Wait, What Day is It? | My Hot Mess

Uh, guys ... did you know today is November 30th?

Like ... December will be here tomorrow.

Like ... what the what?!

I'm sooooo not ready for December!

I still have Thanksgiving decorations up.

I know right? GASP!

HAHA!

I know many of my friends have had Christmas decor up since like, Halloween was over.

Not me, I'm a one holiday a month kinda girl. And I ride it out too.

Halloween decor went up in middle of October, stayed until I put up the Thanksgiving decor...a week into November ... and Christmas decor probably won't go up until Mid-December.

Normally, they'd be going up tomorrow, or this weekend, but I'll be out of town for Army training, and face it. The decorating ain't my husband's thing. LOL I MAY get him out this weekend to hang lights, but I'm not banking on it.

captured a pic of santa last year next to our Trees for Troops tree!

He's in charge of getting the tree while I'm gone because Trees for Troops is the 9th and I'll be gone (or I'd be getting it). LOL I love him, but he's not a decorator. LOL

Do you guys partake in Trees for Troops? You should! It's for military members E6 and below to get a free tree! A REAL TREE. Shooooooot, I take advantage of it every year, and I'm pretty sure this will be the last as my husband does like to get promoted ... haha!

I seriously encourage you to see if they'll be stopping by your post/base this year. Check them out HERE. I love it because we also get a little note from a child or someone who paid for the tree to thank us for our service. So sweet. <3

Also, we have one of those pesky elves that come every year. Normally he shows up after Thanksgiving, or at least the 1st of Dec, he ain't coming until I get back from training ... how will I explain it to the kids?

They've been misbehaving ... so "Raheem" is fed up ... he ain't coming. The eldest is already afraid that the elf doesn't know our new address ... haha!

Kinda trick scare them?

Or maybe say something like he's still making toys at the North Pole ... some shit like that. I don't know. The husband says I'm better at the elf stunts and he forgets a lot of the time. So, the elf will have to wait. LOL

Speaking of new addresses, we still haven't taken our family photo for the Christmas card. It is going to have our new address on it... but the way it's been going, I'll be answering multiple texts and messages and emails with our new address with people individually asking for it instead of being "pleasantly surprised with a beautiful card with our smiling faces on it proclaiming 'WE'VE MOVED!'"

Oh well ... life happens right? 

Who decided to make Oct-Dec the busiest months out there? Like, the year is coming to an end and the Mayans were like, "Shit! we forgot all these holidays! ADD THEM IN QUICK!"

LOL -- I know my history folks. Just go with it.

After all these holidays, my eldest's birthday is in the beginning of January too ... so like, straight from Christmas gifts to New Year sparkling cider to birthday gifts.

Guys, I don't even know what is going on an hour from now ... what day is it?!

Hang in there people, the holiday's will be over soon and soon, we can relax ... until February.

Good luck!

How NOT to Buy a Mattress | My Hot Mess

Y'all.
I got a new mattress. 

I got the mattress of all mattresses.

I mean, this thing can do everything and anything you want it to do.

... tho it doesn't eject me outta bed in the mornings ...

Did I want a new mattress?

No.

Did I need a new mattress?

Yes and no.

You see, what-had-happened-was ....

Since the move, our "Numbers" bed wouldn't inflate.

On my side ....

Like, I was sleeping in a hole for weeks.

I literally had to ROLL outta bed.

We thought we could put in a claim to have it replaced ... or at least FIXED.

The military came back and said, with a big fat smile I assume too, "NOPE."

Their response was that the bed SHOULD still be under warranty and that there was no wrong doing found on the packers or movers part.

Which is all fine and dandy BUT -- the thing is, the bed DID inflate before we moved.

Now it doesn't.

The mattress isn't under warranty anymore, it has expired and would cost more to fix than replace.

I slept for three months on this damn mattress, hoping that the military loved us enough to fix it.

We appealed the process and got declined again. I'm now in the process of taking it higher, however, the fact remains:

I'm sleeping in a freaking hole!

So, the day before our 13th anniversary, we - on a whim - bought a new mattress.

A "Tempur-pedic."

We's fancy now.

We went from a $4000 bed to another $4000 bed ... and we haven't seen a penny from the military yet.

DOH!

We did get free pillows and a free bed frame ... we also upgraded the size and now we are sleeping on a continent instead of an island ... BUT we are STILL fighting the military to get reimbursed for our broken bed.

It may be an never-ending battle and we may lose in the long run... but dammit, I'mma try my damnedest.

I'd still have our Numbers bed if it wasn't for the moving across the country. I know for a fact. And I'm pissed.

Though, I am sleeping better.

But I'm still pissed.

Road Tripping' | My Hot Mess

Hey all! The family and I just got back from a quick trip up to Ruidoso, NM and surrounding areas for the Veterans' Day Holiday.

We had a blast. We probably would have made it up there sooner or later, but because my mom and dad were wanting to meet up there, we happily jumped on board.

Do you guys like driving places? 

I don't.

I'm good for an hour ... maybe two. But after that, if I'm the passenger.... I'm struggling! I hate road trips. I became super spoiled since my mom worked for the airlines upon her Air Force retirement and we flew free!

I mean you can't beat that right!?

Well, it's hurt me in the long run because I cannot stand driving long distances. If I'm the driver, it's not too bad, but I still hate the long time just SITTING in that damn car seat.

Not like, an actual carseat crazies ... the actual seat of a car.

Luckily, we only had to drive two and half hours to our place, but we actually stopped in White Sands because, face it. White Sands National Monument is flipping amazing. (Free for military card holders! Can get up to 4 people in on one card.)

So in actuality, we drove an hour and half and then another hour; so it wasn't too bad. Tip#1 - break up the driving.

BUT

(You know there's always a BUT)

Ruidoso is beautiful, but just so damn small. Everything to see is about an hour or so away ...

BUT

You have to take the road that goes around mountains. We did go THRU the mountains, but as you can see on the map ... there's really no "shortcuts" to places!

The first time we went to White Sands we saw people sledding. ... I wasn't prepared for that and didn't want sand everywhere in the car. So we didn't sled. This trip ... we sledded down the slopes. LOL You can buy a board from the gift shop for like $15 and you can return it and they'll give you $5 back. We decided to keep ours because we had so much fun!

 

The only sucky part is going back up the dunes! lol it's quite the workout!

The first day, we hit up the Hubbard Museum of the American West in Ruidoso, Lincoln and Fort Stanton.

At the Museum of the American West, military ID card holders get in for $5! And kids 6 and under are free. My 9 year old cost $2.

It's a cute museum that is mostly comprised of artifacts a pretty interesting woman collected over the years. Lots of horse buggies, indian and cowboy information, mining information and a fun kids area!

Lincoln State Park is literally a one tree town. It's cute and informative. This was the last escape Billy The Kid would attempt before getting killed.

Because we are all Veterans (my parents are retired too) we got into Lincoln for free! (because it's a National State Park)

Apparently, I didn't take any personal photos here ... I don't know why .... come to think of it, I think it was because my littlest fell asleep getting there ... it was about an hour drive there.

(We were slow getting out the house, so we didn't start our day until about 10/10:30 am. So by the time we were done with the museum it was lunch time

We ate our pre-made sandwiches on the ride to Lincoln. Tip #2 - We pack our lunches not only to save money, but time too!

This kid said, "Leave me 'lone." And slept-ate his cheetos. What a nerd.

Even though I didn't take pictures here, you totally should! I know my mom did! And if I wasn't baby wearing my littlest as he slept through this awesome site (he did wake up towards the end and I still didn't take pics), I wouldn't taken a ton. We learned so much about Billy the Kid and the history that surrounds the land! Please click the link above or HERE to read more! I definitely want to go back as they have a reenactment of the Kid's escape.

After a quick cappuccino and exploring, we hoped in the car and drove 15 more minutes to see Fort Stanton State Park. Now this place was FULL of history. It has such a diversity of history I was confused at first!

Again, it was free for military Veterans! Woot! 

We breezed through the empty buildings since we got there 15 mins to closing, but the barracks was set up with dress up clothes and the boys LOVED that!

This used to be a army post, a hospital for tuberculosis patients,  a German interment camp, a mental hospital ... I mean, it was so much! It was crazy!

We then stopped at the stables ...

selfie it up with the horse!

And the cemetery.

 We drove a lot the first day and when we got back to Ruidoso, we just took the first turn we could see (since it was dark) for dinner and surprisingly, it was fantastic! 

We ate at Rio Grande Grill & Tap Bar. They're pricey but WOW! The food was amazing and the craft beers were fantastic! Tip #3 - reward yourself with good food after traveling!

Next day we drove to Roswell, NM -- in hopes of finding Aliens!!!!!

The Roswell UFO Museum is the only place we stopped at here. I mean, I'm sure there's more to see, but we were more interested in this museum!  It was $3 to get in for military card holders, 4 and under free and 5-15 $2.

There was a lot of reading and it was fairly small, but I enjoyed it. It really makes you think ... what really happened with the "UFO CRASH?" It's definitely a place to stop and see.

My eldest also said that the McDonalds there was supposed to be shaped like a UFO ... but we forgot to go check it out! Maybe next time ... Tip #4 always make reminders for yourself if there's things you most definitely want to see at a place.

We stopped at a local park to eat our packed lunches and let the kids run around before getting in the car for a long ride to the Three Rivers Petroglyph site. This wasn't the ideal travel plan, but we had so much to see (and more that we didn't) in a short amount of time. I will update y'all when my mom and dad come back to El Paso. They are currently still touring around that area!

Three Rivers Petroglyph site was pretty awesome. Again we were free because we are military card holders. The website says it closes at 5pm, but the ranger there said they don't close the gates and you can stay as long as you want.

We were there around 3/4 pm and stayed to see the sun set. The hike to see the drawings is only about a half a mile and they're everywhere! It's not like some places where I had to hike 5 miles to see three drawings on the side of the cave. These were drawn on each and every rock out there it seemed. It was super interesting to see them.

My husband and I went a tad further up the mountain to see if there was anything else to see, but really every thing can be seen in that first half mile!

 

There were lots of signs warning us of snakes along the trail, we didn't see any snakes, but we did see this cute little bunny ... and HUGE jackrabbit!

Tip #5 - enjoy your location ... even if you're trying to watch the clock ... take time to enjoy it. because the ride back is just as long as it was getting there!

That night, we had noodles and my mom's famous sauce. She started it in the crockpot before we left, and then when we got back to the condo all we had to do was cook the noodles. Tip #6 find a hotel, condo, or rental that has a stove so you don't have to eat out all the time. Saves time and MONEY.

Our final day, we laid low. LOL We stayed local in Ruidoso and checked out the cute little shops in town. We came across a Christmas Shop  (Rocky Mountain Christmas) there and the owners were fantastic! They were an elderly couple and they were full of information about the area! They made me and my husband want to play hooky from work and home life to stay longer!  Their merchandise is adorable and oh so affordable! I highly recommend!

That late afternoon, we headed home - to El Paso. 

It was a great - but short - getaway and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I hope to get back that way to check out the stuff we missed and all the beauty of the mountains again!

Tip #7 - Don't try and see everything in one trip ... unless it's a once in a lifetime trip ... but there will always be a new attraction to see. So if you don't see everything, don't worry. Just book another LONG road trip at a later date! ;)

Again, I'll update once I hear more on what my parents saw after we left to go back to the real world. But until then, carry on! And don't trip on your road trip! ;)

Momma's Stressed Out Folks | My Hot Mess

Guys,

What the hell ...

Why are my kids so crazy right now?!

I just need a second to collect my thoughts as the pork chops cook in the slow cooker. 

That's it.

Just a few moments PUH-LEASE.

These past few days have been super stressful.

Why?

Not a damn clue.

Cute and funny memes aside, I truly am stressed and anxious and physically drained. Probably mentally too ... but I can't let my brain win. The second I allow that, I'm done for.

My 9 year old and 3 year old will tear me to pieces if I fall into a depression.

Many people have told me to slow down. Stop doing so much. Sounds easy enough ...

But I can't.

I seriously can't just stop doing what I do. I like to stay busy. When I'm not busy, I worry that I'm forgetting something. If I'm doing nothing, I get VERY anxious. And an anxious stressed out mom would be bad for everyone....

I find myself asking questions like, "why can't the kids just listen?" "Why does the traffic happen right when I'm running late?" "Why do I run in a group, when the group's faster than me?" "Why even bother going to this event, I know it's going to be a bust." "Why can't everyone else be on MY schedule?"

When the real question is, "Why can't I control my inner voice?"

It's no one's fault that I try to fit in as much as possible in as little time possible. It's not my toddler's fault (even though I really want it to be) when he can't control his sweet little toddler patience with me anymore because we've hit five different events within a 3 hour timeframe. It's not my husband's fault that he can't get off of work every time I need a "me" moment. It's not my eldest's fault that he can't sit still and be quiet long enough for me to control my own anxiousness waiting on yet another doctor's appointment. It's no one's fault. 

I can even say it's not my own fault. Which is a sigh in relief to me as well. I'm just a busy body and need to be able to go go go! But I can say it is a tad - a very slight tad - I mean the smallest of smallest tad bit - my fault. LOL, that's why I've begun to work on it. 

Work on the stress, the anxiousness, the busy-ness, the ME in "WE need to get out of the house."

Oh wait, there's not ME in that .... you caught that right? ;)

I asked a close friend about her yoga practice. She appears to be happy. Appears to be stress free. Appears to know what she is talking about. When I finally remembered to call her to ask her about her practice, you know what she told me?

To breathe.

That's it. 

Just breathe.

She explained that the oxygen flow to the brain will do wonders with stress and anxiousness. I giggled to myself. 

I breathe every day. But yet, here I am, calling here and asking her for advice.

She explained about breath and meditation and how that alone would do wonders. The practice of yoga encompasses all of that, so might as well start at the beginning right?

And you know what?

She was right. 

I began taking 5 minutes, right before bed, to take in deep breaths and exhaling them. Concentrating on each breath, I cleared (or at least tried to) my thoughts from the day and began to relax. The least this was doing was helping me fall asleep faster.

I also began going to a free yoga class that is being offered on our army post. Um, heck yeah right? I'm beginning to enjoy the time alone, to be in the moment and just chill. Thankfully, I have a supportive husband who didn't hesitate to tell me to go as he wrestles the kids to bed. And I love him for that.

Guys. 

Just breathe.

I know you wanna just punt the kid across the store when he collapses into one of his tantrums ... but just BREATHE.

This too shall pass.

I highly recommend meditation ... or BREATHING. I really, truly do. I thought that kind shit was just for hippies. But if you think about it, how are hippies? They're happy. They roll with the punches. And they appear to be stress free --- unless fighting for the rights of humanity! ;)

I love all of ya, hippies and all!

Good Luck!

Check out my yogi-friend's blog about her practice and everything else in her life HERE!

In a Funk | Girl Boss

Guys, I'm in a funk.

I'm sure y'all noticed that not many posts have been showing up in your emails (if you follow me).

It's because I've ran out of steam.

It happens to the best of us; I mean, hello?! I'm telling y'all that I RAN OUT OF STEAM. ;)

I kid ... but in all honesty. I have.

Moving the business was fairly simple. Getting business, surprisingly was fairly easy.

But I'm still in a funk.

I think it's the fact that I'm away from my other photographer, creative friends and really haven't found "my people" here in Texas just yet.

I love my clients so much, and all the new faces I have met. But I need to get creative and also tag along with other creatives to get my steam back.

I have been going to many MANY artist galleries and festivals and what not, but I have yet to find "my people." All creatives know how competitive our art is. And because it's so diversified as in who likes what and what appeals to others, it can be very difficult to find a person, let alone a group, that can get all together - with no competitiveness - and enjoy each other's company while getting creative.

I also have been dragging my feet in the "freelance" area of my work. I have yet to contact the public newspaper, or the many city magazines around here.

Why?

I have no clue.

I was enjoying all the free time I had to work on ME - physically and mentally.

But I think I took too long on working on me - if there's such a thing - and now I need to find my motivation to be busy again.

What are some ways y'all got your motivation back? In anything. In business. In health. In family. In life?

As my picture says above, I am staying focused. I am still goal driven. I just need to get my "umph" back!

I'll keep y'all posted. As of right now, I have just finished my "to do" list and contacting newspaper and magazines are right on top.

So wish me luck and hope to hear how y'all got outta your funk.