Disclosure: This page may contain affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you!). 

Starting a blog can seem like a stressful, tedious task and I am here to help! You can start a blog in minutes. A lot of people spend most of their time on trying to figure out what topic they want to base their blog around. My first bit of advice is if you know you want to start a blog, just do it.

I originally started my blog to help inspire others who may be thinking about or in the process of joining the military. Since starting my blog, I’ve decided to expand and write about other big aspects of my life and beauty as well.

So, do you want to start a blog of your own? Here are five easy steps to get you started:

1. Purchase Hosting

I started off with a free blog, which is great to start with BUT if you’re really serious about creating a blog and wanting your content to be seen I highly recommend you purchase hosting.

I started using Namecheap and I couldn’t be happier. It’s been super easy to navigate and they have a good customer service support team to help with any questions you may have. They also offer competitive startup pricing, especially for a new blogger.

2. Choose and Purchase a Domain Name

After you select your hosting plan, you’ll want to choose and purchase your domain name. You can do so by heading to the Domains tab and selecting Domain Name Search from the drop down. I chose blushnboots.blog because I had my blog name set in stone. If you don’t have your blog name picked out just yet, you can skip purchasing a domain name until you’ve brainstormed the perfect one.

3. Installing WordPress

Namecheap installs everything for you! Watch the video below to see how easy it is to set up your blog with EasyWP. If you have any difficulties, reaching out to Namecheap’s customer service team is super easy and they are amazing.

4. Play Around with Your WordPress Dashboard

This step is crucial. Really take the time to explore your WordPress Dashboard and learn about all the tools available. Learn how to format your posts and upload photos. Pick your theme- but don’t feel obligated to choose one, you can change your theme easily at any time. Also decide what you want in your sidebars and menu. You’ll end up tweaking it a couple handfuls of time before you publish your blog to the world.

5. Write Your First Post!

Now that you’re all set up and know your way around your WordPress dash, get to writing! Your first post doesn’t have to be perfect, just write. Get the hang of writing posts and get a good flow. Search Pinterest for blog post ideas if you can’t decide on a topic right away.

You are officially a blogger!

Writing can be hard at first, but don’t give up or quit on yourself. You will get the hang of it in no time. Blogging can be a life changer, and can even earn you some extra money. Be fearless and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions!

START YOUR OWN BLOG!

In my last post (wow so long ago), I mentioned that I would be applying to voluntarily separate from Active Duty due to childbirth. I wanted to share my experience to help any other mamas struggling to figure out what to do after little one is born.

Why I Decided to Separate

Getting pregnant was not something I had planned (at least for a while). In tech school, I had met someone and we started dating. One thing led to another and two months into seeing each other, I became pregnant. We made the decision to get married because with us both being in the military, we wanted to make sure we’d be able to be together or at the very least stationed in the same state. My husband and I have been through hell and back the past year and a half but we love each other and now have a beautiful baby girl. My husband decided shortly after I left tech school that he was going to transfer in to the Army. He had been trying to retrain but due to policy changes he missed his chance, so after almost five years in the Air Force, he felt the Army was his only chance to pursue his dream job. At the time, I was stationed in Florida and he was in Texas so the long distance thing really sucked (especially being pregnant and hormonal LOL). When he separated from the Air Force he went on terminal leave and moved to FL with me until he left for Army Basic Training (LAME). The Army let him go on leave so he could be with me for the birth of our daughter in December. Fortunately, I was being induced due to my high blood pressure so we had a set date. I had a lot of health issues and scares throughout my pregnancy due to preeclampsia. It was a terrible feeling to not have my husband or family close by and I was constantly worried what if something happens and I have nobody. After having the baby, life was a struggle. Adjusting to a baby is no joke. I struggled so much that I decided to head back home to Massachusetts for 2 of the 3 months of my maternity leave so I could be with my family, as my husband had to return to training. During this time of change, I decided that I needed to research my options. I knew that being stationed with my husband was going to be difficult and I didn’t want to be apart, I needed our family together. I knew that the Air Force had changed their policy so that you could separate either before you have your baby or after (you have 12 months after the baby is born to decide). I really did not want to leave the Air Force. I worked so hard to join and I couldn’t just give it all up. So as many military members do, I went to Reddit for advice. I found out that I could separate and then Palace Front to the Reserves. Palace Front is a little bit different than Palace Chase- Palace Front adds a Guard/Reserves service commitment after you have separated to prevent a break in service. Palace Chase is when you leave your contract early to go to the Guard/Reserves- you are eligible to apply after you have served half of your contract. This ultimately gave me the best of both world; more time to be a mommy and be together with my family, and also still being able to serve part time.

Applying for Separation

First thing was first, I texted my supervisor to let him know my plan. I didn’t want to catch anyone off guard. I had mentioned possibly separating and going to the Guard or Reserves before I left for my maternity leave, so when I texted him it was no surprise. Applying for separation was fairly easy. With my handy dandy CAC reader, I logged onto vMPF and went through their Separations application. I had to include the reasoning why I wanted to separate and my daughter’s birth certificate as a supporting document. I made sure to include in my reasoning the hardships I was facing being away from family and raising the baby alone. I also included my goal of pursuing higher education to become a nurse while serving part time whether that be through the Guard or Reserves. After submitting my application, I had to wait for my Squadron Commander to approve or disapprove. I honestly had one of the best Commanders ever so I consider myself very lucky to have Leadership that truly cares about their people. My application was approved within a week. After your Commander approves it, it makes it’s way up to the Base Commander. My Base Commander approved it another week later. Typically, applications are not approved this fast from what I’ve heard. I’ve heard that sometimes people wait months before they are approved and sometimes they are even disapproved.

Guard or Reserves?

After I decided that separating and Palace Front was the best option for me, I needed to decide between the Guard and Reserves. I initially thought definitely Guard, but during my out-processing I had a mandatory appointment with the Reserve recruiter at my base. He asked me if I had planned to go back to school, my answer: yes. Going back to school and becoming a nurse was one of the big reasons I wanted to join the Air Force. He told me that by going Reserves, I would still be eligible for tuition assistance (TA). Additionally, the Guard can get activated at any time for any state emergencies- he told me that with the Reserves, I would be notified of a deployment in advance, saving me the trouble of having to withdraw from classes on a whim. I had let him know that my husband was active duty Army and he also let me know that it is easier to transfer to a new unit wherever he gets orders to than it is with the Guard. I was sold. I filled out some paperwork he had sent me and he helped me narrow my options down to two units by my husband’s base. One of the two reached out to me requesting EPRs but since I was only an E-3, I didn’t have any so I sent him some letters of recommendation. They ended up deciding to take me on and I got to keep my AFSC.

Reserve Life So Far

I separated from active duty on the 1st of May and have been a Reservist since the 2nd. Because of COVID, we have been having our drill (UTA) virtually. So far, it has been great despite not getting to meet my new squadron. I was promoted to E-4 a couple weeks after separating (Reserves promote SUPER fast). I was really excited about that because joining at an older age, I’ve always felt like I’ve been treated based off of my rank and not my actual age and life experience. Now that I meet rank requirements, I can also sign up to volunteer as a victim advocate for the SAPR program on base- something I’ve wanted to do after becoming a teal rope in tech school. I love the flexibility that serving part time in the Reserves gives me. I can go to school using the same TA I would be getting active duty, work a civilian job that pays me better, have extra income from my drill weekends, and finally be together with my little family.

If you or anyone you know is pregnant/just had a baby and are looking for options as far as the military goes, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions you may have about this process. I’d also like to add that with the pregnancy separation, it doesn’t have to be your first baby- it can be your second, third, etc. Being a mama can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t have your support system with you. I’m here to help and support you in any way that I can.

Goodbye 2019, Hello 2020! I have been MIA for many months now and I feel I have some explaining to do. As most of you know, I had gotten pregnant and married and well… life had taken over and I haven’t had much time to blog. I gave birth to my baby girl on the 3rd of December and she couldn’t be any more perfect! Motherhood has been quite the adjustment and to be honest, nothing like I had envisioned. Nobody tells you all of the ins and outs of pregnancy, childbirth and the first few weeks of motherhood. This has definitely inspired me to write more about my experience with pregnancy and childbirth (especially because it was a very rough time for me). I am now on maternity leave and trying to enjoy some time back home until I have to go back to work.

Speaking of work… I’ve made the decision to separate due to childbirth. Now before anyone gets cray cray on me, I’d like to clarify that I am NOT leaving the Air Force. Thanks to the kind souls on Reddit, I found that I could voluntarily separate due to childbirth and then take advantage of the Palace Front program to switch to the Air National Guard. This is the best decision for my family right now. My husband switched branches in order to change his career field and due to the limited bases in said career field, it was likely we wouldn’t be able to do join spouse. Pregnancy while being alone was hard enough, raising a baby by myself just sounds like it would be even harder. Plus, this option also allows me to go back to school.

Stay tuned for more posts in 2020. Drop a comment with any questions you may have and I will answer them in my upcoming Youtube Vlog!

It’s Fall, y’all! Today starts the first day of one of my favorite times of year. What better way than to kick it off with some festive activities! As most of you know, I am from Massachusetts. Luckily, I will be heading home on leave soon and will hopefully be able to enjoy some of these myself.

Here are 10 fun activities you can participate in this Fall in the great state of Massachusetts:

1. Connor’s Farm – Danvers, MA: Connor’s Farm is easily one of the best farms to visit during the Fall season. I am OBSESSED with their freshly baked apple cider donuts. They have a cute pumpkin patch (perfect for taking pics), a corn-maze and as we get closer to Halloween- a haunted maze! Fun fact: Before I left for Basic Training, I actually worked in the haunted maze as a scare actor. The farm is great for families with children as their is a petting zoo and child-friendly activities. The farm stand (where you can find the amazing apple cider donuts referenced above) sells a variety of farm sourced goodies and fall themed foods. For more information and to view their schedule visit their website here.
2. The Topsfield Fair – Topsfield, MA: The Topsfield Fair has been around since I was a kid and I make every effort to go each year. This year the fair will run from 4 October through 14 October. The fair has many different events- too many to fit in one post. Some events include cattle shows, the Giant Pumpkin weigh-in, concerts, horse pulling and much more! For more information and to view their schedule visit their website here.
3. King Richard’s Faire – Carver, MA: Every weekend from 31 August through 20 October, you can visit this fair in Carver, MA. The fair is also called the New England Renaissance Festival. It’s a unique and fun experience full of cool performances. They also have artisans that travel from all over to sell their unique products. This fair is also kid-friendly and has many kid oriented activities such as horse back rides. One of the most popular food items at the fair: Turkey Leg. For more information visit their site here.
4. Salem Haunted Happenings – Salem, MA: I could name a million different things to do in Salem during the Fall. It literally is Massachusetts’ very own “Halloweentown”. From 1 October through 31 October, Haunted Happenings events include a parade, costume balls, ghost tours, live music and much more! Learn more here.
5. Stone Zoo – Stoneham, MA: Who doesn’t love the zoo?! The Stone Zoo, part of Zoo New England, hosts two Halloween themed events in October. There is Boo at the Zoo and Zoo Howl. Both events include multiple fun family activities. For more information click here.
6. Brooksby Farm – Peabody, MA: Apple picking, pumpkin picking and other various Fall activities. Perfect place for a date or to bring your little ones! Click here for more information.
7. Plimoth Plantation – Plymouth, MA: This place is pretty neat. I remember going a couple times when I was younger for field trips. It’s ultimately a museum that tells the history of Plymouth Colony. Everyone is dressed up and play character roles to portray the great history. You can tour the Mayflower, Village, Mill and much more! Visit their website here for more information.
8. Wolf Hollow – Ipswich, MA: Open weekends now through 30 November (weather permitting), Wolf Hollow is a one of a kind experience for you and your family to meet real Gray wolves while enjoying a one hour educational presentation. You get to observe the wolves and their pack at close range. Gray wolves are a threatened species and with the help of volunteers and supporters, Wolf Hollow’s mission is to preserve wolf in the wild. For more information click here.
9. Old Sturbridge Village – Sturbridge, MA: Another historic experience- Old Sturbridge Village is a large, outdoor museum portraying a rural New England town in the 1830’s. Much like Plimoth Plantation, everyone is dressed up and play character roles to tell the historic story. You can find great fall foliage views here. There’s also a really great hotel I’ve vacationed at a couple of times called the Sturbridge Host Hotel. Visit OSV’s website here.
10. Black Friday Shopping – Multiple Locations, MA: Ok, hear me out; I hate shopping but something about Black Friday just makes me feel more in the holiday spirit. There is nothing better than sipping on a hot cocoa from Dunks at 4AM shopping some good deals in my comfy Ugg boots (I know, BASIC AF). Some of my favorite shopping outlets/centers in MA include: The Wrentham Outlets (Wrentham, MA), Patriot Place (Foxboro, MA) and Market St Plaza (Lynnfied, MA).

Finding maternity clothing has been a huge struggle throughout my pregnancy. You may be thinking, what? How? I’m telling you… finding CUTE maternity clothing isn’t just a matter of googling. I had to do some serious research. A friend of mine told me about Pink Blush Maternity and I have been obsessed ever since. Here are a few reasons why:

1. They are affordable – Even their maternity dresses and gowns are reasonably priced. They also occasionally have coupons and sales.
2. The quality of their products is actually good – Not your average cheapo quality clothing. When you try on their clothing you don’t immediately think “I can get a few months out of this”. The two dresses I purchased for my upcoming maternity photo shoot were made of high quality material.
3. The selection – They have a wide variety of fashionable options. They have tops, bottoms, dresses for ANY occasion and even a plus sized maternity line!  Not only do they have maternity clothing but they have a Women’s clothing line geared towards the modern mom.

Shop Pink Blush here for cute maternity outfits.

I recently collaborated with Pink Blush and they were so kind to have sent me two pieces to try on and review (and yes I got to keep them eeeek!).

The first item: Floral Maxi Dress. This dress has been perfect in this hot weather. It is light weight and airy. It also is very comfortable and the floral pattern adds a touch of elegance.

The second item: Black Plaid Accent Long Sleeve Plus Maternity Top. The ultimate Fall top! I live in black clothing so the plaid accent makes for a nice pop of color. The top is SOOO soft and cozy. I definitely will be wearing this on my trip back home to cooler weather!

Disclosure: I am not receiving any monetary rewards for any of the links in this post. I am sharing because they are products and apps I believe in and want you to know about!

So about two years ago I signed up for an account with Influenster. Influenster is a community full of honest product reviews written by everyday people who love to shop! The key benefit to signing up and reviewing is the opportunity to receive FREE products to sample via what they call a VoxBox. I recently just got my first VoxBox after becoming more serious about reviewing and I am impressed! I received five free products to try as a part of their Summer Splash VoxBox from brands including Country Crock, Hyland’s Health, Wet n Wild, Eva NYC and KISS. Listed below are my top three favorite products from this box:

1. KISS Tulle Lashes: These lashes are AMAZING. Anyone that knows me knows that my nickname has been ‘Lashes’ because I used to religiously get eyelash extensions done and when I would go through my broke periods and have bald eyes, I would glue strip/band lashes on and call it a day. I was already familiar with the brand, as I use their lashes for a majority of my makeup services for Weddings. These lashes were soft and natural looking but gave a Glam look. Easy to apply and even came with glue.
2. Eva NYC Mane Magic 10-in-1: Influenster and Eva NYC sent me sample packets of both the shampoo and conditioner. I’ve been a professional hair and makeup artist for going on 8 years so I don’t usually use just ANY shampoo and conditioner. I have to say my hair felt amazing after just one wash. The scent is also nice. The 10-in-1 benefits include Moisturizes, Reduces Frizz, Strengthens, Softens, Revitalizes, Nourishes, Reduces Breakage, Smooths, Increases Manageability, Healthy Look & Feel. The products are also safe for color-treated hair and vegan friendly!
3. Last but definitely not least- Wet n Wild Photofocus: I received both a Photo Focus Primer Water and a Photo Focus Water Drop Primer. The primer water I could compare to MAC’s setting spray. I love that it’s not just a primer, you can also set and refresh with this spray. I got the coconut scent and it’s perfect for Summer! The water drop primer I liked because it is more moisturizing and felt like a face cream. I also got the coconut scent for this product!

Are you a member of Influenster? Be sure to follow me! And if you aren’t, sign up for FREE, it’s totally worth it. Comment below with some of your Summer favs!

I am officially an operational member of the world’s greatest Air Force! Just last week, I finally completed Phase 2 of the 4N0 AFSC training and was awarded my occupation badge. For those of you who don’t know, Phase 2 of the 4N0 program is basically clinical rotations at a hospital. You get the chance to work in multiple different clinics/departments to include the Emergency Department, Intensive Care, Family Health, Labor and Delivery and many more. You have a packet of tasks you must accomplish and get signed off by preceptors in each department. Some tasks include starting an IV, giving intramuscular injections, performing an EKG/ECG and collecting blood specimens. The 4N0 scope of practice allows you to do so much more than a civilian EMT’s scope allows. My mother is a nursing school professor at a prestigious nursing school and she’s told me that they don’t even teach IVs in nursing school, which I find fascinating. I am so relieved to be done and am so excited to finally “begin” my career in the Air Force.

Now that I will have a lot more free time, I plan on posting on a more regular basis and FINALLY getting to the YouTube videos that I’ve been promising for months. In the meantime, please comment below any questions you may have about the 4N0 career field, what tech school is like or even BMT:

Quick Update: I graduated Phase One of 4N0 Tech School last month (April 23) YAY! I am currently in Phase Two at a different location- Phase Two is essentially clinical rotations in a hospital. So far it’s been a huge learning experience and very hands on. I have about two more weeks left and then I will be going home on leave and then to my first duty station!

I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to post much or record any new videos on my YouTube channel but I promise that once I start to have a little more free time I will tell you guys everything!

I’m just going to go ahead and say it: Zero week was and will be the WORST week of BMT in the history of BMT. There- I said it.

A lot of people say they don’t remember much of Zero week- I made sure to write down what I could while it was happening so that I could go ahead and blog about it later. Don’t ask me how I got away with this because I am not entirely sure (LOL). Here’s the gist of it:

MEPS/Getting to Lackland

So I will start with waking up the morning of November 19th, 2018. I woke up feeling a giant mix of emotions: nervous, excited, scared, happy- you name it, I was feeling it. I had my bags packed and was to drive up to the MEPS hotel. I had my mother drive me up and she ended up getting a room and staying. My brother, his girlfriend, my mother and I went out to dinner for what would be the last time for a short while. I kept it low-key that night and remember feeling like I couldn’t eat much because I didn’t want to be over at my weigh in the next morning. My roommate at the hotel was a girl heading to Navy boot camp so we shared the nervousness. I asked her what her job was and she told me she was going to be a Corpsman and that she would be going to Tech School at Fort Sam Houston. I told her that’s where I was hopefully going, as I was Open General hoping for Aerospace Medical Service (Which I in fact did get the job I wanted and am now at Fort Sam, with my Navy friend! Funny how that worked out). The next morning I was up early as heck. It was like any of my other times going to MEPS, we ate breakfast downstairs and then hopped on the bus. When we got to the MEPS building we went through the same routine. They did a final physical exam just to make sure nothing had changed and I signed my official contract and some more paperwork. My mother came to watch me officially swear in and say goodbye. We cried together and it was definitely a tough moment for me. She left shortly after and I waited with the other shippers for our bus to the airport. I had to fly solo despite having a few guys shipping to Lackland with me, so that sucked. I met some more Air Force peeps when I got to my layover which was nice. When I arrived to San Antonio, I didn’t really feel nervous. I felt ready to get this sh*t over with. I ended up getting off of the plane and heading straight to the food court- which was pretty much closed. There were HUNDREDS of trainees just waiting around. I ended up finding five or six of my friends from the Group Me I was in before I shipped out. For those of you who don’t know what Group Me is, it’s basically a chat group app. I was in a BMT Shippers group on Facebook and it was the thing to do- to make a Group Me and get to know other people shipping out the same date as you. So my Group Me ended up with around 50 people and we had chatted for a few months before shipping out. Almost 10 of them ended up being in my flight which was awesome. I ended up seeing a handful of them throughout my BMT journey and even more from the group here at Tech School. Anyways, I snagged two of my Group Me pals and we checked in with the Sgt that was taking everyone’s names and we had a seat on the benches. When the next bus came it was our time to board. The three of us were so nervous but so excited. The bus driver nicknamed “Coach”, I will never forget him. He gave the most inspirational, motivational speech I had ever heard in my 25 years of living and it was EXACTLY what all of us needed in that moment. We pulled up to the PRC (Pfingston Reception Center) which is basically a giant auditorium. Surprisingly there was not much yelling, just a lot of “HURRY UP LETS GO”. We all piled into the auditorium and it was pretty much dead silent, and awkward. Every couple hours or so, they would have a list of names up on the projector and that was your flight. We got to the PRC around 10pm (I think) and we didn’t get our flight until probably around 2 or 3am. After we had our flight together, they brought us to a room where they issued us our backpacks (Backpack Initiative- has some toiletries, and other necessary items) and our Apecs jackets. After that, we were told to sit in a line in the hall. It felt like we sat there for an hour. Then, the moment we all were waiting for: Our MTI walked in to pick us up. He was every trainee’s nightmare honestly. This was where all the yelling came in. He yelled and screamed at us until 5am, which was when we finally go to goto sleep. Before we went to sleep, we went to our dormitory- we got lucky and lived in Disneyland. We went to our wall lockers, figured out our beds, took our showers (which wasn’t as awkward as I imagined but was SOOOO cold) and finally went to sleep. A lot of us were hoping they’d have mercy on us and let us sleep, but boy were we wrong. They woke us up at what would become our new wake up time: 5:45am. Yup, 45 minutes of sleep.

The First Week: Zero Week

The first day of BMT was the LONGEST day of my life, no exaggeration. We started our day with chow. The MTIs were scary as hell. Here I was thinking Texas would be warm, It was cold as hell. Pro Tip: Grab two waters or get your ass chewed. We had our first uniform issue within the first two days which was nice because we looked ridiculous with these huge Apecs jackets and civilian clothes. It screamed “I am new”. There was LOTS of marching. We also got a BX run and our pay cards were issued. Dinner we got protein bars which was a nice treat. The rest of the week was appointments and briefings. We had our first inspection, got to call home and read our script with our address. After that we locked up our civilian luggage and turned in our cellphones. The second day was when we had urinalysis, blood draws, immunizations and what not. I believe the third day we went back for the peanut butter shots- I’m allergic to penicillin so they gave me azithromycin to take twice every Saturday. We also met our other MTI who was also a male day two. By day three, the chow hall was a less scary place which made it easier to eat- probably also because it was Thanksgiving. We had a second BX run zero week which I heard was not typically the case but hey we were happy to be away from the dorms any chance we got at that point. The biggest lesson I learned that week was DO NOT write letters. They will find them and they will tear you apart. I specifically wrote in my notes “Saturday got yelled at for having a letter written in my notebook”- I am laughing hysterically at this now LOL. Oh you also are assigned your flight “jobs” (basically chores). I got picked to be the 4th Element Leader, FANTASTIC.

Well that’s all I really have for Zero Week. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them below or email me! I look forward to writing more the next coming weeks about the rest of my BMT experience.

I made it! I graduated Basic Military Training and boy does it feel amazing.

I graduated BMT January 18th 2019. As you can tell that was a few weeks ago. I have been so busy getting my life together and settling into Tech School life that I haven’t had a chance to blog. I have so much to say and plan on writing as much as my schedule allows these next few months. I also will be uploading some BMT specific vlogs on my YouTube channel as soon as I can. Three major things I want to say in this quick post are:

1. I got the job I wanted!!! If you’ve been following me you’d know I went in open general with civilian medical experience. Well I got Aerospace Medical Service (4N0X1)-my top pick! So I am now at Fort Sam for Tech School.
2. Two weeks into Tech School and I already know my first duty assignment! I won’t say exactly where BUT I will say that it was on my “Dream Sheet” so I am psyched to say the least.
3. If you are getting ready to ship out to BMT I just want to say don’t listen to what other people have to say about the experience- it is what YOU make of it.

Stay tuned!