8.31.2015

I Am Back

I am back, 
well slowly I am transitioning back into this space. 
The month of August was a HUGE transition for me. 
A lot has been going on personally and I just felt the need to take a break from blogging to really focus on what is important to me. I also have been in vacation mood since I left for Minnesota in the middle of August.
I took the last month really set some new goals for myself. 

I set some goals at the beginning of the year and I need to really follow through for myself most importantly.

I also have been feeling like blogging isn't what it used to be. I used to love reading blogs about everyones life and what they are accomplishing and all of a sudden it became about this giveaway, this product and or the latest make up trends. I barely even see a outfit post anymore..yikes! It just isn't me and I had to really sit back to think what I want from my little space. Anyone else feel like this lately?  

I want Wifesticated to be a space of fun, laughter and real life. I won't mind posting about products and or doing a giveaway but nothing too crazy like blog land has been becoming lately.

With all that said, this week I want to focus on making a schedule for myself including blogging, working out again (I fell off the train with my vacation & my vacation with the Husband is coming up quickly), working two jobs and family time.

How do you all plan your days? Do you write it down? Do you set goals for each day, weekly or monthly?

Excited to be back!

Happy Monday ya'll! 

8.18.2015

11 Tips for New Military Spouses


I am currently on my way back to Sunny San Diego from my wonderful vacation in Minnesota. I am ready to get back into the swing of things even though now I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. 

Lucky for all of you though, Keating from High Heels & Combat Boots is taking over the blog today bring you some amazing tips for all my military spouses out there. 

_________________________________________


My name is Keating, I’m 23 years old, a PR student at SNHU, iced coffee addict, and a military wife.  My husband, Zack has been in the U.S. Marine Corps for 5 years now and is currently in the process of moving to Japan for a year while I’m here in the states, finishing up my education.  I am currently majoring in Communications and Public Relations and hope to someday work for a nonprofit organization like The American Cancer Society.

___________________________________________________________________


Last month, I had the pleasure of meeting a wonderful young lady.  She graduated high school this past June and got engaged to her boyfriend last month who just got out of bootcamp.  They're getting married at the end of the year and then she'll be making the move to North Carolina.  She's very excited, but I could tell she was nervous as well.

Being a new military wife can be very overwhelming.  I remember how nervous I was when I married Zack and moved to North Carolina.  I had no idea what I was getting myself into or what to expect.  I didn't have friends here or a job and I honestly wasn't 100% sure if I could handle this life.  Zack and I have been married for almost two years now, but I'd still consider myself a new military spouse.  Then I met this girl.  She asked so many questions and I loved being able to help her out and calm her worries.  So I came up with 11 helpful tips for new Milso's.

+  Don't expect it to be easy.
Military relationships are not the same as civilian relationships.  I really didn't think it would be any different from the long term relationships I've been in in the past, but it is.  It's very different.  Military relationships come with their own set of challenges that most couples don't experience or don't experience as often.  Every relationship is different, but know that it won’t be easy.

+  Communication is key.
Whether you're living together or in separate cities, good communication is a big part of military relationships.  There are so many ways to communicate when you're apart.  There's FaceTime, Skype, writing letters, text messaging (there are also plenty of text messaging apps out there as well like Viber!), email, social media, etc.  Find a way to communicate that works best for both of you!

If you're living together under the same roof, then make sure you're always communicating your needs with one another.  Take some time to figure out each other's love language so that you can better understand one another and how to show each other you care.  It's important to communicate in a way your spouse will understand.

+  Don't compare your relationship to others'.
Like a normal relationship, all relationships are different.  It's very easy to compare your marriage to someone else's.  I'm very guilty of this.  I moved here and looked at my friends' marriages, wondering why we weren't like them.  But we haven't been together nearly as long as the other couples in our groups.  They were all high school sweethearts.  We weren't.  Even though we were all married, their relationships were still more advanced than ours.  And that's okay.  It wasn't fair to spend my time comparing our marriages and you shouldn't either.  It's important to focus on your own marriage.  Focus on everything you love about your marriage and if something goes wrong, then work together to fix it.  All couples have their highs and lows.

+  Don't forget about your dreams.
It can be very easy to lose yourself in a military relationship because they tend to move a lot more quickly than a normal relationship.  We went from dating to married to living together all in a six month time period.  If you planned on earning your degree, then make it happen.  If you dreamed of someday owning your own business, then make it happen.  If you want to travel the world, then do it.  Don't forget to do something for yourself or you could eventually end up feeling some resentment.  If you have a great man by your side, then he'll support you no matter what!

+  Accept the things you cannot change.
This one can be a hard pill to swallow.  I'm a control freak.  Plain and simple.  I've always been that way.  How I managed to end up as a military spouse, I have no idea.
Plans can and will change.  That's just a part of this lifestyle.  I've learned to never get excited for plans until they're actually happening.  Zack's gone in to sign out on leave and found out his leave hadn't even been approved yet!  It's frustrating sometimes.
Your spouse can and will miss holidays, birthdays, and other special occasions throughout the year.  Your spouse could even miss the birth of a child.  And the crappy part is that there's nothing you can do about it.  You can't call up his boss and request the day off for him.  He can't call out sick.  Accept this.

+  Join a support group.
I can't even begin to tell you how much this one has helped me.  Most bases will have Facebook groups for the wives to connect with one another and ask questions when needed.  They're also a great source for motivation and support.  I love our friends and family back home, but sometimes you just need to be surrounded by people who actually know what you're going through and know how to help.

+  Stay organized.
This is super important!  We're constantly needing birth certificates and each others SSN's and all that so I like to keep all important documents, phone numbers, contracts, etc. all in a single binder.  This binder includes everything: important bank information, birth certificates, our marriage certificate, health insurance information, car insurance information, car loans, credit card, info, our SSN's, etc.

If Zack's not home or we're PCS'ing or even if something were to happen to him while he's deployed, I know that everything I need is all in one place.  I promise you this will make your life easier and less stressful.  You can look up how to make one of these online.  A lot of wives call them their "deployment binders".

+  Stay positive.
Military life is what you make of it.  It's definitely going to suck sometimes.  I'm not going to sugarcoat it. No matter what happens or how much is sucks, know that it'll get better.  Cherish every moment you have with your significant other, your friends, your family.  Find the time to focus on the good.

+  Learn to do things on your own.
Your spouse isn't going to be by your side at all times.  He's not always going to be home to kill every spider or fix every light bulb or call maintenance when the dishwasher breaks.  If he were to deploy, you need to be able to take care of the home and do these things without him.

+  Avoid the drama!
There are definitely some dramatic military spouses out there.  Women, in general, tend to love drama.  I admit, I love watching reality television because it's so full of it!  It's great!  But it's not great when you're dealing with it in real life.  You don't need that.  Find friends that are down to earth and supportive.  Surround yourself with positivity!

+  Support your spouse no matter what.
Military wife or not, you should always support you husband and their career choices.  It makes it 10x harder for them to go out there and do their job when they know they have a spouse at home that doesn't support them or is angry with them over their choices.  Be there for him when he needs someone to talk to.  Let him vent when he needs to.  Lift him up when he's having a bad day.  And if he chooses to reenlist, try to look at it from his point of view and support it.

What tips would you give a new military spouse?

_____________________________________________________________

Thank you Keating for taking over the blog today.

Hope everyone has a great Tuesday!

8.12.2015

Brain Dump


Hump day is upon us once again. The only thing is that I have lots going on and I feel like I can barely breath. I am going to brain dump on what has been going on lately. 

1// Summer is ending quickly for us. School is starting back up and we are in full swing of finding a good schedule for everyone. It's hard when hubby has to leave for work and you never know when and where he'll be going next. 

2// 

My 100 day challenge is still going strong. I know I have failed to stay updating but honestly I felt very repetitive with it and I think you all figured out what I was doing. I want to share more of my journey with you in the coming months as I probably will but it will be more recipes and exactly what I am doing to stay motivated.  I will tell you though that the fitbit challenges are where it's at, they surely keep me motivated to move each day. 

3// I recently went back to the preschool twice a week. I am excited to return back to it for a bit and see how it works out for us and my family. I know it will take some time to adjust to it but I know we can do it. 

4// We are heading off to a mini vacation to Minnesota this week for my aunts wedding. I am excited to see the family and spend some time with my cousins. 

5// We are in the process of some adulting of putting in a pool. I am super excited for the backyard change and having my very own pool. It's always been a dream of mine to have my own pool and sadly I am not getting any younger so it's now or never right?

6// We are 51 days away from being on the beaches in Mexico & I can't wait. The hubby and I deserve a vacation sooner than later. He has been extremely busy at work and I have been trying to do it all. 

7// I know the blog has been slacking lately, I am sorry about that. With everything going on, working two jobs again, running the little one around, trying to stay up with the challenges and not go insane, it's been nuts. I have had no desire to load my computer & blog. I am hoping it will all come back to me as I find a schedule that works for everyone. 

8// Thinking of going through my closet and actually parting with my clothes that don't fit (ie: my size 26 pants that I will probably never get back into & the MK purses I will never use again) 


With all that said, Hope ya'll are having a great end of the summer. I am ready for everything pumpkin, cooler weather and actually wearing my closet. I also want to get back to spending some time with the hubby on the weekends to do fun things like hiking even if it means we get up before the sun on the weekends! What have you been up to lately?


8.07.2015

Friday Letters


Dear August, I am so excited you are here because that means we are that much closer to vacation. Also, it means the end of summer, while it was fun while it was here I am so ready for fall and getting back on with that structure in this house. 

Dear Blog, I have been extremely busy with summer ending, I am so sorry I have neglected you lately. I promise to try to post to you at least 3 times a week at least until my head can get above water, until than please don't be mad. Just follow along on instagram that seems to be the only social media I am consistent with and love. I also love my facebook pages

Dear Hubby, I know work has been crazy and I know they have you all over the place but I love you. I am really excited for our vacation together as it will be our first one just the two of us. Let the madness begin  and the fun! 

Dear weight loss, I finished my 24 day challenge and it was amazing. I lost 8 pounds and 6 inches over all. I am so excited and already planning my next one. Also, the fitbit challenges are where is it at, they really keep you accountable. Add me to fitbit to be included in our challenges. [jksieberg@gmail.com] 

Dear Backyard oasis, I can't wait to start and finish you. Once the adulting is done and get it all squared away, the paperwork, we can enjoy it and hubby has already agreed to sit in the backyard with me in my chairs I want so badly. 

Dear weekend, I have big plans of cleaning the house and getting ready for my trip to see my family. Let the packing begin and getting everything ready. 

Have a great weekend!! 


8.05.2015

Currently in August


Well Hello August, I can't believe we are already here. To help celebrate August being here and excited because that means the little one is going back to school, I am linking up with Anna and Jenna for their monthly link up. 

Creating: We are currently on the hunt to create the perfect backyard oasis. So if it seems I am a bit distracted that is because we are trying to figure out all the ins and outs of that. I am super excited though to be doing this and excited to finally enjoy my backyard. 

Wishlisting: I have lots of wishing, I am wishing I was on the beach with a drink in hand enjoying my vacation with the hubby but no worries, that is coming. I am also wishing my backyard oasis is complete so I can enjoy it now in this heat wave we are having - one day I will. 

Hoping: To see some friends I haven't seen in a while and figure out a new family budget. Budgets are so important and always need updating as things in life change. 

Eating: I am daydreaming of eating ice cream. As much as I want to lose weight, Ice cream is always my weakness. 

Watching: I don't watch really anything specific besides the ID channel. I use the TV as background noise mainly. 

What's currently happening for you?