I've been stock-piling items for this year's military ball season. Because if you read my post about military ball dresses under 100 dollars, you know my last military ball involved a huge wardrobe malfunction. This season, I want to be ready to enjoy an evening out with my husband. I lined up a babysitter two months in advance, and I [...]
Archives for September 2016
I Found the Secret to Getting Kids to Behave
Two years ago my son interacted aggressively with nearly every child he met. Unprovoked, he would tackle other children and bite them in the face or ear—Mike Tyson style. Yes, really. I wish I were exaggerating. I was constantly left wondering 'why is my child so angry and aggressive?'. Fast forward two years later. My [...]
5 Magical Phrases That Will Help You Raise a Courageous Child
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Jockey for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine. The Jockey #ShowEm campaign celebrates the values that guide our journeys and help us overcome the obstacles that life can sometimes place in our way. When Jockey encouraged me to share my own story and #ShowEm what’s underneath, I knew that [...]
How to Overcome the Intense Challenges of Military Marriage
I had just found out that another fellow military wife left our OCONUS duty station—and she wasn’t returning. The pit in my stomach immediately turned queasy. This wasn’t the first military wife who moved her life half-way around the world only to move back to the U.S. without her husband. In fact, she was one of many wives that I knew [...]
The Difference Between Living Off-Base vs. On-Base Housing
We've always lived on-base housing for the fifteen years my husband has been in the Air Force. Until now. We decided to purchase a home when my husband was stationed at Joint Base San Antonio and right away I'm noticing some differences between living off-base versus on-base housing. The Difference Between On-Base and Off-Base [...]
50+ Amazing Things Military Spouses Can Do During Deployment
If you talk to enough military spouses in the middle of a deployment, you'll discover a common theme: everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. It's as if kids wait to get sick, washing machines wait to break down, and all minor emergencies are reserved for the days, weeks and months your service member is gone on a training mission [...]
The Uncomfortable Truth About Positive Parenting
There was blood everywhere: my shirt, his shirt, the floor. It was pouring so fast from my son’s mouth, all I could do was reach for the towel hanging on the oven door handle, prop it gently against his mouth and attempt to catch as much as I could. It had been a day. Well…more like a week. Using positive parenting strategies with my [...]
OPSEC and PERSEC for Military Spouses: 6 Ways Your Family’s at Risk
It just slipped out, "My husband is deployed." At the bank, at the commissary and at the hair dresser. Even at museums, especially those that offered military discounts. Everyone seemed so kind and considerate. I, lonely military spouse, desperately wanted someone to commiserate with me. What I never thought that I could be violating [...]
Yoga Pants Rut? How to Find Stylish Mom Clothes
Lately it seems like stereotypical mom clothes have taken over my wardrobe. First there's the yoga pants. If it doesn't have an elastic waistband, forget about it. Then there is the same t-shirt you have in 3 different colors on rotation. And lastly, there's the mom bun. When I looked in the mirror last week, I wondered what happened [...]
Top 7 Challenges and Solutions for Parenting a Toddler and Newborn
In a way, I felt like I was dying a slow death. This was supposed to be a joyful and harmonious time in our lives. Yet, caring for a toddler and newborn challenged me in ways I never expected. I used to get my toddler fixed up with an activity and then sit down to nurse the baby. I’d finally have her settled and drifting off to [...]