Soldier's Wife, Crazy Life

PCSing

Moving When Your Spouse is Deployed? Here Are Some Hacks to Help You Out

by Leave a Comment

Moving While Your Spouse Is Deployed: Hacks To Make The Process Easier

So your spouse is deployed, and you are tasked with moving you and your family to your new PCS assignment. You’re probably pretty stressed, right? 

Moving is a daunting task, and when your spouse is unable to be there to help you do the work, the process can become even more overwhelming. Fortunately, with a little preparation and a calm attitude, you can get your family moved to your new location and still maintain your sanity!

Keep Everything Organized

The worst mistake you can make when moving is being disorganized. Especially if you have children, you can’t afford to be unprepared for each step of the process. 

Make a List For Everything 

It all begins with the organization– make a list for just about everything. List out all of the things you will need to do before you even start packing, such as your preferred moving service, costs associated with the move, personal items you will need for the trip, etc. These will all need to be decided ahead of time. It’s worth the extra time to make sure that the moving process starts on a good footing. 

Identify What is Most Valuable to You

Keep a list of your most valuable items, such as electronics, jewelry, family heirlooms, and sentimental belongings. It’s common for possessions to be damaged, lost, or sometimes even stolen during the moving process. Keeping a checklist of these items to ensure they make it through the move safely will prove to be beneficial.

  1. Set Aside the Essentials

Another helpful tip for planning your move is to pack the essential items that you will need right when you get to your new home separately, such as toiletries, phone chargers, a change of clothes, and some food. The last thing you’ll want after traveling to your new home is to have to dig through boxes to find the things you need to get settled in that first night. To make things even easier and time-efficient for yourself and your family, you can have these essentials delivered to your new address while you are en route. This way, not only can you get settled into your new home quicker, but you won’t have to pack all of those items and lug them with you during your move.

  1. Pack Unused Items First 

Perhaps the best place to start packing is with your spouse’s belongings. While they are deployed, they won’t need any of the items they left behind and probably won’t for a while until after they return home. 

Holiday decorations are another good place to start if you are moving well in advance of the holidays. Anything that you can’t see yourself or your family using within the first month of living in your new home should be packed away first. From there, you can pack more and more of your belongings as your moving date approaches, leaving your immediate needs to be packed last.

Use Your Resources

  1. Utilize Military-Hired Movers

If you’re feeling exceptionally overwhelmed by the thought of moving yourself and your children all on your own, look to external resources for help. The military does offer help with packing and moving your belongings to your new home. It could be very helpful to get a few additional adults to help you with the process of packing and moving. Especially if this service comes at little to no cost to you, you might as well make use of the help. 

  1. Get Your Kids Involved

Including your children in the entirety of the moving process can help them cope with their own stress associated with uprooting their lives. This can be very beneficial for your family as a whole. Whether your children are very young, or young adults, there are a few things children of nearly any age can do to help with packing and moving. 

For the little ones, you can give them the assignment of collecting their favorite belongings and setting them aside to be packed separately. Doing so will make it easier for your child to feel more at ease during the move knowing that their favorite things are safe and easily accessible once they get to their new home. 

For slightly older children, you can give them even more practical assignments from house hunting to packing up the entirety of their bedroom. It’s important that your kids feel as though they have some choice and control over the situation in order to feel better about leaving their friends and school life behind. 

Take it Slow

Moving without your spouse there to be involved in the process can be very emotional for you and your family. The stress of moving, missing your loved one, solo parenting, and uprooting your family can be exhausting. 

For this reason, getting help from movers and your family members is going to make a big difference in the emotional exhaustion this process may cause. Don’t try to do everything on your own, and don’t try to get everything done in only a few days either. Once you get to your new home, take your time moving in and getting settled. Remember, there’s no time limit on unpacking.

No matter what, moving is inevitable for military spouses, as is moving while your spouse is deployed. While you probably wish you could avoid relocating on your own, it’s best to have a solid plan for doing so. Try out a few of these hacks the next time you are assigned to a new duty station, and above all else, stay calm!

PCSing Anytime Soon? These Companies, Organizations, and Resources Can Help

by 1 Comment

Is there a PCS in your future? Is it time to start packing up boxes and getting on your way? Need some help with where to live at your next duty station?

A PCS can be a challenging season in your life. There is a lot to do, and not all of it is super clear. Back when we were PCSing overseas to Germany, there were so many steps that I felt my head was going to explode.

On the other end, it took almost a couple of months to feel even somewhat settled in my new home. Everything was so new and different from what I was used to. And it took some time to get to a place where I could breathe.

The good thing is that there are resources out there to help military spouses through a PCS. There are companies that will help you make decisions about where to live. There are companies that will help you figure out how to pack. There are companies to help you figure out how to decorate within the military community.

Like anything else in military life, we don’t have to go through a PCS alone. Here is a list of companies, organizations, and military spouses to help you during your next PCS:

PCS Resources

MilSpouseConversations OCONUS Talk

MilSpouseConversations had a great talk in March about PCSing overseas. This group of military spouses has been through quite a few overseas moves from Japan to Germany. MilSpouseConversations is about real raw, real topics, and real conversations with a group of military spouses with over 100 years of military spouse experience between them.

PCSgrades

Trying to decide on a neighborhood at your next duty station? Looking for a realtor? PCSgrades has reviews on many different off-post or on-post neighborhoods, real estate agents, mortgage lenders, moving companies, apartments, and schools.

Millie

Millie is also a great place to go for help before a PCS. Their Millie Scouts can be your boots on the ground, to help you review a future home when you can’t do so in person. They also have AgentHeroes who understand military life and can help you find a new home.

Permanent Change of Storing

Permanent Change of Storing is owned and founded by Navy wife, Christa Curtis. Permanent Change of Storing will help you with organizing your home, PCS prep, settling in, and more.

Military One Source

Military One Source offers PCS help too. You can connect with experts that can help you through your move, Plan My Move, which offers a tool that gives you customized lists and more, and MilitaryINSTALLATIONS which is the official DoD guide for military institutions worldwide.

Move.Mil

Move.Mil is the official DoD Moving Portal. Here you can find information and guidance for your move, where you can schedule your move, information about shipping your car, and even tips for settling in.

Military By Owner

This company provides advertising for selling a home near military installations as well as resources on different aspects of military life, real estate, and homeownership. They can also be a great place to look for a home either to rent or to buy.

At Ease Rentals

This company provides active duty and their families, DoD employees, military contractors, as well as federal employees with short-term rentals that are pre-approved to meet FTR (Federal Travel Regulation).

PCSing.com

At Pcsing.com, you can find a one-stop information resource for service members and their families that are going through a military move.

MilHousing Network

MilHousing Network connects military families with military real estate experts in the US. They also run the Facebook group, Things I Wish I Knew Before I PCS’d.

Moving House for the Military Spouse

Moving House for the Military Spouse is a Facebook page that shows real life photos from military housing.

AHRN

AHRN stands for the Automated Housing Referral Network is a website for members of the military who are searching for housing at a new duty station.

PCS Money

Need to know about PCS travel and relocation allowances or weight limits? You can find that information on the Defense Travel website.

BAH

Curious about BAH at your upcoming duty station, go here for the BAH calculator.

This post does contain some affiliate links!

PCS Themed Products

MilitaryPrintables

Looking for a PCS Binder Printable Kit? Check out MilitaryPrintables on Etsy.

Welcome to Rota: The Unofficial Guide to Getting Settled, and Enjoying the Culture, Food, and Travel Opportunities of Southern Spain

This book, written by fellow military spouse and writer, Lizann Lightfoot, is all about living in OCONUS in Rota, Spain.

Milly’s PCS Worries

This children’s book, written by Amy Rivera and illustrated by Dayanese A. Rodriguez, is about Izzy and Milly, whose dad is in the military and gets orders to PCS.

Olive Fox Paper Shop

Looking for cute PCS announcements? Olive Fox Paper Shop has some super cute choices.

Moving With the Military

Moving With the Military is a home improvement lifestyle series that celebrates military families with home makeovers.

Facebook Groups

In my own Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life Facebook group you can find a ton of posts based on duty stations both in the US and OCONUS. Just join the group, and do a search to see if your questions have already been asked about your future duty station.

PCS Like a Pro is an educational and supportive community for all things PCS related.

White Walls is a group to help with interior decor inspiration to make your military home feel like home.

Lost During My PCS is a group to help military families find missing items that they have lost during a PCS.

Military PCS With Pets is all about sharing information on how to PCS with pets.

Articles and Blog Posts About PCSing

5 Things to Do When You Get PCS Orders

PCS: Moving the Family Pet

Checklist for PCS Moves

The Ultimate PCS Guide to Packing Out – with Printables!

Bloom Where You Are Planted – 5 Things To Make A New House Feel Like Home

How to Buy and Sell a House at the Same Time

Tips for First-Time Military Homebuyers (and Mistakes to Avoid!)

50 Tips You NEED Before Your Next PCS Move

PCSing with an EFMP family member

Duty Station Guest Posts – Here at Soldier’s Wife, Crazy Life you can find many different guest posts on duty stations both CONUS and OCONUS.

PCSing This Summer? These Relocation Tips Will Help!

PCSing can be such a big part of military life. Whether you are moving four hours or 3,000 miles away from your previous home. Luckily, there are many resources out there to help including the ones listed above. Good luck! And enjoy this part of military life.

Getting PCS Orders to a Place You Really Don’t Want to Go

by

Getting PCS Orders to a Place You Really Don't Want to Go

Getting PCS Orders to a Place You Really Don’t Want to Go

This post contains affiliate links! 

You are waiting on PCS orders, hoping for Hawaii or even Germany. If you can’t go OCONUS, you are pulling for Fort Carson, your best friend lives there and you have heard so many good things. Your spouse comes home with orders for Fort Bliss.

After 5 years overseas you just want to get stationed somewhere on the East Coast so you will be just a few hours from your family. You learn you will be PCSing to JBLM in Washington.

After spending 10 years in landlocked states you are hoping for a PCS to anywhere near an ocean. He gets orders to Fort Riley.

As any military spouse can tell you, there are certain places we want to go and certain places we don’t. Sure, most of us would love to PCS to some of the more popular military installation locations but that isn’t always what goes into where you want to go. Sometimes you just want to be close to home. Sometimes you just want to see another part of the world.

But what do you do when you get those long-awaited orders and they are for a place you don’t want to go?

The orders are for a place too far away from home or too different from what you expected. What if you get orders for a place you have heard nothing but bad things about? How can you get past that? How can you get excited for your new adventure when all you feel about it is dread?

Here are some ideas for when you get pcs orders to a place you don’t want to go:

Talk to people who like the area

I don’t care where you are going, you can always find at least one person that liked that duty station. Trust me. Some people are just able to bloom where the are stationed and others are able to find that one thing to make their current location enjoyable.

See if you can find people to talk to that live or have lived in that location. Most places have Facebook groups. I have duty station guest posts you can read. Ask for real-life advice on social media.

Investigate

Once you find out where you are going, you can start your PCS planning process. If you are not excited about where you are going, spend some time looking into your new home. Find out what is nearby, what people do for fun, what your housing choices are.

The more you can learn about your new duty station the better prepared you can be once you move there and you are setting up your new life. Check out PCSgrades for more information about housing areas and neighborhoods that you might want to live in.

Make plans

Make a plan for once you get to your new home. Where will you go to make friends? What will you do for fun?

If you can figure some of this out before you go, you will be more excited to get there. If you would like to find a job in your new location, get your resume ready and seek out what is available to you. You can also look into working from home if that is something you would like to do.

Visit home before you go

If you are going to be stationed far from home, why not plan a trip back home before you go? See if you can work that in. See the people you want to see and do all the things you know you will miss while you are stationed far away.

Homesickness is real but planning a big trip to see everyone can help. And know that just because you will be stationed far away doesn’t mean you won’t ever be able to visit during the years you are there. You might be able to plan a trip or take advantage of Space-A if you are overseas.

What about you? Did you ever end up in a place you didn’t think you would like? Do you have PCS orders to somewhere you are not sure you will like? Leave a comment 🙂

Bloom Where You Are Stationed During a Pandemic

by

Bloom Where You Are Stationed During a Pandemic

Even though some people’s orders have been delayed because of the pandemic, others are still moving or pcsing.

While it is a good thing military families can move on to the next step, it can be difficult when you are doing so during this time.

While you normally could be looking forward to getting to know your new community and for your kids to start at a new school to make friends, you feel like all of that might be on hold.

You want to get out and explore but how much can you really do right now? How can you figure out how to bloom where you are stationed if you can’t do what you normally do to get to know a new place?

Even if you aren’t new to your current duty station you may be feeling a bit restricted.

Your friend circle could have moved earlier this year and while you assumed you would get right back out there to make some new friends, COVID hit.

You may be awaiting orders to move somewhere new but they are delayed and you want to figure out how to enjoy the next six months at a place you are not too excited about.

Blooming where you are stationed doesn’t always come easy. Some places will be easier to love than others. But there is probably something good about anywhere you have to live, even if you have to hunt for it.

What can you do?

So what can you do? What is open and where do you feel comfortable exploring? This is going to differ for everyone and will depend on where you live.

Still…see what you can do. Use safety measures and make sure to follow the local regulations.

Accept the temporary setup

Okay I know it is hard but you might need to just accept things are not going to be the way you were hoping they would be. I know this is so hard because in some ways it feels like this is going to last forever.

Your kids might not be able to get out there and make new friends right away, but could they have a weekly Zoom call with friends they already know?

You won’t be able to introduce yourself to the moms in line at school pick up but can you say hi to a neighbor or talk over the fence on a regular basis?

You might not be able to attend all the fun events that normally go on in your community but you might be able to attend a social distancing event of some kind. Our local community still has a farmer’s market going on and there are other options to get out and explore part of the community.

Explore online

There is so much going on online these days. From virtual events to Bible Studies. From book clubs, to even concerts.

Check and see what your local communities might be doing and join an online event. This might feel different and weird but it could be a good way to learn about what is happening in your new community and you might even find ways to connect with others.

2020 is the worst but don’t let this year stop you from figuring out how to bloom where you are currently stationed. It might take some work but in the end, it will make life a little easier right now. And hopefully, 2021 will be an amazing year to see everything and explore the way you really want to.

9 Things to Do When You Are Impatient About a PCS

by

9 Things to Do When You Are Impatient About a PCS

How many of you are waiting on a PCS? Maybe you had orders to move and they were delayed because of what is going on in the world right now, maybe your original PCS date isn’t until later this year? Either way, waiting for a PCS can be difficult.

I have totally been there.

I couldn’t wait to PCS back to the US from Germany. I was so ready. And it seemed like we would never get there, but then the time finally came.

You can love your duty station and still be ready to PCS. You can hate your duty station, and struggle with extra time at a place you really don’t want to be. Whatever the reason, it’s hard to be patient waiting on a PCS.

Luckily, there are some things you can do to help you get through this time. Here are nine of them:

1) Remember the good times. No matter where you have been stationed, if you look hard enough, you have to admit there have been some good times. Maybe it is just that you love the deli you go to once a week, or maybe it is because you enjoy your daily walks. Whatever it might be, reflect on the time that you have had, journal your feelings, and pick some fun photos of your time there.

2) Make a bucket list for your new home. Spend some time online researching your new home. Figure out things you want to do once you get there. Take time to research now because once you get there, life might start moving pretty quickly and you might not have the time or energy to really look into what is there later.

3) Take up a new hobby. Cooking? Knitting? Photography? What can you do to stay busy? Focusing on a new hobby can take your mind off of the wait.

4) Look for a new home. This will, of course, depend on where you are in the PCS process. But, if you are looking for a home to buy or rent, you can start looking online. Even if your date gets pushed, you can get a sense of what is available in your new area or even help you make the decision to live on post or off.

5) Start going through stuff. It’s time to declutter. It’s time to go through everything. It’s time to see if your stuff sparks joy if you are into that. See what you can go through and what you can get rid of. It is easier to move with less stuff, and then you won’t run the risk of going over your weight limits.

6) Finish your current duty station bucket list. While you might not be able to do everything due to closures, you can see if there is anything else you can do before you leave. Maybe there is a park you have always wanted to visit or a local food you have wanted to try, now is your chance.

7) Blog about your duty station. Writing can be so good for you. Start a blog post about your current duty station. Don’t have a blog? I take guest post just about duty stations and would love to read what you have to say. The best way to learn about a duty station is from someone who has been there.

8) Buy something from your current duty station. We have this amazing painting that shows a soldier and his wife in downtown Schweinfurt by Lisa Parmeter, where we used to live. I am so happy I bought that because it is now on our wall and reminds me of our time there. See if you can purchase any local art or locally made crafts that you can take with you to your next duty station. You will be glad that you did.

9) Breathe. I know, this is hard. You just want to get moved. But you have to wait. And maybe you have downtime right now, maybe you don’t. Either way, remember to breathe and know this time will pass. And before you know it you will be knee-deep in boxes and PCS stickers.

Are you currently waiting on a PCS???

When You Are New, After a PCS

by 1 Comment

When You Are New, After a PCS

Your flight got in late, so by the time you got to the post hotel, you still didn’t have a good idea of where you now were. Where you would call home. Your next duty station.

You have seen photos and heard stories. Both good and bad. But this PCS has made you nervous and you aren’t sure all what to expect. 

As you wake up the next morning, you suddenly remember something you forgot to do before you left your last duty station. However, it doesn’t matter, you have moved on to the next place. This is your reality now.

You go out with your spouse and kids, go exploring. You might have to wait for housing and just hope that wait isn’t too long. The hotel is okay but the thought of having to stay there for a while makes you kinda hyperventilate. Especially with little kids.

You get things sorted out. You find the PX. You find the Commissary. Things are so different than your old post, how will you ever find your way around?

Days pass and you are still at the hotel but housing tells you only a few more days. Your kids are getting restless, your kids are getting anxious and so are you. You just want to get to your new house.

Your son wants to know when they will see their best buddy again and your daughter is confused about everything. She is only three and you are not sure she will even remember this move. You are not sure what your kids will remember about all of this. 

A few more days pass and then it is time to move in, to your new home. You question if living on post was the best choice, you just don’t know. You question if accepting this house was the right choice, or should you have waited for something else? 

Well, the choice has been made and it is time. Time to get to know the place that will be yours for the next few years. The place you will put your belongings and make yours, even with the white walls and tiny kitchen.

As you move your things in, you find your kids exploring too. You hope and pray the kids in this neighborhood are nice. You hope their parents are too.

Time goes on and you still feel so new. You had to ask someone where the MWR was, for a second time, you just can’t seem to remember. You worry you will never figure it out.

More time goes by and although some people have been friendly, you haven’t made any friends yet and you wonder what to do. Should you join that book club you have seen advertised? Should you take your kids to MOPS? It all feels a bit overwhelming.

More time goes on and you start to get used to the routine again. Everything has been unpacked, your kids are making friends and you are starting to find some of your new duty station’s hidden gems.

But still, you feel like the new girl, not sure how to find your people. Not sure of your place here. Not sure what to do next.

You miss your friends, you miss your people. You used to have a solid group. People to hang with, people to have fun with, people to get through deployments with.

But then, when you aren’t even noticing, you find yourself fitting in more and more each day. You are making friends, and finding your place. 

This new duty station is becoming your home. And your previous one is becoming a memory. And you have some hope that this move is going to be a good one, even though it took you a while to get there.

Just like everything else you have experienced in military life, you figured out how to make it through this PCS. To get to the other side. To get past the stress and the emotions of a move and a new home.

While you know that you will have to do all of this again in a few years, you hope that you can remember what you learned from this PCS. You hope that you will remember that as hard as saying goodbye is, there will be hellos in your future. You hope that you will remember that although so much of the move is stressful, a PCS is a good time for a new start, and a time to thrive in different ways than you have done before.

How many times have you moved with the military?

When It Is Time To Say Goodbye, To A Place You Called Home

by

When It Is Time To Say Goodbye, To A Place You Called Home

The day is finally here, and you can’t really believe it. The movers will be here at 7, or maybe 8. Hopefully no later than 9. They will come to pick up your household goods. You will see them again soon, after a five day trip across the county.

You can’t help but wonder how this happened so fast. Sure, you were ready to get out of here, four years is a long time in one place. Sure, you couldn’t wait to PCS, you had been dying to move closer to your family ever since your husband joined the military 10 years ago. But now that this move was really happening? You are a ball of emotions.

You wonder how you will say goodbye to the best friends you have made here. Will you ever see them again? Will they ever be able to visit?

You wonder how you will get to know a new community. That took a while when you first moved here. Will it take that long again?

You wonder how your kids will do. They have to start over in a new school. You know they are scared, how can you help them through?

You are not sure what you should do once you get there. Should you look for a job? Is it worth taking a few classes to get your license in a new state?

As you drink your coffee, waiting for the military movers, you hope you will like your new home. Your current place is the only home your three-year-old knows. There are so many memories in this small home.

You might hate how small the closets are, or how much in BAH you are giving up but this place is home, and now it is time to move to another one.

It is time to say goodbye to a place you have called home, and you know that is never easy.

You have gone through a PCS before, you can do this. You will shed a few tears and then move on like you always have. You will be on the road soon and this duty station will become a memory.

In the years to come, you won’t miss the traffic getting on post, but you will miss all the playdates you had at the park by Starbucks.

You won’t miss how difficult getting a well-child appointment for your kids was, but you will miss the little cafe you would meet your husband at for lunch sometimes, waiting to pick up your son from pre-school.

You won’t miss how hard making good friends here way, but you will miss the friends you did meet, the memories you made, and all the fun you had together.

A PCS is an emotional time for any military spouse. You have to say goodbye to a place you have called home. You might never return, and you might never see these people again.

We are so lucky to live in a time with Facebook so we can keep in touch very easily. We can text our friends as we head our separate ways. We can watch their kids grow up through photos, even though we probably remember them the ages they were when we said goodbye.

We can look forward to starting over in a new place. We trade humidity for Alaskan summers. We trade being close to home for overseas experiences. We learn to live anywhere and bloom where we are stationed.

And after a few years, it is time to move again. To start the process all over. To watch the moving truck come and go.

To clean the house one last time. To pack the car. And watch your past fade into the future.

And there will be tears, and there will be laughter, and there will be hope. Hope that in your new place you can feel at home again soon. That this PCS will be a little easier because you have been through it all before.

You have hope that you will make new best friends, ones you will make some amazing memories with.

You have hope that you will get to know a new community, and your new duty station will soon feel just like home sooner, rather than later.

You have hope that your kids will be okay, and will look at this as an adventurous part of their childhood.

It is time to say goodbye to a place you have called home, and you know that is never easy. But you also know that this move is apart of your military life journey. And that no matter how different your new place is from what you knew before, you will figure everything out, as so many military spouses have done before.

Are you PCSing anytime soon? Where will you be going???

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Moving On Post

by

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Moving On Post

The choice to live on post or off post is a personal one, depending on the military family, the location, and financial goals. What works for one family, might not work for another.

During your time as a military spouse, you might enjoy living on post in some places, and prefer living off post in others. Some families find they prefer to always live on post and others would rather always stay off.

When it comes to making the decision to live on or off post, it is best to know what you are getting into, what your options truly are, and weigh your pros and cons.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself before making that decision:

Will you save money living on post?

Saving money is one of the most common reasons why people choose to either live on or off post. You have to figure out what will work best for you based on where you live, your BAH, and what type of home you will be living in. Not everyone is going to come to the same conclusion, even at the same duty station.

You would need to figure out what type of home you would be given on post, and compare that to what you could afford off post. Look at what your BAH would be to help figure out your budget. You need to make sure to include utilities, gas to drive to post, and any other fees you might not have to pay if you live on post.

How long will it take each of you to get to work?

Think about your commute time. If you are on post, your service member could live just a few minutes from work. If you are off post, you might be a few minutes from your job. Think about how much you might pay in gas, how long you want to be in the car, and weigh the pros and cons.

How are the schools on post vs off?

Schools are super important when you have children. You want to send them to the best place possible. When it comes to which schools are better, either on or off post schools, it really depends. You can look at school ratings but your best bet is asking people whose children have actually attended those schools.

If you are not in the area yet, you can easily ask this kind of thing in local Facebook groups. Just keep in mind that one bad experience does not make for a horrible school and there could be different factors as to why each person had the experience they did. Having special needs kids and knowing what is available to them is also a big factor in making this decision.

What type of home do you want?

This is another big factor in deciding if you will live on or off post at your duty station. Are you okay living in an apartment, condo or duplex? Do you want land? Do you want to build your own house?

At some duty stations, you might be more limited than others based on what you can get on post. Sometimes there can be long waiting lists for housing and you have to take what you can get if you do want to live on post.

How much military do you want in your daily life?

If you live on post, the military is going to be a bigger part of your daily life than if you live off post. If you live off post, you, as a spouse, might not even have to go on post all that often. So this totally depends on what you want.

Your service member might want a little bit of space from work as well. They might want to drive 15 minutes in order to get home instead of feeling like they live right next to their daily job. Being on post means you will be closer to everything military related, but ask yourself if that is a good or a bad thing.

Does your family prefer to live on or off post? Or on or off base for those who are not Army spouses 🙂

9 Reasons Why PCSing Can Be Amazing, in GIFs

by 1 Comment

9 Reasons Why PCSing Can Be Amazing, in GIFs

Are you moving this summer? Summer is PCS season and so many military families will be going to a new duty station in the next few months. Some military families will be excited to PCS, and others, not as much.

PCSing can be such an amazing thing. Moving is a fresh start, and while super stressful, can be an exciting part of military life. When I talk to military spouses who have been doing this forever, they have such a fantastic list of places their family has called home.

In case you are feeling down about your future PCS, or maybe you just want a laugh, here are 9 reasons why PCSing can be amazing…in GIFs.

You get to have a new, or at least new to you house

Maybe it isn’t everything you ever dreamed of, but you will be able to make a home somewhere new, and sometimes that is refreshing. Even if it does look like a pineapple.

via GIPHY

Find new friends!

I know how hard saying goodbye to your friend circle is and doing so if never easy. But after a PCS, you have a chance to make new friends. Some of them will be in your life forever, and if you are struggling with friends at your current duty station, you can look forward to starting over somewhere new.

via GIPHY

You can get away from all the annoying bugs your current duty station has

Some duty stations get the nastiest bugs, others? Not so much.

via GIPHY

You love the snow and are excited about being in a place that gets some

But be careful, I heard that Colorado just got a bunch at the end of May. Be careful what you wish for.

via GIPHY

You hate the cold and now you won’t even need to own a coat

But even in Hawaii, you might want a sweatshirt, or so I have heard.

via GIPHY

You want a big reason to get rid of all the stuff you said you would get rid of years ago

Does it give you joy? No really? Does it?

via GIPHY

You need some space from your family who happens to only live two hours away

At first, being two hours away sounded lovely, until that meant you were required to go to every single family function. You love your family but you really want some space.

via GIPHY

You want to see the world and you figure that Germany is the perfect place to start

From Germany you can see most of Europe, and then beyond. It will be fabulous…hopefully…you do have two babies.

via GIPHY

You are finally going to be at the same duty station as your best friend

Finally! The PCS gods looked your way and you and your BFF will have the time of your lives, even if your spouses do have to deploy.

via GIPHY

This post contains affiliate links!

There’s a great resource in our community that can be helpful in this process. Our friends at PCSgrades and HomeScout have partnered together to allow for an easier experience. 💁‍♀️

Through PCSgrades, you can read reviews by our fellow military families for both on and off base neighborhoods, see photos and interactive maps of those areas along with school ratings. 🏫

Once you find a neighborhood you like, you can search for properties in that area using HomeScout which uses active MLS listings, the exact same data used by realtors. Throw in the cash rebates military families can receive through realtors found on PCSgrades and some great mortgage discounts…and it’s a win-win. 🤩


Please click here to get started—>>>https://bit.ly/2EvZa8o

The Milspouse Guide to Spring Cleaning

by Leave a Comment

The Milspouse Guide to Spring Cleaning

Spring is right around the corner, and a time to clean out our homes, and get things a little more organized. Maybe you are going to be PCSing this next year, or may you are not going to moving anytime soon, but either way, working on your home is a good thing.

Here are some fun tips to help you with your spring cleaning:

  • Remove extra PCS stickers, you know you still have some from your last move. Unless you want to make a PCS sticker ornament.
  • Do you really need to keep those curtains? You haven’t used them in the last two houses, and they certainly don’t fit in this one.
  • Go and deliver those bags that have been driving around in your trunk after you did some Marie Kondo in your home a few weeks ago. It’s time for them to go.
  • Pretend you actually are PCSing, what should you get rid of? Would you really want to move with all of your current household goods? Is now the time to replace your old couches?
  • Focus on yourself sometimes. Are you getting enough me time? What can you do to change that? Self-care is imporant, especially if you are in the midst of solo parenting.
  • Find space for all that military crap. The living room is not an ideal place. Clean out a closet, or buy some extra storage. And quit tripping over those boots.
  • Go through your kid’s toys, get rid of all the broken ones, the Mcdonald’s toys, and anything they don’t care about anymore. The fewer toys they have, the easier it is for them to keep their room clean. Also, this is an ongoing battle that you will have to deal with for years.
  • Delete those emails from your old FRG, you don’t need them anymore. That deployment ended in 2014. If they are still sending them to you? Shoot them an email asking to take you off the list. You have moved on.
  • Do something with all those love letters. Put them in a scrapbook, hang them on a wall, or put them in a frame. They are special and should be celebrated. Unless they are super mushy romantic…then, keep them in your underwear drawer instead.
  • Donate those old ball dresses. You never go anyway. And if you do sometime in the future, you have an excuse to buy another dress.
  • Put up those photos you have been meaning to put up since you moved in six months ago. You know you want to, you have a lot of great ones from your past duty stations. Make time for this and your house will thank you.
  • Dust. I know, dusting sucks. Make your kids do it. Pay them in cookies.
  • Go through your makeup. That stuff doesn’t last forever. And isn’t it nice to buy something new every once in a while? Don’t forget your brushes.
  • Go through your books. Keep the ones you love, and pass on the ones you don’t. Save the deployment ones, you never know when you might need them again. Sigh.
  • Go through your DVDs. Can you find these movies on Netflix? If so, get rid of them. Except for the ones you always have to watch when they are deployed. You never know when Netflix will pull them and you always want to have them on hand.

What do YOU like to do to spring clean your home? Any tips???