Hey, It's Okay!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To be closing on the house FRIDAY! No more hotel!


--To have already ordered cable and internet to be set up. They're coming that Monday. We're going with AT&T so I hope they're good. We got the gigablast since everyone in the house is usually on a device.


--To eventually plan on getting an trampoline for the kids in the backyard. On base housing they weren't allowed due to injuries and such. It was frustrating because hello, they're my kids, if they're injured, I'll deal with it.


--To have an awesome Father's Day gift idea here.


--To feel for the mother of the kid who fell into the gorilla exhibit. I might write a blog post about this on Thursday. I had a kid who liked to take off on me. Maybe something like this could have happened to him.


--To yell a bit when I watch Say Yes To The Dress when someone spends $9000 on one wedding dress. I know it's not my money, but holy balls! One woman actually forked over $50,000 and I was all, "That's a car! You're wearing a CAR!"


--To have made this, because as I make phone calls to officially change our address, sometimes the representative is all, "Oh, where are you originally from?" Well...

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Remember.

When Tom and I were first dating, he had me watch Saving Private Ryan with him.


It was an experience.


I still have that image in my head of the soldier dying on the beach, his intestines out, screaming for his mother.

I admit, sometimes I take my freedom for granted. And I shouldn't. Because so many brave soldiers fought and gave their lives for my freedom. They should always be remembered. Not just on Memorial Day. My Grandpa fought bravely in WW2. He helped pave the way for our freedom. So many other young people did too.

So if you're at the beach, enjoying a BBQ, laughing with family....remember why you're able to do those things. Today is NOT the official start of summer. Make that another day. This day is for our fallen soldiers.

Remember.

Why You Should Get A Jord Watch For Father's Day

**I was sent a Jord watch to review in exchange for a post. No other compensation was exchanged and my opinions are my own.**

My husband can be difficult to shop for. But he did say he could use a new watch. However, he's picky about what watch he'll wear. Since he's in the military, he can only wear certain watches with his uniform.

I was sent a watch from Jord Wood Watches and hoped my husband would like it. JORD has a bunch of men's watches to choose from, and my husband picked the Ebony & Copper one from the Dover series.

So why should you pick up a Jord Wood Watch for the man in your life?

1. It's gorgeous!

It's made with rich ebony and sharp looking copper.



2. It comes in an amazing box and is packaged well. You feel special opening it. 

Even my husband was impressed, and not much impresses him.




3. It's cool to look at.

This is the back of the watch. Pretty neat.



4. It's comfortable.

My husband was able to wear it the entire day without it bugging him. We're in Texas, and it gets HOT here. But he said it didn't get too sweaty around the watch.


5. The box that it comes with can double as something else.

My daughter claimed it for her Shopkins.



6. It's unique.

Anyone can have a basic watch with the basic band. But with a Jord Watch, you get style.


7. You can save $25!


Yup, if you use the code DADairingmylaundry25 and save $25 when you check out.

To learn more about Jord watches, check them out here:

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Wood Watches For Women

When The Hotel Fire Alarm Goes Off Four Times In One Night...

We've been in a hotel for nearly a month now.

For the most part, things have been going smoothly. Yes, I deal with other hotel guests who are assholes. But I'm managing with lots of chocolate and books.

However.

The other night, the fire alarm went off.

Four times.

It started at 1 AM. Then it seemed to go off in half hour intervals.

I was livid. I do not like when my sleep is interrupted. It's why I only had two children. So each time I'd drift off and be woken up by another alarm.

I was PISSED. The alarm would go off for about a minute, then stop. Obviously the hotel wasn't on fire. At first I thought the hotel was on fire and started grabbing my prized possessions: my books. My Macbook. My phone. Then I realized, nope, no fire, just a spazzy alarm system.

I went downstairs to ask what was going on. Several other hotel guests were doing the same. Apparently they didn't know why the alarm kept going off. They were working on it.

"Work on it faster," a hotel guest grumbled and then promptly stomped outside. To this day, I wonder where he went. It was 2 AM.

I almost didn't want to sleep. Suppose I went to sleep and the alarm only went off again. Should I read? Hope for the best and shut my eyes?

Luckily the alarm stopped after the fourth time, praise chocolate. (Oh, but a few days before THAT, the alarm had gone off at midnight. But only once. So maybe I should have expected the crazed alarms.)

I get that things happen. I do. But I have never experienced an alarm going off so often while in a hotel. This note came the following day:

And while I appreciated the explanation, I felt like we deserved a free night. So I asked as politely as I could. (I really, REALLY do not like my sleep interrupted.)


Good news! We got the free night. So far the letter is true: the alarm HASN'T gone off again.

I hope it stays that way. We're until until next week.

Fingers crossed.

Hey, It's Okay!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To have rolled my eyes a bit when I was watching Sister Wives (Tom let me put it on without whining too much!) and Robyn said something like, "We don't want our boys to be soldiers" and talked about hiding the National Guard paperwork from one boy who wanted to join.


--To think I got Tom to appreciate Trader Joe's. He picked up some things he ended up liking.


--To have enjoyed The Angry Birds movie. There were some funny parts.


--To be ready to be in our house already. We SHOULD still be closing on June 3rd. But that doesn't mean our stuff will arrive soon after. It's PCS season so we might have a delay. I hope not.


--To love that I don't have to cook dinner while in the hotel. We've been having a lot of sandwiches and TV dinners. I did make spaghetti one day but that wasn't the easiest on the tiny cook top.


--To have a post up over at Military Wife And Mom about what shopping at the commissary is like here.


--To be going to the Riverwalk to have lunch with Tom today. Mom has the kids so we're enjoying a date before Tom starts his MTI school.


--Hodor!


--To have thought it was hilarious that Ruby went to sleep like this:

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When Your Child Is Religious, But You Are Not

I'm not religious.

Yes, I've been to church. I was even in some church groups in high school. But I never felt like religion was for me. I believe in a higher being--but who that higher being is, I don't know. I suppose I'm known as agnostic.

I've always been fine with those who are religious. Many of my friends are. Many family members are. And I always vowed that I'd allow my children to decide for themselves what they wanted to believe. So I put them in vacation Bible schools.

Tommy? He wasn't a fan. He found it boring. He has a more scientific thought process and needs proof. However, he does believe in Heaven because he says he'll be upset if we die and nothing happens.

But Natalie? She loved learning about the Bible. One time she told me, "Jesus is Lord." Another? "Mommy, let's say hi to Heaven!"

I am honest with my kids. If they ask me if I believe, I'll explain that I really don't believe in the Bible. Natalie knows this, but SHE chooses to believe, and I would never take that away from her. Never. Even though I'm not religious, it doesn't mean my daughter can't be.

I do tell her that I hope she always believes that it's okay if two consenting adults want to marry, even if they are the same sex. Right now she doesn't have an issue with it and wears her shirt proudly:

She also loves watching Jazz Jennings in I Am Jazz, because she's happy that Jazz is her authentic self. (For those who don't know, Jazz was born a boy but says she always had a girl brain. I've taught Natalie all about what it means to be transgender and I'm proud to say she supports those who want to be who they truly are.)

Maybe one day she'll decide she doesn't want to believe anymore. And that's okay. It's her decision.

But for now, in the present, when Natalie says, "It's raining. I love the rain. We should say thank you to Jesus," and it means so much to her so I'll comply and say, "Thank you, Jesus."

Because it's not hurting anyone.

Annoying Things People Do On The Internet

I love the Internet. I love social media. I'm on different accounts daily. I like seeing what people are up to. But sometimes I see things that irritate me. This mostly happens when I get online BEFORE I've had my Diet Coke. Most of the time I'm quite pleased with what I see. But other times?

--Sending those auto messages on Twitter when you follow them. Stop it. I don't like them. Most people don't like them. If I also want to follow you on Facebook, I know what to do. My Twitter mailbox is FILLED with these things that I haven't even bothered to read.



--Acting like your life is perfect. If I see constant love posts between a husband and wife, the cynic in me immediately thinks, "Something is wrong. They're covering something up."



--Sending those "do you want to join my team?" messages on Instagram or other social media accounts after I follow you or like one of your pictures. No. No I do NOT want to join your team. If I did, I know what to do.



--Please stop adding me to online parties. If I want a candle/purse/jewelry/nail crap/leggings, I know what to do.



--Stop inviting me to like your page. I know how to click a like button. For the 23489th time if I want to like your page, I know what to do.



--The blog posts on why you stop reading a blog? Well, I do some of those things, and I don't plan on stopping.



--I detest pop ups when I go to a blog. If I want to join your newsletter, I'll click the newsletter button. Having it pop up when I'm trying to read your post pisses me off and usually I click off the page before I finish the post because I'm perturbed.



--Parents that sell their kids fundraising crap online and then act offended when you decline to get something. First of all, your child is supposed to sell the overpriced crap. Not you. Second of all, I do not want to spend $15 on cookie dough when I can go to the store and get it for $2. I donate directly to the school so I don't have to deal with the fundraising nonsense. Don't give me a sob story on how your kid needs to sell 20 items to get a cheap toy. The cheap toy is going to end up broken and lost within a week. I assure you.



--Urging me to try It Wraps if I like one of your photos about you talking about It Wraps. Look, I'm being polite. If I want to try one, I KNOW WHAT TO DO.



Do you have anything to add to this list?

Hey, It's Okay

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To have enjoyed Captain America: Civil War. I'm Team Captain America.


--To really wish certain hotel guests would read my post How Not To Be An Asshole While Staying In A Hotel. There's the world's most annoying kid who likes to scream in the hall. I hope he checks out soon.


--To be taking the kids to see The Angry Birds movie at some point.


--To be grateful that my parents took the kids for a week. They come back tomorrow and will be with us for a few days and then will go back with my parents. They have more fun there than a hotel.


--To love that I can see my family more often. Being a military family this didn't happen often. On Friday we're getting together because my Nana Jo is during 95.


--To miss my DVR. Tom doesn't like a lot of reality shows I do so I just have to hope they'll pop up On Demand. I tried to put on Sister Wives and he was like, "Um, no."


--To have cheered at the end of the latest episode of Game of Thrones.


--To love that I can go to HEB whenever I want now.

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6 Ways To Not Lose Your Cool During A PCS

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT. All opinions are 100% mine.


We recently PCSed from Tinker AFB, Oklahoma to Joint Base San Antonio in Texas. PCSing can be rather stressful—especially when you have kids. Here are tips that can help to not lose your cool.

1. Set aside everything you want to keep before the movers get there. We had everything we did not want packed in our vehicles.  We also marked off the pantry with DO NOT PACK and kept some things in there.


2. Take photos of your expensive items. We took pictures of our TVs with the serial numbers. We made sure to snap photos of our couch—this way in case it got a hole during the move, we could make a claim and prove nothing was wrong with it.

3. If you have kids, pick up new books and entertainment for them. I purchased some items at the dollar spot in Target. My daughter has enjoyed the dry erase board I picked up from there.


4. Protect your pets. When the movers arrived, we had them in cages so they wouldn’t accidentally get trampled on or try to escape. I would hate to lose a pet right before a move.

5. Buy some chocolate. Or wine.  New books. Whatever you need to decompress. Finding a quiet spot with some chocolate and a book helped me. It’s tough with kids, but lean on your spouse and take turns getting some alone time.


6. Consider using CORT Furniture Rental. We’ll be in a hotel for several weeks and should be able to move into our house in about a month. However, even though we close on the house, it doesn’t mean that we’ll get our furniture. It is PCS season and TMO might be backed up. Enter CORT, where you can rent furniture and other essentials with less hassle. CORT has a lot of stylish options for fair prices:






To learn more about CORT, be sure to check out their website.


What are your tips to not stress out during a move?

How To Pass The Final Inspection For Base Housing

We recently PCSed (moved) from Tinker AFB in Oklahoma to Joint Base San Antonio. (Lackland.) We lived on base in Oklahoma so when it was time to move, we knew we'd be going through an inspection. This means someone comes into the house and makes sure everything is clean. (There's also a pre-inspection. I wrote about that here.) You cannot leave until they sign off. It can be rather daunting, but I have tips.

1. We paid them to clean. No wait! Don't go! Even though we paid them to clean, we still were responsible for some things. Take a look:

Now, personally if I'm forking over $300, I shouldn't have to clean a damn thing. But Balfour Beatty is mean.



2. One thing we had to do? Clean all the outdoor light fixtures. Bugs will get trapped in them so we had to unscrew them. A tip? Put them in the dishwasher. I'm serious. It works! If you need to clean things before you pack them, I recommend Sonic Soak. Sonic Soak is the newest evolution in washing technology that uses ultrasonic technology to result in a deeper clean, saved time, water and energy all in a compact package that can be taken anywhere. You can experience ultrasonic cleaning with this! I love that it's portable too, so it's perfect for hotel living. It ends up being more gentle than a regular washing machine and even hand washing. I would clean many toys with this.

3. Keep out a vacuum until the last minute. The packers are generally nice and will allow this. When they DO pack up the vacuum, make sure you have a friend who can loan you one. You MUST have clean floors otherwise they'll charge you.

4. We just made sure we started to clean as soon as the movers packed up all our stuff. Even though we paid them to clean, we didn't want to wait until the last moment to do what we were in charge of. My husband cleaned out the trash cans the day after the movers left. You'd think this was an easy task, but sometimes food and gunk gets stuck on the bottom. It took him about a half hour to clean it all away. My advice? Routinely clean out your trash cans.



3. We were polite. Maybe TOO polite. I was not pleased when they claimed a piece of carpet was not able to be fixed. I reminded them we had lived there for almost 5 years. We have kids. Pets. It's not going to look perfect. But because they weren't able to patch it, we had to pay for it. (However, if you have renter's insurance, call them, because they might cover it. USAA did cover the carpet!) But I think because we didn't show up at the final inspection with foul moods, it made the lady inspecting the house maybe a little kinder. After all, we had a stain under the sink when my shampoo spilled out and she didn't say a thing. I worried we'd have to pay for it.


4. A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is your friend. We used this to clean the fridge. There were some stains on the bottom and the eraser got it right up. We also had some stains on the floor. Also, set aside some cleaning sprays. The movers won't pack them anyway.


5. Be careful when pulling out your stove and fridge. Another thing we had to do was clean underneath these. My husband and I each took a side and pulled slowly. Then we used the vacuum, the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, and the cleaning spray to get the floor. It really wasn't as bad as I thought.



Inspections are never fun. In fact, I made this:

It's nerve-wracking. Uncomfortable. And irritating when you're told you owe money. But it's what comes with living on base.

We will be getting purchasing a home at our next base, so we'll be on the look out for a home equity loan the next time around. 

I hope this is helpful!

How To Not Be An Asshole While Staying In A Hotel

I've been in a hotel for two weeks now. We're waiting to get our house. (We should close June 3rd.) While I've been in a hotel, I've experienced all sorts of things. Here are some ways you can stay in a hotel and not be an asshole. Your fellow hotel guests will appreciate it:

1. Don't slam doors. Hotel doors are heavy. Close them yourself. If you walk in and let it close on its own, it'll slam and cause other rooms to shake.


2. Don't be noisy in the halls when it's early or late. Tell your kid to hush. You might have to be up at 6 AM but I trained my kids to sleep in, so tell Junior to whisper. Also, it's not cute to let Junior run down the halls at 6 AM. Other people can hear.

3. Don't take all the eggs. No, seriously. Most hotels will have a complimentary breakfast. A hotel worker brought out a bunch of new eggs and this man piled them all onto his plate. Is he training for a marathon? Trying to be the new Rocky? What?


4. Don't hold the elevator for over five minutes. If your party isn't ready, sorry. Other people need the elevator too.


5. Don't have loud conversations in the halls. Unless it's juicy. Then I can listen in. But if you're just discussing where to go to lunch, go to your room. Don't be all, "DO YOU WANT MEXICAN? TEXAS ROADHOUSE? WHAT? HUH?"


6. Don't stomp around your room. The people below you can hear. There's been times when I wanted to grab a broom and bang it on the ceiling like that one guy on Friends.


7. If you're in a pet-friendly hotel, don't let Fido constantly bark. I'm in a pet-friendly hotel and sometimes I hear dogs in the dead of night. Does Fido see a ghost? Should I be afraid?

What would you add to this list? Have you ever been a hotel for an extended period of time?

Hey, It's Okay!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To hope I don't go nuts being in a hotel for a month while we wait for our house.


--To be going to see the new Captain America movie sometime this week. We have a movie theater right next to the hotel.


--To plan on reading a lot while in the hotel room. It helps keep me sane.


--To not be a fan of Trump or Hillary. I'm a little afraid for the US.


--To like living in Texas now, but the traffic is going to take some getting used to.


--To LOVE the Texas grocery store HEB. We have one near the hotel and yes, we've already gone. We also have one near our house.


--To have had a fun Mother's Day. I got a sweet card. I didn't want much because I'd rather money go towards house stuff.


--To take Natalie to the hotel pool so I can read in peace:

Things That Happened On Our Drive To Texas

We recently moved from Oklahoma to Texas. We didn't have a long drive. It takes about 8 hours. Tom and Tommy were in the truck. My Mom, Natalie, and I were in the car. It makes me nervous to drive long distances so my Mom came up from Texas to help because yes, she lives in Texas, and now I'm finally be close to family.

Here's some things that happened:




1. We crammed the vehicles with all sorts of stuff. Suitcases. Food. Toys. Cats. Random crap.

2. Ruby the Cat wouldn't stop meowing. We'd think she sleeping but nope, then she'd be all "MEOW!"

3. We passed many people on their cell phones, which is annoying. You could tell the ones on their phones because they were swerving around the roads or going below the speed limit. Please stay off your phones. Don't be ridiculous.


4. Natalie kept asking if we were there. "Do we only have one hour left?" When we still had like six.


5. We stopped at Buc-ees! It's an awesome store/gas station in Texas.

We made it to our hotel by the evening--we'll be in the hotel for a month since the house we bought won't be ready until June. I'm worried for my sanity. We aren't wealthy people, so we're all in one room. We can't afford one of those Real Housewives Suites.


But on the plus side, I am by family:

And my Mom already said she'd take the kids on Thursday.

Praise chocolate.