This blog post is sponsored by Verizon. All work and opinions are my own. Military life can be hard. I don't think that's a surprise to anyone... even if you've never experienced military life. There's the moving every two-to-four years. The deployments. The separations. And there's a lot that is wonderful, too. But because the country has been at war for nearly two decades and people know that such an enormous burden rests on the shoulders and families of so few, people feel strongly about thanking service members and veterans. It is a genuinely wonderful gesture and Keep Reading...
Here’s How Applebee’s Is Honoring Veterans
This post is sponsored by Applebee's. All work and opinions are my own. 2008. I was graduating from college and starting my first job. John and I were still three years from going on our second first date. Heath Ledger-- my biggest teenage crush-- passed away. It was the start of the Great Recession, too. And that Veterans Day, Applebee's had its first Veterans Day celebration, inviting all active military members and veterans in for a free meal on November 11. It's been 12 years now and Applebee's has served an astonishing 9.8 million meals to military folks on Veterans Keep Reading...
128 Goals to Put On Your Deployment Bucket List
Alright... so you're ready to create your deployment bucket list! You know why it's important (and if you don't, here's a quick reminder), and you know how to make a series of goals for yourself. Now, you just need to do it! But that blank piece of paper is awfully intimidating, huh? I get it. I was there, too. But believe it or now, during John's deployment, I was able to come up with 100 bucket list items. Each one was something I wanted to do. Some of them would take just a few minutes or hours to do. Others were deployment-long challenges to myself. But I was excited for the Keep Reading...
7 of the Best 2019 Veterans Day Discounts
It seems that every year more and more companies and organizations celebrate Veterans Day with offers for service members and veterans alike. We know some of the usual suspects--I'm looking at you, Red Robin, and your delicious, delicious burgers and unlimited fries-- but I wanted to collect some of the more surprising discounts you may not know. On our list are some deep discounts-- including ones that are $30-$40 off products, double discounts, and free giveaways worth $10-$20. Take a look and then let me know in the comments if you know of other "hidden" Veterans Day discounts that Keep Reading...
Here’s Why Milspouses Need a Deployment Bucket List
One year. We were staring down the barrel of a one-year deployment. At least 365 days. 365. It sounded insurmountable. And, truth be told, I had literally no idea what to expect. I just knew that a year of worries, communications issues, and distance could be a really, really, really long one. Time is so weird during deployment. Deployment has a way of not only messing with your emotions but your sense of time, too. I barely remember the first few days after John left. I was sluggish, doing just the bare minimum to get by, and slept way more than I normally did. Things got better Keep Reading...
Milspouse, Your Story Is Important
Hey, you. The one with the story. (That's you.) Every military spouse has a story. But so many spouses I've met think their stories--good or bad--aren't important. I've got news for you. (Ready for it?) THAT'S NOT TRUE. Your story is important. It's part of you. It's part of what you've experienced. What you've been through. It's shaped who you've become. Who you will be. That's why you need to tell your story. Because if there's one thing I know it's that when military spouses put their heads together, great things happen. They shift the conversation. They make people Keep Reading...
4 Ways Military Families Can Save While Shopping
This post is sponsored by Unilever’s Operation In Touch. All opinions and work are my own. I stared at our bank account. The number was perilously low. The fall of 2013 was the hardest, financially for us. We were a newly married couple and, like many newly married military couples, I had left my professional job to move to Virginia Beach—where John was stationed at the time. He had just come home from deployment, a year of saving every single penny he could, and we had paid off a sizable chunk of student loan debt. And then both of our cars died. In one Keep Reading...
How to Support Veteran and Military Spouse-Owned Small Businesses Year-Round
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Navy Federal Credit Union. All opinions are 100% mine. Do you have November 4-8 marked on your calendar this year? It's the sixth annual National Veterans Small Business Week, a time to get out into your community (or online) and get to know veteran-owned small businesses. Owning a business is wonderful, but it can be lonely too. When John and I started our business, Swatara Coffee Co., we had no idea exactly what it would be like. It's always scary when you flip your sign to "open" and wait for customers. The truth of the matter is Keep Reading...
These Are the 2019 Holiday Deadlines for Mailing Military Care Packages
Can you believe it's October already? And we're talking about holiday mail? (No, just me?) Believe it or not, if you have a loved one overseas, it's not too early to start thinking about and planning care packages. The USPS just released their mailing deadlines for 2019, so you have plenty of time leading up to Christmas, Hanukkah, and the New Year. Last year, the USPS said that the post office having one busiest day of the year is an antiquated idea and doesn’t really exist anymore. Instead, they point to the two weeks prior to Christmas as being the busiest in the year. It's best Keep Reading...
Perfect Homecoming Outfits: 10 Military Spouses Tell All
Welcome Becky Hoy, founder of Brave Crate--a deployment countdown subscription box for military spouses. I'm so excited to have her on Jo, My Gosh! sharing advice and ideas for homecoming outfits. I used to have a recurring nightmare about my husband's homecoming. To be clear, the nightmare wasn’t so much about him getting home- it was really about me feeling unprepared. In this particular nightmare, I would somehow forget his homecoming date. When I suddenly realize that “today is the day," I run out of the house in pajamas and furiously speed to the Fort Bragg Green Ramp- no time to Keep Reading...
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