Career & Post-Career
12 results found.

Military Life Doesn’t Come With a Manual, But It Does Come With Support
Military life is full of moments that shape us. Some are exciting, like arriving at a new duty station, welcoming a new family member, celebrating a promotion, or preparing for a new opportunity. Othe...

Wearing the Uniform on the Fourth of July
Okay, let me tell you this now like a big sister would, because nobody really explains this part of Guard life beforehand. Wearing the uniform on the Fourth of July feels a little emotional in the wei...

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...

Memorial Day Feels Different When You Wear the Uniform
There’s a shift that happens when you put on the uniform. Memorial Day stops being just a long weekend. It stops being about sales, lake plans, or the unofficial start of summer. It becomes quieter. H...

VSO 101 - Love Your Family by Setting Up All of Your Benefits – Survivor Benefit Program
This month, we’re going to cover how to set up your Survivor Benefit Plan or SBP. For those unfamiliar with the term, the SBP provides a monthly payment to a surviving spouse or other qualified family...

The Best of Both Worlds…or Is It?
If you grew up on Hannah Montana, then you already know the line we were sold: “You get the best of both worlds…” Honestly? That’s exactly how the National Guard gets marketed: Civilian life and milit...

Your Next Mission Starts Here: Turning Military Experience Into an IT Career
One day, the uniform comes off for the last time, and for many service members and military families, that moment brings a big question: What’s next?The transition to civilian life isn’t just about fi...

VSO 101 – Learn More About the PACT Act
Signed by President Biden on 10 August 2022, the PACT Act is a comprehensive set of rules and directives to the VA on toxic exposure. The full name of the law is The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath R...

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – Learning the Lingo Series: Don’t Panic with the Paperwork!
Paperwork! So…Much…Paperwork! Throughout your military career (and beyond, honestly), you are going to encounter a LOT of DoD Forms and other types of paperwork in most military things…housing, medica...

VSO 101 – Applying for Death Benefits: Burial and Funeral Costs
This blog is directed to the families of Veterans, specifically the benefits available for burial and funeral costs after the death of their spouse, parent, or other family member. All of this informa...

Inside Guard Life: Welcoming New Soldiers to the Unit in the New Year
New year, same cold, same 0430 alarms, same “who thought it was a good idea to schedule a PT test in January” energy. Every new year brings a few new faces into the unit. Fresh boots, nervous smiles, ...

VSO 101 – Education Benefits
The words ‘G.I. Bill’ first comes to mind when someone mentions military and veteran educational benefits. There are actually three bills, or programs, that provide educational benefits to service mem...
More For You


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
I am so excited to be back with more amazing military affiliated authors! I had to take a short hiatus to catch up on all the amazing books that I had added to my TBR. Honestly, with all these amazing reads I'm not sure I'll ever catch up! We're really coming back with a bang this month! We got the chance to get to know Kat Anderson! Kat served in the Air Force for over 20 years and even earned a ...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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 ...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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 ...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


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...


My Military Lifestyle
Members Only | Author Spotlight – Kathleen "Kat" Anderson
I am so excited to be back with more amazing military affiliated authors! I had to take a short hiatus to catch up on all the amazing books that I had added to my TBR. Honestly, with all these amazing reads I'm not sure I'll ever catch up! We're really coming back with a bang this month! We got the chance to get to know Kat Anderson! Kat served in the Air Force for over 20 years and even earned a ...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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 ...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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 ...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


My Military Lifestyle
I am so excited to be back with more amazing military affiliated authors! I had to take a short hiatus to catch up on all the amazing books that I had added to my TBR. Honestly, with all these amazing reads I'm not sure I'll ever catch up! We're really coming back with a bang this month! We got the chance to get to know Kat Anderson! Kat served in the Air Force for over 20 years and even earned a ...


My Military Lifestyle
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...


