Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash In the busy military life, there is a lot of coming and going, bookended by frequent changes and moves. Maintaining wellness — physically, emotionally, and mentally — is a dynamic journey, just like the dynamic military life. Prioritizing wellness is vital for preserving resilience, a critical characteristic beneficial for surviving and thriving, particularly in the ever-changing military life. Making conscious decisions to utilize several resources on base are wellness habits you can follow, all while on base. Join a Kickball League Physica ..read more

If you thought this article was going to be one long list of links to perfectly matched and labeled clear containers or suggestions to decant everything from laundry pods to color-coordinated candies, then you would be wrong. For most homeowners who have lived in their homes for any length of time, storage is at a minimum. Whether your home is large or small, new or old, a general complaint is that there is more stuff than there are places to put it. As Americans we are notorious for filling every square inch, nook, and cranny with stuff, stuff, and more stuff. The obvious follow-up ..read more

Photo by Benjamin Faust on Unsplash Military life can be all-consuming for everyone in the family, not just the service member. The long work hours, training periods, and deployments turn the non-military parent into the default parent. The frequent moves disrupt the non-military member’s career. If children are part of the military family, the frequent moves mean school changes and restarting activities at new locations. With the constant changes, it is natural to dive into that life — donating time and energy to the military unit, adding another layer of dedication. While there are bene ..read more

Beyond the most coveted features of houses of “Location, location, location,” or “Kitchens and bathrooms sell houses”, there is another hidden gem in most homes that has the potential to stand out–the laundry room or mudroom. Why the two different rooms? A laundry room is the space where the washer and dryer are housed. Sometimes these rooms have additional storage or space provided. Mudrooms might best be described as a catch-all room off of one of the home’s entrances. This is a place where coats, backpacks, shoes, and more can be easily dropped off or picked up depending on if you are ..read more

Photo by Önder Örtel on Unsplash Setting boundaries is useful and valuable for maintaining healthy relationships and self-respect. Especially among military families with increased stress from frequent moves, changing and growing demands on the service member, and likely with the civilian spouse’s employment needs, setting and maintaining boundaries preserves overall well-being and supports personal and professional relationships. How and why should you set boundaries? Preserve Emotional and Mental Health: Creating boundaries preserves crucial mental and emotional health. Especially afte ..read more

You may have heard the terms McMansion and Tiny Home and in reality, you probably live in neither. According to a 2019 study, the United States’ average home size was roughly 2,300 square feet. This number is up significantly from the 1,100 footprint in 1940 and the 1,700 footprint in 1980. There’s no mistaking it, while average lot sizes continue to decrease, home sizes, on average, continue to get larger. But how much space do you really need in a home? Well, that depends. A common belief is that 200–400 square feet is necessary for each member living in a home. For a family of fi ..read more

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez ?? on Unsplash If the “New Year, New You” mantra resounds with you, you probably have a resolution or two for the new year. The start of a new calendar year is a great time to start and achieve new goals. It’s a timely start, providing a tangible timetable for self-improvement. Whether health-motivated, a desire for personal improvement, or for the enjoyment of goal setting, New Year’s resolutions are a time-honored tradition. Free resources to achieve these goals are ready and available for use. On-Base Gyms A popular New Year’s goal is to work out more ..read more

Get your home organized this new year with the creation of a proper Home Resource File or Binder. Whether you are old school and prefer something tangible and on paper or like to keep things sleek and electronic, read on for what to keep up with and how to organize it. Analog or Digital Keep a three-ring binder or file folders for hard copies of documents to be able to physically put your hands on information; ideally in a secure and fireproof location like a safe. If you prefer digital organization, be sure that they are protected under secure passwords. In either case, let a trust ..read more

Photo by David Edelstein on Unsplash This piece was originally seen on MilMomAdventures.com The New Year is the time for new resolutions. This year, make sure you plan to travel, use those leave days, and venture to places you have only talked about or dreamed about. There is beauty to explore within America and outside of it. Still, trying to figure out where to start? Here are some ideas, including deals for the military family in the coming year. National Parks The National Parks hold unimaginable beauty and wildlife. If there were any travel destinations to put at the top of the ..read more

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash New Year, New You. The verbiage pop-ups in gyms, social media ads, near local vitamin shops, and likely on several friends’ social media accounts. The new year is seen as a time to start fresh. Those who make resolutions come up with big goals — “lose weight,” “walk more,” and “exercise more.” But those subjective statements don’t get very far. Studies have shown that the resolution is not kept longitudinally, with about 77% of those who make a resolution sticking it to it for one week and a much smaller group, at 19%, still keeping those resolutions a ..read more