Planning on any summer traveling this year?  Make sure you document those memories by using a travel journal like this one from Gadanke:

These 60 page hand cut journals are printed on 100% recycled paper and are perfect for small postcards, photos, mementos, ticket stubs, brochures, and lots more collected items from your trip. Here’s how this journal works:

• Casual itinerary pages let you capture the facts. Includes a mini calendar, space to journal or paste travel stubs and receipts, and prompts on how you chose this destination.
• Daily documenting pages make brief journaling easy. With so much going on each day, quick 5-minute notes are perfect for jogging your memory of what you’re experiencing. It makes more detailed journaling so much easier when you have more time.
• Classic star stickers and mini maps add to the fun. Flag your destinations and show, “Here we are, folks!”
• Writing prompts help you record the details of your adventure. Capture everything from the shops you peeked in to the time you were uhh… “enjoying the views” (i.e. not getting lost!).
• Pockets, Italian patterned papers, and tags make your book beautiful. Scrapbook or journal on them – whatever your style.

The Happy Housewife readers can enjoy 10% off the regular price of the travel journals (reg. $17) by using coupon code: HAPPYJOURNEY through 5/29/12.  And, if you aren’t traveling this year, Gadanke also carries lots of other products like Prayer Journals, Baby Books, Kid Journals, Wedding Card Scrapbooks, Food & Recipe Journals, and more!

Order your Gadanke Travel Journals today!

A belated Mother’s Day gift for anyone who signs up for email subscriptions from Domestic Serenity…

The eBook, “Honoring the Rhythm of Rest” will encourage and equip you:

• to understand the meaning of true rest
• to ask of yourself: am I living intense, or intentional?
• to counteract the myth of ‘doing it all’
• to consider 3 intentional ways to practice rest
• to journey back from burnout

Grab your free copy here!

More Than Alive is giving away one Mother’s Day gift package specifically designed for Moms to pamper themselves. The package includes:

• 1 Salt and Pepper Silk Scarf
• 1 Herbal Antibiotics (book)
• 1 SuperMom Tablets
• 1 Laveshmint Daily Moisturizing Lotion
• 1 Peppermint Essential Oil
• 1/2 lb. Organic Raw Cacao powder

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment sharing a Mother’s Day memory or something special about your mom.  Giveaway ends May 14, 2012.

I’m excited to announce that I’ve teamed up with Together Counts to help encourage and empower families to get active together!

I know for our family, summer usually means lazy days by the pool or hanging around the house. Even though we are taking a break from school this summer, we aren’t going to take a break from being active.

It seems like every week I hear parents complaining about how much time their children spend on video games, and when school’s out the temptation to spend all day playing them is huge!

To combat video-game-itis, create a bucket list this summer. Before school gets out this summer sit down as a family and make a list of 25 to 30 things you want to do together.

If you need help here are some ideas to get you started.

• Build a fort in the backyard
• Family tug-of-war
• Frisbee
• Frisbee golf
• Relay races
• Soccer game
• Go to the beach or the pool
• Popcorn (kids lay curled up on the trampoline while mom or dad jump around them, making them “pop”)
• Zoo trip
• Dance party
• Summer Olympics

If you haven’t already create a bucket list full of summer activities for your family to do together this summer. The Together Counts website has a free pdf you can download with five ways your family can get physical.

My kids love to play outside, but they love it even more when mom and dad join in the fun! Commit to spending 30 minutes this summer being active with your kids. It’s good for them, and it’s good for you!

ALL YOU is proud to partner with Operation Homefront to honor military families and share the stories of inspiring military spouses who hold down the fort while their loved ones serve.

ALL YOU invites you to share your own story of challenge, service, pride and bravery, or nominate someone you know, for a chance to be featured in an upcoming issue of ALL YOU. Submit your story online.

Military moms are often the forgotten warriors, “many of whom manage a home and raise a family singlehandedly while battling the worry and isolation that can come with a soldier’s deployment,” says ALL YOU editor Clare McHugh.

The May issue of ALL YOU, available on newsstands at Walmart stores nationwide and by subscription, profiles three military wives who share their stories of gratitude and hope.  Read updates on the couples.

ALLYOU.com features links to resources for military families, practical household saving information, and ways individuals can help at Operation Homefront.

Do you love chocolate? If so you’ll want to join me and Jenny Martin from Southern Savers as we host a Dove Mother’s Day Twitter Party this Wednesday night (May 9) at 8pm EST.

We’ll be talking about Mother’s Day, past and present including what makes a great mother’s day, gift ideas, recipes, and more.

My mom loved chocolate, and so did we, so she always hid her chocolate in her bedroom drawer so we couldn’t find it and she would be able to enjoy it alone!

We’ll also be giving away some fabulous prizes so you’ll want to be there and share your stories on Twitter.

If all the chocolate talk on Wednesday night puts you in the mood for, chocolate you can always stop by Walmart and grab a package of the Limited Edition Dove Cinnamon Graham Chocolates. They are available only at Walmart and would make a perfect Mother’s Day gift this Sunday either for yourself or a mother you love.

To follow along at the Twitter party you’ll want to follow the hashtag #DoveMothersDay. You’ll need to use that hashtag in your responses to be eligible to win one of the fabulous prizes. To add a fun twist to the party Jenny will be streaming her portion live online!

So join Jenny and me this Wednesday at 8pm EST for the Dove Mother’s Day twitter party.

The American Freedom Foundation has partnered with Kaplan University to provide over $1 million in scholarships to military spouses.

Scholarship Overview

The American Freedom Foundation / Kaplan University Scholarship Program has been established to provide support to certain children and spouses of U.S. Service personnel that desire to attend an online undergraduate degree program at Kaplan University.

The scholarships will be granted without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability, or national origin.

This scholarship program is administered by Scholarship Management Services, a division of Scholarship America. Scholarship Management Services is a designer and manager of scholarship and tuition reimbursement programs for corporations, foundations, associations, and individuals.

Application Postmark Deadline: June 1, 2012

For more information and to apply, visit  Scholarship America.

The Care Package: a simple piece that can make all the difference in the long-distance relationship which usually comes with military life. But they’re not as easy to send and put together as it might seem. Here are some ideas and tips to keep in mind.

Holiday Theme

Have a holiday coming up? Center your gift theme around that holiday. For example, for the Fourth of July, think red, white and blue. Decorate the inside of your box, fill with patriotic foods that have been vacuum-sealed (sugar cookies with festive colored frosting for instance), and fill it with goofy party favors.

Movie Night

Send your soldier their favorite movie snack with a DVD that you two have seen together, or one that you think they’d like. If he/she has a microwave, send some popcorn or prepare your own and vacuum seal it.

Reading Material

Pick a serialized book and send it every few weeks. Your significant other will be racing against time to read the book before the next one arrives. If it’s a series you’ve read before and have some extra time, what about sending them a clue with each new book? A prop or note will add some fun to their package and give them something to look forward to.

Homemade

Use your talents. If you enjoy photography, shoot some photos of the kids, favorite spots, landscapes, their favorite flower, etc. If you’re a musician or just enjoy music, create a playlist of their favorite tunes and send a personalized mix-tape. Lastly, for all you artists out there, sculpt or paint something special but keep shipping in mind!

Board Game

There can be a lot of downtime when deployed; find a board game or two that your soldier would enjoy. For a bonus idea, make that the theme of your care package. For instance, if you decide to send monopoly, bake some monopoly-themed cookies, buy dice, or other fun accessories to really put a smile on their face.

Send it in a Chain

You can cut up a few envelopes and stitch them together, one for every day of the week! Fill it with mementos, notes and photos that will make each day unique. Over time, you’ll end up with beautiful, fun traditions that your soldier will never forget.

Things to Keep in Mind

• Send early — packages can take a lot of time to go through the full process so be sure to ship early for birthdays, holidays, etc.
• Familiarize yourself with post office rules so you don’t miss an important factor.
• All packages are inspected so don’t send anything inappropriate or dangerous.
• Don’t send chocolate or candies that could melt. Service members are often in tough climates; melted chocolates are no comfort, just a mess they’ll need to clean up later.

Sending a care package to your soldier is a great way to show that you care. Personalizing them with fun themes and favorites can really go a long way, but keeping in mind the rules and guidelines will also ensure for the perfect presentation.

Photo credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District

Maya Szydlowski is the community manager for Veterans United Home Loans, the top resource for the military community on news, benefits, and family life and is the leader in VA loans.

A few months ago we read through Ephesians (via Facebook). I’ve had lots of requests to go through another book, so in May we will be reading through Hebrews.

Since I’ll be out of town tomorrow for field trip we are going to start reading through Hebrews on Thursday May 3. You’ll find the schedule below.

• May 3:  Hebrews 1:1-7
• May 4: Hebrews 1:8-14
• May 5: Hebrews 2:1-9
• May 6: Hebrews 2:10-18
• May 7: Hebrews 3:1-11
• May 8: Hebrews 3:12-19
• May 9: Hebrews 4:1-11
• May 10: Hebrews 4:12-16
• May 11: Hebrews 5:1-6
• May 12: Hebrews 5:7-14
• May 13: Hebrews 6:1-12
• May 14: Hebrews 6:13-20
• May 15: Hebrews 7:1-10
• May 16: Hebrews 7:11-28
• May 17: Hebrews 8:1-6
• May 18: Hebrews 8:7-13
• May 19: Hebrews 9:1-10
• May 20: Hebrews 9:11-22
• May 21: Hebrews 9:23-28
• May 22: Hebrews 10:1-14
• May 23: Hebrews 10:15-25
• May 24: Hebrews 10:26-39
• May 25: Hebrews 11:1-12
• May 26: Hebrews 11:13-23
• May 27: Hebrews 11:24-40
• May 28: Hebrews 12:1-12
• May 29: Hebrews 12:13-29
• May 30: Hebrews 13:1-19
• May 31: Hebrews 13:20-25

Every day I’ll post a verse that spoke to me from the reading passage on my Facebook page and you are welcome to leave a comment on my wall sharing your verse.