Well,  many of you know that I am a very proud Army mom.  I am fortunate enough to be able to bring my soldier home from over there for the holidays. Unfortunately there will be sooooo many men and women who will not be with their loved ones during the holiday season. Keeping in mind that many of them are still children. For some it's their first time away from home and they are sooooooooooo very far away from home indeed. My heart breaks for these amazing and selfless men and women. I would really love to send over a massive care package  to our troops overseas. So, if you are someone who sees me between now and early November and you give me something to add to this gift I will take $50 off my date rate.  Please don't forget the ladies in the military. I'd be looking for every day items like,  toiletries,  hair ties,  tampons, mouth wash,  shower puffs,  deodorant,  socks,  undies,  gum, lotion et cetera. I will ship the package in November because the mail via apo address is slow as freaking molasses. You have no idea how much they will appreciate us giving back to them albeit very little.  Thanks for reading and have a wicked pissa weekend. xo Erin

I am so very thankful that there are people like Erin that still have our troops in their thoughts and prayers everyday. The men and women or our Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard are deployed around the globe protecting lives; championing our ideals of liberty, justice, and equality; and promoting democracy and self-determination for all people. Politics can cloud the debate of why and if America should be doing everything that it does but these men and women represent our collective American spirit and hopes for a better world. They carry heavy burdens and make terrible sacrifices. All to often they must pay for our countries hopes, dreams, and ambitions with their blood, limbs, and lives. They pay the tragic cost of time lost while they are away from their families and friends loved ones. The world moves on and they miss so much while they are away.  
   
 I spent over 20 years with these brother and sisters in arms and travelled the world proudly displaying the American flag on my shoulder patch. I have been to some amazing places and also to some places so tragic and filled with faces so heart-rending that they still haunt my memories. Today, i work at a Veterans hospital, I see the old Veterans proudly wearing lapel pins or a VFW hat; I see the young men and women in wheelchairs or with prosthetic limbs also proudly wearing a Veteran ball cap or t-shirt; I see their family members by their sides, bravely defiant despite the difficulties in their lives. The bodies and often the minds are forever altered by their service and experiences and yet the American spirit and pride remain intact. These are truly America's finest and I feel honored to have worked with them and now for them.  
   
 Please do help Erin in her cause. Those care packages from home are always welcome. They are a lifeline thrown across oceans and deserts to remind our Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen that people still have them in their hearts and minds even as the headlines and yellow ribbons wrapped around the trees fade. I always valued the short notes that people placed into the packages. Some notes where just a simple "thanks you"; some told of connections to the military and service; some were stories about home-town America. All made me forget the place that I was in for a few moments and brought me a few steps closer to home.  
   
 Here is a link that might be useful in selecting items to send. Multiple small packages work much better than a single large one. Also, please remember that the items you send are going to foreign countries and there are some items (magazines, videos, pork products) that might be restricted due to local custom or religious beliefs.