• militaryblog

    Military News

    Over at our parent site, MilitaryAvenue.com, we share lots of great things including Military Discounts, Installation Information, and Current Military News from sources like the Department of Defense, USAA, Military Community and Family Policy and so much more.  This is news that you can use as a military family! You can receive a daily synopsis of all the new articles we place on MilitaryAvenue.com.  It is easy to scan, click on what you find interesting, share if you so choose, and then hit delete.  (Fellow bloggers this can be a great source of information if wanting to write about current topics) Interested?  To sign up click here: http://feeds.feedburner.com/MilitaryAvenue and then on “Get MilitaryAvenue…

  • militaryblog

    A Quick Review of 2011 on the Military-Family Blog from MilitaryAve…

    What happened to 2011? It is almost gone and the MilitaryAvenue team discussed all the activity we had seen this year! So much to do and write about.  We saw the troops come from Iraq, discussions on the military drawdown for 2012 and beyond, military health issues at the forefront, homeless veteran initiatives, veteran employment resources, entertainers supporting the troops, we even grabbed the chance to attend the Military Bloggers Conference and so much more. MilAve’s Leanne Kocsis,Inaugural Blogger of Month at USAAMany of our regular features such Tasty Tuesday Recipes, the DoD Blogger Roundtable features on issues impacting the military community, book reviews, veteran support and military children articles…

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    A Thanksgiving Message from MilitaryAvenue.com

    The entire MilitaryAvenue.com Team extends a happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!What are some things MilitaryAvenue is thankful for? First and foremost, we are so very thankful for the people that work so tirelessly at keeping us safe.  The Marines (OORAH!) , the Soldiers (Hooah!), the Airmen (HUA!), the Coast Guard (Oorah!), the Sailors (Hooyah!). We will say a special prayer at dinner for the families that stand behind the troops; especially the spouses and the children.  But we won’t leave out the mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and even grandchildren.  Thank you to each of you for standing behind /your/ Service Member, remembering what they need throughout the year, physically…

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    The Holiday Budget

    It is that time of year again.  Festive lights, decorated Christmas trees, homemade treats and the celebration of traditions with the promise of a bright future. It can also be a very stressful time of year.  The focus has become retail.  We spend our time fretting about the ‘perfect gift’, the ‘perfect meal’, the ‘perfect ensamble’ for the brigade or unit party.  All of this when we should instead be focusing on what the holiday is about.  We have found joy in spending, getting the biggest, best, most luxurious.  The worst of it: the stress lasts well into the new year when we overspend, don’t budget and  simply spend on impulse instead of planning. Want some simple tips on…

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    The Small, Fine Print

    How often do we take the time to read the small, fine print? Last weekend we had a great offer extended to us for a getaway weekend from a national corporation (HGVC) to a city which many consider to be a fun place to visit.  Las Vegas, here we come!  We came to visit and find memories.  Two of our kids were born here while we were stationed at Indian Springs (now Creech AFB) and then a pregnant PCS 34 years ago.  That was another story about military life and overseas assignments, birth with a doctor speaking a different language, etc., but I get way off this story.  Sunrise over…

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    Life Insurance Awareness Month Quiz – Win an iPod Shuffle

    September is Life Insurance Awareness Month. To celebrate USAA and MilitaryAvenue are joining forces to give away an iPod shuffle to one lucky winner! Simply COMMENT on our note at Facebook with your answers / “best guess” to the following questions. We will draw a random winner from those COMMENTS made by Sept 30th and announce our winner on Oct 3rd.   Have fun! Life Insurance Awareness Month QuizCourtesy of USAA1.       True or false. All active duty service members and Guard or reserves who are in a drilling status qualify for group life insurance.a.       Trueb.      False2.       Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance stops:                     a.       90 days after you return from deployment.b.     …

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    Keeping It Simple – How to deposit money with USAA

    I am a fairly simple girl.  I love my family.  I love my God.  I love my country.  Dinner shouldn’t take me much longer then 30 minutes to make.  Homework tools should be kept in the same place every night.  Junk mail, old school papers, finished newspapers should go right into the recycler.  Rooms should be picked up and toys put back in their place each night.  Banking shouldn’t be complicated. Banking.  Even taking the time to deposit money via the drive through is on the not so simple ways to do things list for me.   I can remember being fresh out of college, receiving sporadic checks and depositing them via USAA Deposit by Mail.  Sure, it…

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    From Military to Civilian

    I just returned from a great visit to USAA in San Antonio and had the pleasure of meeting a lot of great people, seeing a lot of great things up USAA’s sleeve and doing some super networking with fellow bloggers, military spouses and financial gurus.  (In fact, I frequently thought, “How was I so privileged to be invited seeing the room was full of such-experts.”)  What a wonderful opportunity!  The visit culminated with their 9/11 remembrance, “America’s Resolve”.  Our emotions were tested and kleenex placed at the end of every row.  Even saying the Pledge of Allegiance tugged at my heart and that was just the beginning. We listened intently to the keynote speaker; bated…

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    We Will Never Forget – 10 Year Anniversary of 9/11/01

    Why I will never forget … You can ask me where I was on Sept 11th, 2001 and I am instantly brought back to my apartment. (I worked from home); sitting at my desk; nursing a migraine headache. I can remember calling my husband; IMing my co-worker, Dan; learning that my dad, a colonel in the Air Force, was on high alert with a very long day (month … year…) ahead of him. Tears would stream down my face periodically throughout the day. For me life had changed. But what about my children? They weren’t alive. Ask the generations that are in high school and younger and they really may…

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    Up, Up, and Away: Heading to USAA

    Laptop & iPad – Check Itinerary – Printed and packed Babysitter – Lined up and on her way (Grandma is travelling in from Michigan!) Instructions for our day for Grandma – Thought out, typed and on the frig Dinner in the crockpot for tonight – Prepared Brand new shoes – On my feet Hugs and kisses to my guys – Done, Done, Done and Done USAA Bloggers Conference 2011 here I come!I’m so excited to share with you what is up the pipelines for USAA.  This ‘invitation only conference’ is going to be a whole lot of fun; jam packed with a whole lot of information; and a great reminder about companies that stand behind us, the military family!…