Stories & advice that feel like coming home.

8 Care Package Gifts for Your Military Guy on Father’s Day

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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

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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...

As a military spouse, you deal with a lot. PCSes, deployments, career transitions, frustrations, disappointments, hurry-up-and-wait. And sometimes it just doesn't feel like anyone cares. This is for you.

To the Milspouse Who Definitely Doesn’t Feel Appreciated

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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...

Here’s an Easy Way to Stand Up for Military Families

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I have to admit it: Before I was a military spouse, I had no idea what military life was like. I had gone to school with a few kids who had parents in the National Guard--some who had even been deployed after September 11--but I didn't really know what military life was like. I didn't know about the sacrifices. I didn't know about the frequent moves. Even as a fiance, I really didn't think about what I was giving up-- earning power, benefits, a long-term career. I didn't get it because I hadn't lived it and I didn't know anyone very well who had. So... when I started getting a taste of Keep Reading...

13 Florida Amusement Parks and Attractions with Military Discounts

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I looked out my window last week and saw snow. Snow! In mid-April! (And it hasn't gotten much warmer since.) I love winter as much as the next gal, but this seemingly endless winter’s got me dreaming of warmer weather. Reading a guilty pleasure book on a sandy beach under an umbrella shading me from the toasty sun… That divine scene makes me think it might be time to plan a trip to Florida! Whether you’re booking a family vacation, looking to get away with your significant other, or dreaming of summer adventures, military folk have lots of options in the Sunshine State. Check out this list Keep Reading...

Here’s How Military Families Can Spring Clean Their Finances

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Navy Federal Credit Union for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. Spring is in the air... and so are taxes... and so is PCS season. And with all of those things often come a little bit of financial anxiety. There's the general stress and frustration of taxes, the new activities and vacations that are hallmarks of spring and summer, and then of course, the extra burden of PCSing. There are quite a few things that military families can do now to help with spring cleaning your finances. Most of them take little time and are pretty painless. All Keep Reading...

You don't have to worry about being uncomfortable or unwanted as a mom or dad at these places. Love the suggestions for baby and kid-friendly activities for military families, including some I've never heard of before!

16 Baby-Friendly Activities and Places for Military Families

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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. It seems a little counter-intuitive that the military would be a welcoming place for kids. But the the truth is, military service affects everyone in the service member's family--from the military spouse to the tiniest kiddo. And the military is often progressive in its social stances when it comes to families, often keeping up with innovative ideas like parental leave policies. It's not just a nice thing to do-- it's something that the DoD knows it must do to Keep Reading...

These 7 Amusement Parks in Virginia Have Military Discounts

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I'm kind of embarrassed to admit it. After three-and-a-half years of living in Virginia at two different major installations--Virginia Beach and Quantico--John and I... never actually explored the amusement parks that Virginia has to offer. We had every plan to. We drove by King's Dominion every time we drove down or up 95 when we lived in the Norfolk area. We spent some staycations at Yorktown and at Williamsburg. We enjoyed checking out Charlottesville and Washington, DC. We loved living in Fredericksburg. And we had every intention to check out Busch Gardens or Massanutten or King's Keep Reading...

8 Creative Ways to Stay Connected in a Long Distance Relationship

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The internet. It's a blessing and a curse. We're always connected... to work, to that frenemy from high school, to the stressful news. But then again, we're always connected. And when you're in a long distance relationship--whether that's a military one or not--that can be a pretty great thing. John and I spent our entire dating and engaged life in a long distance relationship. In fact, now, it seems crazy that we decided we wanted to get married after spending some weekends and a few fleeting week nights (when we could manage them) together. But then again, we spent so much time talking Keep Reading...

Here’s How to Get Care Package Supplies for Free

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When John was deployed, I became pretty much best friends with the folks at the post office. It's what happens when you show up at least once a week and have obnoxiously decorated boxes that make you... memorable (yeah, we'll go with memorable). I dropped a considerable amount of money at that post office on shipping. But one thing I never had to spend money on? Packing supplies. I'm not joking. I didn't spend a dime on boxes or labels. And I had plenty of free packing tape (although sometimes I did use more colorful duct tape and patterned tape). Here's how you can make that Keep Reading...

4 Keys for Military Families Transitioning from Service to Civilian

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This guest post is written today by Dwayne Paro, author of The Empowered Veteran.  Transitioning from the military is not just about the service member themselves.  This is a process that includes the entire family unit.  Each member of the family plays a very critical and important role in the process of transition, much like they did during service.  The military spouse is a key element to the success of any transition.  They are the unsung heroes in the lives of every married member of the military.  When the military spouse takes the vows of marriage they are signing up to something Keep Reading...

97 Sign Ideas for Military Homecomings

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My heart was beating out of my chest. I clutched the homecoming sign with my sweaty hands. I felt a little dumb--I'll admit it-- and a little out of place. No one else had a sign except for me. I had spent at least a month thinking up, the narrowing down, ideas for the poster. I had never done this before; never done the "homecoming" thing. I didn't grow up in a military family, I barely knew anyone who served, and so I had gone to the internet. And on message boards and in pictures, it was clear: everyone had a sign. So I made one too. And now I stood in a MAC terminal just Keep Reading...

Huge list of parenting bloggers in the military community

19 Parenting Blogs for Military Spouses, By Military Spouses

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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. If there's one thing that's true about the military spouse community, it's that we blog... a lot. And it's perhaps no surprise then that there are a ton of military spouse bloggers who also write about their parenting experiences. Naturally, these experiences are a little different than those of their civilian counterparts. It's always a little different when you're moving during a pregnancy or trying to explain to a two-year-old why their dad is deployed or Keep Reading...

This is a gold mine of care package ideas! Pinning for later, need for deployment.

40 Ways to Save Money on Care Packages

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I am totally definitely not going to tell you how much I spent on care packages during John's deployment. That is not going to happen. I'll just tell you: I didn't realize how much I had spent until the end of the deployment year. Ooooh boy. It was pretty egregious. And while I don't feel badly about spending it-- so much of what I sent John needed or it was a great boost for morale for both of us--I do believe that if I knew then what I know now, I could have saved a truck load of cash. So I wrote this for you! I want you to have all of the secrets and tips to saving big on Keep Reading...

The Gigantic List of Free Care Packages for Deployed Service Members

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I get a lot of email. A. Lot. And I love it! It's fantastic to be able to be connected to military spouses, moms, dads, significant others (and the occasional grandma and grandpa) of service members. I field questions about relationships, help find resources, and answer questions about care packages. But sometimes, I'll get an email from someone who has no affiliation with the military at all. They just want to know how they can help--what organizations can they volunteer with? How can they reach out to people they don't know to say thank you or lend a helping hand? How can they Keep Reading...

10 Ways Dual Military Couples Can Prioritize Their Relationships

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Welcome to Amanda, a veteran, military spouse, and blogger, who is writing today's post from a unique perspective.  Mil to mil life isn’t easy. With the Temporary Duty (TDY), deployment, exercises, long hours and working to actually live in the same location it can be hard to stay connected. My husband and I lived the dual military life for just over six years. And then there was the whole year when he was active duty and I was planning our wedding and finishing college. Through the years that we were both in the military, we experienced many times apart. But we learned a few tools to Keep Reading...

Love this sweet care package idea! Saving for deploymenta

Origami Stars Care Package

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If you’ve read my blog, you know I’m a worrier. One of the times I worried most was during John’s deployment (duh, haha). If I had too much time to think, my worries overwhelmed me, so I dug into crafts and care packages. Keeping my hands busy kept my mind busy and eased some of those creeping worries. I found one particular craft that makes for a great care package on its own. If you’re dealing with the worries of a deployment, I hope these origami paper stars can help you the same way they helped me! Origami paper stars are awesome for a few different reasons. First, they’re totally Keep Reading...

Win Reintegration: What Happens When Deployment Ends

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Welcome to Lizann, the author of The Seasoned Spouse and guest today on Jo, My Gosh!  A military homecoming is rarely picture-perfect. Even when you’ve planned out the perfect outfit, the best homecoming sign, and a photographer to capture the magical moment of that first kiss, it doesn’t always go the way you envisioned. Sometimes homecoming is delayed until the middle of the night. Or you have the flu. So many things can change a homecoming at the last minute so it doesn’t go the way you dreamed. The days after homecoming don’t always go as planned either. The time after homecoming is Keep Reading...

The Huge List of Free Stuff for New Military Moms and Moms-to-Be

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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. Having a baby can be an exciting--and kind of scary-- thing. The great news for military-connected military moms is that there are a ton of supports out there to help through challenging times. Whether you're going through this pregnancy on your own while your spouse is deployed, you're a service member and a mom-to-be, or you're a new mom who needs a little financial help (or something else!), there's help out there for you. I've collected the best free Keep Reading...

9 Unique Ways to Celebrate Military Milestones

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This post is sponsored by Nomades. All opinions and work are my own. I am that person. I am that obnoxious celebration person. I love holidays. I love non-holidays. When John and I were dating, I made us celebrate our monthly anniversary. And when John didn't really care about his birthday (or that's what he said, anyway), I over-the-top celebrated it until he did care about it. (Or at least until he told me he cared about it.) For the Super Bowl, I habitually buy too much food. John and I have a "Friday Lunch Buddies" date at the end of every week to celebrate the end of the week. Keep Reading...

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