A new year is always a wonderful way to get serious about making life a little better. Military spouses are all about that life, to be honest. From figuring out how to PCS eight timezones alone to buying a house without ever stepping foot inside it, spouses are all about being more efficient, knowing how to make existing structures better, and trouble-shooting, trouble-shooting, trouble-shooting.
I’ve collected some really fun, awesome, time-saving, or [insert your own adjective here] ideas that are directly from the brains and hard work of military spouses. Check these out, and then tell me what you’d add in the comments!
1. Education consulting for military families
PCSing and not sure what the future will hold for your kids’ education? Meg of MilKids Ed has a solution: Concierge-like services for military families who are struggling with any number of education-related issues. From figuring out what schools are the best fit for your kids to learning how to advocate for children with IEPs, GIEPs, and 504 plans, Meg, who is a teacher with a master’s, has solutions to help.
2. Help starting your business
Is this the year you’re launching your business? Or maybe it’s the year you’re going full-steam ahead with it? The Work from Anywhere Business Academy is made with entrepreneurial mobile military spouses in mind. Kayla, who is a milspouse herself with an impressive resume, is offering a free social media course, starting January 15. There’s no obligation to buy anything and you can get a jumpstart on your business goals for the year ahead.
3. Planning with military families in mind
Have you heard of the Rosie Planner? The brainchild of milspouse phenoms, Krystel and Lakesha, the planner is cute, useful, and completely crafted for military spouses. It is customizable (so you can start on any month and not lose any space) and offers PCS and deployment checklists, resources for the military community, and all of the other organizational things you’d expect (including a pocket, weekly calendars, and monthly calendars). I use the Roise Planner every day and it’s literally the only way I keep my life straight.
4. Homecoming-worthy clothes in your closet
Run by a sister-in-law duo, one of whom is a military spouse, the Lime Dot Shop is an online boutique filled with cute, trendy clothes and accessories. Their All Things dress is one of my favorites to wear in the summer and can be dressed down or up with accessories and shoes, making it versatile and something that is just fun to have in your wardrobe, especially for those mandatory fun events.
5. Feeling great about yourself
InDependent, a military spouse-focused health non-profit, is running its Military Spouse Wellness Summit this year during March. The online conference has a host of great opportunities to learn about holistic health. If becoming healthier and happier this year is part of your plan for 2018, this is a low-cost way to do just that. Get real resources and tools that will make it so much easier for you to cope with the obstacles of military life. There are two tickets: One is a free, general admission ticket, and the other offers a few extra perks and is a VIP ticket.
