Raising Kids
As I child, I remember roughhousing with my dad in the living room, playing Buck the Bronco. I would jump all over him, giggling incessantly. Then we would play Wake the Sleeping Bear, where he would pretend to be a sleeping bear and I would sit on his head, stand on his back and tickle his feet until he "woke up" and scared the [...]
MilSpouse Life21 Long Distance Friendship Truths Only a Military Spouse Will Understand
I stood in my living room looking out the window when I saw her. She was walking her golden retriever around the neighborhood, and I vividly remember—as if it happened this morning—seeing her bubbly brown-haired self and the dog walk past the front of my house in slow motion. I was dealing with some major PCS anxiety because all I kept [...]
Military ResourcesMilitary Base Gate Etiquette: 10 Small Ways to Avoid a Giant SNAFU
Ah, the military police at the gates. They’re the ones who stand in the intense heat, bitter cold and torrential downpours as they check ID cards. They stand for hours and skip meals. If they have a moment, it’s a quick one to swallow a few bites. My husband was military police—or rather, since he is in the Air Force, he’s known as [...]
How to Get a Breast Pump Through TRICARE for $0
At 7 months pregnant it was time to finalize the baby stuff. I still needed a breast pump and I thought I discovered a money-saving solution. After three kids, my friend announced she was officially hopping off the baby-making train, and she was ready to sell all her baby stuff. Lucky for me, this included a breast pump and I was ready [...]
How to Make Time for Yourself as a Military Spouse
This military life is crazy. It's full of uncertainty, hurry up and waiting, and lots of packing or unpacking. As military spouses, we move, we take care of the house, we work, we raise kiddos, and then we repeat. All day, every day. It can be easy to lose yourself in all that chaos. Putting yourself last because of your spouse, [...]
10 Things Strong Military Spouses Do Differently
It wasn’t good news. “My husband’s leaving tomorrow,” she said. She just got word from her husband that he would be deploying within the next 24 hours. There was no notice. There was no quality family time with the kids at the park. It was simply pack your bags and leave. Gulp. [...]
10+ Simple Travel Hacks to Use During the PCS Season
I stood in the middle of the Chicago airport as hundreds of people bustled around me. As a military family, we were in need of some serious travel hacks. My son and I just landed after traveling and flying 20 hours and counting from Japan to Chicago. We were exhausted and still had another domestic flight to catch. post contains [...]
You Know You’re Living In Base Housing When…
Living on base is something many military members and military families decide to do. After all, it means you can call someone if something breaks. Some housing companies don’t even require you to pay electric and water bills, so it can be a good deal. I’ve lived in military base housing for fourteen years and have encountered all sorts [...]
15 Awesome Listening Activities for Kids
It's no secret that mothers are exhausted. You spend so much time worrying about how to make kids listen that it feels like carrying sandbags on each shoulder, sinking you deeper and deeper into the parenting trenches. It feels like there is no fun in parenting anymore. Turns out, listening activities for kids can help lighten [...]
How to Stay Absolutely Miserable in Military Life
Military life is one of those things that will take all the life plans you jotted on a piece of paper, crumple them up and throw them in the shredder. Gasp. Military spouses and significant others, you might feel a little discouraged hearing this. I certainly did at first too. Growing up in the Midwest, I never envisioned leaving my [...]
