I received product in exchange for this review. All opinions and work are my own.When John and I started our last military move, we had to confront reality: We looked at our mattress.It was old.It was heavy.It was awkward.And it was not fitting into our UHaul.I mean, it was definitely not fitting into our UHaul. Between the weight requirement and the actual usefulness of our mattress-- it pretty much had gone to bedding heaven-- we decided to give it a burial at the local dump. Our truck was lighter, we didn't throw out our backs moving it... and yet, it still felt like Keep Reading...
2017 Holiday Mailing Deadlines for Military Addresses
I don't know about you guys, but when John was deployed, I was obsessed with making sure that Christmas boxes and cards got to him by--or before--Christmas. It hurt my heart to think that he might spend the holiday without any gifts or reminders that there were people who loved him at home.While there's never a guarantee that your mail will make it in time (trust me, one time it took John 6 months to get a letter I sent him... it got routed through Cuba, go figure), abiding by the guidelines that the military puts out is one great way to make sure you have plenty of time.Here are Keep Reading...
Here’s How Sept. 11 Changed 12 Military Spouses’ Lives
I was a tenth grader when the Twin Towers fell. I was in English class when our teacher turned the TV on. As we went from class to class, each teacher kept their TV on--even through lunch, even through band at the end of the day. I was 15 then, and I don't think I would ever have guessed that day that twelve years later, my fiance would be deployed in support of a war that was started because of that singular day.Five years later, we still are. And it's mind-boggling, truly.For those of us who were alive and old enough to remember, September 11, 2001 will be a day we'll never forget. Keep Reading...
Here’s How to Care for a Friend Dealing With Deployment (Even If You’ve Never Experienced It)
I collaborated with Starbucks to share my story on bridging the civilian-military divide. Since 2013, Starbucks has hired more than 10,000 military spouses and veterans and is committed to hiring at least 15,000 more. On Aug. 21, Starbucks launched a national campaign encouraging the 99% of Americans who haven’t served to start a new conversation with veterans and military spouses. Learn more here »The first day John was deployed went by in a hazy blur. I was a teacher then, and I had to give (and grade) finals. My eyes were puffy and I was dead tired from a four-hour drive back from the Keep Reading...
18 Military Discounts in Salem, Massachusetts
I had the pleasure of visiting Salem, Massachusetts this summer. While this is not a sponsored post, I did receive a few fun perks while we discovered everything Salem has to offer. Here in Pennsylvania, the last week of August suddenly turned a lot cooler than normal, and it's not hard to imagine that fall is soon on its way. I can't help myself-- whenever I think of the fall, I think of Halloween, leaves turning, and New England. I think of maple syrup and pilgrims and wood fires. I've correlated the two ever since I was a nerdy kid who loved to read history and fiction. And there's Keep Reading...
To the Milspouse Unsure of Their Next Career Step
A having career as a milspouse can be tough. If you're like me, you had to quit your job to get married and move to your spouse. Maybe you had to leave after a PCS. Maybe you married early and never got started. But for most military spouses (not all... just most), a career during military life is a frustrating task.Depending on your interest, skills, and/or degree, you might not be qualified for the jobs that are available. Maybe you have too much or too little experience. Maybe you're looking for a remote job... or there aren't any in your field. Maybe you can't work a job outside the Keep Reading...
6 Awesome Ways Military Families Can Save on Back to School Purchases
This post is sponsored by DiscountGlasses.com. All work and opinions are my own.The first few years of our marriage, John and I were just scraping by. I had quit my teaching job to move to a different state to be with John and, because of PCSing and teaching certification timelines, we had decided that it wasn't prudent for me to try to become a teacher in Virginia. It didn't make sense-- I would probably get my certification just in time to move again. Instead, I took up freelance writing. We were squashed between student loan payments, a unexpected car purchase, and the loss of one Keep Reading...
This Free App Could Detect a Health Issue in Your Child
This post is sponsored by Shriners Hospitals. All opinion and work are mine.The back to school season means a lot of things: New supplies, new faces, new teachers, and new subjects. For military kids, chances are, it means a new school too. And then there are all of those pre-tests and diagnostics to see where students are lacking skills and knowledge.For students and parents (and teachers, too!) it's a busy time that can feel more than a little intimidating. Kids worry that they won't have the right scores or won't make friends. Parents worry about their child's abilities, the Keep Reading...
This Entrepreneur Has a Message for Military Spouses
Thanks to Liz from Sseko Designs for this guest post!Hi! I’m Liz. I’m the co-founder of Sseko Designs.When I was 22, I moved to Uganda to be a journalist and write about issues facing women living in extreme poverty. While there, I met an incredible group of young women who had tested into university but couldn’t afford to go. Suddenly, my general (and at times overwhelming) interest in the massive social justice issue of extreme global poverty and gender inequality became an extremely focused mission to help a few of Uganda’s brightest young women go to college and become leaders Keep Reading...
Here’s What Happens When You Leave Military Life
It's been almost 9 months since we packed up our hatchback and a moving truck and made one last military move. Amid the chaos of lamps and boxes and driving four hours back home on bumpy, clogged roads, our hearts were just the tiniest bit heavy: John was transitioning out of the military. And we weren't really sure what would happen next.I'm finally ready to write about what has happened in those 9 months since. The good, the bad, the ugly... and trust me, there's quite a bit of all of that. I know that milspouses who are looking at leaving often are scared. Apprehensive. Not sure Keep Reading...
