FREE fun!

There is a playground park in our neighborhood here in Illinois. It is a really nice playground too! The hubby got off work at 1500 (3pm for you Civilians) and we decided to take little man.

Yes, it was chilly enough for a sweater.

Needless to say, we had fun. And it was FREE!!!

Today was an expensive day.

Well... Today was an expensive day. We had to get water softener for the house and other things.

Here is what we paid:
- $21.83 Menards (We will be getting a $6 rebate in 4-6 weeks)
- $9.89 Dominick's (6 Pepsi 12packs for $1.50 each and 4 Del Monte Smoothies)
- $.18 Wal-Mart (Two bottles of Gain Dish Soap)
- $2.92 CVS (Two Schick Intuition razors and a bottle of Dawn)
- $13.56 Pop-eyes (Dennis and I had a special treat at the office with Top, we bought him lunch too)

Total spent = $48.46 eek! That's a lot! It's alright because we are still in our frugal mindset and haven't given up.

$343.86 left for the rest of the month!

A Guide to Swag Bucks.

I blogged about Swag Bucks HERE, but I wanted to give you more information. We all know knowledge is power! If you haven't already, sign up HERE

The Swag Bucks Guy, or TSG, releases codes for free Swag Bucks almost daily. Some are for 5, some are for as much as 9 and I've had a few worth upwards to 20 Swag Bucks! How to find the codes is a challenge at times, but you can get the hang of it pretty quickly. Follow me, An Army Wife's Couponing Adventure, on facebook to keep up to date on the codes.

The three main locations for codes are:
- Swag Bucks Blog
- Swag Bucks Toolbar
- Swag Bucks Swidget.

Once you find the code, enter it in the bar labeled "Gimme" blow your account information on the right hand side of the swagbucks homepage. (see picture below)

The blog codes are pretty easy to find. Just search for Swag Bucks Code in the blog entry, copy and paste it in the bar.

Toolbar codes never pop up in time for me, so when I'm alerted there is one I click on the red box with the white envelope on the toolbar, the newest message. The message will open in the browser and directly above the right hand corner is a blue word "newer". Click it. The message should refresh with a code. (Expired codes are replaced with the word "Expired")

The Swidget is incredibly easy. See that black box at the bottom of this blog? It looks like this:

See that "SC" button? Click it > Click"Check for Code"> Copy and Paste!

There you have it. A guide to codes.  Questions?

Operation Iraqi Freedom becomes Operation New Dawn

Some of you might be worried if your Soldier is deployed to Iraq under Operation New Dawn, they won't receive combat pays. If you are worried, stop. This was released today:

"WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2010 – The change from Operation Iraqi Freedom to Operation New Dawn does not affect combat and other hazardous-duty entitlements troops serving in Iraq receive, a Pentagon spokeswoman said today.
 
Servicemembers deployed to Iraq will still receive hostile fire/imminent danger pay, hardship-duty pay, and incidental expenses. Some troops will qualify for family separation allowances. Also, all pay for warrant officers and enlisted members is tax exempt, while officers are exempt from taxes for up to $7,611.30 each month they serve in an eligible area."
http://www.defense.gov//News/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=60679

By the way... What do you think of the new name?

Day 1 $1.53 spent at Meijer and $6.23 at CVS ($7.76 total)

Yup. A $1.53 for 5 boxes if pasta, 6 cans of tomatoes, and 1 package of Kraft sliced cheese. My Cashier said, "Whoa! You did good!"

I'd say this a good start for our $400 challenge! $392.24 left.

Truly Inspirational.

Get out the tissues, you're gonna cry! This is a great motivational video that is making its rounds on Facebook. It really inspired me to be happy with all the blessings God has given us. Not just material things, but our family. Our son is healthy and happy. My husband and I are madly in love. I am closer than ever to my parents and my brother. Mom is my friend. Thank you, God, for your many, many blessings. Sometimes I need to be reminded when I get wrapped up in the world of how truly lucky I am.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

$400 a month?!

For the month of September my husband and I will be living off of $400. That is all we will spend on groceries, entertainment, toiletries, clothes, pretty much everything! I have been looking over the past few months and wondering where has all our money gone?

I will chronicle every shopping excursion and share our success (or failure) with you. Wish us luck!

The Rules:
Not restricted by the $400: diapers, formula, gas for cars, medical expenses, monthly bills (like cell phone, car payments, gas, electricity, etc.).
I am going to keep all receipts from this month.
Cash ONLY! I will pull out $400 tomorrow and put in my wallet. Once that cash is gone, oh well!

Wish us luck!

Do you know this Soldier?!

Do you know a Soldier deployed to Iraq? Is he from Arizona? Does he have two Golden Labs? If you do, please tell him to call Pinal County Animal Care and Control. His "friend", who was supposed to watch his dogs while he served our great country, turned them over to the pound. This "friend" is refusing to release the Soldiers name, just saying he is deployed to Iraq.

"The dogs are approximately 2-4 years of age, one male, and one female. One dog is named Wyatt and the other is named Storm.  If anyone has information about the person that owns Wyatt and Storm, they are asked to contact Rhonda Wagner Kuehn at 406-697-5975. "

Please help and keep this article circulating until we help this brave man fighting for our freedom get his dogs back.

http://www.examiner.com/dogs-in-national/soldier-s-dogs-surrendered-to-az-shelter-public-help-needed-to-facilitate-a-reunion

Are you a Veteran? Please take this survey!

THIS survey is about the care given to Veterans. It is important because it could affect how you and others are treated in the future. This is a chance to make a change for the better! 

Noodlette is back!!

Kraft Noodlette is back! Go and play HERE. Win points for the coupon of your choice. You can play until you win enough points for the coupon you want.

Here are the prices:
For 500 points you can win $.55 off 2 boxes of Kraft Mac'n'Cheese
For 1000 points you can win Buy two, get one free Easy Mac
For 5000 points you can win Buy one, get one free Homestyle Mac'n'Cheese

My friend's baby died. I am not afraid to talk about it.

August 19th was the day of hope... A day to remember those who have given birth to a sleeping baby or miscarried, those who have left the hospital with empty arms. We shouldn't just remember on August 19th, we should remember every day the pain these women go through. I firmly believe that when God calls a baby to heaven it is for a special purpose.

My friend's baby died. I am not afraid to talk about it. I love her and will always be there for her.

My favorite Restuarant Coupons!

Here are some awesome coupons for when you eat out this weekend, because honestly, who wants to cook on the weekend?

Buy one, get one free at White Castle HERE

Buy one entree, get one 50% off at TGI Fridays HERE

Free Chips and Queso at Chili's HERE (you have to join their email club)

For more great Restaurant Coupons, head over to MommySavers (or just click this LINK)

$110 P&G Coupon Booklet

Another P&G Coupon booklet is available!! 

Just spend $50 on P&G products between August 20, 2010 and December 31, 2010. Once you have all your receipts collected, highlight the P&G products. Fill out this FORM, then mail it all in! I've gotten one of these before and I used a lot of the coupons.

So excited!

FREE Military Care Package from Scion

Scion is giving out free care packages to our troops, deployed or not. So no matter where your Soldier is at the moment, take a second and send them a care package courtesy of Scion!


Head HERE to sign up!

Target is accused of not giving full value on Coupons

Be careful shopping at Target if you are a couponer!

According to THIS Target has been short changing Ms. Gundersonon her coupons. Shockingly (insert sarcasm here), Target says the first time they heard about this issue was when WCCO contacted them. But this has been going on for months. It has happened to me and cost me tons of money.

WCCO went back to see if Target had fixed the problem (HERE is the article) and nope! Still not fixed.

I refuse to shop at Target for personal reasons, and am not saying you shouldn't shop there... Just double check your coupons and make sure you are getting your full value worth.

Meijer has an iPhone App!

I guess there really is an App for everything!

Meijer Coupon Policy and Printing Meijer Coupons

Meijer Coupon policy
When accepting coupons, Meijer uses the following guidelines:
We accept two kinds of coupons; Meijer issued coupons and manufacturer coupons.
-To be accepted, coupons must be presented before or on the expiration date.
-Only one manufacturer coupon and one Meijer coupon for the same item will be accepted (unless prohibited).
-Mealbox coupons are considered Meijer coupons.
-We accept all valid Internet coupons. These coupons must be presented before or on the expiration date
-We reserve the right to limit quantities.
-If the value of the coupon is more than the price of the item after discounts or coupons are applied, the value of the coupon will be applied up to the price of the item.
-We do not apply the excess value of a coupon to the order total if the value of the coupon is over the price of the item after discounts or coupons are applied.
-Only coupons for products carried in our stores will be accepted.
-All coupons should be given to the cashier while you're checking out and cannot be applied to a previous purchase.

How to print Meijer coupons:

Above is a screen shot from http://www.meijermealbox.com/ This box is located on the right hand side of the screen.  Go to "Specials" tab > "Coupons" tab > Click "Add to Shopping List" (notice there are usually multiple pages). After selecting all the coupons you want to print

Go to "Shopping List" > Click "Print"> A new window pops up

Once pop up window is visible> File > Print

Adjust your printer settings > Click "Print"

And now you have Meijer Coupons!

$142.44 worth of groceries for only $33.07

I might be getting the hang of this Civilian way of life out here in Recruiting! Today I went to Meijer (Fancier than Wal-Mart and much nicer) to get a few things, mainly produce and my prescription refilled.

The great thing about Meijer is that they stack coupons. That means you can use a manufacturers coupon (like you find in the paper on Sunday) as well as a Meijer coupon. 

Go HERE for Meijer coupons. They are located in the box on the right hand side under the specials tab>click "shopping list" tab> print to print your Meijer coupons.

Todays haul:
12 boxes of Ziploc baggies
4 boxes of Cheerios
5 boxes of Rice A Roni
2 Wishbone Salad dressing
2 Jimmy Dean Sausage
1 dozen large eggs
1 Homestyle Kraft Mac'n'Cheese
4 Healthy Request soup
2 Colgate 360 toothbrushes
1 tube of Colgate toothpaste
6 blocks of Kraft Cheese
2 packages of hashbrowns
4lbs of Bananas
2lbs of Sweet Potatoes
2 Mangos
4 Summer Squash 
Carrots

CVS trip: Spent $9.97, Saved $75.07

Pretty good haul for $10 if I do say so myself! And I earned another $10 in ECB for my next trip!

Go HERE to see how I did it!

Hibachi Chicken without the flaming onion (or the price!)

Teriyaki Sauce:

- 1/2 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup vinegar

Combine ingredients into a sauce pot:

Cook on low until onions are caramelized.

Now you have the sauce!

I cook the chicken like they do at the restaurant. I put it in whole and let it cook more of the way before cutting it up into bit size pieces.

I add water then cover with a lid for most of the cooking process, it keeps the chicken nice and moist.

Pull the chicken out and cut into bite size pieces. Then put back in the skillet, add the above teriyaki sauce:

Voila! Hibachi Chicken without the hefty price of the restaurant!

Bon appetit!

Fried Rice:
2 cups of cold or day old rice.
1/4 cup of Soy Sauce
4 eggs (I like my fried rice with a lot of eggs, feel free to use less)
2 Tablespoons of Oil

Put oil in large skillet, add rice, pour Soy Sauce over rice. Using a spatula continuously stir. After rice has a nice brown color to it, crack eggs. Continue mixing until eggs and thoroughly cooked.

Now for the finishing touch: Shrimp Sauce or White Sauce or whatever they call this fattening yummy goodness!

1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons melted butter
3/4 teaspoon paprika
3/8 teaspoon garlic powder
**If you like heat** I add 1 teaspoon of Red Roster chili sauce.

Mix together in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate!

We went to a Cubs game!

Look at how awesome our seats were!! 3 rows from First Base.

Someone fell asleep during the game!

I love this Country.

I love the USofA. To me this is the greatest country in the world. This is my home. I am proud that my husband serves this great nation and I am honored he chose me to be his wife, that I am able to stand behind him and support him.

And, shockingly because I am Southern after all, I love this video of Faith Hill singing 'America, the Beautiful' at the Super Bowl. Because America, with all her faults, is beautiful.

The Army is a small world...

Have I mentioned lately that the Army is a small world? Daddy is in town for a conference and I went into the city to meet them for a day at the Shedd Aquarium and a visit. While in the elevator we were talking about a family friend and another passenger said, "Hey, I know him! Great guy." I, being me, turned and started a conversation with him explaining how we knew him, etc. etc. Still gives me a chuckle how small the Army really is...

Here's a few photos of the Shedd and my adorable little man with my parents. They are ah-mazing Grandparents! I knew they would be, being fabulous parents it isn't a hard leap to amazing grandparents.

Total spent today: $18.95. Over $92.39 saved.

I did my weekly CVS and Walgreens run and look at my steals! I spent, out of pocket, $18.95 and saved over $92.39 (I also received another $8 in ECB from CVS to use for my next trip).

Walgreens:
Spent - $5.05
Saved - $23.58

CVS
Spent - $13.90
Saved - $68.81
Received $8 ECB

Want to know how I did it? Check it out: Walgreens and CVS

Swagbucks, Swagbucks, Oh, my lovely Swagbucks!

Swagbucks. You might have seen links with that word in them on your wall, it's becoming quite popular. And for good reason!

Swagbucks is a search engine that you earn 'swagbucks' by using their search engine instead of google, yahoo, etc. Once you earn enough you can trade these swagbucks in for giftcards and other prizes. My favorite is the Amazon $5 Giftcard. I earn about two a week now. (I just paid for my husband's book for his Master Course!! And we all know now expensive those are.)

You can also earn free swagbucks by filling out surveys, participating in their daily polls, and codes that are randomly put out.

Your keys to success are:
- Make swagbucks.com your homepage on your computer AND your Smartphone!
- Download the Toolbar
- "Like" Swagbucks on Facebook
- Follow Coupon Pro on Facebook, He puts out when and where the codes are

Get started HERE!

Enjoy!

I spent a $1.68 at Walgreens

Yup, all that for $1.68 at Walgreens. And I even bough an item without a coupon (the Vaseline).

Over $33 saved! Coupons are amazing!!

Yet another reason why the Army Life is AWESOME!

In the words of Peter Griffin, the Army life is "freakin' sweet".

My husband took a Recruiting Company Command not so much because he wanted this job, but so we could get a break from deployments. He just had one of those jobs were he deployed a lot, please remember not every job is like that! He chose that job just like he chose Recruiting Command.

Recruiting is a stressful job at times, but if you work hard, you play hard. And Tuesday night we got to meet the Chicago Bears at their Training Camp.

Da Bear and I!

Robbie Gould, Kicker #9

This hat has over 17 signatures on it, It is going in a case for our son.

Hall of Famer Matt Forte #22

Fabulous Article about the power of Facebook for our Soldiers!

"For most Facebook users, the dialogue is audience to audience. But it is important for Soldiers to remember that our communication can be perceived as Army to audience. Therefore, we must maintain the same professional conduct and discipline in the virtual world as we do in the real world. Army Strong and Victory Starts Here!"

Maj Gen Milano wrote a wonderful article here that I thoroughly enjoyed. It was a very eloquent reminder that our Soldiers represent the Army at all times, even on Facebook. We should always remember that the world is watching us. This is a good reminder for us wives, too. We represent the Army just as much as our husbands do.

Battalion Organizational Day

Battalion Organizational Day

A day fill with fun, family, and good, healthy competition! We BullDawgs did our best and had a great time competing. Notice I am a good head shorter than every one else on my team!

New Army Housing Waiting List Procedures

Effective 01 August 2010, the Army has issued new waiting list procedures for all homes in the Residential Communities Initiative (RCI) program. Below are some highlights from the new policy:

• Active duty Service Members with current orders are eligible to apply for on-post housing prior to reporting to his/her new duty station.

• Applications are placed on the waiting list with an effective date equal to the date the Service Member departed the last duty station (as verified by DA-31 (leave form).

• Applications can be submitted in-person or electronically. Applications must include a copy of current orders, a copy of the most recent DD 1172 (DEERS enrollment form), valid identification, and DA-31.

• Applicants will be placed on wait list based on rank and number of family members.

• No home will be assigned without a completed application and all necessary documentation; this must be received within 10 business days of submission.

• Applicants who apply after 30 days of arrival at new duty station will be placed on the waitlist with an effective date equal to the date of application (all documentation must be submitted at that time).

Please contact your installation Housing office if you have specific questions about the procedures.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/army-housing/new-rci-waiting-list-procedures/10150245953530157

Do you coupon?

I coupon. I LOVE coupons! Who doesn't like to save money on things we buy every day?!

Now, I am a big supporter of the Commissary. Best meat prices, decent selection, and hey, it's cheaper than Wal-Mart. I did some quick math and last trip to the Commissary I saved over $100 from Wal-Mart. (I also saved $115 in coupons!)

But is it always cheaper? Nope. Not when you play the Pharmacy game! It took me a few tries, but I think I am getting the hang of it. We're going to be here two years, so when things are a good price, I'll stock up and all extras go to Iraq in care packages.

Plus, the more money I save in our every day expenses, the more we have to enjoy the City!

Commissary Coupon Policy

Do commissaries accept coupons?

Yes. Commissaries accept most types of coupons as part of purchase transactions in accordance with the terms and conditions stated on a coupon.

Commissaries CANNOT accept "in-house" coupons issued by commercial grocery stores or supermarkets.

Patrons who wish to use coupons as part of a purchase transaction must buy the item(s) indicated on a coupon, and-except in foreign overseas areas-must use a coupon prior to or on the expiration date stated on a coupon.

Commissaries located in foreign overseas areas accept coupons up to six months after the expiration date stated on a coupon.

Do commissaries ever have "double coupon" or "triple coupon" promotions like those offered by commercial stores?

No. The "double" or "triple" coupon promotions offered by commercial stores involve doubling, tripling (or otherwise increasing) the face value of a coupon. Commercial stores who offer these types of promotions get paid by the coupon issuer only for the face value of a coupon, and have to absorb the costs of "doubling" or "tripling" coupon face value in their pricing and profit structure.

Because commissaries are required by law to sell goods at prices set only high enough to cover the cost of those goods, commissaries make no profit from which to pay the costs associated with "double" coupon promotions.

Additionally, DeCA cannot use funds provided for the operation of commissaries to support such promotions, because law strictly prescribes the uses of these funds, and "promotional support" is not among the allowable uses of these funds.

Commissaries do occasionally offer a different type of "double coupon" promotion than described above. For these promotions, manufacturers or other coupon issuers agree that commissaries may accept more than one coupon on the purchase of an item, and usually supply large numbers of coupons to patrons in the commissary in support of such promotions. These "double coupon" promotions involve doubling the number of coupons accepted on the purchase of an item, but DO NOT involve doubling (or otherwise increasing) the face value of a coupon.

May I use coupons in combination on the purchase of an item in a commissary?

"No, customers may use only one coupon per item in DeCA commissaries. Even coupons without "exclusionary language," such as "NOT TO BE USED WITH ANY OTHER COUPON, " "NOT TO BE USED WITH ANY OTHER OFFER," "ONE COUPON PER PURCHASE," etc. , may not be used in combination on the purchase of an item. This policy is in line with the policies of other DoD resale activities and our commercial counterparts."

Can I use coupons generated from the Internet in a commissary?

Yes, commissaries gladly accept Internet or home-printed coupons provided they meet the following requirements - the coupons must have a typical barcode and Product Identification Number (PIN) or GS1 DataBar. A Dot Scan Barcode may appear below the expiration date, but is only required if stated on the coupon, e.g., "Do not accept without a Dot Scan Barcode below the expiration date." Internet coupons cannot be accepted for free products, however, "Buy One Get One Free" coupons are acceptable if they meet all other requirements.

Procter and Gamble (P & G) does not authorize Internet coupons for any of their products.

This can be found http://www.commissaries.com/documents/contact_deca/faqs/coupon_use.cfm

How I bought $125 worth of stuff for only $20.91 at CVS

First thing is, Do you have a CVS ECB card? If not, sign up for one!

Several things I do before I go:
- I get two Sunday papers a week. I clip coupons for things that I might or might not want to stash for a sale.
- I constantly search several sites, boards, and blogs for good coupons to print. (I've found some of the best coupons are printable, so get a good printer that doesn't use a lot of ink.)
- Always check out the ad in the Sunday paper and plan accordingly.

Frizz-Ease
CVS price 2/$10
Get $5 ECB (Extra Care Bucks are gift cards that print at the end of your receipt for you to use when you come back, I usually have a stack to roll over to each purchase)
Used 2 $2.50 off coupons (http://www.johnfrieda.com/news_and_offers/special_offers.asp)
Final price = FREE

L'Oreal Studio Gel
CVS price 2/$5
Used to 2 $1 off coupons from last Sunday's paper
Final price = $1.50 each

L'Oreal Ever Strong Conditioner
CVS price $5.99
Get $5 when you buy two
Used 2 $2 off coupons from Sunday Paper
Final price = $1.49 each

Shick disposable razors
CVS price $7.69
Special Buy One Get One FREE
Used 2 $3 from Sunday paper
Final price = $.85 each
(You can combine manufacturer coupons with CVS specials for big savings!!)

Kotex U
CVS price $4.99
Get $4.99 ECB
Use $1 coupon ( http://www.ubykotex.com/get_coupons/print )
Final Price = FREE plus $1 in coupon overage!

Irish Sprine/SoftSoap
CVS price- varies
Get $5 if you buy $15 worth of featured products
Used 2 $.50 off Irish Spring
Used 2 $1 SoftSoap
Final Price for 3 3-packs of bar soap, Irish Spring shower gel, 2 SoftSoap shower gel = $7 or $1.17 each

Aveeno
CVS price - $5.99 for big bottles/$3.49 for small bottle
Spend $20 and get $10 in ECB
Used 2 $2 off 2 Aveeno lotions ( printed, but campaign is over)
Final price for all 4 bottles = $1.86 each

Collgate Wisps
CVS price - $2.59
Buy Two, Get One FREE
Used 2 $.50 off coupons from Sunday paper (Could've used three)
Final Price = $1.39 each

Biore Pore Strips
CVS price - $4.99
Get $2 ECB
Use $2 coupon from their facebook page, under sweepstakes tab.


Websites I use: http://mommysavers.com/boards/whats-store/160386-cvs-deals-coupon-match-ups-7-25-7-31-a.html

http://mommysavers.com/boards/couponing/

FREE P&G Coupon Book for Military

http://familyunitpg.com/Registration.aspx

P&G has partnered with the USO to give away P&G coupon booklets to Military Families. I can't wait for mine to come in!

MyCAA back with some changes...

DOD to Resume Restructured Military Spouse Career Program

                The Department of Defense announced today the resumption of a restructured military spouse career advancement account program - MyCAA, following a comprehensive review.  The program will be available to spouses of service members in the pay grades of E1-E5, W1-W2 and O1-O2 beginning October 25 at 8 a.m. EDT.
                “The changes announced today reflect a return to the original intent of the program which is to help military spouses, with the greatest need, successfully enter, navigate and advance in portable careers,” said Clifford Stanley, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness.  “We fully support the program and are committed to ensuring the program’s sustainability.  To that end, we are making several critical operational changes.”
                Amongst these changes, eligible spouses will receive a total of $4,000 in DoD-funded financial aid, with an annual cap of $2,000 per fiscal year; funding must be used within a three-year time period from the start date of the first class; and must be used to obtain an associates’ degree, licensure or certification.  A waiver may be granted when fees for licensure or certification require an up-front fee greater than $2,000 and up to the total maximum assistance of $4,000.
                “The MyCAA program popularity grew beyond our expectations and became too expensive to continue.  Therefore, we are returning to the original intent of the program in a way that is attainable and fiscally responsible for the Defense Department,” said Stanley. “As we look to the future, we envision a program that is much broader than DoD’s financial assistance component.  Military spouses will be guided along a more holistic approach to career planning.”
                Under the long-term program guidelines, career counselors will continue to work with all military spouses to help develop career and education goals and plans, and assist them in identifying and accessing available federal education benefits toward these goals.
                “Families play a crucial role in supporting our men and women on the battlefield.  When service members are confident that their families at home have access to resources and support, they are better able to focus on their mission,” said Stanley.  “The Defense Department is committed to investing in military families.  When we invest in the well-being of the family, we invest in the well-being of the force.”
                More information can be found on the MyCAA Web site:  https://www.militaryonesource.com/MOS/FindInformation/Category/MilitarySpouseCareerAdvancementAccounts.aspx.

http://www.defense.gov//releases/release.aspx?releaseid=13725

Do you have an emergency plan?

Every one should have an emergency plan. Depending on where you are stationed will decide what types of plans you need.

When we were stationed at Fort Stewart, we had a Hurricane evacuation plan. Now that we are stationed in the Midwest we have a Tornado plan. You should have plans for floods, fire, and other natural disasters. Always be prepared!

Does your family have a safe word? This would be an every day word that only your family would know. What if a Police Officer has to rescue your child, but your child is afraid because they are a stranger. Simply tell the Police Officer the safe word and your child will know that Mom or Dad sent the stranger to help them.

For more good ideas visit: www.ready.gov/america

Military OneSource is offering FREE Life Coaches for Military families!!! (This includes teenagers!!!)

Military One Source FREE Webinar: The Healthy Habits Coaching Program has three areas of focus:
- iCanChange uses a personalized, flexible, and supportive approach to help you reach your weight and health goals.
- iCanThrive can help you learn how to fuel your body with healthy foods, begin a program of enjoyable physical movement, and relax more.
- iCanRelax can help you become aware of stress and how it affects you, and gain skills for handling your reactions to stressful demands and changes.

The programs feature an optional telephonic or online personal health coach, a personal homepage with a tracker, interactive tools, and much more!

DATES: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 at 11:00am Eastern Time and Thursday, July 22, 2010 at 1:00pm Eastern Time Dial in to the teleconference at: Toll Free: 1-888-299-3723 (toll +1-720-239-5801) conference code: 8479050209. www.militaryonesource.com