Inside: Ultimate guide to military retirement gift ideas that'll have service members feeling appreciated, honored. Funny, unique, personal gifts to forever cherish. Retirement! What a time to celebrate. Over the past twenty years (at least!) the honored service member has devoted their life to service. Now it’s time to party! But when [...]
My Favorite Things Family Gift Guide for 2019
I used to be a bit grinchy during past Christmastimes. It's hard to admit, but it's true: I didn’t love Christmas music, gift giving or holiday parties. I claimed “it just wasn’t my thing.” I realized that one of the big reasons I put up a lot of walls during the holidays was because I worried about feeling disappointed. [...]
7 Unforgettable Ways to Create a Memorable Courthouse Wedding
Courthouse weddings are common among military couples. The reasons for getting married by a Justice of the Peace have less to do with eloping and a lot more to do with unpredictable military schedules. Many couples get married in a courthouse before a deployment or right after Basic training because that’s the only time they know for [...]
47 Encouraging Phrases for Kids You Have to Try
Inside: When kids are feeling down, try one of these encouraging phrases for kids to connect your child to their inner greatness. My three year old has boundless amounts of energy some days. Some days I look at him and wish I could bottle up whatever special energy he has and sell it on eBay. I would post it on Facebook, and it [...]
One BIG Myth About Stopping Toddler Tantrums – Experts Fail to Mention
It happened again today as I was driving my daughter to preschool - another toddler tantrum. It was a beautiful chorus of wails and screaming in the back of the minivan about leaving her Huggie and Stuffy at home. We didn't even need music, as she was providing it free of charge. And if you saw me a couple of years ago when [...]
How to Stop Your Child From Whining – Immediately
I sat at the kitchen table, looking across the room as he struggled with the button on his pants. Using both hands to firmly grasp the button and hole, he attempted several times to secure his pants around his waist. I wanted him to stop whining and saying that he "couldn't do it." No luck. It’s hard to sit back and watch [...]
The Blind Spots of Military Life You Didn’t See Coming
Five years ago, while stationed in North Carolina, we had orders to Iwakuni, Japan. Spoiler alert: We never went. Mentally, we prepared for months. When I was pregnant with our first child, I anxiously explored options for how we would handle the Iwakuni move with a newborn. Would I stay back and meet my husband later? [...]
5 Sample Daily Toddler Schedules From Real Moms
I regularly get questions from readers about how to create a good sample daily toddler schedule. While not every toddler is the same, I do think it’s very helpful to see what other moms are doing in their homes. Five stay-at-home moms were asked to share their schedules. So I use the word "real" intentionally because these are not [...]
5 Hacks to Keep a Clean Home With Kids Who Love Messes
Inside: My all-time favorite ways to keep a tidy home even if your kids love to make messes. A huge thank you to Ruggable for sponsoring this post and sending a rug for review. A friend came over last week with her two year-old and infant. Over and over again she said to her toddler daughter, "See! This is why we can't have a nice [...]
How to Turn Your High Energy 3 Year-Old Into a Better Listener
Inside: A simple strategy when your 3 year is out of control, ignoring you and flat out not listening. Post contains affiliate links which means if you make a purchase I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I was awake for only 15 minutes, and I was already dealing with my 3-year-old not listening. My daughter stood at [...]