A Banging Headboard Needed.....

So I have my grandparents coming from Canada in March and I need to get the guest room decorated and hahaha basically built, sort of speak. As of  now there is a mattress on the floor, a dresser, curtains, and dvd stands in the room. Basically it has become a storage room, unless we have company over. Because it is my grandparents who are coming I do not want them nor can they sleep on the floor. So I am getting a bed frame and my plan is to make a inexpensive, creative headboard. Recently I have been going to thrift stores, Goodwill, Hobby Lobby, and other little stores around town getting some ideas of what to do. There are so many ideas that I just can't figure out what I want to actually do. My first step should probably should be is to pick a theme for the room, huh! And again I have so many ideas of what I want to do, I am having a hard time choosing.

I came across a few websites that have some good ideas, but I am not finding the "stuff" I need to complete any of them. That's probably the most frustrating part of it all. I'll have a plan or idea in my mind and go out looking for the material. Then they are NOWHERE to be found! Or if I do find something it was completely trashed and not worth the money to actually buy it.

I want to share the few ideas that I have found. I don't want them exactly as the pictures are shown, just something similar to them. And if you have any ideas to make it better or even something different, I will definitely enjoy the reading!!!

This idea seem really cool! I definitely would want to paint something on the doors, they are too white for my taste. And yes, cheap doors are hard to find! Well at least here in El Paso it is, lol. This room just gave me the feeling of crisp and clean and I liked it!!

This was probably the easiest idea to find. I found several screens in Hobby Lobby, but the only problem with them was that they were not long enough for the bed itself. If I were to buy two screens then it would be too long. So that is the problem I am having with this idea, other that I love this one too!

Now I just fell in love with this entire idea! I thought it was a pretty simple idea except I CAN NOT draw worth a darn, lol. It gives the room a whimsical and fresh kind of theme, I feel. I do love the colors as well. Another inexpensive idea... wood, paints, and a good drawing hand, lol.





I really liked the idea of the pictures being held up by ribbon and hangers. This seemed like a very inexpensive and chic design. Plus I can make it have a personal touch to having a simple touch with whatever I put in the picture frames. So I do like this idea a lot. 

So those are just a few of the ideas that I have found so far that I really liked and that fit into the budget I was try to have. So again if anyone has anymore good ideas please send them MY WAY!!! I have to have this project done by the 3rd week of March.

Summer Dreaming

So I have been thinking about what the family should do for our summer block leave. We've talked about several ideas: going back to the east coast to visit family ( maninly Curtis' dad and my mom), going to San Antonio, Texas, going to LA, or may be just taking a little road trip and visit a few of our friends.  My husband and myself are not seeing eye to eye on this subject right now, lol. Honestly, yes, it is still a little early to start planning but tax time is here and it's a well known fact that if you buy plane tickets early they are cheaper. So that's why I am trying to figure out if I need to budget in 3 tickets.

So the hubby is wanting to go home, basically fly to Florida and drive up to North Carolina. He wants to see his dad and his friends from back home. Yes, I do want to see my mother and brother as well. But my problems with this idea is the cost, and there really isn't a darn thing to do there except spend money. (And I will most likely be contridicting myself on the whole topic, f.y.i.)

I personally like the thought of taking a family road trip and visiting a few friends and hitting up some amusement parks along the way! Connor is so into Shamu and Mickey Mouse right now, so that is definately on my mind. Disneyland or Sea World  are two major options I have been considering. 

Both of us would love to see some of our friends in different state, which are still close to Texas. We have so many different options we can choose from and yet it is so HARD to decide what to do!  Well thanks for listening, I  just had to get all my ideas out..... 

Jobs Not Every Woman Can Handle....

Job Title: Housewife

Description

The housewife is responsible for all household and childcare duties. Additionally, the housewife is responsible for ensuring that harmony exists between all individuals living in the home. Love, care, and kindness are all attributes that must be exhibited by the housewife. Caring for the husband is crucial, and it is expected that the housewife will provide for his emotional, physical, and spiritual needs. A housewife should also maintain personal hygiene and take care of her physical body through proper eating and regular exercise. While there is not a strict dress code, it is expected that between the hours of 7 am and 10 pm, the housewife will have makeup applied and will not be wearing pajamas or other elastic clothing. The housewife is expected to cry no more than 1 time per month, for a maximum of 5 minutes.

Duties


Household:

• Sweeping/mopping – at least once per day
• Dusting – at least twice per week
• Vacuuming – at least once per week
• Straightening up – at least once per day, preferably before 5pm
• Doing the dishes – as often as needed so that dishes do not extend over the corners of the sink
• Scrubbing bathrooms – at least once every two weeks or weekly if any potty-trained children reside in the home
• Doing the laundry – as often as necessary so that clean socks and underwear can easily be located
• Other duties as assigned

Childcare:

• Feeding – 3 well balanced meals each day with 1-2 healthy snacks
• Bathing – at least 3 baths per week including full body lotion application when needed
• Dressing/Grooming – children will be dressed by 8am with fresh, clean clothes. Haircuts must be provided at least every 6 weeks once the child is 18 months old. Fingernails and toenails must be trimmed so that no more than 3mm of nail be exposed past the end of the digit.
• Emotional Caring – holding each child for at least 20 minutes per day. Saying “I love you to each child at least 3 times a day”
• Developmental – reading to each child for at least 20 minutes per day

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Must have a high threshold for pain and a high tolerance for nagging, bothering, begging, crying, and loud noises
• Must be willing and able to stand for extensive periods of time, to crawl on the floor, to enter tight and cramped spaces, and to climb chairs and tables to obtain objects in difficult to reach places
• Must be willing and able to operate on 4-6 hours of sleep
• Should be able to handle multiple difficult situations at once
• Should be well versed on the phone and in writing
• Must possess negotiation skills to handle requests from both children and adults
• Can calmly handle stressful situations without yelling, throwing, hitting, storming out of rooms, or slamming doors – preferably

Job Title : Army Wife/Spouse/Housewife

Description

Lifetime commitment to being the always present half of a team. Must work well alone and be able to shift to team player within moments. Creativity, budgeting, and mechanical abilities a must. Some manual labor required. Must be technically savvy as this may be the only communication allowed for long periods of time. Must be willing to learn foreign language. Strong-willed candidates strongly discouraged. Ability to adapt well to change preferred, but not required.

Duties & Responsibilities

Will include, but are not limited to:

All household responsibilities (i.e. cleaning, cooking, laundry). Will sometimes be responsible for yard maintenance, finances, and all other "manly" jobs. Will take over the "manly" responsibilities with notice of 1hour to several months for varying lengths of time. Will read all books, take all classes and do all necessary research to learn the Army language. Will relocate anywhere in the world at the demand of others. Will sit by home phone, take cell phone and/or laptop every place that you go. Must be able to be reached at all times of the night or day. Must bake and/or buy many items and stand in line at post office to ship said items to anyplace in the world. Must attend all events from casual to formal while smiling pretty and not saying anything derogatory about anyone. Must spend most time waiting for second half of team.

Possibility for Advancement

None. There is a possibility of lateral transfer to Army Wife and Mother (also known as a Married Single Parent).

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation will depend upon years of sacrifice of other team player. There is no reward for above par work. Compensation may or may not be directly deposited into account on expected date of arrival. Compensation may also fluctuate depending on intellectual aptitude of bureaucrats in other locations. Free medical insurance is provided as long as the endless waits and red tape do not interfere with "the mission". Housing will also be provided as long as the nosy, loud neighbors, strict guidelines, bug infestation, poor maintenance, and older than dirt accommodations are taken.

Fringe Benefits

This position also offers unlimited personal growth, astronomical amounts of pride, feelings of self worth, and a large extended "family". Possibility of living in exotic places depending on "needs of the Army".



Anything else I’m missing????

Thanks for some help from some other wives and Army wives with this blog...:)

Battle of Potty Time

So I have decided to start this wild adventure with my main man, Connor! He catches on to things very fast....walking upstairs, "bad" words, brushing teeth,  how to play the Wii and X-Box, etc. So this such be quick and easy, right. NOPE!!! Every time my husband or myself have to use the restroom we sit him on the potty, after he drinks a cup we sit him on the potty, and even after mealtimes we sit him on the potty. We also use the little water trick as well. He does tickle on the the potty but nothing else. And he tells us after the fact, that he has a dirty diaper. I don't think he has "fully" gotten the concept but he is understanding poop isn't suppose to be there, lol. I think we just need a little more time on this subject matter, but I have high hopes that come around for birthday time he will be FULLY potty trained!!! The whole funny part is he is so determined to wear big boy undies and he wants them over the diaper right now.

So the question is..... does anyone any have a good method or any ideas or any suggestions. If so thank you bunches for the help!!! I just want this to be a good experience for Connor and myself, lol!

Out with the Old... In with the NEW....



So yeah 2010 was a year of some great times and some bad ones too.

Quick Refresher of 2010:

 We found out that my grandfather's cancer is doing so much better. We moved the hell out of Fort Irwin, California. We quit smoking cigarettes for Connor but mostly ourselves. Curtis started going to school and I continued with my schooling as well. Moved to Fort Bliss, Texas (now we will NEVER call this place "home" because I want NO PART in the state of Texas but I AM sure glad to be far away from Irwin though, lol)  some bad things that happened were; as a family we had to put down a family member, Loki, he was a 4 month old Blue Nose Pitbull who contracted the Provo virus. One of the upsetting things that also happened this year was we also lost a few good friends. Most of the argument was over something so petty as, we were moving and just didn't have time to do everything we wanted and next thing you know we were being taken advantage of...friendship and money. That shit was NOT cool on their part but now we know what kind of people they REALLY are!!! (Side note: And it sucks when other do not KNOW the whole story and chooses sides. FYI..... Learn the whole story before you judge!!!!) My mother had some serious problems with my teenage brother and another family member as well.  Over all the year has been GREAT and expecting 2011 to just be as wonderful as the last was!!!

Now onto my Hopes and Goals of 2011.....

( Most of my goals will be good ones but I do have a few that may not be considered good but I don't care what is thought....THESE ARE MY GOALS!!!!)

• Have and plan more ME time.... This is a definite must this year! Either taking nice quite baths, getting my nails done more often, or even doing a few more girls' nights.

• Start the planning for Connor's 2nd Birthday party and my grandparents visit early. I have LESS than 2 months to do both. I'm so excited that they will be here for their GREAT grandson's 2nd birthday!

• I seriously NEED to get on that bandwagon of weight loss especially if we are planning getting pregnant at the end of the year. I have to admit it YES I have been lazy and not doing my REAL part on losing this baby weight from Connor. BUT I have to have this weight off before the next one so there will be no problems for the baby and myself!

• Try to visit, call, spend more time with our family. My side lives at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and his side live in Cape Coral, Florida. I would like to keep in contact with them more, like calling, Skype, and sending pictures of Connor. It does upset me that Curtis' dad and Aunt, my mom, brother and grandparents don't get to see Connor as often as they should and it is my part to make that happen!!! May be this summer we can hit up his dad's in Florida and then drive up to go see my family in North Carolina or something like that.

• I need to mead some relationships with some friends. We have gotten out of touch recently and I need those people for support, and plain and simple I just miss them so very much!!! (Letters to be sent out very soon!!) Now on the other hand there is such a relationship that can't and WILL NEVER be mended because this person is so selfish, childish, rude, and so many other words that I just can not get past. I do wish I could just delete this person from my mind but I can't do that, I am not going to stoop to her level. I can promise that there will be NO communication on my part what so ever!

• Get the guest room set up as a guest room and not just a mattress on the floor, lol. For our most recent guest it was fine if they slept on the floor but for all the guest that are coming they are going to need an actual bed plus I want to decorate the room just for them! Oh it is going to BEAUTIFUL, pictures will be taken!!!

• Finish my schooling this year, h yeah all with A's as well! I only have four more course to go and so far I am doing outstanding. I have a 4.0 GPA and I a planning on it staying that way!!!

• Lastly I want to finish my back tattoo piece. First is the addition to my side, then the addition of color. Before any of that can be accomplished, the weight has to come off. so yeah this project may end up being a end of the year project, hahaha.

All the goals I have set out for myself are ALL obtainable I just have to be focused and motivated and stay on track.  As they all say, "See ya later 2010, welcome in 2011" and that is JUST MY PLAN!!!

It's all over.....2010

So yeah it's finally ALL OVER!!! All the stress that so comes with the holidays are now going. It is sad to say this but had to been one of the most stressful, unexciting, long and drawn out holidays I have ever had to experience. The only good part of block leave this year was seeing Connor's face on Christmas, oh how I love that little boy!!! And yet the worse was having Curtis got back to work:( 

So Curtis made sure that the Christmas tree was down by Dec 31st......first because he says that there shouldn't be a tree up for the New Years party and stuff. I say whatever to that, I love my Christmas tree and I'm pretty darn sure Connor was on my side with that!!! LOL  Secondly he said it had to come down early because as a child he remembers it staying up for God knows how long and his mom to lazy to take it down, so he didn't want the tree to end that way. Like I would let me tree stay up until like the 4th of July..... that is flipping INSANE!!!! I was honestly going to take in down on Jan 1st or 2nd, I swear!!!! LOL

My place setting.... thanks to ideas from a friend

You know I lied..... there is a second thing that made me happy about Christmas time, and was my husband and my Christmas dinner. Oh man, right after we opened the presents and all, I jumped into the kitchen and started cooking and getting my decor all set up. Curtis also started on his wonderful turkey. Setting the table took me a few trys until I got it just right.  Next thing you know all the food was done and it was to be eaten. We had turkey, mac-n-cheese, corn, mashed potatoes,stuffing, pasta salad, deviled eggs, and the ol so yummy sweet potatoes. My husband, myself, and his mom minus Connor who was napping and Curtis' sister who thought she was sick had a wonderful meal.





The table I spent most of the day decorating. 

This is the best meal of the YEAR....lol

Thanks 2010 for a great year!!!!