Here we are in the second week of school, away from home at Nana’s house. And, it’s now Friday, 0600 on Memorial Day weekend and I have not yet started on either of my school work lessons or my blog!

Perhaps taking classes the month before summer starts with two very active homeschool children wasn’t my smartest move.

However, being the smart, technologically advanced, tool-using mom that I am, I have wi-fi, three different devices loaded with the app for the learning center, earbuds that won’t make me insane and the ability to multitask. It also helps that both of this week’s lessons are on topics I am already very familiar with.

That doesn’t change the fact that unless I watch the whole thing and record the answers to the quiz, I will lose a week before I have even really started.  Which means time. Time to sit and do it.

Unfortunately, my children have other plans for our morning. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Picture this: behind me my 8-year-old has her head in Nana’s fridge where she and her 6-year-old sister have discovered the hidden whipped cream. They’ve decided apple rhubarb pie is for breakfast. But first, they are shooting shots of whipped cream into each other’s gaping mouths.

Half the earbud is dangling in my coffee, the other half is blathering in my ear about cooking spaghetti squash to replace carbs. I’m attempting to compose a coherent, somewhat witty blog on my laptop, while sitting at the kitchen counter and trying not to splatter bacon grease on the screen.

I do have two more days to complete all of these assignments. But, over this first holiday weekend of the summer I have to take the time to finish them both. This is the part where I have to buckle down and “eat the frog;” do the thing that I don’t want to do because there are so many more interesting things I could be doing.

And, so much for sleeping in.

This is where planning what I call “slop time” becomes vital. I learned a valuable lesson this week. I need to plan at least half a day to be used when I have run out of time.

Let’s be clear, this is not unscheduled free time. I have that planned into the schedule too. This, instead, is time specifically dedicated to doing that which has been missed in the week. I had been planning in a few hours each day, but, have found this small amount of time to not be realistic, or, enough. Time to shuffle the calendar again. I hope that by the end of the first month of classes I will have a pretty solid, regular weekly schedule to follow.

It may be wishful thinking, but for now I’ll take it.

Have you noticed on your last coffee run that many of the Starbucks employees have an American flag on their apron?

Below their neatly embroidered name there is also a designation: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Spouse.

To date, there are more than 6,000 Starbucks employees nationwide who are also veterans and military spouses. However, new aprons are not the only perk the company has given military families.

The company has also opened more than 28 Starbucks Military Family Stores. These are Starbucks coffee houses opened in military neighborhoods and operated primarily by veterans and spouses. Each Military Family Store also partners with a local non-profit to offer services and assistance to military families in the community.

The company has also taken the lead in trying to bridge the gap between military and civilian as thousands of soldiers, sailors and Marines leave the uniform behind and join the civilian workforce. Starbucks penned “The Field Guide to Engaging the Military Community.” A basic how to for civilian employers that includes military lingo, rank structure, best practices for hiring military folks, goals to set in the first 30 days of employment and ways to better connect with military customers in the community.

Starbucks has set a goal of hiring 10,000 military spouses and veterans by 2018. Want to be one of them?

Check out their career opportunities at http://www.starbucks.com/careers/veterans

When you pack your suitcase for your upcoming PCS, don’t forget to pack your best business attire. Hiring Our Heroes is hosting job fairs across the nation this summer and are specifically looking for military spouses like you!

These job fairs are different because the employers who are there already know you are a military spouse. They already know you will have three different addresses in four years. They already know you will probably leave them in two to three years.

And that, is ok.

They also know that you are talented, tested and worthy.

So, make sure you also pack your resume and get going! Be sure to click on the link below and register. Space fill up quickly!

June 10

Latham, NY

https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/latham-hiring-fair-0

June 16

Memphis TN

https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/memphis-hiring-fair

June 22

Augusta, GA

https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/fort-gordon-transition-summit-0

June 23

San Juan, Puerto Rico

https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/san-juan-hiring-fair-0

July 7

Biloxi, MS

https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/biloxi-gulfport-hiring-fair

To see the full list of hiring fairs for 2016 and beyond, please visit

https://www.uschamberfoundation.org/events/hiringfairs

By Amy Neilsen

It is the first week of school. I have a new learning format and website to navigate, a new app to load onto my phone, and I have to figure out where to buy headphones that don’t dig into my scalp. I also need a better journal and a real notebook.

Granted the first week of any new school is bound to be filled with a lot of organizing, rah rah welcome to school speeches, and generic, big picture philosophy stuff. But, I absolutely love my school. I am so happy with my choice. It feel like listening to my own words sometimes. I love the guest keynote speaker they choose for our welcome session. Her message rang true to me and proved a point I wanted to make to myself about the program. Our lead instructor is going to take some getting used to, but I think it will be better once I am used to his speech patterns.

The style the material is presented in is mostly engaging and not too repetitious. They also use a good mix of teaching methods to make sure every type of learner is able to grasp the lesson. Each module is clearly labeled on the student website and the times for videos are accurate so I can determine exactly how long I will have to spend on each section excluding the exercises. This makes plugging the chunks of time into my schedule much easier.

So far the only thing I don’t like is the peer to peer interface between students. We’ll see if it gets better over time. I suspect they will have a more interactive forum later in the program. There is an unofficial Facebook group, but, there is no place to have a personal discussion among classmates unless they are friends on Facebook. And right now, I don’t know any of these people well enough to add them as a friend. I am sure there are students who do not have Facebook accounts and there has to be a way to have a discussion with them in the school learning website. I just need to roam the virtual halls a bit more to find it.

I am unhappy though that the modules for lectures open so late on Monday mornings, though. This school is attended by many international students. By opening the modules so late they have taken away almost a full days’ worth of study time for our European classmates, an inconvenience some students were already discussing. I hope the school addresses this issue too, since the late Monday start takes away one of my prime study times too.

But, so far so good. It’s Thursday. I have finished my module, earned 100 percent on the quiz and posted my discussion answers. I am banging out this blog post and then on to making ice cream sandwiches for the Edge of Summer Homeschool Faire for my children. And, I have an empty day on the calendar this weekend!

Have something important you want to tell the three-star general?

Maybe something along the lines of how benefit cuts are hurting your family?

Don't ring his doorbell, take the annual survey sponsored by Blue Star Families.

This is more than a random survey, this is one of the documents that the general, as well as DOD policy makers and politicians use to decide how funds will be allocated and what programs will be kept or cut.

The survey takes about 30 minutes to complete and includes questions that cover deployment challenges, wellness, education, employment, military child education, financial challenges, health concerns, civic engagement, and public policy issues.

Find the survey link here: https://bluestarfam.org/survey/

Blue Staff Families suggest users take the survey on a computer rather than a mobile device or cell phone as the program may not fully function.

The survey collects no personal information so your answers will remain anonymous.

As an incentive for participating, five people will receive $100 gift certificates. Last year, only 6,300 people, DOD wide, participated.

Take the survey, the odds are in your favor. Even if you don't win the gift certificate, you will win the general's attention.

Whether you’ve landed the job of your dreams, a great promotion, a new degree or another set of PCS orders, what you do as a short-timer in the final week at your current job could impact your long-term career.

Here are five ways to make a last(ing) impression that is beneficial to you and your soon-to-be former employer.

Tie up loose ends

“The final week on a job is a time to tie up the loose ends of your position,” said Mark Renn, Career Management Professional and Chief Executive Officer of The CS Team.

Review your workload to determine what you can feasibly get done in your time left, what you will need help with and what needs to be passed along to a co-worker. Don’t overload yourself and risk the quality of your work and don’t work overtime to the detriment of other personal things (like preparing for packers).

Leave a transition manual

For things you will turn over to someone else, ensure a smooth transition.

“Write out where you are on projects, with systems and procedures, to help the company to move forward with the work you are currently performing,” Renn said. “Review what you have written with someone before you leave, this way you can clarify any questions they may have on the work.”

Practice good social graces

No one likes negativity (even if it’s true).  Leaving a job doesn’t have to be a bad thing, so don’t make it one. If you are happy, people will likely be happy for you, or at least cordial.

“Be polite. Never burn bridges – even if you hate them,” said Robin Ryan, Author of 60 Seconds and You’re Hired. You can’t be smug, tell people what you think of them, tell off the boss, not be nice to the secretary and complain about the boss for two hours in the exit survey – you will only sabotage yourself.”

Carry Your Credentials

You’ve heard time and time again: If you stay ready, you never have to get ready. Don’t call co-workers to request documents you should have gathered before you left. Before you walk out the door, be prepared to conduct or continue your job search at a moment’s notice, no matter where you are or whether you have unpacked the first box.

If you will apply for jobs using USAJOBS or other online means, upload and store your resume, cover letter, performance appraisal, transcripts and awards. Also, save these documents in ‘the cloud’ or on a jump drive, and as extra back-up and keep a hard copy too.

Get recommendations in writing.

“Get written recommendations from your boss and your boss’ boss, if possible,” Ryan said. “Even if you are leaving and have a new job already, sooner or later you will want to try for a new job or promotion and you want to know that they will say something nice about you.”

Ryan also advises that you ask them to write a LinkedIn recommendation or endorsement for your work.

“Leaving a position in good standing is more critical to your career than most people realize, so take the time to be sure they are pleased with where you leave them as you walk out the door,” Renn said.

By Amy Nielsen

Classes start next week. Ducks in a row? Not so much! Heck, at least they are all in the same pond. Crud, there goes the little one . . .

Somehow the month that I had set aside before school started has flown by in a constant parade of field trips, large expenditures, unexpected sickies and calendar shuffling.

As I look at the calendar going forward and plug in all of my classes, tests, and group sessions, I can see that I am walking a very fine line as I juggle a whole lot of colorful balls. I have a lot of stuff already planned for the summer and really for the remainder of the year.

Yesterday, I planned the school year out for my homeschool co-op for 2016/2017. Talk about advanced planning! But, that is what I have to do to make sure I don’t get myself overcommitted going forward. If this insane month has taught me anything it is that I have to be very careful to protect my school time and my kids' school time. Planning our time together will help mitigate this one, I think.

Also, advanced planning means budgeting time and money. I need to have the ability to throw money at a problem that becomes too big of a project to complete alone. We had a tree limb fall on our fence, which meant replacing a large portion of a 4-foot tall post and wire gate fence. We have been able to band-aid it so the animals are safe in the yard. But, now we have to come up with either the time and/or the money to fix it properly.

If we had a little extra savings I would be able to hire someone to fix it in a day rather than spend hours doing it myself. This means tightening our belt a bit so we have a little savings set aside on top of our regular saving plans.

And then comes the inevitable sickies. It’s the change of seasons, so everyone is getting sick and passing it around. I thought we might be safe since only our peripheral friends have had it, but then on her birthday, my little one got the sickies. We have had to postpone all of her birthday plans until next week, on the only day we had free.

On top of that, she has complained that her leg braces hurt and has refused to wear them. This can mean one thing, a growth spurt. Which means possible treatment is needed. Which means more doctor appointments and more travel.

Finally, we received an email from the in-laws in Florida. When are we finally going to visit them? Calendar shuffling, here we come, again. Quack.

Have you made your vacation or PCS travel plans yet?

Don’t finalize a thing until you check out the extensive list of museums across the nation that are offering free admission to military families this summer.

Every summer since 2010 The National Endowment for the Arts has collaborated with more than 2,000  museums, attractions and nature centers nationwide to allow free entry to military family. The free tickets are usually good between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

New locations are added each year. The full list should be announced in the coming days.

You can visit the organization’s website which has a user friendly map that you can click on and find a complete list of museums in that state.

The program is geared toward active duty families, so retired families generally are not included. Active duty military can receive up to five free family members at each location.

Spouses of deployed military members can receive free entry for themselves and their children with their military ID card.

To read the full Q&A regarding the program, visit https://www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums/frequently-asked-questions

To check out the map of thousands of free places to visit this summer, visit https://www.arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums

Happy Travels!

By Amy Nielsen

I did it! I paid in full for school.

I completed the student agreement. I have accessed the classroom portal for the first time. Now, I have two weeks to get my life in order for real. Classes start and away we go.

The imminence of this decision is finally hitting me and I am starting to panic. Holy cow, what did I get myself into! I know I can do it, I know I can do it, I know I can do it.  Breathe.

Time to get down to brass tacks and make sure I have planned enough time into my weekly schedule to keep up with the work load. I know we live a busy life and that I am a key motivator in that busy. Because I choose to homeschool our children I won’t have the built in several hours a day where I am child-free to be able to concentrate on my studies. However, this presents the perfect opportunity to lead by example and plan a family study time.

My one non-issue: I am not concerned that the work will be too hard for me to complete. I know I am a smart cookie. I know there will be challenging classes. But, I know that I can do the actual work of the classes. It’s making sure I have the time to get them done that seems to be my main concern.

From what I read, it takes 21 days to make a habit. Which means – ugh, math – I have 14 days to be build whatever study habits I need to squeeze into my weekly schedule by the time classes start. If I do it right, that first week should be only a little bit of a bumpy ride of rescheduling things.

Luckily the school I have chosen makes working this time into my week easy by posting interesting videos and other pre-work we can access through our student online portal. I can practice being a student for the next two weeks and get the family ready for my virtual absence during my study times.

This practice study time will also allow me to know whether I will be able to complete the video portions of the class with the commotion of two kids, two dogs, and daily life distractions, or, if I am going to have to set myself up for early morning work when everyone else is asleep.

Knowing that I work well early in the morning rather than late at night will already help me decide if I need to move some study time around. By being honest with myself, and admitting that I will not work after the kids go to bed, helps set myself up for success.

So, now onward and forward with the first introduction video.

When I graduated from college, more than a decade ago, I took a few slices of silver duct tape and spelled out -30- across the top of my graduation cap.

Journalism students knew it designated the end of a story. I thought I was savvy and cute, designating the end of my own story that day.

And, it made it easier for my family, two stories up in the graduation venue, to spot me amid a sea of black cap and gowns.

Back then, my cap decor garnered a chuckle from the administration. Today, when mortar board decor is trending on Pinterest throughout the spring and my simple cuts of duct tape have been surpassed by bows, glitter, cut outs and tiaras all glued to the top, the administration doesn't always chuckle.

Students may see the decor as a matter of personality, of setting themselves apart.

School administrators may see it as destroying the decorum of the ceremony. It's the same reason beach balls and festive activities are kept at a minimum during many graduation walks.

So, before you check out ideas online for making your graduation cap scream your name across the sea of gowns, make sure your school allows cap decor.

And if the answer is yes, follow these rules:

- Keep it clean. No profanity, nudity or rude comments.

- Don't mount items to your head that will obstruct the view for others.

- Make sure items are secure and not falling off, this includes excessive glitter. In fact, you may just want to forgo the glitter completely. It can't be trusted.

- Avoid battery operated devices or blinking lights. Again, you do not want to ruin the ceremony or view for someone else.

- Do not use anything that makes noise.

- Be prepared to be told you cannot walk in the ceremony if administrators do not like your decor. It's their party, their rules.