Thank YOU

First off, thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you again!

     You ladies have been SO supportive of me in this endeavor and it has definitely  increased my sanity by tenfold! I started this blog six days ago, and in those six days this blog has managed to average out 200 individual views A DAY. That means there are at least 200 different devices checking this blog, every day on average. Along with that my twitter account rocketed from just about 600 followers a week ago to almost 1000! 

     I am feeling so incredibly blessed to be able to share my experiences with you all and so grateful to have the MilSO community to support me through all this. My poor husband probably though I was never going to put my laptop down during the first 48 hours, but now we've realized that my "bloggie" time generally coincides with his Call Of Duty time. :] Problem solved!

     As I posted yesterday I am really looking forward to doing giveaways as my follower base continues to grow and right now I'm hoping to get it going by the end of the second week of December! I want it to be open to everybody so please share this with your friends! DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!! There is a poll up on the right hand side of my blog asking what kind of free products you ladies would like to receive, I want to give you things you will be happy with. I don't want to be the awkward aunt that gives you something you'll never use!

Every single one of you ladies is absolutely amazing! I am having such a wonderful time getting to know you all and learning more about how I can help you. I am completely awestruck by how many of you have reached out to me and asked for advice, given me feedback as well as just offering simple words of encouragement and thanks.

I am doing this for YOU!

You are the amazing women that stand beside your man. 

You are women of the Silent Ranks. 

You survive what most women could never comprehend.  

And you do it all while supporting others at the same time.

Not only do you make yourself and your relationship stronger everyday, but you divide that strength up and share it with those that are struggling along side you.

I love each and every one of you and I cannot tell you how much I admire your strength.

This blog is meant to be about making your life easier, what are you struggling with, what do you want to know more about? How can I help you?

Please leave a comment if you have any kind of feedback or suggestions for posts.

Or e-mail me if its something more private.

If I haven't experienced it, I will find someone that has.

If I don't know the answer to your question, I will do research and find the answer for you.

:] 

I'm here to help you.

Stay strong ladies, whatever your obstacles in life right now, you will be better because of them.

          

 

The Hungry Mans Dinner

Ever have those evenings where your man comes home, and he's so hungry that he's turned into a barbarian that's about to tear the house apart. In order to avert some kind of crisis, you have to get food on the table, and fast.

Men are manly. Manly men like steak. Hungry Barbarian man would probably love steak, but you've got to make it quick! So here's the quick simple version.

Those of you that do know how to cook please ignore my ignorantly simple dinners (and teach me your ways!). I was looking for stuff like this ~6 months ago so I'm hoping there's someone out there that will appreciate it :]

Pardon the blurry picture at the bottom, hubby was running off with the plate :]

What you need 

• Round Tip, Thin cut steaks ~1 per person (unless hes really starving)
• 1/4 sliced onion per steak
• 2 cloves of garlic per steak
• 1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Tbs Margarine or Butter
• You're favorite kind of steak seasoning (or GOYA Adobo which is what I use)

 

 

And in the words of that really weird guy from Iron Chef...

A LA CUISINE 

*hand chop motion*

Beautiful Christmas Ornament Giveaway

Through one of the blogs I follow avidly :]

Just in time for the holidays, they're giving away a customized tree ornament with the Branch symbol and a custom name on the back! I was just looking at the Artists website and Michelle's products are gorgeous!!

Click to enter - because who doesn't love handmade Christmas Ornaments!

Good Luck ladies & may the best Woman win!

The Perfect Practical Present for Him

Are you still stuck trying to figure out what to get him for Christmas? Keep reading, I'm giving you the answer!

Its going to

• Save him money
• Keep him from cutting himself
• Save him time in the morning
• Go with him anywhere there's a wall outlet, even overseas!

As well as keep him up to Military Standard easily.

**PRICES WILL DIFFER AT INDIVIDUAL RETAILERS**

You might be rolling your eyes at me right now, asking why all this is important but wait until I crunch the numbers for you! (Especially if you're the Wifey!)

He has to shave his face (baby smooth) at least 5 days a week, sometimes more. My husband has SUPER coarse and wiry hair so he has to use a new disposable razor everyday. This was honestly the best investment we've ever made. Its paid itself off so quick!

The first two scenarios  were based off average consumer ratings and useage, so you can assimilate those to the Average G.I.Joe :]

The scenario for the electric razor is more similar to our family a.k.a. my husband who has coarse wiry hair. So if you man has less/softer hair it could cost even less, some people can go 12 months without replacing the razor head. We bought him a mid-grade Norelco (70 for the razor) and he LOVES it. Even when the razor head starts to go out it still gives him a baby smooth shave until we can get him a new one. 

All he has to do is plug it in every night and grab it in the morning! 

(Just like his cell phone, so he has no excuse!)

They can even use it while driving if they're running late.

What hes spending now....

** Please remember that all these numbers may not be exact, they are based off of the research I have conduced based on average store prices, not the Xchange or Commissary.**

They're very durable my father had one for over 4 years and just kept replacing the head!

Sound like something he needs check it out here -The Official Phillips Norelco 

Hint-Hint ^^ There's coupons on that website so you could get one for even cheaper!!

So now you have the perfect Christmas present, I've justified it for your wallet and you have access to coupons so it's going to be even more practical, be sure to compare different retailers before purchasing and check the Xchange too!

**DISCLAIMER: I am not a promoter, spokesperson or sponsee of Phillips Norelco. I am sugguesting their product purely because I know how much it has improved my husbands mornings and has made them easier for him now as it did in the past for my father. It is a trusted brand that is something that I always recommend to my friends and their husbands**

The PicSlip you all earned!

help me reach 800 followers on twitter tonight for another chance
@WifeyofaMarine  
This is me. Pardon the crappy quality, it was hubbys old phone :] <3 all="all" you="you">

Branching Out

Today is a very exciting day! 

On Twitter like any other day and one of the real, when I say real I mean that she has over 1200 followers on twitter and is a beacon of light in the dark to every MilSO on twitter, Milso Anons @hooahkindoflove started a blog today. Well really its more like a whole website and when I offered up my "So your Marrying a Military Man?" posts to be featured she accepted!

The blog looks to be a collaboration between a few authors and reaches out to every Military branch. I have a feeling its going to be a wonderful place for Military Significant Others to be able to express themselves and connect with others. I'm so excited to see what they have planned for the website! 

Please check it out and share with your friends!

Twitter @hooahkindoflove 

Email admin@thesilentranks.org 

Blog & Website www.thesilentranks.org

The Quick Fancy Feast

 Food and I

A Short History

     I wasn't a terribly picky child, I ate anything my parents put in front of me unless it was something spicy, cauliflower or carrots. Spicy was just a no-no, I don't mind a little "heat" in my mouth now, but I hate when my whole mouth is on fire, its just not appealing to me. My hate for Cauliflower, was something I grew out of along with most of the dislike phases I went through growing up, pickles, onions and other random things that you find in food regularly but as a child don't want to know about. Carrots and I have a love-hate relationship. I love the taste of cooked carrots, and I love the way carrots brighten up a plate of food, soft, mushy carrots YUM, but ask me to eat them raw and I'll probably vomit on you. Texture is a huge thing for me, especially when it comes to food, and raw carrots have an ungodly texture, like eating bark chips. EW!

     I was raised on mainly home cooked meals. But there was also a 6 month period after my parents divorced that my father fed us only Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) which are the military's version of Lunchables. They're good for like 100 years... basically forever. 75% of the MREs are flat our disgusting, but when you eat them continuously for that long you start to learn which ones are almost taste good. Don't get me wrong they're great for camping trips (because the raccoons and bears want NOTHING to do with them) and compact enough for 72 hour emergency kits, they even have a cooking mechanism in the bag so you don't have to eat the food cold. They have their uses, but I don't want my home cooked meals to taste like MREs so I generally steer clear of frozen, super processed and food that doesn't expire.

     Does your husband LOVE Tabasco? Does he put hot sauce on everything whether it needs it or not? Did he spend months in the field?  Does he do field ops regularly? Don't worry its probably not your cooking. His love of hot sauce or Tabasco could be due to eating MREs consistently in the field. Every MRE comes with a little packet of napkin, fork, knife, salt and pepper (not nearly enough to make it appetizing) and guess what? .... BINGO a mini bottle of Tabasco!! My Father and Stepmom were so used to drowning out the flavor of the MREs during their Nation Guard service that they basically just started putting it on everything. Nowadays they only use it when they actually want something spicy (so don't worry its curable!) They're both fantastic cooks now and every time Hubby gets leave and we go home, I try to spend as much time in the kitchen with them as I can. I wish I had spent more time in there with them while I was growing up, and now they always send me recipes and cooking tips. I'm learning to be a better cook but basically I'm undomesticated at this point.

This recipe is super quick and easy and has a really nice basic flavor to it, you can embellish it a million different ways. My grandmother actually gave me this one and its perfect for one or two people, you can even make it in a toaster oven! I PROMISE IT TASTES BETTER THAN IT LOOKS! Please pardon my MAJOR camera faux-pas of taking the picture of it on the aluminum foil vs. a plate :[ We were super hungry!

Prep: 10 mins  Temp: 350 Cooktime: 10-20mins maximum 

Ingredients

• 1 salmon steak per person (or one giant filleted whole salmon then you put all the ingredients in the middle not on to, but I've never tried this so be careful!)
• Mayonnaise
• Mix of seasonings (I use salt, pepper, garlic salt and onion powder)
• Capers
• A bit of fresh lemon squeeze

Directions

1.  Line a cookie sheet or pyrex pan with aluminum foil
2. Arrange salmon as desired and sprinkle lemon queeze sparingly
3. Season lightly
4. Spread mayonnaise over salmon just thin enough to cover without seeing the salmon, I like to leave the edge of the salmon out, they get a little crispy
5. Drain capers and sprinkle on top, they become more tangy and less tart after they're cooked
6. Bake in Oven at 350 until top starts to turn golden brown  normally around 10-15 minutes
7. Use a large spatula to serve, the salmon should slide right off the skin which will be stuck to the aluminum foil, ball the foil up and throw away = no stinky fishy dishes

We normally let it bake a little longer so the tops are more golden but the stove we currently have is awful, it dries the salmon out if we bake it much longer. Consuming raw fish can be very bad! use a fork to check the thickest part of the steak it should open up it you poke it and then twist your fork 90 degrees.

BONUS-- If you family likes asparagus like my husband and I, you can just sprinkle them with salt and pepper, lightly roll them in olive oil and then bake them on the same sheet as the salmon! Entree and a side all in one. Be careful of your ovens hot spots though, the asparagus is fully cooked when it turns bright green, and it should still have a crunch to it.

Did you try a variation of this? Let me know I'm always looking for something new to try!

Marriage: The Base Process

If you missed Part 1 of this series Click Here to view it!

     You're officially a Mrs, and now comes the time to alter all the records on base. Keep the packet of personal information I mentioned in Part 1 with you for this section too! Make sure you have:

• Certified copy of marriage license**
• Yours & your Husbands Photo I.D. (Passport, Drivers License, Military I.D)
• Yours & your Husbands social security cards
• Yours & your Husbands birth certificates
• More patience
  
• An address to put on file
• At least 44oz of coffee or more, Part 2 entails lots of waiting :]

     I would suggest bringing ANY and ALL copies of the listed paperwork that you have, old and new, this way they can't throw a fit saying you brought the wrong stuff and you have to start all over!

** The Certified copy of your marriage license is different from the paper copy you received the day you were married. Some states give it to you instantly, some mail it to you, some states you have to go back to the court house and get it. MOST states will give you a free copy if you show your husbands Military I.D. otherwise it may cost $$. We purchased one extra copy at the time, because if you have to order one after the fact it could take 6-8 weeks, just in case.**

Long name, long hours, long lines, YUCK.

     This is mostly to do with your husband, it's where he changes his status with his branch, letting them know he now has a dependent, and will be moving out of the Barracks (generally.) When this is done:

Entitles you to Base Allowance for Housing (BAH)

• "U.S. based allowance allotted according to geographic duty location, pay grade, and dependency status. It provides Service members equitable housing compensation based on housing costs in local civilian housing markets within the United States when government quarters are not provided."
• Click Here for more information and a BAH estimator from the DoD website.

Revokes his entitlement to Basic Allowance for Sustenance (BAS)

• BAS is the allowance allotted according to geographic duty location, and local food prices for Service members that claim no dependents. This is the money that was automatically put on his meal card while he was living in the barracks. This money is provided in place of BAH to offset the cost of food for Service members. 
• Click Here for more information on BAS from Military.com

Changes his tax information, stating that he is married

• changing your tax information is different, don't forget!

     This is one of the easier areas, it's fairly straight forward. They will ask for your personal information, to put in the system, take your picture and then print out your I.D. Card. Make sure you look good! Remember its a black and white picture generally so go easy on the make up but look fresh. The lighting (at least when I went) was basically a bare light bulb at an odd angle for your face. It accentuated the bags under my eyes and my hair looked horrendous because I was in need of a root re-touch. I was deathly sick when I went to get my I.D. picture taken but I couldn't go to the Hospital until I was enrolled in TRICARE, which requires the benefit number on the back of your I.D. card. Q.E.D. I look like a monster in my I.D. picture, my face is even a little swollen. Ew. I hate showing the card to anybody, and hubby makes fun of me for it, its worse than my drivers license.  I DON'T WANT YOU TO BE LIKE ME!!! As a previous Makeup Artist (and a fellow MilSO) I would sugguest:

• Natural looking makeup
• Simple eye shadow, maybe even just a bold liner with accented lashes
• a.k.a not blue, a heavy smoky eye, or eyeliner everywhere
• Nude (NOT PALE lips)
• No lip gloss or shine, it reflects weird
• Light blush and Bronzer accordingly
• This will contour your face so it doesn't look washed out and flat

I can produce a video or picture tutorial for what this would look like, and how to achieve it, if you are interested just let me know through email or through a comment on this post.

     Our Tricare Enrollment Center was in the same building as the I.D. card center so we just went there right after, they will ask a few questions, for an address etc. Then you're done! Your DoD Benefit number is on the back of your I.D. card, you will need it to sign up for an online account with Tricare.


     Tricare Prime is a different program from the standard Tricare you will be signed up for. Added benefits, lower or no copays and is definitely something worth looking into. I will expand on this in another post because its alot to explain, there is lots of information online and you can always call the Tricare Information Line for more information


My husband is a Marine, if your husband is in a different branch and their process is different, please let me know! I would like these articles to be helpful for everybody, not just Marine Milsos!

**DISCLAIMER** Please remember that everything I post is based off of my experiences, research and opinions. The information is liable to change at anytime, as is this policy. If you have anything you would like to add or if you have had a different experience that you think should be added to a post, including if there are different protocols for different branches, please feel free to contact me at wifeyofamarine@gmail.com or through my contact page.

Marriage: The Civillian Process

     Congratulations, he popped the question and you're about to walk down the aisle and come away with your "Mrs." Degree! Wedding planning can be fun, stressful and expensive, but what about all the official stuff?

• Where do you get a marriage license?
• What do you need to bring to the courthouse/ceremony?
• What information does your husband need to update on base?
• How do you change your name?
• What paperwork do I need for all this?
•  Do my fiancee and I have to do all this together?

There's a million questions to ask and then there's a few variables like: What are the state specific laws? What branch specific things does your husband have to change?

     You're going to need documentation for almost everything listed above. I decided to get a giant folder to keep it all in, it seems like a lot at first but if you have all this in one place it makes things a TON easier. (Just don't lose it!!)

• Yours & your fiancees birth certificates
• Yours & your fiancees social security cards
• Yours & your fiancees Photo I.D. (Passport, Drivers License, Military I.D)
• Patience
• Rings
• Probably a large cup of coffee , I know I needed one

 

      In order to make your marriage a legal union, you need a marriage license. Now every state is different on how to obtain one and how long they're valid for. Hubby and I are from Washington State but we decided to be married in California so everything I knew about marriage licenses was basically useless.  Most states have it on their Department of Licensing website which you can find through google.com. The one thing I found that they don't always put on the website is whether or not you need an appointment. CALL AHEAD! You may spend 40 minutes on hold but if that saves you time in the long run, you're better off.
      For Example, Hubby and I wanted to get married in San Diego County but when I called they said that they couldn't get us in for almost two weeks and would be almost $200. We put our names down just in case but we were running out of time (because he was deploying) and we wanted to make sure we had enough time to get all the paperwork on base settled. I called Los Angeles County, which is just 30 minutes north and lo and behold they don't have wait times, its first come first serve and altogether would cost less than $80. So just by a simple phone call we save $120 and a week and a half of waiting. DO YOUR RESEARCH! We drove up on a Tuesday after noon with all our paperwork, a witness, and some cash and Tah-dah, I'm now a Marine Wifey!

        But unfortunately the paperwork doesn't stop there...

     So you're officially a Mrs. but with your maiden name. Now again every state may be different, in California when we applied and received our Marriage License I had to tell them I wanted to take on my Hubby's last name. Then I had to go to the Social Security Administration AFTER I had an official copy of our Marriage License (which took 7 business days) this part was fairly painless other than a mix up with my birth certificate, but hopefully you don't have to deal with that.

    Now you've finished everything that you can off base, once you get your new Social Security Card and change your Drivers License or I.D. you can start changing your Credit and Debit cards, loans, and any other financial or consumer memberships you have.

To Skip to part 2 of this post "The Base Process" Click Here!

Part 2 - All about Base will be posted sometime this week to help you with all the base changes you and your husband will need to make.


**DISCLAIMER** Please remember that everything I post is based off of my experiences, research and opinions. The information is liable to change at anytime, as is this policy. If you have anything you would like to add or if you have had a different experience that you think should be added to a post please feel free to contact me at wifeyofamarine@gmail.com or through my contact page.

So heres the Sitch...

 **NOTE** An About Me tab has been added

I love twitter, So much that my husband always (jokingly) threatens to make me choose between twitter and him. Originally I started out with just a personal account, and it just wasn't very interesting, so I created an Anonymous account based around my life as a newlywed of a United States Marine. My account has blown up to almost 400 followers in 2 weeks and people are always asking me for advice on certain things. I tried my hand at blogging last year but it ended up being quite dull, mainly because there wasn't much interaction; I wasn't helping anybody or influencing anything. Hence this new blog, my expanded twitter account.

I want this blog to be a place where Military Significant Others (MilSOs) can see that they're not the alone. Especially when it comes to every day things, like training a new household puppy, finding furniture for a new house, how to save money on everyday things, quick dinner recipes, and maximizing time with you man. These are things that everybody struggles with at least once. My goal is to be able to share the things I've learned as well as thing that people send in to me and then sharing that with you!

Here goes nothing!

Bear with me!

Under Construction!!!

We should be up and running shortly!

Check out my twitter page for the time being :]  @wifeyofamarine

Hey You! Do It Yourself!