Another week and another wonderful person to introduce you to! If you are interested in financial management, are a newlywed, or are a military wife, I truly think you will adore Bailey. I’ve had the opportunity to email back and forth with Bailey several times, and she is as true blue as they get. She’s very well-spoken, kind, and open. I’m always smiling when she talks about her relationship with her new(ish) husband. They are truly best friends, and it’s adorable to read about. Meet Bailey from Becoming Bailey. 🙂 And as always, thanks for popping in each Saturday to get to know these featured bloggers! Interested in being featured as well? See the bottom of this post!
Q: In three sentences or less, tell us a little bit about who you are.
A: I’m Bailey, a Kentucky native and newlywed Army wife. I’m a Criminal Justice major turned Human Resources professional and blogger-on-the-side. I’m a proud “fur mom” to my dog, Lily, and my cat, Gracie and even prouder wife to my husband, Andy.
Q: When did you and your husband meet, and how long did you date before you got married?
A: Andy and I met on an online dating website in May 2015. Since he was stationed at the time in Fort Polk, Louisiana and I was in Kentucky, we had our first in person date on Fourth of July weekend 2015 (the day after my 23rd birthday). We both knew from our first date that we were meant for each other. 13 months and 1 day after our “first message”, we were husband and wife!
Q: Did you incorporate any military traditions into your wedding day?
A: Actually, no! Andy wore his ASU’s and I wore an Army garter as my “something blue” but that was it. Andy didn’t want to feel like he was at work on his wedding day, haha! Funny story: if you look at the photos from our first look compared to the actual wedding ceremony, you may notice something is wrong with his uniform! His “battle buddy” was talking to him a few minutes before the ceremony and attempted to straighten Andy’s slightly-askew unit awards when they snapped in half! With no extra awards on hand, he had no choice but to take the unit awards off. Thankfully, I didn’t notice until he told me later that evening! Our first wedding anniversary is in a little over a week (June 12th) and I cannot believe it has been an entire year already!
Q: Is being an Army wife at all like you imagined it would be? What is your favorite part about it?
A: I honestly have no idea what I imagined it to be! I would probably say I didn’t expect the “highs” to be so high and the “lows” to be so low. I had a bit of an idea of what to expect, but it was (and is!) still so overwhelming at times! By far, my favorite part of it is standing beside my husband. Andy absolutely loves his job as a soldier, so it makes it easier for me to support him even when things are tough.
Q: You always seem to have great encouragement for other fairly new military spouses. What are three of your best pieces of advice for new military spouses?
A: 1. Don’t let the military consume your life. Being a military spouse is not your total identity, nor is it your spouse’s total identity either. At some point, your spouse’s military career will end, be it after one enlistment or at retirement. You’re married to your spouse, not the military.
- Be prepared for the roller coaster of feelings! I honestly thought like I was losing my mind with all of the emotions I was feeling when we got our surprise recruiting orders (and then surprise PCS orders to Iowa) but after talking to fellow spouses, I realized it was totally normal. Nearly every spouse has felt the exact same feelings I felt. You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last!
- Find your own “battle buddy.” I am so blessed to have found friends and mentors here at Fort Knox and through blogging that have taught me, encouraged me, and shown me grace throughout my adjustment to military life. When you need someone to cry with, to vent to, or to just hang out with, they will have your back!
Q: You write often about budgeting. What gave you a passion for strict money management?
A: Oh yes, I love writing about finances! I grew up in a household where financial literacy wasn’t taught, so when I went to college and then landed my first professional job, I struggled at first with budgeting and being financially savvy. I actually ended up in $23,000 worth of debt by the 6 month anniversary of my graduation, despite having a full ride scholarship to college. At that time, I was introduced to Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover and it changed my life! It’s so amazing to know that when Andy and I have kids someday, they will be able to live a better life than us and won’t have to make the same mistakes that we (or previous generations) made.
Q: What are some of your favorite things to do in your free time?
A: I am a total bookworm and am usually found with my nose stuck in a paperback (or my Kindle.) I also love traveling! I have a goal of visiting all 50 states, so this upcoming move to Iowa is perfect as I haven’t traveled through much of the Midwest. Can I also say that “being productive” is a hobby of mine? I am always setting goals and making plans to do and learn new things!
Q: What do you know about where you’re moving to in Iowa? Are you excited about this upcoming move?
A: We’re moving to rural northern Iowa this summer for my husband’s assignment as an Army recruiter. It will be drastically different than the Army life we’ve both grown accustomed to, as our new town is in an entirely civilian area. We will be one of only 8 active-duty military families living in the entire city. In fact, there isn’t even any active-duty military bases in the entire state of Iowa! I’m excited but equally nervous and overwhelmed. I’ve lived in Kentucky my entire life, so it will be incredibly tough to pick up and start over for my first “real” military move. My family is only 2 hours from Fort Knox, so it will be so hard to move farther away from them! It definitely will be a challenge, but Andy and I can conquer it together😊
Q: Where should new readers start on your site?
About Me—A few more details about me and why I blog.
Love Story—I love reading about when people fall in love!
My Faith—My Christian faith influences every aspect of my life, so knowing about what I believe explains a lot of who I am as a person.
And just for fun…
- Desktop or laptop? Laptop, hands down. I haven’t owned a desktop since I was in middle school!
- Hot chocolate or chocolate shake? Neither. Call me crazy, but I actually don’t like hot chocolate or chocolate shakes!
- Fiction or non-fiction books? Ooh, tough choice! I will read nearly any genre, but the majority of books I read is non-fiction.
- Watching the sunrise or sunset? Just for nostalgia’s sake, I’m going to say sunrise. Andy and I watched the sunrise over the beach on our last full day in Jamaica for our honeymoon, so now I always think of that morning when I see a sunrise!
Don’t forget to find Bailey on BlogLovin, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest!
In case you’re new to Whimsical September…
Hi! I’m Erica! I created the Saturday Sit-Down series in January 2017 as a way to give back to the blogging community and link readers with new bloggers whom they may share similar interests with. Click here to discover more bloggers that have been featured in the Saturday Sit-Down.
Want to be featured in this series?
I have openings starting in late 2017 and would love to feature you! Email me at WHIMSICALSEPTEMBER@YAHOO.COM to get in touch.
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Hi! I’m Erica, and I absolutely adore sharing my life on this website with you! I come here almost daily to blab about all of the things related to being a regular wife and mother in today’s ever-evolving society. I share about our new home, what’s on our kitchen table, what we’re hanging in our closets, where we’re traveling to next, my crazy 5 a.m. work outs, how I make time for girlfriends, our faith, and much more. We always have a lot of balls in the air and somewhat thrive on the chaos. I believe in the power of story-telling as a form of inspiration and entertainment, so I’m here to do both! I was born and raised in north Alabama and recently re-planted roots here again after my husband transitioned out of the Army (he is now in the Reserve and it’s going so well!) I’m a super proud mom to three little girls (ages 7, 4, and 1) who seem to be the stars of the show around here (for good reason – they’re pretty great!) I’m so glad you found me and are here reading! I hope we can get to know each other here on the blog as well as Facebook and/or Instagram. xoxo