sponsors Archives - Page 2 of 9 - Jo, My Gosh!

April 12

16 Baby-Friendly Activities and Places 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.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...

March 12

19 Parenting Blogs for Military Spouses, By Military Spouses

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...

February 12

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

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...

February 9

9 Unique Ways to Celebrate Military Milestones

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...

February 7

How to Save and Financially Plan for a Wedding as a Military Couple

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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.Six (six?!) years ago, right around this time, I was beginning to hyperventilate pretty much every night I pulled out a huge binder after work. It was my wedding planner--every detail, every color, every idea. I was planning for a wedding to a guy who was 7,000 miles away at the time. And my guess is that right now, there are more than a few military significant others who are feeling that very same pressure, and frustration, and excitement, and emotion. Here's what we learned Keep Reading...

January 10

Breastfeeding Moms Should Definitely Bookmark This Free Resource

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This post is sponsored by Aeroflow. All work and opinions are mine.Especially if you're a first-time mom (or first-time mom-to-be), it can all be a little overwhelming. From parenting bloggers (all with different opinions and varying levels of education on the subject at hand) to the pressure you put on yourself (the struggle is real!) to the books and videos and magazine articles and advice that everyone shares (all the time), you might be feeling like you're caught in a tsunami of information and emotions.Enter Aeroflow, a medical equipment provider that specializes helping pregnant Keep Reading...

December 29

Do These 7 Things Before 2018 to Start the New Year Right

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This post is sponsored by DiscountGlasses.com. All work and opinions are my own.I love this time of the year: after the excitement and excess of the holidays comes the new year. New goals, a new start, new experiences, new dreams. But before all of that... there are still the last few days of the old year. If you're ready to kick some butt in the new year, there are a few things that you can do in these last, waning days to prepare.Don't worry-- it's all harmless, and it's all stuff you can do easily. And once you finish these tasks, it'll feel awesome! (And you'll be ready to ring in Keep Reading...

December 18

How to Celebrate a Deployment Christmas Without Wrecking Your Bank Account

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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.Christmas during deployment can be a very lonely time... for both the person away and the person (or people) at home. And let's be real: Our culture doesn't make it any easier. When John was in Afghanistan, I can't tell you how many times I cried to "I'll Be Home for Christmas" or "Blue Christmas." The season didn't seem very merry... and I sure as heck wasn't, either. I set about trying to give John the nicest Christmas I could from 7,000 miles away. Decorated care packages, Keep Reading...

November 29

Here’s What We Did During Military Life to Fund Our Post-Transition Dreams

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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Navy Federal Credit Union. All opinions are 100% mine.It's been almost a year since John transitioned out of the Navy. . . and nearly six months to the day since we bought our first house. Just typing those two things is really hard to believe. But it seems like we've been working toward this last year for a very long time. You see, we've been planning for either retirement or transition--whichever John decided was right for him--since we've been married. We knew that military life was not going to last forever, so we wanted to make sure Keep Reading...

November 16

Here’s How This Major Restaurant Chain Is Supporting the Military Community

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This post is sponsored by Outback Steakhouse. All opinions and work are my own.Veterans Day has come and gone and so have many of the offers and perks that come with the observance. (Let's be real, no one serves because of discounts and free food, but it is a nice gesture that is appreciated by many in the military community.) Even though we're thinking about Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Christmas, there is a restaurant chain that is being very intentional about the sacrifices that military families and military members make.Outback Steakhouse is extending some warm fuzzies Keep Reading...

October 7

How Yogabed Can Make Your PCS Easier

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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...

September 6

Here’s How to Care for a Friend Dealing With Deployment (Even If You’ve Never Experienced It)

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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...

September 1

18 Military Discounts in Salem, Massachusetts

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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...

August 16

This Free App Could Detect a Health Issue in Your Child

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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...

July 7

Check Out These Easy Tips for a More Eco-Friendly Lawn

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This post is sponsored by Overstock.com. All work and opinions are my own.Since buying our house in April, John and I are discovering the joys of being homeowners. Or rather, we're discovering all of the things we never had to think about during our time renting apartments. And almost all of those things have to do with... our yard.We've got a yard now-- a long, skinny yard-- and we're still trying to figure out what to do with it. One thing is certain: We want to make our yard as green and eco-friendly as possible. Here are a few of the steps we're taking to do that: Use solar Keep Reading...

July 1

Here’s a Completely Unique Way to Thank the Troops This July 4th

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This post is sponsored by Carnival Cruise Lines. All opinions and work are my own.There were five of us smooshed into an Aerostar among our suitcases and gigantic cooler and vacation souvenirs, driving across the expanse of a very flat, very rural section of the midwest. The dusky sky was clear and stars began to reveal themselves and twinkle as we kept driving... and driving... and driving on a very flat, very straight, very rural section of road.As a habitually car-sick kid, I had a window seat and was watching the shadowy shapes of corn and lone trees and the occasional road sign Keep Reading...

June 30

How to Make Your House a Home After a PCS

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This post is sponsored by Chesapeake Bay Candles. All work and opinions are my own.For military families, moving is just part of life. Every two to three years (and sometimes sooner, or sometimes longer), military families put all of their possessions in boxes and ship them across the country--or across the world. And while, yes, a home is where the heart is or where your family is or where the [insert branch here] takes you, it can sometimes take a little time to make home feel like home.So how do you speed it up? (After all, you only have two or three years of being in that home Keep Reading...

June 29

Here’s How We Renovated Our Bathroom For Under $650

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This post is sponsored by Lowe’s. All opinions and work are my own.The bathroom was keeping me up at night.Since we took the plunge as homeowners and bought a Civil War-era house in our small town, the bathroom was keeping me up at night.The bathroom wasn’t awful. It is an awkward shape. It’s small. But it’s not tiny. And there’s a bit of storage. It’s bright and so it feels airy. (But it isn’t cute. And everyone needs a little bit of cuteness, right?)We didn’t want to do a makeover of our bathroom. There’s so much else to do—including refinishing the hardwood floors by Keep Reading...

June 28

This TV Show Is Featuring Veterans’ Stories in Every Episode This Summer

This post is sponsored by NBC Universal. All work and opinions are my own.A common criticism of movies and TV shows from our community is that there are few accurate or diverse representations of the veteran and military population. Often, veterans are portrayed as damaged from their service or are ignored. Active duty families are rarely seen.The Night Shift, on NBC, is aiming to change that. The show surrounds the night shift of an emergency room team at San Antonio Memorial. Characters in the show find themselves in emotional and hectic situations. One character, TC, is in Syria Keep Reading...

June 27

It’s Time We All Care About Military Child Care

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This post is sponsored by Blue Star Families. All opinions and work are my own.I don't have kids.I don't think that's much of a surprise to most of my audience. It's not that I don't like kids or that John and I are taking a political stand. It's not that we don't want to have them... we just don't. Not right now. Not yet.But that doesn't mean that I don't care about what happens to our military families that do have kids.And military families often don't have access to child care. On base child development centers (CDCs) can be tough to get into. The hours often do not Keep Reading...