This post is sponsored by Operation In Touch. All opinions and work are my own.Busy.It's the word that is defining my life right now.My planner is a depressing swamp of to-dos and appointments that take way too much time when I have way too little of it. And sometimes at the end of the day, I'm glad that I was able to keep the status quo--even though it feels like I haven't gotten anything accomplished, at least I was able to keep my head above water.Sometimes it's a little paralyzing. And sometimes it's downright suffocating.I'm guessing you know exactly what I'm talking Keep Reading...
9 Ways to Curb Your Holiday Gift Budget During Deployment
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Navy Federal Credit Union. All opinions are 100% mine.You know what's worse than the stress of deployment? The stress of deployment combined with the stress of finances. Been there, done that. The Christmas John was deployed, I spent a lot of time worrying about my budget. John and I were engaged and had a lot--and I mean a lot--of big expenses and big decisions coming our way. (Hello, wedding! Goodbye, job. Hello, PCS! Goodbye, career. Hello, joint debt!) We weren't alone-- and I know that our situation was better than some and worse Keep Reading...
Here’s How to Make Military Life an Asset in an Interview
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine. You know you're dreading the question-- the one that comes up when the interviewer knows you're a military spouse. Instead of putting it off, dig in! While there are some organizations that might see military life as a distraction, a growing number of organizations are embracing military spouses and veterans. (And that's an awesome thing!) I landed a full-time job as a military spouse (and quite a few long-term freelancing gigs) and learned a lot about what it takes to Keep Reading...
Here Are 3 Unique Ways T-Mobile Supports Military Spouses
This is a sponsored post in partnership with T-Mobile. All work and opinions are my own.I do.When I said those words five (almost six!) years ago, life did not become lonely or difficult. At least, not right away. When I said those words in the church I had grown up in, surrounded by people I love and who knew me, across from the man who had my whole heart, I definitely was not alone. It was the happiest (although very nerve-wracking) day of my life. It stayed happy for a while.Life wasn't lonely or difficult during our honeymoon.Or during the first few weeks of married life, Keep Reading...
5 Reasons Why Milspouses Are Totally Prepared to Be Entrepreneurs
This post is sponsored by Bruster's Real Ice Cream. All opinions and work are my own.When I became a military spouse, I literally had no idea that I would become an entrepreneur. (And I use that phrase lightly since most days I feel like I'm stumbling around in the dark.) I had been a teacher for five years. Before that, I had been a college student. There was literally nothing in my past that would have pointed to setting out on my own.But you know what?Necessity is absolutely the mother of invention. And as an unemployed military spouse with student loans and bills, I had to Keep Reading...
5 Alternatives to Making Care Packages During Deployment
You guys know that I absolutely love care packages. LOVE care packages. But let's be real: they can take time, energy, and organization to make (not to mention money). And deployments can be hard on everyone in the family, not just the person who is away. There were plenty of times during John's deployment that I found myself really struggling to just keep up with regular life.Sound familiar? (I really hope not... but I'm guessing you know that feeling.)Whether you're just not able to keep up, you're not feeling very care packagey, or have another reason (which is obviously totally Keep Reading...
This Wireless Provider Is Offering Military Families Deep Discounts
This post is sponsored by T-Mobile. All opinions and work are my own."My phone is my lifeline.""I don't know what I'd do without video chat.""He doesn't have service TDY, and that makes everything so much harder!"To anyone in the military community, it comes as no surprise that military families take their phones very, very, very seriously. With family and friends located all over the world, phones are the way military families keep up with everyone. With op-tempos increasing, military couples are tied to their phones. (If you’re looking for some sweet texts to send to your Keep Reading...
Here’s the Story Behind the Newest Military-Themed Christmas Book for Kids
This guest post is by JoAnn Sky, author of Santa's Dog. It is not a sponsored post.We’ve had the pleasure of welcoming six (so far) older shelter dogs into our family over the years. SANTA’S DOG was inspired by our first rescue dog, Sampson. When my husband was deployed to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, I had a hard time sleeping in the two-story house we had just moved into prior to hubby’s deployment. So, I decided to adopt a dog to keep me company! I went to the shelter and saw this mostly black, older mixed-breed dog (part husky, part angel). He was sharing a “cell” with a Keep Reading...
Why Military Families Keep Getting Better and Stronger
This is a guest post from Michael Joseph Lyons and is not a sponsored post.I imagine most of you who are military spouses came into it either knowing a great deal about the military . . . or almost nothing. Perhaps you grew up in a military family or had close associations—and pretty much knew what you were getting into. But if you were like most Americans, you had almost no exposure to the U.S. Military and its ways; you just fell in love with a member of our Armed Forces—and fell into a military life. Whether the unique culture called the military was a shock, a thrill, or a Keep Reading...
These Are the 2018 Holiday Deadlines for Mailing Military Care Packages
It's (almost!) the most wonderful time of the year. And that means... mail! And cards! And care packages! And stressing out that your care packages actually got to their address and aren't just stuck on a tarmac in a foreign country. (Oh wait, just me? Okay. )The USPS has released their mailing deadlines for 2018, which means you have guidance so you don't have to wake up at night and worry if that one box made it to your deployed loved one.And by the way... the idea that there's one busiest day of the year at the post office. The USPS says that idea is antiquated and doesn't exist Keep Reading...
