20% off Military Discount at Leading Lady!

Hey folks! Recently I had the amazing opportunity to test out a couple of Leading Lady's products. Leading Lady sells intimate apparel that is super comfy and reasonably affordable.

I tried the Molded Padded Seamless Underwire Full Figure Bra first. I have to say I was surprised at how comfortable it was. Underwire bras tend to fall into the "uncomfortable but necessary" category, but this was one of the most comfortable underwires I've worn.

Next I went with the Cotton Front-Closure Leisure Full Figure Bra. I'm usually not one for the front claps bras, but I really did love this one. This was definitely my favorite of the two!

And now I get to pass a great deal on to you guys! From July 1st - July 7th Leading Lady is offering a 20% discount on everything on their website. The discount isn't valid with any other deals, but 20% is still a great deal! They have some items on sale, too. Currently there is a Front Closure Bra on sale for only $18.70! With the discount that should be just shy of $15 before shipping. Not bad for a good bra.

For those of you who'd like to know a little more about the company:

"Leading Lady is a premiere intimate apparel company dedicated to creating comfortably functional, remarkably affordable, stylish and easy-to-wear bras, camis and sleepwear. A family owned and operated business, Leading Lady has been expertly tailoring nursing and full figure bras for top brands and retailers across North America for more than 70 years. Leading Lady’s comprehensive line of nursing and full figure intimates – including sexy stretch lace wire-free and underwire bras, supportive and seamless sport and yoga bras, and cozy sleep and leisure bras – can be purchased directly on LeadingLady.com."

Disclaimer: I was given two bras to test so that I could properly review them.

 I was not compensated in any other way for my review and all views expressed are my own. 

Guest Post - Jamie from Handling With Grace

Hi!  I am Jamie from Handling With Grace?  I am a 10 year military spouse and I embrace the wild ride.

PCSing... It is a fact of life for military families.  There are two ways to look at PCS'ing.  You could be excited for the new opportunity or stressed and anxious about "having" to move and start over every couple years.

In Washington DC which is by Ft Meade.

I choose the former.

We started in San Diego (first Coronado and then later 32nd Street) before moving to Honolulu, Hawaii then Pensacola Florida (for 10 months) and now Ft Meade, Maryland.  All of these moves have occurred over the past 10 years.  

Hawaii

Every move that we have made has been met with excitement, joy, and anticipation.  As military families, we get to press "re-start" every few years.  We get to explore a new city.  We get to discover new foods, cultures, and people.  We have to walk away from friendships but we get the opportunity to create new ones.  We "get" a re-do.  It is exciting.  

I embrace it.    

I do a weekly military spouse feature on my blog, Handling With Grace?, that highlights duty stations around the world.  Come join us!

Top 10 Tips for Toddlers

Next week my daughter will be two. TWO. Where does the time go?

It's amazing how fast they change. Sometimes I really wonder though...what exactly is going on in her head?  I think that she's just messing with me. It's like toddlers just sit around and think "Hmmm... What can I do to mess with Mommy today?"


Tips for Toddlers


10. It is totally acceptable to stick your half-eaten PB&J sandwich in the couch. It keeps it close at hand for when you get hungry later.

9. Be stingy with your love. While Mommy can hear you, make sure you tell the dog, your stuffed animals and your friend that you love them. Refuse to say it to Mommy.

8. Adults can't resist cuteness. If it looks like you're about to be in trouble start singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider song in the cutest possible way. Then give whoever you've pissed off a great big hug. Hold onto them until the anger has completely drained out of them, then go right back to doing whatever bad thing you were doing to begin with.

7. Set up a distraction your parental unit will fall for. While they are occupied, raid the cabinets on the other side of the house for food. Just toss whatever you don't want on the floor.

6. Randomly shove objects down the front of your shirt. Proudly announce that you are a kangaroo. Bonus points if you do this in public.

5. Point at people in wheelchairs and yell "Bike!". Watch Mommy turn a bright red.

4. If you are forced to go grocery shopping, make sure you bite all the stuff you want Mommy to buy. She can't put it back on the shelves with your teeth marks on it after all!

3. If Mommy is on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor, jump on her back and demand a piggy back ride. 

2. If you find a dead bug make sure you pick it up and take it to your Mommy. She loves those! Especially if you hold it so she can't see what it is until she pries it from your little fingers. Surprise!!!

1. When your parental unit tells you something, loudly yell "I know!". You aren't stupid! You are almost two after all.

Guest Post - 10 Ways You Can Support Our Troops

Hey all, things have been crazy busy around here with school, sickness, this deployment and just life in general. So I asked a couple awesome people to write up a guest post or two so you all have something to read while I catch up on life. Anywho, Bailey was gracious enough to write this up for me.

If you're interested in writing a guest post please contact me at newmommyconfessions@gmail.com I will be allowing guest posts that are read and approved by me.

Enjoy!

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10 Ways You Can Support Our Troops

If you are wondering how to go about supporting our troops, you will be glad to know there are many great ways of doing so. With the numerous programs and groups you can participate in, supporting our troops has never been easier or more rewarding. The following list highlights ten caring ways to show your support.

1. Send a Care Package via HeroBox - One very helpful way to support our troops is to get involved with the HeroBox organization. This non-profit organization provides our troops with care packages that contain many items that are needed on a daily basis, but not readily available to them. Because the personal needs of our troops can vary greatly from one person to the next, HeroBox allows troops to personally request items to their own specifications. To get involved, visit the HeroBox website for more information.

2. Donate to the YellowRibbonFund - Since 2005, the Yellow Ribbon Fund has helped thousands of injured troops recuperate once they are back on US soil at either the Walter Reed Army Medical Center or the National Naval Medical Center. By supporting the needs of both injured troops and their family members, the Yellow Ribbon Fund provides things such as taxi rides, car rentals, hotel stays, event tickets, meals, and more. These are all things that can be hard to come by when families visit their injured loved ones in the hospital. You can either donate or host a fundraising event to help the Yellow Ribbon Fund stay in operation.

3. Get Involved in the FreedomAlliance - This organization sponsors many programs that support and honor troops and their families. Some of the popular programs sponsored by Freedom Alliance include the Support our Troops program, the Military Leadership Academy and the Freedom Alliance Scholarship Fund. The scholarship fund provides scholarships to the children of disabled or deceased troops. Donating to this organization will ensure its ability to continue providing support to troops and their families.

4. Donate Popcorn via OperationPopcorn - Operation Popcorn is a very cool program that sends microwave popcorn to our troops deployed all over the world. Operation Popcorn works with the Boy Scouts of American and Trail’s End Popcorn Company to provide lots of yummy, home-style treats to service members. You can help the program by purchasing popcorn through the Boy Scouts and Trail’s End. Your purchase will then be sent on to troops who are waiting for a taste of home.

5. Be a Part of KidsLinkDownrange - This service project makes it easy for military children to stay in touch with their deployed parents throughout the year. To be a part of this great program, you or your group can design card kits that contain everything needed for military kids to regularly write and keep in touch with their active-duty parents. The program’s website contains all the information you need to get started.

6. Knit a Hat for WarmthForWarriors - Warmth for Warriors is a wonderful program that supplies warm, hand-knitted hats to soldiers serving in Afghanistan. Not only do active-duty soldiers receive the hats, but wounded soldiers recuperating in overseas military hospitals as well. You can get involved by knitting and donating hats or by sending a donation. 

7. Donate a Magazine Subscription via Mags4Troops - Just as you like to enjoy your magazine subscriptions each month, so do our troops serving all over the globe. Through this program you can donate magazine subscriptions to troops so they always have fresh, new reading material to look forward to every month.

8. Support WarriorWeekend - This great program makes it possible for wounded troops to enjoy weekends full of relaxation, rest, and fun once they are recovering back in the US. The Warrior Weekend Program is cool because participating soldiers get to choose their destinations and activities. You can support this program by donating money through the website.

9. Be a Part of HireAHero - Once troops have returned from combat, it can often be difficult for them to find a job that is supportive. If you are an employer who would like to help with that, you can be a part of this great program that helps military veterans find good jobs. Even if you are not an employer, you can donate to keep this program up and running. 

10. Donate a Laptop via LaptopsForTheWounded - Through the help of this unique charitable organization, laptops with webcams are supplied to wounded troops that are recovering in military hospitals. These laptops make it easy for the wounded troops to stay in touch with family and friends, which is a very significant part of recovery. You can donate laptops or money to help support this organization.

These are just some of the wonderful ways in which you can support our troops. The troops will be very appreciative and you will feel great knowing you did what you could to help support our troops and country.

Guest post from Bailey Harris. Bailey writes for InsuranceQuotes.org.

A Pox On Both Your Houses

So I'm not quite sure who I upset in a previous life, but it feels like I'm paying for it this week. We have what is probably the beginning of the zombie virus in my house. OK, well maybe it isn't that extreme. Still, I'll be keeping my house quarantined until I know just what exactly is going on here.

Monday morning Baby Girl was acting perfectly normal until she got up from her nap. She was so lethargic she didn't even sit up, she just laid on the bed the cried this sad, pitiful cry. She had a fever but it wasn't incredibly high (100.6) and I wasn't really worried. We had a cuddle-and-watch-TV day. Around bedtime her fever spiked to over 103. I literally had to force medicine into her. The fever came down and then spiked again around 4am. And then it was done.

All day Tuesday her fever was gone, but another symptom took over. A rash decided to slowly spread over her entire body. By Tuesday night the fever was back again.

What the hell??

I didn't even know what to think, so I called a few friends up. Apparently Baby Girl could have one of several totally common diseases that I've never even heard of.

She may have something called 5th Disease. It seems the medical community is totally cool with naming things after numbers when they're too lazy to come up with good names. I've also been told it's possible she has Roseola (6th Disease), Strep or Scarlet Fever. It's actually kind of scary how similar a lot of the symptoms are for these. Since I haven't exactly gotten my medical license I think I'll let the doctor decide.

She has an appointment with the pediatrician this afternoon. Really I just need him to tell me that it's one of these annoying, normal childhood diseases. Most of them don't even require any real medical attention. 5th and 6th disease are viral, so it's just a matter of waiting for it to work it's way through Baby Girl's system. I am taking her in though, just in the off chance that it is something that requires antibiotics.

In other news, life has been busy busy lately! Between school work at night and keeping Baby Girl occupied during the day I'm exhausted. I'll post some real updates once Baby Girl is feeling better, but until then Mama's busy. Sorry all.

Have a great week!

Themed Care Package Fun - Staying Healthy

Time for some more care package fun! I've gotten a lot of great feedback from posting these themed care packages. Hopefully that means there will be a lot of happy service members out there getting all these awesome boxes!

If you have a great care package idea send me an email at NewMommyConfessions@gmail.com I love featuring guest bloggers!


Usually I send Huzzy out lots of snacks and candy, but I decided it was time to send him something a little bit healthier. Hopefully the items I've chosen to pack help keep him healthy when he's snacking in between meals. On those days that the galley food is inedible, these meal bars will give him an option besides eating chicken...again...for the 10th day in a row...

It took some maneuvering, but I got it all to fit!

Staying Healthy Care Package

1 big jar of trail mix
2 bottles of 5 hour energy
1 Black Powder Pre-workout drink mix
1 Blender Bottle
4 Boxes of Zone bars (assorted)
4 Boxes of Cliff bars (assorted)
1 Box of mini Slim Jims


Now I packed things that I know Huzzy will like. He uses that workout drink mix like crazy when he's on deployment, and somehow the bottles are constantly getting lost/broken. He's also a big fan of Zone bars and Cliff bars. However there are tons of other meal bars and healthy snack bars out there to choose from, so make sure to pick something your guy will like!

Pet Peeves : OPSEC vs PERSEC

Let me start this off by saying that I love the fact that more and more military spouses are beginning to understand the importance of keeping OPSEC. While I still (constantly!) come across people who break OPSEC like it's their job, I am also seeing a lot more wives taking it seriously.

That being said...

It seems like there are a lot  of wives out there who do not understand the difference between OPSEC and PERSEC. Contrary to popular belief, they are not the same thing.

OPSEC stands for Operational Security. It means that you can't post things like where our service members are, what their mission is, dates of deployment/homecoming/port calls, if communications are up or down and things like that. Basically you don't want to give away any information concerning our troops. Once the military has released this information you're fine, but not until then.

For those of you who want the Dr Seuss version:

Sam I am.

Do you like OPSEC and ham?
I do not get it, Sam I am.
I do not get OPSEC and ham.
We must use it here and there.
We must use it everywhere.
You CAN share it in a car.
But you CANNOT in a bar.
You CANNOT share it in a text.
You CANNOT share it at the NEX.
You CAN say it in your house.
But should NOT tell a random spouse.
You CAN say it in the shower.
But do NOT go sharing at happy hour.
DON'T make the Ombudsman sweat.
DON'T post it on the Internet.
You CANNOT share it in a tweet.
That would not be very sweet.
Beware of Facebook and Myspace too.
It's tempting to let your feelings through.
You Cannot tell it to a friend.
NOT even at the very end.
It is a privilege to know a date.
DON'T tell ANYONE or they may be late!
Oh, I get it, Sam I am.
Now I get OPSEC and ham!
I will not tell anyone. I will keep hushed until they're done!
I will not tell him or her. I will not tell my dog with fur.
I will not tell my child's teacher. I will not tell any creature.
Thank you, THANK YOU, Sam I am.
Thank you for clearing up OPSEC and Ham!!!


I'm really getting tired of people thinking that Facebook is 'secure' because you can change your privacy settings. I really don't know how many more pages have to get hacked before everyone realizes that Facebook is not secure! And yes, that means the messages you send through Facebook are also a risk.

Remember, everything you post is another piece to the puzzle.


PERSEC stands for Personal Security. This is where a lot of wives seem to get confused. I've seen wives trying to correct each other about what they can and cannot post and claim that it is all OPSEC. This isn't true.

The whole point of PERSEC is to give you a guideline to help keep you safe at home. Posting pictures of yourself and family online, posting that you're leaving for a vacation, pictures of your service member in uniform with a visible name tape, mentioning how your husband is deployed and you're all alone, posting about that awesome 60 inch plasma you just bought...these are all examples of PERSEC. You can post it if you want, but they recommend avoiding this to keep you safe from people who would target you. Military families are often seen as an easy target come deployment time.

Consider this : There are bumper stickers you can buy that say "My heart is on _______". Cute, right? I mean we're all proud of our men, why not show it? The problem with those bumper stickers is that it's very easy to find out which ships are on deployment. If someone is looking for an easy target, you just gave it to them. They know your husband is deployed, you're probably home alone with the kids (if you have any) and all it takes is for them to follow you home to know where you live. 

The military has even been toying with the idea of getting rid of base stickers. Why? Because it makes you a target. The Air Force got rid of them back in 2007.

You aren't breaking the law by breaking PERSEC, it is your choice to post these things. You should think before posting, but if you don't that's on you.

So before you get your panties in a twist over something another wife posted, stop and consider if it is actually an OPSEC violation or not. If it is either (nicely) let them know, or contact your ombudsman. If it is just a PERSEC issue don't harass them over it.

And in the wise, wise words of Wil Wheaton... Don't be a dick!

Wil Wheaton's Blog : http://wilwheaton.typepad.com

School Days

I'm happy to say I've survived! So far at least.

I have to say though, I'm starting to wonder about some of the people that take these online classes. I know that it's convenient and a lot of people do this now, but I'm surprised at some of the writing I've seen. Maybe it's the fact that everyone is growing up with computers now, but the horrible spelling, grammar and abbreviations I've already seen in the last few days has thrown me for a loop.

If these fellow students of mine were enrolled in a regular college where they had to actually go in for classes and turn in papers, would they still do this? I'm not talking about simple typos. It's so much worse than that. I'm talking about submitting assignments or posting discussions where they don't even bother to capitalize "I". I'm talking about the prevalence of text speak or Internet speak which I know would not fly in a normal classroom. If you're having an academic discussion, "lol" seems out of place to me.

Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm getting old. We all know I'm not perfect, and I making writing mistakes all the time. I guess it just bugs me that people would submit something without even bothering to hit the spell check button.

I'm hoping to be a teacher one day, and I couldn't imagine accepting classwork submissions with these types of careless mistakes. Then again, it's a big pet peeve of mine. Hopefully everyone continues to improve this term.

What about you? Would this bother you at all?

Letters From Home

Being a military spouse isn't easy, but I do think we have it a lot easier than they did years ago. Instead of waiting weeks or possibly months for a letter to materialize in our mail box we wait a day or two for email. If we're really lucky, we wait for phone calls.

Now not everyone had the luxury of getting a daily email, but generally it's still a lot faster than snail mail. I live for these emails, and to be honest I've gotten quite spoiled with them. I'm so used to hearing from him (almost) every day (even short I'm-busy-I-love-you-bye emails) that when I don't hear from him for a day or two I tend to get a little...panicky.

Last year's deployment was rough. I swear it felt like they were in a communication blackout every day. I exaggerate of course, but that's what it felt like at times. This deployment has been rough too, but in a different way.

With Baby Girl getting older (2 next month!) and Huzzy having barely been home between deployments, it feels like there's been some added strain on our relationship.

When do you find the time to connect when you're never together?

Huzzy actually started writing letters, which is really odd for him. When he told me he was writing letters to send home I was excited, but cautious. Just because he said he was writing letters didn't mean he'd find time to stick them in the mailbox. Even then I was sure he'd get bored of it pretty quickly.

I started writing letters to him as well. I normally send off cards here and there, and occasionally a note in his care packages. Since he was writing real letters though, I figured I would too. It's been great.

I don't find the time every day, but most days I sit down sometime before bed or during nap time and right him a real honest to goodness letter. The kind people don't write anymore. The kind of letter where you take pen to paper and write instead of typing up everything. Even when you handwriting sucks.

I get excited every day when the mail shows up. Most of the time there's nothing...but every once in a while I'll get 3-5 letters on a single day. I love having these sweet, personal letters from him that I can physically hold. I love knowing that instead of just quickly typing out an email he took the time to sit down and write me a real letter.

I know Huzzy looks forward to getting letters just as much if not more than I do. Unfortunately mail seems to hate him, and it has been taking ages for my letters to get there. Though he did said he got around 15 in one day when they finally came in...go figure.

His letters have meant the world to me this deployment, and they've gotten me through some really rough days.

How do you stay connected during deployment?

One Day I'm Just Going To Set My Yard On Fire

One of the bright sides to being attached to a military man is learning more about yourself.  I'm willing to bet than anyone who has gone through a deployment can attest to at least one instance of doing something they didn't think they could, or overcoming a hardship all on their own. Big or small, everyone learns about themselves and being independent while the guys are away.

For me that epic battle takes the form of yard work.

For reals.

I hate mowing the lawn, and I especially hate trimming back the monstrous hedges that engulf the edges of our property. Last deployment I was able to avoid this thanks to the roommate. Now that we are roommate-less I have to take care of it myself. (Or at least until I can con someone into doing it for me)

It takes a lot of motivation for me to get out there with the trimmer. I grab my headphones, blast angry chick music and hack away.

I am woman. I am STRONG.

But I swear on every deity out there that I would gladly go back inside and play nice 1950's housewife if Huzzy would just materialize in the yard and do the work for me.

Don't worry, I'm not trying to set back the feminist movement or anything. I'm a strong, independent woman who knows what she likes...and what she doesn't like.

And I really, really don't like yard work.


It way cuter news, Baby Girl is all about giving Daddy kisses good night while he's gone. Good thing we have a DVD of him reading her books. She literally spazzes and starts yelling "Kisses! Kisses!" if you take her away from the TV too soon.

Ok, The Zombie Thing Is Supposed To Be A Joke You Know....

I'll admit, I'm a big zombie fan. I love the movies, I love the fear, and I spend more time than strictly necessary on the phone with my best friend discussing our Zombie Survival Plan. (And no, you can't hide at my house)

I have on more than one occasion wished there really was a zombie apocalypse just so I could avoid paying back my student loans. (I figure that's the only way I'm getting out of it)

Still... I'm a little disturbed right now.

Did we seriously just have two cases of cannibalism in a week?

The first one disgusts me more than anything. The man apparently decided to dine on his house mate's heart and brains. Gross. At least (according to the crazy murderer) the victim was already long dead at that point. It's gross, but not as gross as the next one.

A man in Miami was shot and killed...while he was attempting to eat the face off a live human being. Did I mention this crazy bastard was completely nude? Also, he was shot once and just kept on eating. The cop had to shoot him multiple times, killing him, in order to stop the madness.

Broad daylight. Naked man. Eating living flesh. Totally unphased by bullets. (That is, until they killed him. Double tap and all that.)

And more on the side of gross/WTF were you thinking - A man in Jersey thought it would be a good idea to stab himself repeatedly and throw bits of his own intestines at police officers. 

Holy Hell.

And to top it off, the masses must be taking this whole zombie thing quite seriously. The CDC actually put out word that the zombie apocalypse isn't coming. So you can all calm down now. (And I better keep paying those bills...)

The CDC does have a whole "zombie preparedness" thing on their website though. They say it's a laugh and a way to get people to be prepared for anything...But something you have to wonder...

No, I don't think this is the start of the end of the world or anything. I do think it's creepy as hell though, and I won't be watching any zombie movies any time soon.


*shudder*