From the Yard to the Sea

After four years as Midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy, it is time to walk across the stage and throw their hats in the air.  It is officially commissioning week in Annapolis!  There is something planned every day leading up to graduation.

The favorite event during graduation week is the performance of the Blue Angels, who will be flying 6 Navy F/A-18 Hornets.  They will perform a variety of high-speed, aerobatic precision-maneuvers above the Severn River.  The Blue Angels will have a practice performance on Tuesday, May 24, with their performance scheduled for Wednesday, May 25.  The Blue Angels perform all across the nation and this performance in Annapolis brings thousands of spectators from around the country.

Along with the Blue Angels performance, there are many award ceremonies, parties, and various performance around the city and on the Yard.  In addition, there is the Army/Navy baseball games.  The 3 game series will determine the winner of the Patriot League, who will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Family and friends come from all over the country to watch their loved one graduate from one of the most prestiguous colleges in the country. 

Graduation will take place on Friday, May 27 at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  This year's guest speaker is the Secretary of Defense, Secretary Robert Gates.  Unfortunately, the graduation ceremony is not open to the public, however it will be broadcast on the local television and radio stations. 

Congratulations to the class of 2011 and thank you for serving our country!

Honeymooning in Margaritaville

Pool at The Reach Resort

A honeymoon is defined as a vacation spent together by a newly married couple.  It is a time for the new husband and wife to spend some romantic time together, enjoying their new life together.  We have already decided that we wanted to go to Key West for our honeymoon and after searching many hotels, bed and breakfasts, and resorts, we have decided to stay at The Reach Resort.

The Reach Resort is located one block from the famous Duval Street.  Duval Street is the location of many famous restaurants and bars, including Sloppy Joe's, The Bull and Whistle, Rick's Cafe, Irish Kevn's and my favorite, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.  A must on Duval Street is getting a "cheeseburger in paradise" from Margaritaville.

Sunset cruise

While in Key West, we will be taking advantage of everything Key West has to offer.  We will be snorkeling in the reefs, parasailing and enjoy a sunset cruise.  We have previously traveled in Key West, but that was when we were dating, now we will be traveling together as husband and wife! 

We are looking forward to some relaxation, fun, and enjoying time together as husband and wife.  Our wedding day and honeymoon cannot come soon enough, as we cannot wait to begin our lives together as Mr. and Mrs. Moreland.

Bride and Groom To Husband and Wife

After many months of stress and planning, you are finally Mr. and Mrs.   Often the honeymoon takes a backseat to the wedding planning, but this is about you and your spouse.  It is a time to relax and reflect on being husband and wife.  There are many different options for honeymooning from cruising to a European vacation.  It is very important when booking your honeymoon NOT to book it under your married name.  Remember when you get married, your name does not automatically change, as there is paperwork to be filled out, in order to change your last name.

A very popular honeymoon option is taking a cruise.  Not only it is the most economical way of spending time together, but you can visit many different areas.  Cruise lines offer many locations for your days at sea and it all depends on your style.  When you book a cruise, the price includes room, board, and entertainment, however it does not include alcohol and shore excursions.  You can set sail for as little as two days or up to a week!




Disney World is not just for children anymore,
as it is a great honeymoon destination.
Disney World offers a website, where you can completely plan your honeymoon.  They offer luxury dining, amazing hotels and wonderful entertainment.  Traveling to Disney World can be very romantic, if you know how to properly plan.  If you plan on going to the happiest place on Earth, I suggest visiting Disney's website for tips and advice on planning the perfect honeymoon.

John and I will be honeymooning in Key West for four days, before heading back to Maryland.  Key West offers the best of both worlds, relaxing and fun.  They have beautiful white beaches, bars, restaurants, shopping and water activities to take advantage of.  We have previously traveled to Key West, but stayed at the Naval Air Station.  Since this is our honeymoon, we will be spending our days as husband and wife at a beautiful hotel, which has yet to be determined.  Since we both enjoy the beach and ocean, we will be snorkeling in the reefs, parasailing, and enjoying a sunset cruise.  I am looking forward to spending some relaxing days with my husband and simply enjoying one another. 

When planning your honeymoon, it is important to remember that this is about you and your spouse.  Sit down and talk about where you may want to go and start planning.  It is never too early to start planning, in order to take advantage of good deals.  Make the honeymoon romantic, find unique things for you and you spouse to do, even if it is just having a picnic on the beach or watching the sun set.  This the beginning of the rest of your lives as husband and wife, so enjoy every moment of your honeymoon. 

Bronzed Beauty Basics

After months of wearing jeans, sweaters, and jackets, it is time to break out the shorts, flip flops and bikinis.  With temperatures rising and summer right around the corner, it is time to get tan!  There are several different ways to tan, however some are more harmful than others.  


One way to get tan is to head straight to the tanning salon.  However, using a tanning bed is one of the most harmful ways of being a bronzed beauty.  According to a recent CNN article, "The intensity of the UVA radiation from tanning beds "may be 10 to 15 times higher than that of the midday sun," according to the report published in the journal Pediatrics."

The UVA an UVB rays from tanning beds can lead to sunburn, severe skin damage, and even skin cancer. The fairer your skin is, the more likely you are to suffer from such issues when you decide to use tanning beds.  These harmful side effects from using tanning beds can result from just a couple of uses. You don’t have to be a long term tanning bed user to suffer from severe sunburns, skin damage, and various degrees of skin cancer.

Another way of achieving the glow is by using sunless tanners.  I am a big fan of the Jergens Natural Glow Revitalizing Daily Moisturizer.  After a three days of daily use, you will see your skin darken.  Jergens offers two shades, fair/medium and medium/tan, as well as moisturizing lotion for your face.  It is inexpensive, easy to apply and offers a natural looking color.

When soaking up the rays at the beach, it is very important to use sun screen.  Officials say that you should apply sunscreen 30 minutes prior before hitting the beach.  They also suggest that you use SPF 30 or higher, in order to properly protect your skin from sunburn and potential skin damage.  After splashing in the waves, always be sure to reapply your sunscreen.  No matter if the clouds are out, you are still being exposed to UV rays.

There are ways to achieve the tan, which you are looking for, however it is important that you are practicing safe tanning.  Looking bronzed for the summer or a special event has nothing on your health. 

The Bargain Hunter Extraordinaire

When you think of dollar stores you think cheap and junky, however that is not the case!  You can find a lot of great products from party supplies to food; the Dollar Tree has everything you can think of, not to mention everything in the store is $1.

I am proud to say that I am a regular shopper at the Dollar Tree.  Yes some of the items they sell I would not purchase, however there are many great finds.  I have purchased holiday decorations, frozen food, candles, and much more.  If you see something that you like, buy it then, because when you go back it may no longer be in stock.

Sea glass

Shortly after I got engaged, I already knew the type of wedding that I would want, beach themed, and my mom and I went straight to Dollar Tree to see what we can find.  I found these beautiful centerpieces online, but decided to make them myself in order to save money.

Tea light candle holders

At the Dollar Tree, we have found tall vases, colored sea glass, tea light holders, and candles!  Each centerpiece would cost approximately $6, now thats what I call a great deal.

 There are certain items that I will not purchase from dollar stores like personal hygiene products, kitchen items, and make up.  There are many wonderful products that I encourage you to buy, which include gift bags, wrapping paper, office/school supplies, party goods, and much more!

I am a bargain hunter, who is constantly looking for steals and deals and dollar stores are a great way to go!  Some people make fun of me, as I am always looking at local ads for sales, etc.  With this tough economy, buying things on sale is the way to go, but I am NOT an extreme couponer.  One day take some time to check out your local dollar store, because you never know what you could find. 

Decorating Like A Pro

Baking has always been a passion of mine, so I have decided to take it to the next level.  The local Michael's offers three different Wilton cake decorating classes (Decorating Basics, Flowers and Cake Design, and Gum Paste and Fondant).

Michael's offers student kits for each class, however since I knew that I was going to be decorating many cakes, I decided to get the Wilton Ultimate Decorating Set, which includes everything I would need for all three classes!

The first class is Decorating Basics, which teaches you how to properly bake and frost a cake, make your own frosting and  how to use decorator bags and tips.  The first night of class we were given lesson plan, which has everything we will be learning during the four classes.  

With lesson 1 completed, I could not wait to see what lesson 2 would bring!  There are many supplies that I need to purchase, but this is going to be an investment.  Who knows I could start my own cake decorating business out of the house.  I am looking forward to sharing my creativity and designs with family and friends.