Articles - My Military Lifestyle

How to Make Your Own Iron-On Transfers With a Printer

A Beginner-Friendly DIY Guide + Free Printable DesignsCustom T-shirts, tote bags, pajama sets, team gear, and kid-made gifts do not require a cutting machine or a professional print shop. With the right inkjet-compatible transfer paper, a home printer, and an iron, you can make your own iron-on transfers in an afternoon.This is an especially useful project for military families: make matching shir...

CRAFTS

10 min read

The Bowl Is Full

Being a cat mom is basically having a tiny, furry roommate who contributes absolutely nothing financially, yet somehow has very strong opinions about everything. Where I sit? Wrong. When I wake up? Also wrong. Being three minutes late with breakfast? An unforgivable offense. When it comes to food, the standards are HIGH.That’s why Purina Pro Plan Dry Cat Food has earned a spot in our routine. It g...

HOME & FAMILY

Your Days Are Busy. Your Protein Doesn’t Have to Be.

At some point in my 30s, I realized mornings are basically a race against the clock. Alarm. Coffee. Shower. Find a clean shirt. Feed the dog. Answer the email I didn’t get to last night. Somehow figure out how to squeeze in the gym. Then, get out the door on time to go train. I do not make any elaborate breakfasts. There just isn’t any time for that. That’s why the NEW Silk® Protein Shakes caught ...

Portable Careers for Military Spouses

PCS orders can change your address in a matter of months, but they should not have to erase your career momentum.For military spouses, a portable career is more than a job labeled “remote.” The goal is to find work built around skills that employers need in many places, credentials you can transfer or maintain, an employer that can keep you on through a move, or a client base that can travel with ...

12 min read

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

4 min read

Wander & Wine: A Narnia Winery at Briar Rose

Briar Rose has always felt like a place you stumble upon rather than plan for. A Snow White cottage tucked quietly into the Temecula hills, stone walls softened by time, crooked lines that feel intentional in the way fairytales always do. However, in winter, something shifts. The air sharpens. The light changes, and suddenly, this familiar story opens into another one entirely. During the colder m...

TRAVEL

The Scariest Thing This October? Your Dog’s Breath

Ghosts, scary movies, and things that are spooky in the night may get all the attention this October, but there is something even scarier lurking in our house…dog breath. While we are stocking up on treats for Halloween to hang out, I am making sure the dogs have a treat of their own with DentaLife Daily Oral Care dog chews. Adding a dental chew to their routine is an easy way to give them somethi...

HOME & FAMILY

Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC): Benefits, Eligibility, and How to Get One

For veterans enrolled in VA healthcare, the Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) is more than an identification card used at medical appointments. It helps verify enrollment, establish veteran status for participating civilian discounts and, for certain eligible veterans, access military shopping and recreational facilities. Understanding which benefits apply to you is the difference between ...

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

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: How to Prepare for your Mammogram

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know Breast Cancer affects 1 in 8 women in the U.S. every year? Throughout the year you’ll see people wear or display a pink ribbon. The pink ribbon is a universal symbol to raise awareness and bring women together in solidarity. It is recommended that women start receiving mammograms at age 40. However, if you have a family history of...

HEALTH & FITNESS

How to Make Your Own Iron-On Transfers With a Printer

A Beginner-Friendly DIY Guide + Free Printable DesignsCustom T-shirts, tote bags, pajama sets, team gear, and kid-made gifts do not require a cutting machine or a professional print shop. With the right inkjet-compatible transfer paper, a home printer, and an iron, you can make your own iron-on transfers in an afternoon.This is an especially useful project for military families: make matching shir...

CRAFTS

10 min read

The Bowl Is Full

Being a cat mom is basically having a tiny, furry roommate who contributes absolutely nothing financially, yet somehow has very strong opinions about everything. Where I sit? Wrong. When I wake up? Also wrong. Being three minutes late with breakfast? An unforgivable offense. When it comes to food, the standards are HIGH.That’s why Purina Pro Plan Dry Cat Food has earned a spot in our routine. It g...

HOME & FAMILY

Your Days Are Busy. Your Protein Doesn’t Have to Be.

At some point in my 30s, I realized mornings are basically a race against the clock. Alarm. Coffee. Shower. Find a clean shirt. Feed the dog. Answer the email I didn’t get to last night. Somehow figure out how to squeeze in the gym. Then, get out the door on time to go train. I do not make any elaborate breakfasts. There just isn’t any time for that. That’s why the NEW Silk® Protein Shakes caught ...

Portable Careers for Military Spouses

PCS orders can change your address in a matter of months, but they should not have to erase your career momentum.For military spouses, a portable career is more than a job labeled “remote.” The goal is to find work built around skills that employers need in many places, credentials you can transfer or maintain, an employer that can keep you on through a move, or a client base that can travel with ...

12 min read

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

4 min read

Wander & Wine: A Narnia Winery at Briar Rose

Briar Rose has always felt like a place you stumble upon rather than plan for. A Snow White cottage tucked quietly into the Temecula hills, stone walls softened by time, crooked lines that feel intentional in the way fairytales always do. However, in winter, something shifts. The air sharpens. The light changes, and suddenly, this familiar story opens into another one entirely. During the colder m...

TRAVEL

The Scariest Thing This October? Your Dog’s Breath

Ghosts, scary movies, and things that are spooky in the night may get all the attention this October, but there is something even scarier lurking in our house…dog breath. While we are stocking up on treats for Halloween to hang out, I am making sure the dogs have a treat of their own with DentaLife Daily Oral Care dog chews. Adding a dental chew to their routine is an easy way to give them somethi...

HOME & FAMILY

Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC): Benefits, Eligibility, and How to Get One

For veterans enrolled in VA healthcare, the Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) is more than an identification card used at medical appointments. It helps verify enrollment, establish veteran status for participating civilian discounts and, for certain eligible veterans, access military shopping and recreational facilities. Understanding which benefits apply to you is the difference between ...

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

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: How to Prepare for your Mammogram

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Did you know Breast Cancer affects 1 in 8 women in the U.S. every year? Throughout the year you’ll see people wear or display a pink ribbon. The pink ribbon is a universal symbol to raise awareness and bring women together in solidarity. It is recommended that women start receiving mammograms at age 40. However, if you have a family history of...

HEALTH & FITNESS

How to Make Your Own Iron-On Transfers With a Printer

A Beginner-Friendly DIY Guide + Free Printable DesignsCustom T-shirts, tote bags, pajama sets, team gear, and kid-made gifts do not require a cutting machine or a professional print shop. With the right inkjet-compatible transfer paper, a home printer, and an iron, you can make your own iron-on transfers in an afternoon.This is an especially useful project for military families: make matching shir...

CRAFTS

10 min read

The Bowl Is Full

Being a cat mom is basically having a tiny, furry roommate who contributes absolutely nothing financially, yet somehow has very strong opinions about everything. Where I sit? Wrong. When I wake up? Also wrong. Being three minutes late with breakfast? An unforgivable offense. When it comes to food, the standards are HIGH.That’s why Purina Pro Plan Dry Cat Food has earned a spot in our routine. It g...

HOME & FAMILY

Your Days Are Busy. Your Protein Doesn’t Have to Be.

At some point in my 30s, I realized mornings are basically a race against the clock. Alarm. Coffee. Shower. Find a clean shirt. Feed the dog. Answer the email I didn’t get to last night. Somehow figure out how to squeeze in the gym. Then, get out the door on time to go train. I do not make any elaborate breakfasts. There just isn’t any time for that. That’s why the NEW Silk® Protein Shakes caught ...