First Things First

Today I'm linking up with Halie and Hallie for First Things First!

Because the first things are always a tad awkward, little bit weird and usually funny.

1. First Trip Out of the Country:

Niagra Falls, Canada - somewhere around 1995.

Family vacation that I hardly remember since I was so young. I think I was 4 maybe 5.

I do remember our car being searched upon reentry to the US, that was exciting =)

2. First Major purchase on Your Own:

How major are we talking? 

I spent $500 on my first laptop just after I graduated bootcamp. That was pretty major for me. And when I got done with all my training I made my first major major purchase with this bad boy:

I named him Jack and was soooo sad to part with my baby when we moved to Japan! 

1. First thing you learned to cook:

Spaghetti... boil noodles, throw jar of sauce on on burner, and voila!

Seriously.. we ate spaghetti religiously for the first 3-6 months  of our marriage. I think my husband is very thankful that I've learned to cook a few other dishes. His subtle way of telling me to learn consisted of giving me a cookbook anytime gift-giving was warranted.

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

A day in the life.

Just some of our daily adventures.

Currently in Japan =)

No idea what this says. Wish I could read kanji.

Dear Ash: February 1,2013

Welcome to Dear Ash, a Friday night advice column inspired by the late Dear Abby. 

Have a question, need advice?

 Shoot me an email at laugh_with_ash@yahoo.com and maybe you'll be featured next week.

Dear Ash: Does it get better living here [in Okinawa]? -Miserable

Dear Miserable: Home is where you make it. You hate it here because you've not accepted it as your home. I imagine the military has brought you here, as it has for most of us, and if that's the case, then you might as well get used to it. You're going to be moving A LOT. Get out of your house. Go make friends. Learn some key Japanese phrases. Venture into off-base establishments. Do not be afraid. If you're really desperate, have kids.. they're great pawns for meeting people. 

Dear Abby:    I have always wanted to have my family history traced but I can't afford to spend a lot of money to do it. Any Suggestions? - Sam in Cal

Dear Sam:    Yes. Run for public office. 

Have a great weekend everyone =)

For Tiffany.

As I sat in church this week, I listened to our Pastor talk about loving one another. 

In fact, Jesus commanded that we love one another.

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another."

John 13:34

Meet Tiffany.

My best friend.

The only person who has ever loved me as Jesus did.
Who has never judged me in all my mistakes.

We met in Kindergarten. And on her first day of school, we had a tornado drill. 

She cried & I turned around and said "Don't worry, it's just a drill!" 

And we've been friends ever since. 

But I haven't always been a good friend. In fact, there were times when I was a pretty awful and absent friend. And through it all, she's been there. waiting for me to get my act together. Shaking her head, telling me I'm wrong, and being stupid. And loving me anyway. And showing me that God loves me. 

See, I never knew God. Until I got to high school, and even then I didn't really know him. 

I didn't know I needed him or wanted him, or that he could make my life so much better.

So I used other things to fill the voids. In high school it was all about fitting in.

 Looking cool. Keeping up. 

Alcohol. Sex. Drugs. Boys. Mischief. 

I remember sitting in an assembly once and I turned to a friend on one side of me and said, "watch this".. then every time Tiffany would start to talk I made a loud noise or said shut-up or be quiet and pretended to be really mad at her. She got upset and we laughed about it.  

I used to say some pretty awful things, because I thought I was being honest and that's the best policy right? No... you're opinion is never honesty or truth, it's your opinion and more often than not, it needs to be kept to yourself. Especially if you're a teenage girl in high school.

I can't believe I'm owning up to these because it makes me so sick to think about. 

I was really a mean girl. 

And it's funny because I'm not sure many people would remember that about me except my close friends... because they're the ones I hurt the most. 

Have you been there?

 I'd like to say I wish I hadn't but now I know how much of me has grown from there. But, I'm not at all proud and sometimes it makes me sick to my stomach.

I was an awful person. An awful friend.

To many good people, and good friends.

But mostly to Tiffany. 

Because it was easy. 

Because she loved me like Jesus loved me. Because no matter what I did or said, she was still a good friend to me. She never walked away, she never left me out to dry. She gave me a million and one second chances to be a better friend.

So, to you Tiffany, I want to say thank you.

Thank you for giving me a million and one second chances.

Thank you for giving me shelter when I had no where to go (literally!).

Thank you for being there for me whenever I have fallen.

Thank you for reminding me of lighter things when all I could see was darkness.

Thank you for being there when I found Jesus.

Thank you for reminding me that he is always there whenever I have forgotten. 

Thank you for putting up with me.
Thank you for all the nights and days like these filled with so many laughs and tears.

Thank you for being the most caring, loving, self-less, & giving person I have ever known. 

Please don't ever forget how amazing you are and know that you have impacted my life a thousand times over. 

I love you.

January Cara Box Reveal!

This was my first month participating in the Cara Box exchange and I am so happy I did! If you haven't yet, make sure you head over to Wifessionals and sign up for next month's exchange!! 

This month I was paired with Maddie from A Tinge of Whimsy, and Samantha over at Hooah and Hiccups! Can I just say, that my favorite part of this whole ordeal has been getting to know these two awesome women. 

Each month comes with a theme, and each box should reflect that in some way. For January, the theme was Resolutions. 

Maddie didn't really have any resolutions, but goals for herself.. So I sent her some goodies to help her out with that! 

As for me, my #1 resolution for 2013 is to spend more time with my family. Quality time.

Samantha sent me these lovely gifts and I Looooove them! The hardest part will be choosing a picture for my new frame!

 

How cute are her notecards and bloggy business cards??!

Want!

P.S. My husband had a run-in with a few margaritas last week and puked... all over my car!! So after scouring the inside with bleach, vinegar and detergent.. it is clean but smells just a tad awkward. That air freshener will be super useful (and it smells soooo good!)

FREE Blogger Opportunity

Jenn's Blah Blah Blog, Pink Ninja Media and Happy Home and Family bring you a fabulous FREE Blogger Opportunity!

One lucky winner will recieve $200 prize of their choice. Kindles, Gift Cards, Toys, Cash, Anything They WANT up to $200! If they want it, and win this giveaway we will get it for them. (we are looking at adding 2 more winners, which will receive the same prize, just different amount. We are trying to work out all the details now.)

Bloggers get One FREE Link, additional links will be $3, co-host spots available

Giveaway will begin on February 15, 2013 and run an entire month.

SIGN UP FOR THIS FABULOUS FREE BLOGGER OPPORTUNITY

A Happy Birthday GIVEAWAY!!

I have had the absolute pleasure of being paired with Samantha from Hooah and Hiccups for this month's Cara Box exchange. I love that she is a military spouse just like me and our lives are so relatable - Seriously, I could read her blog for days and find myself cracking up at the most ridiculous things because they are all too familiar!

Anyway, she's awesome and her blog is a must read.
Annnnd it's her birthday!
Being as sweet as she is, she is GIVING away the most awesome gift ever.

So, without further adieu...

Happy Birthday Samantha!!

I absolutely love celebrating birthdays; I love getting all dolled up and celebrating the day loved ones, family, and friends made their way into the world. 

Well ladies, at the end of the week, yours truly will be 26! I know what you're thinking,   I'm one year closer to 30. But to me, it's only going up hill from here! I've been so blessed and these past few years have truly reminded me of that. 

So to celebrate my birthday, I've teamed up with 28 other amazing girls to bring you one of my favorite things.

If there's one thing I CAN'T live without, it's my Keurig. Ask my husband, if I don't have my coffee in the morning, it's not pretty. So now one of YOU will be winning one! 

I haven't tried the new Starbucks Verismo but if you would like to choose that instead, your wish is my command.

Not only can you drink coffee with these babies, but you can drink tea, hot chocolate, etc. So even if you're not a coffee junkie, there's something for everyone!

Still not interested? How about winning the CASH instead? Excited now?!

Just enter the rafflecopter below and cross your fingers! Contest will remain open until Friday, February 1st at 12:00 a.m. EST and the winner will be announced once all entries are verified. 

Good luck! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Cookie Making Flashback.

So the other day, I was making these delicious bad boys:

...while this adorable bad boy ordered me around the kitchen,

and the other monster napped.

 I used one of these "old-fashioned" things:

All the while, I day-dreamt about this baby! 

And as I was drooling over daydreaming about the KitchenAid, I started reminiscing.

I remember countless sleepovers with my girlfriends which ALWAYS involved a batch or two of snickerdoodle cookies. The most delicious cookie ever.
(Here is a great recipe)

We always made them from complete scratch (still my favorite way to make cookies). No mixes, no pre-made dough. And we would add the ingredients one by one and takes turns mixing... WITH A FORK!! I remember my arms getting tired from the dough being so hard to mix sometimes. But man, I wanted to mix that cookie dough. We would argue about who got to mix the dough next and you bet your bottom dollar I pitched a fit if one of my girlfriends got to mix it longer (Hey, we play even steven around here!) Those were the days! and probably the moments that instilled in me a love for baking.

So, I'm on a mission to make sure my kids have moments like those. I want them to make cookies like I did and fight over who gets to mix the dough next and lick cookie dough from the forks that just made their arms feel like jello. I want them to be covered in flour after it flies in their face as they try to mix. I want them to enjoy bites of cookie dough that THEY made! I want them to have those memories.

That being said, I still want that kitchen aid - So, if you see my husband, let him know =)

Coming Soon: Dear Ash

Hopefully, you saw my Facebook post earlier this week with the following message:

I've LOVED "Dear Abby" ever since I was little! Although her column still lives on in her Daughter's hands, the original Dear Abby, aka Pauline Phillips, passed away last week =( RIP

She was witty and wise all at the same time!

Sooooo, I'm super excited to announce... As a Tribute to one of my writing idols, I will be starting a Friday night series, "Dear Ash" !!!!!

I'll obviously need your help, so please send me all your questions, curiosities, and life wonders! Let's see what we can tackle!

Please message or e-mail: laugh_with_ash@yahoo.com

I am soooooo beyond excited about this. And I know what you're thinking.. What business do I - a 20-something, relatively un-exeperienced mother and wife- have writing an advice column? Probably no business at all. But I'm here, with two good ears for listening, eyes for reading, and hands for typing. My mind is clear and my opinion is unbiased, as I have never met you. I have three passions in life: writing, helping others, and laughing.. so it seems to me that they just all go hand-in-hand on this one.  

I'm not promising to give you the best worldly and wise advice, and I'm not promising to answer ALL your questions. I'm just promising to put my whole heart into this and have a little bit of fun writing and responding to whatever matters are on your heart. I hope you'll help me get started so we can go live next week. 

So Please, seriously.. send me your questions.
Help a girl out!

If all goes well, Dear Ash will become a Friday night mainstay on this blog.

"Dear Abby: I joined the Navy to see the world. I've seen it. Now, how do I get out?

Dear Navy: Simple. Go to your superior officer and say these 2 words: I'm Gay."

(Not so much anymore! But still made me laugh =) ) 

What Others Think..

How much do you care about what others think?
I used to think I cared a lot.

via

I thought. 

Wrong. 

Pre-mommy era, I used to get all dazzled and fuss with my hair and make-up. I would throw countless outfits on the ground after trying and re-trying them on trying to find a perfect match. And when that didn't work out, I would drain my bank account at the mall on something that worked.

And why?

Because I had to fit in ...Because that's what was "in"...Because if I didn't, who would be my friend. ha.

...Because what would they say about me if my hair was messy, or my clothes were sooo 2005?!

...Because I didn't want to be judged.

And then reality hit me one day. 

I am the judge.

 I am the Mean Girl that I spent hours getting ready for. 

I am the girl that criticized and laughed when my outfits didn't match or fit just right. 

Me. I did that. 

Not because I cared about what anyone else was thinking of me, but because I cared about what I was thinking of me.

Please don't read this wrong. I did all those things for me.
 For my thoughts and opinions. For my self-esteem.
It never mattered what anyone else thought. What mattered is what I thought, which turns out to be exactly what I thought they were thinking ... tracking?

If you're worried about your hair looking a hot mess and everyone chatting about how a bird could lay an egg up there.. it's probably because
1. Your hair really looks like that,
2. You know you're hair looks like that
3. You hate that your hair looks like that!

Really, no one gives a donkey's behind about your messy hair, you do.
And you should.

Now I'm not saying you need to primp and style everyday and I'm not even saying you can't have messy hair, hell sometimes i think my messy hair is sexy and I do it on purpose.
I'm saying, you should be comfortable with however you do your hair/make-up/outfit etc.
You should feel good about yourself.

via

It's important that I am my own critic and that I set standards and expectations for myself.
(Even if that means establishing "nice" yoga pants and "bum" pants...
yes, one for the public, one for home)
They keep me sane, motivated and happy with myself.
But they're mine, for me and nobody else.

So for those of you still worrying, here is my piece of advice.
Be comfortable. Be who you want to be. Don't stop being your own critic.
And don't be anyone else's critic.