Organic cheat sheet

I'm noone's mother here but my three little ladies, so no lecture attached, I'll save that for them later on down the road. If anyone is interested in buying organically, I say this is a great cheat sheet to follow, on the left are produce to buy always organically on the right side, low pesticides... My rule is to try and follow this, it is hard when J is home, he battles me on everything, so this issue is no exception and also some places dont have the best selections of things... I also say ALWAYS buy milk with no added growth hormones... Organic is great too, but for me it's important just to make sure the meat and dairy you consume has no added growth hormones, they are good news for those who make money at that business, but in my opinion, bad for our bodies... Many people will argue this fact and it may just be me being cautious, but seriously, they used to give preganant woman drugs they said were ok, and then they said they caused birth defects.... It is a slippery slope for me I dont want to go down to argue the point of a dollar or two....
I will attach an article that debates the milk thing a little by Anderson Cooper, just so you know I'm really not trying to push my opinion on someone, I say make your own, but that's just what I try to do. I come from a line of dairy farmers from the old country who moved to Wisconsin and had a huge successful dairy farm... also my more recent relatives raised their own cows and milked them. All of them fresh organic milk because that is the way it had been done back in the day, so they raised them in the way of tradition, why are we leaping into this phase of hormones... (ok, ok, off the soap box ;)

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2008/04/09/got-milk-got-hormones-got-a-problem-with-that/

( I skimmed the article first, pun intended, and just now read the full article, so any parallels were coincidence, but it's funny I do feel that way)

Over the hills, "HILLS"

I cant help but be in love with this outfit... I love to get dressed up on Occasion, but on a daily basis, I am cooking and cleaning and running errands, I think this is perfect to wear jeans and a white t-shirt and then throw on an amazing jacket to go out and about or drinks with friends or date night, I love it.... J, on the other hand says you have to be a size zero, which I am not, to wear this outfit.... Oh well, I will dream a little.... So then maybe I dont get the jeans targeted at 18 year olds, but made to fit 12 years olds, the butt crack jeans with the amazing built in booty support... I've heard about jeans called "Not your daughters jeans" but those look too old, isnt there something in between new and old? It's not really the pants that pull this outfit off, it's the cool jacket.... So while we are going through a heat wave, I am preparing for the cool fall months already! lol, doesnt anyone else do that? You get so much of a better deal to buy jeans and jackets when the days are scorching.... Anyhow, I will keep you posted if I can modify this outfit and not look like I'm trying to be the next over the hills "HILLS" girl! lol!

R. Lee Ermey Geico Commerical

Ok, Ok, I'll stop complaining about not having a friend here yet! LOL!!

And my new sunglasses are..... Number 2! I have been wanting a nice pair of Aviators and searched all the brands and types and finally settled on Coach, they fit my face, which I obviously have a big head, which means a huge brain too! lol!

hellos and good byes

I have been through deployments. Long one's, short ones, and everywhere in between. This, however, is getting to me... A constant state of hello's and good byes. Not for long of course, and that does make it better, but there is an underlying unsettled feeling in our family, that post deployment talk they talk about where the wife is used tot hings her way and the husband is used to being in charge and running things his way, bound to end in misunderstandings. And while our new life brings these sporadic good byes, the realization of the stress does too. When they are gone for a while, the reality of long deployments sink in, you start to get on your own groove and you tread water until the Calvary is home. I could lie and say how well it is going, many spouses do. We want to be tough and strong, we dont want to burden anyone and think, "Come on woman do this everyday" The fact is most military spouses are not station near family or friends, and many deployments happen when you first move somewhere new before you can plant any roots, you are then faced with the stress of moving and being alone. As was the case for me and woman I knew, many of our deployments happened when we were not even on the same continent as our families, and it was by my good luck and fortune, that my mom was afraid to fly, refused to fly, so no breaks for me. (I have since broken her of that habit, and flown her out to see us as I posted in previous posts)
This new thing were doing is not typical, and it is hard... He is gone before the girls and I get up, home at dark or just before (and that is when he is "home") and as of last night the battle of who would put the girls to bed ensued.. This is just an example of many silly things that pop up, No one is right here, there is no right side to any of these little battles, it is just stress, and we are both under it. He is only home a short time before he leaves again, but my life has been this military revolving door of hellos and good byes and it is a hard road that no one wants to admit. I certainly dont... It is especially hard for me right now because I am searching for a friend here, someone to hang out with and who gets it... Someone who will get the stress of the kiddos, as amazing as my children and husband are, this is hard, harder than you know, and I have not blogged about a part that makes my stress unique to our family, but I feel that blog will be coming soon. I am new to this location and what makes it hard for me is two fold. One, I am not on a military base where it is much easier to meet people in like circumstances, and two... I am the second kind of personality. There are two kinds of people, extraverted adn introverted.. I am not shy by any means, but the difference in the two are like trees, some trees plant short roots, but many roots that stretch over a broad surface, and those like me, plant only a few roots, but plant them deep...I have always beent hat way, it is uncomfortable for me to be around people I dont know, but once I know someone, people think I am extroverted and laugh when I tell them I really am not... My husband is the opposite (who knew right!) I have been settling in the new house, gettign the girls life sqared away and trying to hold things together as much as I could, but this has been hard in some respects, easy in others... But the fact remains, I need to get out there and meet some military ladies. Newbies would be best, were all in the same boat, and even though I am introverted with my roots close to me, I make friends very easily and quickly, I think many military woman learn this trick, so me living next to civilians, who have the friends they had since school or at least for a few years to decades, they think it has only beena short amount of time and they will warm up to me soon enough, Military spouses dont have that luxury, we know we dont, so it is more like elementary school than middle school. Remember that, when you would walk up to someone and say "Hi my name is _ what to be my friend?" And you'd gallop off to play some game or bother the boys, lol! Military life is similar, "Hi, my name is Suzy Homemaker, originally from another state, stationed previously across the globe, working in jobs I can pick up and move at the drop of a dime or staying at home right now, where were you stationed, do you have kids? Want to have coffee with the kids sometime?"
We are a strong bunch and it seems what bothered me when we were first in, doesnt even make me flinch now... As you go down being a career wife's path though, new jobs in the military bring unique circumstances and it is hard to juggle at first... I know we will get a handle on this, we always do. It is just a hard road that is extremely rewarding, but you have to get through these storms to appreciate the rainbows...
The moral is, no matter what the military throws out at a spouse, the hellos and good byes, the highs and the lows, the blow seems softer when she has a friend to decompress with a warm cup of coffee or a cold glass of wine!

Dunkin Donuts Coffee, HA-mazing!

I guess living in the Starbucks Meca of the world, and even traveling internationally there is a Starbucks on every corner... You walk into a major multi story starbucks and there are reading rooms sitting areas, there is a feeling in there, kind of cool with the art and the wafting coffee, buisness men and couples dating late night sitting in these cozy configured seatting areas... I guess I had become a Starbucks snob.... No Dunkin Donuts where I lived for many many years, so when I heard they beat Starbucks, I thought, it must have been a close one.... a tight race.... Well, as I traveled on Post doing my by-weekly shopping adventure in the Commissary, to my surprize, they were out of my usual coffee, I buy K-cups for my Cuisinart coffee maker which I love and adore... With an annoyed deep throaty *sigh* I look at what my choices are..... What crap is going to get me through my mornings dealing with all the crazies all day now that summer is out... I grab a bag of Dunkin Donuts Vanilla flavored coffee.... "here we go" I think, let's see what all that hype was about. Totally preparing myself for a let down and to do as I usually do, use only a few scoops out of the bag and throw it out once I find my coffee is back instore.
So I get up, open the bag, hey this smells good I think, maybe it will get me through... I brew the cup, add my ussual, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 2 Tablespoons (who am I kidding 3!) of Italian Creme and stir it together with whatever plastic kids spoon was sitting on the counter....I warm my hands on the Polish Pottery mug I had to have for a Christmas present from J and pull it close to my face as I pace, take a deep inhale and a small sip.... HOLY MOLY! This stuff is GOOD! I take another sip, and then find myself gulping it down like it was hot choclate on a snowey day and I was 8 years old! It didnt have that bitter bite that Starbucks had... that most coffee's I have tried have, I could not believe it was THAT much better... I really thought it would be like a Pepsi/ Coke, one person likes one better, but this blew me away.... NO MORE COFFEE SNOBBERY, I am converted and am on a mission to spread the word!
For those of you who dont know the ins and outs of military life, one time honored tradition amungst wives is called "The Coffee" it is a social of sorts.... We get together when the boys are gone and serve, you got it, coffee... also tea and soda... ok fine, and wine! But we get a break of adult time and share gripes and laugh, it is a rough road were on, no bashing here, just mutual respect for the battle we face.... Swapping recipies, sharing new upcomming events and socilas, kids activities, games, just good old fun to get out of the normal hum drum routine we are on every day.... Well, I'm sure you know the point I am getting to, I will be serving Dunkin Donuts at any I host for sure..... They have fairtrade espresso in their stores and even offer light fare for breakfast, so I say to anyone waiting and thinking about it or just wanting a cool brand to frquent, SAVE YOUR TIME AND MONEY, Dunkin Donuts is where it's at! ;)

This is my dining room (the table pictured is not there anymore, it is an empty room right now with just a Hutch on the wall) and the table with the slate in the middle is the table we have been waiting on since JANUARY from Germany.... I am patient and now we are getting free shipping on this, but can I please have a dinning room table to eat at as we are playing musical chairs at the Kitchen Island! lol.... Good things come to those who wait I guess since this is the table I have wanted since we lived in Germany many many years ago, it is made out of reclaimed wood from farm houses in Germnay, France, The Netherlands, and Spain, all the pieces are amazing, and the people who build it are the nicest people with their base in Germany.
I am just on pins and needles to finally have a dining room table back, I will keep you posted, Poker table, still unfinished as we have had some Chimney issues and lots of small weekend warrior projects, home owning is constant upkeep, it is so funny how when we were in Germany or renting, my girls would do something and I would think, "no biggie, I'll hit it with the Mr. Clean Magic eraser later" and now I see them wreaking havoc and I think " Someone wants to die trying to destroy my house today!" lol, it is so funny the things I worry about now, are the trees too close to the house, should we repaint that, seal that, replace that... *sigh* and so it goes... So hopefully I can get my new dining room table, something that wont require me working on the weekends, something pretty I can enjoy and it is rustic enough if my crazies scrape, rub, poke it, it will look fine....
Now I have until it comes to decide which dinning chairs I should get, I am thinking a bench or settee on one side and a few chairs on the other?