The Military Working Mom

I am a wife, mom, Naval Officer, online party planner and friend for life maker!  I help those that are confident in their hosting skills and those that aren't create beautiful parties without wasting a ton of time, money or stress through my blog The Daily Hostess.  You can also hear me interview industry experts and other military families about building community and connection through hosting on my podcast, Conversations with the Hostess.  And if you get completely overwhelmed and stressed out when it comes to hosting in your home, let me help you with custom digital party plans.  I do all the planning work for you, you just follow the checklist to a fun, stress free party where you actually get to enjoy the guests. 

Check out this handy step by step guide for figuring out your party theme.  It's great if you don't know where to start when hosting a party. 

BLOG: The Daily Hostess

APPLE PODCAST: Conversations with the Hostess

SHOP PARTY PLANS: The Daily Hostess Shop

IG: @TheDailyHostess

FB: @TheDailyHostess

I was just a normal military spouse and Mom that knew there had to be more to life than commuting, chores, errands and being a spouse.
I started working as a virtual assistant and mentoring my fellow milspos on base when my husband was active duty a few years ago. I received such great feedback from what I had taught the ladies, I was encouraged to formally develop a program to help other spouses discover they had the abilities to be more than an "accompanied spouse" while making money and still being able to stay home with their kids. 
I’ve been working online for 7 years now and have helped hundreds of other women do the same, earning real money by the hour or project as virtual assistants while traveling the world with my veteran husband and son.
We moved to Bali for the last 3 years to heal after he got out and are just now moving back to the US, we decided to land in Asheville, North Carolina.

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Enroll today to learn how to be a successful Virtual Assistant. Once enrolled you have access to life to all updated training, templates, etc to be competitive in for any work a corporation or business owner needs. Additionally you have access to Esther's exclusive job board for her students!

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FB: @Esther M Inman

IG: @Esther_Inman

PODCAST: Help Me Work Online, Esther

Hi friend! My name is Christina Mattison, and I am a prior Air Force Civil Engineer and dual military spouse turned mom, wife, and founder of Rolling Oaks Yoga. I discovered yoga back in 2015 while I was on a deployment overseas. It was the one hour I desperately looked forward to each week as a break from a very stressful job. When I returned home from deployment, I immediately signed up for the first Yoga Teacher Training I could find, with zero intention to teach. 

I have struggled with anxiety, chronic stress, and negative self-talk, things I know you may fight with daily. My yoga programs and classes are crafted intentionally to integrate yoga asana, breathing, and meditation that will leave you feeling relaxed and restored. 

My faith and my family are the two most important things to me. I married a wonderful man, Josh, in 2011. We have a little girl, and she is one heck of a little firecracker. They inspire me every day to be the best version of myself, something that I work on every day. Spoiler alert - I'm a better version of myself when I do yoga

Find the "Playbook" App in Apple or Android stores.
Then search for Christina Mattison. The follow the overview of the app below!

FB: Strong & Resilient Women - Yoga for military women

YouTube Channel: Christina Mattison

Website: Rolling Oaks Yoga

Join the Yoga Strong Program: Click Here>>

IG: The Military Yogi

Jacque Vasta is an active duty Air Force Major, a Force Support Officer by trade, dual military spouse (Rob), and proud mom of two, Charlotte (4) and Bobby (2). Her Air Force journey started at the Air Force Academy in 2006, and has taken her to New Mexico, Afghanistan, Colorado, Ohio and she currently resides in San Antonio, TX. Over the last year, Jacque used her unique experience as a service member and a mom to help identify a specific need of the military family – short term childcare. This led her to create an innovative program called Kinderspot - a mobile application that helps parents of children enrolled in the military Child Development Centers (CDC) sublease their child’s spot to eligible families with short-term childcare needs.

Q: What is the purpose of KinderSpot?
A: KinderSpot will be a centrally managed app to help DoD members find short term childcare solutions. This can be either subletting your childcare spot while you are away, or finding a spot at a location you will be. 

Q: What is the cost?
A: The best part about KinderSpot is that the member who leases their spot will not have to pay for the time the spot is sublet, and the member who sublet the spot will pay the CDC cost according the standardized military child care cost chart based on total family income. 

Q: When will the KinderSpot app be live?
A: Feb 2021 the beta app will launch to 3 large Air Force Bases to include JBSA, San Antonio, TX. 

Q: When will the app be available for all installations & service branches. 
A: The Air Force innovation programs have funded the app, thus Air Force bases will begin first. The goal is the spread to all installations/branches but first we must prove there is a demand. Like the KinderSpot Facebook Page for us to show that there is a demand for this program in all military families.

Have a question that was not answered here? 
Ask Jacque by messaging her on FB through KinderSpot Facebook Page or email her at [email protected]

HELP JEN GROW HER FAMILY!

Vote for her to win the Ms. Health and Fitness competition and receive $20K by clicking below

VOTE FOR JEN TO WIN 
Ms Health & Fitness

MEET JEN

For those of you who don't know me, my name is Jen, hi! 
I am a Certified Personal Trainer, Women's Health Specialist, and Certified Nutrition Coach and am lucky enough to run my own small business helping empower women in the abilities of their own bodies. 

I am currently in a competition called Ms Health & Fitness, and would love and appreciate any support I can rally up from all of you fellow military women and spouses! Why is your support important? The winner of this competition wins $20k, which would be incredibly beneficial for my husband and I continuing to grow our family. That precious boy you see in the photo above with me was brought into our lives via embryo adoption. To sum up what embryo adoption is if you haven't heard of it: we legally adopted embryos from another couple, completed a frozen embryo transfer to me, I got pregnant, and now we have Colton! He is our ray of sunshine and hope after our journey going through infertility. While not as expensive as traditional adoption, embryo adoption and the medical expenses involved in frozen embryo transfers can rack up quick. 

As we prepare and plan for our next adoption, I wanted to see if I could do something big to help us out. So I took a leap and signed up to compete in this contest. You can click the link in the episode notes and submit a "free vote" every single day for me if you feel so inclined. You can also purchase "Warrior Votes" where each $1 donated equals 1 vote for me. All proceeds for Warrior Votes are donated to the Homes for Wounded Warriors Foundation

If you've read all of this, thank you for your time! And if you take the time to help support me at the link below, thank you so much in advance!!

Embryo adoption is when a couple chooses to give their embryo a chance for life by providing another couple who may be incapable of conceiving naturally a chance to become parents. The form of adoption allows the woman receiving the embryos an opportunity to experience pregnancy and the birth of a child.

• Find an embryo adoption agency
• Interview with the selected agency
• Submit your application package
• Receive a background check
• Conduct a home study
• Choose your donor

The average cost of embryo adoption and medical implantation is $20,000.

FITNESS WEBSITE: https://jlowellfit.com/

IG: @_jensjourneys_

FB: @Jen Lowell

The Air Force somehow managed to recruit Jen from Capitol Hill, where she served as a House of Representatives congressional legislative staff member for two Members of Congress during a 7-year career. In 2000, she joined the Air Force for the opportunity to serve and lead. In the past 20 years, Jen has held positions at the tactical, operational, and strategic levels and served as the Commander of the Air Force’s largest airborne ISR squadron. She is currently assigned to the Joint Staff where she serves as a Special Projects Officer.

Jen is a graduate of the Air Force School of Advanced Air and Space Studies and working on her PhD through Air University. She is also a graduate of the United States Air Force Weapons School’s Intelligence Weapons Instructor Course—where the service builds its tactical experts and instructors. Jen’s tactical and operational level experience includes two volunteer assignments to Korea and 3 deployments to the USCENTCOM AOR. Her strategic-level experience goes beyond her time on the Joint Staff. She served two CSAF’s in a close advisory capacity through the CSAF’s Strategic Studies Group and contributed substantially to benchmark international programs, airpower development, and capstone strategy development.

Jen is currently writing a book on leadership and wellness. She also volunteers her time as a member of the Air Force Barrier Analysis Working Group Women’s Initiative Team where she advocates for removing barriers that impede the retention and advancement of women in the military.

1. Decide to put your oxygen mask on first! It may be a bit cliché these days to say this, but it’s a must do. I learned this the hard way. Find the time to take care of you…and you’ll have greater ability to take care of others!

2. Create a wellness plan. Maybe it’s 10 mins a day hiding in your closet to meditate while the kids play, maybe it’s finding a professional to talk to, maybe you develop a fitness routine…whatever it is, just do something for you.

3. As you do #1 and #2…Spend time getting to know yourself…who you really are, what makes you tick…personally and professionally. Rumble with your own vulnerability. And if you are truly doing the work, you will uncover things that suck…and that’s the messy part. But that’s okay. It’s not easy work, but focusing on yourself and adhering to your wellness plan can help you work through it.

4. Be yourself and don’t try to be anyone else. Be okay--more than okay--with who you are. The world needs you.

Books that inspired Jen as a as she worked through burn-out (more books and podcast links on her blog site)

**Dare to Lead, by Dr. Brene Brown

**Well-Being Ultimatum, by Dr. Suzie Carmack https://www.drsuziecarmack.com

Jen's Blog: www.jensaraceno.com

· Email: [email protected]

· LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jensaraceno1

Twitter: @jensaraceno

As a female service member leaving for a deployment, I found a shortage of books geared toward mothers leaving their children behind and trying to help them understand the importance of what their moms were going to be doing...This is a book dedicated to military mom's and their children. Enjoy!

>> ORDER BOOK NOW 

This group is dedicated to mothers that have served or are currently serving in the armed forces for the purpose of giving support, advice and sharing valuable information. Being a mother is hard enough, but balancing the responsibilities of motherhood with those of being a Service Member can be a bit overwhelming. This group is not limited to just mother's however, it is intended to create a means by which we can support one another.

What does special needs look like?  What do I do if I think my child may have a learning disability?  What resources are out there for military children?  

Sound familiar? You may have wondered or asked yourself these same questions as many moms have before you.  Listen to military school psychologist, AnneMarie Bagnall, on tips to identify if your child may have a leaning disability and what to do and where to go to get your child help in school.  She discussed programs such as Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), Individual Development Plans (IDP), and 504s that are all recognized by the military system and are federally bond to assist your child at your current location and future locations. 

MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE for all in our Armed Forces is a GOOD, IMPORTANT, and ESSENTIAL thing that SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED.

For my sisters and brothers-in-arms of the United States Armed Forces, this is for you… for all of us! The beauty of being at the pinnacle of one's military career and in its twilight years is that you just may find you have more courage and confidence to speak up about things that you should have always been able to speak up about when you felt fairly certain that you would be criticized or scorned.

I am Shawn Walrath. I am an Air Force O-6/colonel. These are matters of public record. And I’m asking for a few minutes of your time.

We SHOULD NOT have NEGATIVE STIGMAS associated with MENTAL and BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE! Someone (me) seeking Mental or Behavioral healthcare should be viewed no differently than someone seeking everyday Primary Medical or Dental healthcare. It’s about taking care of oneself and each other! 

So, here's that next big step in my career...I choose to be an even stronger advocate for Mental and Behavioral healthcare. I choose to not only lead, encourage, and support others but to LEAD BY MY OWN EXAMPLE! So here it is...

I am a MENTAL HEALTH PATIENT. I am a BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PATIENT. I am a survivor and I am receiving therapy for diagnosed Anxiety Disorder. The specifics are for me and my provider(s). I am also a survivor and I am receiving therapy for diagnosed Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Again, the specifics are for me and my provider(s). I share this NOT for sympathy. Because, I'm all good. My therapy over the past 14 months has helped me a great deal in learning how to change how I think about and how I respond to these challenges. Rather, I share this to REASSURE my fellow service members--my fellow joint warriors--that you too CAN and SHOULD be comfortable in seeking Mental or Behavioral healthcare. I DIDN'T LOSE MY SECURITY CLEARANCE. I WASN'T REMOVED FROM MY JOB OR MY POSITION OF TRUST. I WAS STILL A VERY SUCCESSFUL SQUADRON COMMANDER WHILE SUFFERING MOSTLY ALONE. I'M STILL WORLDWIDE DEPLOYABLE. AND... I'M STILL A STRONG HUSBAND, FATHER, FRIEND, AIRMAN, LEADER, OFFICER, INTELLIGENCE PROFESSIONAL, AND JOINT WARRIOR. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...THERE IS NOTHING, AND I MEAN NOTHING, TO BE ASHAMED ABOUT!

If you need support, encouragement, or assistance, CALL ON ME. I'M HERE. I will NEVER leave a SISTER or BROTHER-IN-ARMS alone. We're in this TOGETHER, through it all.

I am writing an article on this topic that I started over a year ago. And it will hopefully be published this summer. Please feel welcomed and encouraged to share this blog and podcast on your own social media platform.

Again if you need help and you are unsure of where to start or how to start, call on me. I’m here... for you!

--Sincerely and faithfully yours,SHAWN P. WALRATH, Colonel, USAF (14N / O-6 / Joint Staff J261)

Personal Email: [email protected]

Work Email: [email protected]

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this blog are those of the author, Shawn Walrath, and not those of the Department of Defense or the Department of the Air Force or any branch of the United States Armed Forces. 


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Lindsey is a former Air Force flight nurse turned mompreneur. After making the tough decision to separate from the Air Force, she turned her passion for the military into a successful business selling personalized leggings, shorts, and hats that feature military and civilian aircraft at Planeswag.com.  Her advice to moms looking to separate from the military and start their own business...start while you're in the military and start networking with people who are a few steps ahead of you! Instagram is a great place to start. 

If you have ever had an idea of some kind of business you wanted to start on your own, you just need to put the idea out there and see what kind of responses you get! Lindsey used the power of word or mouth within her already existing military friend network to see if there would be a market for plane apparel, and who knew....there was and a large demand for CUTE clothes! Here is what Lindsey recommends
 

1. Pick the brains of small business owners that are doing something similar to what you want to start. See how they operate and ask about their lessons learned
2. Put your idea out to the world to see if there is a demand for the product or service. You can even take pre-orders.
3. Buy your domain name (website name) so you can claim your name and make sure no one else has it. If someone has it, it may be harder for you to pop up in google searches.
4. If you have a product or service that needs money transactions online, Lindsey uses and recommends "Shopify" for their secure payment transaction system.
5. Use the power of social media and influencers to market your product. You DO NOT need to spend hundreds of dollars in marketing. She learned Instagram gave her more bang for her buck compared to Facebook.
6. Budget for any external operations you may need. Example, manufacturer, designer, virtual assistant, equipment, etc.
7. Don't give up! If you want to start a business you will have ups and down but know you can control your schedule and the amount of work you put into the business. You will have good and not so good months, but as long as you don't give up, it will get better.

Can't find your plane or a design you want? Contact Lindsey via FB or IG and request a design for you!

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Website: https://planeswag.com/

Email: [email protected]

FB: @PlaneSwag

IG: @PlaneSwag