Blue Star Families and the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) have partnered together for Blue Star Museums. The program offers free admission to military families during the summer months by participating museums. When you read this, you may think it is just museums – but the program includes museums of all types – children’s, art, history, and science – along with nature centers and zoos! The Blue Star Museums program runs until Labor Day in September – so make sure to plan some free fun for your family with this amazing program. Make sure to check the website before venturing out for up-to-date hours and closures. This is not a comprehensive list, but highlights some categories and options to explore.

History and Science Museums

Have a kid who is a fan of history and archaeology?  Check out the San Diego Archeological Center in Escondido, California.

Check out the West’s history in a way you did not see in the old Western movies at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles.

Have a Disney fan in the family? San Francisco plays host to The Walt Disney Family Museum sharing the history and insight of the man behind the mouse.

The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is a large museum with special and permanent exhibitions in addition to a planetarium with various shows. It is an engaging way to spend a day.

Maybe trains are more geared toward your family’s interest. The Colorado Railroad Museum sharing the history of the railway along with rides in historic trains will be an outing to remember.

The Peterson Air and Space Museum on Peterson Space Force Base in Colorado is host to an indoor museum and a large static display of planes throughout the ages.

Hartford, Connecticut, is known for its long history, but did you know it is also home to the Mark Twain House and Museum? The museum does a lot of outreach to the local community and shares the history of the famous author.

The Kona Historical Society highlights the history of Hawaii and is a unique museum and a spot to put on the to-do list in Hawaii.

The Chicago History Museum reviews the history of the city, including the 1871 Chicago Fire.

The Stafford Air and Space Museum in Weatherford, Oklahoma, is worth the stop with an expansive history on the NASA space program and beyond, and see the personal effects of General Thomas P. Stafford.

Children’s Museums

The New Children’s Museum in San Diego is a highlight for children ages 1-10, with interactive exhibits, climbing structures, and activities throughout the day.

The Lutz Children’s Museum in Lutz, Connecticut, was once a schoolhouse and is now converted into a museum that kids will be sure to love.

The KidsPlay Children’s Museum in Torrington, Connecticut, is modeled after the city itself but made for kids to explore. The Art & Innovation zones are sure to entertain even older children.

Naples, Florida, has the Golisano Children’s Museum of Naples. Check out their website for activities and events outside of their regular schedule for an even more memorable outing.

Illinois is home to several children’s museums. The Children’s Discovery Museum in Normal, the Children’s Museum in Oak Lawn, the Wonder Works Children’s Museum, and the Peoria Playhouse Children’s Museum are all participating in Blue Star Museums.

Presidential Libraries and Museums

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum showcases the history of Eisenhower from his birth in Kansas, through his career in World War II, the presidency and his life after the presidency. His boyhood home is available for tours, weather dependent. The library is also host to many rotating exhibits, with the current one on the history of the Vote for Women. It is an amazing visit for all ages and free for military families with the Blue Star Museums program during the program run.

The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Missouri is another spot to learn about the history of the presidency, America during World War II and post-World War, and Truman’s presidency.

The Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Southern California shares a glimpse into his childhood and dives into the history of this infamous presidency. His childhood home is on the campus as well as the President’s helicopter tour.

The McKinley Presidential Library and Museum in Ohio share the history of America’s 25^th president along with the history of the time period. There are also planetarium shows that are sure to entertain everyone in the family.

The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum shares the life and times of the president and his wife and their impact on shaping American history. This is a great spot to check out in Atlanta.

Zoos and Aquariums

Headed to Florida? The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is participating this year’s program. Feed Lorikeets, learn about the impact and need for conservation, and use their free printable field guide to check out all the zoo has to offer.

Santa Monica, California’s Heal the Bay Aquarium, showcases local sealife and discusses the impact of human life on the sea in a way that children understand.

If you have nature lovers in your home and will be near Coral Springs, Florida, this summer, check out the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital for an up-close look at local wildlife.

The Chehaw Zoo in Georgia is home to 73 different species of animals and has a splash pad to cool off in that is included in the zoo admission.

The Flint Riverquarium highlights the local wildlife in Albany, Georgia.

Gardens

The Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library in Winterthur, Delaware, is an expansive garden complete with conservatories and has grown to include stunning art in the museum. It can take a day to see everything on the 1,000-acre ground so be sure to plan plenty of time for the visit.

Key West is known for its beauty, and the Key West Garden with its 15.2 acres of native garden and forest highlights the area’s natural beauty.

After checking out the children’s museum in the area, wander the Naples Botanical Garden for a full day of free fun for the family.

The Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami will transport you back to a time of mansions and innovation and development in our young country.

The Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois, is an expansive garden with a goal of education to impact locally and globally.

What Blue Star Museum will you check out this season?

We’re on to the latter half of summer vacation– as heralded by the full rows of school supplies showing up in stores and back-to-school ads in all the various media forms. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have fun with those last few weeks of summer! For many military families, funds are not aplenty, but the kids still need things to do. These ideas will solve one problem, without creating another. End of summer fun at home. The best part – you probably have these items already. No shopping involved, just fun!

Slip and Slide

No need to purchase the fancy slip and slide.  If you have plastic sheeting (or several shower curtains – you know, from when you had a house that required them, but now you live in a home with shower doors), landscape anchors, dish soap, and a hose – you are set.

Lay out the plastic sheeting across a flat space or going downhill. Once the sheeting is laid out, push the landscape anchors through the sheeting. Make sure to push the anchors down flat to no arms or legs are injured on the slide. Get the hose wet with dish soap or baby soap and spray with water – viola! If you don’t have plastic sheeting or shower curtains, plastic bags work but won’t hold up to anchoring, so be prepared to lay them out multiple times. But it will be fun to slide down!

Sidewalk Chalk Paint

If you have a muffin tin, paintbrushes or sponges, cornstarch, and food coloring, then you are all set. Mix equal parts cornstarch and water and whisk to combine. Divide this mixture into the muffin tin so you can separate it by color. Add the desired color to the mixture in the muffin tin. Give the kids sponges or paintbrushes and go to town on the sidewalk or driveway. All that is needed for paint removal is a hose. It is that simple.

Go for it- create art for the neighborhood!

Cloud Dough

Another simple DIY with two ingredients at home – corn starch and scented conditioner. You can use any conditioner you have on hand. Perhaps that conditioner you got with a coupon is just sitting there because no one is going to use it – this is your chance. Combine 2 cups of cornstarch with 1 cup of conditioner. Mix together the mixture – this will require using your hands and getting a little messy. Once the dough is together, add it to a sealable plastic bag so you can knead it, and it will be less messy. If you want to add coloring, add food coloring into the plastic bag and knead it through. This is a fun way to play, and you can make as many colors as you want!

Popsicle Puzzle

Have popsicles or craft sticks? This one is perfect! Collect a few popsicle sticks and line them up together, forming a square or rectangle. Once lined up, draw a design on them. Perhaps a scene from your favorite summer outing or a funny joke. Once the drawing is complete, mix up the sticks and put them together like a puzzle!

Make it a group challenge by passing up the mixed up sticks to the family member or friend to your right. Once they complete the puzzle, they mix it up and pass it to the person on their right and so on.

The summer season may be going by quickly, so take advantage of those long summer nights to enjoy some fun utilizing things you have at home.

Sage, the first of her kind, joined the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford as part of a pilot program this May, according to US Fleet Forces Command. The program takes Sage, the first “expanded operational stress control canine” to be part of the crew as part of their deployment. The program’s goal is to provide mental health and operational stress support to the sailors on board the ship.

Sage is a 3-year-old Labrador retriever specifically trained to provide comfort, boost morale, and help cope with the stress of deployment like no other way but a dog can.

Per the Navy, the Expanded Operational Stress Control program was made to promote resilience in the sailors, with the mission to build that resilience “through toughness, trust, and connectedness while educating on stress management to maintain mission and personnel readiness.” The objectives of the program include building resilience, self-care, and buddy care techniques, identifying and managing stress to maintain positive reactions, and connecting sailors in ways to support growth. 

Sage is not the first dog to deploy. The Defense Department has about 1600 working dogs in the military, doing various jobs worldwide. In 1942, the Marines initiated the war dog training program at New River, North Carolina (now Camp Lejeune). Dogs had been accompanying men to war in Roman times, and in World War I, first aid dogs were used. Over fourteen weeks, the dogs were trained in two types of work and understanding cues and commands. The handlers were selected for their character, ability, and intelligence. The first Marine Corps dog unit was sent to the Pacific as the 1st Marine War Dog Platoon arriving to participate in the Bougainville operation in November 1943.

The Marine Corps’ war dog training program initially procured sixty-two dogs, with forty-two going to the Army. Per the Marine Corps University, most of the first dogs were Doberman Pinschers and were shipped to the First War Dog Platoon. The other dogs were German Shepherds or Belgian Shepherds. The other service branches, including the Coast Guard, had war dog programs then. The dogs were used as messengers and scouts dogs during the war. The bonus of emotional support was there.

Therapy dog training is a bit different than the War Dog training school. The non-profit Mutts on a Mission raised Sage. Sage’s primary handler is Chaplain Genevieve Clark, who completed 120 hours of handler training with Mutts with a Mission. There are three other volunteer handlers on the Ford to help with Sage. Clark told NBC15, “One of the positives of having Sage aboard the ship is her help in breaking down some barriers to utilizing mental, emotional, and spiritual resiliency resources. Sailors are coming to more warrior toughness events and improving their morale through the vast network of resiliency resources the ship offers with Sage now present at these opportunities.”

Sage’s daily schedule will include private therapy sessions, attending morale, welfare and recreation events, and general visitation.

Sage is ready to take on the mission. Mutts on a Mission sent her with bedding appropriate for her handler’s stateroom, paw, hearing, and eye protection, as well as a life vest. She, of course, was sent with a waste collection mat.

While the first of its kind, this mission could potentially shape more comfort canines joining the crew to provide doggy-centric comfort.

Summertime is a time to get outside and explore. The layers are shed, and many get out to hike the trail. Throughout the outing and after, make sure to check your skin for small black specks – they may be ticks!

Ticks are very active in the warmer months – spring through fall. They go from tall grass or trees to clothing and onto the skin of humans. They can even hide under dog hair when your dog goes out with you. Knowing there are tick bites can be difficult because the bite itself is relatively painless.

How to Prevent Tick Bites

When you are going out to hike to explore, keep these tips in mind to lessen the chance of a tick bite.

• Wear a long sleeve, lightweight shirt.
• Wear a hat.
• Wear long pants, with socks – tuck the pants into the socks and shirts into pants.
• Wear light-colored clothing so it can be easier to see ticks if they land on you.
• Wash clothes immediately in hot water, and tumble dry clothes on high heat for 40 minutes or low heat for 70 minutes.
• Use an insect repellant containing DEET.

Check For Ticks

Once home from a walk outside, make sure to check yourself, kids and pets for any ticks. After checking, take a hot shower. Make sure to shower within two hours of coming indoors.

Check these areas:

• Behind the ears and knees – these areas can hide ticks easily.
• In the belly button
• At all joints
• At the waist line
• At the ankle line
• At the waist
• Between the legs
• In the hairline

How to Remove a Tick

If you find a tick, the key is to remove it quickly. If the body of the tick is not engorged, it means that it has not been on long and is least likely to transmit illnesses like Lyme disease. Pull off the tick fully, including the head and body. Clean a pair of tweezers with rubbing alcohol and pull it firmly. Save the tick if you need to provide it to your medical provider or health department later.

If you cannot get the tick out, stop pulling at it and see an urgent care or your primary care quickly. The provider will remove it quickly.

If a tick is crawling on you, but has not bitten – remove it quickly and dispose of it. You can put it in a sealed bag, throw it out, or flush it down the toilet to avoid it getting on you or a family member.

If the tick has been on for over 36 hours or thought to be for the time period, your medical provider will likely prescribe a prophylactic antibiotic dose. The antibiotic is a treatment to prevent the long-term side effects of the three major tick-borne diseases.

What to Watch For

Your medical provider will likely review this with you but we will review it here as well. If, after a known or unknown tick bite, a rash appears in a “target” pattern – that is, a bullseye much like the store of the same name, you need to see a medical provider quickly. This rash is called erythema migrans. The symptoms of headache, fever, chills, lymphadenopathy, malaise, fatigue, myalgia, and arthralgia can also occur from Lyme disease.  Unnoticed Lyme disease can lead to multiple joints swelling or pain, nerve issues like Bell’s Palsy, and heart issues. There are pictures of rashes at the CDC site here.

There are other illnesses that ticks can transmit beyond Lyme disease, including Ehrlichiosis, Anaplasmosis and Babesiosis. Know your area with the maps on the CDC website to know your risk. The key is checking for ticks frequently and removing them when you see them.

Today Americans will join together to celebrate the Red, White and Blue. From backyard BBQ’s to watching fireworks light up the night sky, we’ll unite as a nation to commemorate our Independence.

Each year we must remember that throughout history during uncertain times, we have been able to come together and unite for justice, peace, equality, wellness and love for all. This time is no different. This Independence Day, let all Americans not forget that what unites us are our differences and it’s our differences that make us stronger. They make us a nation, they make us Americans!

One of the most well known excerpts from the Declaration of Independence reminds us of the groundwork for our civic responsibility and sets the foundation for citizenship that Americans must uphold.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson

We as citizens, should live by these words and never forget how they brought us together and will continue to do so as a nation.

This day and every day forward we stand united!

From our Military Life News family to you and yours, we wish you a Happy and Safe 4th of July!