Do One Thing Every Day That Scares You…

Posted on May 16, 2013 by

do one thingBy: Williamsburg Military Insider

I came across an amazing article I wish twenty years ago I was given this advice as I graduated College and became a Military Spouse.   This means more to me now than it did when I was younger. Makes so much sense!  The lessons are truly some of the best you could ever hope to learn.  Myself, like most others, took way to many years to let them fully sink in. But,  today as I read this amazing article written by Mary Schmich “Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young, I come away with a smile and a challenge to my self;  Do one thing every day that scares me!   There are a lot of days I am complacent with life and do the same routine day in and day out. No more!  I am going to start simple, I am going to initiate a smile and wish a total stranger a good morning.  This puts me out of my comfort zone, I am going to make it a habit and add new tasks everyday!   And yes I agree with the Sunscreen.

Check out Baz  Luhrmann’s 1999 music single “Everybody’s Free (To Wear  Sunscreen)” based off of the 1997 Chicago Tribune column  “Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young” by Mary  Schmich

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PCS Orders in Hand …Now on a Quest for Essential Apps for the Military PCS

Posted on March 22, 2013 by

Moving-boxes-in-a-houseBy: Williamsburg Military Insider

All of us Military members have become quite savvy when it comes to our PCS moves.  I recently discovered some great apps that are essential and very convenient to help with your upcoming PCS.   I really enjoyed around me; so awesome when driving across the country.

1. Moving Day – Free (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad)

Military movers know how overwhelming a home filled with boxes can be. It is likely that you have also had the experience of opening a box that is labeled “kitchen” only to find tools from the garage. Moving Day gives you the opportunity to easily catalog all of your things as you or the movers pack. Built-in bar code scanning and label-making will ease the struggle of locating particular items within a sea of cardboard. Helps to quickly identify what boxes/items are missing or what items may be damaged. Photos taken as the items are packed will provide documentation for insurance or damage claims. Print or email reports directly from the app.

2. Moving Van – $1.99 (iPhone, iPod Touch)

Similar to Moving Day, this app will allow you to inventory the contents of each box, include a photo of the items and assign each box with a unique name or number. Find that you are searching high and low for the box that contained your kitchen towels? Simply search for the specific item and the app will identify which box it is located in. It might be helpful to have friends and family with this app to help you during the packing process as it is tough to keep up with the packers sometimes.

3. Moving List - $2.99 (iPhone, iPod Touch)

Utilize the pre-populated to-do lists created from 95 common moving tasks. Create and add your own list of important items and organize them by category or due date. Great way to keep your lists organized and accessible to you at all times.

4. Moving Checklist Pro – $0.99 (iPhone, iPad) Another app with over 210 moving related items that can be used to create checklists and timelines. Create your own or use pre-loaded checklists, which can be emailed to friends and families so they know how they can help ease your stress.

5. My Move – Free (iPhone, Android, Kindle Fire) In addition to a complete moving checklist, the My Move app will calculate your household goods moving weight, which can be extremely useful for military families that are considering a full DITY or partial DITY move. Requesting a specific mover may not always be an option for military families, but you may be given the choice of a few approved providers. Reading the online reviews may give you a leg up when trying to make a decision of this nature.

6. Moving Guru – Free (Blackberry, iPhone) This app offers features similar to the other apps mentioned, such as chronological task lists, but one cool feature it offers is the “We’ve moved” notification that you can send to pre-selected phone contacts. Change of address cards are still nice to send out, but this is certainly a less expensive and quicker option.

7. iHandy Level – Free (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad) You have finally made it to the stage where you are ready to hang your photos on the wall and having the iHandy Level will ensure that every item you hang is on the level. Portrait and landscape options housed in a classy wood grain interface may make you feel like a professional carpenter.

8. Yelp – Free (iPhone, iPad, Android) You are settled and ready to explore your new surroundings. Apple and Android users can utilize this app to find everything you need to make this new place your home. Gather information on local business with details such as address, hours, price, reviews, tips, and deals. Easy access to directions and the opportunity to book reservations for restaurants using Open Table. It just may be time to try out that Thai restaurant down the street!

9. Around Me – Free (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android) Similar to Yelp, this app is also available in both platforms. With GPS locating, this app will show you gas stations, banks, hospitals, hotels, supermarkets, theatres, and other essential amenities that are nearby. Find the location on a map and quickly get directions from your current location.

10. Military Traveler (Free iPhone) Military Traveler is a universal base directory application for iPhone and Android. It contains information like phone numbers, hours of operations, websites and more for establishments on military installations

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Baggie Bonanza… and the PCS Military Move

Posted on March 21, 2013 by

neighborsBy: Williamsburg Military Insider

With many Military Families PCS season is coming up. I have moved 14 times in the past twenty years, and can relate with everything in the article at Call Dibs  ”How to MOVE IT without LOSING IT!: Helpful Tips for your PCS Move” I got the biggest chuckle out of the Baggie Bonanza paragraph. In my twenty years I thought I was the only one who did this, as I am the same and do not want movers all up in my space. :) I recommend reading her tips on your next PCS move; they are some of the same I have done for the past twenty years. Take to heart the refrigerator stocked full with drinks, I can tell you from experience moving in this past July, and it was 110 F, my movers were the best! They were just so thankful for the endless supply of Gatorade. They even assembled everything without being asked. We all know sometimes that can be a challenge. Happy PCS season…wishing everyone very smooth moves!

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Where are the Facts?….Defense Budget Faces Cuts To Personnel After Decade of War

Posted on March 12, 2013 by

Shape Our Lives 4 by 6 copyBy: Williamsburg Military Insider

I rarely ever put a opinion out there on articles I read.  But as I came across this story written by Mr. David Wood, Defense Budget Faces Cuts To Personnel After Decade of War…I had to say something.

What does Mr. Wood  honestly expect to add to the national discussion with a story that has more errors than facts? . As a military wife, I’m terrified that readers might actually think this story features facts. Mr. Wood has  a responsibility to inform the public, inherent in that responsibility is that your information be TRUE. Mr. Wood, Military Members are all – VOLUNTEERS. They chose to stand up, put the best interests and security of the country first, even at the risk of their own lives. They aren’t in it for glory, or fame, or getting their names in the papers. They do it because it’s the right thing to do. They do it to protect your right to malign and degrade them, to say they don’t deserve a good paycheck for the price of their lives. A paycheck, I might add, that is paid for by the government, and your taxes, which they also pay. In effect, they pay themselves to safeguard our way of life.

You should personally thank each and every one of these military members for their service and their courage to protect your rights and your freedoms.

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If A Meteor Hit Your Home In Williamsburg, VA … Who Pays For The Damage?

Posted on February 15, 2013 by

MeteorBy: Williamsburg Military Insider

Today after watching the news about the meteor that hit In Russia; I was curious if my home would be covered by a similar event. If your house is hit by a space object — such as the remnants of the meteor that stunned people in the Urals region of western Siberia — it won’t be a major hit to your bank account. CNN Money has a good Article, about falling objects hitting your house.

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All Things Great….Thought of Moving or Relocating to Williamsburg, VA?

Posted on February 12, 2013 by

CWBy: Williamsburg Military Insider

Few places combine the cultural and historical aspects of Williamsburg, Virginia. U.S. Airways Magazine February 2013 has highlighted how wonderful Williamsburg, VA is!  The past meets the present in a place where America travelled from the frontier days of Jamestown in 1607, through the American Revolution and on to the Civil War. Restored Colonial Williamsburg recreates town life and, together with nearby Yorktown and Jamestown, help visitors and residents revisit and remember our national roots. Virginia’s colonial capital still thumps to the beat of the fifes and drums and the hammering of metal at the blacksmith shop.  You can still take a carriage ride down Duke of Gloucester Street, tour the Governors Palace, and walk in the footsteps of George Washington.  But you can also go to the spa, shop in Merchants Square, and play 18 holes at the Golden Horseshoe Golf Club.  That’s right: John D. Rockerfeller Jr.s dream in now studded with world class amenities.  The presence of one of the top small colleges in the country in William and Mary brings the vibrancy of young ideas and contemporary cultural life to blend with the old. Families flourish in the mild Virginia climate and enjoy the proximity to Virginia and North Carolina beaches, Blue Ridge Mountains and urban attractions of Norfolk, Richmond and Washington, D.C. all within 1-3 hours driving time. The commute to Langley AFB 20-30 min, there is nothing better than living in Williamsburg, VA.

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PCS Move soon? Have you thought about a Virtual Yard Sale?

Posted on February 8, 2013 by

VyardsaleThis week my experience with a Virtual Yard Sale was simply amazing. A few tips and pointers I thought I would share.

Local Military spouses looking to empty their closets and garages are taking the “yard” out of yard sale, forming groups to buy and sell from each other online.

Dozens of Facebook groups have opened in the past year for Military Members who want to sell outgrown baby clothes and toys, unused household goods or other items that in the past would have ended up in yard sales or in the trash.

Military members  say they feel safer dealing with people they know —at least in the Facebook sense of the word — and who are close to their homes on base.  There’s also less hassle involved than hauling your unwanted items to the front yard in hopes that buyers drive by.

Being a Military Member find a Closed Group Virtual Yard Sale Group associated with the area of your base or post.  One that requires you to have base access to meet and pick up the items, I don’t like Craigslist, It’s too risky. You don’t know who you’re meeting. I like this; you can at least see who you’re meeting.

The virtual yard sale sites leave pricing and pickup arrangements to the sellers and buyers. They ask members to be courteous. Some ask participants not to compete against each other by pitting multiple sellers against each other for higher prices, or posting cheaper items to undercut another buyer.

I found pricing quite easy and I used these guidelines to sell my items this week. To price your items, start with a bit of research. Check online auction sites like eBay or virtual sale sales like Craigslist for starters. If you can’t find items like yours, use these general rules of thumb. Items in new or like new condition should be priced at 30% of what you paid when new. Items that are showing wear or that are obsolete should be priced at about 10% of the original price. If possible, include a brief description of each item. Include details such as size, age and condition.

Using a virtual yard  sale will require you to break out your digital camera. Take a photo of each item you are selling with the price card prominently displayed. If possible, include a brief description of each item. Include details such as size, age and condition.

When hosting a virtual yard sale, keep safety and common sense in mind. Never allow strangers into your house. Always insist on cash transactions with exact change only. If possible, arrange to have items picked up at a safe, neutral location such as the food court at the Exchange. Don’t give out personal information other than an e-mail address or cell phone number where you can be reached for questions.

Unlike a traditional yard sale, you don’t have to pack up your stuff at the end of the day. Because your sale is virtual, you it can extend over several days, weeks or months. Just store everything in your basement, closet or other storage area until you deplete your inventory.

So next time you get the itch to host a yard sale, don’t worry about the weather. Set out to  put your items on a virtual yard sale instead.

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Which Are You?

Posted on February 5, 2013 by

Reblogged from Positive Outlooks Blog:

Click to visit the original post
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Grandmother Says...
Carrots, Eggs, or Coffee; "Which are you?"

A young woman went to her grandmother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved a new one arose.

Read more… 602 more words

Your chance to read an awesome story!
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Newsmeum | Front Page | Map View … Great source for your PCS Move.

Posted on February 4, 2013 by

worldandnewspaperThis is a brilliant way to keep up with home-town news when you PCS check current events in places you are PCSing to, check on your favorite sports team, just about anything that is specific to a discrete area.  WARNING: This is addictive and you can be reading news from all over the country or the world for HOURS every day if you are not careful!  It is one site that is truly educational!

Just put your mouse on a city anywhere in the world and the newspaper headlines pop up…

 Double click and the page gets larger….you can read the entire paper
 on some if you click on the right place. You can spend forever here.

  http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/

 Also, if you look at the European papers, the far left side of Germany will
 pop up as The Stars & Stripes (European edition, of course). AND, this site
 changes every day with the publication of new editions of the paper.

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2013 BAH Rates are Available…in Hampton Roads, Virginia

Posted on December 17, 2012 by

American-flags-outside-homesThe new 2013 BAH Rates are available.  In the Hampton Roads area the rates have slightly gone up.  This is great news to all military Homeowners. To check your BAH 2013 rate, visit: https://www.defensetravel.dod.mil/site/bahCalc.cfm

The rates go into effect 1 Jan 2013.  Remember, the rates are for new military families moving into an area. If your specific rate goes down, you’ll continue to receive the same amount.

Related link:

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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