There is a silent struggle beyond the physical distance though, a quiet complex internal one on how to choose to say goodbye. We aren’t always able to throw life on hold when we live states or continents away just to be there. This is when you must realize that watching a loved one slowly fade from miles away will hurt deeply. Yet, those bright, living memories you once shared will always feel far more sacred than standing by a bedside marked with deterioration. Choosing to preserve those cherished moments…the laughter, the stories, the way they were when they were fully themselves is a deep and personal form of love, not avoidance of death.

The complicated layer of expectations…the quiet tension when they desire your presence and comfort, but you inform them you aren’t immediately coming home is a deep conviction that cuts your heart. Their time likely feels paused around loss, though you’re thousands of miles away where the clock never stops. Managing your home, homeschooling the kids, cooking, cleaning, holding down the fort (as all military spouses do), and carrying the hampers of clothes even with tears rolling down your cheeks. Wanting to be there for everyone is a noble instinct, but the reality of this life is that you can’t just drop your home front and abandon your duty station.

Finding a way to cope through things is an important vital health task at hand in these predicaments. Try to just have a completely raw and unfiltered journal. One where you don’t have to feel strong or like you’re holding it all together for the kids. If you don’t have the words or strength to write it, prayer can be used, as God knows what our tears mean even when we can’t find the words to say. If you can’t make it to the funeral, then plan a time you’ll be able to visit and find closure when you leave flowers upon their headstone. Honor the toll it is taking because grief hits us all in different ways…whether its physical, mental, or emotional exhaustion…lower your expectations and give yourself a little grace.

If you’re seeking a little extra help, the military has some resources they offer. Your local installation Chapel will have a chaplain regardless of your personal religious background that can offer 100% confidential, empathetic listening if you need it. Military OneSource offers a lot of assistance with grief and counseling if you need it there as well. Those friends you have made at your new duty station that feel like family are always a call away for a coffee or a listening ear.

I have been a military spouse now for some time, and personally, I feel that grieving from a distance is one of the hardest sacrifices of the military lifestyle. Whether it’s the spouse or service member that’s experienced the loss while rooted in a new place, grieving someone from afar pulls at your heart. Just know that missing a flight home or having to wait to go back does not lessen your love or diminish the legacy of the person you lost. You are continuing to manage your home front, balancing your everyday lives, and caring for your family.

Honoring the memory of someone you lost isn’t measured in proximity. Giving yourself grace, remembering the one you lost, leaning on those around you, seeking available resources, and pulling those you’ve made family near you close will help get you through until you’re back home with the family you came from. You can honor your loved one deeply even while being rooted in a new place when grief strikes the old one.

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Ingredients:

• 1 Package of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
• 1 package of oreos (I prefer regular ones so it’s less icing but double stuff is okay also)
• 1 box of standard brownie mix: with all ingredients listed on desired box

Directions:

• Light the Kingdoms Hearth: Preheat your oven at 350 degrees. Line the shimmering baking pan with parchment paper for a magical non-stick experience.
• Lay the Royal Foundation: Gently press the premade cookie dough into the bottom of the pan evenly. Next, lay the Oreos across the top of the dough like you’re laying a castle pathway.
• Mix the Enchanted Potion: Prepare your favorite brand brownie mix according to the packaging instructions. Pour the rich chocolate batter over the Oreo layer. Gently smoothing it out with a spatula until the oreos are completely hidden under the chocolate cloak.
• Bake the Magic: Place the prepared dessert pan into the oven and bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes. You will know the spell has been completed when a toothpick comes out clean after being inserted into the middle of the brownie bars. Place them onto a wire baking rack and allow to cool and rest for about one hour before slicing your royal treats.

Notes:

• For the specific brownie mix I bought I only needed 2 TBSP water, 2 eggs, and ½ C vegetable oil

Our special princess enjoyed these more than the excitement of a happily ever after moment. For me, the creation wasn’t overwhelming by any stretch…and yes, the princess did share with the rest of us!

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While letting the festivities of Halloween unfold outside our decorated front doors-keep these few proactive steps in mind to keep your overly curious and easily scared feline safe for the spookiest holiday of the year.

Beware of the Open Portal

• The most significant risk with indoor cats on Halloween is them slipping through that continually open door while candy’s being handed out!
• The screams, loud noises, and frequent knocks that disturb their normally quiet routine can feel highly stressful, causing door dashing to occur if the opportunity presents itself.
• Moving them into a quieter bedroom with the door closed during peak trick-or-treating hours with water, their favorite toys, and a bed can give them a cozy safe haven to avoid the stress. Ultimately killing the entire chance of having a door dasher on your hands altogether.
• Using a noise machine, radio, or tv to help buffer noise can help keep that doorbell ringing and chatter at the front door from causing added stress as well.

Ward off the real Horrors – Emergency Readiness

• If your worst nightmare does come to reality and your cat decides to dash when the Halloween rush begins.
• Here’s a few ways to be proactive and prepared:
  • Ensuring your cat has a microchip will make sure the kind citizen that finds them can get them back to you with ease.
  • Keeping the closest vet clinic’s phone number saved in your phone or written down will come in handy, if you need to call to see if your furry baby was brought in.
  • Make sure all the information on your microchip and your cats tags are updated in case of an escape. This way you’re sure to be called and notified immediately when they’re found.

Extinguish the Haunted Hazards

• Curious whiskers and twitching tails often don’t mix well with the flickering flames we see during the spooky season.
• Traditional candles are incredibly easy to knock over, creating a serious fire hazard and singed fur.
• Switching to LED battery-operated candles will leave you with a worry free glow.
• Taping down those electrical cords for the fog machines or blow ups your spectators enjoy, will help avoid the sudden shock a curious kitten may experience if wires are chewed on.

Lock Down the Cauldron of Treats

• Halloween candy’s meant for our human visitors, though our naturally curious cats often don’t get that memo.
• The crinkly foil and shiny wrapper often call our feline friends like a siren calling the curious predator within them.
• The rustling sound of candy wrappers often mimics the scurry of a mouse.
• This can trigger them to eat not just the candy inside that can be toxic, but the wrapper as well which can be a choking hazard and cause dangerous intestinal blockages.
• Keeping close watch on the candy bowl or keeping it in a sealed bag (if you choose to allow your cat to have free roam of the house on Halloween) can help avoid the intake of both the candy and the wrappers!

With a little witching-hour prep and a watchful eye, you can make sure the only ones escaping your front door are the trick-or-treaters on October 31st. Keep the cauldron forbidden, a quiet sanctuary available, the portal to your home guarded, and your furry feline cozy and curled up in comfort all night long. After all, the best Halloween spell is the one that keeps your house-panther safe, happy, and purring inside until morning light peaks through the window!

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Last month we did that sweet little Latte craft, but for our October edition, we are sending hands-down the cutest little spiders their way!

Supplies:

• Construction Paper
• Washable Paint (Black and White)
• Paper towel and water cup (to clean the brushes)
• Paintbrushes
• Pencil
• Black Marker

Directions:

• Paint a generous coat of black paint over your child’s palm and four fingers (leaving their thumb clean). Press their hand down onto the bottom of the sheet of paper. Reapply the paint if needed, then press their hand one more time overlapping their palms onto one another to form the spider. This should create a perfect eight legged friend.
• Once dry, you can draw or paint a spiderweb at the top of the sheet or in the corner. Then draw a single strand hanging from the web connecting to the handprint spider.
• Add a little Halloween spirit with a spooky message in the blank space with markers or colored pencils. I just put a simple “Happy Halloween” on there to personalize the art piece.
• Before slipping this master piece into the mailbox to Grandma and Grandpa, add some eyes to your dry spider. We used paint, but you could also use googly eyes if you wanted to get fancy!

These little handprint spiders will do much more than just brighten up their refrigerator door…it will bridge the miles between our children and their grandparents. Allowing them to enjoy the excitement straight from our growing children even from miles away. October days fly by so fast when we are in the rhythm of living our daily lives. Sending keepsakes made by the tiny hands that they adore the most, will create a moment in time that our long distance family can hold onto forever. Slip yours in the mail today, so you too can share the fall magic with them from a distance, and enjoy watching your tiny humans weave up memories alongside you that will last long after the Halloween treats have come and gone!

Don’t forget to check out all of our Bridging the Distance One Keepsake at a Time series!

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Those early school mornings that you’re barely hanging on with a cup of “Mom Fuel” (coffee) in hand are about to arrive faster than gossip in a small town spreads! All the playing in the sprinklers and late bedtimes will be swapped for schedules and schoolbooks. Though we gain freedom during summer to live our best lives, we tend to find fatigue and clutter slowly creeping in as it comes to an end. The transition from a breezy summer day back into the structured flow that’s needed for homeschool can be daunting.

Pulling all the new books, lesson plans, and supplies out can feel overwhelming. Kind of like when you go hog wild with your fall decor…exciting at first, until everything is dumped out and you’re left completely exhausted with a mess staring back at you. Trust me when I say no one needs that kind of added stress when trying to gently ease back in a new homeschool year!

Before completely overloading your mental capacity, start by spending a day decluttering and cleaning out your designated homeschool area. Keeping everything you need for school in one spot knocks down the physical clutter and keeps your kiddo from “forgetting” where they set their math book down. For us, using the space under our computer desk to stack our plastic organizer bins keeps our space looking neat and accessible for the year.

Toss away those eraser-less pencils, purge the crayon box with the broken and wrapper-less ones, box up all of last year’s work, and give your homeschool space a good wipe down. Just breathe and acknowledge that you’re setting yourself up for a new year. Take that as a win! Remind yourself that you’ve got this…before taking on tomorrow’s lesson planning…with double the amount of caffeine in your cup, because you’re definitely going to need it!

I use this “Chaos Coordinator” planner for my yearly school planning, because it clearly has my job title on the cover! Any homeschool Mom knows that if you aren’t juggling ten things at once, you aren’t doing it right. This planner keeps us on track, shows attendance if the state requires it, and is an easy way to track test progress. Set aside a day to prepare a few weeks of lesson plans and familiarize yourself with the new books. This part always feels overwhelming, but I find it makes rolling into the new school year remarkably easier!

Once I’ve prepped enough lesson plans to feel a little ahead of the game, I organize our little homeschool nook. I put the books in the proper spots, do a full reset on all the supplies, and stash away a few fun activities to kick the year off with an easier transition after a long summer. It sets us up for a fresh, easy start!

Homeschooling is certainly not for the faint of heart, but it’s incredibly rewarding in the end. For our family, avoiding the stress of switching schools with every PCS allows our kids to pick up right where they left off, leaving plenty of time for them to find their new friend group. Initially, I was petrified to start homeschooling, as it can in fact be deeply intimidating. Though finding so many other military families are walking the same path has brought us comfort. We get to teach our kids the values we want them to have as well as being able to monitor what is taught is up to our standard.

Whether you may be considering homeschooling for the first time or you’re just trying to navigate another seasonal shift, remember that with homeschooling perfection is never the goal! May your shift from the warm Summer daze you’re in, roll into crisp Autumn homeschool days. So, take a deep breath, fill your cup with coffee, and give yourself some grace!

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Ingredients:

•  1 sheet of puff pastry (thawed)
• 4 Apples (sliced into ½ inch rings and core removed)
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg (1 egg whisked with a splash of water)

Optional Toppings:

• Caramel sauce
• Vanilla ice cream
• Flakey sea salt/coarse salt

Instructions:

• Prep the Pastry & Oven: Thaw puff pastry on the counter for 30 mins. Preheat your oven to 400°F and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Coat the Apples: Mix your cinnamon and sugar together into a shallow bowl. Dredge your cored apple rings through the mixture until coated, then set them aside.
• Slice & Wrap: Cut your puff pastry into ½ inch thick strips. Wrap 2 to 3 strips around each apple ring passing through the center hole until the apple is enclosed. Place the wrapped apple rings onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Egg Wash: In a small bowl, whisk the egg and about 1 tablespoon of water to create an egg wash. Brush the top of each wrapped apple ring with the egg wash, then sprinkle the remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top of them.
• Bake: Place the baking sheet into the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the pastry appears puffed and golden brown.
• Serve: Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Drizzle with caramel sauce right before serving, or top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Kitchen Notes:

• Salted Caramel Twist: Sprinkle some coarse salt over the prepared rings right before baking. This will add a delicious “Salted Caramel” magic if you’re drizzling them with caramel before serving!
• Storage: Store leftover rings in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, wrap cooled rings individually in plastic wrap and freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
• Reheating: Reheat on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 350°F for 5 minutes to get the puff pastry crispy again!

Cheaper than a high-end fall candle and infinitely more delicious. Go ahead and bake a batch of your own Puff Pastry Apple Rings, summon fall on your own terms, and create a cozy retreat in your kitchen- no matter what the weather is doing outside!

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The military has a habit of putting hundreds-sometimes thousands-of miles between our children and their grandparents. We have quick video chats, phone calls, and photos we can send through text day-to-day. Though that doesn’t quite capture the tangible reality of how quickly our babies are growing!

That’s why I decided to launch a monthly series dedicated to bridging the distance we face as a military family, with creative keepsakes. Every month, I’ll share a fun and easy craft as a physical snapshot you can send the family that you love the most. Whether it be a footprint, handprint, or other personalized keepsake-these crafts can be packaged up as a moment in time, and mailed straight to those who adore your babies from a distance when duty has called your family elsewhere.

For September, my household leaps right into pumpkin season head on. Including all those scrumptious pumpkin treats…which is where our September craft was inspired. What feels more like the start of fall than a pumpkin spice latte? Adding their tiny handprints to the drawn cup, just sends a warm fall wish, and reminder of those tiny hands they’re missing so much across the miles that separate them.

Supplies:

• Construction Paper
• Washable Paint
• Pens/Markers (Whichever you prefer to write with)
• Paintbrush
• Damp Rags (to wash their hands)

Directions:

1. Draw the Latte cup with marker on a clean sheet of construction paper.
2. Add a seasonal phrase to the empty space next to the cup.
3. I have two kids, so I chose two fall color paints since I was stacking their handprints. Paint the larger hand well and stamp inside the cup.
4. Paint the smaller child’s hand and stamp it on the top of the other hand.
5. Once everything is dry, I normally use a marker and write the child’s name and age in their handprint. Before folding it to put into the envelope to mail.

Notes:

• I usually write the year somewhere on the sheet. The coffee lids felt like the perfect place for this craft.
• There are a lot of different ideas to make for your phrase, but I used “Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice”.

Now, whether your loved ones are states away or across continents, you can take a few extra minutes to package up this physical piece of your kids’ childhood to mail. These little handprints might end up taped to the fridge, tucked into a frame, or even saved in a keepsake box for years to come-a simple, tangible reminder that no matter how far our military life takes us, the tiny hearts they love most are never too far away. We will see you back next month for an October milestone craft in the Bridging the Distance One Keepsake at a Time series!

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Bringing your furry companion along will transform this simple trip into a genuine adventure you’ll be sure to remember. Before you load up the car to hit the open road, think about the muddy paws, unexpected weather shifts, and the endless highway miles. Here’s a short packing guide to keep your fluffy copilot safe and warm while embracing a tail wagging good time!

Road-Ready Safety and Paperwork

• Printed health documents: A hard copy of health records and shot documentations can easily be stored in your glove box or a photo on your phone. This way you have them on hand in case of a veterinary emergency or pop in to a pet friendly lodge that may require them.
• Pet First-Aid Kit: Packing some vet wrap, tweezers, tick removal tools (for the woodsy autumn hikes), and that nausea prescription if your pet gets car sick can help ease stressful situations if they happen to occur.

Hiking Gear and Weather Prep

• Microfiber towels and Paw Wipes: These can be essential for wiping off your pet paws after the trail mud, wet leaves, or their damp fur before they climb back into your car on the upholstery seats.
• Wearable Accessories: Ensuring your dog has a fitting collar with their tag and leash is always necessary on long car rides. Though a light up collar or quick clip on LED light will help ensure your pup is visible in the darker hours of your trip on those potty break walks.
• Sweater or Rain Coat: Packing your dog a warm jacket when you toss yours into the car is never a bad idea. Especially if your hairy friend has a thinner coat, a packable layer keeps that brisk fall air from sending chills down their spine.

On-the-Go Essentials

• Collapsible Bowl and Poop Bag Holder: The collapsible bowls that hook onto the leash along with the bag holder-are easy to travel with and a silent convenient lifesavers when you need them both. Making it easy to provide water from home that you pack when your furry friend is feeling parched. This way you can avoid switching water sources which can cause unexpected upset stomachs on the road.
• Pre-Portioned Food Bags: Using zipper bags to pre-portion food makes for easy feedings even at a picnic table.
• Long-Lasting Chews: Bully sticks, Kongs, or dental chews will keep your dog happily entertained during the multi-hour long highway stretches.

Grab your extra large Pumpkin Spiced Latte, pack the car, and load your furry friend to hit that scenic route. With a little preparation, your four-legged companion can live their best life while joining in on the fall adventures ahead!

Wanna check out some of our favorite pet products? Then, make sure to checkout our Amazon storefront “Paw Patrol“!

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While Pumpkin can often be a nutrient-packed superfood for our pets, serving it safely requires a bit of seasonal knowledge. Before sharing a quick bite of that fall goodness, here is what you need to know about your furry companion’s belly to keep it healthy all season long.

The Digestive Perks

Pumpkin can be a popular food supplement in vet-recommended diets because it is low in calories, but exceptionally high in fiber, water, and essential nutrients like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, and potassium.

It is a soluble fiber which can help absorb extra water in our pets’ upset tummy to firm up loose stools. The moisture in it can help soften stools if we find constipation has struck our loveable friends. Pumpkin is also a prebiotic so it’s a low cost option to feed the good bacteria in our pets gut! Keep in mind that not every pumpkin based item in your pantry or on your porch belongs in your pet’s bowl.

100% Canned Pumpkin Puree: 100% Canned Pumpkin Puree is the creme de la creme of pet food toppers. Just ensure the label lists pumpkin as the only ingredient…without any added salt, nutmeg, sugars, or other spices we normally use in our autumn baking.

• Cats and small dogs (under 15lbs) – ½ to 1 tsp per day
• Medium dogs (15-50lbs) – 1tbsp per day
• Large dogs (50lbs+) – 1 to 2 tbsp per day

Fresh Cooked Pumpkin: Are you looking for a tasty seasonal reward? I would highly recommend fresh roasted pumpkin- without oils, butter, or any seasonings, as this makes a stupendous low-calorie training treat when roasted and cubed. You will need to scoop the flesh from the pumpkin as the rind can be too hard for our pets to digest. Though this will allow your furry companion to satisfy their fall cravings alongside you.

Stems, Rinds, and Raw Seeds: While raw pumpkin flesh isn’t necessarily toxic it is easier for them to digest when cooked fully, the tough outer rind, fibrous stringy pulp, and hard stems are incredibly difficult for our pets to digest and should be avoided. Feeding this can lead to severely upset stomachs and dangerous intestinal blockages leading you to the veterinarians office. If you were debating throwing a few of your baked pumpkin seeds their way, ensure that they are hulled, unsalted, and finely ground or roasted before placing them in their bowls. Whole seeds can pose a choking risk and seeds should be served incredibly sparingly if at all.

Canned Pumpkin Pie Mix: This is NOT a safe choice under any circumstances. Pumpkin pie mix is often heavily loaded with syrups, sugars, and aromatic spices like nutmeg, which can be highly toxic to your pet if they consume it in large amounts.

Autumn is the season that makes for cozy memories with the ones we love-including your four-legged family members. Keeping a few safety guidelines in mind like sticking to plain, simple pumpkin puree, allows you to safely share the flavors of the season with your favorite companion-while sipping coffee on the sofa watching those leaves slowly drift to the ground. Go ahead and dish out a little pumpkin into their bowl at the heart of “all things pumpkin” season, and enjoy the cozy days together!

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Walking up to the monument with your family in tow is worth every ounce of sweat. Yes, D.C.’s late summers can be hot with humidity that leaves you feeling like you’re closed in a greenhouse. However, a visit before midday or late afternoon keeps the temperature manageable and the crowds light. Restrooms are nearby with easy access for families with small children, and other iconic memorials are close enough to walk to make the trip well worth your time! Packing water bottles to use the refill stations ensure hydration, and packing small battery-operated fans can keep you cool while strolling down the semi-shaded pathways if you opt to go mid-day.

Take a moment to honor the heroes within your family creating a grounding, core-memory-making experience. This breathtaking structure appears as a stone flag rippling across the plaza leaving a bold statement of pride near the well known reflecting pool. Nearby kind-hearted USAA employees are willing to help you find who you’re seeking with ease, allowing this massive tribute to transform into a deeply personal journey. Your kids will point as they spot the recognizable names lit up on a screen in the heart of our Nation’s Capital, placing a smile on your face and warmth in your heart.

Personally speaking, seeing all of the names of the brave men in my family written upon the monument wall was chilling. Being able to stand there with my children felt like it bridged the distant gap in history to our everyday lives. It gave us a quiet, brief moment of honor for their sacrifices made, to share their stories, and allowing their memories to shed light into the hearts of our family’s youngest generations. The crowd and all the noise instantly disappeared as we walked hand and hand to have a photograph captured to freeze time in that very moment.

Though temporary, a display like this offers a vivid reminder to catch these fleeting moments before they pass us by. Step away from your daily routine, take a trip to the National Mall in the heart of the District of Columbia, and give your family the chance to see their roots honored in lights of The National Military Monument!

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