Milspouse Matters

What an amazing season it's been so far! It's hard to believe that the Milspouse Matters podcast is already coming up to episode #15. I'm so thankful for all the wonderful military spouses who've come on the show so far this season to talk about all the different aspects of military life.

On this episode, we're taking a quick moment to talk about where we've been, what's coming in the next season, and a special offer for military families to help their kids settle into school after a mid-year move.

Listen to all episodes!

SHOW NOTES AND RESOURCES MENTIONED

Get Jen's book You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse

Learn more about Milspouse Matters, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

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So excited to share this special holiday episode with you!

Are you torn between traveling to see your extended family and staying put to create your own holiday memories? Alone over the holidays due to deployment or just moved and don't know a soul? This week, Jen is teaming up with Sheena Arting of the Dear MilFamily Podcast on a crossover between their shows. They've been there and they're talking about it! Consider this your virtual hug across the miles from fellow military families.

Next, hear from other military spouses and past Milspouse Matters guests as they share their own military family holiday memories. Whether new or experienced, living around the world or just a few hours from "home," they bring their own incredible stories of light, hope, and how they make the holidays uniquely theirs whether in Germany or a little town in the middle of nowhere, USA!

Happy holidays to your military family, wherever in the world this finds you.

The Dear MilFamily Podcast

Get Jen's book You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse

Learn more about Milspouse Matters, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

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Travel and overseas life as a military family? We're talking about it in this episode!

Jen starts off with some tips for overseas moves from her own family's four overseas assignments.

Then, she's talking to Angie Drake, who shares about her family's unique moves to South America (twice!), and how she's taken those experiences to start her own sustainable travel consulting business, Not Your Average American, since her husband's recent military retirement. As she says, "itchy feet need places to travel!" Her goal is to add dozens of new destinations to the Not Your Average American list of places to visit.

Angie also talks about military spouse employment issues, finding the confidence to start a business after years of not having a paid job, and how all of her experiences as a military spouse have forced her to think outside the box.

And find out which fictional family she'd most like to be a member of!

Mentioned in this episode:

Not Your Average American

Not Your Average American on social:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• LinkedIn

Milspouse Matters Overseas and Back Again Episode: Tara Howes

Get Jen's book You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse

Learn more about Milspouse Matters, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

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Who were you before life told you who you had to be?

The answer to that could be interesting! Join Jen for this informative, fun, and inspiration-filled episode with Kellie Artis, COO for MILLIE and co-founder of Milspo Gurus.

Kellie has been a military spouse for over 10 years and in that time has supported her husband and family through 4 combat deployments and tackled multiple moves. She now uses that knowledge to help ease the stress of PCS for other military families. Hear about some of her experiences and how she's celebrating the tenacity of military spouses to seek out the positive (no matter how rough things get!), while helping to make sure military families are connected with the resources they need. She's a busy lady!

We talk about MILLIE's resources for military families, including the MILLIE Scout program and Agent Intel for military connected real estate agents.

We'll also delve into using the Enneagram of Personality to embrace and fully understand your true identity, find your strengths, and identify potential pitfalls. Ever wonder why you have a tendency to take things personally or curious why you're the type to run head-on into a challenge? You may be interested in learning your Enneagram type to better understand why you do what you do.

Milspo Gurus has just launched an eCourse devoted to understanding the Enneagram, an ancient personality typology system, to navigate the challenges of military spouse life. "Becoming Your Own Guru" has over 4 hours of video instruction, a workbook, audio files, private Facebook community, and an app! If you're the slightest bit curious about the Enneagram, or any personality typing system for that matter, and happen to also be a military spouse - then this course is for you.

Special deal for Milspouse Matters listeners!

CLICK HERE for 50% off the "Becoming Your Own Guru" course from Milspo Gurus

Mentioned in this episode:

MILLIE

MILLIE on Facebook and Instagram

Milspo Gurus on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube

Military Family Advisory Network

Recommended Reading:

The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective

The Road Back to You: An Ennegram Journey to Self Discovery

The Wisdom of the Enneagram

Get Jen's book You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse

Learn more about Milspouse Matters, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

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Air Force veteran and military spouse Amanda Huffman is joining Jen this week to talk about her time as a service member, her decision to "trade in combat boots for a diaper bag," her series featuring women service members and veterans, and her upcoming podcast about women in the military!

Amanda, who writes the Airman to Mom blog, shares about her year-long deployment to Afghanistan, how her dual military couple family decided it was time for her to leave active duty so she could raise their two young children, and her work to support female military and veterans now. We talk about her transition from active duty to stay-at-home mom, and she reminds us that we all have the same hopes and dreams, whether a military member or military spouse, and what we have in common is so much more important than any perceived differences.

Hear her tips about reaching out to other spouses, as well as get the scoop on her new podcast which will highlight the stories of military women and veterans (and find out where you can submit your story!)

Mentioned in this episode:

Military Influencer Conference

MOPS, International

31 Days of Deployment Series

Women of the Military Series

Women of the Military Podcast

Get Jen's book You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse

Learn more about Milspouse Matters, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

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What do you do when you're not sure where you'll be living a month from now? You face it head on, that's what!

Since she's already moved 6 times in the 4 years of her husband's Marine Corps career, you could say Danielle Keech is something of an expert on short-notice PCS moves!

On this episode, we talk about the perspective she's already gained as a new military spouse, military spouse employment issues and difficulties keeping a career afloat with the constant changes inherent in military life, how she got into freelance writing and content creation, and how staying organized and positive has helped her navigate so many moves--most of them DITY ("do it yourself") moves! Also that one time they had two weeks' notice to get to a new duty station and they moved themselves...

Danielle is also a new mama. You'll be encouraged by her words about choosing to be stay-at-home/work from home mom and her outlook about managing expectations as a military wife and mom. Listen in for her top tips for tackling a short-notice PCS (which will help with any move!).

Mentioned in this episode:

Danielle's posts on MilitaryByOwner

3 Things NOT to Tell a Military Spouse

MBO Minute Videos

PCS Checklists

Get Jen's book You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse

Learn more about Milspouse Matters, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

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In this episode, we're turning the tables and Jen McDonald is being interviewed! Find out more about Jen's story as a military spouse of three decades, which led to her writing a book for other spouses and starting the Milspouse Matters podcast. Lana Simmons, cohost of the Reinventing Midlife podcast, puts Jen on the hot seat.

We'll talk about feeling like a fish out of water as a new military spouse, adapting to the quirks of military culture, all the moves, living overseas, raising military kids, deployments, her family's homeschooling journey, and the second career she's found.

You'll want to tune in to this fun episode, where Lana does her own "quick 5" questions and we talk about that one time Jen met Chris Hemsworth and her brief (and of course, embarrassing) encounter with legendary "Stormin' Norman" General Schwarzkopf.

Mentioned in this episode:

Jen's book You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse

Jen's blog

Jen on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest

Strengthening Your Military Marriage

What Surprised Me Most About Life After the Military

MilitaryByOwner Advertising

Steve Lambert/Five in a Row

This American Life

Mike Roe: The Way I Heard It

Copyblogger

Reinventing Midlife

Connect with Lana Simmons!

12 Strong and Chris Hemsworth Interview

Learn more about Milspouse Matters, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

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In this episode, Jen's talking to Wendi Iacobello, who shares her message of support, empowerment, and encouragement for military spouses. Through her hashtag #morethanamilspouse, her hope is to remind other military spouses that it's ok to create a life for yourself, too!

As we recorded this episode, Hurricane Florence was headed her way, but she was undeterred in her mission to express her support for other military families. As a fairly new spouse who came into this life a little later than some, Wendi also talks about pregnancy loss, what helped her after the loss of her unborn baby, how to reach out to others experiencing grief, how the military can do better with focusing on childless couples as well as those with children, and her work with her Strength4Spouses blog. She has so many great ideas for military spouses to build their identity outside of the military space. What's her favorite Southern food and who was her favorite celebrity sighting? Listen in to find out!

Mentioned in this episode:

Military OneSource confidential counseling

Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics

#morethanamilspouse

Strength4Spouses Blog

Strength4Spouses on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest

Learn more about Milspouse Matters, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

Get Jen's book, You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse.

*contains affiliate links

This week, Jen's talking to Meg Flanagan of MilKidsEd, who shares with us her passion for education, especially as it relates to military kids.

Originally a classroom teacher, Meg has taken her expertise and uses it now to address common school problems and advocate for military families, whether it's help with taming the homework beast, working with homeschooling families, helping families navigate the school system, or providing insight for families with special needs or gifted learners. Meg also discusses the learning gaps that are common with kids that move often and practical ways to connect with your child's teachers. Learn more about her book, Talk to the Teacher, and how it can help any parent with ideas to set up their child for success in school.

Find out more about Meg's background, what services she offers to military families, AND hear her best "scar stories"! She also shares about life in Okinawa where she's currently stationed and her family's experiences with the Marine Corps--and how every assignment is a favorite so far.

Mentioned in this episode:

FREE Stress Free Homework Help Download

Meg's book, Talk to the Teacher

MilKidsEd

Mike Rowe's podcast, The Way I Heard It

John Green's podcasts

Find MilKidsEd on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest

Learn more about the show, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

Get Jen's book, You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse.

*Contains affiliate links.

Lauren Cecora is a go-getter!

But after giving birth to her first child, her world was rocked by postpartum depression. In this real and honest episode, you'll hear about Lauren's journey through PPD while her husband was deployed. Realizing quickly that something was off more than the typical postpartum "baby blues," Lauren reached out for help, made the necessary changes in her life to get well and healthy, and then through her experience became an advocate for other new moms.

If you're a new mom, know one, or find yourself in a fog after having a new baby, you'll want to listen to this episode. Lauren is here to remind you that you're not alone, gives you practical tips for finding your way through, and most of all extends hope that you CAN make it through your darkest days.

Also in this episode—find out what's so special about Beale AFB, get her tips for any new mom trying to make sense of life after giving birth, and what she considers was her worst job ever!

Mentioned in this episode:

Lauren's book: Past-Partum: From Shattered to Sane

Rachel Hollis

Connect with Lauren on her website, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest

Learn more about the show, get show notes, and more content at jenmcdonald.net.

Get Jen's book, You Are Not Alone: Encouragement for the Heart of a Military Spouse.

*Contains affiliate links.