This is a fun activity to do on a cold or rainy day.  Colors can be modified for any holiday.  Kids of practically every age can get involved in making this fun treat. These treats are salty and sweet and make delicious and cute Valentine treats to share and enjoy. Enlist the help of your kids. What you’ll need Bite-size, knot pretzels (they look a bit like hearts) Hershey’s Kisses (you choose your favorite type) M&M’s candy (valentines colors or other to suit the season) How to make magic happen Heat the oven to 200 F. Set bite-size, twisted knot pretzels (one for each treat ..read more

This book is going to be wildly popular, and deservedly so. I put down another book I was reading in order to eagerly start The World Cannot Give when I received the ARC because the early reviews compared it to A Secret History By Donna Tartt and A Separate Peace by John Knowles, two books that really affected me many years ago. In the end, The World Cannot Give did not disappoint, but it was slow going at first. To me, the first half read pretty slow but the build-up was well worth it. The dynamic among the ensemble of characters was unique and familiar at the same time, making it very belie ..read more

Today is National Popcorn Day (yes, there truly is a day for EVERYTHING), so it seems fitting to feature  popcorn company Hot Sugar Pop! Dual-military couple Will & Tiffany Glass started Hot Sugar Pop in 2018, but they’ve been popping popcorn for years. Will, a former Army culinary specialist who retired after 21 years and Tiffany, an Army Major serving as a nurse at Fort Knox, got into popcorn because it was one of the only snacks their oldest son could eat due to several food allergies. They started experimenting with flavors and discovered people loved what t ..read more

The following is a press release announcing legislation that could be very helpful to military families. Financial planning is a stumbling block for a great number of service members and their families. If enacted, the new will would provide avenues for military families to become more financially secure. Contact your Member of Congress to voice your support for The Financial Readiness of America’s Servicemembers Act of 2021 (202) 224-3121 Nov 10, 2021 Press Release Washington, D.C.  – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO), Chair of the House Suburban Caucus, and Congressma ..read more

If you or someone you care about suffers from PTSD, read on… Wounded Heroes, an award-winning documentary directed/produced by filmmaker Michael Gier and released by Gier Productions, LLC, is a three-year passion project that features successful alternative treatments that give anyone battling PTSD their lives back. There have been many films produced about PTSD, but this is the first film that features options that heal PTSD. The Department of Veterans Affairs reports anywhere from 17 to 22 Veteran suicides every day. Most are given prescription medications; some of these medications are bla ..read more

From WASHINGTON —The Veterans Administration (VA) provided more than 1,200 pages to Empower Oversight in response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request regarding conflicts of interest and potential insider trading. The documents confirm the Department is stonewalling congressional oversight requests. Based on whistleblower disclosures, Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) wrote to the VA on April 2, 2021, and July 20, 2021, asking several questions about conflicts of interest and potential insider trading enabled by the VA. Although the documents include what appe ..read more

Shared from MilitaryFamily.org Most Americans get their healthcare through work – and military families are no different, earning their health care benefit through years of service. And while they make many sacrifices to do so, the quality of their health care coverage shouldn’t be among them. TRICARE, the military health insurance, should be on par or better than coverage available through commercial plans. But TRICARE falls short in important ways – and Congress just missed an opportunity to fix that. The National Military Family Association (NMFA) and the Military Officers Association of ..read more

It is a recurring theme among many Americans who live abroad to rent your home while you travel. Many people do not want to give up their residence because they plan to return in the near future or because they want to earn some extra money on the side. Additionally, letting your home be rented out is an excellent way to preserve the equity that has accrued over time while also making the home profitable. In the event that you are a US citizen living overseas and have people who rent out your home in the United States, you will be obligated to report several things to the Internal Revenue Ser ..read more

By now, if you are in any way connected to Jewish life, you have heard of the Netflix reality show, My Unorthodox Life. I’ve seen several polemic opinion pieces about it written by people who have not actually seen the show. Rabbi Yonason Goldson, for instance, even made the bold proclamation, “I have absolutely no intention of watching the new Netflix series My Unorthodox Life.” They have no first-hand familiarity of any of the cast members’ character traits, nor do they know the characters’ personal backgrounds. I agree with much of the written criticism of the show, but it is dangerous whe ..read more

Greetings! Do you have children who aren’t receiving meals at school due to virtual learning? Are you in a military family and curious about how to access food support for your children?   On Wednesday, April 28, our partners at the Food Research & Action Center will join us, the Military Family Advisory Network, in providing insight into the Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer and summer feeding programs. These programs have made adjustments to ensure that support is reaching families in need and that more families than ever are eligible to access food assistance. Register for ..read more