Do you need $100? Give Away!

You're in luck today! Not only is it Michael Jackson's birthday, it's giveaway day!! Happy Birthday to the King of Pop. 

There is not one, but 2 prizes for this giveaway. The first being $100 paypal cash! Spend it on what you want. Maybe some new music, fall clothes, a spa day, a target spree- you decide. 

The second prize is a $50 gift card to Boutique Sui Numeris! 

Lost in Travels /// A Fluffy Girl /// Mason Like the Jar

Girlfriend Jill /// Lauren's Latest /// Slice of Life 

My Better Half and Me /// Suzzie Vehrs /// Living in the Moment /// First Comes Love

About the Boutique: "We are giving away a $50.00 gift card to use towards ANY item in the boutique!  This boutique is for the ultimate fashionista who does not want to look like every other girl.  Boutique Sui Numeris carries lovely little black dresses, authentic luxury vintage dresses, and more!  Whether you want to splurge or you simply love elite quality, we have your item!  As seen in "Elle" and "Life & Style"! "

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Meet my Little, Haylee

I am so excited to introduce you all to Haylee, she is my little from the Big and Little Blogging Network. I have been having a great time getting to know her and figuring out this blogging world with her.

Hello, Living in the Moment readers! It’s a pleasure to guest-post for Steph; isn’t she great? She is my blogging big, and it has been wonderful getting to know her.

My name is Haylee, and I blog over at Jets and a Brunette. My little corner of the web features anecdotes and adventures from my day-to-day life. I am a twenty-something newlywed to my wonderful husband, Brent. He and I are walking life together as we figure out marriage and Air Force life.  

The wife:

The husband:

On my blog, you will find a smorgasbord of topics. Among the most common are: silly fiascos, married life, advice, meal planning, and weekend shenanigans. I have a passion for cooking, photography (although I am not the best photographer), reading, planning, shopping, and, of course, blogging.

Some of my most popular posts are:

How we met - Our Dating Story

Bridal Shower: Hostess Gifts

Engagement Pictures

What’s for dinner this week?

I started blogging as a hobby, and it has quickly became one of my favorite things to do. I love meeting fellow bloggers, and I would be overjoyed to meet you as well. I hope you’ll hop on over to my little space and say, “Hello!”

Follow Haylee: Bloglovin’//Instagram//Twitter

#NOtivation - What I love about RunDisney

My Disneyland 1/2 Marathon is this weekend! I can't believe how it just snuck up on me. Since the move I have not really had much time to train. But I don't think it will be an issue because it is a RunDisney race. This will be the second 1/2 that I have ran with the RunDisney program. I would like to share with you why I choose RunDisney.

• I LOVE Disney - If you are a regular reader of mine you know that I love everything Disney. It is no secret. How can you not enjoy a 13.1 mile run with all things Disney around you.

• The race is FUN - From the moment you check into the race at 4:30am to the very end of the race you are entertained. There is great music to get you pumped, live shows as you are running the race, characters to take pictures with along the 13.1 miles (great way to catch your breath), ChEARSquads to keep you motivated, and a ton of other amazing things. 

• It is a whole weekend event - The fun really starts on Friday with a Disney Health and Wellness Expo. This is a great event to see the latest and greatest in the running world and just to check out another creative event hosted by the most creative company in the world. There is never a dull moment. 

• There is a race for everyone - Every race weekend there is a race for every skill level and type. For the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon weekend, there is the 1/2 Marathon, a 10K, a 5K and a Kids run. They make their race weekends very Family Friendly. 
• ChEARSquad - This is a program that is for your family and friends who are their to cheer you on. It gives them seating, t-shirts, and other goodies. It is great way to get young kids involved that are not able to run the race. 

I will be sure to post some pictures next week and update you all on how I did! 

Today, I am curing  #NOtivation and linking up with Mal from Mal Smiles and Hallie from LIfe: Oceanside!

Do you know of any Race Programs I should try?

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Disneyland - Care Package

I am so excited to finally have another care package post. I have been totally slacking in the care package department. When Joe first deployed, I was sending a care package once every two weeks. But, after the move and starting a new job, I think it has been almost a month. Hopefully, I will be able to get back to at least once every three weeks. I made sure to make this care package a good one. I have a bunch of really awesome things in my mind of what a great care package should be, but most of my ideas really take some time and planning. I knew from the moment that I got my Joe Doll, that I needed to take him to Disneyland! It is my favorite place in California and it gave me an excuse to take a picture with all of the characters (not that I needed one).

The finished box!

My main idea for this box as to go to the park and get as many signatures in an autograph book and get a picture with me, Joe Doll, and the character. It was so much fun and everyone was so thankful for what Joe is doing. My sister and I were able to get the book filled up by noon! Later this week I will share with you another secret of Disneyland and how I got to meet all of the characters. But for now, here are a few of my favorite pictures.

Back to the box,  I went to Michaels and found some really cute paper and stickers. I decided that I would put Disney quotes on the main flaps of the box and I even put some on the outside of the box (there were way to many good ones that I couldn't leave out). 

Inside of this box I put the following items:

• An autograph book with signatures and pictures
• Chocolate and caramel popcorn from the park
• Mickey Mouse rice crispy treat
• Chip and Dale Pretzels
• Mickey Mouse head shaped "gold fishes" (Joe loves Gold Fish)
• Candy from the Candy Shop at Disneyland (Joe's favorite, Candy Corn) 
• Cookies, Crackers, and all kinds of snacks
• More water enhancers, Mio
• More wipes 

The autograph book couldn't have came out any better. I loved that the characters where all very excited about the Joe Doll and some even left personalized "thank you" notes to him. 

This is one of my favorite boxes that I have done. Disneyland is my favorite place to go and I am so happy I was able to share that with Joe. We will be going to Disney World early January and I am planning on getting an autograph book there and getting pictures with all of the characters with me and the real Joe! 

Check out my other Boxes:

• Favorite Sports Team
• Oh the places we will go
• Honey, I Shrunk the Care Package
• Zombies are Coming
• 4th of July
• Hello Summer

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Sunday Social - Being a Kid

This Sunday, I am linking up with A Complete Waste of Makeup for her Sunday Social! 

1. What do you miss most about being a kid?

I miss having the longest Summer breaks. Isn't it amazing how time would go by so slowly, when you are kid. It seemed like days and weeks would last forever. Now, time just flies by. I also really miss having zero responsibility. Man, Kids don't know how lucky they really are.

2. Did you have a nickname growing up?

I didn't really have a nickname at school. But I went to a small private school, with only 15-20 kids in each grade, and in my my grade there were always 3 Stephanie's. So we would often go by, Steph, Stephy, and Stephanie. I guess I was boring and always picked Stephanie. Some of my family would call me boo or booboo. 

3. What was your favorite thing to do at recess? 

I loved four square. Since I went to a small school, we were always doing the same thing at recess. It was kind of like organized recess. One year our teacher was a professional basketball player from Europe, so we ran basketball drill all recess. You would think I would be a little bit better with a basketball. 

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

I have always been one of those kids who knew exactly what I wanted to be, kind of. I wanted to  be pilot and I got my pilots license when I was 16. Then I realized that I love being in the sky, but being a pilot was not for me. I still found a college where everyone was passionate about aviation and I thought I wanted to be an aerospace engineer. I took a few classes and decided that the kids in my class were great, but I needed to socialized with people who were more like me. So I changed my major once to Aviation Business, with 2 areas of concentration; Sales and Marketing and Airport Management. Turns out that is exactly what I have been getting jobs in. I am one of the few lucky people out there who got a job doing what they went to school for. 

5. Did you participate in any school activities?

Yes, I did drama in grade school, softball, student council, sailing, and I am sure there are a lot of others. My mom made sure I had plenty to do when I was growing up. But it is early and I can't really remember school. Kind of sad. 

6. What is the funniest thing you did as a kid that your parents still remind you about? 

When I was in kindergarden, I didn't want to go to school one day, so I told my mom that I can't go to school because my brain was already too full with stuff. 

What do you miss most about being a kid?

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H54F - Work, work, and more work

This week has flown by, but most of the time was spent working. Next week I am finally going to 4 days a week, 10 hour days. I am so excited!! Hopefully I will have more time for my blog and to work out! This week I am linking up with Luaren Elizabeth for H54F! 

1. Monday, I had to go Downtown Denver for New Employee Orientation. We were scheduled for a 8:30-4:30 day, but to our surprise we were done at 12:30. So I was able to check out downtown Denver. I went to the capital building and had a nice lunch downtown. 

2. Tuesday night, I went to Buffalo Wild Wings with a co-worker. It was nice to get wings, I've been craving them for about a month now. 

3. Wednesday, I was late to work. I thought that I left my traffic days behind me in LA. Turns out that people in the state of Colorado might just be the worst drivers ever. I have seen 3 roll overs this week. The accidents are not on the freeway, yet traffic is horrible. I was stuck at zero miles per hour for about 20 minutes. Luckily I was able to make up the time another day because my boss is fully aware of my 1 hour and 15 minute commute. 

4. Art! Did you know that Denver International Airport has one of the largest publicly owned art collection in the US? Crazy. We have more art then most museums. This picture may not be the best example of the type of art offered, but I like a little street art here and there. It's odd that this "art" is up at an airport. I will try to capture art and maybe do a post on it. 

5. Yesterday, I was hanging out on the roof of the airport. I am not sure why I like this picture but I do. 

How long is your commute to work? 

Do you enjoy looking at art? 

Have a great weekend! 

What I like about Costco!

My Costco with Pikes Peak in the background!

There is nothing better then going to Costco and being able to buy whatever your little heart desires. (Ok, maybe there are lots of things that are better) The feeling of walking around and exploring isle after isle of things you didn't know you needed in bulk until you see it. Since I have moved to Colorado, I have been to Costco 2 times and have left with carts full of treasures things I need. Everything from cleaning supplies to food. 

Here is why I love Costco:

1. Samples -  Need I say more? It's always nice to go to Costco on a Saturday evening and graze on the samples of stuff you love and stuff you never new existed. As an extra bonus, the sample workers are always so pleasant. 
   
2. You can find everything you need in one store - With isle after isle of goodness, Costco has what you are looking for. It's also nice that they have gone away from the giant bag of Edamame to the giant box with 15 individual wrapped bags of edamame. They have been able to make it easier for someone like me (I live alone) to shop and stock up there. 

   

   Everything in my pantry is from Costco

3. The prices are unbeatable - As long as you have room to stock up on stuff. One thing that I bought this past trip to Costco was cleaning supplies. I was able to get such a good deal on every type of cleaning supply I wanted. And I am very lucky that I have a ton of space to store it all. 
   
4. Every Costco is set up similar -  No matter where you are in America, Costco is always the same. It was such an easy adjustment going from Costco in Los Angeles to Costco in Colorado. 
   
5. The food court - If you didn't get your hunger fix with all of the samples, Costco offers a pretty good food court that is nicely priced. 
6. The workers are amazing- It's always nice to interact with the workers at Costco, I feel like they really do enjoy their job. This past trip I bought a desk that would not fit into my car if it was left in the box. Plus, the box was really heavy and I know that I would have never been able to get it out of my car. The working that was helping me, suggested that we take it out of the box and put it in my car in pieces. Genius. 

I really could go on and on about Costco, but I am sure that many of you are Costco members so I won't. If you aren't a member, you should really think about it. 

Do you have a Costco Membership?

What is your favorite thing about Costco?

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Sunday Social - Fear, Dreams, and Reality

This Sunday, I am linking up with A Complete Waste of Makeup for her Sunday Social! 

1. What is something you’ve always wanted to do but are afraid of?
Run a marathon. I have ran a 1/2 Marathon and will be running one in 2 weeks, but the thought of doing that race then, doing it again (26.2 miles) is frighting. But, Joe and I will be running our first full marathon  Jan 12, 2014. If I am going to do it, I am so happy that Joe will be by  my side. 


2. Where do you see yourself in five years?
This is an interesting question, if we are able to stay in Colorado for 5  years  it would be working to be an AOM (Airport Operations Manager), living in Colorado, and hopefully I have started a family. But, realistically I have no idea where we will be in 5 years. The Army is a funny  thing, you never know when they might say you have to move. If the Army decides that Colorado is not in my future, then I still hope Joe and I will have a family of our own and I can find a job in aviation wherever we might be. 

This is me as an AOM ;)

3. What are you looking forward to before the end of 2013?
This one is so easy!! I CAN NOT wait for Joe to come home. He is currently deployed and this has been the hardest thing that I have had to deal with as far as relationships go. It's so easy to forget the little things like seeing your significant other everyday. I can't wait until he is safely home. 

4. What are your hopes for your blog?
I write for my, Joe, my family and friends, and my readers. I hope that I will continue to be active in documenting my journey and that writers block won't visit me too often. I hope that I can share my life experiences with people and help them, be it small or large. 

5. Do you always see yourself living in your current town/city?
Nope, as I said above the Army gets to decided that one for us. Sometimes I wish that we could just buy a house and I could focus on my family and my career, but it's kind of growing on me that we will have  many adventures to come. 

6. What is your morning routine?
My morning routine has changed a bit. Now, I wake up at 5, take a shower, get ready for work, leave my house by 6:30 to get to work by 8:00. Yes, my drive is an hour and fifteen minutes. It's tough, but I love my job and am so happy that I was able to find a job in my field where Joe is stationed. It makes this Army thing a little bit more enjoyable. 

Do you have a  5 year plan?

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I'm so thankful it's Friday!

This week has been so hectic. I'm still trying to get adjusted to life in Colorado, I've been struggling with the deployment, and I have started work at my new job!

1. Last Saturday Kaitlyn was kind enough to have Mal and I over for a BBQ and to watch some football (all though not much football watching had happened.) it was so nice to be able to meet other military families. Also, it's amazing how we all have so much in common. I'm happy that I have been able to meet these lovely bloggers in real life! 

2. It was my first day of work. I'm am officially a Denver International Airport Operations Team Member! I'm so blessed to be able to find a job in my industry and near Joe. 

3. On Wednesday I went to my first City of Denver company picnic. I meet the Blue Bear, meet a bunch of co-workers, eat free food, and watch some planes land. 

4. I have been exploring the airport all week with training and I got to ride in one of our firetrucks. 

5. It's finally Friday, this week has been very tough. We are finally less then 100 days until Joe comes home, but this week it feels like he is never going to come home. I have been feeling extra lonely for some reason. It also doesn't help that this new schedule is messing with our communication schedule. I have been very spoiled and I get to talk to him at least 2 times a day for as long as I need to. But now, I'm lucky if I talk to him for 5 mins a day. Even though its been very tough, I'm very happy that Joe has been super supportive through all of this. I know that we are making the best decision for us. Last night I was able to Skype him for 30 mins and it reminded me that I have an amazing man by my side and he makes me so happy. So I woke up this morning happy as can be. 

Have a great weekend! 

#NOtivation - Some of My Favorite Snacks!

Eating is a very important part of living a healthy lifestyle. It is often the part that I struggle with most. I am a true foodie and heart and really love dessert. As I am quickly approaching my 1/2 Marathon, I would like to continue to eat very clean. Below are a lists of my favorite healthy snacks! Most of these snacks only take a few minutes to put together and have little to no calories. I hope you enjoy!

• I really love to have hummus with veggies. My favorite would be carrots, bell peppers, and cucumbers. I just buy my hummus to save time, but I also love to make it!
• Sliced cucumbers with lemon and a little bit of pepper.

• Cubed Pineapple with mint leaves, put into a container and marinate over night in the fridge. 

• Homemade Popsicle; green tea with sliced berries (Strawberries, blue berries, black berries, and raspberries)   

• Quick store bought snacks- Apple Sauce (watch the sugar) and Low Fat String Cheese

Today, I am curing  #NOtivation and linking up with Mal from Mal Smiles and Hallie from LIfe: Oceanside!

What are your go to healthy snacks?

What's tougher, eating healthy or working out regularly?

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Hiking in Vail!

I really love being outside and I love finding a way to get a workout in while I am outside. I have been so lucky that I have always had that option. I know that moving to Colorado will not be any different. I can not wait until Joe gets home, so that we can go on a ton of amazing hikes.

The final stop, on the road trip with my mom, was Vail! Besides being an amazing ski town, Vail also has some breath taking hikes in the summer months. My mom and I went on a hike called Booth Creek Falls. It is a 4 mile hike up to a beautiful waterfall. It truly was amazing. We struggled a bit adjusting to the altitude, but we quickly were on our way.

There is nothing better then waking up early to go on a hike. I always like to hike up and run down. It always looks super impressive to people when they see me running down, but I mainly do it because it is super easy to run down and I can get down a lot quicker ( I am normally running out of time to workout, so running down saves me time)

What I love about hiking:

• I get a long workout in, most of my hikes are 3-5 miles each way
• I don't get bored when I go on a hike, it's always an adventure
• I get to workout muscles that sometimes get neglected at the gym
• I get to escape my busy day for a good amount of time
• I really get time to think, or just talk to the person that I am hiking with
• I am surrounded by nature and its beauty

Would you rather workout inside or outside?

How often do you go hiking?

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