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Author: Anna Larson

Experience Health & Fitness Household 6 Military Life 

Emotional Labor of Being a Military Spouse

Anna Larson 4 Comments , , ,

A few years ago, I read an article about emotional labor. The author described her experience of asking for one simple gift for Mother’s Day. She wanted someone to deep clean her home. Her husband waited until the last minute, then decided it was too expensive. In addition, he couldn’t find a cleaning service for the day he wanted, so instead, he “cleaned” the bathrooms leaving her to watch their children destroy the rest of the house.

He thought he gave her the gift she wanted.

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Titles we wear
Experience Household 6 

Hello, My Name is…

Anna Larson 6 Comments , ,

I carry a bag of titles around with me. Why? So that I’m prepared to be what I need to be in that moment.

I know I’m not alone. Pretty much everyone in the world carries around something similar. Yours might include the words parent, teacher, artist, director, chef, or triathlete. It’s not just about what we do but also who we are.  I am _____________. Insert your titles. Are you kind? Aggressive? Loving? Generous? Bold? Impatient?

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Experience Health & Fitness Military Life 

5 Stress Relief Ideas: Milspouse Approved

Anna Larson 1 Comment , ,

I sat on my back porch with my toes in the sun. I was tired, maybe feeling some stress. My kids had given me grief all day long. The dishes were undone. The house a bit of a mess. I had a to-do list a mile long for my clients and a board meeting to prepare for that evening.

Even with all that sitting prominently on my plate, I sat on the back porch and put my toes in the sun.

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Experience Military Life 

One Last Goodbye

Anna Larson 6 Comments , ,

How many goodbyes have I said? I’m guessing the number is in the thousands. It started when I left home at 17 for my first year of college and will continue long after you read this. When we married, you had eight years of military service under your belt, and I had no idea what I was in for as a military spouse. I learned quickly. I learned that military families are used to saying the word goodbye. You were gone as much as you were home the first five years of our marriage, and while it was never easy, we found a way to make it work for our family.

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Experience Health & Fitness Household 6 Military Life 

Bubble Baths and a Box of Chocolates

Anna Larson 1 Comment , ,

I come from a large family that insists on a rowdy bi-annual family reunion. One year, my brother decided to hold the reunion at his gorgeous new home. Theoretically, it sounded perfect. There was a large yard, swimming pool, outdoor kitchen, and we were meeting during a mild weather month so tent camping on the lawn. And when the day came, forty men, women, and children arrived all at once, with suitcases and cars and tents and toys.

Forty people. One home. An entire week.

Right around day 3, I opened the pantry closet and found my sister-in-law hiding inside. Desperate for a minute of peace, she’d simply stepped inside a dark food pantry and stayed there for a still undisclosed amount of time.

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Experience Military Life 

Military Life This or That

Anna Larson 2 Comments , , , ,

have been loving the different “this-or-that” posts that have been roving around social media. You know the ones I’m referring to, right?

Do you like coffee or tea?

Mountains or beach?

Sweaters and boots, or flip flops and shorts?

As a social media manager, I use this-or-that posts to remind clients about options. And it works. People love to give you their preferences and tell you exactly what they want.

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Experience Household 6 Military Life 

10 Ideas to Get Together (Virtually)

Anna Larson 0 Comments , ,

It’s the last month of 2020. I’m making an educated guess here, but I’d say more than 75% of the people you know are ready for a new year. We might have to dig deep, but there are lists of positive things that 2020 has delivered to your doorstep. My personal favorite has been the slower pace and increased family time.

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