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Simple Ways to Keep Household Chores Organized
I am not a clean freak. A clean bathroom is such a good feeling. Dumping the dirty water in the utility sink after washing the kitchen floors makes me smile. Crawling into bed at night with newly washed sheets is heavenly. But getting it all done. Such. A. Pain! Enter the power of Google Calendar (my preferred family-calendar). I use their simple Task interface to list the necessities. Then my must-dos are integrated with the family calendar as well as my weekly meal plan and it is all simple and easy to stay organized. Some things are done every 10 days, some things once a month and then some things even…
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New and Old Adventures for the Military Family
Old adventure!A military PCS is always an adventure! In fact, “military lifestyle” is a synonym for adventure. Finding new fun things to do in your new community after a PCS can be challenging for a military family! Heading outdoors, new schools, new jobs, getting out the front door, off the installation, exploring social opportunities, meeting new friends, visiting local highlights, browsing new malls, walking new trails and playing on new park equipment can be the best of times. But last week I had the greatest time exploring an adventure from the past! Charleston, South Carolina was a wonderful place to live but the summer’s were hot and humid and each…
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Where is Your Gym?
Motivation and goals are keys to a healthy lifestyle; we read so much about physical fitness around this time of the year. New Year’s resolutions come and sometimes they are gone before the end of January. Some are even made and then forgotten before they are started. For many they include, “I will go the gym this many times (X) a week”. Grinda joined me on my workout today!But physical fitness can be much easier than heading off to the gym and two of the biggest challenges are the time and location issue. Do you have time to get ready, drive to the gym, find the right equipment? Or maybe…
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New Friends, Motherhood and Growth
We are well into the autumn schedule. Boys are at school, my toddler and I are settling into a great routine, which includes some Disney Channel, Lego-time and lots of books. Plus lots of crock-pot time, a newly-painted bedroom and garden canning and storage for the winter months. It has been a great fall so far! But I’m taking on new adventures too. This year that includes MOMSNext. I’m a huge advocate for MOPS. That organization turned my life around from being a lonely mom with not many friends in a new area with a toddler and baby, to an involved mom part of a group; wanted, loved, befriended, needed. …
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Surviving the Storm – Hurricane Preparedness
Being prepared, it seems to be the motto of military-families worldwide. Hurricane Season is upon us and it is time to start making plans, thinking through what we need to do to be prepared. Some great tips from Hurricane Survivors include: Make sure you have lots of bottled water on hand and fill your bathtub before the storm. Tap water easily becomes contaminated and you won’t want to risk it before it’s checked. Make sure you have plenty of batteries, flashlights, candles, and nonperishable food on hand. – Cathy Keep those laptops and cell phones charged. If you have kids and have no power you’ll want to entertain them somehow.…
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Captain Barry Crawford, another American Hero! DoD Blogger Roundtable
Today is a big day for an American hero. Captain Barry Crawford will be receiving the nation’s second highest award for combat valor – the Air Force Cross (each service has an equivalent). In front of friends, his special tactics team members, fellow military personnel and distinguished visitors, Captain Crawford will be recognized for his heroism on the battlefield in Afghanistan. His coolness under fire helped deliver ordnance from the skies to assist his special operations team and Afghan commandos and prevented them from being overrun! The Air Force special tactics officer is credited with saving many Afghan and US soldiers’ lives during that pitched 12 hour battle for control…
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Coupon crazed
I recently had the pleasure of attending Army Wife Network‘s “Coupon Boot Camp Webinar”, supported in part by the Commissary Shopper. I have to admit while I was sitting through it, two days for a couple hours each day, I began to question what I was being taught compared to what I already knew. Pretty basic stuff. But it was an opportunity to educate myself and I took it all in, reaffirming mostly and taking in a few bits and pieces as well. (As an example, I had no idea you could use a manufacturer coupon and a BJ’s coupon on the same item … two coupons for one item; TOO cool!) But then yesterday…
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Caring for Your Parents from a Long Distance – Military Style
Praying for Grandpa and Grandma as they travelOne thing that military families know about is long distance communications! We also face long separations from family and find ourselves frequently traveling a long ways to be with family. Sometimes that makes us better at helping others from a long distance too! We know the phone does not always give a clear perspective of what is going on at the other end. So when the phone rang two weeks ago with an almost distraught family member on the other end we knew there was more to come … We have a large extended family but as the military piece of it we…
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Roots and Wings
We have an interesting phenomena going on in my house. We have an 18-month old and an 18 year old (and two other brothers in between). My husband and I often laugh with each other over the fact that we are the “young parents” with *J* (at sporting events, parent-teacher conferences etc etc) and we are going to be the “old wiser-parents” with *L*. There are times when I just want my 18-month old to grow up. I want him to communicate (although this can be hard even for an 18 year old); tell me his favorite things; share his deepest wishes; form an opinion that doesn’t involve whining; meet friends;…
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Financial Fitness in 2012
Welcome to a new year, military-families! We have so much ahead of us to look forward to: family time to spend, PCSs to plan, houses to buy, vacations to save for, retirements to plan for, new babies for some and others are sending our babies off to college (Yes, I would fall into that category). 2012 is going to be a great year!Did you make any New Years Resolutions, or I would rather call Personal Goals? How is that going? My big one this year is to get my home more organized. You can read more about that journey and steps I am taking on our blog ‘Our Letters to…
