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My Favorite Summer Sidekick-The Ninja FrostVault™

We all know how important it is to have a good sidekick for all of our adventures! This summer, I have a new sidekick in my life! I recently added the Ninja FrostVault™ to my large repertoire of Ninja appliances...and I have no regrets! I am a busy mom of four and although I try not to overload my schedule, I feel like we are always on the go! I have a few kids in soccer and another kid that plays...

FAMILY

My Favorite Birthday Deals & Goodies

Military life moves fast. One minute you are planning a normal week, and the next you are juggling drill weekends, TDY, school pickups, a random appointment you forgot about, and somebody asking what is for dinner. So if your birthday is coming up, let me put you on to something that feels like a little win. Birthday freebies and birthday savings coming right up! Whether you are active duty, a vet...

DEALS & CONTESTS

Identity, Pride, and Balance

I didn’t grow up thinking about identity as something I needed to define. If anything, it was something I was constantly adjusting to without realizing it. It showed up in small moments, how I introduced myself, how people tried to place me, the pause before someone asked, “What are you?” like there was supposed to be a clean answer...There wasn’t. My dad is Taiwanese, and I mainly grew up with hi...

HOME & FAMILY

The Invisible Battle: POTS Awareness Month

October is POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) Awareness Month. This is a time dedicated to illuminating a complex chronic condition that is invisible to the naked eye, but it affects millions. As a military spouse who lives with POTS, I know the daily challenges and how widely misunderstood this autonomic dysfunction is. It introduces a unique layer of difficulty, as military life de...

HOME & FAMILY

Survival Mode: The Ultimate Solo-Parenting Tips and Tricks Edition

We’ve all been there...when the house or car door closes and your spouse is off to school or a deployment. In an instant you become the sole referee, chief of the house, and only bedtime navigator. All on top of those other roles you play as a stay at home mom like nurse, chauffeur, maid, comfort giver, and time manager. As a military spouse, it’s easy to find ourselves forced to “embrace the suck...

HOME & FAMILY

Raising Kids Who Understand Service (Without Making it Heavy)

The other day, one of my kids asked me why I had drill again. Not in a dramatic way. Not because they were upset. Just one of those random questions children ask while you’re trying to unload groceries, answer three unrelated questions at once, and remember whether picture day is tomorrow or next week. I gave the simple answer and kept moving, but the question stuck with me. The truth is, military...

HOME & FAMILY

Dad’s Guide to Surviving the After-School Hunger Games

Back-to-school season means new backpacks, packed schedules, homework battles, and kids walking through the front door acting like they haven’t eaten in three days....you know the look. They drop their backpack in the middle of the hallway, kick off one shoe in the kitchen and somehow leave the other one by the couch, then immediately announce:“Dad, I’m starving.” As a dad, this is where you have ...

DEALS & CONTESTS

Hot Pockets Summer Stock Up!

If you're like me, it’s the beginning of summer, and you are already drowning. Still getting into the groove of a new job, kids just getting out of school, summer camps starting, and all the activities are coming at you full speed. You barely have time to brush your teeth, let alone figure out every meal and snack for your family (and possibly half the neighborhood kids who take up residence in yo...

DEALS & CONTESTS

The Perfect Side Dish or Main Dish for a 250th Anniversary

Mac and Cheese may be the perfect food! It is filling, easy to prepare, and, best of all, cheese is right there in the name! It is versatile and can be the main dish when paired with nearly everything. Throw some green beans or baked beans on the side, and you have a lunch or dinner that almost everyone can enjoy on this 250th Anniversary of America. As a side dish, Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese (24 o...

DEALS & CONTESTS

When Annual Training turns me into a Solo Parent

Let me just say this upfront, because I wish someone had said it to me like this. Annual Training will humble you real fast when it turns you into a solo parent. I don’t mean that in a dramatic way. I mean in the very real, very unfiltered, “How am I doing all of this by myself right now?” kind of way. Whether you’re the one leaving or the one staying, something shifts. The balance you’re used to ...

RESOURCES

My Favorite Summer Sidekick-The Ninja FrostVault™

We all know how important it is to have a good sidekick for all of our adventures! This summer, I have a new sidekick in my life! I recently added the Ninja FrostVault™ to my large repertoire of Ninja appliances...and I have no regrets! I am a busy mom of four and although I try not to overload my schedule, I feel like we are always on the go! I have a few kids in soccer and another kid that plays...

FAMILY

My Favorite Birthday Deals & Goodies

Military life moves fast. One minute you are planning a normal week, and the next you are juggling drill weekends, TDY, school pickups, a random appointment you forgot about, and somebody asking what is for dinner. So if your birthday is coming up, let me put you on to something that feels like a little win. Birthday freebies and birthday savings coming right up! Whether you are active duty, a vet...

DEALS & CONTESTS

Identity, Pride, and Balance

I didn’t grow up thinking about identity as something I needed to define. If anything, it was something I was constantly adjusting to without realizing it. It showed up in small moments, how I introduced myself, how people tried to place me, the pause before someone asked, “What are you?” like there was supposed to be a clean answer...There wasn’t. My dad is Taiwanese, and I mainly grew up with hi...

HOME & FAMILY

The Invisible Battle: POTS Awareness Month

October is POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) Awareness Month. This is a time dedicated to illuminating a complex chronic condition that is invisible to the naked eye, but it affects millions. As a military spouse who lives with POTS, I know the daily challenges and how widely misunderstood this autonomic dysfunction is. It introduces a unique layer of difficulty, as military life de...

HOME & FAMILY

Survival Mode: The Ultimate Solo-Parenting Tips and Tricks Edition

We’ve all been there...when the house or car door closes and your spouse is off to school or a deployment. In an instant you become the sole referee, chief of the house, and only bedtime navigator. All on top of those other roles you play as a stay at home mom like nurse, chauffeur, maid, comfort giver, and time manager. As a military spouse, it’s easy to find ourselves forced to “embrace the suck...

HOME & FAMILY

Raising Kids Who Understand Service (Without Making it Heavy)

The other day, one of my kids asked me why I had drill again. Not in a dramatic way. Not because they were upset. Just one of those random questions children ask while you’re trying to unload groceries, answer three unrelated questions at once, and remember whether picture day is tomorrow or next week. I gave the simple answer and kept moving, but the question stuck with me. The truth is, military...

HOME & FAMILY

Dad’s Guide to Surviving the After-School Hunger Games

Back-to-school season means new backpacks, packed schedules, homework battles, and kids walking through the front door acting like they haven’t eaten in three days....you know the look. They drop their backpack in the middle of the hallway, kick off one shoe in the kitchen and somehow leave the other one by the couch, then immediately announce:“Dad, I’m starving.” As a dad, this is where you have ...

DEALS & CONTESTS

Hot Pockets Summer Stock Up!

If you're like me, it’s the beginning of summer, and you are already drowning. Still getting into the groove of a new job, kids just getting out of school, summer camps starting, and all the activities are coming at you full speed. You barely have time to brush your teeth, let alone figure out every meal and snack for your family (and possibly half the neighborhood kids who take up residence in yo...

DEALS & CONTESTS

The Perfect Side Dish or Main Dish for a 250th Anniversary

Mac and Cheese may be the perfect food! It is filling, easy to prepare, and, best of all, cheese is right there in the name! It is versatile and can be the main dish when paired with nearly everything. Throw some green beans or baked beans on the side, and you have a lunch or dinner that almost everyone can enjoy on this 250th Anniversary of America. As a side dish, Stouffer’s Mac and Cheese (24 o...

DEALS & CONTESTS

When Annual Training turns me into a Solo Parent

Let me just say this upfront, because I wish someone had said it to me like this. Annual Training will humble you real fast when it turns you into a solo parent. I don’t mean that in a dramatic way. I mean in the very real, very unfiltered, “How am I doing all of this by myself right now?” kind of way. Whether you’re the one leaving or the one staying, something shifts. The balance you’re used to ...

RESOURCES

My Favorite Summer Sidekick-The Ninja FrostVault™

We all know how important it is to have a good sidekick for all of our adventures! This summer, I have a new sidekick in my life! I recently added the Ninja FrostVault™ to my large repertoire of Ninja appliances...and I have no regrets! I am a busy mom of four and although I try not to overload my schedule, I feel like we are always on the go! I have a few kids in soccer and another kid that plays...

FAMILY

My Favorite Birthday Deals & Goodies

Military life moves fast. One minute you are planning a normal week, and the next you are juggling drill weekends, TDY, school pickups, a random appointment you forgot about, and somebody asking what is for dinner. So if your birthday is coming up, let me put you on to something that feels like a little win. Birthday freebies and birthday savings coming right up! Whether you are active duty, a vet...

DEALS & CONTESTS

Identity, Pride, and Balance

I didn’t grow up thinking about identity as something I needed to define. If anything, it was something I was constantly adjusting to without realizing it. It showed up in small moments, how I introduced myself, how people tried to place me, the pause before someone asked, “What are you?” like there was supposed to be a clean answer...There wasn’t. My dad is Taiwanese, and I mainly grew up with hi...

HOME & FAMILY