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How To Keep Kids Busy This Summer, Even When You Are On a Budget

June 1, 2021 by Julie Leave a Comment

 

Summer is here and you might be trying to figure out what to do with your kids for their time off from school. Yes, there are camps and classes that you could sign them up for, but those all cost money, sometimes a lot of it.

If you are on a tighter budget, you have to be careful about how much you spend during the summer. You need to find cheap and free ways to keep them busy.

You really don’t have to spend a fortune each summer just keep your kids entertained. There is a lot you can do in your home and in your own community without having to break the bank. Take a look at some of these ideas, and see what works for your family.

How To Keep Kids Busy This Summer, Even When You Are On a Budget

Water Fun

Kids love water and there are many ways to get your kids in water without spending too much. A splash park is a great way to spend some time in the hot sun. You might find one at a park or even a shopping center.

Bring a sack lunch, plenty of towels, and your kids, and get ready to enjoy a fun-filled afternoon staying cool for very little cost. Invite some friends and have a fun playdate.

If you have a community pool you can use free of charge, take advantage of that. If you have to pay, check and see about a summer pass. Sometimes buying one of those will save you a lot of money all summer long. Our city pool offers a military discount on a pool pass.

If nothing else you can set up a sprinkler or a kiddie pool in your own yard.

Nature Hikes

Kids love to explore and what better way to do that than on a nature hike. Make sure to put on your bug spray, bring lots of water, and bring your camera for photos along the way. Check with your local park system to see if they have any guided hikes during the summer. Make sure you stay on the trails and don’t go anywhere you feel is unsafe.

You can also go on a more casual walk around your neighborhood or other community location. If your kids are old enough, have them bring their bike or a scooter. You can spend the whole day out walking and riding bikes. Just don’t forget to apply the sunscreen.

Cheap Movies

If you have a dollar theater, make sure to check out what kid’s movies they have playing. If you don’t, your regular theater might have a special kids program during the summer with free or $1 movies. They might be older ones that your kids have already seen, but it can give them the movie experience without having to spend too much.

You might also check and see if your city has a movies in the park night where they show a movie on a big screen after the sun goes down. That can be a lot of fun for everyone in the family. They are usually free and you would just need to bring a picnic dinner for your family as well as a nice blanket or chairs to sit on.

Camping

If you are wanting to take your family on vacation, camping is the most affordable option, assuming you already have a lot of the camping gear. If you don’t, you might be able to rent from a Gear to Go on your military installation. Campsites are not too expensive and you can have a lot of fun being in the outdoors. If you don’t want to leave your home, you could also camp out in the backyard.

Host a Play Date

Why not host a play date in your home once a week? You could also do a themed playdate. Such as water or food fun.

Meet up with other parents and plan to rotate houses during the summer. Your kids will love the playtime with friends and you can have some adult time with the parents.

You could go on Pinterest and find some fun crafts for the kids to do. There are plenty of ideas out there. Once a week you could also host a craft day. Everyone who comes can bring the supplies and you can all work on them together.

Annual Passes

A yearly pass will cost you money upfront, but it might be worth doing so. You can get passes to the zoo, science center, amusement park, or the local gym. Find out what would be best for your own family and think about how often you would go.

If you know you want to spend a lot of time at the zoo, getting a pass to the zoo will allow you to go for “free” all summer long. Check for specials or discounts before you pay for the pass. Also, make sure to check for blackout dates so you don’t plan a trip on a day you won’t be able to get in with your pass.

As you can see, there are quite a lot of activities you can do during the summer without having to break the bank. What would you add to this list?

Filed Under: Military Children Tagged With: military families, military life, summertime

That Breast Pump Might Just Change Your Life

November 12, 2020 by Julie Leave a Comment

That Breast Pump Might Just Change Your Life

This is a sponsored post!

When I had my 3rd little boy, my older two were around 4 and 6 years old. And they were active little boys! Having only two hands, adding that third baby was a bit of a balancing act.

I had one boy in elementary school, one in preschool, and a new baby. I remember that I would sit and use my breast pump in my room, having to be plugged in and sitting down to do so. This meant that I had to make sure my other two boys were safe and entertained elsewhere.

My “baby” is now almost 10 years old, and things have gotten even better for breastfeeding moms. For one thing, you can now get a free breast pump from TRICARE.

That’s right! This is a benefit for all military spouses and military moms.

How does it work?

  • TRICARE will give one breast pump out per “birth event.” What is a birth event? Either a pregnancy, or an adoption of an infant with plans to breastfeed.
  • This is true for any TRICARE plan, from active duty to National Guard.
  • You can get your breast pump in a few different ways, including from a civilian stateside or overseas retail store, or an online store.

The Breastfeeding Shop is one of the best places you can go to get your TRICARE benefit breast pump.

In addition to this TRICARE added benefit, there are now more choices when it comes to what breast pump you want to get, including wearable and wireless pumps.

With a wearable breast pump, you can more easily multitask, not be stuck pumping in one location by an outlet, and you can quite literally pump on the go.

Interested in a wearable breast pump? The Breastfeeding Shop can help you out with that.

The Elvie, Freemie, and Willow are popular wearable pumps. Right now, the Breastfeeding Shop has the Elvie and Freemie avaliable. Here are a little about both:

The Freemie- This pump offers hospital power suction, in a hands-free double pump. The pump is small, quiet, and you can wear the pump under your bra. There is a rechargeable battery and has super light cups so you don’t always have to use a bag. This pump would be $0 out-of-pocket with your TRICARE benefit.

The Elvie-This pump is an amazing wearable pump that fits into your bra. The pump is practically silent, includes custom fitting breast shields, and has 7 settings for suction. This pump does have an up-charge as TRICARE doesn’t pay 100% for luxury pumps, however, the Breastfeeding Shop will have the lowest out-of-pocket costs for this type of pump.

The Breastfeeding Shop also carries plenty of other types of pumps if you are not interested in a wearable one. Sometimes it is best to go with a more traditional pump if breastfeeding is new for you and/or this is your first baby.

A wearable pump can be fun and convenient for moms that would like to have that flexibility. However, the wearables are limited with their size flanges available. So if you do need a specific size flange – they might not have it. That is something to keep in mind when making your decision on what type of breast pump you want to get.

If you take a look at the Breastfeeding Shop’s website, you can see they have a comparison chart of the different types of pumps. When you are ready to move forward, you can fill out their online form to get your pump. You will need to have a prescription from a TRICARE-authorized doctor, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or nurse-midwife.

I love that this is a TRICARE benefit, as I know being able to have access to a breast pump is very helpful for so many moms. Head on over to the Breastfeeding Shop and enjoy your new pump!

Filed Under: Military Life, Sponsored Post Tagged With: breastfeeding shop, military families, sponsored post

The Top 10 Takeaways From Military Family Lifestyle Survey

March 6, 2020 by Julie 1 Comment

This post is sponsored by Blue Star Families!

Have you heard of the Blue Star Families Annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey? This survey provides a comprehensive understanding of the experiences and challenges encountered by military families. It is a yearly snapshot of the state of military families.

The data from the survey isn’t just to share with military families, it is also there to help change things for the better. It helps to inform national leaders, local communities, and philanthropic actors. It helps increase dialogue between the military community and broader American society, minimizing the civilian-military divide and supporting the health and sustainability of the all-volunteer force.

Blue Star Families conducted its 10th annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey from May through June 2019. They had over 11,000 respondents, including active duty service members, veterans, National Guard, Reserve, and their immediate family members.

The Blue Star Families Annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey is the largest and most comprehensive survey of the military and their families.

There is a lot of information in the survey, so I wanted to highlight the top 10 takeaways based on the top trends and findings for 2019.

Military families act to offset the impact of relocation on their children’s education, an issue that continues to be a top-five issue of concern for respondents.

Military families have concerns around family stability and dependent children’s education. Some are either turning to homeschooling, or voluntary separation from their service member.

Availability and affordability of childcare are barriers that negatively impact service members’ pursuit of employment and/or education.

Not being able to find or afford good childcare is making it difficult to pursue employment or educational goals.

Military spouse respondents who are unemployed indicate their top challenge to working is service member day-to-day job demands making it difficult to balance work and home demands.

A service member’s day-to-day job demands is a top barrier to employment among military spouses. Top barriers do however differ when children are present.

Three-fourths of employed military spouse respondents experience some degree of underemployment; this issue persists among spouses of veterans.

77% of employed military spouses and 68% of veteran spouses report at least one circumstance of underemployment.

Potential impacts on a service member’s career is the most common reason for not seeking treatment for active-duty, National Guard, and Reserve family respondents who had seriously considered attempting suicide/had attempted suicide in the past year.

40% of military, veteran, National Guard, and Reserve family respondents, who had seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year, and received help after the most recent incident, did not find it helpful and 8% couldn’t find that help at all.

Families enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) report difficulty obtaining specialty medical care in a reasonable amount of time after a relocation.

40% of military family respondents who have an EFMP Family Member are unable to obtain a referral and be seen by a specialist in a reasonable amount of time after relocating.

Military family respondents caring for a child with special needs report their community does not have all the resources their family needs.

More than a 3rd (36%) of military family respondents feel like their community doesn’t have all the recourses their family needs.

National Guard and Reserve families feel local civilian support agencies are not effective in addressing their needs.

Nearly one half of National Guard and Reserve families feel their local civilian support agencies are not effective in addressing their needs.

Military and veteran family respondents who perceive that civilians in their local communities have greater military family lifestyle competence feel a greater sense of belonging to that community.

40% of military family respondents don’t feel a sense of belonging to their local civilian community.

The majority of military families have a positive experience with their children’s schools but identify improvement opportunities related to the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children.

The majority of families with school-aged children report their oldest child is thriving at school, but feel schools can improve.

Please take the time to head on over to Blue Star Families and download the survey results. There is a lot of information there, and it would be helpful for any military family member to read the results and learn more about the military community in general. Knowing what the struggles and frustrations as well as about what is going well for the military community is important.

Filed Under: Military Life, Sponsored Post Tagged With: Blue star families, Blue Star Families Annual Military Family Lifestyle Survey, military families, sponsored post

What All These Years of War Mean to a Military Family

January 24, 2020 by Julie

What All These Years of War Mean to a Military Family

War.

Going to war.

Sending your spouse off to go to war.

War.

It’s a word that military families know well. It is a word that brings up a lot of scary feelings. It is a word that probably feels different based on your experience with it.

As we head into 2020, with news of tensions heating up in Iran, us military families can’t help but think what this means. More war.

Some of us have been doing this for a long time. A very long time.

And all these years of war can weigh on us. Even though we know this is a part of the deal. Even though we know that being a military spouse means deployments to war zones. Even though we know that this was a part of what enlisting meant.

Some military families are getting ready for yet another deployment. And after so many, this may feel quite exhausting. The weight of previous deployments sits on their shoulders. The weight of the last fifteen, sixteen or seventeen years feels like a burden that is sometimes to difficult to bear.

As deployment orders come, military families do what they always do.

At first, there could be tears, maybe many of them. Children don’t always understand and the spouse wonders how they will manage. As deployment orders come, slowly we military spouses accept what is to come with them.

We know that saying goodbye will be difficult, it always is.

We know spending months apart is not going to be a picnic, it never has been. And adding more distance isn’t ideal.

We know that there will be good deployment days and bad deployment days and anything in between.

And as much as we know we can get through another separation, after so many years of war, saying goodbye again is another burden and one we really wish we didn’t have to go through.

For some, there just wasn’t enough time at home.

For others, a deployment comes at the worst possible time. Their spouse will miss so much, just like they have before. Just like they have the last six or seven times.

We could argue if it is right for the same people to go through this over and over again. But then if they didn’t go, who would? We are an all-volunteer military for a reason, a reason that most of us support.

But at some point, we also have to ask, how much is too much?

How many months away is okay? How much more do military families endure? Is there a breaking point?

Would so many leave the service before 20 years if there were not as many deployments? Would the military be stronger if we were not involved in so many years of war? Is there any other way?

My fear and the fear of many is that this could go on for so many more years. During my time as a military spouse, I have seen quite a few changes when it comes to deployments. Things change, they always do.

These days I don’t hear too much about 15-month deployments, but I also know a Navy ship returned after 10 months last week.

Communication is so much easier than it used to be. But due to recent announcements, some will be deployed without the technology they have been used to.

And as much as we might think things are getting better overseas, are they? Will they? Won’t there always be something?

It often seems like when things seem calm, something else happens. When it seems as if the world might be getting better, something else happens in to remind us that there will always be tensions.

We, as military spouses and families want to stay strong. We want to be there for our service members. We want to be the ones back at home holding down the homefront. But what happens when yet another deployment seems a little too much?

All these years of war have been hard on military families. There is no ignoring that. Rates of anxiety and depression have gone up. We need all the extra support we can get. We need help to get through these years, no matter how long they last.

As your service member returns home, there can be even more stressful situations. From PTSD and helping your spouse heal to just the day to day of having your partner back in your home or your daily life. This all adds to the stress military families experience.

Then to do it all over again just a few years, or even months later. Repeat for the rest of your spouse’s career. That is quite a lot to take on to our shoulders. Are already weary shoulders.

I think more than anything it is important for America in general to remember this. It is easy to say the military should do this or do that, but the military is made up of men and women, all with families, all with loved ones back home.

It is important for America to know that military families need support systems.

For our children, in and out of school. For us, for our careers, and for our day-to-day lives.

We need good friends to depend on, good leadership that understands the importance of families, and a listening ear when things get a little too much for us back at home.

Wars will come. We know this. We are aware.

We will try to prepare for the road ahead as much as possible. We will try to figure out the best way to make it through another deployment. We will put on our game face and do what we have to do.

For all the years of war, we have been through and for all the years of war that might be ahead.

If you are new to military life, please check out The Newbie’s Guide to Military Life: Surviving a PCS and More by Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life and Mrs Navy Mama. Your guide for learning about military life.

Filed Under: Deployment Tagged With: All these years of war, military families, military spouse

How You Can Celebrate Veterans Day With Your Military Family

November 8, 2019 by Julie

How You Can Celebrate Veterans Day With Your Military Family

This is a sponsored post for T-Mobile with Sofluential Media!

Can you believe it is November already? This year has flown! Whenever we get to this time of year, I start getting pretty excited about the holidays. But before we get into Thanksgiving and Christmas, we get to celebrate Veterans Day, a day to recognize and honor all veterans.

Living in a military community, there are a few things we can take part in around here. Our city has a pretty cool Veterans Day parade that involves the community – one year we were able to ride in the parade with my son’s boy scout troop and we are hoping to be able to attend again this year.

As a military family, Veterans Day can be a big day. You probably want to find events near your home and make plans to celebrate your own veteran. You can search social media for local events, check what your city or town is doing, and look into what your military installation has going on.

When it comes to discounts and free meals, many different restaurants, zoos, amusement parks, and even small businesses offer different types of perks for those who have served in the military. Last year, my husband was able to pick out a free meal from a restaurant in Nashville, and one year I went out to lunch with a group of my friends in honor of the holiday. A few of them were veterans themselves and they were able to get their meals on the house.

We have also gone to our local zoo on the Sunday of Veterans Day weekend, as they have a free day for veterans and members of the military. There really is a lot you can do around your area to celebrate the veterans in your life! Speaking of a Veterans Day parade, did you know that T-Mobile is sending over 100 veterans, military family members and allies to the Veterans Day Parade in NYC? As you might already know, T-Mobile is committed to supporting soldiers, veterans and their families and have various initiatives ranging from recruiting, career assistance to an unbeatable Military-friendly network plan. Per usual, T-Mobile goes above and beyond to support the military community and have organized a weekend full of networking events to help these employees take the next step in their career and march in one of the biggest Veterans Day events in the nation!

At T-Mobile, they provide their employees with opportunities to get involved, support and celebrate their veteran community year-round.  Just this year alone, their diversity and inclusion teams have organized over 800 events and counting for employees to attend.

T-Mobile also goes beyond exclusive discounts (although they do have those too – check out their Magenta Military plan) to provide career assistance and community support to service members, veterans and their families. They’ve committed to hiring 10,000 veterans and military spouses by 2023 and are involved with organizations like FourBlock, Recruit Military, and Hire our Heroes to make sure service members across the nation have the employment support they need. As you can see, T-Mobile lives up to their commitments and is a industry-leading champion for our military community! 

I hope you enjoy celebrating Veterans Day with your veteran or service member 🙂

Filed Under: Military Life Tagged With: military families, military life, Veterans Day

Have you heard what Macy’s is doing to help military families this summer?

July 2, 2019 by Julie

This is a sponsored post! 

Have you heard what Macy’s is doing to help military families this summer?

If not, here you go. Macy’s is offering their Macy’s Salutes Those Who Serve this summer from July 1st through July 18th. What is Macy’s Salutes Those Who Serve?

Between those dates, you can simply round up your Macy’s purchase amount, and donate that amount up to $.99 to Blue Star Families and Bunker Labs.

Helping Blue Star Families in this way means helping create communities of mutual support and stability for military families who experience frequent moves and deployments. The other portion of the change will go to Bunker Labs, which is a group that inspires, equips, and connects military veterans, active duty, military spouses, and family members to start and grow successful businesses.

Sounds pretty amazing right?

We were able to take a trip to Macy’s in anticipation of this upcoming campaign. I was also able to go on a little shopping spree and pick out a few things. My husband found a pretty amazing shirt, we bought some new bed sheets, a new cookie sheet, and my son picked out a pretty rocking Avenger’s backpack set.

Although each Macy’s may look a bit different, the Macy’s at Green Hills Mall in Nashville is three stories high with so many different departments. This mall is about an hour from Fort Campbell.

You can find new furniture and items for your home after a PCS in their home section, find a new bathing suit in their swim section, or start shopping for new school clothes for the kids for the fall.


They have make-up counters, shoes, purses, and more. You can even use their free styling service if you want to try out some new looks. Macy’s is also bright and had such a nice atmosphere. We enjoyed walking around the whole store, checking out all the different departments.

I think my son’s favorite part of the visit was the VR set they had to help you try out different looks for your home. Every time we go to that store, that is the first thing he wants to do.

So…make plans to head to your local Macy’s store, or visit one on vacation and round up your purchases to help raise money that will help military families.

Remember, this campaign goes from July 1st, through July 18th.

Blue Star Families is also going to be giving away a $1,000 Macy’s gift card! This would be an amazing prize to win to put towards new household items during your next PCS or pick out homecoming outfits for your whole family.

How do you enter this awesome giveaway?

Just fill out this form here—>>> https://bluestarfam.org/macys-salutes-those-who-serve/

Good luck!

I am so thankful for companies like Macy’s that see there is a need to help military families and then make it happen. Make sure you choose to round up when you head to Macy’s between July 1st and July 18th. The military community will really appreciate it.

Filed Under: Sponsored Post Tagged With: military families, Sponsored

Get an Extra Boost this Military Spouse Appreciation Month!

June 13, 2019 by Julie

Get an Extra Boost this Military Spouse Appreciation Month!

This is a sponsored post by AAFMAA!

Charlene G Wilde, Assistant Secretary of AAFMAA

As MilSpouses, our lives are truly a combination of adventure, uncertainty, service, sacrifice, and many other things in between. And let’s face it, the truth is sometimes being a military family is downright challenging. Whether it’s working to juggle your kids solo — when just surviving a trip to the grocery store can feel like climbing Mount Everest — to feeling the pressure of having to take care of the household operations while your servicemember is away, there aren’t many dull moments (or any maybe in your case!)

First off — if any of the above speaks to part of your life and experience as a MilSpouse so far, you’re not alone. I’m right there with you. With that in mind, I wanted to share an opportunity that could give you and your family an extra financial boost. Your servicemember spouse may be able to qualify for a benefit of AAFMAA Membership called the CAP Loan.

AAFMAA’s CAP Loan is an easy, smart, and affordable way to get some additional cash. It’s open to ranks E-5 to O4 and you get $5,000 at just 1.5% APR with five years to repay. The best part? There’s no credit check, no fees, no prepayment penalties, and you can use the money for whatever you need — whether it is to tackle projects around the house, take a family trip, or something just for you.

As a member of the AAFMAA team and a MilSpouse myself, I can tell you this is a great opportunity to take control and move toward the financial empowerment we all want. Your military lifestyle and your unique needs as a military family are important. You deserve the expertise and understanding of a not-for-profit organization that has been exclusively serving the military community with smart, secure financial solutions for over 140 years. Helping MilSpouses like you achieve a secure, confident financial future for your military family is our only mission.

On Military Spouse Appreciation Day and every day, at AAFMAA, we are here to help you breathe a little easier through your day-to-day life. We stand together as MilSpouses and military families, and AAFMAA is right beside us.

Interested in the CAP Loan? Learn more on our website at www.aafmaa.com/cap or call us at (800) 991-0268 with your servicemember spouse to start their application for AAFMAA’s $5,000 CAP Loan today.

How AAFMAA Can Help Military Spouses Financially

Filed Under: Military Life, Sponsored Post Tagged With: military families, military spouse, sponsored post

Westgate Resorts, Gary Sinise and Gov. Ron DeSantis Host Thousands of Military Family Members in Orlando

May 9, 2019 by Julie Leave a Comment

Westgate Resorts, Gary Sinise and Gov. Ron DeSantis Host Thousands of Military Family Members in Orlando
KISSIMMEE, FL – MAY 04: Alyssa Raghu performs during the Westgate Resorts Military Weekend 2018 at Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort on May 4, 2018 in Kissimmee, Florida. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Westgate Resorts) *** Local Caption *** Alyssa Raghu

Westgate Resorts will honor 1,500 U.S. military families, veterans and Gold Star families from across the nation with a free vacation at Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort in Orlando, May 10-12.

Westgate Resorts, Gary Sinise and Gov. Ron DeSantis Host Thousands of Military Family Members in Orlando
KISSIMMEE, FL – MAY 04: Westgate Resorts Military Weekend 2018 at Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort on May 4, 2018 in Kissimmee, Florida. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Westgate Resorts)

The event continues Westgate Resorts’ and CEO David Siegel’s eight-year tradition of encouraging our nation’s heroes to spend quality time with their families. 

Westgate Resorts, Gary Sinise and Gov. Ron DeSantis Host Thousands of Military Family Members in Orlando
<> at Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort on May 4, 2018 in Kissimmee, Florida.

Representing all branches of the military, more than 5,500 guests from 41 states, and Puerto Rico and Washington D.C., will enjoy complimentary accommodations and activities, including an inaugural 5K run, a resource fair featuring 25 military organizations, and admission to Westgate’s Shipwreck Island Water Park.

The event will culminate with an outdoor concert and fireworks show featuring Gary Sinise & The Lt. Dan Band, with special appearance by Grammy-winner Lee Greenwood.

2019 Update!

Westgate Resorts
Gary Sinise & The Lt. Dan Band entertains the crowd at Westgate Resorts Military Weekend. Gary Sinise and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited with thousands of military families on Saturday, May 11, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. For its eighth year running, Westgate Resorts hosted military families, veterans and Gold Star families from across the nation with a free vacation at Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort. (Scott Iskowitz/AP Images for Westgate Resorts)

Westgate Resorts, Gary Sinise and Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted thousands of military families in Orlando on Saturday. For its eighth year running, Westgate Resorts honored military families, veterans and Gold Star families from across the nation with a free vacation at Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort.
 
Representing all branches of the military, more than 5,500 guests from 41 states, and Puerto Rico and Washington D.C., enjoyed complimentary accommodations and activities, including an inaugural 5K run, a resource fair featuring 25 military organizations, and admission to Westgate’s Shipwreck Island Water Park. 

In total, the Westgate Resorts Foundation contributed $50,000 to military nonprofit organizations. 

The event ended with an incredible outdoor concert and fireworks show featuring Gary Sinise & The Lt. Dan Band, with special appearance by Grammy-winner LeeGreenwood.

Westgate Resorts
Gary Sinise visits with veterans before performing at Westgate Resorts Military Weekend. Gary Sinise and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis visited with thousands of military families on Saturday, May 11, 2019 in Orlando, Fla. For its eighth year running, Westgate Resorts hosted military families, veterans and Gold Star families from across the nation with a free vacation at Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort. (Scott Iskowitz/AP Images for Westgate Resorts)

It’s awesome that Westgate Resorts continues to support both active duty and retired military personnel, military families, and first responders through its annual giveaways and discounts. Whether you’re looking for free vacations for military families, or some great hotel discounts for military, Westgate Resorts has some great options.

Filed Under: Movies, Television, and Media Tagged With: Gary Sinise, military families, military life

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About Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life

 

Welcome to Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life! I am so glad you are here.

My name is Julie and I first became a military spouse in 2005 when my husband of 3 years re-joined the Army. Then, in 2014, he joined the National Guard. In January of 2024, he retired from the National Guard after 21 years of service.

During our time in the military, we got to spend 4 years in Germany as well as Tennessee where we now call home.

We have three boys and have been through four deployments together.

I hope that you can find support for your own deployments, PCS moves, or anything else military life brings you through my articles and social media posts.

 

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