Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

Movies, Television, and Media

Facebook Saved the Military Spouse

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How Facebook Saved the Military Spouse

How Facebook Saved the Military Spouse

Back in 2007, during my first deployment, all my Army wife friends were on Myspace. A lot of my friends from back home were there too. Myspace was the place to be. During the deployment, we would spend time together at the park, head home, put the kids to bed and then log in to share photos, comments and update our music list. Remember the Myspace music list? We took quizzes and looked for old friends.

Back then I would log onto Facebook about once a week or so. It really wasn’t as popular even though people were posting there.

These days, Facebook is still pretty popular. We can go on there and learn what our friends are up to, even if we haven’t seen them in years. We can join Facebook groups, share photos of our kids, and get annoyed by all the news and political posts that always seem so frustrating.

Good or bad, Facebook has saved the Military Spouse.

Here is why…

  • They can share photos with their families back home.
  • They can stay in contact with friends from past duty stations.
  • They can learn about local events such as MOPS or what is going on through their local MWR.
  • They can talk to local friends and make plans for upcoming nights out.
  • They can meet others in their neighborhood, ask for suggestions and sell some of their stuff.
  • They can find groups for their interests and make new friends that love the same hobbies they do.
  • They can look for jobs.
  • They can promote their businesses.
  • They can talk about their favorite tv show or book they have read or really anything that interests them.
  • They can learn more about a new duty station and even start to make friends before they get there.
  • They can find a church or other local group to join.
  • They can help other spouses through problems or just be there to tell someone they are thinking of them.

Facebook makes the world a much smaller place.

Facebook is a place to go to connect, to vent, to encourage and to explore. Sometimes I have even felt like my husband lived on Facebook when he was deployed overseas. That was just the way life has been sometimes.

There are downsides to Facebook and social media in general. There can be bullying, there can be drama, and there can be cases of oversharing.

Sometimes I find myself learning much more about a person then I should really know. Politics can divide people, one-upping each other can be annoying and we can spend too much time scrolling our feeds when we should be doing something else.

But overall? Facebook can be the ideal tool for a Military spouse. Social media can help her in ways that nothing else can. Facebook can be her support when her husband is deployed, can be a tool to find a local group that she needed to find to help her make friends, and can lessen homesickness and remind them of fun memories they have made in the past.

Having boundaries with Facebook is also super important. You don’t want to overshare details about what your spouse is doing and always remember OPSEC. You don’t want to spend all your time on social media so that you start to feel depressed about what you don’t have.

You don’t want to overshare too much information so that you could put yourself in danger. Being smart about social media is a must and having boundaries that work for you about Facebook usage is important.

How has Facebook helped you on your Military spouse journey? 

Podcasts You Should Listen To

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Podcasts you should listen to

 

 

Podcasts! I love them. I found them back in 2009 when I was spending the summer with my parents. At the time I had to download them to my ipod and listen that way. I only really listened to one that was on photography. In 2012 I discovered a few more but my phone did not have very much space. I upgraded last fall and was able to add more. Then Serial came out and I really started getting into them.

The nice thing about podcasts is that I can listen to them while I am cleaning, working, walking or even in the car. I can listen before bed or even in the shower in the morning. I don’t have to be staring at a screen when I have them on. I have it set that they only download when I am on WiFi so the podcasts I am subscribed to will download new episodes only when I am at home but I can listen to them anytime as long as they did in fact download.

I don’t listen to every single episode of every single podcast I am subscribed to. Some episodes just don’t catch my interest. I also might subscribe and then realize I just don’t like the podcast enough to stick with it. Not that it is bad but that there are other podcasts I would rather listen to.

I figured out that there are podcasts on pretty much any topic you could think of. Since I use the Podcast app on my iphone, I can go into search, type in a topic and it will give me a list of podcasts that have a show about that topic. I then go in and see if anything is what I am looking for and try a few of them out.

At the moment I am subscribed to 40 podcasts which I know seems like a lot. Some only update once or twice a month. Others are random or update once a week. There are a few that put out a new episode more than once a week. Again, I look at the topic and then decide if I want to listen to it. So if the podcast just says, “Episode one” with nothing else, I probably won’t subscribe to it because I want to know what the episode is going to be about.

I am going to highlight a few of my favorite podcasts that I think you might like too:

Movies & Tv

  • The Popcast– Hosted by Knox McCoy and Jamie Golden. If you love tv/movies/popculture, you need to listen to this one. They talk about the latest craze, celebrities, binge watching tv shows, etc and they always make me laugh. I might not always agree with them but they crack me up regardless of what it is they are talking about. They seem to come out with a new podcast once a week.
  • Afterbuzz– They have podcasts for about 300 shows. If you are watching a show and want a podcast for it, check them out first. I currently am subscribed to Grey’s Anatomy, Mad Men, American Crime and Secrets and Lies. I love to hear people talk about the episode I just watched. They usually come out with a new show the day after the episode airs.
  • Wingin It– I knew I had to find a West Wing podcast and since this one started rather recently, in March and they still seem to be putting new episodes out, I subscribed. I really like how they look the at the episodes and bring up the topics the show is about.
  • Slate’s Spoiler Specials– Love movies? This is a great one to hear about movies. They don’t have a show on every movie that comes out but they have a lot of episodes to choose from.

Social Media/Blogging

  • Smart Passive Income– This was one of the podcasts I started listening to in 2012. If you want to make money online, you need to be listening to this one. Pat Flynn is an online entrepreneur and blogger who is very successful. He loves to share what he has learned and figured out about this business. He has such great advice and interviews a lot of people. He usually has a new episode once a week.
  • AskPat.com– If you don’t have much time, subscribe to this one. It is quick tips that are answers to questions fans of Pat Flynn sent in. I usually wait until I have 3-4 episodes there and then listen to them all at once. He usually comes out with one a day.

Random Goodness

  • EarzUp– Love Disneyland? You have to listen to this one. It is my favorite of the Disneyland podcasts out there. There are three hosts that go to Disneyland often and have some great information and fun talk about the place. They release about two episodes a month.
  • Sorta Awesome– This one was started by an online friend of mine, Megan Tietz. She has three co-hosts, Kelly, Rebekah and Laura. They talk about life with kids, blogging, tv shows, what they are reading, daily life, etc. It’s fun and I love it.
  • Slate’s Audio Book Club– This one is about books. They haven’t released many episodes lately but you can go back and listen to the books you have already read.

Do you listen to podcasts? Which ones are your favorite???

 

Why I Love Parenthood and the Bravermans

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Parenthood

A few weeks ago Parenthood aired its very last show. I caught up on the season last week and have now seen them all. It ended well and the last few episodes were very touching. There are a few reasons why I love this show. My mom told me about it after she watched a couple of seasons. She kept telling me I would love it and I did.

This is why I loved the show so much and why I am sad it had to end. I am going to try not to give away any real spoilers but I do want to talk a little bit about certain things on the show.

For those that don’t know, Parenthood is about the Bravermans. Craig T. Nelson and Bonnie Bedelia play Zeek and Camille. The parents of the four grown children and the grandparents of all of their children. Adam is the oldest son played by Peter Krause. He is married to Kristina, played by Monica Porter. Sarah is the next daughter and she is played by Lauren Graham. Dax Shepard plays Crosby the younger son and Erika Christensen plays Julia, the youngest of the four.

1) Max- Max is the son of Adam and Kristina. When the show starts he is about 8 years old and is diagnosed with Asperger’s. When I started watching the show our son was not diagnosed and we just started thinking something was going on with him. I would sit and watch Max and think, “Man, he is so much like Drew.” Once Drew was diagnosed, it was nice to watch what Max was going through and watch how the his whole family dealt with things. Since Max is a few years older than our son, I felt like he was a way to see into our future. There were times when Adam or Kristina would say something about his Asperger’s and I could totally relate. I will miss seeing Max get older and watch the challenges that he will have to go through.

2) California– The show takes place in Berkeley, California. While I am not from there I lived in the Bay Area for a while and I like watching shows that take place near where I have lived. It makes me a little home sick in some ways but it is a good thing. tumblr_m70cabp6Xq1rwdielo1_500

3) Lorelai Gilmore, I mean Sarah– I am a HUGE fan of Gilmore Girls so watching a show with Lauren Graham would happen no matter what. Sarah is different from Lorelai. She has a different type of relationship with her daughter than she did with Rory. I love seeing her in this different role.

4) Family- This show is all about family. Since they all live close to one another, they see each other all the time. Some of them even work together. They rely on each other in ways I simply can’t do with my own family because of the distance between us. I hope that in the future I can have this kind of closeness with my own family.

5) Real stories- The stories feel real to me. They go through divorce, cancer, money issues, PTSD, you name it and they probably had a story about it. While it is TV, it feels more real than other shows. The emotions are more real and I can relate to some of the issues I have dealt with myself.

I always feel sad when a good show gets cancelled too early. This is one of them. Hopefully they will have a reunion sometime in the future.

Are you a fan of Parenthood?

 

 

Guest Post: Motherhood and Social Media

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Motherhood and Social Media

Before the advent of Facebook, Pinterest, Skype and various other social media tools, motherhood was, in some ways, a much more isolating experience. Of course, before social media, mothers may have had email, phone calls and in-person visits. But social media and tools like smart phones and web cams bring your friends and family right into your living room, regardless of location, and allow them experience the growth of your child up close and personal. These days, moms can keep in touch with friends and family like never before.

Social media serves another important purpose: it brings moms together and makes geography nearly irrelevant. You adopted your child from China? There is a Facebook page or blog dedicated to that where you can connect with other moms with children adopted from China and share your experiences, ask questions, and make friends. Ditto for many other motherhood experiences. The internet and social media help us stay connected and meet others of like minds or experiences. This can be immensely reassuring when you are faced with a motherhood dilemma outside your previous experience.

Here are some of the most common social media tools I have found useful and some that many of my friends who are moms love to use:

Facebook

Although there are concerns that Facebook popularity is declining among teens, every mom I know uses it regularly. We post pictures of our kids, updates on our lives, questions about events at school and where to find a good pediatric dentist. It is a great tool for keeping up with both local friends and family and those that live far away.

You should be aware that Facebook is notorious for changing their privacy settings constantly and not informing users.  Therefore, I never post anything on Facebook that is sensitive or private. You really can’t be absolutely sure who might see your post. Also, Facebook has had the tendency in the past to ban breast-feeding photos and sometimes delete those users’ accounts, so while it is your right to post these types of family photos, the network has shown a strange intolerance to them, so beware.

That said, I love keeping up with what my friend in Spain is doing and her daughter’s activities, as well as making plans with my neighborhood friends for a barbeque.  I also belong to a Facebook group of moms with multiples and we talk about parenting issues specific to having twins or triplets.

Pinterest

Need an idea for a snack to serve for a toddler birthday party? Looking for an age-appropriate educational activity? How about nursery decorating ideas? That and more can be found on Pinterest by pinning photos and ideas of people you know and people you don’t. Along the way you can learn lots of interesting things about your friends. One of my friends has a prolific collection of dessert recipes – all involving chocolate. Another is obsessed with bookshelves of every shape and dimension. Another I can always count on for great ideas for appetizers.

Instagram

Love photos? Instagram allows you to tap your inner photographer and view others photos. You can also share them on Facebook and other social media sites. It is an opportunity to showcase your life in photos for friends and family to see, but the profiles are public, so everyone else can see, too.

Skype

There is nothing better than Skype for keeping in touch with family and friends far away – it’s almost as good as being there. It’s free to talk computer-to-computer and while you have to remember to talk straight into the webcam (or else all people will see is your forehead), it is a live way to talk so your mother that lives five states (or a continent) away can see and hear your infant daughter cooing. My niece put on a trombone concert for my parents a few weeks ago and sometimes my best friend and I get on and chat after the kids have gone to bed in place of going out like we used to. You can even BYOB.

Email and Texting

Don’t care to share your whole life with the masses, or even just your online friends? It’s a valid concern – many sites have little to no security settings, so there is really no way to ensure that what you post stays within your circle of family and friends. Emailing and texting, now considered old-school, aren’t completely foolproof, but you have a reasonable expectation that your rant to your best friend about not getting any sleep and the lack of privacy while pumping at work will be seen only by her.

What was parenthood before social media? It was a lot more private, and really, there is no substitute for in-person visits, but when that isn’t possible, social media can be the next best thing. It also opens up so many parenting resources and avenues for creativity, information and validation. It’s a way for friends and family outside your local circle to see your kids grow up, and to me, that is pretty amazing.

This guest post is by a SmartMom Contributor. SmartMom is an easy way to receive fast answers to all of your parenting questions from the convenience of your mobile device.  We’re launching in the app store soon – Visit our website http://smartmom.co for early access! 

 

Inspirational Film Review of The Movie Camp

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned below for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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I was able to watch a copy of the movie, CAMP last week.

Nashville, TN – (June 28, 2013) – Word Films announces the August 27 nationwide DVD release of the inspirational film “CAMP.” Inspired by true stories from camps for abused and neglected children, the film’s writer and director, Jacob Roebuck, tapped into real-life events to acknowledge the power of the camp experience and the opportunity it provides to give unconditional love to those seemingly forgotten children who need adults in their lives. “CAMP” is the story of a deeply troubled boy, Eli (Miles Elliot, “The Mentalist”), and an apathetic investment advisor, Ken (Michael Mattera), who get paired together at a summer camp for foster kids and discover the meaning of unconditional love.

The first thing I noticed about the movie was that the camp it was being filmed at looked just like the camp I went to in high school.  I did a search and found out it was…Hume Lake if anyone is familiar with that place. This was great because a lot of the places where it was filmed looked familiar to me. I almost want to say we stayed in one of the cabins that was used in the film.

Given the subject matter of this movie I knew it would be a good story.  When I was in college I interned at a foster care agency and I heard about the  types of homes the kids lived it.  It is hard to imagine that parents would treat their children in such a way that they would have to be removed from the home.  The foster kids in the movie reminded me of the kids I used to work with and how they just want to be loved and treated well.

I really admire the owners of the real life camp and what they are doing for these kids.  After the movie is over you can hear some of the real life stories from former campers and counselors. A few of them have ended up adopting some of the children who attended the camp.

It can be easy to think our world is falling apart but it is nice that there are people out there that have stepped up to help children who need it.

You can now purchase this movie as it just came out on August 27th!

The film is rated PG-13 and has a running time of 111 minutes. For more information about “CAMP,” Royal Family KIDS, Inc. and for a listing of upcoming engagements visit: www.campthemovie.com.

Dance Your Cares Away With Fraggle Rock On Hulu

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Fraggle Rock on Hulu

Who grew up with Fraggle Rock? I can remember watching this show when I was younger. I have always been a fan of Jim Henson and I love it when my kids enjoy things that I did growing up. It is a special link between us and they love hearing that I did something as a kid that they do now. It does kinda blow them away that I didn’t have the Internet when I was a kid 😉

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On August 22nd, Hulu launched Jim Henson Family TV on Hulu Kids. There are now 10 different shows you and your kids can check out…

“Fraggle Rock“ Four seasons, 96 episodes

“Fraggle Rock: Animated” One season, 13 episodes

“Jim Henson’s Play-Along-Video” One episode

“Mopatop’s Shop“ One season, 32 episodes

“Jim Henson’s Animal Show With Stinky And Jake” One season, 26 episodes

“The Hoobs” One season, 40 episodes

“Mother Goose Stories” One season, 13 episodes

“Secret Life of Toys” One season, 13 episodes

“Wubbulous World Of Dr. Seuss” Two seasons, 40 episodes

“Construction Site” Two seasons, 26 episodes

See anything you remember from when you were a kid?

A few days ago I decided to sign up for Hulu plus again. Because of this my kids can watch all these episodes commercial free. If you do not have Hulu plus you will still be able to watch five rolling, consecutive episodes of each show.

I put on Fraggle Rock on Friday afternoon and caught my two-year old dancing to it. He loved the music. My older boys were excited to watch too. I only wish their Dad was home to watch with them as he is also a big Jim Henson fan. I know he will enjoy watching a lot of these with the boys when he gets home.

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So go grab your kids or your spouse and go watch some Jim Henson TV!

Army Wives Season 7 Starts March 10th

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It is almost time ladies!!!

They Stood Together…Cried Together…But They Never Imagined Losing the One Who Held Them Together

On Sunday, March 10, the hit series Army Wives returns to Lifetime for its seventh season. AND THINGS HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. It’s time to say goodbye to a major cast member and to welcome some new faces to Fort Marshall.
Here are some exclusive “behind the scenes” looks into this season through personal conversations with a few in the cast! Bet you didn’t know…

Army wives season 7

Wendy Davis (who returns to the role of Joan Burton) is the complete opposite of Joan: “I am such a pushover as a mom…Last night I told my daughter to go to bed at 8:30, and at 10 she was still awake! Joan would never have that. Joan is very tunnel-visioned (sic) and I am not like that at all.” Did you know that Joan defied expectations and rose through the ranks, becoming Fort Marshall’s first African-American female lieutenant colonel — commanding more than 400 men?

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Catherine Bell, back as Denise Sherwood, originally went to college to become a doctor: “I studied bio-medical engineering until I discovered modeling. I am a tomboy…I love cars and motorcycles and extreme sports.” Did you know that Denise’s character started out very reserved and unsure of what she wanted to do in life? Over the past six seasons the character has grown dramatically, and Denise is now much more in line with Catherine’s personality.

 

Army wives season 7

Kelli Williams is reprising her role this season (Season 6 was her first!) as Jackie Clark. Kelli brings her experience of growing up in a very conservative household to her character: “I grew up going to country clubs…things that I don’t respond to in my life now but are totally Jackie…so to prepare for the role, I just amp up the pearl-wearing!” Did you know that the fans gave Kelli a tough time about her character, they didn’t trust her and didn’t think she was fair with Claudia Joy? Kelli says she’s the complete opposite of Jackie!

 

Army wives season 7

New to the cast this season is Torrey DeVitto as Maggie Hall. As we meet Maggie we will find that she, like lots of us, struggles to find herself. She left the Army to be a stay-at-home mom, and is having a difficult time with new roles in her life…mom to a blended family, wife to a new husband and a very different life at home compared with that of a soldier. To prepare for her new role, Torrey attended a day of Army physical training: “I didn’t want to tell the guys, but I had to leave early because I thought I was going to throw up…my body was begging me to stop. I have always had such respect for people in the service, and I always knew it was not easy. I was never so aware of how strong you need to be mentally and physically!”

The Seventh Season of Army Wives Premieres on Lifetime, Sunday, March 10 at 9/8c. You can catch up with the ladies and watch full episodes of last season online!

In Season 7, a new tribe emerges from the shadow of tragedy. Maintaining the enduring premise of Army Wives, the audience will witness a remarkable group of women – some familiar, some new – form friendships that see them through the challenges of Army life as their husbands serve at a dangerous outpost in Afghanistan.

Who plans to watch?

 

 

*This section of https://soldierswifecrazylife.com contains a blog discussing products and services for which I have received promotional consideration from A&E Television Networks, LLC (“AETN”) and/or AETN’s third-party advertisers. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, the opinions that you read on this section of https://soldierswifecrazylife.com are those of this bloggers and/or the advertisers that commissioned or paid the blogger.

Army Wives on Reality TV

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Married to the Army Alaska

If you haven’t heard by now there is a new reality tv show on the OWN network called, Married to the Army: Alaska. It follows the lives of seven women from Fort Richardson, Alaska, who are married to soldiers of the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry. Their husbands deployed November of 2011, and are just now starting to return after almost a year in combat (from OWN)

I will admit I do like my reality TV although I don’t watch too much of it anymore now that we cancelled Directv. I enjoy watching shows about other people and yes I am even a fan of some of the “Real Housewives” shows, as full of drama as they are. It can be really interesting to get to see into a person’s life, especially if they are so different from you.

For the last few years I have even thought about how a reality show like that would work for Army wives. Would a show be able to capture the real people? Would it focus on just the drama? Would it be a good thing or a bad thing?

With the start of Married to the Army: Alaska we can see first hand how a reality show about Military wives is going to go. Now I have not seen the show yet so I am not going to say if it is good or bad. I have talked to a few people who have seen and I didn’t hear a lot of positive reviews although some people did enjoy it.

I am not sure what to think about a show like this showing America what it is like to be an Army Wife. When it comes to the show Army Wives on Lifetime I do get questions about if that is what it is really like. People are curious about how we live our lives and how we are able to make it work through deployments and everything else. I am not sure if a reality show of this nature is the way to do that. I am not sure there is even a good way to do that other than knowing people personally that are going through a deployment or involved in Military life. That way they can see first hand what it is like without any of the drama.

I don’t blame the network for making a show like this. I know they felt there is a market for it and maybe there is. But I am just not convinced it will be able to show everything or what it is really like. Another part of this is because different people have different experiences when it comes to the Military. Just in my close group of friends here in Campbell, we have all been through different types of experiences even if our husbands have been in the Army about the same amount of time.

What do you think? Do you think this show is a good way to show the public what it is like to be an Army wife? Have you seen the show? What do you think?