Nashville
Thursday, December 29 • adventure, dogs, photography, quick guide, review, southern belle, travel
Last week we got the chance to visit Nashville for the first time! We were only there for 24 hours so we didn't get to see everything but we had a lot of fun. We stayed at the Lowes Vanderbilt Hotel and it was perfect. I HIGHLY recommend this place to everyone. It was right across the street from Vanderbilt, only a 10 min drive to downtown (and they had a hotel car that would take you downtown), about a 15 min walk to the Parthenon, a 10 min drive to East Hill and about a 15 min drive to the Grand Ole Opry. We were on the club level so we had a view of the city - and a nice concierge lounge with a delicious breakfast!
 |
Our view of the city!
What I wore in Nashville (it was 50 deg during the day and 30 at night):
For dinner, we went to Martin's BBQ and had their whole hog pulled pork dinner - which was delicious! After dinner, we went to the bars on Broadway and listened to live music.
On our way back to the hotel, we made a pit-stop in East Hill to get a picture with the "I Believe in Nashville" sign. I wanted to stop by Reese Witherspoons' store, Draper James, but it was closed by the time we made it here.
Before heading back to the hotel we stopped at the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM! The cupcakes were hands down the best cupcakes I've ever had in my life. Daniel got the banana bread one and I got the red velvet.
After dinner, bar hopping and the cupcake ATM we headed back to the hotel to crash for the night.
The next morning we walked about 15 min to Centennial Park and saw the Parthenon. Since it was freezing outside, and it looked cool, we explored inside it. Below are a few photos from inside the beautiful structure.
While we explored the city, we put Jack in puppy daycare. The Dog Spot in West Nashville was a great place to have our pup go to daycare and spend the night. It was reasonably priced and they gave us a tour before we left him. They also had webcams set up in each play area so we could watch our furry baby play around with all the other dogs. If anyone wants to go to Nashville but doesn't want to leave their dog at home, I'd recommend The Dog Spot.
After Nashville we had to get back on the road so we could venture up to Illinois for Christmas! In all, our Nashville experience was a lot of fun and I'd definitely like to go back someday. Thanks for reading my blog!
Happy Holidays
Saturday, December 17 • advice
Happy Holidays! I wanted to write a quick post to wish y’all a wonderful holiday season. I hope it’s your best one yet. :)
I will be taking a small break from social media for the holidays. Next week my husband and I will be driving to Illinois to visit his family. On the way, we will stop in Nashville overnight and then in Louisville another night. It will be a fun adventure.
I encourage you to be present for your loved ones as well as yourself. Make a point of expressing your love for them. I always took the holidays for granted in college because I didn't realize that someday I wouldn't be spending some major holidays with family. Since I didn’t see them at Thanksgiving and won’t see them this Christmas as well, I especially miss them. My parents, brother and I are very close and we’ve never spent a holiday apart so it’s definitely an adjustment. However, there are several relatives of my husband’s whom I have yet to meet and I’m excited to get to know and spend time with them. This holiday season is going to be a lot of fun and, coming from Florida, I’m excited to have a "white Christmas."
I will be taking my break next week so I'll see you around. I wish you a great holiday filled with love and laughter! Until next year...
xoxo
-Megan
Puppy Q&A
Sunday, December 4 • dogs, golden retriever, puppy, question and answer, quick guide
What breed is Jack and how big will he get?
He is a golden retriever and will get to be about 80 lbs once he is full grown.
How is he doing at training?
He is doing okay at training.... He is almost all potty trained and he knows sit really well. However, he still jumps on people and chews on hands. We are taking him to PetSmart Puppy classes and he is doing well so far in them.
How does he get along with your cat?
He really likes the cat but she doesn't like him so much. She will sit as high as she can and meow at him while he tries to reach her. It is actually pretty comical!
Where did you get him from?
We got him from a guy here in Pensacola who had a litter of puppies he couldn't take care of.
How do you keep his fur so soft?
He gets baths on a weekly basis. We shampoo, condition and then blow dry him. He actually really doesn't mind the blow dryer and tries to eat the air! I also brush him quite often.
Does he sleep well at night?
He does and he doesn't. It really depends on the night. If we take him for a walk before bed then he sleeps fine but if we don't then he will cry around 3-4am. We had to pick up an ultrasonic barking egg that puts out an ultrasonic sound to warn him not to bark every time he does. It has really helped him sleep a lot better! It is also way more humane than a static collar.
Where do you keep him when you leave for work?
We have a "hurricane room" in our house that is made of all concrete. We keep him in there with a gate in the doorway so he can't destroy any more doors/walls/carpets. We put a pee pad, water, his bed and toys in there to keep him busy while we are gone. He seems perfectly content and is really good about being in there now.
How are you going to move with him?
We haven't quite thought about that yet. When we moved our cat, my mom actually flew her down to us so we have never moved with animals. However, we will probably load Jack, and all of his stuff, into our car when we move. The vet told me to get motion sickness medication for humans and give it to him in the car so he will calm down. I will try to make another post about moving with animals once we actually move him!
Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navy.jack.dog/
I hope you enjoyed reading about my little bundle of joy! He is quite a handful but I still love him tons. If anyone has any questions about him, or puppies in general, feel free to leave a comment or email me using the "contact me" tab. Have a good week ahead!
He does and he doesn't. It really depends on the night. If we take him for a walk before bed then he sleeps fine but if we don't then he will cry around 3-4am. We had to pick up an ultrasonic barking egg that puts out an ultrasonic sound to warn him not to bark every time he does. It has really helped him sleep a lot better! It is also way more humane than a static collar.
Where do you keep him when you leave for work?
We have a "hurricane room" in our house that is made of all concrete. We keep him in there with a gate in the doorway so he can't destroy any more doors/walls/carpets. We put a pee pad, water, his bed and toys in there to keep him busy while we are gone. He seems perfectly content and is really good about being in there now.
How are you going to move with him?
We haven't quite thought about that yet. When we moved our cat, my mom actually flew her down to us so we have never moved with animals. However, we will probably load Jack, and all of his stuff, into our car when we move. The vet told me to get motion sickness medication for humans and give it to him in the car so he will calm down. I will try to make another post about moving with animals once we actually move him!
Follow him on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/navy.jack.dog/
I hope you enjoyed reading about my little bundle of joy! He is quite a handful but I still love him tons. If anyone has any questions about him, or puppies in general, feel free to leave a comment or email me using the "contact me" tab. Have a good week ahead!
Computer Glasses Review
Monday, November 14 • fashion, quick guide, review, southern belle, tips
 |
| I ordered the Hepburn style -- of course :) |
I recently ordered glasses from EyeBuyDirect that are good for the computer. Unfortunately my vision has slowly been going downhill so I have to wear glasses. These glasses from EyeBuyDirect are awesome because they protect your eyes from the glare of computer and phone screens. Since I sit at my desk and stare at a computer all day, these were a must try for me!
I have been wearing them for about a month now and I love them! They really make a huge difference in my eye fatigue during the day. I used to come home and not even want to watch TV because my eyes hurt so bad. Now the eye fatigue is basically gone with these glasses.
I chose EyeBuyDirect because I had heard good reviews from them and now I will give them good reviews. It was a little scary picking out glasses online since you can't actually try them on. However, they have a feature where you can upload a photo of yourself and "try on" different glasses. Once you order them, EyeBuyDirect is great with keeping you up to date with where your glasses are in the process. They emailed me when the lenses were being cut, fitted, checked and shipped. If I was unhappy when they arrived, I had a couple weeks to return them for something different - but I loved mine so I didn't have to return them!
I highly recommend these computer glasses for anyone who uses their computer or phones a lot during the day. They are super cute and functional! To get $10 off your purchase, use my code: IFFKQSI26J
Here are a few ways you can style them for different occasions :)
Fall Fun in Florida
Sunday, October 23 • adventure, attire, fashion, florida, milso, photography, southern belle
This weekend, I went with a group of ladies to the pumpkin patch! I met all of these ladies through a group called SOSA (Spouses of Student Aviators) and am so thankful to have met them. All of us have a significant other who is going through flight school so we can help each other with different things the military throws at us. Sometimes it is hard living in Florida because all of my family and friends live in Washington. So when I'm feeling a little down about missing everyone in Washington, I remember all the new friends I have made here through SOSA; and the memories we already have!
One of those memories includes the pumpkin patch! While it was still 80 degrees here in Florida, we enjoyed our favorite fall festivities. We went on a hayride, got lost in a corn maze and took photos with pumpkins (unfortunately we didn't get pumpkin spice lattes so our fall trip wasn't quite complete - haha). Here are just a few photos from Sweet Season Farms... (Photography by my friend Sara!)
Happy Fall y'all! Who else can't wait for Halloween next weekend?!
Flight School Timeline - Student Aviator
Wednesday, October 19 • adventure, aviator, florida, milso, quick guide
Hey everyone! I wanted to write this post about the flight school timeline because when my man first started, I googled everything but couldn't seem to find a good timeline. All of the following info is my personal experience and you must know that everyone has a different experience! Also, each person's timeline is different. They may tell you 6 months and it takes 10 months; so don't expect your timeline to look exactly like this!
When the aviator graduates from Officer Candidate School, they are usually given a couple weeks to get their things together before reporting to NAS Pensacola. My aviator was given 4 weeks to come home and pack his life up then drive down to Florida.
After they check in in Pensacola, they wait to start IFS (this process can be anywhere from a week to 4 months).
IFS - Introductory Flight Screening: This portion of training takes place in Pensacola, Florida and is where the pilot learns to fly a Cesna or Piper Warrior airframe. Some aviators get to skip this portion if they have already obtained their private pilots license. During IFS, the aviator has a series of flights and tests to become FAA certified.
API - Aviation Preflight Indoctrination: This is the "fun and easiest" part of flight school according to my hubby. They spend four weeks learning about weather, aerodynamics, aircraft engines, systems and other things needed to fly the T-6. After the classroom work, they learn basic survival skills. This includes the infamous helo-dunker where they are tipped upside-down in a cockpit, submerged underwater and told to get out. Overall, this process takes about 6-8 weeks.
Primary: Primary is held in either NAS Whiting Field or NAS Corpus Christi (I highly recommend staying in Pensacola - especially if the aviator wants to go Helos!) Primary took about 9 months to complete. Primary is by far the most challenging part of flight school. Its here that aviators learn to fly the T-6 Texan. They have multiple tests, simulations and flights to go through before they are done. I wasn't with my aviator as he was going through this (I was finishing up college) but he seemed to be stressed out to the max! This is a time to really support your aviator and do what you can to help them because its a crazy amount of work. If you aviator makes it through then they will select their airframe. This is an exciting time yet still stressful because you have to pick the airframe you want to fly in the future.
Advanced: Once the aviator is selected for an airframe you will have to move to where that airframe's location is. (If anyone has any questions about where advanced is held, send me an email and I'll tell you - I don't want to put all the training bases on the internet.) Advanced has been pretty busy and stressful this far. Not quite like primary but still challenging. My aviator selected Helos so he is having to re-learn how to fly a rotary aircraft. We were told that advanced takes about 6 months but its looking more like 8 months before we get sent to the fleet readiness squadron (FRS). After that, we don't know whats going to happen but thats part of the Navy life! Adventure is out there!
If anyone has any questions, please send me an email. I know what it it like to be a confused student aviator significant other so I'm happy to help anyone else out.
When the aviator graduates from Officer Candidate School, they are usually given a couple weeks to get their things together before reporting to NAS Pensacola. My aviator was given 4 weeks to come home and pack his life up then drive down to Florida.
After they check in in Pensacola, they wait to start IFS (this process can be anywhere from a week to 4 months).
IFS - Introductory Flight Screening: This portion of training takes place in Pensacola, Florida and is where the pilot learns to fly a Cesna or Piper Warrior airframe. Some aviators get to skip this portion if they have already obtained their private pilots license. During IFS, the aviator has a series of flights and tests to become FAA certified.
API - Aviation Preflight Indoctrination: This is the "fun and easiest" part of flight school according to my hubby. They spend four weeks learning about weather, aerodynamics, aircraft engines, systems and other things needed to fly the T-6. After the classroom work, they learn basic survival skills. This includes the infamous helo-dunker where they are tipped upside-down in a cockpit, submerged underwater and told to get out. Overall, this process takes about 6-8 weeks.
Primary: Primary is held in either NAS Whiting Field or NAS Corpus Christi (I highly recommend staying in Pensacola - especially if the aviator wants to go Helos!) Primary took about 9 months to complete. Primary is by far the most challenging part of flight school. Its here that aviators learn to fly the T-6 Texan. They have multiple tests, simulations and flights to go through before they are done. I wasn't with my aviator as he was going through this (I was finishing up college) but he seemed to be stressed out to the max! This is a time to really support your aviator and do what you can to help them because its a crazy amount of work. If you aviator makes it through then they will select their airframe. This is an exciting time yet still stressful because you have to pick the airframe you want to fly in the future.
Advanced: Once the aviator is selected for an airframe you will have to move to where that airframe's location is. (If anyone has any questions about where advanced is held, send me an email and I'll tell you - I don't want to put all the training bases on the internet.) Advanced has been pretty busy and stressful this far. Not quite like primary but still challenging. My aviator selected Helos so he is having to re-learn how to fly a rotary aircraft. We were told that advanced takes about 6 months but its looking more like 8 months before we get sent to the fleet readiness squadron (FRS). After that, we don't know whats going to happen but thats part of the Navy life! Adventure is out there!
If anyone has any questions, please send me an email. I know what it it like to be a confused student aviator significant other so I'm happy to help anyone else out.
Weekend Roundup: Seafood Festival
Sunday, October 2 • adventure, florida, photography, quick guide, review, round up, southern belle, travel
 |
This past weekend, Daniel and I ventured into Pensacola for Seafood Festival. We had a lot of fun at this festival downtown! Apparently October and November are "festival season" in Pensacola because it actually cools down enough to be outside during the day. If anyone finds themselves in Pensacola during Seafood Fest, I highly recommend it! Here is a little photo round up of the weekend...
 |
| I had Mahi Mahi tacos with a classic Bud Light |
 |
| Daniel had 3/4 lbs of shrimp with corn and potatoes. He also tried one of Pensacola's draft beers. |
 |
| Sitting on the curb enjoying Seafood Fest |
 |
This weekend we also spent some time decorating our house for Halloween and planting flowers in our front garden. Even though we don't get real Fall in Florida, it has been cooling down lately which is so nice! It makes me happy to finally be planting flowers and decorating our house for the holidays. Happy Fall Y'all :)
Name Change After the Wedding
Social security: Do this first thing because it will take awhile. Bring marriage license, old social security card and birth certificate or passport.
DMV: Be sure to update your license and voter registration. Bring your marriage license and old drivers license.
*Military only* Dependent ID Card: This is huge! Make sure you go into the base ID office and get your ID card as soon as possible. This will get you enrolled in DEERS. Bring your marriage license, birth certificate and drivers license or passport.
Auto Licensing: Update both your registration and title. If a bank owns your title make sure you contact them to get it updated. You will need your original registration, marriage license and drivers license.
IRS: Make sure you update all of your information at work to match your new name. Update the pay system and your tax exemption status to make sure you have no issues when tax season comes. Your company will notify the IRS of the change. Supply them with your new social security card.
Passport: This will need to be done at your local post office or through the mail. You need a photo, birth certificate, marriage license and either a license or current passport.
Loans - student, car, mortgage: I'm not totally sure how to change your car loan or mortgage name but I know for student loans you need to mail in a copy of your marriage license and new social security card.
Bank Accounts: It is much easier to do this in a branch. Just take your marriage license in, show your new ID and get a new debit card.
Other: These are other things you need to change your name on but I'm still in the process so I don't know exactly what is needed. For insurance we ended up changing companies so I just needed my new license number. Bills, subscriptions, airline frequent flier miles, reward cards and social media should just need your license and possibly marriage license.
Well, if you are reading this because you just got married then congratulations!! If you're reading this for fun, I hope you enjoyed it. If anyone has any questions, shoot me an email and I'll try to help you to the best of my ability. Thanks for reading y'all!
MILSO - good and bad
Wednesday, September 21 • milso, quick guide
Benefits:
Support system - The military, affiliations and many companies are very good to service members, especially their families. It's nice to see companies like SimpliSafe Security working with the Jackson In Action 83 Foundation to help military families feel safe and connect with each other. SimpliSafe created a wireless security system you can see here; and it's perfect for military families because there's no binding contract and it can be easily picked up and moved to another home. It is nice to know that if we have to be away from our house for awhile, it will be secure. There are also significant other clubs that are there to support each other. I'm personally affiliated with a spouse group in my current town and the ladies are the best. We meet once a month for coffee, volunteer in the community and have a page where we can connect. I know that no matter where I am with the military there is a group, company or association somewhere around me.
Locations - There are Navy bases all over the world so we could get to live over seas if we want. Also, most bases are on the water so no matter where we go, we will be by the water!
Draw backs:
Married vs Not Married - While we made it work, it's very challenging not being married and living in the military. When you aren't married, you don't get any of the insurance benefits so make sure you have insurance on your own. You can't live in base housing (unless the housing is off base like ours is) which means that you might be living in a less safe area. When we looked at houses, they weren't too bad but I am so glad we were able to get base housing. Also, when you aren't married, you can't go on base or buy anything from the commissary without your sponsor. This was probably the most frustrating part as I couldn't go grocery shopping at the commissary or even go on base to pick my pilot up from work.
Deployment - While we haven't been through a deployment, it is looming on the horizon. I am not looking forward to having to say goodbye to my man for 6-8 months at a time. It is very challenging to be away from your loved one for that long. We don't have children yet so deployment won't be bad in that perspective but I can't imagine how it is for families with children. This is where Jackson in Action 83 comes in.. Their mission is to provide support to military families, focusing on the children, whose parents are deployed. If you want to learn more about their mission, click here.
Careers - Like everything else, having a career as a MILSO can be a challenge. However, I found that a few national companies are willing to work with you and get you a job as you move around.The company I work for, Navy Federal, is a wonderful company if you want an occupation that can follow you, no matter where you go. There are also companies that allow you to work from home and thus move around. A few spouses have brought up the difficulty of finding a job for military spouses who move every few years and are working on getting a panel set up to answer different questions. I will update this post if I get more info on the panel.
Overall, I enjoy the military life. While it has drawbacks, it is great at the same time! I wouldn't trade my lifestyle for anything. I will be posting more, now that I'm finished with college and the wedding, so stay tuned for more posts on life!
Tuesday, August 16 • attire, beauty, fashion, florida, girly, michael kors, quick guide, review, round up, southern belle
My favorite trend is the white shoe trend! Everywhere I go, I see white shoes. If you haven't already, make sure you have a pair in your closet. I'm absolutely loving the Adidas Superstar sneakers because they remind me of middle school and are so comfy! I also love having a pair of white sandals in my closet to complete any look. Below you can click on the words to pick up some of these adorable shoes -
Adidas Superstar // Converse // Flats (I'm also loving snake skin flats this season!) // Sandals // Keds
More white shoes:
I hope you enjoy pairing your white shoes with the perfect outfit this season!
Beach Hair, Don't Care
Thursday, July 21 • adventure, florida, milso, quick guide, round up, southern belle
This past weekend, my mom got the chance to visit us and we had a lot of fun! Here is a quick photo recap of the weekend...
We started the weekend off by having dinner at a restaurant in Downtown Pensacola called Taco Mez. I had a hibiscus martini and a "fancy ass taco" that were both delicious! I highly reccomend the place to those who live in or visit Pensacola because it was good food for a good price too.
We got up early on Saturday morning and headed down to the beach. While at the beach we got the chance to rent mopeds and ride them around the island! It was so much fun to drive around the little town and we found a really good place to eat lunch (Juana's Pagodas). After mopeds, we decided to rent kayaks and went kayaking on the ocean. Kayaking on the ocean is so much harder than kayaking on a lake! When we were fully exhausted we headed home. That night, my mom and I went to a froyo place by my house and enjoyed a cup of froyo together before she had to head back to Washington. I am so thankful for all of the fun we had last weekend!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
