Armed Forces Salute Program 2014

I received this note from the Shades of Green Military Hotel at Disneyworld in Florida:

Disney has extended the Armed Forces Salute Program through September 2014. The Four-Day Park Hopper will be $169, The Four-Day Water Park Fun and More will be $169 and the Four-Day Park Hopper Plus Water Park Fun and More will be $198. The eligibility requirements for these tickets remain the same. Please stay tuned as we will have this information updated on our website shortly.

Currently until Sept. 28, 2013, the current cost of the basic ticket is $156 after that it will go up! Click here for the link to Shades of Green website.

Berries, Beans and Eagles

So my best friend and her family came down for the 4th to celebrate with us, it is sort of a tradition for the last 4 years we have been celebrating together, a few years ago we went to White Lake for the 4th, and this weekend we had a backyard BBQ. So I may not be a Martha Stewart or Betty Crocker but I am definately a mix between the two. Next year will be even better!!!!Hopefully the entire family will be together for the backyard shindig!!!

SO I wanted to give my home a patriotic feel by designing craft projects to adorn the rooms or serve as festive decorations for a Fourth of July party. Just because the party is liable to take place outdoors doesn’t mean you can’t decorate. The 4th of July is all about the red, white and blue, so be sure to display the American flag and decorate in the colors of the U.S.A.

I went all out and purchased Independence Day cups and plates, and encourage guests to wear red, white and blue to the party.That was the theme!

So if you don’t want to be creative, just visit the local party store and purchase some red, white and blue balloons.

Independence Day festivities are for people of all ages, so if you are hosting you should have something for everyone. Adults may appreciate a cold beer to accompany their hamburgers and fireworks, but be sure to have plenty of other cold beverages on hand as well. Stock up on soda, ice water and other popular non-alcoholic beverages

Gather inexpensive red, white and blue craft supplies and enlist the kids to help you create the handmade decorations. Determine how you’ll use the completed crafts and consider your time limit and budget when choosing Fourth of July decorating ideas to suit your needs. Make decorations for the buffet, dinner or gift table by creating a simple arrangement in tall glass cylinder vase.

So this 4th of July I did a little more decoration and became more creative! So the first thing I did was create a centerpiece with red, white and black beans. WOW it turned out better than I thought it would, how CUTE! As you can see I though it was so festive I did the smaller cannisters the same way, it actually gave my fireplace a really CUTE feel!

CAKE POPS

With pops, traditional favorites like cake, cookies, brownies and cereal treats break away from the plate and stand up to join the celebration.If you can stick it on a stick—it’s a pop! Your favorite sweet treats are more fun to eat when you can just grab them and enjoy. The fun factor really goes off the charts when you decorate them with colorful candy and sprinkles! Get ready for the most stick-tacular treats that ever popped up at a party! It’s time for pops — grabbable goodies on a stick you’ll love to dip, decorate and devour.  I thought what a neat idea to make the pops on a plate and decorate them in like a flag design! Red, White and Blue Pops! See from my picture they aren’t like some profession picture, this is what I snapped with my iPhone, so if I can make it you can too!!!

NEST OF BALD EAGLES

Next I made Bald Eagles, who knew that these treats WOULD be so easy to make and SO exciting for them to turn out! Cute, delicious, and easy to make, these bald eagle treats will be enjoyed at Fourth of July celebrations, or for any occasion where you’d like to make treats with a nature theme.

PATROTIC COOLER (below)  Among the more patriotic days on the American calendar, the 4th of July is also among the most festive. Fireworks displays occur across the country, and backyard barbecues commonly begin in the afternoon and last well into the night. I wanted to ensure my guests that  4th of July parties go off without a hitch can consider the following tips

Check out my red, white and blue cooler. I didn’t think it would work, the key is ICE!!! It won’t work unless you have ice!!!

So if you couldn’t make your drink blend properly you always have a back up.

RED AND BLUE FIZZERS (to the right)

What I did was use decroative ice trays and freeze different colors of ice and once they were finished I put them in a glass and pour clear soda on them. Taking about how the kids loved this drink! This was another one! TOTALLY happy kids, they were excited because I was giving them such cool stuff.

REVOLUNTIONARY BERRIES

So my day doesn’t stop there with the drinks, my KIDS loved them! It turned out PERFECT! I tried both with edible glitter and sprinkles, either way it was fun for the kids to eat, and not to mention delicious!

So I’ll end with my main man, BraWonka!

My Frustration ARGH!

You know I just have to vent! I rarely vent, but I just need to write. I am so old school, I have been a Army Spouse too long. I really want to help out because there is a need for the FRG in this unit. True they aren’t deploying but I think the FRG needs to be consistent year round not just when they deploy. Before 9-11 in 3-69 AR we had FRG meetings every month, and it was fun. There are lack of volunteers, and I guess that is from soldiers not wanting their spouses contacted. That I just don’t understand. If you are married and have a spouse, and they are living here with you on the POST, then WHY wouldn’t you want them contacted why would you have your mom being contacted by the FRG who lives across the country? Anyway I digress, I understand maybe you are getting divorced but let your commanders/1SGT know that, so they can convey it to the FRG Leader as to what list to you on. For some reason I can’t wrap my brain around that. Then there is the issue of where to draw the line, personally I see my FRG as my extended family. I look at it, why shouldn’t they be my extended family, especially if they are in the same squad/platoon. We are going through the SAME THINGS (deployments, field training, TDY, etc) together. However not many people in the leadership share my views on that. I understand the FRG isn’t a baby sitting service or lawn moving service but if I can’t call someone in my unit and get advice then why should I call them at all? What happened to the mentors? I understand that some people don’t want to be contacted for anything but then let that be known, come to the meeting and say DON’T CALL ME AT ALL. I also know that soldiers aren’t suppose to hang out with their direct line supervisors but really now saying that spouses can’t hang out is a little much.

I also believe if you are not a people person don’t volunteer for a position that requires you to be contacting people, I am a down in the weeds type person, I delegate things but I also call and check on people to make sure they are doing ok. That’s just the neighborly thing to do. There are a lot of Morals and Ethics that go with it. Just like now, no one in the unit knows what is happening with me with the Army Spouse of the Year Award by Military Spouse Magazine, or my daughter’s illness why? It isn’t my fault no one has reached out to me to ask me WHY, no one cares what I do until it gets a NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT. Then they are all on it. You know I sit back and think, maybe it was because when we were in other units it was a Combat Arms Unit, here we are non combat and there is no Unit Cohesion what so ever, people don’t care about anything, it is almost like they have no pride. You know I am proud to be a Army Wife, and I am proud to be in this unit however I just get the feeling that they don’t care.

I really care about what happens to people, and no this isn’t fake. I was taught that you help out your friends and neighbors. You know I take my husband’s job seriously and I feel that we are a team, if he has a solider that has a young spouse and doesn’t know much about the Army, I call that spouse to help them get acclimated to the Army life. You get to know them, and I didn’t say make them your best friend now, but at least care. Don’t get me wrong, I am all about helping spouses become self sufficient and making the best out of their situation but I don’t do well with free-loaders or TOO clingy dependent spouses.

However why would I participate in a FRG where I don’t feel important or they aren’t offering me something that I am missing? To me FRG is about boosting the unit and family/solider morale. I can go to ACS to take a AFTB class or Employment Readiness to get information, or I can go to a Blue Star Families meeting to socialize with other spouses. So why would I want to participate in my FRG where I don’t feel that welcomed? Or I feel that am bothering someone if I call them? Any thoughts? Why do you participate in your FRG, what do you expect to get out of it?