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Julie

Family Movie Night A Walk in My Shoes

November 29, 2010 by Julie Leave a Comment

I was recently contacted by Walmart/P&G about their new movie A Walk in My Shoes to air December 3rd, 2010 at 8/7c on NBC. It will air during Family Movie night which I thought was a great idea. That will allow families to come together and watch something great. Something they know will be good for everyone to watch. Sometimes it can be hard to find a movie that is good for everyone in the family.

“A Walk in My Shoes” makes viewers stop and think, “What would I learn if I stepped into someone else’s life?” Stressed-out high school teacher Trish Fahey (Nancy Travis, “Three Men and a Baby,” “Becker”) can’t understand her students’ lack of effort in the classroom and why their parents don’t seem to care. This is especially true of Justin Kremer (Cameron Deane Stewart), a popular, skateboard-loving, basketball star who is underperforming in her class. Trish has him suspended from the basketball team and quickly chalks up the situation as a case of bad parenting.

This perspective dramatically changes when Trish meets Molly (Yara Martinez), a mysterious stranger intent on helping her see things differently. After a car accident, Trish wakes to find herself living the life of Cindy Kremer (Jana Lee Hamblin), the woman she has rashly judged and criticized. Molly helps Trish discover that there is more to the story and learns a powerful lesson that affects everyone she interacts with, including her husband, daughter and the Marine next door. No one is left unchanged.”

I am a big fan of movies with a special message behind them. This one looks like it will be a great one with a great message. There is a tie in with the military which is great to see and I can’t wait to see this movie when it airs.

affiliate link graphic

Filed Under: Giveaways & Reviews, Movies, Television, and Media, Sponsored Post Tagged With: giveaway, military

I Got Bell’s Palsy After I Gave Birth

November 27, 2010 by Julie Leave a Comment

I Got Bell's Palsy After I Gave Birth

On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up and my mouth was all weird. My ear also hurt. I wasn’t sure what was going on but when I woke up Friday morning feeling even worse I figured it was time to go into the doctor to see what was going on. Well we went in and I have Bell’s Palsy which can happen in your 3rd trimester or after you give birth. They told me it will take about 6-8 weeks to clear up. Fun.

Basically, half of my face is drooping. My right eye doesn’t blink or even close all the way. So I have eye drops for during the day and eye cream for the night. I also have to tape the eye shut when I sleep. My mouth just doesn’t work right. I have trouble eating and feel like I am giving my mouth a workout when I do. I can’t say certain words the right way. And when I try to smile it is scary. I feel like I am smiling but I look like I am pissed off or something. It’s all very odd.

They told me 6-8 weeks but hoping it can go away faster than that. But at least I know what is wrong with me now and don’t have to keep wondering.

I will just have to explain to Joshua one day why I look a little mad in all the newborn pictures of him and me together.

My husband is going back to work this next week which I am a little nervous about. His mom will be here a few more days and then my mom is coming out for about 12 days.

I am hoping that we can get through this time without too much trouble. Bell’s Palsy sounds so scary and you really don’t know how it will affect you long term.

Filed Under: Military Children Tagged With: motherhood

Novica Review

November 22, 2010 by Julie Leave a Comment

I was notified by the Novica company to do a review and giveaway on my blog 🙂

They are one of the leading fair trade artisan websites. They work with National Geographic to give talented artisans around the world a place to express their artistic talents and provide access to the world market.

After going to their website I happily said I would love to do it. On Novica.com you can findfair trade corporate gifts,green gifts,unique gifts and much more.

I was on the site for quite a while trying to decide what I wanted to review. There were so many interesting choices.

I really liked these nativity scenes by a man in Southern Peru.

But then I saw this rug and thought it would be great for the floor in the baby’s room/office. I do not like the carpet we have in there so thought it would be cool to have a nice rug on the ground on top of it. The rug works pretty well for our room. It is 5.2 ft. L x 3.3 ft. W, 90% Wool and 10% Cotton. It was also made in India. I love seeing the color on the floor when I walk in the room. Wool and Cotton Rug, “Paths of Light”

Would you like to pick something out from their site? They are offering one of my readers a $50 gift code to their store. This giveaway starts right now and will end on Nov 30th, Tuesday night at 11:59pm.

To enter, tell me about a craft or artistic hobby you enjoy! Also make sure you have your email somewhere in your reply too 🙂 Good Luck!

Product Review D

Filed Under: Giveaways & Reviews, Sponsored Post Tagged With: giveaway, review

Guest Post: Stationed in Hawaii

November 15, 2010 by Julie 1 Comment

Stationed in Hawaii with the military

This next guest poster is Tricia at This Happy Home! I first “met” Tricia on a yahoo mailing list years ago. I am still hoping we end up at the same post sometime in the future 🙂 She is an Army wife with 3 little kids stationed in Hawaii 🙂 Since they are getting ready to PCS stateside again she will be writing a few other posts on her blog about Hawaii as well.

Nearly three years after arriving in Hawaii as a disgruntled pregnant army wife who did not want to be here, I’m leaving, with two more kids than we arrived with, a person who is grateful for the experience, enjoyed her time…and wouldn’t fight coming back. Our duty time here has had some amazing highs (one and two) and some definite lows. I came with the attitude that this would be an experience unlike any we would have if we weren’t military, so I was going to take advantage of it.

Some highlights….

Stationed in Hawaii

Keiki should be seen and heard. Everywhere. From church services to high-end restaurnts, normal kid noises and behavior are expected and welcomed. Rare is the “evil eye” from someone when your adorable keiki peeps up in the middle of service to tell you he needs to visit the men’s room or has the wiggles at dinner. You’ll find that Hawaii is one of the most family-friendly places you can be stationed.

The kama’aina are amazing. I have never felt anything but welcomed by the locals. You’ll hear stories about how much the locals hate non-natives, particularly military, but I have never had a single occurrence. And I have spent quite a bit more time in the local communities than most military wives I know. They are friendly, warm, welcoming and helpful. They have a rich history in the islands and they love to share their history and culture. And food!

If you enjoy Asian food, you’re in luck! Hawaii is rich with cultures from all over Asia and the Pacific Islands and, with that, comes incredible foods. From hole-in-the-walls to chains like Zippy’s and L&L Drive In, you’ll never have to search hard for good food.

Where else can you be stationed and have the opportunity to be treated at a big pink hospital?! Tripler Army Medical Center is huge and, because it sits on the side of a mountain, it can easily be seen from many places. And the pink-ness of it makes me smile every time. Add in that I birthed both of my boys there and I have even more reason to smile at Tripler.

One of the greatest things about being here, I think, is the ability to easily travel to the other islands. Airfare is very cheap, with prices starting around $40 roundtrip, rental car deals can be found utilizing Priceline and many hotels offer military rates. In a matter of a couple of hours, you can drive to the airport, fly to your destination and be on an island far different from Oahu. Take advantage of this opportunity!! I’ve known several military wives who have vowed never to travel to the other islands…I can’t tell you how much they’re missing out on!

Stationed in Hawaii

I’d gladly be stationed here again just went for the shave ice (call it shaved ice and they’ll know you aren’t local!)!! Our favorites are Waiola when we’re in town and Matsumoto’s when we’re on the North Shore.

Its Aloha Friday, No Work ‘Till Monday In addition to the incredibly catchy tune that you’ll hear all over the radio on Fridays, the aloha spirit comes out on Fridays. Everyone moves a little slower, is a little more friendly and spirits are up. I recently learned that Aloha Fridays were the inspiration behind “casual Fridays” you find on the mainland…and that Aloha Fridays were started to encourage wearing of Aloha shirts!

Stationed in Hawaii

Need I go on?! 🙂 As much as I am not a beach lover, wow…we have some amazingly beautiful beaches!!

Stationed in Hawaii

And beautiful beach sunsets!

And the struggles…

With prices so much higher off base than on base, you’re “bound” to the bases for shopping. While shopping at Target and such is high, it is quite doable. Shopping for groceries? No way! Sale prices can often be decent but non-sale items have prices that are quite prohibitive for regular shopping.

Getting around can be highly irritating some days. Between the traffic at rush hours, the high number of cars on Oahu, the parking spaces made for tiny sedans (which are a rarity!) and the lack of signage (it’s not unusual to be looking for someplace and somehow stumble upon it…without ever having seen a sign for it anywhere).

If you want to eat ethnic food that is not Asian, good luck! Outside of a few restaurants, we’ve found very little good non-Asian/local ethnic food. Tex-Mex is especially hard to find. Pizza places that are not chains are also few in number. And delivery food? Even less!

I knew it would be hard for me to live someplace with very little weather change from season to season. Growing up in the Midwest, I was used to four very distinct seasons. When I read in the guide-book that average temperatures were 80 plus or minus five degrees, reality hit. Seasons really were NOT going to be different in any significant way (save for rain during winter months if it wasn’t a dry year, which it was last year). This fall, for the first time, I noticed a very, very subtle change in weather–the winds were a little cooler, mornings and evenings were slightly chilly. If you weren’t paying close attention, though, it would be easy to miss. I miss different seasons but, more than that, I miss the CHANGE of seasons. I miss those early spring days when it’s just warm enough to go without a jacket, to crack the windows in your house or car. I miss leaves turning colors, the hint of crisp breezes, watching the stores for fresh apple cider and cinnamon brooms. I miss guessing whether early winter precipitation is rain or spitting snow. Every day the same (plus or minus five degrees!!) can be a hard adjustment.

Stationed in HawaiiI knew the distance from the mainland (and associated travel costs) would be great. I didn’t realize just how great until I was traveling alone with a 3-year-old and 12 week old!! Add in travel costs and travel to the mainland can quickly become quite difficult to make. Even when staying in Hawaii, the difference in time (as zones can make it difficult to connect with family. Six hours behind the east coast (five during the winter) means that friends and family are almost at the end of their workday just as your day is getting started.

Seemingly minor, it can grow increasingly frustrating when you can’t get online purchases shipped here. eBay sellers who insist custom forms are needed to ship to Hawaii so they won’t sell to you, retailers that only ship via UPS Ground (diapers.com, for example), no Amazon Grocery! And still others ship here…but for very high costs (Target, Frontier & King Arthur Flour, for example). When selections are already limited (groceries & craft supplies), the shipping issues add to the frustration.

As with any duty station, Hawaii is what you make of it. The struggles can be really trying sometimes…but this is truly an experience you’d (likely) never have if you were not military.

Filed Under: Guest Post, Military Life Tagged With: army wife, guest post, pcs

Guest Post: Re-integration take 3

November 10, 2010 by Julie 1 Comment

Today’s guest post is by Lauren at Faith and Deploying! Check out her blog too 🙂
Coming Back From Deployment

“The snooze setting on an alarm clock should be banned” I remember thinking that the very next morning after my husband had only been home for approximately 6 hours and had to report for his in-processing. My husband has a habit of snoozing for HOURS! And his alarm goes off every 5 minutes. I definitely did not miss the snooze button during deployment number 3, or the tossing and turning, or the side swipes of the elbow at 3AM. I didn’t have any expectations this time when my husband came home like I did the last two and I think that helped us more than my husband will admit. He wanted to relax and while I did resent the fact that he was living in a hotel in beautiful Guam for 5 months having someone cook and clean for him, if he wanted to relax, well then it was his R&R. He did manage to clean up some things and help out more when I asked and I found myself not nagging him like normal. Usually I only had to request once, maybe twice if I asked through a text message and he seemed to want more time with me not sitting at home (which was completely out of the ordinary). Don’t get me wrong we had our fair share of blow ups and I definitely said my fair share of mean things, but honestly this re-integration has been the easiest. I think I amount that to how well we did this deployment with talking and not holding grudges and learning about our marriage.

The hard thing about re-integration is you have lived another life, one without your husband there to rely on. You realize you can cry alone, fix the power washer as you scream at it in your back yard, manage to discipline the dog, cook dinner, and catch up on emails all without any help. You are the Queen on your Lair and then suddenly, even though you might prepare for it, another person is suddenly there always in the way and making a mess. I don’t think they mean to make a mess, but let’s be honest they have lived in a 12X12 box (if you’re my husband) and only had 1 maybe 2 bags of possessions. The only taste of home is probably whatever came in the care packages you sent. So now an 1800 square foot house becomes fair game for shoes, socks, jackets, underwear, or just mess that you have no idea where it comes from. Let’s face it, it’s an adjustment.

I think the longer you are married the easier it gets. You learn to balance more and explain your way of living to your husband so he can help mold his bad habits out of the house when he is home. But he’s lived a different life too, one where all he had to do was get up to work every morning. If he wanted to sleep until 3pm and snooze that rotten alarm all morning long and eat whatever he wanted and play his video games for hours he could. But now that he is home, things are different. There is suddenly someone who needs attention and duties to fulfill with the house. Responsibilities he hasn’t had to think about or do for 5 months. It’s an adjustment.

I haven’t quite figured out the knack to re-integrating, but I am happier with this adjustment period. I find myself less reliant on my husband and more independent. I have no problem leaving him and going to a meeting or going out with my girlfriends. And we have no issue just telling each other when we are upset. It’s an adjustment, but I’d rather have the adjustment and have him home than to not have him anymore. And I may just have to disable the snooze button on his alarm…..

Since the time for baby is getting closer and closer, I figured it might be a good idea to have some guest posts. My mind is mostly mush these days and not sure how much blogging I will feel like doing right after he is born. If you are interested in writing a guest post for my blog, please feel free to email me about it atjuliethearmywife@gmail.com.

Filed Under: Deployment Tagged With: Deployment, guest post, military, military wife

Guest Post About Christmas Newsletters

November 8, 2010 by Julie 2 Comments

Since the time for baby is getting closer and closer, I figured it might be a good idea to have some guest posts. My mind is mostly mush these days and not sure how much blogging I will feel like doing right after he is born. If you are interested in writing a guest post for my blog, please feel free to email me about it at juliethearmywife@gmail.com

Today’s post is by writer Tiffany Silverberg.

Christmas Newsletters

Growing up as a Coastie brat, I moved every three to four years and ended up with friends all over the globe. Those were the days before blogs so relied on seasonal letters to get visual and written updates from our dear ones. From the time we could read, those holiday letters from friends around the world were precious. We couldn’t wait for the temperatures to drop and our mailbox to fill. My sisters would always rush to the mailbox to see who we would hear from. And we were happiest when those letters contained two things: a picture and a letter.

*The letters without pictures were informative, but we ached to see how our friends and their siblings had grown. We would even pull out last years’ pictures and compare.

*The pictures without letters seemed to be missing a caption. Why was the family sitting on top of a mountain? And which mountain? Or why were the all dressed up? The letters filled in the gaps. They answered all our questions. They made us feel connected to our friends, in a world before facebook.

Even just last year, my husband and I went home for Christmas. Upon our arrival, my mom handed me “the basket.” The wicker vessel containing all the letters we had received. Each had been opened and read at least once by each family member. Now it was my turn. As I pulled out the pictures and read through the letters, my family watched waiting for my reaction to each story. Just as we had always done.

As a military family, our holiday traditions always included letters that came anytime from Thanksgiving to Valentines Day. Even now, as a Navy wife, my fridge is covered in pictures of dear friends’ Christmas pictures. I can’t wait to renew those pictures with the letters we receive this year.

As you plan your holiday letter, stop by my websitewww.tiffanysilverberg.com where you can find tips and information about my writing services. Cheers!

Filed Under: Military Life Tagged With: christmas, guest post, military

Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan Book Review and Giveaway

November 7, 2010 by Julie 9 Comments

Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq and Afghanistan

I was contacted by Jocelyn Green a bit ago about participating in a Veteran’s Week Blog Tour for the book Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan. I am a huge fan of her book Faith Deployed so I knew any book she was apart of was going to be great.

Battlefields and Blessings is a book made up of a bunch of different stories/devotionals. Co-authored by Jane Hampton Cook, Jocelyn Green and John Croushorn.

The book has 1 entry for each day of the year. Now I read the book all the way through over a few weeks. But you could also just read 1 entry a day based on the day or a couple each day. The entries are from different people associated with the military in some way. From Chaplains who work at the Pentagon who were there on 9/11, to military wives having to get through deployments. A lot of people who wrote them have about 3-4 entries each. I found this pretty cool because it let me know a little bit more about each of the people who wrote them. At the end of each entry, there is a short prayer for us to read. I could really see this book as a great tool to have during a hard situation such as a deployment. There are stories of faith, what people have gone through and some very inspirational thoughts that just stick with you.

The people who wrote in this book felt very real to me. Sometimes there were entries from a husband and wife and it was great to hear from both of them. There were stories about 9/11, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and life back at home. Stories from mothers and wives and from those who have been to war. I also really enjoyed the layout and even how the book was put together. Just a great mix of people.

The one entry that sticks out to me was from a military wife Kerri Hartwick who lost her husband in Iraq. One of the prayers listed said, “Lord, prepare my heart for whatever you have in store for me.” Really this is what we have to deal with in life. We don’t know the future or if our prayers will be answered but we can know God is there for us through whatever we must go through. There were many other entries that made me feel very encouraged as well.

Would you like to win a copy of this book? Trust me it is amazing! It is also autographed by Jocelyn Green.

Here is how the giveaway will work…

It starts now! And it ends Sunday November 14th, 2010 at 11:59pm Central time.

To enter please answer this question:

What encourages you the most during a hard time? Any favorite verses that come to mind?

That is it! Good luck 🙂

PS make sure I have a way to email you if you win 🙂

For more information here are the websites…

Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan

Faith Deployed

I received a free signed copy of the book Battlefields and Blessings: Stories of Faith and Courage from the War in Iraq & Afghanistan for this review. And an additional copy to giveaway to one of my readers.


Filed Under: Giveaways & Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Deployment, giveaway, military

8 Months Pregnant and Tired all the Time

October 7, 2010 by Julie 5 Comments

8 Months Pregnant and Tired all the Time

This post contains affiliate links!

8 Months Pregnant and Tired all the Time

I realized today that I am 8 months pregnant. That sounds so weird. But boy am I feeling it. I am tired, my feet hurt, my legs hurt, I have to pee every hour it seems and just feeling so uncomfortable. I think most women at 8 months pregnant can relate to that. I am hoping to find some relief by resting more but that is hard to do with other small children in the house.

Have you read,What to Expect When You’re Expecting?

I had my Midwife appointment on Monday. I tested negative on my GTT test and my iron looks good. I am gaining more weight than she would like though so been trying to walk more. This seems to happen every pregnancy no matter what I do.

She also said I was measuring 3 weeks ahead. I asked if that could mean my due date was off and she didn’t think so. She said she would do an ultrasound if I still was next appointment. I admit I would love another ultrasound but we will see how it goes.

From asking a ton of people, measuring 3 weeks ahead could mean nothing, it could mean a bigger baby, it could mean an earlier baby or it could mean my dates are off. Who knows really? I guess we just have to wait and find out.

She said she would do a C-section if she thought the baby was over 11lbs but I don’t think that will be an issue. I don’t like to hear about C-sections being given for babies that appear bigger than they might really be. I have had friends have them for that reason only for the baby to be born a lot smaller than they thought.

My parents are here visiting and we have been having fun. Tonight my husband and I got to go out for Mexican food. It seems like in our pre-kid days we went out for Mexican a lot so it was neat to do that with him. Tomorrow I think we are going to go to the movies. Trying to take advantage of life before we become a family of five.

I have been so tired that I have been more of an online “reader” this week vs a “poster.” Hoping next week will be a little better and I will get out of my little funk.

How did you survive the last few weeks of pregnancy???

Filed Under: Military Children

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About Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life

Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Welcome to Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life! I am so glad you are here.

My name is Julie and I have been a military spouse for 17 years!

My husband of 20+ years has served in the active-duty Army and now the Army National Guard. We have lived in Germany & Tennessee during our time as a military family.

We have three boys and have been through four deployments together.

I hope that you can find support for your own deployments, PCS moves, or anything else military life brings you 🙂

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