Happy Armed Forces Day![A day to honor our current military]

Today is about honoring our active duty service members. You're always in our thoughts & prayers. Thank you for your sacrifices.

Dear Military Sweethearts,

Please extend a big "Thank you" from me to your service member. Whatever branch you're in, we are all fighting for the same cause. We are all defending the same country. We are all a part of the same family. I know a lot of bases/posts have events going on in celebration of Armed Forces Day, so I hope you all have a great day! Also make note that in honor of today, Big Lots is giving a 10% military discount (for those with valid military I.D.) off your entire purchase.


*Sending love to my deployed sailor.....
I love you baby & miss you like crazy! Thank you for everything you're doing for us & for this country. I'm so proud of you. Stay safe out there!

Click Here to read more about what today is all about :)

Loving From A Distance...

• -Special "Military LDR" section!
• -Long Distance Advice
• -LDR Workbook
• -99 Things to do From a Distance
• -Gift Ideas/Forum/Blogs
• -Print out FREE stationary
• -Love Lettera/Quotes/Songs/True Stories
• -Purchase merchandise! (t-shirts, bracelets, love letter satchels...)
• -LDR Giftpacks sent to 2 addresses (even military addresses!)

If you're a military sweetheart then you've been in a long distance relationship (LDR), are currently in a LDR, or will be in a LDR at some point in the future (can you say, deployment?)

Loving From a Distance (LFAD) is a great source for LDR couples! I've already listed some of the things LFAD offers, but why don't you check it out for yourself! I'm definitely purchasing an LDR Giftpack for my Sailor! We've been in a long distance relationship even before he joined the Navy. We'll be going on "officially" 4 years this coming July.

LDR History+Military+Deployment=My crazy beautiful life

I'm sure a lot of you can relate...

My fiancé is deploying soon & my top 3 deployment resources will be the FRG, Ship Ombudsman, & LFAD!

♥Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day♥[[Here's a poem for you...]]

[The Friday before Mother's Day each year has been designated as Military Appreciation Day]

A Day for You, the Military Spouse

by Sara Horn

A day where no uniforms need mending or patches sewn on;
A day where nothing breaks down when you are all alone;
A day when children listen and there are no tears to dry;
A day where there are no questions and you don’t have to answer why;
This is the day I wish for you, the Military Spouse.

A day filled with peace and love and solidarity
A day where a phone call is just the start of the great day you’ll see
A day when you realize that what you do has fantastic enormous worth
A day where for the first time in months you can breathe without the hurt
This is the day I wish for you, The Military Spouse

A day that’s 24 hours closer to your loved one coming home
A day for webcams and Skype and soft I love you’s before dawn
A day where there are no silly arguments, just constant mutual grace
A day filled with blue skies, happiness and faith.
This is the day I wish for you, The Military Spouse

***********************************************

If you are a military spouse, thank you for your service.
If you know a military spouse, let them know that their sacrifices are appreciated.
Be sure to share this poem with a wonderful military spouse (past & present) that you know :)

Click Here for 101 Ways to Thank a Military Spouse!

A Prayer For Those Who Serve[+ discounts on military items!]

"Now I lay me down to sleep, one less terrorist this world does keep. With all my heart I give my thanks, to those in uniform regardless of ranks. You serve our country and serve it well, with humble hearts your stories tell. So as I rest my weary eyes, while freedom rings our flag still flies. You give your all, do what you must... With God we live and God we trust"

AMEN! I'm sure that by now you've already heard the news about Osama Bin Laden.
GO TEAM USA! (If only this meant that my Sailor didn't have to deploy anymore.... a girl can dream, right?) This is a great victory for Americans and I want to take the time to thank your service member & you, for your service.

To celebrate, these ladies are offering special discounts for TODAY ONLY!!!:

Sempersweet makes military iPhone cases (which is what I'm buying) that you can customize & many other wonderful products! Click Here for their Facebook page & more information on how to place an order & get $3 off!

Gambizzle Jewels makes beautiful military jewelry, hair accessories, & much more! Click Here for their Facebook page & more information on how get FREE SHIPPING for orders over $20!

Save money, honey!

If you live in America, then you are well aware of the condition of our economy.
If you're like most average Americans, your wallet isn't looking as plump as you'd like it too.
If you'd like to learn how to add more "bank" to your bank, then read up!!!

The Frugal Navy Wife's blog was shared w/me by an e-mail from my FRG & I'm so glad they did! Click the link or her button posted above, to start $saving$ yourself some money! She event provides you with ways to learn this wonderful art of being frugal.

You see, my DF (dear fiancé) & I recently discovered TLC's new show "Extreme Couponing" (if you haven't watched it then you should consider adding it into your schedule!). We were immediately drawn to it when we saw that people were saving HUNDREDS of $$$ by using coupons! An example.... A woman had $638.24 worth of groceries & only paid $2.64!!! True story... I watched to total drop as each coupon was being scanned. It's like winning the lottery (in a sense) by working the system!

Do we have any extreme couponers out there?!! If so, what was your best shopping experience?! Feel free to brag!

^ My DF & I are trying to become extreme couponers =P

Listen to Uncle Sam

OPSEC.
You know what I'm talking about.... We should all learn it. We should all love it. I'll admit that I'm still no expert on it, but I follow the rules of common sense & "if you don't know if you should say it... just don't say it!" Have you ever encountered people saying all telling all? I understand the idea of filling friends & family in on what's going on, but sometimes you just need to be a little more wary. During deployment it's going to be tough not sharing my excitement of a homecoming countdown by posting updates such as "___ Days Until My Sailor Comes Home!!!" on my Facebook, but we gotta hold back ladies!! Don't forget that LOSE LIPS SINK SHIPS. I think it's even worse when I go to Facebook profiles of service members (who I'm not friends with) & find that their profile isn't exactly private & that they aren't exactly keeping their mouth shut.... =/

I've messaged a few people in the past reminding them about OPSEC when I saw something (whether it be a picture or post) that may be a little TMI. Much to my surprise, I've gotten very different responses. Some ladies thank me for catching it (ex. During "Operation Sweetheart" someone posted pics of their man's dog tags but forgot to hide his info on it which included his name, soc. sec #, etc..) However, I've also received a somewhat snappy reply from another girl.

What are you thoughts?
If it were me, I'd want someone to point out my mistake so that I could fix it. I feel like the defensive women just don't want to admit that they did in fact make a mistake. This isn't an issue about pride—it's about keeping the brave men & women serving our country safe at all times.

You Know You're a Military Sweetheart When....

-you roll your eyes when other girls complain that they haven't seen their boyfriend in 3 days.
-you talk in all abbreviations and nobody knows what you're talking about.
-you can spot a Marine bumper sticker miles away.
-you'll drive hours to see him even if its only for a few hours.
- you sleep clutching your phone just in case he calls.
- you can say he's only been gone 6 weeks this time.
- you save and re-save all of his voicemails.
-you see a man in uniform in the grocery store and all you want to do is hug him.
-you spend half a pay check on care package items and shipping charges.
-you feel yourself growning more and more in love with your man even while he's so far away.
-you spend your sleepless nights writing letters and planning care packages.
- you wait to see certain movies until your military man gets home.
- your family thinks you're crazy because military recruiting commercials make you cry, not with tears of sadness but because you're so PROUD.
-the sight of dress blues takes your breath away.
-you own and wear your military branch's clothing, dog tags and anything to represent your military man daily.
-you call his phone just to hear his voice on his voicemail.
-a 2 minute phone call leaves you glowing and smiling for a week.
-the National Anthem makes you feel prouder than ever before.
-you can spot him 100 yards away in an airport and run and jump on him to get that first hug.
- you feel that you're part of a tight knit club for being a military girlfriend/fiancée/wife.
-hearing about military casualties shatter your heart even though you never knew them.
-you sleep in a pair of his sweats while he is gone to make you feel closer.
-you'll miss a night out on the town because you don't want to miss his phone call.
-you have saved text messages because they help you get through the tougher days.

If you agree or have anything to add to the list then leave a comment!