Rebecca Alwine

Military members often have several housing options from which to choose. Whether you’re facing your first military move or your last, there is always one burning question, “Where should we live?” From young, single service members to big, bustling families, the housing situation is one of the first things that needs to be settled. Almost everything stems from that future address.
But do you know enough about all of your options to make the best decision? And, do you know where to look for th...

Family time is important. It’s even more vital in an always on-the-go lifestyle like this one. There are so many options for vacationing, especially as you move around the world, though sometimes the cost can be daunting. A family vacation is not the time to go into debt, but even on a tight budget, you can make a getaway work.
On top of looking for military discounts, try these tips to help you budget for your next family vacation.
The very topic of tax returns can be controversial, but let’...

On a Friday night, Mitch Wagner is surrounded by the things that make him happy. He’s lifting heavy weights with a friend while his wife looks on. There’s a class full of athletes of varying abilities, working on their own skills, while pausing every few minutes to see what Wagner is lifting. There’s encouragement, hard work and support.
CrossFit is a community, one that Wagner has leaned on the past few years. In August 2013, Wagner started CrossFit and since then, he’s lived in three states...

A few years ago, the Instant Pot was the hottest thing in the kitchen. Lives were changed with the programmable pressure cooker. And Pinterest – let’s not forget that gem. Dinner time became easier and meal prep became fun. Now the air fryer is stealing the limelight and revolutionizing the way we are preparing food at home.
The air fryer cooks things without using oil, so it’s healthier – and easier – than deep frying. It also is easy to clean up after and pretty hard to ruin anything. As wi...

“Of course, the teachers and administration want military children to thrive in their schools, but they each have a full plate with their jobs already,” said Army spouse Jennifer Carter. She goes onto explain one thing she would love to see in each school: a dedicated staff member that helps all students transition.
Carter learned how the transition can affect students when she moved her children several times during their elementary school years. Her oldest, now in middle school, went to pre...

One size rarely fits all, and that’s especially true when it comes to education. Even so, parents across the military —and the country —hope for a certain level of assistance when it comes to their children’s education. Especially when they are moving from one state to another.
When this doesn’t happen, it means tough decisions must be made. And in the case of Navy spouse Julie Shepard, moving without her active duty husband was the best choice.
From One Coast to the Other, and Back Again
The...

“When our oldest started second grade and the teacher said he needed extra work on counting money, we were shocked,” Air Force wife and mother Courtney Power said. “It turned out he didn’t need extra work, he just needed the basic instruction.”
The Power Family moved from New Mexico to Virginia between their oldest son’s first and second-grade years. Most people wouldn’t even think about how a move from one state to another could put a second grader behind the curve so drastically. They might...

Join the military, they said. See the world, they said. Well, so far, you’ve seen exotic places like Minot Air Force Base, N.D., and Fort Irwin, Calif. If you’re ready to see more of the globe, you may want to consider Space-A travel.
Space-Available travel is one of those military perks that seasoned spouses refer to and new spouses don’t always understand. There’s an even bigger chance your service member has no idea about it and won’t really care to explore it until retirement, if you go t...

It seems like just yesterday I had a sweet little baby, all smiles and coos. Sure, he cried and pooped a lot — and those round-the-clock feedings nearly did me in — but at least he never threw himself howling onto the ground because I wouldn’t let him dip his pacifier into the dog’s water bowl.
Sudden meltdowns, inexplicable hunger strikes, biting dad — for the parent of a toddler, it’s all par for the course. Still, if you’re a first-time parent like I am, you may not know know what’s normal...

There’s a market for everything. If you’ve ever met Kayla Roof or watched one of her training videos, you know that her energy and passion are contagious. The whole world got to see this side of her when she appeared on Shark Tank in December to pitch a product that captures a growing trend.
Roof joined business partners William and his wife Summer (he is also Kayla’s cousin), to showcase a quirky, kind-of-gross-but-kind-of-fascinating-product called Pop it Pal. The presentation went so well ...

There’s always something magical when military spouses come together for the first time. Just as there are things that set us apart from those not involved in the military community, there are things that instantly bring us together. The love of a service member surpasses almost everything else. Military spouses are a force to be reckoned with.
This weekend, military spouses — along with non-military women — gathered in Dallas, Texas, for the annual IF:GATHERING. Attendees learned that while ...

Freelancers are increasing in popularity as the gig economy continues to grow. For many, freelancing is the perfect way to blend their professional passions and their personal goals. But they are still professionals. They work hard, and those efforts should be rewarded appropriately.
Here are a few ways to make sure you are treating freelancers well so that they will want to work with you in the future:
Use the right terminology.
Freelancers are not employees. You don’t hire them. They don’t ...

Over 19 months, this Coast Guard family paid off $60,000 in debt. They didn’t inherit anything or win the lottery — they lived off of one enlisted service member’s salary, and worked a lot of side hustles to do it. And now they share their story, to show others that it isn’t about luck, it’s about hard work.
Just like everyone else
As high school sweethearts, Dan and Carissa spent like everyone else. “Dan worked full time, I went to college, and I thought I had so much money,” Carissa said. T...

“Before I had Sobee, I would hibernate in my house, with the curtains drawn, afraid to leave the house, as I felt like society didn’t understand me – it was safe and out of the public’s eye,” said Navy veteran Jason Howe. “That all changed immediately after being partnered with Sobee by K9s on The Front Line.”
With the Department of Veterans Affairs reporting that almost one-third of veterans suffer from PTSD, it’s important to take note of all the treatment options available. The use of serv...

We have a love/hate relationship with the way technology surrounds us. As military families, we love that we can stay connected to friends, family, and our service member when they are away from home. We like the security we feel with having the ability to watch our house while we are away. We love that our children can hear their military parent’s voice when they are having a rough day.
But, we also hate the way it controls us. We struggle with balancing the time we spend on our smartphones ...