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To Move or Not To Move… {The Extended TDY}

June 17, 2016 No Comments

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of CORT for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.

Sometimes in military life, there are curve balls. There are so many opportunities for strange things to happen, or to be faced with decisions that one wouldn’t otherwise have to make. Moving with your service member spouse for long-term TDYs or a pcs to less than desirable place are just some of those choices. So what do you do?

1. Staying Home/Geo Bach – The first option would be not going. I hate this option personally but I get it. In a world where I feel like I’m constantly being separated from my husband willingly doing it just drives me crazy. However, now I’ve got children in school so I can’t really just pick up my life and go anywhere temporarily. It’s one thing to PCS, but a temporary move where I’m going right back to where I came from, nope. Get your countdown calendars ready and prep your care packages! Even if they aren’t overseas, it can be just as difficult to be separated from your loved one for an extended period of time.
2. Going – So you pack up your clothes and anything else you might want and you move with your service member. You like adventure right? You might not have kids, work from home, take online classes, homeschool or just have pre-school aged kids. So why not take advantage of your perfect situation in life and jump on the crazy bandwagon and go with them. When I was pregnant with my oldest we did this. It was really fun. We stayed in a TLF for a couple months, but we were together.
3. A Little of Both – This is option that is the best of both worlds. Maybe it is a really long TDY, and for whatever reason staying the whole time just won’t work for you. Make it a vacation and go for an extended period of time. During one occasion I also combined vacation time with my family. It was a nice diversion that ate up the time. It was great and made the time apart so much easier.

Now that you’ve made your decision you’ve still got more decisions to go! Will it be TLF living, a furnished apartment, housing on base or some combination of the three. Maybe there’s another option? Have you heard of CORT Furniture Rental? I have heard of the company before, back in California years ago. In fact we purchased furniture from them from what used to be model homes. It was coolest thing ever! When I discovered they had a program designed for the Military I was thrilled, and the opportunities seemed endless! Instead of moving furniture, rent a small place and use the per diem in part to rent furniture. How fabulous is that? Elizabeth {a fellow fabulous milspouse blogger} talks more about using per diem on her site,The Reluctant Landlord . It’s got some great information. CORT Furniture Rental is available for to fit the needs of any military family, Geo-Bachelor or single service member. One of the first things that jumped to mind was post-pcs when your furniture gets “lost”..man what a relief it would be to call up CORT Furniture Rental. The possibilities are endless.

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identity theft, LIfelock, military, military discount

Keeping Your Identity Safe in the Military and Civilian World – Sponsored

March 4, 2016 No Comments

These days, most people have some experience with identity theft or fraudulent charges. We have had several experiences ourselves, and each time it happens its one of the most terrifying things ever. Despite knowing that we have a wonderful bank that has taken care of us when we have had these incidents before; I still find myself close to tearing up and full-blown panic sets in. Who is doing this? Why are they doing this and how did this even happen? It boggles my mind that despite being careful this happens. How can we protect ourselves from something like that especially when our loved ones are traveling frequently, deploying and our families PCS? Our documents and information are constantly moving around which can put us at great risk. So many people in our community have recently had information compromised through major security breaches. The risks are real and out there; but here are simple easy steps we call can take, military or not, to keep our identities safe.

1. Shred – Shredding documents is an easy way to get rid of documents with identifying information.

Whether they are bills you are done with, old medical and banking information or receipts; making sure you don’t toss these things out is a really easy way to protect yourself. Keep in mind that the criss-cross shred is the most effective. You can also look up more info about shredding in your county. Many times there is a community shred day where people can bring in items to be destroyed. It’s a great program.

2. Safe – A regular or document safe is another relatively easy step. We own a safe where my husband keeps all of his pertinent military documents, This would also be the place where we keep anything we wouldn’t normally shred. Some people still use safe deposit boxes as well.

3. Monitoring Service – For those wanting to kick it up a notch, there are monitoring services that aid in keeping you safe. I am so pleased to be able to partner with Lifelock and present their Military offer to you all. Having an extra layer of protection is seemly more necessary these days then it ever was before. Lifelock offers amazing protection for your monetary interests and your identity; and that is something that you can’t put a price tag on. With Lifelock you can expect someone is keeping an eye on your identity 24/7, alerting you the moment something comes up, and taking care of you to fix an issue once it is identified.

Lifelock stands by the men and women of the Armed Forces, by acknowledging their service to our country and providing these families with an amazing discount for their services. This is something as a military spouse that I appreciate. By signing up for Lifelock you will receive a 30-day trial of their standard protection plan, plus 15% off the lifetime of your membership. With that you receive perks like live US based support, address change verification, reduced pre-approved credit card offers and more.

Visit Lifelock and make sure the code WESALUTE3 is entered in the ‘Partner/Code” section and you are set. Enjoy the security and comfort in knowing that you are protected.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of LifeLock. The opinions and text are all mine.

Comments submitted may be displayed on other websites owned by the sponsoring brand.

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Chevy Salutes, Finding New Roads, life, military, military discount, military life, sponsored post

Three Ways to Help Your Kids Merge Seamlessly #FindNewRoads

May 14, 2015 No Comments

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Chevrolet via MSB New Media. The opinions and text are all mine.

We’ve been a military family for almost thirteen years now, and it’s definitely been a journey. There was even a brief moment where I had just had a baby, was in the middle of nowhere, while Mr. Air Force was gone eighteen hours a days for days on end. As a new military spouse, with not a lot of coping skills on my back burner this was a pretty low time in my life. Quickly though I gained some amazing skills – reintegration, transition, solo-parenting…I got mad skillzzz! Then the kids started growing up. They were in need of some skills of their own, and it was up to me to provide those for them.

So how do you help your kids navigate the roads of military life?

1) Plug them in ~ This one has proven to be the most valuable during most of our transitions. Getting them out and involved in their community gets them feeling normal. While there is a certain amount of “circling the wagons” that occurs during any time of upheaval, getting back to a “normal” of sorts has been successful for you. We find a church, get the kids involved in an outside activity and become involved in all of those things ourselves. It’s like an extra fast root grower!

2) Be open and honest ~ Life sometimes throws you a few curve balls, whether you are military or not. Talking about what is happening and being honest with your kids lets them feel involved and heard. In our home we have lots of pictures of our friends from our previous locations, and with technology being as amazing as it is, we can communicate so well with our friends and family that really meant a lot to us. We talk about the times we had, and saying that they miss “so and so” isn’t an uncommon occurrence. So we stop and talk about it, pick up the phone and call that person…or maybe even pick up a pen and paper to write a good old fashioned letter.

3) Take care of you! ~ I can’t even begin to tell you how important this last one is. Even though it doesn’t technically have to do with the kids I know that when I’m not taking care of myself things don’t exactly go well around the house. My stress and anxiety isn’t exactly something I can hide very well and I’m guessing neither can most people. Taking my own advice, and applying it to me, goes a long way to making it happen for them.

It can be a struggle to remember that it isn’t just about me. I’ve got three little humans relying on me for all the physical stuff as well as all the emotional stuff. Navigating the roads of military life is always an exciting one. You never know what might come your way, but as clichéd as it sounds your family is what gets you through. The community around you is also an extremely important part of navigating those new roads. It’s beautiful partnerships like the one I’m honored to be a part of, that makes us feel appreciated.

#Chevy Salutes

How is Chevy helping military families find new roads? Well, during the month of May Chevy is offering incredible discounts to service members, including the National Guard and Reserve (which is extremely important to our family). Their discounts are below MSRP, and the Military Discount Program can even be combined with other amazing discounts, like the one for USAA members. You really can’t beat that if you are in the market for a new vehicle. Their Military Discount Program is one of the top programs out there among car companies, which is why it is so important to them during this month to share that with us.

Military families are constantly finding new roads that lead them to their new homes, new friends and new adventures! Do you have a story of finding a new road? Hop on over to Instagram and share that with us to win amazing prizes.

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identity theft, LIfelock, military, military discount

Five Ways to Combat Identity Theft as a Military Family

May 4, 2015 No Comments

This is a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I hope you like these awesome tips and take them to heart. Identity theft and fraud are a huge deal, especially in our military community. Tips gathered through my own research and experience, as well as an amazing partnership with Lifelock Military.

It is no secret that Identity Theft is a real concern these days. We’ve had numerous attempts to clear out substantial amounts of money from our bank accounts; and as a young military couple with dreams of hopefully become homeowners eventually, the thought of our credit being damaged in seriously frightening. According to the 2011 FTC Report there were over 17,000 military consumer complaints, and 27% of those were related to identity theft. That is an astounding number that I can’t imagine has gone down significantly in the years since that last full report. So what can you do to protect yourself?

1. Research the type of protection your bank offers – If you’re lucky like we are, you belong to a bank that really takes care of protection your bank account and any credit cards you have through them. Be intentional about this and don’t be afraid to ask questions. It’s your money and it deserves to be protected.

2. Monitor your Credit Score – Once a year you can pull up your credit score. Do it. You can request it from each of the three major companies – Equifax, Experian and Trans Union. Keep a couple years history of this in your files. Its not a full proof way to protect yourself, but keeping track of your numbers through the years is important.

3. Get Educated – The FTC has some amazing information about identity theft, warning signs, tips and tricks and just information. Information is power!

4. Try Lifelock – Lifelock is one of the premier identity theft protection companies! Think of them as an extra layer of protection between you and the bad guy. They have three different levels of protection to pick from, all of which include things like lost wallet protection, live member customer service and a $1million total service protection. Lifelock is offering military members one month free, a free gift and reduced monthly fees! Visit this link for all the information, plus your discount code.

5. Request an Active Duty Alert during deployment – Did you know that you can put an “Active Duty Alert” on your credit file. This is important because it requires creditors to verify your identity before they open an account in your name. These “alerts” are valid for a year. ‘Active Duty Alerts’ are easily activated by calling one of the three companies – Equifax, Experian and Trans Union.

Don’t be caught without protection of some kind. This type of theft will probably only get worse, and grow bigger and time goes on. Having gone through attempts on my bank account, it can be really crazy. And who among us hasn’t lost a wallet or an ATM card, and then proceeded to have a mini-freakout!

Have you had any experience with identity theft? What did you do?

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Big Apple Circus, Circus, DMV, military discount, NoVa

See the Circus in the DMV – Military Discount!

October 1, 2012 No Comments

It seems as though every day I’m discovering something new about the DMV (DC, Maryland, Virginia). There is so much to see here that I just can’t keep up. I’ve got two posts after this one of great places to see while here; and if you check the tab up top you can see all the posts so far about our adventures here.

I’m particularly excited about this one because, honestly, who doesn’t love a circus. Telling you about this one is also fun because I get to pass on a great discount for all my military peeps out there (There is also a similar student discount!).

Big Apple Circus, founded in America in 1977 creates a unique shared experience in their tent, and provides dedicated outreach programs offered in partnership with healthcare facilities and youth organizations. Big Apple Circus insists upon sensitivity to quality of life both in and out of the ring.This respect and care is shown equally for all of our performers, human and animal alike. Renowned for its award-winning family entertainment, the mission of Big Apple Circus is to invigorate the communities they serve with the joy and wonder of the classical circus. Learn more at http://www.bigapplecircus.org/

I’ve been to the circus once, and the kids went to the circus while the hubby and I were on our Babymoon. I can’t wait to attend with the kids, and experience the fun of the circus together. Check out some of these cool acts, and the Ringmaster.

Here’s the 411 on the discount:

New York, NY – Sept, 2012 – Big Apple Circus is proud to announce that beginning this month a 50% discount will be available on tickets to their spectacular LEGENDARIUMshow for all veterans, active-duty military personnel, and their families as a thank you for their service. We invite veterans, service men and women, and their families to join us in the thrill of watching our fantastic performers in an intimate tent setting where all seats are less than 50 feet from the center ring.

When: September 20- October 8, 2012
Where: Dulles Town Center, 45630 Dulles Center Blvd.

Tickets are on sale now for select shows at a discounted rate of $30, $24.50, $18.50, or $12.50 for active duty military and veterans with the promotional code: Military.
Purchase tickets online now at https://tickets.bigapplecircus.org/Online/default.asp

Anyone who has purchased a discounted ticket online will be required to show a current ID and documentation of military service to qualify to receive this special rate at will call. Without qualifying proof, they won’t be admitted to the show and no refund will be issued. Tickets purchased at regular price cannot later be converted to the discounted price. Discounts are also available for college students with a valid student ID. Discounted tickets are available for all weekday shows, Monday-Friday from September 20^th– October 8^th.

Evening shows begin at 7pm every weekday. On select weekdays, there are also 11am showings. Doors open 1 hour before show time. The performance is 2 hours long, including a 15 minute intermission. Children under the age of 3 are free when they sit on an adult’s lap. One child per lap.
The Big Top is completely wheelchair accessible.

Hurry and grab your tickets, and stay tuned for my post about our Circus adventure later on.

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