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 [...]
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What Military Families Need to Know About Identity Theft
Two weeks ago I was checking my credit card balance online. I saw three purchases that about made my heart jump out of my chest. $786.92 TGI Fridays $109.34 Hampton Inn $36.00 McKenzie Markets I knew right away it was a series of fraudulent purchases. We live overseas and there are no TGI Fridays, Hampton Inns, or McKenzie Markets. [...]
The Magic Way Military Families Stay Connected Across the Miles
I heard the phone ringing and the feeling of pins and needles immediately rippled from my shoulders down to my fingertips. I was right in the middle of giving my son a bath. With urgency in my voice, I told my son, “Hurry daddy’s on the phone. It’s time to get out.” I scurried to pull my son out of the bath, grab a towel, and run to the [...]
7 Small Ways to Help a Military Spouse and Make a Huge Difference
A few years ago when we were still stationed on the East Coast, my husband was gone for several months at a military school. Right before he left, I quit my job as a nurse to be a full-time stay-at-home mom to our 6 month old son. I didn't know it yet, but I was about to turn into a lonely military wife. It was an odd feeling at the [...]
Best Military Life Blog Posts of 2015
It's 5:30 am here in Okinawa. I'm sitting on my balcony today looking out at the beautiful island sunrise. I feel the dew on my cheeks from the warm winter air. It's 70 degrees here, and it doesn't feel anything like the cold bitter Midwest winters I grew up with. Both my kids lay nestled in their beds, while I sit here drinking hot [...]
Best Holiday App for Military Kids Far From Family
My in-laws were just here Japan for two weeks visiting us. During their visit, they met our newborn daughter for first time. These are the moments everyone appreciates when you live far from family. The moments where you build relationships and connection. The moments where you share laughs and giggles together. It’s special. It’s also [...]
Military Families: Take Your Dream Vacation With Armed Forces Vacation Club®
A huge thank you to Armed Forces Vacation Club® for sponsoring this post! For the first time in years the kids are with a babysitter and my husband and I are on vacation—alone. It’s almost like we forgot how to enjoy ourselves without the constant interruption of little voices shouting our names and little hands tugging at our [...]
How to Build the Military Spouse Community You Always Wanted
Traveling to the East Coast to visit my active duty boyfriend for the first time, I got my first taste of what the military community was like. It was a discouraging experience. I flew back to my home in the Midwest thinking that military life was not for me. After a weekend filled with beaches, social barbeques, and night life, you would [...]
6 Things You Need to Know About the Military Pay Stub (LES)
Military benefits are confusing! I'm so glad Elizabeth Colegrove from The Reluctant Landlord is willing to share her knowledge of military benefits with us and helping us decode the military pay stub! For military families, getting on your feet financially can be overwhelming. For me the hardest part about becoming a [...]
7 Must Try Tech Tips for the Modern Military Family
MILITARY LIFE is tricky sometimes. There are a lot of moving parts, especially when it comes to demanding work schedules, kids' activities, TDY, homecoming and deployment. My husband and I had a heck of a time staying on the same page when we were first getting serious and then again after we were first married. It seemed there was a [...]