near every time I left the house. I miss that...
6.       Turns out I’m a bit on the competitive side. Who knew?  I had never thought of myself as competitive before, but I entered a Valspar contest and I am in 3rd place and it is driving me insane not being 1st! It goes by votes only. You can vote once an hour until 30 November. It’s not like it is a talent competition or anything but it's bugging the shit out of me still the same. Shameless plug  -----> http://bit.ly/tUIfrS
7.       Time to think about Christmas trees. Should we go real or fake? Personally, I’m down with a tacky white tree or even pink, but my hubs a much more boring uninteresting traditional style.
8.       Dyslexia. It has been determined that Redd has dyslexia. Can you believe that the public library did not have a single book on this? Off to Barns and Noble tomorrow to find The Gift of Dyslexia Why Some of the Smartest People Can't Read and How They Can Learn.By Ronald D. Davis with Eldon M.Braun.
9.       When filling out your Christmas cards this year take ONE CARD and SEND it to this address: A Recovering American Soldier, c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 6900 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20307-5001.
10.   The trouble with spending so much time alone is that my mind tends to run wild and over think so many things.'Nuff said.
11.   I would give anything for someone to wash all the sand and dust off my car. I was not meant to be a southwestern kinda girl.
12.   Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair (<---♪ ♫ )


Ooo and one more thing before I go:
I like change. I get bored easily. Blame my ADD.
BG will have a new look complete with awesome new buttons coming soon!