Blogger Lunch Date & Farewells

What a difference a year makes. Just short of a few months, five of us met at a small cafe in Del Mar. Katie was the group organizer. I still remember the email, " I was thinking...would you be interested..." she seemed to write with hesitation. I'm sure we all had the same thought...Could this really work? A group of multi-age women, strangers really, who only had blogging and military life in common. I figured we could be civilized for a two hour lunch but would there be another meet up? Would I want there to be another meet up?

Now I look at this picture and I know everyone by name. I want to tell you who they are, what they blog about, their personal stories. I want to tell you their strengths and why they make me want to go to these meet ups. All because somewhere between last fall and this summer, we became friends. Unconventional, blurred lined friends. 30 something, 20 something, officer spouses, enlisted spouses, parents, expectant families, newlyweds, Marines, Air Force, Navy. If nothing else, our group has broken all the military spouse rules of friendship. Or maybe we've just proven there are none!

And now we say goodbye :( Already?!? It hasn't even been a year. The unique life of military spouses. Jes is going to the Midwest so her husband can complete his schooling. This girl and I were in Japan at the same time only five minutes away. We were on Atsugi and their family on Camp Zama. However, we never met one another until our first blogger brunch last fall. But we frequented all the same places in Japan. She was smart enough to blog about it though! At least I can reminisce through her blog when I get lonesome for Japan. Good Luck Jes! Keep blogging we don't want to lose touch!

Our next blogger to leave is Elizabeth. A new and welcomed addition. Always the life of the party and much appreciated comic relief. Elizabeth and her husband are headed to Japan. Okinawa which is the more tropical and beachy Japan than what we knew. Just a tad bit envious of that one :)

Best wishes to you both. You were such a welcome addition to our group. I'm sure our paths will cross again!

Now for the picture roll of the randoms:

Our big chatty group at Casa Guadalajara.

The lonely restaurant serenader.

Outside the restaurant

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Support Our Troops #WELLBOXED

Almost two years ago I found myself unemployed with time on my hands. I had just discovered the world of blogging and decided to try it out. Writing has always been something I enjoyed. It's my way of expressing myself. I do much better with the written word than spoken ones. 

I never imagined what could happen with a blog. I just thought I would put our military life out there. Maybe a Marine wife from Camp Pendleton would stumble upon it and find some fun places to visit. I'm still waiting on that to happen! What I did find is a lot of personal growth. A space to write through a deployment. A fun experience in the midst of chaos when this blog went all but viral with the whole Pinterest/ Today Show thing. Through a year of blogging I had fun and I opened up. I gained confidence and began to care less about the little stuff. I "met" people I liked despite the small detail I never met them. I entered the crazy world of blog friendships. Friendships based on your interactions through reading about each other's personal lives. I promise I'm a normal person besides this small fact. But chances are if you are reading this you totally get it! 

Last fall I learned the coolest part of blogging. The potential to connect with like-minded people in real life. Not virtually connect through comments and social media shout outs but real life meet ups. Katie from Going Coastal gets all the credit. She was the brains behind our first blate in a small beach town eating crepes and drinking mimosas. Yes, I admit my husband sent an obligatory "Are you still alive?" text that day. I think most of our group has received a similar text throughout our 6 months of blates. Here is October, November, December, January, and March blates (if you missed them). The April blate is this weekend!

I knew from the beginning we had a great group. Katie and Jes keep it together with all the planning. Everyone else makes attending a priority. We've grown since October. Friendships have grown. Heck we even have babies on the way now. {Eek! Babies!} Every time we come together it's enjoyable and conversation flows so easily. I'm not sure if a group like ours would succeed with any other blogging niche. Ok... it would but I just want to pretend military spouses are the best! No need to pretend, right?

San Diego Military Spouse Bloggers always have a great time. Every event is a fun time. Perfect for a gal who loves adventures! Lately, we seem to be branching out. A monthly meeting isn't enough, so we find more ways to get together. Bloggers Giving Back was our most recent in-between get together. A group from San Diego joined a group in Orange County to make care packages for military service members via AnySoldier.com. 

Complete awesomeness. That's all I can really say. Everyone made a box for their assigned military members stationed overseas. Military bloggers and non-military bloggers alike. If you aren't familiar with AnySoldier.com, click over to check out a great way to support troops still serving overseas. 

Yes. Men and women are still over there. Boots on the ground. Sweating their butts off. God bless 'em. Send them some stuff. A letter. Say thanks.

Many thanks to the OC Bloggers who put this together. I love taking the time to Give Back!

Got My Hair Did!

Is there anything better than having your hair done?  I think it must be top five on my favorite ways to be pampered list. Plus, my hair never looks quite as good when I do it at home. First, I cannot get it as shiny and you should know I love shiny hair. Nor can I get it as straight. Which is super frustrating too.
Have you ever seen the question:  If you could have a chef, masseuse, or housekeeper for a year, what would you choose? All of those are very tempting but I think I would choose a hairstylist. I'm just not a big fan of doing my hair. I have to cut my hair just to keep from defaulting to a ponytail. I really do that!

Check my sidebar to see who these lovely ladies are!

This month's blate {blogger + blate} was so very appealing to me!  Katie over at Going Coastal with the Plumes set up an afternoon at a nearby blow dry salon. Our growing group of San Diego area military spouse bloggers met on a Sunday afternoon to mingle, be primped, and pampered by the Blo Blow Dry Bar staff. For two hours, we sipped champagne, nibbled on chocolate covered strawberries and homemade cookies, and took turns letting the stylist do their magic.

Seriously, the whole concept of a styling salon is genius to me! A menu of style choices was the best! Glam, Beachy, Posh, or Casual. Those aren't the official names but the styles run the gamut on personal preference. I went with the beach waves. A style I have not mastered on my own. I think it was the best choice.

I love experiencing this salon with a group of girls. As always, it was fun and lighthearted. Much nicer to share a station with a new friend than alone. In fact, my new friend, Jordan from Embrace the Adventure, was a blogger I had never "met". By met I really mean read her blog. Jordan is such a ball of energy and definitely a new blog worth reading!

Maybe the pocketbook can't handle weekly trips to the blow bar. However, I know where I will be getting my hair done for the Marine Corps Ball! I swear between Rent The Runway and Blo bars, I will actually look forward November!

The Funny Thing About Military Spouses

I've written countless times about the weird bond military spouses seem to have. I'm not sure I will ever be able to explain it. We tend to be a little more open, a little more outgoing, and a bit more aggressive when it comes to making friends. Most of us have learned if you want to stay sane in this lifestyle, then you are going to need a couple girlfriends within arms reach. And with PCS (moving) schedules averaging about three years, a person has to act fast! Even if you are moving every three years, the friends you make probably won't be on the same moving schedule as you. This means you are constantly making new friends because your "old" ones are moving. Yes, it's exhausting but I think we get used to it. 

Now that I am living off base and working off base, I am finding my potential friend base is non-military. While I do believe in the benefits of non-military friends and highly encourage military spouses to seek out non-military friends, the problem is they move a lot slower down friendship lane. (Which is a complete generalization, I promise!) I'm ready to invite my new friends over to Thanksgiving dinner and they are still in 'third date' mode. Like, hmm, not really sure if this is going to work out kind of thing. While my civilian friends still are making small talk asking all the preliminary questions that my military spouse buddy and I would have covered within the first 20 minutes of meeting at the park; I'm ready to cut through the introductions and start having some fun! 

Enter my new military blogger friends! We had our second blogger meetup this weekend, you will have to check out our first one HERE. Our little group of five met at South Coast Winery in Temecula. We had a short wine tasting and enjoyed lunch on the patio. Our conversation changed from exploring the area to jobs and job seeking and more. We joked and laughed and even crossed some 'second date' boundaries.  By the time we walked around the South Coast Wineryproperty, we were definitely talking long term commitment to our little military spouse blogger group. And brain storming ways to keep our group growing! I think it goes back to that moving schedule thing.

I can't say enough for all these gals. They really are such wonderful people. I'm listing their names and blogs, if you want to check them out.

Katie from Going Coastal

Kara from Ramblings of a Military Wife

Jess from Bleu Dress and Dress Blues

Emily from Just the Stew of Us 

If you are a Southern California military spouse blogger, then we would love to meet you! Really we would! Our next meetup is in December. Email me at adventuresofasemperfifamily{at}gmail{dot}com for more info. 



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Blogger + Date = Blate

In the blogging world, we tend to have our own language. We abbreviate, use acronyms, and just plain make up our own words. Then we spread those things like wild fire and pretty soon the word is accepted as the norm. 

Blate is a made up blogger word. What does it mean? A blate is when bloggers meet in real life. It's like a date. Makes sense, right? I had my first very first blogger date a little over a month ago. Kara, from Ramblings of a Marine Wife, was so kind to meet me for coffee. It was a great experience although a little surreal. The truth is when bloggers meet up we already know a heck of a lot of information about each other just from our blogs.  Which makes conversations 10 times easier!  

Clockwise: Me, Kara, Jess, Katie, and Emily

Having one blate behind me, I was more than excited to have my second meetup with a group of local military spouse bloggers. Katie, from Going Coastal With The Plumes, arranged a morning blate at a local cafe, Crepes n Corks. Really who is going to turn down a chance to have chocolate covered crepes and mimosas blocks away from the beach? Not this girl!

Kara (my previous blate) and I took the blating concept to a whole new level by carpooling to the event. Thankfully she didn't post anything about my driving abilities... How slow I drive... How distracted I can get... The things I say to other drivers who make bad choices. All those things you don't want people with a blog to know! We survived. That is all that matters.

The best thing about a blate is matching up blog life to real life. I always find myself wondering what their voice sounds like. Mannerisms. Personality. I can honestly report all of these girls are likable people. Our conversation was easy and upbeat. I don't think we ever stopped talking. Well, maybe when I had to physically restrain Emily from rushing the gentleman in the Aggie hat. Ok... so maybe I was actually encouraging her to do that. I can't remember. *just kidding* She didn't go up to the guy in the ball cap and sing the school song. I promise!

All in all it was a fun blate. Fun enough to plan another blogger meetup in October. Better yet, we want to expand our group! If you are a military blogger in the San Diego/ Camp Pendleton area, then you are invited to our next blate! You can contact anyone of us for more details.

Meanwhile, here are the blog sites for my new friends. I've added the link to their blate posts!

Kara from Ramblings of a Marine Wife

Jess from Bleu Dress & Dress Blues

Katie from Going Coastal With The Plumes

Emily from Just the Stew of Us