When you feel the "Bad day" coming on

Okay, ladies, I had to share with you what happened this morning to me! I began my day at 5 am this morning with a peepee accident with my 3 year old. Thankfully, my husband helped by cleaning him off and putting him in our bed before he went off to work (a big thanks to wonderful husbands and dads that do give you a break when you just want to hide under the covers that early in the morning!). When my alarm finally went off to get my daughter up for school, I was really not ready to get moving. If any of you have seen Bruce Almighty, I was Bruce trying to stay in bed even when the covers are pulled from you! (Not moving...nope.. not me!- this is a really great visual and I hope you are all laughing about it!). I finally get moving, get my daughter out of bed (this took 10 minutes with a mini breakdown from her of "I don't want to go" and "I don't like school"- even though I know this to be the exact opposite). The bane of overly exhausted children. You know they do not go to sleep right away when we put them to bed, they sneak those toys into bed with them and play, although I have only seen the remnants of this the next morning... she is too quiet to catch in the act. So we finally get breakfast and vitamins into her tummy, another battle! Meanwhile, I am also trying to get my son ready to leave the house and school starts in less than 20 minutes! I have to drive 10 minutes to get to the school, which is not bad, but just brushing teeth, putting on shoes, and getting her jacket on seemed to be another dramatic moment! By this time, my anxiety had ratcheted up and I could feel my body heat up (which ladies, if you have never experienced this, makes your irritation even worse!!). Finally, we are ready, rushing to the car.. I finally get to her school looking at my clock thinking we made it! Only, don't you just know it, MY clock is 2 minutes behind the school clock and so now I have to sign her in. I just sit there in my car giving my daughter the 3rd degree because now we have to go to the office and I am, wouldn't you know it, in my PAJAMAS and ROBE!

As you can imagine, this is not the way to start a day, but we all know it happens. My advice is to remember to keep your cool. Sometimes these hiccups happen. For me, I had to vent about it right away so that I did not dwell on the irritation I felt with my daughter... so who did I call, but her father. And there he sat on the phone with me laughing, because he could sure picture me in my moon and stars robe with messy hair and slippers signing our child into school. Now, you must realize by this point, I too was laughing about the whole situation. Sometimes our days do not always go as planned, but we can't stop doing what needs to be done just because our day has started rotten. We as moms still have jobs. What I would have liked to do was crawl back into bed when my son and I returned home from our morning fiasco, but instead, I made a cup of tea and began working on my homework. "Bad days" can be like a domino effect. Once one thing goes wrong, it all goes wrong. However, that does not have to be the case. If you feel this happening, stop for a moment or two, take a breath and a break for 20 minutes or so, and then begin again starting with something that you enjoy doing. Your "bad day" will definitely turn into a better day. And don't be afraid to share! Venting those yucky things that are making you feel bad does help, especially when you can vent to your husband who has the ability to turn your frown upside down!

Seasonal Depression

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
I have struggled with this for a while and did not realize it. The symptoms to me were not as noticeable. The more I shared it with others, the more I realized how very common it is.

According to Web MD, the symptoms for SAD are:

• decreased levels of energy
• difficulty concentrating
• fatigue
• increase in appetite
• increased desire to be alone
• increased need for sleep
• weight gain

There are many treatments for this type of depression. Most people that I have talked to about this go tanning for a few minutes at a time once or twice a week. You can also do light therapy and a lot of times, your insurance will pay for the light required for this. If you feel you have this disorder, I strongly suggest you speak to your doctor about possible treatments. There is no reason to suffer through the winter season when there are options available!

When Depression Strikes

Often times, the "beast" sneaks up on us, like a thief in the night, waiting for us to be at our most vulnerable; and then it strikes. Its poisonous fangs digging deeply into our psyche until we feel like we have lost an essential part of ourselves: our identity.

Who we are as moms and wives should never overtake who we are as women. Our identity is constantly changing as we grow, age, and hopefully, become even better people than we were before. We change so gradually, that the "beast" can take root so deeply within ourselves and we do not even realize it until it is too late. The BREAK DOWN occurs, or as I like to say, "I have just lost my mind today."

This "beast" is a little snake called depression. It infiltrates us slowly, manipulating our minds, hearts, and souls; sucking everything we are right out of us. We do not even realize this is happening until one day we snap.

Today, I am focusing on talking about how to avoid the eventual snapping by discussing signs that you may be "losing" yourself as well as some ways to halt the downward slide. I myself have struggled with mild depression for the past 2 1/2 years. I used to teach full time and chose to stay home when my second child was born. At this time, I also became ill. On the one hand, I lost my identity as a career woman, who I had been (a teacher) was no longer my identity. I had become just "a mom". And then, a "sick mom". There is nothing wrong with being "just a mom"; being a mom is one of the most important jobs I will do every day for the rest of my life, and I want to do it as best as I can. However, I was taught since a young age that it was important for me to rely on myself and have a career as well. This mode of thinking can really tear you down when you go from making your own money to relying on your husband to pay all of the bills; especially if you were taught the way of life that both parents worked (which I was). Long story short, I began going to therapy and am on medications to hopefully control my Chron's disease (eventually!), but feel healthier in body, mind, and spirit today than I have since I stopped working full time three years ago.

The "beast" sunk its fangs in deeply and I became so sad, weepy, and just did not want to get out of bed. An identity change can really destroy you if you are not prepared for it. We as women will go through this at some point in our life even if you are not experiencing it now. We as moms cannot let it destroy us. Our children rely on us to be their rocks and be the strong and consistent ones in their lives. We cannot let the "beast" win the wars that rage within us.

Here are some things to watch out for: Crying spells, lethargy, not caring about what is going on in your life, not able to get out of bed, no enjoyment in things you used to enjoy, secluding yourself, and irrational anger.

Here is what you can do about it: Go to see a therapist/counsellor (this is a safe place to talk about what is upsetting you and give you the tools to deal with your life as it is today), find a support group of women, go out and enjoy sunny days, and above all, do not hole up in your home. Make sure you do at least one thing a day (even if that one thing is just taking a shower), when you are the most depressed, that one thing will make you feel like you have accomplished something for the day. Surrounding yourself with bright colors also helps as the winter season comes upon us.

Please feel free to share in the comments section other ideas for dealing with depression. What works to get you out of the blues and silences the "beast"?

Finding a hobby

Aloha from Hawaii! My family and I are finally getting settled into our new home. I'm so exited to be blogging again!

As LeeAnne said in her previous post, we are focusing this month on not losing our identities as mothers, wives, women, etc. I wanted to write a little bit about finding a hobby.

It happens all too often. We wake up one day and think, "I don't know who I am anymore." Which can lead to so many things, depression, mid-life crisis, affairs, etc. I do not want that to happen to me. I think it is so important not only for our sake but for our families sake to take care of ourselves spiritually, emotionally and physically. And having a hobby or working on a talent is such an important part of that.

I grew up taking polynesian dance. I loved it. I excelled in it. It gave me confidence (not to mention a killer work out :)) When I moved to Utah, I could not find anywhere to take it and missed it terribly.

I tried out some other hobbies/talents that my friends enjoyed; scrapbooking, sewing, crafty things. While I had a little fun while I was doing it, I didn't get super excited to do it. Scrapbooking completely overwhelmed me in fact.

When we found out we were being stationed in Hawaii, to say I was excited would be an understatement. I knew that I would definitely find a Halau to dance with here. I started my first class on monday and came home so excited. It is such an uplifting experience to do something that you have a passion for.

I also have joined a group called Stroller Strides. It is so much fun! Stroller strides is a fitness program comprised of moms with stroller age children. They have classes all over the country. You can find a class near you here. It gives me a killer workout and an opportunity to meet other moms.

I challenge you to find or revisit your talent/hobby that you have a passion for and truly enjoy. The options are limitless!

November Focus

Dear Readers,

We are back this fall season and more dedicated than ever to getting those helpful tips out for all of our mothers. This month, we are going to be focusing our posts on the identity crisis that so many mothers eventually face in the process of their lives.

As mothers, we tend to only think about those we are responsible to care for. In doing this, we begin to forget who we are or once were as our identity changes to that of a mother and wife. If you have not been in this place yet, believe me, you will be eventually, so please read our focus posts coming this month about how to "get out of the rut" so to speak.

Some of you know that I was once a full-time teacher. I taught fifth grade and enjoyed it immensely. I became a mother to my first child in 2005 and worked through the first two years of my daughter's life, missing all of her "firsts". When my second child came around in 2007, my husband deployed, and I knew that I could not handle the teaching and caring for a two-year-old and infant by myself without losing my mind. I took year off, intending to return to work after that, but became ill.

Over the past three years, I slowly lost my identity as a teacher and woman who worked out of the home to help provide for her family. In life, we must all make choices and sacrifices for the good of our family, but mine was slowly destroying who I had once been. My illness also took a toll and essentially turned me into a hermit. My identity now is one of mother, wife, and daughter. I lost a part of myself when I could not return to teaching in a classroom. About a year ago, I began going back to church and finding things that interest me in the hopes that I could bring myself out of the "funk" I had slowly slipped into.

My point: As our lifestyle and needs change within our family, so too will our identity. It is imperative that as these changes occur, we find the true things that matter to us and hold onto them. It is natural for us to change as we get older and "wiser", the key is to change in ways that matter to us as women rather than allow changes to occur that we cannot live with; only then can you have hope in your heart and soul for your future. Don't allow the "funk" to take over your life.

Every Friday in November, Shevaun and I will be focusing on how we lose our identity and ways to keep from slipping into the "funk" or how to get out of it. Please let us know in the comments section if there is anything you as readers need help with. We are here not just to provide insights and ideas, but also to be a support of moms! We are moms who understand because we have been there as well. So please, share with us so that we can support all of you in your trying times.

A Great Opportunity

Dear Readers,
We have been remiss in the past few weeks with posting the issues that are important to us as military families. The only excuse I can offer is that Shevaun is in the process of preparing for her husband's orders to Hawaii. She has been in limbo and moving around like a true gypsy since shortly before July and will not be in her own home until some time in October. Because of this, it has been difficult for her to post on our blog. For myself, as many of you know, for the past month I have been battling mysterious issues in my health. I finally realized that all of the issues I had been having were a cause of the steroid "entocourt" that I was placed on to help heal the inflammation in my GI tract. I have since taken myself off of them and feel much improved.
So today, I wanted to share some really exciting information with all of you about furthering your education. I don't how many of you have heard of the DOD's program MyCAA. It will be re-enacted this coming October on the 25th, so if you are interested in what you read below, make sure you fill out an application soon.
You may be asking what is MyCAA? It is a financial assisting program for spouses of active duty military. If you fill this role, there are some other guidelines to look at. Your spouse has to be E1-E5, W1-W2, or O1-O2. If your spouse fits in this category, read on. If he doesn't, its okay, mine just missed the mark! How crushing reality is! (assume I am laughing at my poor luck with that last comment).
The program offers a maximum of $4,000 of assistance. You can only use $2,000 of it per year. This can be used toward an associate's degree, licensure or certification and is provided through a waiver. They will not give you cash or reimburse you for already paid course work. So make sure you apply first for the program before signing up for your course work. The program also requires you to finish your course work within 3 years of beginning. You do not have to use up all of the money, or even all $2,000 per year. Those are just the guidelines for the program.
The website for MyCAA is: http://aiportal.acc.af.mil/mycaa/
Also, please visit militaryonesource.com as well and look up MyCAA! There is a link that would be beneficial for finding optional financial aid from Federal grants. The website is: www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/FindInformation/Category/MilitarySpouseCareerAdvancementAccounts/MilitarySpouseFinancialAidResourceList.aspx
I hope that this helps all of you. Please pass the word to all of those other military spouses male or female that want to build a portable career but cannot finance it themselves!

Planning a Vacation "Part 1" Disney World

I was originally going to post today how to go about finding great deals for awesome vacations; but like any family, we had a health crisis ensue within our home that had to be coped with. So, in lieu of that post, which I will post next Friday, I wanted to share some great travel deals that are running for military families.

If you are near or plan to head to Walt Disney World this summer, plan to purchase your tickets at your on base ITT office. Walt Disney World is continuing their Military salute by extending their discount tickets until August 31st of this year. 4-Day base tickets are $99 when compared to $239 at the gate. 4-Day park hopper tickets are $120 compared to the gate price of $295. 4-Day hopper with water park access is $145 compared to $350 at the gate. You can see where you are getting a real steal with this deal! They are also offering 1 4-Day pass for the active duty member for free. I usually look for hotel accommodations off park that offers continental breakfast and shuttle ride to the park. Hotels are really making some good deals. One website to visit is hotels.com.

Visit your local ITT office for local venues. Each area will be different with what is offered. Plan ahead and have a great time!

Surviving Summer

I love the summer. It really is my favorite season. My daughter is not old enough to go to school, but I have two sisters with elementary age children. Every summer I hear them talking about their plans on how to survive having their kids home during the summer. So I thought I would write down a few suggestions for my blog readers :)

Contact your local community center; almost every community center that I have lived near has had plenty of free or inexpensive activities for kids.

The movie theatre near one of my sister's has a free movie on the same day every week. Check with your local theatre about that, and if they don't do it, make a suggestion! They make a lot of money off of the snacks that all the parents buy.

There is also a plethora of resources online of fun activities that you can print off. I know Disney has quite a few.

Swimming! That is by far my favorite thing to do cause I can work on my tan at the same time :)

If there is not a pool near you, slip 'n slides are a fabulous investment. Even my 2 year old had a blast on them.

The other day was my sister-in-law's 18th birthday and we made ice cream in ziploc baggies.

here is a link with instructions: http://crafts.kaboose.com/ice-cream-in-a-bag.html

it was a lot of fun, and I'm pretty sure I burned off most of the calories from the finished product just by making it.

I could go on and on with more ideas, but I thought I would open it up to you. Feel free leave comments of other great things or traditions that you like to do during the summer.

4th of July Message

As the holiday draws near, I begin to think about why we celebrate this day and how America has come so far off the beaten path in the soon to be 234 years that our country has been in existence. Yes, 234 years! On our nation's day of birth, she will be 234 years old. Quite young if you think about all of the countries that have had their own sovereignty for many more hundreds of years. We are actually a very young governing body.

Our country began in simple beginnings with the colonists developing the eastern shores of what they called the New World over 400 years ago. 1587 saw the first group of actual colonists come to these great shores though many all male explorations had taken place here before then. The first colony was located in my own state of North Carolina. You may have even heard a blurb about it in your history books while growing up. Roanoke Island and the mystery of the Lost Colony. Yes, the Lost Colony and the birth of Virginia Dare, the first child to be born on these shores (other than the natives of course). No one knows what happened to this colony when hardships came upon it, though that is a completely different story.

Many other colonies were developed after the first, thirteen to be exact, and they thrived through the hardships that came upon them. Families grew, towns grew, and people flocked from England to come here for a chance at a better life than the one they had in the "Mother Land". We grew, and for 100 and some odd years, the people of the colonies thrived as best they could under the oppressive weight of England.

And then, people began to be unhappy with the excessive taxation that was pressed upon them over the years by the English government that did not even know what America was really like. As the colonists began to think, the government was a whole ocean away and had no idea of the realities of America. Eventually after many issues (which I will refrain from naming all!) such as the "Boston Massacre" and the "Boston Tea Party", the colonists gathered together many prestigious persons from each colony and developed the Declaration of Independence. This document was considered treasonous and, if we had lost the war that waged after this document was sent to King George III, those brave men would have been given the death penalty.

We waged a war on our own turf, the Revolution, and won our Independence; that same independence that we celebrate each 4th of July. The Constitution was developed and America became a sovereign government in her own right. Peoples from around the world of many nations and languages flocked to this land because of the bright beacon of hope.

That hope, begins at the hearth. That hope, begins with the children of our homes understanding what it means to be American. To be American isn't just to wear a title or speak a certain language. It is be the beacon of hope to those around the world who live under the same oppression most of our original founding families (my ancestors did not come to these shores until after the Revolutionary War but before the Civil War) lived under when their "Mother Land" told them what to do. I have hope in my heart that we can become the country our founding fathers envisioned when they wrote the Declaration of Independence and put their lives at risk. I have hope that we can be the country they envisioned when writing our Constitution. No one governing body should have more power than the other- words written by men over 200 years ago. Hope is what America is. And I dearly hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July as well as a safe one. Remember all of those men and women who put their lives at risk to help create and shape our country and honor those today who continue to serve.

Taps

If any of you have heard Taps, the military trumpet played notes at military funerals, then you have heard a truly moving piece of music in its true simplicity. I learned to play Taps when I was in school by pure chance on my trumpet. I have always had a good ear and tried to match the notes until I had the melody perfect. I was unaware until recently the true beauty if this music. So here is a small tale for you to all hear about how Taps came to being. Melding music, history, and poetry all in one.

We have all heard Taps at one point in our lives whether in person or in the movies. It brings tears to our eyes and lumps to our throats with it's haunting sound that moves us.

The Myth:

It all began in 1862, during the Civil War. The Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his troops near Harris Landing in Virginia. They waited to enter battle with the Confederate army who also waited on another side of the small strip of land that separated the two combatants.

During the night, he heard the moans of a wounded soldier on the field of battle and risking his own life, went to retrieve the wounded man not knowing if he was comrade or enemy. It was so dark that he could not see the man he rescued until he had returned to his camp. By then, the man was dead.

Light illuminated the face of his own son who had been fighting with the Confederate soldiers against his own father. The boy had been studying music in the South when the war had broken out and had not told his father that he had joined in the Confederate Army.

Even though he was an enemy soldier, the Captain asked if he could be buried with military honors and a band. His wish was only partially granted. He was only granted one instrument from the band to play at the funeral. The Captain chose a bugler (trumpet player) to play the music that he had found in his son's pocket.

The Truth:

The tune is a variation of an earlier tune called the Scott Tattoo used from 1835-1860. It was arranged in its present form by Union Army Brigadier General Daniel Butterfield while at Harris's Landing in Virgina, July 1862. His main objective was to replace the Scott Tattoo, used for "lights out" which was a French created tune. Butterfield's bugler, Oliver W. Norton, was the first bugler to play the newly arranged tune. Within months, both North and South forces had fully adopted the Taps tune.

Today, Taps is used to culminate military funerals around the United States as well as memorial services held within Arlington National Cemetery. When sounded, it is customary for military personnel to salute. The corresponding civilian response to Taps is to put their hand over their heart (much like the Pledge of Allegiance and the National Anthem).

It is also sounded at each of the 2,500 wreath ceremonies held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier every year, including the ones held on Memorial day. These ceremonies are viewed by thousands of people each year. Taps continues to be sounded at non-deployed military locations to indicate "lights out".

The Lyrics to the music:

Fading light dims the sight

And a star gems the sky, gleaming bright

From afar drawing nigh,

Falls the night.

Day is done, gone the sun

From the lakes, from the hills, from the skies

All is well, safely rest;

God is nigh.

Then goodnight, peaceful night;
Till the light of the dawn shineth bright.

God is near, do not fear;

Friend, goodnight.

Imagine those lyrics being sung to what I hear as the most beautifully haunting tune in America.

Learning to Live With an Infamatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

As some of you know, I have been suffering from an often debilitating illness that has been a mystery to me. My illness came on rather suddenly about two and a half years ago after catching a 24 hour flu like virus. The reason I am sharing my story with you readers today, is because the path that I have taken to get to where I am today (finally on the road to recovery) has been a very difficult one.

It began with a trip to my mother's home for Thanksgiving almost three years ago. My husband was deployed and I had just given birth to my second child a few months earlier. Only a few days after our arrival, my two small children (who were 2 years old and 3 months old respectively) and I, contracted a 24 hour flu like virus. After a horrible night of cleaning up after toddler, infant, and myself, I asked my mom to take us to the emergency room as she was on the way to work at the hospital anyway. The doctors proclaimed that I had contracted a gastro-intestinal flu and that it would pass very soon. Their major concern was hydration since I happened to be nursing at the time. At this point, I had no knowledge of the nightmare my life would become.

While most of my symptoms went away over time, one of the major ones did not. I continued to have issues with my lower GI tract (the small and large colons) and was often times consumed with debilitating pain. It began to slowly rule my life. I became very self-conscious of my body and what was going on with it which led to depression. My family would joke about my issues never realizing how deeply it cut into my heart. Often times, I would be so consumed with the pain and just breathing through it that I could not be the best mom that I wanted to be. I had also begun to notice itchy bumps that would pop up on my knees and elbows for weeks at a time with no rhyme or reason to them.

About ten months after contracting that first virus, my problems had become so bad that I finally sought help. I saw doctor after doctor until my Primary Care Manager at the Naval Hospital sent me to a Gastro-Interologist directly in my area. He did a few tests and performed an endoctopy (when they send a scope down your throat to look at your stomach and gallbladder) and proclaimed that I only had IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). No treatment was given and I just suffered in silence for several more months. The bumps continued to come back to my knees and elbows so I asked to see an allergy specialist thinking maybe I had developed an allergy and that was causing my GI problems.

After both skin and blood allergy tests, the specialist that I saw proclaimed that I definitely did not have any allergies to foods and that my blood tests had shown inflammation. His diagnosis was to go back to the GI doctor. So... as you may have guessed, I went back to my PCM to request another referral since my last one was no good. It was at that time that I asked to be sent to a specialist out of our area. This was the best thing I could have requested for it finally led me down a path to answers.

The new GI doctor was thorough and ran all of the tests needed on the first visit with the intent to do a colonoscopy right away. What we weren't expecting to find was the salmonella I had contracted some time between my visit at the Allergist office and my visit to this GI doctor. My symptoms had become so severe by this time that I had a visit to the ER for fear of lost blood. I was treated and asked to recuperate from the anti-biotics before proceeding with the colonoscopy.

A week ago, I had my procedure, and already the answers are falling into place. I have been diagnosed with an IBD (inflamatory Bowel Disease) which is definitely not IBS. One thing about having an IBD is that it is not curable; only treatable. I will live with this disease and its flare ups for the rest of my life. I am still coming to terms with this and some days are better than others. With this disease, comes the importance of nutrition and well-being as well as being pro-active in taking care of myself. The medication I am required to take is an immuno-suppressant which in layman's terms makes the immune system take a breather. The down side to this is that I will be more open to catch colds and other illnesses so must take care. My small and large colons also impede proper nutrition because of the inflammation of the cellular tissues.

Because of these issues, I find it is even more important for me to remember to take my vitamins and other supplements in order to be proactive with my disease. Finding the best vitamins for this may have been difficult, but I am a firm believer that I was brought to the 5000moms team for a reason. Not only do I have a wealth of cellular level nutritionals at my fingertips, but I also have a team to fall back on for support as I learn to cope and live with my disease. Although I often feel like an island out in the middle of a lake, the water that surrounds me is not nothingness; it's the other women and mothers on the 5000mom team that flow around me. I am never alone; and for that I am grateful.

I share my story with you all today because I know that there are others out there like me who have dealt or are dealing with health issues. I believe that traditional medicine is important, but I also believe that good nutrition is just as important, especially for those who are ill. I also want to give hope to those of you out there who have a problem that has been undiagnosed. Don't be afraid to question. Listen to your body. Most importantly, love your body both physically and nutritionally, for the more love you give it, the longer it will hold up for you.

Finding Those Bargains!!

Hello everyone. This week's post is going to discuss ways to find bargains for all of our everyday needs.

In today's economy, every penny counts. Here are some ideas that my family follows when making purchases.

1. Major purchases (i.e. furniture, expensive electronics, etc.): try to make these purchases on a holiday weekend. Holiday weekend sales can be extraordinary and you can get great pieces for your home for a fraction of the price!


2. Clothes: I recently lost quite a bit of weight and none of my clothing fit- in fact, I had to deplete my wardrobe by over half of what I had. In order to make up for this loss, I looked for sales. I always shop for my needs last, so had been putting off getting new clothing. Old Navy had a 30% off everything sale and I was able to purchase- 2 new jeans, 2 jean Bermuda shorts, 4 t-shirts, jean skirt, 3 jean toddler shorts for my son, and a pair of flip flops for him and spent about$140. I also surfed my favorite local site www.lejeuneyardsales.com (you can go to this site and look for if you have a local site in your area) and purchased 2 new dress skirts for church for $7 total.


3. Online shopping: you can shop on sites like e-bay for items that are a fraction of the cost or major stores like Walmart when they have their free shipping promos!


4. Don't be afraid to go garage sale hopping! You can find great clothes for the whole family, accessories, and sometimes some great furniture and appliances! You may have to look through a lot of junk to find the jewels, but they are there! I like to go to garage sales in higher end neighborhoods! You never know what you will find!


5. Sometimes, we will open a store card to get the 10-15% off our total amount and then pay it off immediately in order to pay a lesser amount on larger purchases. If you do this, make sure your credit is good and make sure you do not leave a balance on it after the first month. It will accrue interest after the first month which will add that discount you earned when you opened the card back on (then there is no point).


6. Make sure you shop those sales! We just pre-purchased for the school year all of the shoes for my two children about a week and a half ago when Payless Shoes was doing their buy one, get one half off promotion. My daughter came home with 4 shoes plus her dance shoes for this fall (so 6 pairs) and my son came home with 5 pairs and I came home with 1 pair. We spent about $120 on all of these shoes!! (12 pairs of shoes!!!). Kids don't need expensive shoes when they are still growing, so if you are able, look for them at garage sales or purchase at discount shoe places. They have cute shoes for inexpensive prices!

If you have a great way that you save money when making purchases, let us know in the comments section! This is a great forum to share our ideas and every mom needs ways to save every penny!

Memorial Day: A Historical Look at the Day with a Personal Message

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

There are many stories as to its actual beginnings, with over two dozen cities and towns laying claim to being the birthplace of Memorial Day. There is also evidence that organized women's groups in the South were decorating graves before the end of the Civil War: a hymn published in 1867, "Kneel Where Our Loves are Sleeping" by Nella L. Sweet carried the dedication "To The Ladies of the South who are Decorating the Graves of the Confederate Dead" (Source: Duke University's Historic American Sheet Music, 1850-1920).

While Waterloo, N.Y. was officially declared the birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966, it's difficult to prove conclusively the origins of the day. It is more likely that it had many separate beginnings; each of those towns and every planned or spontaneous gathering of people to honor the war dead in the 1860's tapped into the general human need to honor our dead, each contributed honorably to the growing movement that culminated in Gen Logan giving his official proclamation in 1868. It is not important who was the very first; what is important is that Memorial Day was established. Memorial Day is not about division. It is about reconciliation; it is about coming together to honor those who gave their all. The last, and ultimate sacrifice.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on May 5, 1869 by General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, and was first observed on May 30, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. The first state to officially recognize the holiday was New York in 1873. By 1890, it was recognized by all of the northern states. The South refused to acknowledge the day, honoring their dead on separate days until after World War 1. This was when the holiday changed from honoring just those who died fighting in the Civil War to honoring Americans who died fighting in any war.

It is now celebrated in almost every state on the last Monday in May (passed in Congress with the National Holiday Act of 1971 to ensure a three day weekend for Federal Holidays), though several southern states have a separate day that they continue to honor the Confederate war dead.

In 1915, inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields," Moina Michael replied with her own poem:

We cherish too, the Poppy red

That grows on fields where valor led

It seems to signal to the skies

That blood of heroes never dies.

She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies of Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms. Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms. Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a postage stamp with her likeness on it.

There are a few notable exceptions to the poppy tradition. Since the late 50's, on the Thursday before Memorial Day, the 1,200 soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry place small American flags at each of the more than 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery. They then patrol 24 hours a day during the weekend to ensure that each flag remains standing. In 1951, the Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts of St. Louis began placing flags on the 150,000 graves at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery as an annual Good Turn, a practice that continues to this day. More recently, beginning in 1998, on the Saturday before the observed day for Memorial Day, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts place a candle at approximately 15,300 grave sites of soldiers buried at Fredricksburg and Spotsylvanial National Military Park on Marye's Heights. In 2004, Washington D.C. held its first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years.

To help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day, the "National Moment of Remembrance" resolution was passed in Dec 2000, which asks that at 3 pm local time, for all Americans "to voluntarily and informally observe in their own way, a moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to 'Taps'".

The Moment of Remembrance is a step in the right direction to returning the meaning back to the day. What is needed is a full return to the original day of observance. Set aside one day out of the year for the nation to get together to remember, reflect and honor those who have given their all in service to their country.

But what may be needed to return the solemn, and even sacred, spirit back to Memorial Day is for a return to its traditional day of observance. Many feel that when Congress made the day into a three-day weekend with the National Holiday act of 1971, it made it all the easier for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. As the VFW stated in its 2002 Memorial Day address: "Changing the date merely to create a three-day weekend has undermined the very meaning of the day. No doubt this has contributed greatly to the general public's nonchalant observance of Memorial Day."

I would like to thank my FRO for sending the above message to me as part of our command's efforts to keep families informed. I wished to share all of this interesting information with all of our readers. I don't know about any of you, buy I personally have lost family members in past wars and this day celebrates their sacrifices. I only hope that someone in California is kind enough to place flags, candles, or flowers at my own grandfather's grave in the Riverside National Cemetery, as I obviously cannot; living on the other side of the country makes that a little difficult. On Monday, if you live in my neighborhood, you will probably see me in the small cemetery across the road trying to locate the Civil War soldier buried there in order to place a token of my appreciation for his ultimate sacrifice.

So, with that little history lesson, you are slightly more knowledgeable about Memorial Day. Honor our servicemen and women who have given their all to our great country! Have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day!

Free Museum visits for participating Museums!!

Blue Star Museums is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 600 museums in all 50 states to offer free admission to active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 31, 2010, through Labor Day, September 6, 2010.

If you are active duty military personnel and/or an immediate family member, all you need to do is show either a Geneva Conventions CAC ID or a DD Form 1173 ID card at the museum admissions desk. Immediate family members under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an appropriate ID holder.

visit: http://www.nea.gov/national/bluestarmuseums/index.php to find a participating museums in your state.

The Importance of Meal Planning and Grocery List Making

It took me many years to realize the importance of planning the meals that I would feed my family for each two week increment between pay periods. I would shop randomly at the grocery store without a plan in mind. This left me spending over $100 each pay period to feed two adults!

Last year, I began to change how I was preparing food and what I was cooking so that I could lose weight in a healthy manner and make more for my money, so I had to learn how to effectively plan meals that would not break the bank and would fill my family’s stomachs.

Many people think eating healthy means eating expensively; that simply is not true. Eating healthy means using alternatives to prepackaged meals or frozen meals. That is why meal planning is so important: number one, you save money in the long run (you make more for your buck), and number two, you can lose weight because you are eating healthier foods (with the rise in childhood type 2 diabetes, this is so very important).

So here is how to meal plan:

• Use a piece of printer paper to make two week’s (or more if you like) worth of boxes and list the day of the week in each box with the date.


• Decide what you are going to eat


• If this is problematic for you because you find yourself repeating meals, google free recipes and begin to experiment! I have found tons of rice recipes that give me more servings for less money than buying a prepackaged box of rice. This goes for almost anything you want. I have also found alternatives to Hamburger Helper as well that are healthier and cheaper to make! I keep mine in a binder so that they are easily accessible. That way you can keep only recipes you use rather than a bunch of cook books you may only pull a few recipes from.


• Each meal should be well balanced with a fruit/vegetable, protein, and good carbohydrate (white rice or brown rice is a great example)


• Plan out breakfast, lunch, and dinner! Many people forget that it isn’t just dinner that we eat, we need to shop for the makings of our other meals as well.


• After planning out your two weeks of meals, look in your pantry/spice cabinets and determine with materials you will need (or if you have run out of something and you need more) and make a detailed list including how much of each item you will need.
  Basic staples you should always have on hand are pasta noodles (doesn’t matter what kind), rice (white long grain or brown are the best), tomato sauce cans, various dried herbs/seasonings, flour (I have both white and wheat) and dried beans.

By following this plan, I now spend on average $150 each pay period to feed a family of four. This includes typical items such as: bread, milk, meat, fresh fruit/veggies, basic staples, and kid friendly snacks. I now constantly have leftovers from the large dinners I now make by using recipes rather than prepackaged boxed meals! My husband now has a lunch each day by eating dinner from the day before and often I am also able to eat leftovers for lunch as well. For those of you who eat frozen meals, you can freeze your leftovers in freezer safe bags or Tupperware and pull it out to reheat when you need it.

Being frugal doesn’t mean you have to eat poorly. You can feed your family nutritious, well-balanced meals while saving money!

Cutting Costs

We all know that it can be very hard to stay within a strict budget. I have found many ways to cut costs. I look at it as a challenge and it can be really fun.

There are so many ways to cut cost when it comes to groceries. one of my favorite things to do is to use coupons. There are so many sites out that help you with couponing. www.freebies2deals.com is based in Utah, so they match their coupons for stores in UT, but they have great links for freebies, samples, etc. Another one of my faves is www.mysavings.com. I get an email from them everyday and always find a link to something.

A really popular thing for companies right now is to offer free and/or discounted things if you "like" them on facebook. Clorox Greenworks is doing that right now and they offer a $3.00 coupon for any size Greenworks laundry detergent. It's on clearance at the Target near me for $3.47 so with tax I only spent .74 on laundry detergent. And you can print it twice!

Another great thing to do is take advantage of all of the drugstore deals. I love, love, love CVS. I get things for free from them all the time.

My biggest suggestion is to google blogs that deal with stores in your area. There are so many that match up coupons with the items on sale. Happy couponing!

Mother's Day Message

For all of you moms, today is your day. Enjoy it as it is a day that comes once a year to honor your job as a mom. Being a mom is one of the toughest jobs, and for all of you women out there who have the calling, be the best one that you can be! So, put your feet up, if your other half is home- make sure he pampers you!, and enjoy the day that is all about you!

We're going to a family movie, and my husband made me breakfast! Ahhhh, I love Mother's Day!

The Month of May

For the month of May, Shevaun and I will be focusing on shopping within a budget and how to find the best deals available for our families. Shevaun will be writing a post about how she and her husband work her their household budget and how she shops for deals in order to make her "greens" last a little bit longer. We will be talking about resources available and places that offer military discounts to save that little extra bit. See your "greens" mulitply!

Also, don't forget to spread the word about our blog! When we reach 50 followers, we will be begin to do drawings for awesome USANA Health Sciences Products. So you will have a chance to win some free products from our favorite health and wealth store! And subsequently, for every 50 members added after that first drawing, another drawing will take place. So this is an added incentive to spread the word about the knowledge we are trying to spread to other military moms and wives no matter the branch they are affiliated with!

Yet another delicious smoothie...

I guess I am on a roll with bumping up my weight loss. I went shopping today at Old Navy for their 30% off sale this weekend and boy was I excited to finally buy some clothes that fit properly! All of my new pants were size 8! I knew that I would fit into them, but to actually see the accomplishment that I have been working toward was so amazing. So, here is yet another smoothie to help all of you other women to maintain their healthy weight or lose weight that I just had to share.

Again, using the USANA nutrimeal:

3 scoops strawberry nutrimeal
1 cup crushed ice
1 cup water
1/2 cup frozen blackberries
1 cup frozen blueberries
a dash of banana extract

Blend up in a blender and serve in a huge cup! Here is your fully balanced meal! Blend your way to smaller jeans like I have!

New Smoothie Creation

Okay, so since the slender with a blender recipe book does not focus much on the strawberry nutrimeal, I have been experimenting like crazy. This creation (my dinner last night) is totally awesome!!!! The pictures above are of the smoothie, the white cup is filled with just one serving!

3 scoops Strawberry Nutrimeal (USANA)

1 cup crushed ice

1 cup cold water

1/2 frozen banana (this is from a small banana)

1 cup frozen raspberries

dash of vanilla extract (I used between 1/2-1 tsp)

Blend up in a blender until smooth...... yum, yum, yum!

If you do not have access to Strawberry Nutrimeal from USANA, please let us know by commenting in the comment section with your email address so we can email you information. This is a low glycemic alternative meal replacement that is a healthy way to lose weight or even maintain weight. I eat them when I am on the run with tutoring in the evenings so that I don't have to eat fast food and it is cheaper than buying a fast food meal as well!

Financial Planning

There are so many places to receive help when it comes to financial planning. Many of them cost money. Fortunately, if you are married to the military or in the military, there are a plethora of places to receive help for free.

Here are the links to a couple of sites:

https://www.navyfederal.org/ (I know that they provide financial counseling at all of their branch locations)

https://www.usaa.com/inet/ent_logon/Logon?&adid=icgsch30450316 (Because they do not actually have any physical locations, they will counsel you over the phone)

If any of you know of any other banks or credit unions that will provide this service complimentary, please let me know in the comment section. Hope this is helpful!

Great Blog Post

Here is another great post on our sister site about personal finance.

http://5000moms.ning.com/group/trainingessentials/forum/topic/show?id=3109589:Topic:5859&xg_source=msg_group_disc

Providing for your Childrens' future

Many of you have already begun to ponder how you and your spouse will put your children through college. It is never too early to begin and implement a plan now, whether your child is 2 or 18 and beginning their first semester this fall.

You may be thinking "college is so expensive," I just don't think we will be able to send Jr. to a university this year. The first thing for you to do is change that thinking to a more positive mien. You can and you will.

Let me begin by telling you about my own college experience ten years ago. I come from a split family; my parents divorced when I was in third grade, and it was always expected that I would go to college and get a degree. My mom was a nurse and my dad was a foreman at the company he worked for. Both of them made what I would consider to be middle class income.

Even though they both made a good wage, my mother had her own student loans that she was still paying back when it was time for me to go off to college. And so, my parents came up with a plan. My mom paid for my books and tuition and my dad paid for my living expenses. They went halvesies, and that worked for them. My mom had to take extra shifts in order to pay for her part because she hadn't planned for my future. She was willing to sacrifice.

The point I am trying to come across to all of you is that you don't have to wait until the last minute and "sacrifice" to put your children through college. So many parents believe that student loans are okay to have, but do you really want your child to begin their adult life having to pay back an exorbitant amount of money if you can plan now to help them out? I know I don't want that.

So, first things first. Let's take a look at what the average cost of four years of college are (this includes tuition, books, and living expenses).

• Tuition costs: if your child attends a university in state that is public, the average yearly tuition will range anywhere from $5000-$10,000 compared to out of state which will tack on an several extra thousand $15,000-$25,000. If you cut the above listed amount in half, that is what you will be paying per semester. My suggestion is that you have your child attend in state as this does lessen tuition costs.


• Books: These costs will vary depending on the course work and whether your student purchases used books or new books. Used books are definitely cheaper and most are in pretty good condition, but these are not always available, so be prepared to pay for new ones. Plan to spend anywhere between $300 and $600 per semester in books and learning supplies that your student will need. So per year your child will spend an average of $600-$1200 in books and supplies.


• Housing/food costs: This is where the topic can be a little fuzzy. There are several options for you. If your student is attending a university within driving distance, then they can reasonably remain at home and cut your costs of living expenses considerably. If they are living too far to commute to school, then apartment or dorm living is going to be the best bet. Dorm fees cover housing and a meal plan and average $10,000-$15,000 per year (10 mos). This typically covers their room and a meal plan that serves at least 2 meals a day. If you plan for your student to live on their own, then depending on where they will be living, do some research and average in total costs of monthly rent, electricity, water, trash, cable, telephone/internet, food costs, gas costs.


• If your student goes to a private university, your costs will be higher. Plan to pay upwards of $21,000-$40,000 per year for tuition and an average of $10,000-$20,000 per year for books/living expenses. These rates are higher because private universities do not typically get government funding so they are paying their "own way".

Now, the question is, how do I pay for this? Just in tuition for four years, you will pay between $20,000 and $40,000. For this article, we will pick the midpoint of $30,000 just for tuition. For the sake of argument, let's say my student will live in a dorm for those four years, leaving me paying at the midpoint of $50,000 for dorm fees and about $900 per year in books/supplies for a total of $3600. So I am looking at a total expense for four years of college at $83,600. You may be looking at that number and screaming at the screen right now! There are other options, this is just an example of what four years can cost your student. Now imagine them paying for that plus interest. Already, you have put them in the hole for loans for about $100,000. That is definitely not something I want my children to have to deal with.

Early planning is key. Here are some steps for you to being with for beginning college funds.

• Step 1: open a college savings account per each of your children (we have two open for our two children). If you don't have a USAA account, I suggest you open with them. They have great financial advice and can get you where you need to be.


• Step 2: put $50-$100 per month away per child- you'll find at the end of a year, you'll have already saved up between $600-$1200 per child.


• Step 3: when each account has reached an amount of about $3,000 move the money into a money market (CD) account. These accounts have a higher paying interest with one requirement of a minimum initial amount. This is a key step!


• Step 4: talk to your bank about a college savings plan if you already have accounts open for your children's future.


• Step 5: watch the amounts grow! Before you know it- especially if you began when your child was 2- you will see that paying for college is very affordable.

Also, don't be afraid to look for an apply for scholarships. There are so many out there for students and half of them aren't being utilized. Depending on your state, there may also be other "programs" available for the children of service members. Each state will differ, so just do your research.

Getting Your Family Out of Credit Card Debt

Today in America, we have a serious problem with credit card debt leading to our financial ruin. I am sure most or all of you have had or will have issues with accruing debt through the use of credit cards. With the current events of the American economy, credit card debt is becoming a major downfall of the average to lower income earning families. Many of us are not being taught by our parents what to even look for in a credit card company when we open up that first account. I know my parents didn't.

Flash back about ten years ago. I was a new college student; out on my own for the first time in my life, and excited about it. I got that first application in the mail and thought, "sure, I need this just in case of an emergency". I still remember that first card. Visa... it sang to me. That first card turned into three. I added a Victoria Secret card and a Macy's card by the end of that first year of school. You must keep in mind I was 18 and worked only a part time job of less than 20 hours a week.

I eventually got into a pickle with these bills. I was spending more than I was making and as my parents paid for my college tuition, I had to make B's or better in all of my classes. The job ended up having to go when those grades began to slip. For three years, I continued to spend and only pay the minimum on my cards; even as I bounced from part time work to unemployment.

No one taught me how to budget or even how to be frugal. I saw something and I wanted it, until I was in such a jam that my mom had to bail me out. I eventually married and we took out a personal loan at a bank to pay off all of the credit card debt that I had accrued and closed each of those accounts down one by one.

I have had to learn the hard way how to be a smart spender and budgeter because we forget as we charge onto our plastic that we have to pay that money back or interest will accrue on the amounts we have spent, meaning we spend more money than if we had just paid cash.

So here are some things to do if you find yourself in the same place I did ten years ago and you feel hopeless to ever pay the debts completely off. There is hope!

1. Stop charging! You should pay cash as much as possible so that you don't "over-spend" from your bi-weekly or monthly budget. If there is something you absolutely feel you need, save up for it. It is so much more gratifying when you have worked hard to save and make that purchase.

2. Transfer balances to a low interest card. If you have an account whose interest is 21% or above, close it down! You will never pay the accrued and interest amount off. Your minimum payment for this interest amount goes mostly to the interest that has accrued for the month. The minute the card is closed, interest stops accruing on it, so you can pay it off.

3. Pay debts off smallest to largest. If you have several accounts open, pay the smallest amount first and then close the account.

4. Try dividing your monthly minimum payment in half and paying this smaller amount twice a month. This will help by allowing you to have a little more income in between those pay checks and help your budget become more balanced. My husband and I pay all of our bills this way, even our house hold. We have found that we have more disposable income this way and now we don't have to charge on our credit card.

5. Make micro payments. If you find yourself with some extra cash, use it as an extra payment to a card. You should try and pay a little more than the minimum payment each month so that more money is going toward the principle amount on the card rather than the monthly interest balance.

6. Seek some part time work to help you pay your accounts off. If you don't have enough disposable income to pay off the overwhelming balances, mow some lawns! Every penny helps bring those numbers down.

7. Close those accounts down! We have made it a rule in our house that our one card is for emergencies only. Make a plan and stick to it. This may mean you do a bit of sacrificing, but isn't that what all moms do?

You can get out of debt. Learn about average credit card interests and make sure that your cards don't have those extreme rates. If they do, those should be closed immediately so that you can pay the amounts off. Remember that the higher your debt becomes, the worse your credit score becomes. As a last resort, you can contact companies that deal with debt resolution. They will close the account for you and pay off the accrued debt. You end up paying them back at a much smaller interest rate.

Busch Gardens, etc.

Thought this was pretty cool. Throughout 2010 Anheuser-Busch is offering free entry to their parks for all active duty, reservist and national guardsmen. Check it out here.

Thanks goes to www.mysavings.com

Fun stuff!

Happy Monday to all of our wonderful readers!
LeeAnne and I have really been trying to figure out a way to reward you, our fans/readers for helping us get the word out there about our blog. So I have come up with an idea. When we reach 50 followers, we will do a drawing for a free USANA product. And every 50 after that we will do another drawing. So spread the word and win free product!

Moving Abroad

Today's topic is moving OUTCONUS. There is always a chance that you may at some time during either yours or your spouse's service in the military that you may make a move overseas. Some of the major things you will want to do before you ever get ready to move are as follows:

1. Get a passport. If you have never had a passport before, it can take six weeks or longer to get it in the mail after you apply. The time is shorter if you already have one and are renewing it. You will need one for when you travel without orders.
2. If you are not allotted a POV (personally owned vehicle) at your new duty station, you will want to prepare it for storage. Storage is provided by the government and they do turn your vehicle on once a month while you are gone to keep it in working order.
3. Visit www.militaryonesource.com to find information about your new duty station and meeting any and all of your personal needs (jobs, child care, schools, healthcare providers). This site also has each branch of the military so that you can get information specific to your affiliated branch.

The government will be moving you, so please read my previous article when the government does a full move for you. You will have a limitation for weight, and you may not want to take all of your possessions. If you decide to leave some of your things in the states, you will need to ensure that they are safely stored as the government will not do that.

If you have pets, you will want to enquire if you can bring them with you. Hawaii and Alaska are considered OUTCONUS moves as well. Hawaii has a 30 day minimum quarantine for pets, so be prepared. This is to ensure that no diseases are brought onto the island to be spread to the native animals. Quarantines will be required at other installations as well, so be sure to check your duty station's policy. Some duty stations will have a no pet policy so make sure you have a plan should that occur.

The best advice I can provide for this type of move is to research, research, research! Do your best to know where you are going and what is available.

What a Surprise!

This was just too good not to share with everyone this week! Yesterday, I pulled a pair of my j. crew chinos from the closet to wear to church. I haven't worn these since September because they are a pale pink color; however, these have been my favorite pants since I purchased them almost four years ago after the birth of my daughter.

When I originally bought them, they were snug to say the least, but I thought, "no problem, I'll lose the weight!" Yeah, that didn't happen. In fact, I found out I was pregnant about six months later, packed on about sixty pounds, and post pregnancy was wearing size 12. Depressing to say the least! That was almost three years ago.

So my favorite pink pants hung dejected in my closet, waiting for me to shink a size and squeeze my plush behind back into them. Last spring I was able to do that, but it was a snug fit to say the least! Working out didn't help me loose the extras around my behind and so they were worn rarely.

Last fall I began a new eating regimen and changed my bad habits for good ones in order to be healthier. I began loosing weight though I wasn't working "hard" to. I shrank from that size 12 that had me in it's grip to a size 8! My chinos hang off of me and for the first time are loose on my hips, buns and thighs!

I wanted to share this personal change with all of you because for years I thought that it was impossible to lose those inches from my buns and thighs. Now I know that it is not! It is possible and if any of you are interested in learning how to live healthier and shrink your size, you let me know. We can all live healthy, happy lives and not be depressed when working out doesn't accomplish what you want to. Excersize is only part of the equation; it took me a while to figure that out.

I know my weight loss is not done yet, but I have learned that my patience has paid off and next winter when I put my chinos away, it will be for good because I know that they will be two sizes too big rather than one.

The Parial DITY Move

For the month of March, we have been discussing the different types of government moves available when you or your spouse receives orders to a new duty station. Today's topic is the partial DITY move. This is the type of move that my husband and I made when relocated from California to North Carolina.

When my husband received his orders, we looked at the three types of moves available to us and felt that this one met our needs the best. At the time, it was just the two of us with two cars and a dog moving across country.

We chose to have the bulk of our items moved by the government. What that meant was that the majority of our house hold goods (HHG) were shipped by a moving company that works in tandem with the government to move military personnel and government officials. The same rules applied to our HHG as previously posted in the full government move.

The movers came and packed up all of the belongings that we identified for them to take. They were quick and efficient, although it took them two days (half of each day), to fully pack and load the HHG from a two bedroom apartment into the moving van. Our items were then taken to a storage warehouse to await transit to North Carolina.

Previous to the movers arriving, my husband and I went through our personal items and removed those that would not be moved by the government. It is important to to do this before they come so that you already know what you are taking with you. I suggest you make a list and find a corner in your home to place these items. Those items should include such things as: jewelry (you never want this to be moved by anyone other than yourself), important files and papers, bedding (you may have to wait a few days or weeks until your HHG arrives at your new home), suitcases and personal effects, any irreplaceable items that you wouldn't want to take the chance of breaking (We packed my great grandmother's china into large tubs and hauled them with us as it is a family heirloom and is not replaceable if broken). We also brought a television and our surround sound system.

Since it was just my husband and I with our dog, we rented a trailer to haul behind our truck and placed our car on it. This may not be feasible for everyone. Prior to loading any of our items, with a full tank of gas in the vehicle, my husband had our truck pulling the trailer weighed and a weigh station. This is important as it is how the government determines how much of an allotment you are going to receive. He then returned to our apartment and loaded up both the bed of the truck and the empty vehicle being towed on the trailer. He then had to go back and reweigh the vehicles.

He also had picked up our operating allowance from the dispersing office on base. He took advantage of this type of move by requesting advanced funds to be provided for our move.

Weighing your vehicles after packing them up is an important step to this process. This is what determines how much you will be reimbursed minus any advanced funds already provided to you. You can make a profit off of this type of move if you are smart and budget wisely. Here are the things that are included in the money provided by the government for you:

• payment for rental vehicles/trailer
• packing materials
• moving equipment (dollies and hand trucks)
• gas and oil costs (so keep your receipts!)
• Highway tolls and other transportation expenses related to your DITY move

Once we made it to our new duty station, we had 45 days to turn in all of our applicable receipts from our partial DITY move in order to submit a full payment claim for our moving allowance.

If you are considering a partial or full DITY move, go to www.military.com/finance/pcs-moving-guide/moving/comprehensive-look-at-a-dity-move.html to find all of the paperwork you will need for these types of moves. It also provides a step by step list on what to do for your move. Good Luck!

Next week's posting will be on Wednesday for OUTCONUS moves.

Personally Procured Move

Since this month's topic is moving I'm going to cover the personally procured move (PPM) or what was once known as the do it yourself move (DITY move). My wife Shevaun asked me to write this post since I handled most of our move.

Unlike the full government move that was covered earlier in the month, where the government takes care of pretty much everything, with a PPM you take care of everything. While it is a lot of work to move yourself, the nice thing about this type of move is that you have full control of everything.

Before you start work on your PPM make sure to visit the personal property office on your base so that you can get the paperwork started.

Here are a few things to consider:

Money

The government will give you 95% of what they would have paid a professional moving company to do your move. So one of the incentives of a PPM is that you can potentially make a profit on the move if your payment is more than the cost of the boxes, packing supplies, moving van and gasoline. The one downside is that the government will take out taxes on that profit before they pay it to you.

Before you move you can get an advance on the amount of the move to help pay for all the expenses you are about to incur. The advance is limited to 60% of your move and is based upon an estimate of the total weight you are going to move. One of the big mistakes people make when doing a PPM is overestimating the weight that will be moved so that they can get a big advance. This can lead to problems if you have less weight than you estimated. In my experience it is best to low-ball your estimate so that you don't end up owing the government because you overestimated. The advance is really nice though especially if you move across the country like we just did. Our truck alone was $1500.

For an estimate of how much the government will pay you for your move you can visit http://pptas.ahf.nmci.navy.mil/

Packing

This is by far the hardest part of the move. First, getting all the boxes and other packing supplies can be more expensive than you might think and will really cut into any profits you thought you were going to make. Second, the actual packing part is a real pain. You will want to make sure that you pack everything really well, especially anything that is breakable, because since you packed it yourself the government isn't going to give you any insurance on the things that break during the move.

When we moved we knew a month in advance that we were going to move ourselves. We started slowly by packing up all the non-essential things a few weeks before the move, luckily we had a garage to put the boxes in. Then as the move date got closer we packed up the rest of our stuff. A few days before the move we were basically living out of suitcases and eating off of paper plates so we could have everything packed up and ready to be moved into the truck the day we picked it up. Which brings me to my next point.

The Truck

There are many companies that rent trucks for PPM's, and even some companies that will drop a trailer off at your place for you to pack up then they will drive it across the country for you. In my experience driving your own truck is the cheapest. I checked out U-Haul, Ryder, Budget, Penske, and ABF. Some of the companies offer big discounts to AAA members. If you aren't a AAA member it may be a good option to become a member before the move. The discount was so big. You'll want to price out as many options as possible to make sure you are getting the best deal possible.

On the day of the move I went to pick up the truck and they offered me several different options for insurance. Unlike renting a car when you travel, your credit card or personal auto insurance probably won't cover any accidents you may have while driving a moving truck. The types of insurance ranged from insurance on the truck itself in case of an accident to insurance that covered all the stuff in the back of the truck in case something broke during the move (this type is really expensive).

Loading/Unloading

When I got home with the truck we started moving everything we had already packed up into the truck. Because we had friends in the area we asked them to come help us out and it really didn't take that long since we had everything ready to go.

When we got to our destination to unload the truck, we didn't know anyone so we found some moving helpers on https://www.movinghelp.com/. I recommend this website to find helpers if you need it, especially for the big furniture. Like packing the truck, moving the boxes and furniture into the new apartment only took a few hours.

The Drive

Driving across the country in a giant moving van can be quite tricky, especially if you end up towing your car and/or driving in the winter like we did. You really have to be careful about where you stop and what hotels you stay in because the truck is hard to maneuver in small parking lots. We planned the whole trip out before we went and got hotels in the areas we wanted to stay in on www.priceline.com. Since we didn't care what part of the city we would be staying in we used the name your own price option and got some really great rates on 3 star hotels every night.

Another thing to consider is that you'll probably drive a little slower than the speed limit in that big truck, so you'll do less miles than you think. Make sure to think about when you plan your trip or you'll be driving more hours per day than you thought you would.

These big trucks also use a lot of gas and have big tanks, and depending on the type of gas station you stop at you may spend 15 minutes filling the truck up. We had a diesel truck and found that the best option was to stop at the big truck stops and fill the truck in the same lanes as the semi trucks. The pumps in these lanes typically filled the tank a lot faster than the regular pumps and we didn't have to worry about turning the truck around in the parking lot.

Weighing your goods

As part of a PPM you have to get official weight tickets of empty and full vehicles. It doesn't matter if you weigh the truck before you leave or at your destination or once in either place, you just need to get official weights. CAT scales area located all over the country and you can find the one nearest you at http://catscale.findlocation.com/ You can also get tickets at the weigh stations along the freeway or some moving companies will let you use their scales too. Scales usually cost between $5 and $10 per weigh.

Finally Getting Paid

One of the reasons that I suggest getting an advance on your PPM is because it takes a long time to finally get paid. In the Navy at least it is taking approximately 13 weeks for payments to be processed right now. When I went tot he household goods office on base they gave me a stack of paperwork and an addressed envelope with where to send everything once you arrive at your destination. Simply make sure everything is filled out correctly, put it in the envelope, put a stamp on it and send it out. I recommend taking your paperwork by the household goods office at your new base to make sure that everything was filled out correctly before sending it in.

Conclusion

While it is nice to be completely in control of your move and you can make you a little money in the end, it is a lot of work for the little bit of money you may make. You'll want to weigh the pros and cons for your specific situation before you decide to do a PPM, but I can attest that moving is much easier if you simply let the government take care of everything for you.

Military Day at Hersheypark

Hey Everyone, I get updates from my FRO (family readiness officer) about current discounts for military personnel and thought you all would just love this current offer from Hersheypark!

On Sunday, April 18th, Hersheypark is having a special day for the military and their families. This is a military only day, which means no civilians other than family members will be admitted into the park. On top of that, the park is offering an exclusive rate for all tickets (all ages). There will also be no parking fee! All you need is your military ID (no exceptions) when you get to the park to buy your tickets.

RATE: $25 per person (compared to Adult: $52.95 and child: $31.95) What an awesome savings!

Hours are from 10am-6pm

Military ID includes active duty, retirees, and reservists

100 W. Hersheypark Dr.

Hershey, PA 17033