MilSpouse Life
The house was calm for the first time in a few weeks. It felt weird. My military kids were playing together on the living room floor with all of their army toys for kids we purchased to help them cope with their daddy being away. I was plopped on my ottoman with my hands wrapped around a hot cup of coffee. In the weeks prior, things were [...]
Mom LifeThe Actual Reason Moms Don’t Take Care of Themselves
I remember when I was twenty-four, childless, and single. I was sitting on a white sand beach in Mexico and my only care in the world was whether my next drink would be a Pina Colata or a Mai Tai. Life was good. When I think about being selfish and taking care of me, I dream about Mexico. I think about how I’d love to [...]
Raising KidsHow to Give Your Kid Control Without Being Permissive
About a week ago, I fell into a permissive parenting trap. I was leaving a baby shower to meet my husband and kids for a family photo session. As I started walking out the door, a friend handed me a ball shaped shower favor wrapped in red tissue paper. I looked at her, “What’s this?” “Skittles,” she said, “They’re for your son [...]
The Biggest Mistake Even Good Moms Make
At 3:26 am I laid back down in bed wondering what to do next. All the parenting drama always happens around 3 am, doesn't it? I was a brand new mom with a 6 month-old baby who refused to sleep. He just finished a night feeding and I settled him back into his crib. I tip-toed carefully back to my bed, attempting to not even breathe. As I [...]
Military ResourcesThe Problem With PCS Moves You Never See Coming
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT. All opinions are 100% mine. After 8 hours of overseeing the moving company pack up our belongings, our home was nearly empty. Together my husband and I sat on the landing of the stairs sipping on the last two sodas that remained in our fridge minutes [...]
Making Peace With Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom
It wasn't easy becoming a stay-at-home mom. I remember being in college dreaming about how awesome my career was going to be. I dreamed of the big fancy promotions, leadership roles, and making a difference in the lives of others. Being a nurse was both a practical career path, as well as a rewarding one. When I left my nursing job in [...]
What No One Tells You About The Military Spouse Community
At age two and three months, my toddler learned how to open doors. It was my worst nightmare is a parent. Now I had a child who could escape. God help us all. He could also open the pantry and fridge when I wasn’t looking. I swear I was only in the bathroom for exactly two minutes. When I returned, there he was standing on the third [...]
Schedule / Routine3 Mom Tricks to Help Kids Stay in Bed
She heard her cry through the monitor for the fourth time that night. It started with toddler night waking two years ago. At age four, she was still going strong. Each time she finally drifted off to sleep and settled into a deep sleep, there she was calling her to wake. What do you do when a toddler keeps getting out of bed? On top of [...]
DeploymentThe 7 Stages of Deployment Anger (and How to Manage Them)
I’ve never considered myself an angry person. In fact, when I look back into my past there are few moments when I remember feeling angry about something. I never expected deployment anger to take center stage of my emotions. Then again, I never considered myself a “military wife” type of person. And here I am years into life as a [...]
How Strong Military Spouses Rock Deployments
I peeled my body out of bed at 5 am, washed my face with Noxzema and headed straight for the kitchen. Even as a military spouse in the middle of deployment, I can’t help but creep my way out of bed to greet the stillness of morning. [...]
