Julie Provost MilitaryShoppers Page 6

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!

Stocking Stuffer Ideas for Your Family Pet

12/15/2014 By Julie Provost

Have you gotten all of your Christmas shopping done yet? We added a dog to our family this past year and I have been excited to shop for her as well. There are a lot of great items out there to put in your pets stocking. So when you are out shopping this year, don’t forget about your furry friends.

Here are some great ideas for stocking stuffers for your favorite family pet.

If you have a dog in your home, you want them to be a part of your Christmas celebration. Put some of these items in their stocking and they will thank you forever.

Purina Beggin’ Strips Dog Snacks. These are a great treat you can put in your dog’s stocking. You might be buying treats anyway but having a little something extra can be a lot of fun. These snacks come in bacon, bacon and cheese, bacon and beef and applewood smoked.

A brand new collar. Let’s face it, a dog’s collar gets worn and it is nice to be able to replace it. It is perfect for a stocking stuffer.

Chew toys. Our little girl is getting a few of these. You can find them for any size dog and some you can even put treats in. Our girl is getting one that looks like a dinosaur but you can find them in a lot of different shapes.

A new stuffed animal- If you have ever been to a pet store you know about all the different types of stuffed animals you can get for your dog. Pick out one or two new ones for the stocking. These toys are a lot of fun and you can get them in different sizes too depending on how big your dog is.

If you have a cat in your home, you might want to pick up some of these fun items to spoil your furry little friend.

Purina Friskies Party Mix. These are like a party in a box for your kitty cat. You can find them in three different types, party mix crunch, party mix puffs and party mix naturals.

Catnip filled toys. When I was younger I had a cat and I remember getting him catnip filled toys for Christmas. Most cats love these and you can find them in many different types and styles.

Cat danglers. Cats love these and you can find some great ones that will entertain them for hours. You can roll them up and stick them in the stocking. Get a couple of different ones for different types of entertainment.

A kitty garden. This is a pretty neat gift for a cat. You can grow your own tiny garden for your cat. They can nibble on this grass instead of something else. It is just a small patch of grass your cats will go nuts after.

As you can see there are a lot of great toys and treats you can get for your pet. Whether you go with something from Purina, a fun new toy or something more practical. Don’t forget your family pet when you are out Christmas shopping. They will love you for it.

10 Strategies to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain

11/28/2014 By Julie Provost

‘Tis the season to add a few extra pounds. This time of year is the hardest to stick to your diet and exercise routines. From the yummy foods and pies to the cookie exchanges and parties; from military spouse socials to mom’s home cooking, it is so hard to resist. There is always something to eat and most of the time the foods that are most appealing have the most calories.

Here are 10 strategies for not gaining holiday weight between now and New Year’s Day.

1) Start walking. This is a great way to keep moving. If you can’t exercise in any other way, walking is the way to go. You can also do this with family and friends and make it a group event. Even a simple 15 minute walk around your neighborhood each day will help.

2) Keep your workout routine. If you work out Monday, Wednesday and Friday, keep at that. It might be harder to do if you are traveling but you can adjust. If you don’t have access to a gym, go for a run or find a workout video. There is always something you can do. Make this a priority during the holidays.

3) Stick to 1 serving. On Christmas you will see a lot of food in front of you. You should stick to only 1 serving of everything. That means not going back for seconds or thirds even if other people are. Tell yourself ahead of time that you are only going to fill your plate once.

4) Stay away from the cookies. This is a hard one. Holiday sweets add up and that is definitely my own downfall. Try to stick to only eating them on occasion and not every single day. If you bake, try to give away a lot of your goodies before you have a chance to eat them.

5) Stay active. Plan events that get you moving. Go to a museum or even a mall. Anywhere you can walk around will work. You can even plan a lot of outside events if you live in a warmer climate.

6) Stay away from fast food. It is always a good idea to eat fast food in moderation but staying away from it all together during the holidays is a great way to stay healthy. You want to save the calories you will be eating for Grandma’s homemade pie instead of a burger and fries.

7) Know your calories. If you know you will be going to a lot of potlucks, do some research about common holiday foods and how many calories are in each dish. Know what would be the better choices before you get there. That will make it easier for you to pick the healthy choices.

8) Eat before you go. If you have plans to go to a potluck and you know there will only be foods there you shouldn’t eat, make a healthy meal beforehand and go to the party to socialize. Make sure you are full and won’t want to eat too much.

9) Watch the alcohol. Alcoholic drinks can have a lot of calories. Limit yourself and remember that every drink you have will add to your calorie intake.

10) Don’t beat yourself up. It can be hard to stick to a strict diet this time of year. Do the best that you can with each day.

What are your tips for eating healthy and sticking with your fitness routine during the holiday season?

Stop Saying ‘Army Wife: Toughest Job in the Army’

11/26/2014 By Julie Provost

You have probably heard the phrase, “Army (or Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps) Wife is the Toughest Job in the Army (or Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps) .” You might have seen it on a bumper sticker, T-shirt, keychain, coffee mug, magnet or an online forum. It’s out there and it is something that can cause a lot of frustration for a lot of people.

The reason people say this is because it is hard to be a military spouse.

Being a military spouse isn’t an easy life. You have to give up a lot from where you live to pursuing your own career. You are home with the kids as a solo parent and the military isn’t always the best of letting you know what is going on or what is ahead for your family in the future.

The issue with the saying “Military spouse is the toughest job in the military,” isn’t that military life is hard. We all know it’s hard. The problem with this statement is it acts as though the spouse IS actually in the military which is not true. Spouses are civilians unless they serve in active duty or the National Guard or are reservists or veterans.

If you talk to a spouse who served in the active duty military, she might tell you how frustrating it can be to hear that other spouses act like they too are in the military. They would tell you how different the 2 roles are. They would try to explain that serving in the military is different then serving on the homefront.

While the service member trains for war and is eventually deployed, the spouse stays at home. Whether the spouse works outside the home or not, they are the ones in charge and taking care of the children. They are the ones left behind to keep things going. They say goodbye to their spouse and make do playing the dual roles of mom and dad for months at a time, sometimes years at a time. They take care of what needs to be done while the other spouse is away. All of this is hard and appreciated. It can be frustrating when you have to wait on the military for almost everything. You wait on finding out where and when you will move, when your spouse will be home and what is going to happen next. Forget about planning your future, even if you were able to, the military could change things at the last minute.

None of this is the same as being in the military, to train hard, carry your weapon and put yourself in harm’s way. Nothing a military spouse is doing at home is literally putting yourself in the line of fire.

While we need to remember and recognize the sacrifices that military families and spouses make, we need to stop acting like it is the same as actually being in the military. Because it isn’t and it isn’t fair to act as though it is. We need to stop saying it is harder than what those who have enlisted have had to do. We need to understand that as stressful as it gets waiting at home, at least we wait in a safe place with a warm bed, a full fridge and friends to help us through the deployment.

What do you think about this statement, “Military Spouse is the Toughest Job in the Military?” Does it annoy you? Why or why not?

How to Teach Your Children About Veterans Day

11/05/2014 By Julie Provost

You want to teach your children about any holiday throughout the year and as a military family teaching them about Veterans Day is a must. What your child understands about the day might depend on the age of your child and their personality. Some will be a lot more interested in it than others.

Here are a few ideas on how to recognize Veterans Day with your children.

One idea is to tell them about the veterans in their family. If you are a military family this will of course include Mom or Dad but they might not know who else in your family served. Get out all the photographs you can find of family members in uniform over the years. Sit down together and show them each person and let them know when they served. Your children will enjoy seeing the photos and will be able to put a face alongside periods of history in our country.

If there are any Veterans Day parades in your area, you should plan to take your children. They can really learn a lot about the day by doing this. They can see the veterans in your community and learn a little bit more about the history of when people served. It is also a great way to participate in your community.

You can also host a Veterans Day craft party at your home. Invite some other families and find some fun crafts on Pinterest. You can find different cutouts and puzzles for them to do. You can also do this before a parade and make banners to hold when you go to it. Just getting the children thinking about what November 11 stands for is very important.

If you have older children that would be interested, you can show them a documentary on what it means to be a veteran. You can find these at your local library, on television or even online. After it airs, make sure to discuss it with your children. Let them ask you any questions they might have. Have them write down what they learned from watching the documentary.

A great way to give back is to have your children write letters to veterans in your community. They can be something as simple as a card with a picture on it. Anything they can do to show their appreciation would be a good thing. You can look in your community about different events that help veterans and see if there is anything you and your children can do to help them out. Doing so will be good for those who have served and will teach your children tangible ways of saying thank you to the military.

Even if you do not live in a military town you should be able to find something going on that you can take your kids to. Make it a habit to go somewhere every year so your kids will know the importance of that day. They will grow up learning what it means to serve and how we as Americans should treat those who have done so.

What are your plans for Veterans Day? Tell us in the comments below.

Creative Deployment Activities for Military Kids

10/29/2014 By Julie Provost

Deployments can be difficult for anyone, especially the kids. They look at time differently than we do which is why it is so important to keep them busy during a deployment. There might be a lot going on in your community so it is a good idea to fill your calendar with fun events as you find out about them. You should also plan some activities you can do with your kids that will help pass the time.

Here are some creative activities you can do with your kids during a deployment.

Plan to send a monthly care package and have your kids participate in it. Let them go with you to the store to pick out what you will send. When it comes time to package it all up, let them help with that too. They can put the items in it or they can draw inside the box. It is a great way to keep them connected to their deployed parent. It would be fun to do a holiday or seasonal themed box every month.

Another great thing you can do is create a countdown chain. Create enough links based on when you think the deployment will be over. Have your kids take turns tearing off a new link each day. If you need to add links later, that’s alright. Just try to explain to your kids why you have to do that. If they are young enough, you might not have to explain at all and can just add links as you need to when they are asleep.

Taking a lot of photos during a deployment is also a great idea. You can print them out and have your kids work on scrapbooks of all the fun activities you have done. The kids can decorate with stickers and markers and make the pages their own. It can be a great thing to show their mom or dad when they get home from deployment.

Weekly get-togethers are another great thing to do. This is especially true for the younger kids who are not in school yet. It is good for the parent at home as they will be able to spend some time with other children going through the same thing that they are. Find a group of other deployed spouses with young children and ask to see if anyone wants to set up a play date. You might be surprised at how many others would love to do something like that to pass the time.

For older children, you can have them make a deployment bucket list. They can add any parent approved activity they would like to do during the deployment. You can have them paint and then write it on a Popsicle stick and put them in a mason jar. As the months go on, you can do each of the activities that they have picked and make a record of it. This would go along well with the scrapbook.

Deployments are stressful but they don’t have to be boring. There is a lot you can do to help your kids have fun, even when a parent is far away.

What creative activities do you and your kids do to pass the time during a deployment?

Reduce the Festive Debt: 6 Ways to Not Overspend During the Holidays

10/27/2014 By Julie Provost

The holiday shopping season is here! Whether we like it or not, military families need to start thinking about the holidays. This time of year can be really stressful for people, especially if you are on a tight budget. So what can you do about it?

6 Ways to Avoid Overspending During the Holiday Season

Write out your budget and stick to it. I do this ever year. I write out everything we need to purchase from what we will eat on Christmas Day to the teacher’s gifts. On this list, I write down a spending limit on each gift for everyone. Then, when it is time to go shopping, I know what my budget is. The amount you spend on each member of your family will be different for everyone depending on your income and budget.
Share a meal with friends. When you are a military family it might not be feasible to spend the holidays with extended family. Instead of having a meal for just your family, why not get together with others to make a meal together? You won’t have to buy every single ingredient and you will be able to save a little money that way. It is also nice to spend time with friends if you can’t be with your family during the holidays.
Shop the sales. When it comes to buying presents for my kids I am all about the sales. I start checking them early. I want to be able to find the things I want for a discounted rate. I can save a lot of money this way, it just takes some time to figure out which stores have what toys on sale and when they are offering their discounts. You might also consider layaway. This is when you save an item at the store and pay a little bit on it each time you go in. You can take it home when you have paid for it in full. This might be a much better option than putting something on a credit card and trying to pay it off after Christmas. Check if your favorite stores offer this plan.
Make homemade gifts. You can bake some yummy goodies and give those out at gifts too. It is really cost-effective to do this and can be a lot of fun. Most people really enjoy baked goods around this time of year so you can’t go wrong there. If you don’t like to bake but are crafty, there are a lot of different things you can make as gifts. Take a look at the MilitaryShoppers Pinterest boards for ideas.
Stay home. For the past several years we have not gone anywhere for the holidays. The price of airfare is way too high. It would really blow our budget. We have been able to have a nice family Christmas in our own home and it has been great. Our kids wake up in their own home and we don’t have to go anywhere all day long. This isn’t always an option for everyone but there is something nice about a simple Christmas at home and it will save you a lot of money in travel expenses.
Pick a name. My family is quite small so we don’t do this but I think it would be a good idea for large families. Out of all the adults in the family, you buy a present for 1 person. You get assigned a name and you buy for that 1 person. It can be a fun way of giving for Christmas without having to buy something for every single person in your family.

The holidays can be a stressful time but they don’t have to be. Try some of these tips to keep your budget under control during this time of year. You will be thankful you did when the credit card statements arrive in January.

What are your tips for reducing debt and spending less during the holiday season?

Donate Your Halloween Candy to Troops Overseas

10/24/2014 By Julie Provost

Halloween is THIS week. This mean lots and lots of candy. At least in our house. Too much candy. More than my kids need or should even be eating. Usually my kids enjoy the candy for a few weeks and then forget about it. I know in a lot of homes this is the case. There is just too much candy.

What can you do with your excess Halloween candy?

Donate Your Halloween Candy to Troops Overseas

Do you know of any another organizations that will send candy to the troops?

You could always throw the candy away but how about donating it to the troops? This can be a great way to give back and a great solution to what you should do with excess Halloween candy. While you can always just package up the candy and send it to someone you know that is overseas, you can also work with these 3 organizations. They will make sure the candy gets out of your children’s hands and into the mouths of service members around the world.

Halloween Candy Buyback is a great program where kids can give their candy to a local dentist. The kids will then receive a prize such as little toys, toothbrushes or foods and services. It just depends on the dentist. The dentist will then send the candy to Operation Gratitude. You can find a dentist who participates on the Halloween Candy Buyback website.
Soldier’s Angels is also another place you can send your candy. They have a limit of 10 pounds and would like the candy you normally love to be sent to the soldiers.
Operation Stars and Stripes encourage you and your children to let the houses you go trick or treating at know that they can donate to the troops as well. The candy is used to fill stockings for their Operation Holiday Stockings Campaign.

It might just be candy but it is worth a lot more than that to the soldiers, Marines, airmen and sailors living far from home. When the troops know that they are being supported, it is a great boost for morale. It is a great way to tell them that we care and that we support them. It makes their jobs a little bit easier.

Candy from home means they don’t have to skip Halloween. They can celebrate in their own way from overseas. When the candy gets to them, they can share it with everyone, pick out the pieces they love and trade for other ones. It is like what they used to do with their friends growing up. It can be a great way to make their time over there a little better.

Related: Celebrate Halloween with MilitaryShoppers Military Kid Photo Contest

Giving candy to troops can also teach children about how to be generous with what they have received. By helping package up the candy, they can see that it is going to a good place. They will be able to learn what it means to give of yourself to help someone else. That is a very good thing and will help your kids be a little more generous and will teach them the importance of charity. It is also very important for kids to know how they can help the men and women in the military.

Donate Halloween Candy to Troops Overseas

You could always throw away the extra candy but how about donating it to the troops?

Do you know of any another organizations that will send candy to the troops? Have you donated your Halloween candy to these organizations in the past? Tell us about your experience.

Apples, Apples and More Apples in October

10/06/2014 By Julie Provost

Apples are an American favorite. As they say, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” The reason for this saying came because of all the health benefits you can get when you eat apples. Apples contain vitamin C which is an immune booster. They are also really good for your teeth.

You can easily grab an apple for a snack, put one into a lunch box or serve them at your parties. They are a healthy food that are easy to keep around the house. Even my very picky 7-year old loves them.

In addition to eating them, many people also love using apples in their decorations. From pictures of apples to putting artificial apples around the home, there is something really comfortable and warm about apples.

Do you like to bake with apples? Celebrate National Apple Month by trying these tasty recipes shared by military spouses.

October is National Apple Month! To celebrate National Apple Month, here are some fun facts about this favorite fruit.

Did you know that there are thousands of different types of apples? From Fuji to Granny Smith to Pink Lady, each one has its own look and taste to it. A whooping 2,500 different types are grown in the United States. But less than 20 varieties comprise 90 percent of apple production in the United States.

The largest apple ever picked weighed 3 pounds.

Apple trees take 4 to 5 years to produce their first fruit.

Apples are members of the rose family.

It takes 36 apples to make 1 gallon of cider.

Some types of apples are best for eating; others are better for cooking.

October is National Apple Month.

Did you also know that it is possible to grow an apple tree from the seeds of your apple? It can be a fun project to do with your kids.

Do you like to bake or cook with apples? Celebrate National Apple Month with these great apple recipes from MilitaryShoppers readers.

Don’t wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy apple pie. Bake a pie today.

Hot Ginger Apple Cider With Applejack– This would be perfect for a cool fall night!

Baked Apple French Toast– Yum! You can start your mornings with this yummy apple breakfast.

Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast– If you want to include apples into your main meal, you should try this one.

Apple Cream Cheese Coffee Cake– This would be great for a playdate or a get-together with some friends.

There is just something about an apple that makes you want to bake or use it to create a yummy meal! Which recipe do you want to try?

Did you know that apples are actually members of the rose family?

Don’t forget to enter the MilitaryShoppers recipe contest with your own yummy recipe! You will have a chance to win a $50 commissary shopping spree. Enter today!

Celebrate Halloween with Our Military Kid Photo Contest

10/01/2014 By Julie Provost

Halloween is almost here! Such a fun time to dress up the kids in costume and maybe even yourself and your significant other.

I have always enjoyed Halloween and trying to help my kids decide what they want to be each year. Sometimes they can’t decide and they might wear a couple of different costumes to various events at the end of October. Some years the kids have been super heroes or characters from popular children’s movies, other years it was something more simple like a pirate or a monkey. They are now at the age where they really want to decide which costume they will wear for Halloween each year. I love hearing what they want to dress up as because it is usually based on what they are into at that moment.

Do your kids like to dress up for Halloween? Do you like to get creative when it comes time to figure out what costume they will wear? Do you buy their costumes? Or do you make them? How many photos do you take of your little one trick or treating? 10? 20?

Instead of simply sharing those adorable costume photos with your family and friends, take 1 minute to share 1 photo with MilitaryShoppers this month and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a $100 Toys R Us e-gift card.

Celebrate Halloween with MilitaryShoppers’ Military Kid Photo Contest

Submissions need to include:

Name of person submitting photo
Installation
Branch of service
Age(s) of child(ren)

Rules:

Image must be submitted as .pdf, .jpg or .gif via email to bschmalz@militarymedia.com by November 3, 2014.
Entrant’s email address will be added to MilitaryShoppers.com registration email list and therefore will receive future communications from MilitaryShoppers exclusively for military families via email.
One winner will be selected on November 6, 2014. Winner will be posted to MilitaryShoppers Facebook page, MilitaryShoppers on Pinterest and MilitaryShoppers.com.
One entry per email address.
Image must be submitted by entrant who possesses a valid military ID card (Active Duty, Veteran, Retiree, Reserve, Guard or family member of the aforementioned categories.)
Entrant must be 18 years of age or older.
Winner will be notified via e-mail.
No purchase necessary to win.

Good luck and have fun getting the costumes together! We can’t wait to see all the cute kids in their costumes.

Stateside for Oktoberfest? Create Your Own German Festival

09/29/2014 By Julie Provost

Best German food recipes for Oktoberfest

Try making homemade German pretzels.

Oh Oktoberfest! If you have ever been stationed in Germany you know how much fun Oktoberfest can be. Germans love their festivals, especially this 16-day food and beer funfair held in Munich.

So you move back to the States and are feeling a little disappointed this month? Why not create your own Oktoberfest with some foods you can find at your own commissary here in the United States?

You could make a meal for your own family or invite your friends over for a fun night of German food.

Let’s start with dessert. How about baking some German Chocolate Cookies? These cookies might be a little different than what you have had before but they are very tasty. If you love chocolate you should try: Death By Chocolate. And if you like something a little different you can go with the Lebkuchen German Oldspice Cookies.

Now for the main meal. When you are making German food, it might be good to stick to traditional foods so that everyone who comes over for your stateside Oktoberfest can experience the traditional cuisine. Try making German Schnitzel. You can’t have an authentic Oktoberfest without it. You can serve it with Hot German Potato Salad and Old Fashioned German Bean Soup.

You also want to have some German snacks on hand. You can make German Pretzels or a Crab Meat Cocktail.

In addition to food you would want to create a festive Bavarian atmosphere. You can add German flags, wear German clothing such as a Dirndl and make it look like an authentic Oktoberfest, even while living in California, Texas or Kentucky. You should also make sure you find some German music (like polka) to play in the background and most importantly don’t forget the beer!

Schnitzel is a favorite German dish.

You can also check around and see if there will be any local events near you. I know here near Fort Campbell they put on a small Oktoberfest each year. It is not exactly the same as you would find in Germany but it is a nice way to get together and experience some of the traditions.

What’s your favorite German recipe? Share your recipes and you will be entered in the MilitaryShoppers recipe contest. You could win a $50 commissary shopping spree. One winner each month!

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