June Photo Challenge

I discovered this photo challenge on Facebook today. I've been keeping a 365 album during the deployment but I think it might be fun to do this on Instagram as well.

I'm hoping that doing this will help June fly by as fast as the past 5 months have gone.

Free Photo Book for Deployed Troops

Through this deployment, Hubster and I have come to realize how lucky we are to have organizations like the VFW and USO supporting our troops and their families. We've received things like care packages, doll and stuffed animals for the kids, and phone calls all for free from these organizations along with various others.

During the girls' nap time today, I took a little while to put together a photo book that will be shipped directly to Hubs. He loves little surprises like this so hopefully it'll be a huge moral booster for him since I know he's been very busy lately.

The photo books offered by RocketLife and the USO is the perfect size to fit into a pocket. You get 20 pages with the ability to purchase additional ones for $.20 each. RocketLife covers the cost of the book and the USO pays for the shipping to any APO/FPO/MPO address.

If you'd like to send a book of your own, check it out here. Pay attention to the directions for shipping since it may be a bit confusing.

Vinegar Fabric Softener & Washing Machine Freshener

It wasn't up until recently that I discovered all of the magical cleaning powers that vinegar has. My washing machine had a nasty mildewy stink so I took to the internet to find a solution. Previously, I had tried loading the white load full of bleach but that didn't work.

Someone on Yahoo! Answers (my answer to everything) suggested adding 3/4 cup of white vinegar to the next laundry cycle to help get rid of the smell. It worked like a charm! The smell was out of my washing machine and the clothes.

Add 3/4 cup of white vinegar to your rinse cycle

From then on, I've always made sure to add vinegar to every laundry load just to make sure that the washer stayed clean.

Through Pinterest, I learned that vinegar also makes a great fabric softener. It's safe, natural and chemical free. Not to mention much cheaper than buy actual fabric softener. Using vinegar as a fabric softener is also a great alternative for people who are sensitive to the scents in fabric softeners. The vinegar completely washes out so you don't smell anything on your clothes at all!

Instead of buying or making you own fabric softener, consider adding 3/4 cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle of your next load of laundry.

Happy Mother's Day!

For many mothers, Mother's Day starts out with sleeping late and breakfast in bed or a nice brunch at a fancy restaurant. Chores are taken care of and there isn't a worry in the world. The evening may call for dressing up and a delicious dinner cooked by someone else.

For me, and thousand of other mothers with deployed husbands, today was just like any other day. Sweat pants, messy bun and all.

The babies woke up at an ungodly hour. Breakfast was the usual fight. "Yogurt. No, waffles! No, grapes! Chocolate milk! No, yogurt! Toast! Toast! Toast! Juuuuice!" Diapers needed to be changed and hair needed to be brushed. I wouldn't trade my little battle buddies for the world though. There is no one other than my husband that I would rather wake up next to.

Happy Mother's Day to all of the ladies who are currently holding down the fort alone. We are one holiday closer to seeing our loved ones again.

Her Sh*t Don't Stink

There are a ton of things that I absolutely love about exclusively breastfeeding my littlest one. One of my favorites though, has to be the fact that I don't have to hold my breath when changing her diapers. I can't say that cleaning up her little butt smells like a walk in a rose garden, but it is nowhere near as foul as the stench of her older sister's diapers. Not yet anyway..

My sweet pea turned 5 months old yesterday which means that in just a couple of weeks, I'll be busting out the Baby Bullet and introducing her to solids (including sweet peas). Although I can't wait to start feeding her my very own homemade concoctions, I'm not sure I'm ready for the Diaper Genie to start pulling double duty. Until then, I'll continue to appreciate the scent of buttered popcorn coming from A's diapers, while working on potty training V.

Palmolive Fresh Sponge Review

For the past couple of weeks I've been trying out Palmolive Fresh Sponge dishwashing soap. I received the product to test for free from Colgate via Influenster. The suggested retail price for a 25 ounce bottle  is $3.29 you can get it at the grocery store or stores like Walmart. Palmolive Fresh Sponge soap is meant to keep your sponge smelling nice while still getting dishes clean and cutting through grease.

Palmolive Fresh Sponge

The soap works just like any other quality soap with the added benefit of a fresh smelling sponge. Soft hands aren't really a benefit that I look for when shopping for dish soap but this soap also delivers in that department. Fresh Sponge is pretty thick so just a little bit goes a long way which keeps your from having to buy it super frequently. It's reasonable price, and longevity make it a budget friendly product.

If you know me, you know that I absolutely despise washing dishes with a sponge. I prefer to stick them in the dishwasher and let them be disinfected in there. Sponges are just a giant squishy ball of germs. Although this product may not combat germs in the sponge, it certainly took my mind off of the germs since I couldn't smell them all building up.