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How You Can Become a Military Spouse Blogger

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How You Can Become a Military Spouse Blogger

* This post contains affiliate links! 

We were almost done with our 2nd deployment. It was getting colder in Germany, and I didn’t have that many things to do besides taking care of the kids and the house. For a while, I had wanted to become what I called a “public” blogger.

I had been blogging since 2004, but up until that time, my blog was just for friends and family. The blog was just little updates with pictures. I did most of that before Facebook started getting popular. When I realized I was posting everything I already posted on Facebook, I didn’t really blog that way anymore.

How You Can Become a Military Spouse Blogger

During that 2nd deployment, I decided to start my Military spouse blog.

I didn’t know what I was doing. I posted about homecoming outfits and the end of the deployments. I then found other Military spouse blogs and left comments. I went on Twitter and started to connect with others that way too.

Before I knew it, I had a little following. A few months later I was asked if I wanted to giveaway a book for Military Spouses. Things just progressed, and I eventually moved from Julie the Army Wife to Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life which has been my blogging home for over 10 years now.

I love blogging and love that there is such a wonderful Milspouse blogging community. We have all been through a lot of the same things, and we can help each other out.

How You Can Become a Military Spouse Blogger

So how does one become a Military Spouse Blogger?

Start a blog

This is obvious; you must start a blog to become a blogger. Some Milspouse bloggers write all about Military life. Others blog about everyday life or other topics that don’t have to do with being married to someone in the military. The choice is up to on what to blog about.

You can start a free blog on Blogger or WordPress. You can also go self-hosted which means you will have to pay a small hosting fee. You might also want a domain name. I have found if you wait for sales you can get them for $.99 for the first year.

I love my blog hosting service. David from New Blog Hosting is the best. I can always message him if I have any issues and he can help me fix what needs to be fixed. He is also very affordable.

Start writing

After you have set up your blog, you need to start writing. You don’t have to write every day, but if you want to get your name out there, you need to write often. This is especially important when you first start out. Make a schedule for yourself and try to stick to it.

If you are stuck on what to write about, get out a pad of paper and start writing down ideas. What topics are you interested in? What topics could you write about time and time again? What do you want to talk to your readers about?

How You Can Become a Military Spouse Blogger

Being active on social media

Set up Facebook , Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest accounts to go along with your blog. Having a Facebook page is a must. Just create one with the same name as your blog. To start, you can invite your friends to get going. Make sure the friends you invite would be interested in your blog to begin with.

The key to Facebook is making sure you are posting the right type of content. Post both your own links as well as others. Memes work well. One meme took me from 3,000 fans to 10,000 in a very short amount of time. Sharing other people’s stuff is also a way to help other bloggers and is a smart thing to do. Look for content that you know your ideal reader would be interested in.

Twitter is good for sharing links and connecting with people. Twitter will not bring as much traffic as Facebook will, but it can be a good place to establish your brand and connect with other bloggers and readers.

Instagram is great for photos and memes. Make sure to comment and like other’s posts and have fun with the platform. You can also use Instagram stories too.

Pinterest is a search engine and you want a mix of your content and others. You can join a Pinterest group board and schedule out pins with Tailwind.

Decide how much you are going to share

Since we are all military spouses, there are going to be OPSEC and PERSEC reasons not to overshare. Talk to your spouse about what they feel comfortable being out there on the internet. Some service members do not want any photos of them or even their names to be used. You should also decide if you are going to share where you live or talk about your children on your blog.

If you have your own Milspouse blog or just started one, leave your link in the comments. I would love to stop by 🙂

10 Reasons Why I Love Being A Milspouse Blogger

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We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men. ~Herman Melville

10 Reasons Why I Love Being A Milspouse Blogger

It wasn’t until 2009 that I realized that there was a Milspouse blogging community. Although I had joined an online forum for Military spouses when my husband joined in 2005, I didn’t realize that there were so many amazing spouses out there writing about the same type of experiences I was having. It was refreshing to see. I started my blog and soon found others and it grew from there.

After six years as a Milspouse blogger, there is a lot to love about being a part of this community. I have seen it grow over the years and I feel like it is in a very good place these days. There are a lot of talented spouses out there that have a blog that you can read and connect with.

Here are 10 reasons why I love being a Milspouse Blogger…

  1. I can get my thoughts out. One of the reasons I decided to start a Military Spouse blog was because I wanted a place to share my thoughts with others. Blogging is the best way to do that. I can write and share with people who can understand what I am trying to say.
  2. I can connect with others spouses in all branches of the Military. We live in a city with an Army post so most of the Military spouse friends I make here have spouses in the Army. It is the Milspouse blogging world that allows me to get to know other spouses whose husband represents a different branch. They help me understand the differences between the branches and helps me see that we are all spouses of someone in the Military and go through a lot of the same situations, even if we call them different names.
  3. I can share my photos. Photography is a passion of mine. By being a blogger I have a place to share some of the photos whether it is on my blog or through social media. I love being able to share the pictures I have taken over the years of all the places we have been and have lived.
  4. I can help other people not feel as alone. I love to hear when people can connect to my writing and have been in the same place. It helps me know that I am helping other people with my words. That the difficult situations I have been through can help someone else get through their own struggles.
  5. I can work from home. Blogging and the opportunities I have gained from it allow me to work from home. I can be there for my boys when they need me to be, we don’t have to pay for daycare and I can have a career that works for me.
  6. I don’t feel as alone. When I am reading blog posts from others and can relate to what they are saying, it allows me to not feel as alone. Whether it is a post about missing my spouse or what to do after Army life is over, it is nice to hear what other people have to say about similar situations that I have been through too.
  7. I learn something new every day. Whether it is a tip about blogging or something to do with Military life, I feel like other bloggers and the Military blogging community is always teaching me something new. This is a good thing and it is a great way to grow as a person and as a blogger.
  8. The Military becomes a smaller world. Because I have met people through blogging who have been stationed all over the world, the Military family seems a bit smaller. I can gain perspectives on different experiences even though I have never lived them myself.
  9. It gives me a place to create. Sometimes I get these ideas in my head. My blog is a place to create and figure out different ways of doing things. I always have some idea going on in my head, my blog gives me a place to put it somewhere. Even if I don’t hit publish on everything I do.
  10. I am more aware of what is going on in Military news. When something comes out in the news about the Military, the Military blogging community is always talking about it. By being in this community, I feel like I never miss out on any of it. Always a good thing to be aware of what is going on in your own community.

Are you in the Milspouse blogger too? What is your link? I would love to check it out.

Power Your Morning And My WAHM Morning Routine

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Nature Valley Cereal

They say that having a good routine is a must if you work from home. This is true. I have a lot to do each day and I want to start things off right. I want to power my morning so I can get through the rest of the day.

I usually get up between 4:30-5:00am. It depends on how tired I am. Sometimes I hit the snooze a few times. I get up, feed the dog, take a shower and get myself ready. I want to do all of this before my boys wake up.

After that, I make some coffee and get breakfast ready for myself. Then I sit at my computer and start my day. I start off checking email and then scheduling my Facebook posts as well as checking in on Twitter and usually sharing something on Instgram. I then make sure the boys are up around 6am.

I find this a good time of day to do those blogging tasks because I can do them while I am eating and helping the boys get ready for school. They are pretty good about doing what they need to do to get ready but they do need reminders, especially the five-year-old.

By 7:30 my two older boys are out the door. We leave for preschool a little bit later. After all the boys are in school my work day can really begin.

Nature Valley Cereal

Since I get up so early and lunch seems so far away I want to try to eat something that will keep me from feeling hungry and that is healthy for me. I am a big fan of cereal and I think Nature Valley Cereal is a good choice if you want to Power Your Morning and get off to a good start.

Nature Valley Cereal starts with the best ingredients from nature like 100% whole grain oats and honey. The cereal is packed with nutrients and protein, which can help fuel your morning. You can find Nature Valley Cereal in Baked Oat Bites, Honey Oat Clusters and Chocolate Oat Clusters.

Would you like to try some Nature Valley Cereal? You can print off a $1 off Nature Valley Cereal coupon to use at Publix to try the two delicious flavors and find your new go-to snack! From 2/25 to 3/2, the coupon will validate a BOGO offer as well.

Nature Valley Cereal

I also have a $15 Paypal cash giveaway going on!

Want to enter?

1. Go to Nature Valley Cereal and see the three new products.

2. Grab your $1.00 off coupon.

3. Come back here and tell me what flavor you would want to buy in the comment section.

I will pick one lucky winner. Giveaway starts now, February 18th and will go until March 2nd.

Good Luck 🙂

How To Grow Your Twitter Account To 10K Followers

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How To Grow Your Twitter Account To 10K Followers

Last week I hit a big goal of mine, 10,000 Twitter followers! This took me about six years. It took a lot of work and time and patience to get there, but I made it.

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When I first started my blog in 2009, I started a Twitter account mainly for my photography. I didn’t use it for my blog at first. Then, I realized that there were other Military Spouse bloggers that hung out there. That is how I first found the Military spouse community and I am so glad that I did.

Twitter is a lot of things but one of them is a place to find others that you can connect with. Not the people you know in real life but others from around the US and the world that you have something in common with. Without connecting with others on Twitter, you won’t get as much out of it as you otherwise would and if you want to grow your Twitter account, that part is a must. The best part is, that type of connecting with others is a lot of fun and most people enjoy doing it.

There are many reasons to grow your Twitter account. You want to grow your blog and your business, you want to make money with social shares or you want to get your name or brand out there. But how do you grow from 100-200 to over 10K? Do you need that many to make money on Twitter? What is the best thing to do?

Here are a few tips to help you grow your Twitter account to 10K followers:

Fill Out Your Profile 100%

When you set up your Twitter profile you will want to make sure you fill it out 100%. That means adding a good profile photo, a good cover photo and your bio. You also want to include a link to your website or blog in your Twitter profile. You want anyone clicking on your profile to learn a little bit about you and where you live on the Internet.

Follow people every day

When you first get started with Twitter you will be limited in the number of people you can follow. That is based on how many people have followed you back. Start off following about 100 people every day. Every time you follow someone you have a good chance that they will follow you back too. That is how you grow. Find people who you think would like your blog and what you are sharing. Find someone who is big in your niche and see the profiles of people who follow them. Then follow those people. Doing so will increase your chances of having them follow you back.

Weed out nonfollowers

When you are first starting out on Twitter, you don’t want a lot of people that you are following not following you back. You want engagement and growing your Twitter account is easier if you can get engagement from more people. You can use websites like ManageFlitter and CrowdFire to find out who isn’t following you and who has recently unfollowed you. This will clean up your Twitter feed and allow for more room to follow people who want to follow you back too.

Tweet every day

You need to be on Twitter every day if you want to grow. This is easy to do by putting the app on your phone. It only takes a few minutes to open the app and say something. In addition to this, you will want to schedule some of your Tweets to share your blog posts or other posts that you want your followers to see. Even better, go on Twitter 2-3 times a day to connect with your followers.

Interact

To grow on Twitter, you need to interact with other people. The easiest way to do this is to create lists. I have about five lists with people I want to connect with on a regular basis. I can either go to Tweetdeck to view them all at the same time or pull them up on my Twitter app. I can go on there during the day and see what people are talking about. I will comment or Retweet when I see something I want to share or talk about.

Give it time

You won’t grow your Twitter account to 10K followers overnight. It will take time. It took me about six years. Had I been working on growing my Twitter account from day one, I am sure I could have done it sooner but it still would have taken a while. Start working on growing your account but give it time. If you are wanting to get to 10K to make money with social shares, know that you don’t need that many followers to find paid campaigns. I was able to find them on places like Izea and Tapinfluence before I hit 10K.

The main thing to remember with Twitter is that it moves fast and it is one 0f the easiest places to gain new followers. You just need to put a little time into it each day. You don’t want to ignore Twitter if you have your own blog or website. You can get traffic from Twitter and interact with your followers who can turn into readers. It’s one of my favorite social media platforms and I love what it has done for me and my blogging goals.

Are you on Twitter too? Let’s connect 🙂

The Truth About Working From Home

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The Truth About Working From Home

 

Working from home can be a great way to make a living but it is not without its challenges. There are a lot of factors to think about when deciding if you want to work for yourself or not. There are a lot of aspects to working from home that need to be thought about. Working from home isn’t as simple as just sitting in front of a computer with your pjs on.

You Have To Balance Everything

When you work outside the home, you still have to balance everything but when your work is in your home, it can get even more complicated. When do you do the dishes? When should you work on decluttering? When should you have some free time? It is hard to figure it all out when you are working from the same place you call home. It takes a lot of balance and good scheduling to figure it out. I have been doing this balancing act for years and still find that part complicated.

You Make Your Own Deadlines

If you are working for someone else, you will have a deadline. If you are not or you are working on your own business, you might not. You have to make your own deadlines and you won’t have anyone enforcing them. It is best to make up deadlines for items that don’t have one. That way, you have a date you have to get things done by. I know I can get more done when I do this.

You Have To Work Around Your Family

One of the benefits of having someone work from home is that you don’t always have to pay for daycare. Depending on the job and your situation, you can work around your kids being home whether it is during vacation or even when they have a snow day which happens year almost every single year. Although it is nice to not have to worry about daycare, it is hard to work around you kids. It is best to have a good plan for when they are home. Some people work only when their children are asleep, others find things for their kids to do while they can put in a few work hours before going out and starting the day.

You Need A Good Space To Work

Part of working from home is having a good place to do it in. For some this means an office with a door they can close, for others this just means a place with a laptop and a notebook. Think about what you would need to be successful and create a space that works for you and your business goals.

Your Spouse Needs To Support You

I am not sure it would be possible to work from home without the support of my husband. If he wasn’t for me doing that, I  could never make this work. I need to depend on him for help with our boys or understand when I need time to work. If you have a spouse that doesn’t get working from home, try to sit down with them to explain. Show them your plans for making money and hopefully, that will help them see that you are serious about wanting to do this.

You Will Want To Give Up

Somedays I think it would be easier to just find a regular 9-5 job and call this whole working from home thing quits. Then I think about everything I have worked towards the last few years, all the reasons I started working from home in the first place and all the stories I have heard of people who have really achieved their goals and dreams at home, I know I can do it too.

You Will Get Lonely

One reason working from home won’t work for everyone is because when you work in an office of one, you can get lonely. I love the idea of co-working although that doesn’t seem to be a thing where I live. I think if I was in a bigger city I would try to take advantage of that. Co-working is where you rent a space for a day to work with others who are also working for themselves. It is like going to an office but you still get to work for you. I think that could help with getting too lonely. Overall I enjoy being by myself during the day but I also get to where I need to talk to others. Where I miss being in an office and where I have to figure out ways to get out and see other people during the work day.

The truth about working from home is that it is hard and it isn’t for everyone. You have to be okay with doing life a little differently and you have to be creative with how it all plays out.

Do you work from home? What do you do???

Looking for work at home job ideas?

 

The 3 Ways That Blogging Can Heal Your Heart

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3 ways blogging can heal your heart

The Three Ways That Blogging Can Heal Your Heart

I am often heard that if you are going through a difficult time it is best to write about what was going on. Start a journal and just write. Get everything out. I have kept a journal for years and years and this is true. Writing in the journal helps me feel better and allows me to think about things I would never have thought about before. Blogging is similar in that way.

Some people blog for fun but others do it as a way of reaching out, of sharing their stories. Blogging can be healing and when you are struggling with something in your life blogging can be a great way to heal your heart.

Blogging can give you a good outlet to express yourself and your thoughts. It can allow you to connect with others and it is nice to look back on years later after the moment has passed. Blogging is like a journal you can share with others and although you probably won’t write as openly as you do in a private journal, you can get your words and thoughts out there to help others and heal yourself.

I started my blog during a deployment because I knew I couldn’t be the only one going through one. I couldn’t be the only person feeling the way I did. I needed to blog to heal and to help others heal as well.

Blogging Gives You An Outlet

When you have your own space on the internet then you can always there when you need to and pour out your heart. You can express yourself and let others know what you are going through or what you have been through in the past. When you have so much inside of you and have to let it out, blogging can be a good way to do so. I went through a very bad breakup when I was in college. I always wonder what it would have been like to have been blogging during that time. I think it would have really helped me get my feelings out on what was going on.

Blogging Allows You To Connect With Others

When going through a difficult time you want to know you are not alone. If you blog about it, you can meet people through your words. Someone else going through what you did will read what you wrote and be encouraged. You can connect and share stories. Blogging is a great way to create a group of people who can help you through a difficult time. You just have to put yourself out there a little bit. That can be difficult sometimes because you might worry about those who don’t understand. People who just don’t get  what you are dealing with. The key is ignoring these people and focusing on those who can encourage you. And looking for people who you can encourage in return.

Blogging Is Always There

I have posts I wrote during out 2nd, 3rd and 4th deployments. I have posts I wrote when we moved from Germany to the US, I have posts after having children. I love that I have all of that to go back to. Sometimes I can learn from myself. I can also be reminded of certain times in my life when I felt a certain way. Blogging is a way to learn from the past. As you grow as a person you can look back at what you have been through and grow from it.

If you are going through a difficult time, if your heart feels sad and broken, blogging can help. You can get your thoughts out, you can regroup and understand more about your journey and you can find others to connect with that can relate.

What about you? Do you blog about your challenges? How has blogging healed your heart?

See Ya, 2015, 2016 Is Here

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See Ya, 2015, 2016 Is Here

Happy 2016! It’s the first day a new year. A fresh page. I love the feeling you get when a new year starts and the old one becomes just a bunch of memories.

2015 wasn’t the best year. Not at all. Looking back, it was a strange year. It seemed to go by fast overall but there were a lot of days when it just dragged.

My husband started a new job right before Christmas last year and it was very difficult for all of us. He was not home as much as we needed him to be. This caused a lot of stress and frustration for me. The good news is that last week he started a new job which should be a lot better for us. I am excited to see how 2016 is going to play out and still a little nervous about what his new job is going to be like.

Military spouse blogger

He is still in the National Guard and will be for another 17 months. I think I finally have figured out how monthly drills are supposed to work.

Although I went through a lot of personal stress and frustration in 2015, a lot of good things have been going on with my own work. I started writing for Homefront United and She Knows. I have continued to write for Military Shoppers. I have been working on my blog and social media more than I ever have the last few months and I am so glad I did.

military spouse blogger

I am still selling Scentsy and will continue to do so. I just can’t seem to stop loving all the new scents and warmers they keep coming out with. I love to help my team and my customers find the right scent for their home.

I also have a few projects I am working on and always trying to learn as much as I can about blogging, working from home and freelancing. I also really want to finish my first novel. I have been writing stories since I was five but I always give up on them. I started writing a new one this summer and I really want to go all the way with it. My problem is finding the time to write after everything else I have to do. But I know I  just need to make the time. That is the only thing holding me back.

Military spouse blogger

 

My boys are doing well overall. I am thankful for that. I have a 4th, 3rd and a preschooler this year. Next fall we will have all three at the same school. It will be the only year that they will all be at the same school and it will be interesting for sure. My “baby” will be going off to Kindergarten and that will be emotional for sure. That change also means that I will be able to add a lot more work time hours to my schedule.

My 3rd grader is my son with Asperger’s. We still have plenty of challenges but this school year has gone really well overall. We honestly have more issues at home which is different than in the past. I am excited to see how the rest of the school year goes and how he will learn and grow as he gets ready for 4th grade in the fall.

We still want to move to California and working towards that goal but I am afraid the move is not going to happen in 2016, which I am okay with. My mother-in-law is coming out to visit us soon. A few weeks after she goes home, my Dad will be coming out and then my mom should hopefully be able to visit in the late spring. I am so thankful they can come out and visit because it is so hard to be away from family and it is our number one reason for wanting to move back.

military spouse blogger

As I look at the new year ahead I think about all the things I want to do more of. I want to take more photos with my DSLR, I want to focus more on my blogging and my work at home goals, I want to declutter more of my home and make a few changes, I want to make new friends and join another book club.

What about you, my readers??? What are YOU most looking forward to in 2016?

Will you be moving somewhere new? Is your husband coming home from a deployment? Will you be adding a new child to your family? Publishing a book?

Let me know in the comments. I would love to hear from you 🙂

 

Top 10 Posts Of 2015

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Top 10 Posts Of 2015

It’s that time. We are down to just 2 more days of 2015. Has it been a good year for you? I have to say, I had a pretty difficult 2015. I am excited about 2016. I am excited for new opportunities, more growth and more family time.

When it comes to the blog, I wanted to share my top 10 posts of the year. Go check them out if you haven’t already.

  1. 5 Great Work at Home Job Ideas– Want to work from home but just not sure what you can do? Here are some ideas.

  2. Why You Should Say Yes To A PCS To Germany- If you ever get the chance to PCS to Germany, you should go. It might be difficult at times but it will be worth it.

  3. Why You Should Use A DSLR If You Love Taking Pictures– If you love taking pictures you should start using a DSLR. It is so worth it and a great way to learn photography.

  4. The 5 Stages of Watching Your Best Friend Move Away– Did you have to say goodbye to a friend this year? It’s hard and there seems to a process we all have to go through when it happens.

  5. What I Miss About Active Duty Life– 2015 was the first full year of living life after active duty. Here is what I miss about it.

  6. Guide to the First 30 Days of a Deployment– Getting ready for a deployment? Use this guide to help you through that first month which can be quite difficult to get through.

  7. Struggling With Anxiety When Your Spouse Is In The Military– Do you struggle with anxiety while having a spouse in the Military? It just adds some extra frustration to an already hard situation. Know, you are not alone.

  8. It’s Okay Military Spouse, It’s Really Okay, I Have Been There– Military life is hard. But you are not alone. A lot of other people have gone through it in the past too. You are going to be okay.

  9. Paris, War and the Military Spouse– This is the post I wrote after what happened in November. Such a hard thing to deal with.

  10. Supporting Your Spouse’s Military Career– How you can stand by your spouse and help them through their career.

Thank you all for your support and love this past year. I hope you have a great New Year’s and a wonderful start to 2016.