Care Packages Part II

So as promised, I am putting a few more pictures up of care packages. I got the idea for decorating online (pinterest) and I feel like it is such a neat idea because you can really make personal between you and your loved one deployed or far away.

This was kinda my summer fun themed package.

Who doesn't love a movie night? I filled this one with DVDs (I hit up the $5 box at Walmart). I also put candy and microwavable popcorn in it.

Thirsty? I found so many different flavored drink enhancers at Walmart. My hubby enjoyed the MioFit flavored ones and the Crystal light sweet tea. So no matter where he is at it something small to carry and add a little flavor to his water. :)

Beach theme fun!

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays. So I wanted to send some love to the hubby. This was one of my favorite boxes to decorate! :)

Love putting a little bit of love in a package. :)

Care Packages for my Marine

When your spouse is deployed care packages are not only a way of sending a little box of love overseas it was good therapy for me. Even though you are left with the responsibility of handling everything here at home including bills, legal stuff, pets and whatever else may arise. In many ways you feel helpless and lonely.

Many people, including other military spouses, ask me how I can put together so many packages while my husband is gone? How life doesn't get in the way. The answer is that it is not only for him, it is my little happy place as well. I have been able to cope with my husbands absence by writing him a letter every day and sending him these packages. The reason I do it is because it is important to me and I want my hubby to know and see how important he is to me. Although I am not the best blogger, I thought I would share some of the packages I sent to him. :) Thanks!

Here is the first package I sent that I decorated. The first 3 we so full of stuff he needed that he couldn't take with him, I didn't decorate them. 

Here is another one...
The quotes on the striped sides are "The best journeys are not always in straight lines." and "Real love stores do not have endings."

 This is the Fishing themed one that I made. I put magazines and pictures of use out hunting and fishing. I know because of the timing of his deployment reducing his recreation time hunting he would enjoy this themed box.

This one is beached themed since it was summertime.

This a fall themed one which I had a lot of fun decorating. :)

This one is duck hunting themed. It is a special pastime of our so I really enjoyed this one when I found the duck stamp paper, duck call paper and the beautiful hunting scenery I used on the bottom.

Who doesn't love Halloween...I love this one and filled it with candy bags for him to share with all the marines. :)

Of course, Halloween is a fun holiday so I had to do more than one box dedicated to it. :)

This is all I will put on this page. I will have another blog post with more photos. I'm trying to find all my photos since I did get a new phone so all my photos of care packages are not in the same place. :) Thanks for checking out my page.

Being Positive in a Negative World

As we are constantly bombarded with social media, sometimes I feel we need to step back and really think before we speak or type in this situation. I have noticed no matter what the post is referring to someone will post something negative particularly on large media sites such as news affiliates or network show pages. I really don't understand what has caused people to be so hateful. Is it the overload of social media and people's inability to really think before they speak. A great example is a news site posting about the President something non-politic related and people go crazy. What happened to the days of supporting our leadership? Just because you don't like him or his ideas he is the President and we need to stop be so negative. If you don't like his policies write him an e-mail or a letter. Better yet contact your state representative and let him do his job of protecting your interests in Washington D.C. I do believe that they should be held responsible for their actions, but I don't believe posting that someone is an 'idiot' makes anything better. Let the people in Washington do their jobs and hopefully they will get to the bottom of it and hold any politicians responsible for their actions. If not, then we need to reexamine our government and find a way to hold them responsible. This would not be a party problem it would be a politician problem.

To move to a more recreational negativity, why do people post mean negative comments on celebrities or even shows facebook page or twitter sites. If you don't like a character in a show you can choose not to watch it and trust me the writers will get the message if their show is loosing support. Celebrities are the worst role models, they post things on twitter and then apologize and delete. However, screen shots eliminate it being erased completely. I know I am not going to change how people treat each other either publicly or privately. However, maybe me writing this and putting it out there we can try to remember how things we say or type can not be taken back. It is amazing how a stranger can make you feel wonderful by noting how young you look, how they love your outfit.

I just hope that I myself can step back and try to be positive to my friends, family and even strangers. We need positivity in the world more than ever and we can do it one person at a time. Just because you disagree with someones politics or even religion doesn't mean you can be friends with them. We learn from one another and just caring for someone for them and not their beliefs or politics is what friendship is all about. Diversity makes the United States unique, we have multiple ideas and it is important to maintain the balance. Honestly if we could combine all ideas to make a better place that is the purpose of diversity.

Don't hate on a character on a show because of how they writers wrote their characters...if you don't like it don't watch. Don't go to their page and write hateful comments. Don't hate political leaders because of their party, disagree with their politics but you don't have to be hateful about it. Whether past or present political leaders they have a tough job making decisions. They should be held accountable for their decisions but you don't have to post negative comments on their page or a news page to get a point across. We are all entitled to our opinions and it is important to express it but if someone disagrees with you then don't just assume they are wrong. It is their choice to make their own opinions. We live in a country that majority rules that is how we elect our leaders and that truly is a the strongest form to put our political ideas in office, elect officials who believe in the same ideals that you believe in and if you politician doesn't win you need to accept that and find ways to still have your opinions heard without being hateful. A politicians job is to support all of the people they are representing whether you voted for them or not.

On the last note, social media can be a positive thing to get ideas out. Sadly, many times it turns into an invitation for negativity to plague a site trying to express their ideas. There is a way to discuss politics and even religion if you are open minded. It doesn't mean you have to change your stance on an issue just listen. There is so much anger in this world and using it trying to get a point across does not mean you will change anyone's minds on the topic.

Every person in the world is unique. Just because they don't have the same views as us or even the majority, doesn't mean that the idea is bad. Everyone should take responsibility for their actions and decisions, including politicians. So let's be nice and support our leaders and each other. Stand for justice when people do wrong, but help them learn from the things they did wrong. It will make a better place for everyone.

Home Sweet Home

We finally own our own home. It is a new build so we were able to pick out a lot of finishes and we are very happy with our new home. The dogs love their big backyard and I am loving having a large kitchen to cook up some yummy goodness. It is a lot more house to keep clean but I really wouldn't have it any other way. We are very happy that we have the space to have visitors come and have a comfortable place to sleep. Our families live so far away it made it difficult to host them at our small rental.

Opening boxes that haven't been open in three years makes us feel like it is Christmas. We can't believe some of the stuff we had forgotten we had left in the states while we in Japan. While we were renting we didn't have the space to unpack a lot of things.

We are discovering the beauty of living in the low country of South Carolina. As an avid photographer, I am loving the ability to take beautiful photographs of the nature in my backyard. I can enjoy the birds until the dogs see them and run them off. 

Here is to our next chapter and being home owners. :)


Ashleigh Howell

Spring has Sprung

Since spring is slowly but surely sharing is warm breezes and rays of sunshine, I have started my garden in Beaufort. I am truly hoping that my garden is fruitful this year. I have enjoyed planting and watering the different plants. We had a successful garden in Japan but the climate was different and I worry that may complicate my success improving my green thumb.

I have tried to do a lot of crafty items. I am loving Pinterest, there are so many creative ideas. I just wish there was a Hobby Lobby or a Micheals in closer proximity to me. The gas prices make even a 30 minute drive painful to the wallet. However, I do miss how crafty I was in college and de-stressing by creating fun and usable things.

As far as television addiction, I have recently gotten into the new show SMASH. Based on a broadway musical production on Marilyn Monroe it has become kinda entertaining. A former American Idol contestant, Katherine McPhee plays a major role in the show. I look at it as an adult Glee. I was unable to really get into Glee because of being in Japan we were so behind the actual shows.

Until next time!

Hugs...Ashleigh

Home!

We have finally found a home that we will be renting starting at the end of February. It will be wonderful to be able to get our stuff and get settled. Living out of suitcases and without our things for 3 months is not ideal. We are enjoying being back into the states and slowly getting over reverse culture shock. We still miss Japan but we know we will visit its shores again one day.

January has been strange in South Carolina. The weather is very warm and it seems as we have spent the last 5 days of February in seventy degree weather we will not be seeing a winter this year. Hopefully, next year we can travel and hit the slopes somewhere in the Appalachian mountains.

I will try to post pictures when we get settled into our new home.

Return to the US

After enjoying our time in Japan, as all good things come to an end we returned home to the USA. We are currently stationed in Beaufort, South Carolina. We are both happy to be back on the east coast and enjoying some of the amenities we did not have available to us in Japan. However, we miss Japan dearly and hope to revisit it again one day soon.

We are very happy to be back with our lab Brody and have been enjoying every minute with him. :) Our family (and our pups) are all back together in South Carolina and we couldn't be happier. I will try to be better about keeping up my blog. But it seem things in America are very fast paced. :)