Party Preparation Continues

The invitations have been ordered so it's official now!! A very special THANK YOU to Tiny Prints! They said they would Super Rush the order to us for free because they were for a deploying soldier's going away party. I have to say Tiny Prints has SUPER AWESOME customer service and I highly recommend them.  This is the card we went with (except we switched the information about the 4th of July).   

Now on to the party planning. I'm going to buy post cards so people can write them out and I can send them once we have his address. People can wish him well and not worry about postage or trying to remember to send it out. Now I just have to go find some fun post cards!!

I'm trying to think of food and decorations next. I think we'll be sticking with the red, white and blue theme. Any suggestions?

A Special Thank You To ???

My husband works full time for the military so he wears his uniform everyday. The other night we went to dinner at a little, local cafe and were surprised when the waitress told us our bill had been paid by another guest. I've heard stories about things like this, but it's never happened to us. Thank you to everyone out there who supports our troops and their families. We appreciate it very much! 

Deployment Bling

A deployment bracelet was on my wish list for 2 reasons:
1. I want to show my support for my husband and our troops!
2. I think they're super cute!


My Bracelet - LOVE IT!!

Sheree (from Beadwork by Sheree) was nice enough to make a bracelet for me. I knew by looking at the bracelets online that I'd LOVE it, but it's SO much better in person. The sterling silver beads are bright and shiny and the colored crystals are vibrant! I love the fact that you can personalize these bracelets any way you want...you can put your soldier's name on it or you can do a Support Our Troops bracelet. There are also several (I mean A LOT of) charms to choose from that will make the bracelet yours. Once you finally decide what charms you want and what you want it to say you have one more decision...what kind of clasp do you want? I opted for the lobster clasp so I don't have to worry about losing it. Wha-laa, you're done! Now you just need to wait for it in the mail! Oh, did I mention you get FREE SHIPPING?

Sheree gives 10% from each Deployment Bracelet® sold to the USO. She chose the USO because they cover both the soldiers and their families. She also likes that they cater to all the branches of the military. Charitable giving is a large part of who she is and the donations she gives from the Deployment Bracelets® is just a small way she can show her support.

Sheree came up with the idea of the Deployment Bracelet® when her close friend's husband was going to be deployed in 2002. Her friend's reaction to the bracelet is what made her decide to make it available to others. Sheree's hope is that the bracelet will make people feel a little more in touch with their deployed loved one and at the same time it shows their loved one that they are being supported. She takes a digital photo of each bracelet she makes and sends it to the customer. They can then send the photo on to those who are deployed via email so they can actually see what the bracelet looks like. She also offers Men's and Children's bracelets.

Thank you, Sheree!! I love it and so does my husband!!

 *I received a free Deployment Bracelet® to keep in order to form an opinion. I was not compensated in any other manner. The opinions expressed above are my own and any claims should be verified on the sponsor’s site. Actual experience may vary. A special THANK YOU to Beadwork by Sheree for allowing me to review this product!

Lightscoop = Awesome Pictures!!

With deployment looming right around the corner, I've been looking for anything to help make life easier or better. Then I found the Lightscoop for SLR cameras! You slip the Lightscoop over the pop up flash for more natural pictures. Click here for a list of compatible cameras.

This helps eliminate pictures with washed out/white faces, dark shadows and red eyes. It even made a huge difference on my son's glasses by reducing the amount of glare.

The Lightscoop lets you use professional techniques without having to learn or buy expensive equipment. It uses the light from the flash and redirects it to the ceiling and walls which creates a larger source of light that comes from a natural direction.

This little gadget is awesome!! I'll be able to send natural pictures to my husband once he deploys and I'll be able to print great pictures for scrapbooking!

There are 2 Lightscoops available: Standard and Warming and they are only $29.95. They are for indoor use only since they need walls ceilings to reflect the light. This is a must for your wish list!! I hope you love it as much as I love mine!

*I received a free Lightscoop to keep and use in order to form an opinion. I was not compensated in any other manner. The opinions expressed above are my own and any claims should be verified on the sponsor’s site. Actual experience may vary. A special THANK YOU to Professor Kobré's Lightscoop for allowing me to review this product!











And We're Off!

This weekend my husband and I are going to a marriage retreat! I'm so excited! I have no idea what to expect, but I believe we'll be working on communication skills to help us during deployment. Tomorrow night we're given the evening for date night and I've been looking online for nice restaurants to go to for dinner. I'm not not sure what to do after dinner, but bowling sounds like a lot of fun! It'll be nice to spend the weekend together without the boys...not to mention the 3 hour drive - I can't just hear the silence:) Hopefully I'll have some fun tips I can post Sun. night when I get home since I've been updating the Ideas and Links pages the last few days.
I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!! I know we will!

100 Followers...Can I Do It?

I had a goal of reaching 100 followers by March 15th and just realized that tomorrow is the 15th. I'm 22 followers away from my goal. Please follow and let others know about this blog if you think it may be able to help you or someone you know.

I started this blog as a place to add websites, ideas, discounts...anything related to the military or deployment. I know there's only a handful of people who will understand what we're going through as we prepare our family for our first deployment with children. But I also know that there are several more people who are there just for the support. THANK YOU!!

Meet and Follow Sunday

I'm hoping to meet lots of new people. I'm getting closer to meeting my goal...100 followers by Mar. 15th. I hope you like what you read!