Bringin' in Spring with FabKids

Disclosure: I received a sample product to help facilitate the review. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Great White Graphic Tee & Cargo Shorts from FabKids

FabKids knows Spring fashion! Taking my son out in his latest outfit was fun, not only because it was his first time in shorts this year, but also because that boy was stylin'! :)

Never mind that it's going to be 18-degrees tomorrow, the temps were so high late yesterday afternoon, that it made us think it really was Spring. And what do you do when you haven't been able to go to the park because it was covered in snow for the last four months? You rush right over to see if the equipment is still in good working order. ;)

Big News in Our House Today!

Today is a big day for my oldest son!
Feeling nostalgic... and excited.
Top left, 1988. Top Right, 1990
Bottom Left, 2007. Bottom right, 2000.

Today is my son's last day in the military. Once upon a time, he decided college wasn't the best choice for him at that point in his life (though he is well on his way to an earned degree now) and he dropped out to join the Army. At the time, his college was paid for in full, thanks to a Florida Pre-Paid program we'd enrolled him in when he was a little tike, so... we thought his college was a done deal. Nothing came as more of a surprise than his enlistment. My first lesson that your grown children go their own way. ;)

Boot camp graduation. My son is in the middle.

I have to tell the truth, I was scared when he joined. Outside of sappy movies (and those don't count!), this gal doesn't cry much, not even over big things. When boot camp was over and it became 'real,' the tears were flowing like a river. You know, the swollen eyeballs, snotty-nose, looking and feeling awful kind of crying. And I couldn't make it stop. I'd be driving and they'd come out of nowhere. It was ridiculous. It was his safety I feared for, I think.War is not pretty, and we're sending boys overseas who aren't coming back. Honestly, there was not one part of that I wanted for my son.

Old Guard Duty, Washington D.C.
My son is by the wheel.

And then he joined Infantry, all but securing he'd be the first to head out to the front lines. And that's the way it was supposed to go, right up until his graduation day (from boot camp). We were standing in the hot Georgia sun, where his camp had been held, congratulating him and happy to see him after he'd been gone for awhile. His items were packed and on a bus, ready to go to his next destination. Someone came over to him and told him to move his stuff to another bus, that he was going to be a ParaTrooper instead. And with no questions asked, that's what he did. We stood by and watched him... and though we were supposed to see him again later that night, I instinctively knew when he boarded that bus we wouldn't see him again that trip. And we didn't.

Little bro ran and jumped in his brother's arms when we went to visit.
My second oldest was being funny and ran/jumped in his arms too, lol

My boys.

He did great in Airborne and again we thought he was going to go to war. A change in plans came in again, and he was instead sent to Old Guard. His primary duties were to pick up the bodies of fallen soldiers, transport them back to DC and conduct the honors/burial ceremonies for them (and others qualified to be buried at Arlington), along with his comrades. They also took care of the horses used for those ceremonies.

My son and his beautiful bride.

My daughter hated to leave her brother & for years she'd cry when they had to part.
This was his wedding day, when it was time for us to go.

After a stint w/Caisson he was sent to an area I'm not sure I can discuss here. I haven't asked him, but I suspect not...so I won't, and again we were worried about his safety. A lot. By the grace of God he got through okay and the last few months he's been back at Caisson, biding his time until today. My son has earned some pretty nice awards along the way (EIB was probably his favorite because it was one of his first. I saved the screen chat picture of him holding that little bar up... I was happy that he was so proud to have earned it) and got his promotions as he'd hoped, but now he's decided not to re-enlist, and his time is done.

We toured the Caisson on a recent visit to see my son and his family.
The tour guide was showing us a picture on the wall. My son was in it. :)

Listening to the tour guide tell us about the horses.

We toured Caisson on a visit to see him and his family over the holidays. The pictures above are from that day.

He'll soon be on his way to Florida, where he'll secure housing so his wife and daughter can come down and join him.

The Army has changed him in many ways, increasing his skills, providing him with a stable transition into adult life (he just turned 27 this month, so he was very young when he joined), and providing him with leadership abilities that will benefit him for life. I was proud of him as a boy, and now I'm absolutely very proud of the man he has become. He is tough, skilled, strong, and dependable. He is also kind-hearted, a wonderful husband/son/sibling, loving father and a good provider for his family.

As he starts a new chapter in his life, I can honestly say the military was a wonderful move for him. I'm proud that he served. And now as he leaves, I will breathe a collective sigh of relief and support him, as always, on whatever route he chooses to take in life. The world is your oyster, son.

Pacifica Beauty Product #Giveaway

Disclosure: Mail4Rosey received product samples to help facilitate the review. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Pacifica is a company that touts natural, 100% vegan and cruelty-free beauty products. Named by Target as one of thirty-one brands to receive the "Made to Matter" designation, the items you will find within their extensive inventory are high quality, inside and out, appealing, and from what I have seen so far, work every bit as well as other high quality cosmetics you'll find on the market.

To further add to their appeal, Pacifica product packaging is made with the environment in mind. They focus on taking care of the planet by using recyclable materials, creating less waste, and formulating their products with sustainable ingredients.

All-natural face towelettes infused with Coconut-Water. 

This month I was sent two different products to sample.

Ideals Children's Books for Easter! with #giveaway

Disclosure: I received product compensation. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

In honor of the upcoming Easter holiday (April 5), Ideals Children's Books and I have partnered up to showcase two books from their exciting line-up (there are many other fabulous book selections on their website). Two I selected for our family, and the same two I will be mailing to a lucky winner!

'The First Easter,' was one of the selections. Written and illustrated by Carol Heyer, this is a chunky, solid board book, just perfect for little fingers to hold.

Written in a conversational tone, and full of vibrant kid-friendly drawings the story explains the religious meaning behind the holiday, and it does so in terms that younger children will be able to understand. It would be a great teaching tool for any parent, Sunday School teacher, etc. It is fairly short, with just eleven board pages having actual words, but it is thorough and very easy to understand. The book is recommended for children ages 4+.

The second book we selected was, "SomeBunny Loves You." If you push the little button on the top-right corner, you get a sweet melody to play along while reading the rhyming poem inside. This is a bit bigger than the other book, but it is also a sturdy board book. It has 16 pages with actual words on them, and the words are short and sweet. The message is a positive one that reinforces acceptance and love.

I like the soft colors used for the pages and illustrations. I think they they fit in just right for the holiday. This book is recommended for ages 2+ and is going right into my darling little grandbaby girl's Easter Basket. No candy for her (she's not even 2-years-old-yet) but grandma will still make sure she gets a little bucket full of delights. :)

You can learn more about Ideals Books by visiting their website. You can also follow them on Facebook and/or Pinterest.

One lucky entrant gets both books. US only.
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Coming to Wharton Center: Phantom of the Opera

Coming to Wharton Center
in East Lansing, MI. 4/4 - 4/12

Nothing brings a story to life quite like a Broadway show. It's wonderful to visit those that are new, and fun to revisit those that relate to something special you know. It's downright exciting to attend a classic that you know and love. Such is the case for me with the latter, when it comes to seeing, "The Phantom of the Opera." 

I could not be more excited to announce that, "The Phantom of the Opera" will be performing at Wharton Center in East Lansing, MI, with multiple shows running from April 4-12.

@HP + @Meghan_Trainor #BENDTHERULES While on Tour!

Disclosure: Mail4Rosey has partnered with HP and Meghan Trainor in support of the singer's "That Bass Tour." Product and/or monetary compensation were received, but all opinions stated are genuine and my own.

Good things come in fours!

HP Pavilion x360 believes that good things come in fours. I couldn't agree more.

Randomly speaking, because this blog is all about embracing the random:

I have four pretty cool kiddos. ;)

I also have four travel destinations running through my head at any time. Today it's Venice, Milan, Florence, and Naples, not that I have Italy on the brain or anything. ;)

There are four songs I have been singing throughout the day, including Meghan Trainor's 'All about that Bass,' which never seems to be far from a beep-bop or two for me since the song was released.

And there are always four new things I've added to my to-do list...

Nerd Block, Jr. Subscription Box Review and #Giveaway

Disclosure: I received a sample box from Nerd Block, Jr. to help facilitate the review. All opinions stated are genuine and my own.

So many people are all-in on the monthly subscription boxes that I would be remiss if I didn't bring up Nerd Block, Jr. on the blog!

Nerd Block, Jr. is a monthly subscription box that you have delivered. Inside of it are items carefully selected by the staff for your boy or girl (you get to choose your gender). It is designed to bring a little touch of monthly fun to your kiddo(s). We knew when we opened our box and saw the 'Aww Yeah!' printed on the side that we were going to have a good time.

We were right too... inside of the box was a cool assortment of items for my son to sample.

The Cliccors were a big hit because you can bend and twist them into different shapes. They're made of interlocking plastic and they go right back into shape without any problem at all. These kinds of things are a hit with the boys and girls when they're in the 1st-grade. Little ones like to wear something around for a bit that's new. If it's got a play factor like these do, well then, that's even better.

Little figures, likewise, are a big deal. The Transformer above came with a little display stand too (that's what is next to the figure in the picture). A check list was included so the kids could see which figure they had, and which ones are still available for purchase.

Usually you get one figure in a surprise foil pack, and that in itself is exciting to my 7-yr.-old. When he opened his Hobbit foil pkg., there were THREE mini-figures inside, and yep, that was a big deal. :)

Imps and Monsters was included in the box. This was a softcover book full of activities for the kids to do, and it was perfect for the lengthy car ride we took to meet grandpa (for his birthday) last week. It kept the kids busy by giving them something constructive to do.

Kirby, a popular video game character, was included in the box. I thought my son was going to dismiss him because he doesn't know the game, and the toy is pink. Boy, was I wrong. My son's favorite two stuffed animals in the world are pink Minecraft pigs, and Kirby is now their little pink friend. He holds conversations with the pigs and gets tucked in with my son and his stuffed animals at night. I'm so not kidding. In fact, I think Kirby was the most loved thing in the box.

Ya' think ya' know a kid... ;)

These boxes run $13.99 - $19.99 a month, plus shipping, and are always loaded full with surprises like you see here in the review. You can order for a girl or boy, and delivery goes to a good number of countries (check the website to determine if you can get it where you live). The subscription can be started or ended at any time, and there is never an obligation to buy.

You can learn more about Nerd Block, Jr. by visiting their website. You can also follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter.

If you like what you see, and you'd like to try a box out for yourself, Nerd Block, Jr. has generously offered to give one to a lucky reader (boy or a girl, winner's choice). This is going to be a short giveaway, so hurry to get your entry in before it expires.
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