"Getting to know you...

....getting to know all about you!" Sorry - I couldn't resist! The King and I is my Mom's favorite play and I grew up singing this song. As an Army Wife, I was thrown into a whole new set of rules when we moved to our current post. One that involved making lots of friends, and making them fast.

In college, I feel like every time you met a new person, you opened with the same questions. Where are you from? Where did you go to high school? Did you know ____? (Because, inevitably, you probably knew SOMEONE from that area.) What are you majoring in? Etc., etc. And that was good enough to jump start a conversation until you go to the more interesting stuff.

I've been to several Army functions since we moved here in August, and I'm seeing the same sort of pattern in conversations here. Where did y'all PCS from? (For my non-miltary readers, PCS is your Permanent Change of Station, or when you get your next post assignment.) Do you work? How long have y'all been in the military? It's all the same thing - I sometimes feel like I should walk into events wearing a sign that says: "This is my first duty station. I work from home doing college admissions, I'm still learning the ropes of army life, and NO we don't have any kids."

But this has got me thinking - there's got to be better questions to ask. Ones that really spark conversation, that get to the root of who a person is, not their last duty station, and avoids the inevitable over personal questions like "When are you going to have kids?" (Because, really, it's nobody's business but yours and your significant others.)

So here is what I came up with - my tips and tricks (still untested!) for a better ice-breaking conversation! I'm going to use my military situations as examples, but I really feel like these are applicable to every situation.

• Prepare in advance - 99% of the time, you'll have an idea of where you're going and who is going to be there. The Brigade Ball? Everyone and their mother will be there. The company-wide FRG meeting? Enlisted men and officers plus their families. FRG coffee? Just the officer's wives, plus the wives of the Command Sergeant Major and the 1st Sergeant. Knowing your audience can help you prepare to talk to distinguished veterans or children - and everyone in-between. 
• Ask for advice - In my situation, it feels like everyone has been an Army wife longer than me. In the past I may have let that intimidate me, but I've realized these women are a huge resource to me! They are experts on everything from how to handle my husband's 13 hour work days to post etiquette, and if I have a question, I should ask them. 
• Listen - I know this one sounds like a no-brainer, but think of how often you're talking to someone while scrolling on your phone, scanning the room, or thinking of your next question or the story you want to add to the conversation. Listen to what the person you're interacting with is saying, and if you need to, take a beat to collect your thoughts when they're done before speaking again. 
• Ask why - Sure, it's easy to go into auto-pilot and start reverting to "What did you major in?" or "Where did you go to college?" questions, and if you find yourself there, dig a little deeper. The person you're talking to studied engineering? Why did they choose that major? You may find out about a skill or passion of theirs that will help you down the road.
• Follow up - If you really hit it off with someone, ask them out on a friend date! It's easy to go from acquaintances to friends, and who doesn't need more friends? In my Army Life it's nice to have other women who know what we're going through, and when our husbands deploy, I know I'll have a network of friends to depend upon. Get a phone number and arrange a lunch, or drinks, or even a pot luck with your families. (For me and my friends, our fur babies come everywhere with us!) For us Army Wives though, this can get a little complicated when ranks come into play, but luckily rules are getting a little more laxed, and if our husbands aren't in the same company or battalion, you're probably in the clear. (I say probably because there are some sticklers out there, but our men know how to be professionals.)

What tips do you have to make conversations more interesting and less robotic?

FRG Coffee

I love our Army life so far. I was telling L the other day - the women I've met since we've moved to Tennessee are some of the most welcoming and loyal I've ever met. Granted, in this life, we have to stick together, but I've quickly made lifelong friends and I love with all my heart.

Now that L's brigade is completely back from deployment (and L is in a more permanent position with a platoon and everything), the FRG groups are getting back into full swing. FRG is the Family Readiness Group. Their main priority is morale - but they are also the source of information, support, and friendship. 

The Battalion FRG does a monthly coffee, and I volunteered to host in May. I am so excited and am already in planning mode. My husband is at the bottom of the Officer Barrel, so I really want to impress these more seasoned army wives. I'll host in the Club House of my apartment complex, and if it's nice, we can even do it outside near the pool. If not, we can use one of the meeting rooms inside.

I'm still getting the details on the event - structured vs. more of an open house? Should we have activities planned? Is it more of a sit-down lunch or a finger foods sort of meal? This will also be my second one attending, so I'm not sure what's been done before and what's new. As I iron those details out, I spent my entire lunch break in Pinterest gathering pinspiration!

Lucky for me, their Brigade symbol is a Spade. So, that, combined with a tea party, brings lots of Alice in Wonderland ideas to mind. Like this:

With all spades, of course. What would I put inside, you ask? What about this:

Usually Target or Wal-Mart will have smaller insulated cups at the start of summer time, and it'd be easy to craft some felt koozies and drop in a few tea bags and honey sticks. Of course, this would depend on how many RSVP. If lots of spouses are able to attend, this may get a little pricey - but I could do a variation of it for sure.

Now, the food is the big question. While I wait to find out if I need more hearty dishes or more finger foods, I saw this pin and fell in love:

Donut holes and fresh fruit on a skewer? Count me in! I love kabobs and these sweet ones will be the perfect balance between healthy and indulgent. 

I know some of you who read this are Army Wives - what do you recommend for refreshments? How does your FRG work? Any one have experience with little get togethers and have ideas for themes or dishes?

Hope everyone has a great Monday!

5 on Friday

TGIF - am I right? Here are some things on my radar going into the weekend...

1. Bullet Journaling. 

It's sweeping my office - and for good reason! It's a crazy easy way to keep track of to dos, and as a math nerd, anything that advocates the use of graph paper has my vote. As if I needed an excuse to buy a new May Book.

2. Leen Jean is having a sale!

Her monogrammed note cards are on a March Madness special - 35% off through March 31! Use the coupon code "marchmadness2014" to redeem. Kathleen did our wedding invites, programs, decorations, and thank you notes - I love everything she does.

3. Girls Night! 

 Tonight the guys have a Hail and Farewell on post (a change of command) and spouses weren't invited. (After the Currahee ball followed by a FRG meeting, I'm not offended. I've had my fill of the Army for now.) So, the wives are getting together at TC's house for make-your-own-pizza night and Frozen!

You all know how I feel about bagel pizzas, and I get even more excited when I get real pizza dough :) We're bringing our own toppings - and I can't decide what do make! I was leaning towards pesto, tomato, and fresh mozzarella, but CJ is bringing feta and black olives, which sounds delicious, and I was also thinking about goat cheese and cranberries.. decisions, decisions!

4. Stella & Dot Trunk Show

I have my second in person trunk show tomorrow and I'm so excited! I've really grown my collection and we've gotten such enthusiasm from people who are planning on coming. I can't wait to show off what I have and get some good sales! I'm hoping the momentum carries me into my two trunk shows next weekend as well! Do you want to get in on the action? Shop my next show today - your order will ship in 3-5 business days!

5. 30 Days of Beth

My sister and I started a tradition in our family a few years ago. If your birth month has 30 days, we'll do the 30 days of you when you turn 30, and if your birth month has 31 days, we'll do the 31 days of you when you turn 31. We'll compile a box with a card and gift to open most every day, and it lets you celebrate your birthday all month long! So, this weekend I need to shop for my cousin Beth. My sister and I are splitting the month, and we're so excited to pack lots of goodies!

My Mom, Me, Bonnie, Sarah, Beth (the birthday girl), and my Aunt Johnna before my wedding.

Hope y'all have a great weekend!

Health & Wellness Update

So, I haven't totally fallen off the Weight Watcher's bandwagon, but I am barely hanging on. I wasn't getting anything out of my meetings - I was easily the youngest person there by at least 10 years - and the leader spent more time filling us in on her life than going over tips and tricks, which was frustrating. 

I didn't see the value in spending the $50 a month for meetings I dreaded going to, so I scaled back and do it online only now. I had a 20% off coupon for Bed, Bath, and Beyond and invested in the Weight Watchers scale, and track online and weigh myself at home. Less accountability, but I'm honestly getting more help and information from the website than I was from the meetings.

My weight loss has stalled, but I have been running consistently for the last four weeks now, so I know that a lot of that is my fat turning back into muscle. And, I've been less disciplined with cheating on the road, which isn't helping.

I had two friends complete the Disney Princess Half Marathon a few weeks ago, and they inspired me to train for a half marathon as well! There aren't any around here that I could actually compete in when I'd finish the training program, which scared me at first since I usually need some sort of motivation. But honestly, I've finally gotten to the place where running is a release for me, a chance to clear my mind, and I've been sticking with it even without a race to look forward to. (And it helps me to justify that stress eating just a little bit...)

I'm going hot yoga on Saturday with CJ and cannot wait! It's been a long time and I can't wait to sweat sweat sweat! What are your favorite ways to cross train? Or any good stretching resources? 

Have a great Thursday!

1st Ever Blog Collaboration! - Featuring Jenna Bechtholt

Hi everyone! I am so excited to be guest posting on Spring in my Step today! I adore Catherine's blog and am so thrilled to share a little bit more about me.

I am a Southern California native but relocated to Utah for college where I found my awesome husband and picked up photography as a hobby which has now turned into my dream job! I have always loved photographs and the capturing beautiful moments in time, but it wasn't until I started shooting weddings that I knew what I wanted to do with my life. I am a lover of love, beautiful lighting and creating timeless photos that a couple/family will cherish forever. So when my husband landed a new job in Los Angeles we packed up and headed out west back to my home state!

 

 

 

To see more of the Laguna Beach egagement photos shown above head on over to my blog!

My company is Jenna Bechtholt Photography and I specialize in natural light wedding and lifestyle photography. I am currently located in Los Angeles, CA but I am more than happy to travel all over the country (or WORLD!) to photograph a couple's wedding day or a lifestyle session! Lifestyle sessions include engagements, family photos, children and anything in between! I also love collaborating with other talented wedding vendors to create stunning styled shoots that help to inspire brides!

 Check out my latest collaboration with a talented Los Angeles florist HERE!

 

LET'S GET SOCIAL //

Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest

info@jennabechtholt.com

What are you waiting for? Go check her out!

Comfort Foods

In my line of work, my job is very cyclical. The summer is spent planning travel for the fall and year-long recruitment plants. The fall is spent on the road, traveling to schools, college fairs, and meeting with students individually. The winter is spent reading applications and making admissions decisions. But the spring, the spring is my favorite.

The spring is Yield Season. I spent the spring working with my accepted students, helping them with financial aid, and encouraging them to choose Sweet Briar as their choice for the fall. It's a full court press and I'm emailing, calling, and visiting in person from February 1 until the decision deadline of May 1. 

Being a southern girl, I tend to rely on food in times of stress. Hi, my name is Catherine, and I'm an emotional eater. But, being southern, at least I have good food to rely on. Today, I thought I'd share some of my favorite go-to comfort foods on bad days.

1. Bagel Pizzas

These were a favorite in college on Make Your Own Pizza Night. And they're easy as pie to make! I tend to get Bagel Thins (they're more Weight Watchers friendly), pizza sauce, sliced mozzarella cheese, and whatever toppings I'm craving - pepperoni, green peppers, onion, mushrooms - you name it! I prefer sliced cheese over shredded, because it melts a little better and makes less of a mess. And if I'm feeling particularly ambitious, I'll home-make pesto to use as a base instead of pizza sauce. Bake at 300 degrees for 8-10 minutes, then broil for 3-4 to get the cheese nice and bubbly. Voila!

2. Mac and Cheese

I have what feels like half a dozen recipes for mac and cheese that I go back and forth on, but on a busy day, Kraft is the way to go. Who doesn't love that blue box? I do love Annie's homegrown, but I think Kraft is cheesier, which is the best stress reliever. I mostly follow the directions on the box, but instead of milk AND butter, I use an entire stick of butter. Not healthy, but it's how Granny did it. I also tend to add a little cayenne pepper and some additional shredded cheese for a little more flavor.

3. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

 Variety is the spice of life, and like mac and cheese, I have dozens of recipes I enjoy. I posted about my Bee Sting sandwiches, and sometimes I channel my inner Tom and Chee and get creative with what I have on hand. Things I do most every time though? I mix a little mayonnaise and mustard and spread it on the inside for some tang, add meat if I have it on hand, and use lots and lots of butter on the outside for a nice, salty toast on the outside.

 

4. Popcorn

Granted, I eat popcorn when I'm happy or sad, stressed or relaxed, breakfast, lunch, or dinner - but I tend to experiment more when I'm stressed. We have our own popcorn popper, and use a variety of kernels and seasonings on the top. My in-laws are from Amish Country so we have lots of great seasonings, but I was given the tip over the weekend to try drizzling some balsamic vinegar over the finished product. Or use a flavored salt - like Siracha salt - or truffle salt. Yum yum yum!

5. Tacos

I could probably eat tacos for every meal. It's not very hard to brown the meat, there are so many recipes for homemade taco seasonings, and you have so many options for toppings. Lettuce, tomato, guacamole, cheese, salsa, cabbage, cilantro.. there's no wrong answer.

What are you favorite stress foods? Oh! And don't forget to tune in tomorrow a special surprise!

 

Pop Sugar Must Have Box

A few years ago, I discovered these monthly subscription programs that would send you a box monthly with samples in it. I think probably the most popular one out there is Birch Box. There are so many more out there, like Bark Box (for our furry friends!), that Real Simple even did a short article about their favorites last month.

My sister got a Birch Box subscription last year for Christmas, and was under-whelmed by what she was getting. We both had high expectations, and found the majority of the time, she was getting small samples that she could've just gotten through cosmetic counters at the mall or by making a small purchase at Sephora or Ulta. I follow Chic on the Cheap on Tumblr, and she kept posting about her POPSUGAR Must Have boxes. $40 each, they're a little on the more expensive side, but for the most part, the package contained more than $100 worth of items! 

My Mother in Law got me a 3 month subscription for Christmas, and January and February's boxes were OK. I had high hopes (I think that's where I always go wrong!) and the boxes were a fun surprise, and I got a few things I really loved, but March's box blew me away! Here is a breakdown of what it contained:

• A Brokedown Blue Ikat Scarf - suggested retail: $72 - designed exclusively for POPSUGAR Must Have subscribers
• Jurlique Herbal Recovery Advanced Serum - suggested retail: $27 - more cosmetics to try out as Old Man Winter makes his exit? Count me in.
• Dogeared Lucky Horseshoe Make a Wish Necklace - suggested retail: $30 - I've been wanting one of these for a while - delicate, gold, simple - right up my alley. 
• Baublebar Elephant Ring Tree - suggested retail: $12 - please believe me when I say I would've paid for this month's box just for this item. I am ob-sessed. I mean look at it!

• Activeforever Fusion Exercise Ball - suggested retail: $10 - I've been needing a new one, and one in pink? Thank you very much!
• Harvest Snaps Snapea Crisps - suggested retail: $2 - I love snap peas, love potato chip alternatives, this is a win-win!
• Nature's Bakery All Natural Strawberry Fig Bars - Yum yum yum!

So for those of you keeping score at home, that's a total suggested retail value of $153, excluding the fact there's a scarf unavailable for purchase to the general public, and coupons in the bottom of the box for discounts on more goodies!

My verdict? Worth the investment. If anything, you get to spoil yourself a little bit each month! 

And don't worry - I didn't forget about my big surprise - there will be more about it soon, promise!

Happy Thursday!

 

Big Announcement Coming!

I KNOW I vowed to be a better blogger and I've let you all down again. BUT, I have a big announcement coming in the next few days - get excited!

Hope everyone has a great Hump Day!

Big Changes

Today is a bittersweet day. As many of you know, I'm a little bit obsessed with my alma mater, Sweet Briar College. I started my college search there in 2004, applied in 2005, enrolled in 2006, graduated in 2010, began working there in 2010, and have been there ever since. For 10 years, this place has shaped me into the woman I am today. I am articulate, smart, confident, outspoken, and fear (next to) nothing. But, today, it was officially announced to my office that I will be leaving at the end of this recruiting cycle.

This first job has taught me so, so much, and I can't even begin to thank everyone I've worked with, grown with, and had the opportunity to meet through this amazing position. I get the spread the Sweet Briar love to amazing young ladies all over the country day in and day out, and to see them make my campus their own really humbles me.

I don't quite know what my next step is going to be. I'll job search here in Tennessee (and trust me, I already have a game plan - more on that tomorrow!) but not until I return from my last week in the office in May. March and April are a full court press in the Admissions world, and I can't afford to divide my attention. So, I'll set up a foundation now so when May gets here, I'll be a top prospect.

Thanks so much, Sweet Briar, for changing my life. 

Pot Luck Contributions

All - I am so sorry for my hiatus - again. I've been trying to blog and just have run out of motivation for the time being. But, I'm back in the saddle. Thanks for your support and comments on past posts - I hope I can continue to share great ideas with all of you!

This weekend we're attending a Surprise Birthday Party for one of my husband's friends. I'm so excited - I love birthdays - and wanted to share with you what I'm planning for the night. It's a potluck, so I want to share the dish I'm cooking, what I'm wearing, and the presents we're thinking of picking up for the Birthday Boy.

First off, food. (Duh!) Pot Lucks are hard - do you bring something closer to an appetizer, or a side dish? Maybe a dessert or a main dish? Especially when you don't have much contact with other attendees (in an effort to keep it hush hush), you have to just go with your gut. And, as a true southern woman, I'll probably make WAY too much food to share. Luckily, all of our husbands tend to be human garbage disposals, and there are never many left overs.

I hate standing around the table serving myself food and figuring out how to eat a dip. They're always delicious - don't get me wrong! But finger foods are usually the way to go. I tried some jalapeno poppers for my first Stella & Dot show, and they were so-so. So, I'm going to try re-working them for this weekend. First, I'm going to cut the crescent roll triangles in half, so that I have 2 smaller triangles (I found there was just too much bread). Then, I'll dollop the cream cheese, and instead of dicing the jalapenos like I did last time, I'm going to cut them into strips, so that little bits poke out of the ends. I'm hoping this will also add a little more heat! The idea is that they'll end up looking something like this:

Source: Brit + Co

I'm still debating on a second dish.  What do you think? Salty? Sweet? I'd like something Weight Watchers friendly so I'm going to keep thinking it over...

Second off, my outfit! It's only forecasted to be a high of 54 (boo) and the party is just in an apartment, so nothing fancy. There will be dogs there, I shouldn't wear anything I don't want to have dog fur all over it (as if all my clothes aren't already covered... thanks, Loola.) Ever since I started selling Stella & Dot though, I've been anxious to try out different pieces with different outfits, to help my customers see the versatility of the jewelry. So here is what I'm thinking:

A nice, comfy sweater, my Eddie Bauer vest, and a cute bauble necklace. I'm thinking my Juniper Statement Necklace will go perfectly...

As for a present for the Birthday Boy, what guy doesn't just love a gift card? I don't know him very well, and you know how boys are, so I'm thinking a $25 gift card to Best Buy will be a great surprise - you know, in addition to the party!

I hope everyone has a great week! See you tomorrow!