6 Things Strong Military Couples Do

Military relationships take a special type of person. I often get asked how to survive being married to someone in the military. So here are some things that a strong couple does within their relationship.

1.) Understand the Contract 

Your spouse signed a contract to serve in the military. This means that “the mission comes first.” Your spouse can be called away at any moment and you just have to accept it.`A strong military couple has to be able to adjust to whatever situation the military may throw their way. You must learn to adapt and overcome the fact that sometimes the military will take priority over your personal life.

2.) Trust and Faithfulness 

For any relationship this is very very important. There are so many negative stereotypes that accompany military marriages. Time apart is a common thing in military relationships. This can lead to loneliness. Keep true to your spouse. Don’t give him or her a reason not to trust you.  Also, strong couples don’t go through each other’s phones. Once you start digging through each other’s phones, all trust goes out the window. The military will put distance between you, so it’s important you maintain that trust.

3.) Enjoy Other Interests.

Strong couples know that it’s okay to have their own interests. You don’t have to do everything together. Let him go out with the guys and you can hang out with the girls.

4.) Don’t Become a Social Media Couple. 

We’ve all seen it. Those couples who have to constantly post about their relationship on Facebook. It’s almost like we know what is going on in their lives 24/7. If you have to constantly live on social media telling the world how much you “love” your SO, you probably aren’t maturer enough to even be in a real relationship.

5.) Know When to Leave the Military Life at the Door

It’s normal for the military life to spill over into your everyday life. But a strong military couple knows that their life isn’t ALL ABOUT the military. They know when it’s time to leave the boots and uniform at the door and talk about things that matter in their lives.

6.) Don’t Compare Your Relationship to Other People’s Relationships.

If you start comparing relationships, there will always be a winner or loser. A strong military couple doesn’t focus of the relationships of others. They focus on their own and how to make it stronger.

 

10 Things for Military Spouses to Remember

My time being associated with the military has taught me a lot. I’ve seen all sorts of military wives and experienced all sorts of things. Throughout this I’ve learned some very important things. So I’ve decided to share them with you. These are things that I feel are very important for any military spouse to remember.

1.) You’re more than just a milso. 

It’s ok to identify as more than just a military spouse or so-and-so’s wife. You have your own identity.  You need your own interests that will keep you busy during those long field trainings and deployments. Don’t solely think of yourself as a milso. You’ll lose who you are in the process.

2.) You’re NEVER alone.

Sometimes it may feel as though you are, but you’re not alone. There is always someone who’s going through something similar to what you are, you just have to find them. There are facebook pages and your FRG, that are always giving support. I know my followers on my Tumblr are always willing to listen and help.

3.) There are so many resources within your reach. Use them.

There are so many scholarships and grants available for the spouses of servicemen and women, you have access to help finding a job, and so so much more.

4.) Hurry Up and Wait. The motto of the miltary.

The military is known for never doing anything on time, and always changing plans. Just be patient. There’s nothing you can do about it.

5.) Be Flexible 

Things are constantly changing in the military. You may be forced to pack up and move on a whim, your spouse may work late, and new training schedules may pop up unannounced. You’ve just got to learn to be flexible and deal with it.

6.) DEPLOYMENTS END! They may not seem like it, but they do.

7.) Friends and family may not understand what you’re going through, but that’s ok. 

This can be hard, especially on those who are new to the military lifestyle. You may get told “well you signed up for it”. I know I have been multiple times. These comments usually aren’t meant to be hurtful.

8.) Embrace every duty station. 

Although your duty station may be less than pleasurable, make the best of it. You may never get the opportunity to visit again. Try local restaurants and visit local museums, hiking trails, etc.

9.) This too shall pass. 

When you hit that bump in the road that you don’t think you’ll overcome, like in the middle of a deployment, just remember it’ll end. Eventually.

10.) A general POA won’t cover everything. 

There are tons of different power of attorneys out there. Ones for your cars, banks, and housing. Be sure you have the correct ones. It’s better to be over prepared, than under prepared.

 

The Truth About Military Relationships

I get asked almost daily what it’s like to be married to a man in the military and why on earth I would do it, since we’re apart so much. I always give a generic answer like “It’s hard at times but I love him.” Well here’s my real explanation.

Being married to someone in the military has been very difficult at times. This lifestyle has brought with it many ups and downs. We’ve spent more time apart than we have together. I’ve cried so many tears and fallen asleep countless nights with only the tears on my pillow to accompany me. I’ve had scary Skype encounters while my husband was deployed and I’ve had to move and unpack and entire house by myself.

It hasn’t all been bad. The military has offered me the opportunity  to make some great friends, travel and learn new things. It’s also taught me that I’m so much stronger than I ever knew I was.

Although it may seem as though the bads outweigh the good, I would never trade this life for anything. You know why? The time we’ve spent apart is never permanent. Our love is so much stronger than it has ever been. I realize how lucky I am to have such a brave man in my life. And I also know that even though deployments seem to last forever, it’s worth it in the end. I get to have my first kiss all over again. And it’s the most amazing, magical feeling in the world to be able to walk hand in hand with my husband again after 9 (or more) months apart. To know that I will be waking up next to him every single day.

Military relationships are not for the faint at heart. There will be lonely nights, Skype dates, and goodbyes. But they are also full of love, passion, support, promise, faith and amazing homecomings. If you allow them to, they will teach you so much.

At Home Date Night Ideas

It can be expensive to go out on dates every week. $20 for the movies, not including popcorn. Another $20-40 for dinner. That adds up, and quick.

So as a way to save money, especially with our PCS coming up, we started to have some at home date nights. But that doesn’t mean that they have to be boring nights at home watching the evening news on TV.

I’ve put together a list of some of our favorite things to do when we have a date night at home.

• Dinner and a Movie- Dress up (or not) and fix a nice dinner. I usually make a steak dinner, it’s cheaper than getting one at a restaurant. Then pop some popcorn, rent a movie, turn on netflix, or watch your all time favorite movie.

• Game Night- Grab your favorite board games and spend the night playing, with no tv, no distractions. Just enjoying each other’s company.

• Paint Fight- Grab some bottles of washable paint, go outside and throw it all over each other. It’s so much fun and will keep you laughing the whole time.

• Gone Dancing- Put on some music and enjoy an evening of dancing around your living room.

• Cooking Date- Pick out a new recipe to try. Spend the evening cooking the meal together and then sit down and enjoy your creation.

• Gettin’ Artsy- Buy some canvases, pick a picture and paint. It’s so much  fun to see what the other person’s looks like. You could even paint, or draw each other. It’d bring some laughs.

• Blanket Fort – Build a blanket fort in the middle of your living room, just like when you were a kid. Fill the inside with pillows and blankets and cuddle or play board games. You could even get a small constellation light and shine it on the roof of the fort to do some indoor stargazing.

• Karaoke Night- Turn your living room into a concert!

• DIY Photoshoot- How many pictures do you have with both of you in them? Set up a tripod and take pictures of both of you. You could even create your own backdrops.

• At Home Wine Bar- Buy a few bottles of wine, have a plate of meats and cheeses, light some candles, and play some music.

• Stargazing- Lay a blanket out in your backyard and spend the evening looking up at the beautiful night sky and talking.

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

Fall is my favorite time of year.The leaves are changing colors, the air is nice and cool (most of the time) and Halloween has arrived! If your family is like mine, you carve pumpkins each year. In the process you probably throw all the pumpkin “guts” away. Doesn’t that seem like a bit of a waste?

Well, my husband and I love to roast our pumpkin seeds after we finish carving. They’re a great snack and taste delicious. Here’s our favorite way to eat them.

Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup of pumpkin seeds, cleaned off and dried
• 1 Tbs of melted butter
• 1 Tbs sugar
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Directions: 

1. Toss the pumpkin seeds in the ingredients. Be sure they are all covered in the mixture.
2. Line a greased baking sheet with the seeds. Be sure to space the seeds out as much as you can.
3. Bake at 300 degrees for about 50 minutes. Be sure to take them out and turn them so they don’t burn. Bake until browned, but not burned.
4. Enjoy

All the ingredients in a bowl

The pumpkin seeds mixed with the ingredients

 

Line a greased baking sheet with seeds Enjoy!

25 Things Military Spouses Learn While Their SO is Deployed

25 Things Military Spouses Learn While Their Significant Other is Deployed

Every military spouse who has experienced deployment has learned a vast number of things. Here are what some spouses say were the biggest things they learned.

1. “I learned how to be patient. Obviously with deployment you have to wait for your husband to come home.”
2. “While my husband was deployed, I learned not to take the little things for granted, like a five minute phone call. You never know when you’ll be able to talk again.”
3. “I learned that things that may seem minor while they’re home, become big things during deployment. I can’t remember how many times I got a short email or Facebook message that simply said I’m ok. I love you.“
4. “You never realize how strong you are until you have no choice but to be.”
5. “You learn that it’s okay to cry. It doesn’t mean you’re weak, it means you’re human.”
6. “Murphy’s Law will definitely take effect. Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. But it’s ok. You’ll make it through it.”
7. “I’m stronger than I ever thought I could be.”
8. “I found my independent side that I forgot I had.”
9. “I found that to keep myself sane, I have to rely on God. He will bring you through it.”
10. “How to not only do the jobs a mother would do, but also the jobs a daddy would. I learned how to do yard work and do car repairs.”
11. “That the distance and stress of deployment can make or break you. You have to allow it to strengthen your relationship. Focus on the good, not the bad. Remember, they miss you as much as you miss them.”
12. “I learned that in order for me to make it through the deployment, I needed to have a close knit group of friends and family. They helped me through so much.”
13.  “The time may seem to be going by slowly, but before you know it you’ll look back and think Man, it’s been that long already?”
14. “I learned how much my family relies on my husband to do things. I’ve realized how blessed I am to have him in my life. I’ve learned how to appreciate the little things he does for us.”
15. ” I learned to be patient. Not only with waiting for my husband to come back, but with my friends and family. They try to understand, but they don’t because they’ve never been through it.”
16. “The second he leaves, all hell breaks loose. But that’s ok. I know I can handle it.”
17. “It’s ok to cry! It doesn’t mean you’re not strong. It means you care.”
18. “I’ve learned to draw near to God and focus on my relationship with Him. He will help you through it.”
19. “Take advantage of the time apart. Go back to school, start a new work out, run a marathon. Just set goals for yourself. It’ll help the time pass more quickly.”
20. “Homecoming is the most amazing day you’ll ever experience.”
21. “The first time I saw him after deployment, all the problems I had experienced went away.”
22. “The day I saw his formation walk out onto the field after 10 months apart, I realized how lucky I am to have such an amazing man.”
23. “The first kiss is the greatest feeling in the world.”
24. “The hours leading up to homecoming are the most anxiety filled I experienced. But I couldn’t have been happier.”
25. “The first kiss and hug after 9 months apart made all the distance and lonely nights worth it. He was finally home to me.”

What are some things you learned while your loved one was deployed?

15 Reasons Why Being a Military Spouse is Awesome

                                       

This morning I was sitting at home after my husband left for pt. I always hate when he has to leave, even if it’s just for the duty day. I got to thinking about the different aspects of the military lifestyle. We all have reason why we may not like our spouse being in the military, but no one can argue that there are definitely some great things that come from it.

• The Benefits: Who can really complain about free healthcare? And of course, the housing allowance helps to keep a roof over your head, despite the not-so-good pay.

• Free Gym “Membership”: People are always paying tons of money to get a gym membership. But as a military spouse, you get to go to the gym on post for free!

• The Commissary: It’s great. Do I really need to explain this one?

• Military Balls: I don’t know about you, but I love the excuse to be able to dress up nice and go dancing with my husband.

• The PX: You can get name brand items such as Bath and Body Works, Marc Jacobs, Coach, and Michael Kors all in one place for pretty reasonable prices.

• Military Discounts: Can you really argue with this one?

• You get to have friends all over the world

 

• Travel: This is probably my favorite aspect of the military lifestyle. You get the opportunity to live in places you normally wouldn’t. You get to experience so many new places.

• You learn to be very independent: When your spouse is gone for extended periods of time, what other choice do you have?

• You get the opportunity to be super creative: You have all those care packages to decorate and letters to write.

• Road Trips! Every few years you get the opportunity to take a long road trip that you don’t have to pay for! Cheers for PCS season.

• That uniform! I love to see my husband in his uniform. I think he looks so sexy!

• The Pride: I feel so proud when I get to see my husband in his uniform. It’s one of the best feelings in the world, knowing that he is willing to make sacrifices to keep our country safe.

• You learn to be Flexible thanks to the military’s last minute planning and constant changes.

• Tuition Assistance: This is definitely an awesome benefit of being a military spouse. Not only for me, but also my husband.

What are your favorite things about being a military spouse?

The Best Icing Recipe Ever!

Lately I’ve had a thing for baking and decorating cupcakes. I’ve been creating my own recipes for not only the cupcakes, but also the icing. Here is one of my favorite Icing recipes! It’s perfect for any kind of cake or just to eat! I hope you enjoy.

Ingredients

2 egg whites (be sure they are room temperature)

3/4 cup of light corn syrup

1/4 cup of sugar

1/4 tsp of salt

2 t vanilla extract

Directions

1. In a clean bowl, beat egg whites and salt on a high speed until foamy. I highly recommend using a stand mixer. You can use a hand mixer, but it’ll take longer.
2. While the mixer is still running, add in sugar slowly. Beat mixture  at  medium speed until soft peaks form (when you lift the mixture out, you should have little points in the mixture that bend at the top).
3. Bring the corn syrup to a boil in a small pan, on medium heat. Once syrup is boiling, remove from heat.
4. Slowly add the corn syrup to the egg mixture while the mixer is on high. Beat until stiff peaks form. This will take about 5 minutes.
5. Add vanilla. Mix well.

I recommend using this frosting quickly. It doesn’t store well. Do not put plastic wrap over the iced cake. It’ll make a mess.

Butterbeer Recipe

I’m a HUGE Harry Potter fan. I grew up with the characters. If you’re like me, you always wanted to go to Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley. Heck I still do. One of the things I’ve always wanted to try is Butterbeer. I’ve looked all over the recipe trying to find a recipe that I feel tastes like what the books described. I’ve found many recipes although none quite lived up to what I had imagined. So I tweaked one of the recipes I found.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 tsp water
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp rum extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup heavy cream, divided
• 6 tsp butter
• 4 12 oz bottles of cream soda (very cold)

Directions:

• In a small pan over medium heat, combine brown sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Boil until mixture reaches 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
• Add in butter, salt, apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup of the cream. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Once the mixture has cooled, add in rum and vanilla extracts. Mix well.
• In a bowl, pour the remainder of the cream and 2 1/2 tbs of the brown sugar mixture. Using a hand mixer, beat until thickened. It should be frothy looking.
• Divide the brown sugar mixture between 4 tall glasses. Pour is 1/3 cup of cream soda and mix well. Pour cream soda into the glass until almost full. Add the froth to the top.
• Now watch your favorite Harry Potter movie and enjoy your delicious Butterbeer.

Hot Vanilla Recipe

As the weather starts to get cooler, I like to feel warm and cozy. I usually curl up with a warm blanket, a nice book and a mug full of Hot Vanilla. This is one of my favorite drinks and I usually drink it all fall and winter long. It’s easy and cheap to make and is absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:Media

• 4 cups of milk
• 2 tbs honey
• 3 tbs vanilla
• Optional: cinnamon to taste

Directions:

• Warm milk until warm on stovetop. DO NOT BOIL.
• Once warm, remove from heat.
• Stir in vanilla and honey.
• Pour into glasses and serve