This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of 1 Natural Way, a TRICARE breast pump provider. All opinions are entirely my own. This year a good friend of mine found out that she was pregnant during the first few months of her husband's deployment. And I realized how little I knew about dealing with a deployment while pregnant. After all, John and I were engaged during his year-long deployment to Afghanistan and we didn't have kids, either. I felt a little lost. I wanted to be the best friend possible while still respecting her space and her privacy. She's a brilliant, Keep Reading...
Here’s How Milspouses Can Get $360 in Free Career Tools Every Time They PCS
If you're like the vast majority the military spouse community, you've dealt with at least a few frustrations when it comes to your career. I know I have. My story isn't much different than many other spouses'. When John and I married, I left my job as a high school English teacher, moved out of the state to John's installation, and realized that it didn't make any sense to get licensed again... we'd be moving soon and the costs associated with a new teaching license would not justify the enormous probability that I would not find a job before we had to move again. So I started freelancing Keep Reading...
6 Ways to Create Magic During a Deployment
This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com. I didn't grow up in a military family. In fact, I knew very little about the military until I started dating John. (And then, oh boy, did I learn A LOT in a little bit of time.) But I did grow up in a family that prepared me to live military life. I grew up with parents who taught me important skills and mindsets like resiliency, empathy, and organization. But they also taught me one other thing about life that really made my military journey a lot easier. They taught me about creating (and finding) magic in the ordinary. It didn't cost a lot Keep Reading...
6 Ways You Can Brighten a Military Spouse’s Day
Military life can often be lonely. Frequent moves that take you states--or countries--away from your family and friends... deployments... trainings... a scary news cycle that never seems to turn off... And not only can it be lonely, sometimes people decide to voluntarily detach themselves from people and places. It makes saying goodbye and being far from home less painful. But it doesn't make the loneliness any better. Fortunately, for your military spouse friend, you are awesome (because you're reading this post, and clearly you want to help your military spouse--or significant Keep Reading...
Here’s How This Hotel Chain Puts the Military Community Front and Center
This is a sponsored post. I received a complimentary stay from La Quinta Inns & Suites in exchange for a blog post. All opinions are my own. The night before I flew out to Austin, TX for a conference, it snowed 12 inches here in PA. I'm not joking. 12 inches. Twelve. Inches. Of. Snow. So you can imagine that when I touched down in beautiful, warm, sunny, and snow-free Austin, I was beaming. And I hadn't even seen the hotel I was staying at. When the Uber pulled up to the drive, I was surprised. Gone was the La Quinta that I remembered from years of childhood road Keep Reading...
Here’s What 11 Military Spouses Want You to Know About Memorial Day
For most of the US, Memorial Day is the start of the summer, a three-day weekend, and a chance to get the grills out. It's not controversial or a cause for a lot of philosophical discussions. But for military families, Memorial Day often can feel like a flash point of the military-civilian divide. Many currently military families honor people they personally know who have died during service. Staples of Memorial Day celebrations--sales, picnics, and parades--are often at loggerheads with how military families think the day should be observed. I asked the Jo, My Gosh! community to share Keep Reading...
8 Care Package Gifts for Your Military Guy on Father’s Day
This is a sponsored conversation on behalf of Holt’s Cigar Company via SoFluential Media. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Father's Day can be an emotional time for both kids and their dads during deployment. And of course, not all things can be solved with a care package during deployment, but I do think that the act of creating something special and sending it to someone you love for their enjoyment can be very cathartic and help loved ones feel a little closer. Creating a care package is easy because it's all about the person receiving it and the person (or people) putting it Keep Reading...
18 Free Parenting Programs and Support for Military Families
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of 1 Natural Way, a TRICARE breast pump provider. All opinions are entirely my own. "I thought deployment on my own was hard," one of my friends said to me one day. "But deployment with kids? It feels impossible." She had been battling an raft of on-going kid illnesses-- the flu, fevers, colds, earaches. The list didn't seem to end. Throw in sleepless nights and children who didn't want to stay in their own beds, and she was frazzled. More than frazzled, if we're going to be really honest. That's not uncommon in the military community. Keep Reading...
To the Milspouse Who Definitely Doesn’t Feel Appreciated
It's 2:30 AM, and you're saying goodbye to your spouse leaving on deployment. It's dark and your eyes hurt from crying. The six months or nine months or twelve months stretch out in front of you. You hug them and know that you'll have to leave go and have to walk away. Or... It's 6 AM, and the kids are already cranky. Your spouse is already gone for the day, and you've already helped to uncover a PT belt from the cavern under the bed that seems to eat all of the things they always need last minute. Or... It's 9:15 AM and you're scrolling through employment sites trying to find a Keep Reading...
Try Making These 3 Trendy Pop-Up Cards for Mother’s Day
Thanks to Katie for this great guest post! This is not a sponsored post. Homemade Mother’s Day cards are thoughtful, personalized artifacts that mom can cherish for many years to come. While store bought cards are sweet, DIY cards show you spent the time crafting something special that is guaranteed to make her smile! That’s why Personal Creations has made a step-by-step guide on how to make a pop up card. Following six simple steps, you’ll have an adorable Mother’s Day card in no time. Pop Up Card How-To Materials Scissors Glue stick 2 pieces of cardstock or Keep Reading...
