Happy Birthday Joe!!

Dear Joe, 

Happy Birthday! I hope you are having a wonderful day today in lovely Afghanistan. Even though you are not here with me, I wanted to take the time to tell you how thankful I am for you. Thank you for being such a loving, caring, and supportive person. I'm often in shock at how involved you are in my life and much you care about the little things that are going on in my life, when I know you have way more important things to take care of while you are gone. I am so proud of what you do for me and for our country. I love hearing about your day to day life in Afghanistan and I am so proud about the great leader that you are. This has been a tough nine months, but you are worth the wait. 

I am getting everything ready for your return and can't wait to celebrate your birthday! I am also looking forward to our future! I am excited to see where the Army will take us and please know that I support you! Here's to you on your special day and here's to us and our future! 

I love you, 

Stephanie 

Everything is Ready...Almost

It has been nearly 275 days since I said good bye to Joe. He will be home so soon and I have everything ready! Well, at least I thought I did. I  have the house all set up, I have some of his favorite food and drinks ready, I have a photographer for his homecoming, I had ordered the perfect dress, bought the perfect necklace to go with it, and made signs for his return.

Yesterday, I checked my tracking number for the dress that I purchased and paid extra for express 3 day shipping to find that it had been delivered! Hooray, everything is ready... I went outside in hopes of finding my package waiting for me and to my surprise there was nothing. I checked my mailbox, thinking that it might have gone through USPS, because sometimes UPS delivers via USPS, and there was nothing. I called the 800 number and got ahold of a local UPS rep that sent a message out to the driver. I was suppose to get a call back within an hour, but it took closer to 2 hours. The new rep that called me had said that the driver had gone home for the day, but he was very familiar with my house (I may buy one to many things online) and he left the package at my door. Still no new information. I asked that she leave a note asking the driver to stop by my house today. This morning I got a phone call giving me the same information. I am aware what the tracking information said online. Thanks. The only new thing was that this rep was even more rude then the last. The only semi customer friendly "person" I got from UPS was from their twitter account. It's very sad when your twitter account has more customer service skills then your actual customer service representatives.

So now, I am still sitting in my house waiting for the UPS man to arrive. I am hoping it as miss delivered to a near by neighbor and my dress will be here by the end of the day. If not, I will be on the hunt for a new "perfect dress".  Just when I thought I was ahead of the game, something like this happens. Thank you UPS for adding unneeded stress to Joe's upcoming homecoming. I guess if this is the worse part of his homecoming I am doing alright.

On a happier note, don't forget to enter to win a $125 gift card to Zappos! There is only 2 days left!!

Have you ever lost a package before? Did it get back to you?

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Tiny Teatox Review - Update

Today marks day 19 of 28 on my Tiny Teatox. I have lost about 4 lbs total, have increased energy level, and can see a tiny change in my body. I must admit, I have not been working out like I should have been for the past two weeks. I have only ran a few times and that's about it. I have been eating clean for the most part, but I have reintroduced pasta into my diet. Pasta is one of Joe's favorite meals, so I have been working on different recipes for when he comes home.

Overall, I am satisfied with Tiny Tea. It has helped curb my cravings and has given me a lot of needed energy. I have decreased to drinking the tea twice a day. It is suggested that you drink the tea 3 times a day, 30 minutes before your meal. The reason I went down to 2 times a day is because I was starting to feel bloated at night. I have never felt bloated before, so it was strange to feel my pant get tight only at night. I am still a little shocked about this because one of the main reasons why people drink the tea is to cut down the bloating. Almost every review online has had positive feed back on how the tea has helped them with bloating. I thought it might be my diet, but I am not sure what it might be.

For the next 2 weeks, I plan of hitting my runs and working out hard. I also plan on eating really clean and seeing if I can achieve better results. I am still undecided on if I will go back to drinking the tea 3 times a day or if I will go past the 28 days with tea that I didn't drink. Everything that I have read says that it is ok to keep drinking the tea. Here are my before (pink shorts, day1) and after (black shorts, day19) pictures. I feel like I look the same, but I can see a small change in my thighs and from the side view my stomach looks a tiny bit flatter.

I know this tea is not going to be a miracle tea, but I am hoping that it gives me enough results to get me motivated to loss those last 10lbs and tone up. This past year has been struggle to get my weight under control. The stress of the deployment and moving has been a tough battle and I am so proud of how far I have come. I was going through photos the other day and found a picture that was taken right before the deployment, I cannot believe how much I let myself go and how far I have come. I really hope that I can achieve my goals and continue to live a healthy life with Joe here. 

Left: 2 weeks before the deployment // Right: 2 weeks ago 

What are your fitness goals?

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It's Finally Fall, win a $125 Zappos gift card!!

Happy Fall, y'all! The brisk Autumn weather is the perfect excuse for new fall footwear! Mal, 11 other ladies, and I are giving away a $125 Zappos gift card to one lucky winner so she can buy a new pair of boots, flats, or other shoes.

Giveaways are a great way to discover new bloggers, make friends, and possibly win a prize! Be sure to stop by and check out these pretty ladies who helped make this giveaway possible!

Mal// Mackenzie// Hannah

Stephanie// Tamara// Jane// Ashley

Erin// Samantha// Raewyn// Kaylin

Stephanie// Danae

The giveaway will run Monday, October 21st, 2013 through Monday, October 28th, 2013.

To enter, simply use the Rafflecopter giveaway tool below. The winning entry will be verified so please be honest.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Getting your Photo with Characters - Disneyland Secrets

Happy Saturday! I am just getting ready for work and my family is headed to Disneyland for the weekend to celebrate my little sisters 12th birthday! I was unable to fly home for the celebration so I figured I would be in the spirit and share another Disneyland Secret with you...How to get your photo taken with as many characters as you can in one trip to Disneyland and not waste your entire day in line!

I would consider myself a bit of an expert when it comes to all things Disneyland and Disney World. I have had an annual passport to either park (Depending where I was living) for as long as I can remember. I have spent countless hours at the Most Magical Place on Earth and LOVED ever minute of it. I stumbled upon these next few tips this year. I have never really wanted to wait in a huge line to get a picture with a character (well maybe a few times I did). But this past year I did a photo book for Joe that included a photo and signature from as many characters as I could get in one day and added it to his Disneyland Care Package. I managed to fill up the book in a few hours. 

On to the TIPS!! In no particular order:

• Get there when the park opens! - I know what you are thinking, if I go there so often, why would I want to get there when the park opens? Because that is when all of the classic characters are waiting to greet you and have a photo op! Most people are so excited to be there and get on their favorite ride that they just zoom on by all of the characters. I must admit, you can find long lines for Mickey and Minnie, but other characters like Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy are all just standing around with less then 10 people waiting for a photo. 
  
• Talk to the Cast Members - While I was waiting in line for some of the other characters, I made it a point to talk to the workers that were helping with line control. They were able to tell me where to go and when to go to different places to find characters. They really are your best source of information. They were even able to give me an exact time, to the minute, of when the next round of Mickey and Minnie and where to stand to ensure I was the first person in line! 

  

  Check out that line behind her! We were the first ones with Minnie!

• You have to go to the Royal Hall! - If Princesses are your thing, you have to go to the Royal Hall. It is still a fairly newer attraction that allows you to meet and greet 3-4 Princesses at once. Since it is still newer (and in my opinion, no one knows where or what it is) the line is never longer then 10-15 minutes. I have often just walked right in. It is located just to the left of the castle if you are looking at the castle.

• Woody's Round Up is a must! - Here you will find Chip and Dale, Woody, Jessie, and a few others! The lines are never longer then 5 people. You can interact with the characters and get a photo! The show is just ok, but the characters make it well worth it. Woody's Round Up is located at the Big Thunder Ranch, behind the Big Thunder Railroad. Bonus Tip: Don't say "Andy is coming" the toys will not fall to the ground. The cast members will just yell "no he isn't, Andy is at college". 

• Party at the Mad Tea Party - This is the best place to get photos will almost every random character you can think of. But, they will not sign anything. They just dance and pose for pictures. It is where the "B"list characters hang out. They come out in groups of 6 and dance for 15 minutes. I got so many pictures it as pretty awesome. The Mad Tea Party is located in California Adventure in the Hollywood Backstage Lot. 
  
• Random is sometimes best!- Sometimes, you are just in the right place at the right time and you get a photo op with one of your favorites! Character photo stations are through out the park. You can find the schedule on the map, go to city hall and find out, or just ask a cast  member. If you see a short line (less than 15 people) jump in it. It will take less then 10 minutes. 

Follow my tips and you will have so many pictures, you wont know which ones to post! 

I hope you enjoyed my pictures! These are all from one day and I have more from that day. It really doesn't have to be a huge time commitment if you plan correctly. 

No trip to Disney would be complete with out the one and only Mickey Mouse!

 (you just might have to wait)

Who is your favorite character??

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It's Friday!

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen. I am so excited for this addition of High Five for Friday and Five on Friday! So, lets begin, shall we?

1. I was set to take my final test for my training for work on Monday, however stuff happens (it seems to be the trend at my job), and I was given my final test on Saturday...2 days early. I was a bit nervous going into it, as I didn't really know what to expect. But, 6 hours later, I can officially say that I am the newest member of DIA Operations Team!! I am so proud of myself and all that I have accomplished in such a short time. I am eager to learn more and continue to grow with DIA. I am loving my job and the people there aren't too bad either.

2. On Tuesday, I stayed in Denver with a friend of mine and we had a fun filled day of shopping to celebrate my completion of training. We took a trip to the Federal Reserve and went to the museum. We also had the most amazing fries ever! We shared, buffalo fries, mac and cheese fries, and truffle fries. Yup, we had fries for dinner and they were amazing. 

This is what $30,000,000 looks like in $100 bills

3. After a long day of shopping we went to a Haunted House!! I have been wanting to go to a haunted house all month and figured that I wouldn't get a chance to go. But, I convinced the girls that I was with and we headed to one of the most famous haunted houses in all of Denver... 13th Floor!! I love being scared and 13th Floor did the job. But, I am not going to lie, I think I hyped up the haunted house in my head (after all, it was featured on the travel channel as one of the top in the country). Let's just say it was not 13 floors and I made it all the way through. But, I did have a blast and hope I can squeeze anther haunted house or corn maze into my busy schedule.  

4. On Wednesday, I put together a bookcase that I ordered online and decorated it. Our house is finally starting to feel like a home. I was so excited about our new place and I think I got burnt out pretty quickly. I have been picking up stuff here and there. I want it to be in order for when Joe comes home, but at the same time, I would love for him to be involved with some of the decisions. I am so happy with how the bookcase turned out! One day when my house is done, I will do a post on the finished product. 

5. Fall is here and my shoe collection is catching up. This week, I added 2 really cute pair of boots to my collection. I have been eye Jeffrey Campbell's for a year now and this week a pair where magically left at my door....Thanks Joe. I am beyond excited to have a pair in my closet. I was out shopping last night and stumbled upon a cute little ankle boot from Steve Madden. I am loving the new fall trend of the ankle boot and can't wait to rock these bad boys. 

Keep an eye out for an amazing giveaway this coming Monday that my real life/bloggy friend Mal and I (and a bunch of other fabulous bloggers) are hosting! I promise you will want to enter. 

Have you been to a Haunted House this season?

What is your dream fall shoe?

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

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This week I am linking up with

High Five for Friday & Five on Friday

Meet Joe! - BBB Link UP

This week I am linking up with Mal and Stephanie for their Boys Behind the Blog Series. Joe has come to enjoy these posts. He is always asking me if there are new questions coming out. I have also enjoyed them, it's always fun to see if I really do know him as well as I think I do. 

1. Describe yourself in 5 words: Smart, relaxed, adventurous, loyal, funny. If I get to add a six it would be lover.

This photo shows him being relaxed, adventurous, loyal, and funny....just not so smart.  Or maybe he is smart because I asked him if we can hold an alligator and he listened to me :)

2. What is your biggest fear? Not being able to take care of the ones I love.

3. What is your favorite candy? Peanut butter m&m, candy corn, York peppermint patties, it is just to hard to pick only one

4. What is the best Halloween costume you have ever worn? Teenage mutant ninja turtles, Donatello.  I am looking forward to the new movie coming out but I do not like April being played by Megan Fox.  Maybe I will bring out the costume for the showing, and Stephanie can be my April.

This is how I see them

And I am sure, this is how Joe sees them!

5. Who is your favorite football team? My fantasy football team the "orange crush".  I did not grow up with a team close to me so I do not have a favorite but with fantasy I can switch to the players who I want to cheer for every week.

I think that was code for he likes the Broncos?

I am so happy to let you all know that next months Boys Behind the Blog post will be written by Joe while he is here in our house!! He should be home from Afghanistan in under a month!! 

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Airport Ops

I have officially been employed by the City and County of Denver for a little less then 2 months! I am so excited to let you all know that I am signed off of training! The training for my airport operations job is 2 weeks of classroom training followed by a minimum of 6 weeks on the job training. Out of the 3 people that I started with, I am the first person to finish my training!! I am so happy to be done and I can't wait to see what else Denver International Airport has for me to learn.

What is airport ops? We are the team of people that run the airport. We respond to medical, security incidents, and anything that has to do with the day to day or long term operation of the airport.

Here are a few pictures of my amazingly, fun job! I know aviation is not everyones cup of tea, but I hope you enjoy! All the pictures were taken with my lovely Canon Rebel T3. I am trying to figure out how to work it. :)

These photos are just a glimpse of a day in the life of an airport ops person! I am so lucky and blessed to have a significant other in the military and do what I love! I hope you have a fantastic Sunday!

What is your dream job?

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Working Out and Work - H54F

I have had a pretty good week full of working out and work. My two favorite things! I always love posting these weekly recaps, they remind me that my life isn't that boring (well maybe it would be boring if you didn't like your job or like to work out). 

1. This past Saturday, I got up nice and early to tackle a 6 mile run. Although 6 miles doesn't seem like a long run to some people, it was a big achievement for me. I am training for a marathon and didn't let the 28 degree weather be a factor for me. I bundled up and hit the road. I am slightly worried about running in the snow. Anyone have any cold weather running tips for me?

2. I love my job! There is nothing better then seeing a 787 taxi by only a few feet away from you, while drinking a pumpkin spice latte! It really is starting to feel like fall here! Driving around the airport is awesome, maybe it's because I love aviation or maybe because I am a nerd, but I am so happy I get paid to do something I love. 

3. This week I went to the incline on Sunday morning with Mal and then again on Thursday morning! I felt so defeated (and out of shape) on Sunday that I needed to go again on Thursday. I went alone on Thursday and was a bit nervous that I wouldn't be motivated enough to do it alone, but I beat my previous time and didn't feel so out of shape! I am going to try my best to keep this a weekly tradition, in hopes that I will acclimate to the elevation quicker and that it will help with my running. p.s. Mallory and Dan win fit couple of the year. They are both so inspiring and I am happy to call them my friends! 

4. I spent most of time off this weekend (My weekend is Tuesday - Thursday) studying for work. My job has a minimum of 6 weeks on the job training program and I can finally see the end. I am scheduled to get signed off this Monday!! I can't wait, but I am also slightly nervous. 

5. I took a little break yesterday from studying and I went shopping. I may have gone a little bit overboard with the new nail polishes, but you can never have too many....right? Plus, at $4 a bottle I couldn't pass up the great deal. I am loving the way that I store my nail polishes, I got the idea from Pinterest and I have been storing all kinds of things in really cute glass jars! 

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!!

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This week I am linking up with

High Five for Friday & Five on Friday