Milspouse Matters

In light of what's going on in Afghanistan, I thought it was important to address it. We're a proud military family, and our son is now also serving on active duty. While most of us agree that it was time to be done in Afghanistan, we deserved a better ending . You know who else deserved a better ending? The people of Afghanistan and our allies.  I'm hearing from a lot of military spouses. A commo...

I'm taking a little break this summer! On this episode, I'm sharing what's been happening the past weeks, where I've been, and what's ahead for the podcast. Thank you so much for listening for the past few years! I couldn't do this without you amazing listeners. Interested in being a guest? Have an idea for a show topic? Keep listening! CLICK HERE FOR SHOW NOTES AND ALL RESOURCES MENTIONED Click h...

When their dad was deployed, my kids were encouraged and impacted for the better by Trevor Romain and his work with the Comfort Crew for Military Kids, a non-profit organization that has a mission of supporting military children through all the stresses and challenges they face. (Maybe you're familiar with their work too, and the Comfort Crew's mascot, CUZZIE! "CUZZIE cares!") You are in for a tre...

If you know a military child, you know how incredible they are, as well as the many challenges they face. They make me want to be a better person! April is the Month of the Military Child, so let's talk about resources for our amazing military kids! But first, a little history behind it, as well as the 10 ways my military kids have inspired me. Click here for the blog post/show notes for this epis...

Are you a new military spouse or know one? This episode is for you! OR maybe you want a refresher yourself.  I'm reaching back into the vault of my own experiences from nearly 3 decades of life as a military spouse as well of years of writing. I'm also sharing some great tips from friends and listeners (thank you to all who contributed!).  We're discussing some hot topics and common questions, suc...

Today I'm talking to Natalie Gross and Andrea Scott from the Spouse Angle podcast, which is just an amazing resource for military spouses, bringing you all the latest news. In fact, I was on the Spouse Angle Episode 26: When Your Kid Goes to War , where I talked about being a military spouse and then a military mom as our oldest went on active duty.  We recorded this episode last fall, which you'l...

On this episode, I'm talking to Stephanie Montague about how to make the best use of your military travel benefits, including Space-A flights (Space Available) and military recreation facilities.  She also shares how she and her husband did not do the typical 'life after military retirement' and how they've instead traveled and lived overseas since his retirement from the Army in 2015. Be warned:...

On this episode, I'm joined by Ashley Keller of GlowBodyPT. She's a veteran, a professional triathlete, a military spouse, mom of 3 young children, and a prenatal/postnatal exercise specialist and certified personal trainer. I first connected with Ashley on Instagram and just love her posts and her positive attitude, as well as her realistic and practical take on military life.  We're discussing a...

On this episode, I'm giving you an update of what's been going on (fun things like a site relaunch, not so fun things like having COVID--ugh). During this past hard year that was 2020, we've all become more familiar with waiting. I hear from so many of you--you're waiting for your loved one at boot camp, you're counting down the days to the end of deployment, you're waiting for PCS orders that are...

For whatever reason, you and your spouse have delayed having children or won't ever have any. As far as the military goes, are you still a family? Do you often feel left out of military family oriented activities? Do the little jokes and comments about 'when are you going to have a baby' sting? Today, I'm being joined by Jennifer Brantley, who you may remember from Episode 44 and the great discuss...

On this special bonus episode, I'm speaking with Amy Palmer, the president and CEO of Soldiers' Angels, who's sharing what Soldiers' Angels offers and how you can support them or even request services. Soldiers' Angels is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides aid, comfort, and resources to the military, veterans, and their families. Founded in 2003 by the mother of two American soldiers, hu...

On this episode, I'm talking to Kaci Jones of Yellow Ribbon Box. Kaci is a veteran and also the spouse of an active duty Air Force member. When she decided to separate from active duty herself in order to spend more time with her daughter, she knew she wanted to continue to give back and serve. That's when she decided to start a small non-profit supporting military spouses and military spouse and...

Was military life not something you'd planned on? Has it taken a toll on your marriage? Then you'll want to tune to this week's episode. Today, I'm joined by Navy spouse Bryce Langley, who's sharing some great thoughts and wisdom about military spouse life, military marriage, tips for getting through deployments, the importance of mentorship, and so much more. (Along with some ways that spouses' g...

This episode is for parents of military members. If you're not one of those, I think you still might find some helpful resources, and at the least you can pass it on to your OWN parents and in-laws. My husband had served on active duty for over 25 years when our oldest son announced that he'd decided to join the military, too. It came as a bit of a shock to his father and me, as he'd always discus...

On this episode, I'm sharing about our homeschooling journey, and how it fit in with military life! Let's talk about some of the common fears and misconceptions, and some of my favorite resources and tips from over 20 years as a homeschooling mom. We homeschooled our four now grown children, who've all gone on to college and careers. I embraced a hands-on and literature-based method of learning an...

Military spouses, we've all been there. We roll into a new duty station, the dust settles after the travels and unpacking, and we find ourselves struggling to make connections.  One company that is trying to make a difference is Military Wild, an outdoor military community whose goal it is to connect military families with each other as they pursue outdoor adventures together! Today, I'm so excite...

On this bonus episode, I'm sharing a little bit of the story behind Milspouse Matters, why I started it, and my heart about it all. We're also discussing who or what you're allowing to speak into your life and who you're looking to for guidance in your military spouse journey! Is what you're hearing uplifting and positive? Is it realistic? Is it putting pressure on you that you don't need?  Here's...

Have you lost your job or been furloughed during the pandemic? Facing financial difficulties due to PCS move delays or extra expenses? This episode is for you! I'm talking to Mark Steffe, CEO and President of First Command, and he's sharing some great information about what First Command offers military families, along with some tips and advice for military families facing financial challenges dur...

On this episode, I'm talking to Stacy Allsbrook-Huisman, and Amanda Trimillos, who are the co-authors of Seasons of My Military Student: Practical Ideas for Parents and Teachers. You might remember Stacy and Amanda from Milspouse Matters episode 37, Easing Transitions for Military Kids , and they were so gracious to come back again and talk about helping our military kids through all the changes w...

Hello everyone! On this special bonus episode, I'm so glad to be talking to Jessica Strong, an Army spouse, mom of three, and the Co-Director of Applied Research at Blue Star Families.  Blue Star Families was founded by military spouses in 2009 to empower military families to thrive as they serve. Their groundbreaking research and their annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey are raising the natio...

On this episode, I'm answering your questions! We're talking about the isolation felt living overseas, dealing with deployment…and you can find out what my favorite duty station was and maybe something you don't know about me. Keep the questions coming! Next, I'm joined by recurring guest and veteran Army spouse Tara Howes, and we discuss some realistic ideas for self care for military spouses dur...

On this episode, I'm joined by Jennifer Brantley of More Than a Mrs. and The DiscardIt podcast to talk about "Where do we go from here?" as we all figure out how to move beyond hashtags and social media posts, in hopes of making an actual difference and combat racism in our corners of the world. I'm so thankful for her insight and willingness to discuss this important topic. Her wisdom and kindnes...

On this episode, we're talking all about relocation and househunting after PCS, with some expert tips from Sharon Gran  of MilitaryByOwner Advertising, Inc . I also share a few thoughts about living in military housing, including making the decision, pros and cons, and how to be a good neighbor when living in base housing. I've been working for MilitaryByOwner for over 5 years now as their Content...

One thing that's usually certain about military life is that you will move at some point! Today, I have SO much information to share with you, and I really hope you will get something out of it, whether it's your first move or tenth! Having been through 13 moves as a military family, I'm sharing practical tips for your PCS move, sprinkled with some funny stories and wise advice from other military...

This episode is a special remembrance for Memorial Day. I'm sharing a little bit of the history of Memorial Day (once called Decoration Day), along with some excerpts from my upcoming book. This week, let's remember the fallen, along with their families who must carry on without them. How do we honor those who've sacrificed their lives for our country? How do we truly live and respect what they ga...