Life of a Military Wife

For a different spin on family roles this week's podcast views them through the lens of Encanto (the hit Disney Pixar movie). Learn more about transitional characters like Maribel. This is a way that my professors often helped us to understand different concepts in regards to family systems and family therapy. I want to share some of that with you. https://foreverfamilies.byu.edu/becoming-a-transi...

Making ends meet or something that everyone has to worry about at some point. The military moves our families every so often making it necessary to have options that are flexible. Additionally paying for education and certifications can be pricey, so finding resources is important. We'll talk about all this, as well as, the free upcoming military resiliency training I'm hosting with another podcas...

This episode's a little late due to the fact that I took some personal time this last week. Regardless we're going to hit the ground running and get some updates on situations that affect military families and veterans. Specifically, the situation with Balfour Beatty in regard to the investigation into fraud. As well as a hopeful step in the right direction in regard to burn pit legislation. Addit...

What does it really mean to be smart? There are actually seven different forms of intelligence. Each of these forms of intelligence develop at different points in our lives and mastery is reached a different stage in our development. What are they and how can you improve in the different forms of intelligence that you might be lacking in? This podcast exists to honor service and preserve history....

All relationships require effort, military relationships are no exception. Add to this, the separations that come just as a matter of fact with military life and it's become helpful to find resources to level the playing field. I want to share resources that have helped us. This podcast exists to honor service and preserve history. If you’d like to support that work with a small, voluntary contrib...

In today's day and age it feels like there's always some new concept for us to grasp or information we need to learn. With new technology and the world going at such a fast pace, understanding how we learn as well as how those around us learn and make life a whole lot easier. The Way They Learn https://www.amazon.com/dp/1561792535/ref =cm_sw_r_apan_glt_i_W5WKD5C0QPZ67GGF9505 Awakening Children's M...

With everything going on in the world the phrase that keeps popping into my mind is a quote from Princess Bride. It might not be a land war in Asia, however it's definitely got everyone's attention. This podcast exists to honor service and preserve history. If you’d like to support that work with a small, voluntary contribution, you can find us on Ko-fi. https://ko-fi.com/samwoolf  Podcast Links ...

There's a time and a place for everything. It's important to learn when you need to stand up yourself and when it's time to kind of go with the flow. Advocating for yourself can be life-altering. Especially in the military community it's imperative to know how and when to go about it. This podcast exists to honor service and preserve history. If you’d like to support that work with a small, volunt...

In a shocking turn events over 3,000 military families have been evacuated from their homes due to water contamination in Hawaii. These families were exposed to petroleum in their water for days before they were informed by military officials. Who knew what and when? https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2021/12/06/why-werent-you-there-to-protect-us-hawaii-military-families-grill-navy-leaders...

With this new year there is already a lot going on. Let’s get up to speed with some new military policies that are taking effect as of this year and will impact military life. Also there were some developments at the end of last year that I want to share. https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2021/12/31/betty-white-legendary-comedian-dies-at-99/ https://www.militarytimes.com/news...

Have you ever made a New Year's resolution only to give up on it by the beginning of February? It's easy to get discouraged when trying to make changes so instead of resolutions let's make goals. This episode covers how to set and make effective New Year's resolutions based off of a research study conducted in 2017. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371 /journal.pone.0234097 This po...

The holiday theme song for many military spouses is "All I want for Christmas is you". Oftentimes we're not going to get that wish, so what is it like for families and service members when they're apart at Christmas. Additionally, what are some good techniques to get through the holidays without your loved ones? This podcast exists to honor service and preserve history. If you’d like to support th...

Most Americans are familiar with the "day that will live in infamy'' speech given by FDR. With the 80th anniversary of the attack on Pearl harbor we'll talk about some first-hand accounts you may have never heard. Additionally, Congress has been considering expanding selective service to include women. This would mean that women would be able to be drafted alongside men. What's going on with his l...

As human beings we need social ties and relationships. In short we need a sense of community for our emotional, mental and physical well-being. How do we find that community and maintain it? How do we rebuild that sense of community when we've been transplanted to a new location? Building support systems to combat the feeling of isolation is key. This podcast exists to honor service and preserve h...

There truly is no place better than home for the holidays. Traveling to spend time with family is something many families, including military families, do this time of year. Having a game plan can help those trips be more enjoyable. These are my top 10 tips for road trips with kids. This podcast exists to honor service and preserve history. If you’d like to support that work with a small, voluntar...

Positive psychology and mental health researchers have found that gratitude can have a significant effect on our physical and mental well-being. One of the most effective methods they found does keeping a gratitude journal. This Thanksgiving let's talk about how being thankful can help us live a happier life. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7701091_Positive_Psychology_Progress_Empirical_V...

Some wonderful things are taking place involving women's healthcare for military families. Additionally there are new developments in regards to the situation in Afghanistan as it involves the families of military service members. What's going on and what can we do about it? https://www.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/2776792/air-force-womens-initiative-team-champions-womens-health-care/ https...

What does it mean to be a veteran? What are you doing on Veterans Day, do you go to parades, spend time with family or go to work. How do we show our appreciation for those who sacrificed for our freedoms. Let's talk about it. https://www.operationgratitude.com/ https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ This podcast exists to honor service and preserve history. If you’d like to support that work with...

It's The most wonderful time of the year. Sometimes you need to start prepping for Christmas before Thanksgiving otherwise you're going to miss out on opportunities. I'm going to break down organizations that assist military families during the holidays. If you're a struggling military family they can help you make ends meet this time of year. If you are a civilian family and want to assist a mili...

What do we do now? Is the question many people are asking themselves in regards to the situation in Afghanistan, especially those US military personnel that still have family trapped there. What is being done to rescue those who have been left behind? What can we do to help? Let’s talk about it. This podcast exists to honor service and preserve history. If you’d like to support that work with a sm...

Have you ever had a misunderstanding with someone and when they went to apologize it just didn't feel like they meant it. Or have you made a mistake and sincerely tried to fix it and the other person just didn't seem receptive. And maybe that you recognize a different form of apology as sincere than someone else. The more we understand about how to express apologies in ways that others will recogn...

How do families and social structures function? How do we interact and healthy stable ways? What is a boundary in a relationship? What are the rules that we use to function as families? How do you recognize a vicious cycle and break it? Let's have a conversation about all these things and more. This podcast exists to honor service and preserve history. If you’d like to support that work with a sma...

Are traditions important to your family? Do you value harmony in your home? Is your family structure a democracy or a republic? All of these are aspects to understanding your family paradigm. The better family paradigms are understood the easier it is to operate and interact with ones that differ from yours. So what are the four main family paradigms? Which one does your family use? Which one does...

What does it take to receive the Silver Star, the Purple Heart or even the Medal of Honor? It's sad to admit but for the longest time I misunderstood the purpose of the Purple Heart. So let's talk about the first female recipient of the Silver Star for actions in combat as well as what it takes to get the rest of these medals. https://valor.defense.gov/Description-of-Awards/ https://www.va.gov/opa...

Have you ever wondered about what your ancestors did in WWII or maybe the revolutionary war. Did you have a grandfather who was a gallant sea captain or perhaps a grandmother who was a nurse? What could you learn from their stories? Who did they know that was famous in history? Come along with me and we'll uncover how you can learn about your family's amazing military past. https://www.familysearc...