But honestly, I would not have it any other way.

Serving in the Guard has taught me a lot about balance. How to shift from soldier mode to mom mode, from field gear to casserole dishes. I’m even thinking about trying those yummy looking Roasted Rainbow Carrots this year. This season, I’m extra grateful for the chaos, because it means I’m home. It means I get to be “Mom” again, not just “Sergeant.” It means I get to savor the things I missed while I was away, like bedtime giggles, coffee that isn’t instant, and the smell of something baking instead of that good old barracks scent.

And let me tell you, nothing warms my heart quite like my Guard family. The constant “hey, I miss you boo,” the “how are you holding up,” and the “take care of yourself” messages mean everything. It’s those little check-ins that remind me we are never really doing this alone. The Guard community shows up for each other, no matter how far apart we are or how busy life gets.

I have also learned that gratitude doesn’t need perfection. The turkey might be slightly overdone, the mashed potatoes might come from a box, and I might still be living out of my duffel bag. But it is ours. It is real, and it is messy, and it is full of love.

And yes, this Guard mom is still on her saving grind. Stretching that grocery budget, catching Commissary sales, and finding creative ways to make the holiday special without spending too much. Every little bit saved means more room for joy and maybe a second slice of pie.

So this year, I’m giving thanks for it all. For the service, the savings, and the savoring. For my military family who always checks in, for my kids who remind me why I serve, and for this incredible community that keeps me grounded through every season.

Here is to full hearts, full plates, and finding gratitude in the beautiful in-between moments, even if your uniform is still in the laundry and the cranberry sauce is straight from the can.

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Now, since most of us are in all walks of life, and celebrate so many holidays differently, I wanted to show case some Thanksgiving event attire that will speak to almost anyone!

Here are some of my favorite trend that are out there right now:

• I absolutely love this wrap dress. It comes in so may colors, but for fall this orange is really doing it for me! I have a very short torso so the high waist really compliments my figure and the flowing skirt hides all the things having 5 kids still shows. You can dress this up more with accessories yet it is still casual enough to feel polished, yet not over dressed for the most low-key Friendsgiving events.
• This next dress is something a little more out of my comfort zone, but is so on trend right now. The shorter style is not too revealing, but you can always pair it with tights or leggings if you so desire. This dark green would go great for any holiday, but really spoke to me when I saw it! The material is very comfortable and the fit is so flattering. I love the ruffle and flare of the skirt.
• If you are like most and don’t want the high maintenance of a dress, but need something a bit more high end looking, I highly suggest this romper. The outfit is made of a light weight material, and easily looks super polished as is or add some extra accessories to really up your game!
• Now some of us do still have to work on Thanksgiving and I saw this awesome pant suit for work. It’s dressy enough to be business casual attire, but comfy enough for me to eat as many helpings of stuffing as you want. Plus, they have so many color options that you can wear your favorite football team attire right underneath.

With so many amazing trends to choose from right now, it can be a challenge to find the right look for you. We have started our new Tactical Trends section in our Amazon storefront where we will have great looks like these and more. So, let’s skip the sweatpants and wear something that makes us feel great!

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As we all gear up to send our kiddos back to school, what better way to celebrate than a twist on a beloved classic! I always love looking for fun breakfast ideas for my kids and this one for sure hit the mark! So, grab your favorite pie crust and come along while we make our own version of the beloved toaster pastry!

Supplies:

• Parchment Paper
• Baking Sheet
• Sprinkles
• Rolling Pin/Glass

Ingredients:

• 2 Pie Crusts
• Strawberry Preserves
• 1 Egg
• Sprinkles of your choice
• 2 cups of Zero Calorie Powdered Sugar Substitute
• 3 Tbsp Milk
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Natural Food Coloring (Optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
2. Grab your parchment paper and roll out both of the pie crusts and cut into a rectangle. Place the bottom crust on your baking sheet.
3. Whisk an egg with 2 TBS of water. Brush on the outside edges of the pie crust.
4. Spread strawberry preserves on the bottom of the crust. Ensure you leave about an inch on all sides.
5. Cover the first pie crust with the second pie crust. Push down the edges with a fork. Also, poke the top of the pastry to allow air to escape while baking.
6. Brush with remaining egg white mixture.
7. Bake for about 20 minutes until pastry is golden brown.
8. Cool and make icing.
9. Combine 2 cups of powdered sugar substitute with 3 TBS of milk.
10. Add vanilla extract and Food Coloring (optional). Mix until smooth and well combined.
11. Pour over cooled pastry.
12. Add sprinkles!
13. Cut and enjoy!

Notes:

• You can use any kind of filling that you please! This would be fun to customize with different flavors of jams or preserves. You can also use Nutella or nut butters!
• I am currently in my PCS era so I used a glass/heavy metal tumbler to roll out the pie crust.
• My kids requested pink icing so I chose to use dye free food coloring to jazz the pastry up!
• You can also use regular powdered sugar if you don’t prefer the taste of the sugar free substitutes!

My kids had a blast with this recipe and I can’t wait to try it again with different flavors! This is a great way to close out summer with a back to school celebration or would make an amazing birthday breakfast for your breakfast pastry lover! Add some candles for extra fun! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did and have a lot of fun finding the perfect flavor combination!

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Back-to-school season used to mean picking out binders, hoping my locker was close to my classes, and maybe begging my mom for something cool in my lunchbox. These days? It looks more like stocking my pantry with brain fuel – and helping my friend load up for her three kids, who are somehow growing faster than my grocery list.

We hit up our local Commissary together this week to stock up on all our back to school favorites – and from now until 9/7/2025 you can enter in for a chance to win ONE of FIVE $100 Commissary gift cards by visiting MMSgiveaways.com – let me tell you – it was a cart-filling mission. Between her kids going back to elementary school and me heading into another semester of college, we needed snacks, sips, and sanity-savers that can handle early mornings, late-night study sessions, and everything in between.

Her cart? Stuffed with Danimals® Banana & Strawberry Kids Smoothies, CAPRI SUNS, Del Monte Diced Peaches, and those life-saving KRAFT Mac & Cheese microwaveable cups. And if you think she made it out without tossing in a box (or two) of LUNCHABLES, think again.

My haul leaned more “college caffeine survival kit” than lunchbox vibes: Red Bull Zero, Pepsi Zero, and Gatorade Fruit Punch Zero are basically back to school essentials. I grabbed a few OIKOS® Protein Shakes for rushed mornings, and I can’t lie – I threw in a JOYBA Bubble Tea for a little fun.

For the nights when I need something easy but solid, I snagged Bush’s Baked Beans, and StarKist Chunk Light Tuna in Water, and a few KRAFT pantry staples. Nothing gourmet, but it gets the job done.

We both agreed you can’t go wrong with a Frito-Lay Classic Mix Variety Pack and yes, we impulse-added OREO Minis and Hershey’s Milk Chocolate – because balance. I also picked up Liquid Death (hydration with edge) and a couple bottles of Health-Ade Kombucha for gut checks and self-care.

And finally? Kleenex Trusted Care Tissues. Because there will be moments – whether it’s a tearful goodbye at the bus stop or a mid-term meltdown at midnight.

Honestly, stocking up together reminded me that we’re all just doing our best to get through the chaos of back-to-school season – whether we’re eight or in our late twenties. And with DeCA’s Stock Up and Save deals, we don’t have to do it on an empty stomach and it’s nice knowing there is a donation automatically being made to the Fisher House Foundation alongside a $100 Commissary Gift Card Sweepstakes. 

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I became a mother a little later in life, at the age of 29. Now, 12 years later, I have an 11 year old son and a 9 year old daughter. They are my pride and joy. They bring me so much happiness. Watching them grow is bittersweet because as much as I want them to grow and become independent members of the community, I also want to keep them as my sweet little babies. 

Finally, on this Mother’s Day, I get to celebrate my own mother. She is such an inspiration to me, even to this day. She raised me and my sister is the best way possible, and making her proud has always given me joy. My mother worked so hard as a teacher, and even in retirement, she still is dedicated to the school system with substituting and tutoring. She inspired me to become a teacher myself. Now 13 years later, my passion for teaching still burns just as bright as it did in year 1. 

So Happy Mother’s Day! Know that you are loved and appreciated so much. Your hard work as a mama does not go unnoticed. Have an amazing day!

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Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Water, Boiling
• 3 Family Size Tea Bags or 5 Standard Size Tea Bags
• 2 Cups No Sugar Added Purple Grape Juice, Chilled
• 1 Orange, Sliced
• 1 Lemon, Sliced
• 1 Lime, Sliced
• 1.5 Cups Club Soda or Seltzer, Chilled

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, pour boiling water over tea bags.
2. Cover and allow to brew for 5 minutes.
3. Remove tea bags and squeeze the excess into the saucepan.
4. Combine tea with grape juice and fruit in a large pitcher.
5. Chill at least 2 hours.
6. Just before serving, add in the club soda.
7. Pour into ice-filled glasses and serve!
8. Enjoy!

Time to sit back, relax, and enjoy this delicious concoction! Stay cool, friends!

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Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cups Marshmallows
• 1 Stick of Butter
• 2 Cups Lucky Charms Cereal

Directions:

• Grease your baking dish with coconut oil or butter
• Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat.
• Once the butter is melted, add your marshmallows, and turn the heat down to medium-low.
• After everything is combined, pour your Lucky Charms into your baking dish.
• Pour the butter/marshmallow mixture on top.
• Stir gently to try and not crush the cereal.
• Once it is all mixed and spread evenly, place into the refrigerator to set (about 30 minutes).
• Cut into squares and enjoy!

Notes:

• I used regular size marshmallows, but you can use minis if you prefer!

It is no secret my kiddos love these amazing little treats! They waited patiently in the kitchen while I cut up all the squares. Amaiah’s little fingers tried to get close to the counter, but she eventually settled into her chair and waited. These are a for sure quick and simple treat that the whole family can enjoy!

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What you need:

• Size K (6.50mm) Crochet Hook
• Medium 4 Worsted Weight Yarn (2 strands)
• Scissors
• Threading needle

Terms:

• Magic Circle = how to crochet a round
• SC = Single Crochet (most basic crochet stitch for designs)
• Chain = the stitch used to increase the height for new rows or rounds
• DC = Double Crochet
• Back Loop Only = one of the loops of your crochet stitch

Directions: 

Using 2 strands of yarn (throughout the whole pattern), start with a Magic Circle and Single Crochet (SC) 6 stitches into the circle.

SC 2 into every SC around the circle.

To grow my circle, I put 2 SC in the first SC, SC into the next 2, then 2 SC into the next stitch. 

For the next row, I did 2 SC into the first SC, SC into the next 3, 2 SC into the next stitch.

Next row: 2 SC into the first SC, SC into the next 4, 2 SC into the next stitch.

I followed this pattern increasing SC’s (2, 3, 4, 5, etc) until I got the desired circle size.

Once you get the circle to the size you want, start the next row with a Chain 2.

I then DC into the Back Loop Only around the whole circle. You will continue to only use the Back Loop Only for the remainder of the pattern.

DC into each stitch around until you reach the desired height of the basket.

Once you get the height you want, DC into the next 4 stitches.

Go back and forth along these 4 stitches to create the handle.

Once you get the handle done, leave a long tail.

Thread the tail into the 4 stitches that are evenly across the basket.

Once done, fill it with eggs, candy, and other goodies! This was a simple and fun project that was fun to make! Watching my kids love on their baskets made my heart smile!

Notes:

• It only took me about 2 hours to make the bigger one and an hour for the small one.

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I began thinking back about when Zion officially started soccer and I have to be honest, it was so frustrating to watch. Let me explain. Zion did great at practice and here at home when we played with him. He would kick the ball with force, dribble all around us, and played with aggression. However, the moment he would get out there for the game, he would just freeze up. Basically, he turned into a deer in headlights. He held onto his jersey, and I could just feel him becoming overwhelmed. It took a few games, but I kept hoping he would relax as each game passed.

Something that caught me by surprise though, Zion showed emotion. I remember one time when he was the goalie, and the other team scored a goal on him, he began to cry. Although I felt bad for him, it kind of made me happy that he cared. He was usually so passive, and I figured them scoring would have no effect on him…but it actually did!

I want to thank you all so much for the support over the years and for the many years to come. I am excited, every year, that I get to spend the month of April celebrating my military child, as well as Autism Awareness. Zion is truly a special kid and I love that I get to learn from him every single day!

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Ingredients:

• 4 oz. Orange Juice
• 2 oz. No Sugar Lemon-Lime Soda
• 2 oz. Club Soda
• ice

Directions:

1. Combine first 3 ingredients and stir with a mini whisk.
2. Add ice.
3. Enjoy!

Notes:

• You can always use a regular Lemon-Lime Soda
• You can garnish with a dried orange wheel.
• You may even want to experiment with other juices too?!?!

This drink is so refreshing and it was the perfect porch side drink for us while the kids played outside. I was going to put in oranges, but when you live in a house with two kids that love fruit, sometimes it disappears before you can use it.  Either way, I know you will enjoy this mocktail, especially after a long day at work. It was the perfect ending to a stressful week. 

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