6 ways to connect after your military move
Sometimes it’s difficult starting over. There are so many firsts again: new dentist, doctors, hairdressers and barbers, dry cleaners, and everything else that comes along with a new move. Finding friends can be even trickier, but if you follow these tips and tricks, you just may find adjusting a whole lot easier. 1. Facebook Pages: […]
A little perspective on the hard days of being a parent
Do you ever look at your kids and think, Wow, they’re just like me? Usually when I’m thinking that, it’s when I see my “not so great” qualities reflected, like needing to be in control and be right. Of course, it doesn’t help that school has been out for a couple months, or that we’ve spent […]
4 fun and easy summer ideas to keep kids entertained
Ready or not, summer is here. Chances are pretty good that your kids are itching to get involved in something – anything – other than being around their siblings. You may be left wondering where to discover activities to get your kids involved. Let’s face it, there’s a myriad of events ranging in price from […]
Preparing for a PCS: Top tips to a successful move
It’s moving season and many of you have orders to PCS (permanent change of duty station). I’m on the eve of my sixth duty station and I’ll be turning in my 30 days’ notice tomorrow. That’s right, even though I live in base housing; I still have let them know that I’m going to be […]
Your Digital Deployment Footprint: Preserving and Backing up Emails
In a digital world, keeping track of wartime memories and deployment correspondence is getting more and more difficult. I love saving personal information: be it a letter, note or photo, I’m very nostalgic and find comfort knowing it’s there, even though I may not look at it often. My wartime experience begins after 9/11 with […]
Marine Corps Celebrates Month of the Military Child
Service members put their lives on the line and face adversity whether forward deployed, supporting or preparing for war. In most veterans’ minds, the real heroes are their children who didn’t choose this life, but follow along and serve quietly on the homefront. April is the Month of the Military Child. It’s a small gesture to […]
The Constants of Love in Our Military World
Our military world is difficult to navigate for many. I’ve lived more years alone than I’d like and endured through stress, chaos, and loss. Through it all, I relied on the constant love and joy that my dog provided. My black cocker spaniel, Zazu, was the source of so much happiness in all of our […]
My Weekend in Las Vegas and Review of The Palms
As soon as the words Vegas left my lips, a speaking engagement got extended to a last minute girl’s weekend with some hometown friends. I knew The Palms Hotel and Casino offered great nightlife after some post-USMC ball experiences and decided to check out the newly renovated rooms, which were voted “best in the US” by Hospy. We literally […]
Employment and volunteering: A happy union for military spouses
It’s another typical day as a spouse of a service member. Get the kids to school, check. Finish daily errands, check. Dishwasher unloaded, reloaded, homework checked, scraped knee bandaged, check. Now it’s time to work. Yes, I said it. The W-word. You know, the one you get paid to do. I never knew how difficult […]
Surviving Deployment Separation: 10 Tips to Help You Thrive
Deployments are always hard, especially your first deployment. The unknown can really eat away at you when your life seems to be in a state of limbo. Most of us know what it’s like to try to continue our education, have a child, move, or get settled in life. Add a deployment on top of […]
An Entrepreneur’s Dream: INC 5000 Embraces and Empowers the Military Community
There’s a really great party going on outside my room right now. There’s an open bar, the crowd is upbeat with a live band… and I’m in my room writing. Why? Because I’m overwhelmed with the outpouring of support and appreciation that I have received in the last two days — I had to stop […]
Military Moves: It’s never goodbye, it’s see you later
Living on base has provided one of the most invaluable things in my life: a collection of friends. Throughout my Marine Corps journey, I’ve been lucky enough to find precious gems at every duty station. I will cherish these friendships the rest of my life and will continue feeding them through a journey of communication, […]