Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

Julie is a 30-something Blogger, Army Wife and Mom to three boys. She lives in Clarksville, TN and just welcomed her husband home from his 4th deployment. She loves blogging, photography and reading a good book!

10 Reasons MilSpouses Don’t Ask for Help

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Asking for help is never easy and for some reason we military spouses have trouble with doing so. Especially when we really need the help. We try to do everything ourselves and don’t think we should stop and ask anyone for anything.

10 Reasons Why Military Spouses Don’t Ask for Help

Why do you think that military spouses are reluctant to ask for help or seek counseling?

Here are 10 reasons why military spouses might not ask for help (even when they need it):

  1. We don’t want to bother anyone. As military spouses, we don’t want to have to bother anyone with our troubles. We might assume that we don’t have a right to do so. We might think that if we do the person we ask for help will think less of us.
  2. We think we got this. Military spouses try to stay strong. We think we can do everything ourselves. We don’t want to have to admit that we need extra help.
  3. We don’t know where to go for help. We might want help but we are unsure of where to go to get the help that we need. We are not sure who to call or who to contact in order to find that help.
  4. We think we have to pay for help. If you are not sure about what your options are, some military spouses might assume that you have to pay to go see a counselor. If you have Tricare, they will pay for some if not all of your counseling. You should check and see what is available and what you have access to. There are other free programs out there as well.
  5. We think our need is temporary so we just want to get through it. When military spouses are going through a difficult situation, it can be easy to think that the situation will go away soon. That they really don’t need to ask for help. The problem with this is that sometimes the issues don’t just go away and we really should be looking for someone to help us through them.
  6. We worry about others finding out. Military spouses worry that others will find out if they had to get help for what they are going through. They might fear that others will make fun of them or look down on them.
  7. We don’t want to come across as weak. We don’t want to come across as weak to our spouses as well as others in our community. We worry that if they find out we needed help, they would no longer think we are strong. We have this idea in our heads about how military spouses are supposed to act and we feel like seeking help would mean we have failed to live up to that.
  8. We don’t think we have time. Life is busy and scheduling a counseling appointment might not be easy to do. Some military spouses might want to go and get help but feel like they just have too much going on to add that appointment to their schedules.
  9. We are not sure it will help. Deep down we might be worried that asking for help won’t even do what we need it to do. That we will be wasting our time. 
  10. We think we will look bad to our spouse’s command. This is a fear that some military spouses might have. That they will look bad to their spouse’s command. That they will be known as that wife or that husband and that seeking help will cause harm to their service member’s career.

The truth is, there are a lot of ways for military spouses to find the help that they need. Programs like FOCUS which stands for Families OverComing Under Stress can help spouses find the help that they need to get through their difficult situations. FOCUS offers resiliency training to help children and adults process and grow from their stressful situations.

There are also options to meet with a chaplin, Military & Family Life Counseling (MFLC) Program or be seen by a professional counselor through Tricare or MilitaryOneSource.

During my last deployment, I ended up seeing a counselor because I couldn’t handle what I was having to deal with. Taking the steps to make this happen was difficult but I was able to get the help I needed and learn more about how to handle my feelings as I got through the deployment. I was very glad that I did seek the help even though it was hard to do so.

If you feel like you need extra help, don’t be afraid to ask for what you need. You will be glad that you did as you will be able to learn and grow as well as figuring out the tools you need to get through military life challenges.

Now it’s your turn: Why do you think that military spouses are reluctant to ask for help or seek counseling?

29 Ways to Tell Your Spouse You Love Them

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Love is in the air and Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

29 Simple Ways to Tell Your Spouse You Love Them

What are your tips and tricks for keeping love alive in your military marriage?

As a military couple you know how special your time is together. You want to tell your spouse how much you love them.

Here are 29 simple ways to do so.

  1. Leave them a love note. Leave love notes around the house for them to find. Put some in their suitcase if they are about to go somewhere. They can find them and read them later on.
  2. Make their favorite meal. Everyone loves to eat a good meal. Cook up their favorite without telling them. They will love to see that you thought about them enough to plan their favorite meal.
  3. Send them an email. If your spouse is gone, show them love by sending them a quick email. Tell them what you love the most about them.
  4. Send them a text. Text messaging is also a great way to share how you feel.
  5. Write them a love letter. If you have more time, write them a love letter. Make the letter at least 3 pages and then either send it to them in the mail or leave the letter out for them to read when they are home.
  6. Do the dishes. Sometimes doing a chore your spouse normally does themselves can help show them love. This takes the stress off and they will be very happy you took the time to lessen their load.
  7. Tell them. Sometimes just stopping them in the hallway and saying, “I love you” can mean a lot. Especially if you both have been really busy lately.
  8. Buy them something cute. Does your spouse have her eye on some cute earrings? What about some new pens? Surprise your spouse with a small gift.
  9. Clean their car.This is a great way to show someone you care. Wash their car for them so the next time they go to drive somewhere the car feels nice and clean.
  10. Buy them a book. Does your spouse like to read? Buy them a new book. They will love that.
  11. Give them a framed photo. These always make the best gifts, especially if they are deployed or away from home.
  12. Pack a care package. If your spouse is deployed, send them a love-themed care package filled with goodies.
  13. Write “I love you” in the snow. If there is snow, write how much you love them in the snow, take a photo and send the picture to them if they are not at home right now.
  14. Take care of the children for the night. If your spouse is normally the one to handle bedtime, offer to take over. Having a break from the kids works wonders.
  15. Flowers. Always a good way to let someone know you love them.
  16. Chocolate. Who doesn’t like chocolate?
  17. Have lunch together. Plan to meet up with them during the workday. Have a nice lunch date. Lunchtime is a great way to spend some time together.
  18. Draw a picture. This can be a fun gift. Draw a picture of your life together.
  19. Do their laundry. Take this chore off of their plate. Do their laundry for them, fold it and put the clothes away.
  20. Give them a hug. Very simple but does the trick.
  21. Give them kisses. Random kisses are a great way to show love.
  22. Be there. Just be around, be open to talk, be there for them.
  23. Tell them what you love about them. Sometimes we get so busy with life. Spend some time telling your spouse what you love about them.
  24. Watch a movie together. Pick something out after the kids go to bed. If they are deployed make plans to watch the movie and talk about what you thought about it afterwards.
  25. Watch their favorite TV show with them. Sometimes showing love is sitting down and watching a television show we might not enjoy that our spouse does.
  26. Send photos. If they are deployed, send them photos on a regular basis.
  27. Send a homemade gift. Make something for your spouse. They will love the item knowing your hands made something for them.
  28. Find songs that remind you of them. We don’t make mixed tapes anymore but we can always send a playlist of songs that remind us of them.
  29. Plan a vacation. Pick a place you have both wanted to go and plan a trip. This is a great way to show love to each other.

Even the simplest of actions can go a long way when celebrating how much you love someone. Whether they are home or in a faraway place. Take the time to tell your spouse how much you love and care for them.

What are your tips and tricks for keeping love alive in your military marriage?

 

Service Members: Filing Their Taxes

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January is here, which means the holidays are over and you should be thinking about taxes. Whether you plan to do your taxes yourself or take them in for an accountant to handle, you need to think about getting ready to do them.

5 Things Military Service Members Need to Know About Filing Their Federal and State Taxes

Taxpayers have until Monday, April 18, 2016, to file their 2015 tax returns.

Here is a list of 5 things that military families need to know about filing federal and state income taxes. Make sure to go over these and apply them to your situation.

Free Tax Assistance On Post Most military installations will offer free tax filing assistance through the on-post tax center. This can be very helpful because you can make an appointment to get your taxes done and have someone with experience do them for you for free. A lot of military members take advantage of this service. Check and see what is available at your duty station. You probably do have to make an appointment ahead of time.

Free Tax Online Programs If you want to do your taxes online using a tax program you should learn about the free options for service members.

H&R Block at Home, TaxAct, TaxSlayer and TurboTax offer free tax preparation software for your federal taxes.

Keep in mind that in most cases you will have to pay for the state part of your return. That will depend on which state you are filing with and you should figure out what the fees will be for your particular state. Some states do not have an income tax and others do not tax members of the military.

Tax-Exempt Income When you are serving in the military, not all of your income is taxable. You do not have to pay taxes on combat pay. This is important to remember, especially if you were deployed for the whole calendar year.

BAH, BAS, uniform allowances, moving and travel pay and educational payments are also not taxable. This means that the amount that you make that you have to pay taxes on is a lot lower than what you brought in. Luckily, any tax program you use is going to know how to get you the best refund when you are dealing with combat pay and other extra military expenses that are not taxable.

One thing to remember is that in order to qualify for the EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) you have to have a minimum of a certain amount of taxable income.

Military Deductions There are a few tax deductions that service members need to know about. You can deduct some of your uniform expenses, some of the job and travel expenses you may have had when getting out of the military as well as travel of more than 100 miles if you are a part of the Reserves.

Extension of Time to File Taxes If you have served in a combat zone or outside of the United States, then you should be able to extend the time you need to complete your taxes to October 15. This can come in handy for a lot of people serving and makes their lives a little easier.

And finally, new to 2016, active duty, Guard, Reserve and retirees will need their proof of health care coverage (IRS Form 1095) when filing their federal tax returns for 2015 as part of the federal Affordable Care Act. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will be providing this information to members of the military. This form will also be available online through your myPay account. Look for it in the taxes section.

As a member of the military, you don’t want to miss out on these tax breaks and benefits that you are entitled to. They can help you keep more money at tax time and they are the reason a lot of military families receive a tax return each year.

Find a place to get your taxes done that you can feel comfortable with and be aware of what you can do to make filing taxes a little easier on yourself.

What questions do you have about filing taxes?

How 2016 BAH Rates May Affect Your Family

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Every year military service members and their families wait to find out what is going to change with their BAH rates. BAH, which stands for Basic Allowance for Housing, is based on your ZIP code. This allowance is supposed to be put toward your housing costs.

How the 2016 BAH Rates May Affect Your Military Family

On average, BAH is only meant to cover 98 percent of housing costs instead of 100 percent.

If you live on post, you are not going to get BAH but you won’t have to pay rent either. If you live in privatized housing on base, you receive your housing allowance and pay it to the private housing manager each month.

If your BAH rates have gone up you will be making a little more each month. On average they have gone up $54 per month this year, nationwide. However, the amount that the BAH is supposed to cover is down 2 percent.

This doesn’t mean that you can’t find a place within the limits of your monthly allowance, but that on average, BAH is only meant to cover 98 percent of the costs now instead of the full 100 percent that the allowance used to cover.

If your rates have gone down, you don’t need to worry at first. They will not change until you move or when your service member gets a promotion. Then they will be adjusted based on your location and rank.

Now, if the rate that you are supposed to get paid when you change rank is lower than it was before the change, you will be grandfathered in to your old rate. This is good because no one will receive less than they are getting in the previous year unless they are making a change.

I always used to enjoy that first paycheck of the new year when our LES reflected our new BAH rates. We were lucky in that all our time in active duty Army, the rates always went up. This didn’t mean that we would run out to buy a bigger house or spend more on rent but having a little bit extra each month to put toward our bills was always nice.

When buying a house, we knew we wanted our mortgage to stay below our BAH. Luckily we can make that happen in our current location but that might not always be the case. You should keep in mind that off-base rent might be pretty close to your BAH since a lot of the landlords know the BAH rates and charge based on that amount.

If your BAH does go up, put the extra money in savings or use the money to help with your debt. You will be glad that you did.

In the case that your BAH is going down and being close to a move or a promotion, think about how much you will be getting after the change. You might find yourself frustrated because of the change. You might have assumed you would be making more money once you got promoted but sticking to a budget will be your best bet. Make housing choices based on the new amount and you won’t run into any financial problems.

If you are planning a move to a new duty station, check the rates for the next year. When trying to decide on where to live, you will need to know how much in BAH you are going to be getting. Ideally, you should have your BAH cover your housing, including utilities, but that isn’t always a possibility in all areas.

With proper planning, you don’t have to worry if your BAH fluctuates. You can adjust and figure out how to make the new rate work for you and your family.

Is your service member’s BAH increasing in 2016? Click here to find out so you can start planning for any future moves or changes to where you are living.

 

Have a Good Shopping Experience at Commissary

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Do you shop at the commissary? Do you sometimes find yourself frustrated over the experience? Shopping at the commissary doesn’t have to be so frustrating for you. These tips can help you get organized and make the shopping trip more enjoyable.

Here are 5 tips to help you have a more positive shopping experience at your commissary.

1. Organize your coupons.

Using coupons at the commissary will save you money but only if you bring them with you. So many times I don’t think about my coupons beforehand and end up leaving them at home. Come up with a plan, carry a small coupon envelope in your purse and always plan to bring it with you when you go. Figure out what coupons you will be using ahead of time and hand them to the cashier when you check out.

Related: Commissary Rewards Card Helps Military Families Save Money

If you can, match some of your coupons to what is on sale for the month. You will be able to save more money that way.

2. Have cash ready for tipping your baggers.

At the commissary you will need to have a tip handy for the baggers. That is the only money that they get paid. I try to make sure that I have a few dollars with me before I get there. Having the money already in your purse or wallet is nice because you don’t have to think about it when you go to pay.

However, you are able to get cash back if you need to. Just ask the cashier for 5 one dollar bills. That shouldn’t be a problem since a lot of people do the same thing and the cashiers are used to people asking for small bills.

3. Make a shopping list.

When shopping at the commissary you need to have a good shopping list. Plan your meals and write down what you need to get. Do an inventory of what you have at home so you don’t buy something you already have enough of.

By making a shopping list you will save yourself money because you won’t just be grabbing everything you see when you are in the commissary. You will have a list you can stick to.

If you want to be even more organized, write down what you need to buy based on where things are located in the commissary. That will help speed up your shopping trip.

4. Plan your shopping days.

Don’t go to the commissary on payday if you can avoid it. The commissary will always be crowded on payday. If you have to go that day, go there early in the morning to avoid most of the crowds.

If you plan your days and budget right you can avoid having to go on the one day everyone else is getting paid too. I remember being there on a payday when I was pregnant on a hot summer day, the line was all the way to the back of the store. Not something I ever wanted to repeat.

5. Plan for your kids.

If you have to take your kids with you to the commissary, make sure you plan for that. You don’t want them to get bored or make your shopping trip impossible. Think about what will help keep them entertained while you are there.

You can also have them help you with your shopping. Give them their own list to take around or ask them questions about the types of foods you are going to be buying. Keeping them busy will make for an easier trip. If your child is young enough and you can find one, a car cart can help keep them busy and excited about the shopping trip.

What do you do in order to have a positive experience at the commissary?

10 Situations that Hurt a MilSpouse Friendship

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Have you ever had a friendship with a military spouse end? It hurts. Sometimes it is something you have done that you feel terrible about. Other times it is something someone else has done. Sometimes the death of the friendship is just circumstances and the way things have to be.

Here are 10 situations that can kill a military spouse friendship and how to avoid them.

10 Situations that Can Kill a Military Spouse Friendship (And How to Avoid Them)

What do you find are the factors that may end a friendship among military spouses?

1. Being Friends with the Commanding Officer’s Wife

We always say that rank shouldn’t matter among military spouses, however, in some cases it does. Can you really be friends with the commanding officer’s wife?

When I was in Germany meeting the high-ranking officers’ wives was easy to do because of how small the post was. I made friends with them but not in the same way I could have been friends with other spouses. There is a little bit of a line there. Sometimes a friendship can die out because you just can’t take things any further because of rank.

On the other hand, if military spouses know where that line is, you can still be friends and learn a lot from one another.

2. Being Friends with Your Neighbors

Making friends with your neighbors makes sense. Doing so means you have people that live near you that you can depend on.

However, if something comes up in the neighborhood, the situation can kill a friendship.

I have seen this happen quite a few times. The best thing to do is always be a good neighbor, don’t cause drama with other military spouses and remember that everyone should be treated with respect.

3. Too Much Gossip

I know I am guilty of gossip, we all are. Nothing will kill a friendship faster than hearing that your friend is talking bad about you. Hearing that hurts your soul and makes you feel like your friendship wasn’t real to begin with. Try to stop gossiping yourself and be a better friend than that.

4. Moving

This one is hard. A friend moves away – like military spouses always do – and life isn’t the same anymore. The friendship changes and for some the friendship dies. In my experience, when a friend moves away, in order to keep the friendship alive both people have to try to keep up communicating with each other. If one of the friends doesn’t do that the friendship will die.

5. Your Children Don’t Get Along

You might have a friend who is perfect for you but things can fall apart if your kids don’t get along. Military spouses spend a lot of time hanging out together with their kids. If there is trouble there, the friendship might not be able to last. In some cases there isn’t much you can do about this other than getting together without the kids.

6. Your Spouses Don’t Get Along

Just like with the children, sometimes friendships fall apart when spouses don’t get along. Everything might be fine during a deployment but once the spouses return things can get a little tense and getting together might be more difficult. This is a hard place to be in. You would have to just hang out without your spouses around.

7. Becoming Too Busy

Sometimes two military spouses can be friends, get together often and then one or both of them become busy. This can cause the friendship to fall apart. One of the friends might be wanting to get together and the other doesn’t have time anymore. If you feel like you are too busy all of a sudden, still try to make plans with your friends. You don’t want to lose them because of how busy you are.

8. One Deploys, One Does Not

Military spouses can be friends going through military life together when one of their spouses deploys and everything changes. This doesn’t always have to be the case but sometimes jealousy can take over and the friend with the deployed spouse might try to fade away.

The best thing to do is to understand that your friend could be hurting because their spouse is gone and yours is not.

9. Leaving People Out

I have been in situations where we had a group of friends and then people split up. They decided to get together and leave others out. Try not to leave people out on purpose if it’s possible to include them in your get-togethers. Not all military spouses have to be invited everywhere but if you suddenly stop inviting people when you used to do so, they are going to notice.

10. Having a Baby

If two military spouses were friends for a while and then one has a baby, the friendship can change and even die. This happens because the one that had the baby is now in a different stage of life. In order to avoid this both friends need to understand the change and embrace it.

What do you find are the factors that may end a friendship among military spouses?

Calling Military Spouses ‘Simply Civilians’ Really Gets Under My Skin

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“Military spouses are just civilians.”

“Spouses are not military; they are civilians like everyone else.”

“Just because you are married to someone in the military doesn’t mean you are in the military, quit saying you are.”

Have you heard any of these phrases before?

I have.

I have even had to backtrack when someone assumed that I had served too because I said something about how “we” were in the military when talking about our experiences as a military family. That was frustrating.

I get it.

As military spouses we are not actually IN the military. I am not sure many military spouses think they are. However, life is different when you are married to someone in the military. Life is more complicated and just so different from life in a civilian family.

When my husband joined the military, everything changed. We had spent about 3 years as a married couple before he joined. When he signed up, everything was different. We were no longer a civilian family, we were a military one.

Having lived both types of lives, I see a huge difference. When people tell me they are similar, I just have to laugh. Life could be exactly the same for some military spouses, but that has not been my personal experience at all. Life changed when he enlisted.

Although military spouses are technically civilians and not in the military themselves, hearing that we are “simply civilians” can seem a bit shallow.

Hearing that can make you feel like you don’t matter or that what you have been though doesn’t matter. Hearing those words can cause military spouses to feel like they are not a part of the military when they really are.

The truth is, when you are married to a member of the military, you are not living a civilian lifestyle, you are living a military one. The military has a lot of say over your life. They tell you where you need to live, when your spouse will be home, if you will have to go months and months without seeing them, whether you can go on vacation, etc. Living a military life is very different from living a civilian one.

Before the military my husband worked a job where he left at about 7 a.m. and was home before 5 p.m. He could take time off without much issue. If he was sick, he didn’t have to go anywhere, he would just pick up the phone and call in. If we wanted to go somewhere, he didn’t have to get a special pass to go further then 250 miles. He didn’t have to get his leave approved only to have that taken away at the last minute. Life was simpler because although he had a boss and an employer, they didn’t have the same type of control over him that the military would.

We should stop saying that military spouses are “simply civilians” because it just doesn’t make any sense to do so. Yes, we know that military spouses didn’t sign up to serve in the military. We understand that but there is no reason to call us civilians. Doing so puts up a wall that doesn’t need to be there.

So what are military spouses? If we are not serving in the military but we are not quite civilians, what are we? Some sort of hybrid?

Half military, half civilian? I don’t like that description either.

I think we are military spouses and we should be called just that. Military spouses are the backbone of the military community. They are the ones that can support the military service member and help them through their career.

How do you feel when someone points out that military spouses are “simply civilians?”

When Deployment Is the Reason Mom or Dad Won’t Be Home for the Holidays

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The holidays are coming and you are supposed to be getting excited about the season, however, this year, your spouse is not going to be there. They are going to be on a deployment or away on training.

When Deployment Is the Reason Mom or Dad Won't Be Home for Christmas

It may be hard for your child to understand why their parent is on a deployment during the holidays.

Many military families have been through this. For us personally, my husband has missed quite a few holidays because he has been deployed or had to be away from us for different reasons.

As soon as you know that your spouse will be deployed for the holidays, you need to make a plan to tell your kids. If they are very young you might not have to say much if anything at all. Just do what you would normally do.

If they are older and can understand what is going on, let them know that a parent will be gone because of a deployment. Explain to them that the parent who has to be away because of the deployment wants to be there for the holidays but they will not be able to. Share how much they will miss being home during that time.

Help the child understand that the deployment is the reason the parent will be gone and not because they don’t want to be there.

When Deployment Is the Reason Mom or Dad Won't Be Home for Christmas

Plan to decorate and celebrate, even if your spouse isn’t home this holiday season.

If there is a small chance that your spouse might make it home in time, don’t tell your children about that. Planning to surprise them later with the news that the deployment is over would be better than having to tell them that their mom or dad will not be there after you told them they would be.

After you have told your children you should decide what you will do during the holidays when your spouse is deployed. Some people decide to visit family. I was able to do this one year and being with family made that time during the deployment a lot easier on me and my son.

If you can not visit family, maybe you can have someone come to you. Ask your family to see if anyone is willing to come if they do not offer. They might not realize how much being there would be able to help you during the deployment.

Another option is to find friends to spend the day with who are also in the middle of a deployment. We did this with my husband’s second deployment. He was going to be gone for Christmas so I made a plan with a few of my friends. We had Christmas at our own homes and then met at a friend’s house to make a Christmas meal together. That way, we were not alone, our kids would have other children to play with and being with others helped us not dwell on the fact that our husbands were deployed. The day went well and we all had a great time.

If your spouse is going to be gone for the whole holiday season you should still plan to decorate and celebrate as much as you can.

Some parts of the holiday will be different. You might not make a big meal and you won’t be able to play Santa together but keeping a lot of the same traditions as you normally do each year is important for the kids. You don’t want them to feel like they are missing out on everything just because their mom or dad is deployed.

Try to keep your spirits up during this time. Remember that the deployment will be over eventually and you can always have a belated celebration then. Do the best you can to make the holidays great for you and your children even if your spouse is gone on a deployment.

What are your tips for talking to your children about deployment during the holiday season?

5 Tips for Shopping at the Commissary When Your Child Has a Food Allergy

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When you have a family member with a food allergy or on a special diet, grocery shopping can be challenging. You want to shop at the commissary because of the great benefits but doing so can feel a bit overwhelming when you need to find certain foods for your family.

Here are 5 tips for finding the items you need and still saving money at the commissary when your child has a food allergy.

Don’t ever feel like you can’t shop at the commissary because of your family’s special needs when it comes to food.

Here are 5 tips for ways you can find the items you need and still save money at the commissary.

  1. Make a plan. Go to the commissary when you have plenty of time to do so. Walk through each aisle. Read labels. Knowing exactly what is in the food is the best way to figure out what your commissary has and what they don’t. I know in our commissary at Ft. Campbell we do have a small section of foods that are great for those with allergies. Not all commissaries might have them. If you can spend some time walking around you will know what they have and what they don’t and what you will be able to buy there.
  2. Ask for what you need. If you can’t find certain foods that you need, ask to talk to someone about what can be done. Your commissary could have what you are looking for and you just missed it. They could be out of the particular item or they might not realize that people are looking for a certain food. By talking to someone in charge you can let them know what you are looking for and maybe they can add what they don’t have to their inventory. Any foods that will be added will need to be approved by DeCA and the process could take a while but making a request can be worth the time if you can get more foods that you need stocked in your commissary. You can also make a request using the Customer Comment Form online.
  3. Plan for those must-have specialty items. If you can’t find certain foods in the commissary and you still need to buy them, you might need to make a plan. Start off your weekly shopping trip at the commissary to get everything else so you can keep your grocery bill low. Then, make plans to stop at a specialty shop to get the foods you need that the commissary doesn’t carry. You should make sure to check back at the commissary after a few months to see if they have added that product.
  4. Skip the deli. As nice as the deli section of the commissary is, if you have a family member with food allergies, skipping that section would be best. You won’t be able to read the ingredients and you won’t know exactly what is in the food that you buy. You don’t want to end up assuming that a certain food item is safe when it isn’t. You can also ask the deli worker how they prepare the food.
  5. Search and find substitutes. In some cases you will want to pick out an alternative food for one that would cause problems for you or one of your children. For example, instead of bringing home some ice cream, pick out a fruit-based dessert for those in your family with a milk allergy. You can involve your children in the process by allowing them to pick out what that alternative food is going to be.

Finding good and healthy foods when you have someone on a special diet can be a difficult task. With a lot of planning and using these tips, you should be able to find what you are looking for. Don’t ever feel like you can’t shop at the commissary because of your family’s special needs when it comes to food.

How do you save money when grocery shopping for specialty items for your family?

10 Tips for Joyful Family Photo Cards

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Are you planning to send a photo card this holiday season? A photo card is a great way to let your friends and family know how you are doing especially if military life has taken you far from home.

10 Tips for Joyful Family Photo Cards

Do you send out holiday photo cards?

If you want to send out a photo card, you will need to make time for a family photo and put everything together all in time to arrive at your friends’ and family’s mailboxes before the holidays. Worried about if you should wear matching clothes? Not sure how to keep the kids from crying and dog from burying its head in your lap? The whole process can be overwhelming thinking about everything you have to do in order to send out a photo card.

Here are 10 tips to help you take and print joyful family photo cards this holiday season:10 Tips for Joyful Family Photo Cards

  1. Book your photo session ahead of time. You don’t want to end up taking your photos too late. If you are going to hire a professional photographer to do your pictures you will need to allow them some time to get the photos back to you. Keep this in mind and try to book the photo shoot as soon as you can.
  2. What to wear. Think about what you want to wear in your photo. Do you want traditional holiday colors or something else? Talk to your photographer about what would look best. How you dress can also depend on your setting and where the pictures are going to be taken.
  3. Prepare. Prepare your kids for the photo session. Don’t schedule the photo session during nap time. Make sure your kids are well rested and if they are old enough to understand, tell them what you are going to do. Preparing them ahead of time will go a long way in helping the session go a lot better.
  4. Pets. If you plan to take a photo with your pet, plan ahead. Bring treats and water and make sure your dog can handle a photo shoot. Have a sense of humor about the session in case the photos don’t turn out exactly how you would like them to.
  5. Picking a photo. Picking the right photo to send out in your photo card can be a difficult choice. Think about what you want to share with everyone and which picture your family looks the best in. Try not to stress too much if the photos in the photo card are similar and go with the one you like best.
  6. Treats. If you know your kids will respond to them, bring some treats with you to the photo session. This worked really well with one of my kids. Every time he smiled for a photo and did what he was supposed to do he got some candy.
  7. Communicate. Tell your photographer what you have in mind for your photo card. You don’t want to get the pictures back and not like what he or she has done. If you can communicate what you are wanting in terms of a photo, you will be a lot happier with the pictures you get.
  8. Make a day of it. Going to a fun place to take photos for your photo card? Make a day of it. Take your pictures and then have some family fun time together. The kids will love the place you go to and you can tell them that is where you are going to go after the photo shoot is over.
  9. Arrive on time. Being late could make the photo shoot more difficult for you, your family and your photographer. The photographer might have somewhere else to be. Plan to arrive a few minutes early so you can prepare your children and be ready to take the pictures.
  10. Have fun. Try not to stress too much about getting your pictures taken. Taking photos is supposed to be a fun time for you and your family. Think about the joy you will feel once you get your photos back and send out your photo cards to your friends and family members.

    10 Tips for Joyful Family Photo Cards

    If you plan to take a photo with your pet, plan ahead. Bring treats and water and make sure your dog can handle a photo shoot.

Do you send out holiday photo cards? How do you get a joyful photo of your family to include on the card?