Military With Kids

Shoott Photography Review: A Great Way to Get Mom in the Photo

As a mom I often feel like there are very few photos of me with the kids. Most of the photos of our family live on my phone because I was the one behind the camera. There are plenty of selfies with the kiddos, but rarely do photos happen that include all of us. Thanks to Shoott, I found a super simple, and budget-friendly way to get back in the photos!

jacksonville blue bridge downtown family photo shoott

Shoott Photography Review

To be honest, I had no plans of getting professional photos done this year. I had looked at the offerings of many photographers and couldn’t justify the session fee not knowing how the photos would turn out (new baby and two boys – ages 6 and 7 – complicate life).

I’m pretty sure I saw an ad for Shoott pop up on a Facebook when I was scrolling through my newsfeed during a middle of the night feeding shortly after our little girl was born. I had not heard of Shoott before and didn’t know anyone who had a personal experience with the process. I searched for a review of Shoott and it sounded interesting. Since it was essentially free, I figured it would be fun to try with no harm if it wasn’t a good fit.

How does Shoott work?

Shoott offers essentially a mini photo session that lasts just 30 minutes. It’s perfect for families. Just schedule your time and location online. Show up, smile, go for some ice cream (or whatever it is that you bribed your family with). Check your email in a couple days for your photo gallery. And the best part, you pay only for photos you want.

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Baby Registry Must Haves – What You Really Need

newborn must haves baby registry first two months what you really need for baby

What do you actually need on your registry for a new baby? The pressure to have a complete, Pinterest worthy nursery is insane. The truth is my daughter is 2 months old and hasn’t even been in her nursery yet. Partly because it’s a room that shared with her brothers’ playroom (third child problems!) and partly because your baby sleeps in your room for the first bit anyway.

For moms like myself who are pregnant again after a long gap the early days with a baby were a blur. It had been 6 years since I had a baby. While I had an idea of what I would need, the baby gear market had changed and was full of new, fancier items.

If you are a first time mom the baby registry checklists can be a bit overwhelming and you start to feel like you need all the thing.

Expenses of a new baby can add up quickly and not to mention trying to store everything!

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2021 Military Pay Dates and Early Pay USAA & NFCU

When is the Next Military Pay Date?

While active duty military pay dates are the 1st and the 15th of each month, when the 1st or 15th falls on a weekend, the pay date shifts slightly as you will see in 2021 Active Duty Military Pay Dates chart below.

One of the perks of using a bank like USAA or Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) is the ability to have your pay check funds available early. Typically the early pay date is one business day before the regular pay day, but when the regular pay day falls on a Monday, NFCU members receive their early pay on Saturday and USAA members receive their early pay the Friday before.

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Over 100 Scholarships for Military Kids

A new year is underway which means it is time to jump into scholarship season! Organizations and foundations are eager to provide funding for your military child to pursue further education. The first quarter of a new year is when most of the applications for military scholarships open and deadlines will approach quickly, so encouraging your child to be on top of each application is vital!

We hope this list of over 100 scholarships for military kids will be a help to your family. Best of luck to your soon-to-be graduate this scholarship season!

jumping graduate military scholarship dependent

American Legion Auxiliary Children of Warriors National Presidents’ Scholarship – Three $5,000 scholarships are awarded annually per geographic division, for a total of 15 scholarships. These scholarships are for undergraduate study only at a four-year accredited college or university, and may be used for tuition, books, fees, room, and board.

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Pop Up Box Frog Valentine’s Day Craft for Kids

Are you starting your search for Valentine’s Day craft for kids? Look no further than this easy frog pop up box Valentine kids craft!

Valentine’s Day is overflowing with love. This little box can’t contain all the love inside as opening the lid causes the cute little frog to pop out.

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Sweetheart Shirley Temple Float Valentine’s Kids Drink

valentine's snack treat pink drink for kids

Valentine’s Day is around the corner and stores are brimming with big heart boxes full of assorted chocolates. But the favorite Valentine’s Day treat at our home isn’t chocolate. It’s not even something you chew. The fan favorite Valentine’s treat for our kids is our Sweetheart Shirley Temple Float.

With just a few ingredients you have a drink that literally tells your sweetheart how you feel about them!

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The Best Cheap Paw Patrol Toys and Gifts (Under $25)

paw patrol gifts and toys under $25 cheap inexpensive

The Best Cheap Paw Patrol Toys and Gifts Under $25 is a guest post series from Kaylee at Mama and More. She writes all about how you can tackle DIY projects and organization with a family of mess-makers. Check out her free course about how to love your home today–even if you’re drowning in Paw Patrol toys. 😉

I know, I know. After reading yesterday’s post about all the sets, you think I can’t POSSIBLY have more to say about Paw Patrol toys.

But here we are.

What’s crazy is that even after THIS post, I still will not have covered every single Paw Patrol toy out there! Not even close. The good news is that that list is the best CHEAP Paw Patrol toys, so most of the individual pups & their vehicles are under $20. Since I already linked to so many of the individual pups in the previous posts, I’m not going to repeat any except for the originals.

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The Best Paw Patrol Accessories for Kids

The Best Paw Patrol Accessories for Kids is a guest post series from Kaylee at Mama and More. She writes all about how you can tackle DIY projects and organization with a family of mess-makers. Check out her free course about how to love your home today–even if you’re drowning in Paw Patrol toys. 😉

Helloooooo friend! The last few days we have talked about the best paw patrol gifts, all the sets, the best affordable toys, and the best paw patrol gifts that aren’t toys. Today is the last day I’m telling you about the million Paw Patrol products out there. The only things left are all the paw patrol accessories!

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