• Bake holiday cookies for Santa (or, more accurately, for yourselves).
• Did you go a little overboard with the cookies? Share some with the neighbors! It’s a cheap and easy way to spread holiday cheer.
• Have a traditional family dinner with your favorite fixin’s.
• Showcase your artistic side by making gingerbread houses.

Around The House

From decorations to family activities, there are lots of things you can do without having to leave the house. As long as you’ve got a roof over your head, you can keep these holiday traditions intact for years to come:

• Don’t just decorate the tree – go the extra mile and get crafty. You and the kids can create a new handmade ornament every year. Watch how each family member’s art skills develop over time.
• Make other holiday decorations by hand. Cut snowflakes out of construction paper, dress up cardboard paper towel tubes like nutcrackers – use your imagination!
• Break out decorations like an advent calendar and take turns counting down each day. Don’t have one? Build your own!
• Certain traditions like Elf on the Shelf may seem silly at first, but nothing is off limits so long as your kids buy into it.
• Sit down with the kids and write letters to Santa.
• Read holiday stories each night before bed.

Keeping Everyone Entertained

The kids are out of school, and maybe you have some extra time off work or a few extra days of leave. Here are some ways to keep everyone entertained:

• Stay in and watch movies. Some movies are so beloved that they’re shown on TV for 24 hours straight. Pick your favorite and make it an annual event. Can’t decide? Have a marathon instead!
• Take the family caroling. Some might argue the best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.
• Take a tour around the city to look at holiday lights and see how others have decorated their houses.
• Put together a playlist of your favorite songs. There’s just something special about the music this time of year.

The Spirit of Giving Back

You know the old saying: it’s better to give than to receive. Well it’s a fantastic lesson to teach your kids around the holidays. You could consider:

• Volunteering at a soup kitchen, food bank, or local church to help people who’ve fallen on hard times.
• Adopt a family and put together a donation box full of food, necessities, and presents to brighten their holidays.
• Organize a canned food drive with your neighbors or at school.
• Deliver cookies to people who are unable to take off work, like the staff at the hospital or police station.
• Volunteer your time at a retirement home to make sure your community’s senior citizens enjoy the holidays too.

Keep Calm

However you choose to celebrate, just remember that it doesn’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to spend a bunch of money or make a big fuss out of these traditions. Sometimes the best memories just sort of happen naturally. Enjoy the time you have to spend with your friends and family, wherever life in the military takes you. Happy holidays!

Pioneer Services is not responsible for the content contained on any third party website.

This story is provided and presented by our sponsor Pioneer Services. For more information, visit

PioneerServices.com.

©2015 Pioneer Services. No U.S. military endorsement is implied.

• Write them heartfelt letters or e-mails letting them know they’re loved and appreciated.
• Create a holiday ornament with their names on it.
• Record a reading of a favorite holiday book or story – you can create a private YouTube channel or send videos directly.
• Utilize the technology available to you to stay in touch, be it e-mail, Skype, social media, or phone calls. You can even open presents via video chat if you’re so inclined.
• Keep in touch with messenger apps like iMessage, Snapchat, etc.
• Send photos letting them know you’re thinking about them.

For many kids, simply having time to catch up with their deployed parent can help – to know that you’re safe and in good spirits. However you choose to communicate, focus on positive messages. If you’re calm, cool, and collected, your kids will pick up on that and it can make the whole situation feel a little bit more normal.

For the Spouse Back Home

Dealing with deployment is never easy. If you have kids, they may need you more than ever. A positive mental attitude can help minimize stress and keep everyone relaxed.

Sometimes it’s best to talk through your feelings. Between civilian friends, fellow military spouses, and family members, find someone to confide in who’s good at listening. Nothing they can say is going to make it better, but simply getting it off your chest can help immensely. Especially if you’re a parent, you need to vent your frustrations in private away from the kids. Getting things out in the open can also help you solve tough problems and understand your own feelings.

Here are some things you can do back home to manage stress and make the holidays special:

• Get out of the house! This seems like a no-brainer, but sometimes you just need to get out for an afternoon to recharge your batteries. Go to the gym, take the family to see a movie, or hit up the mall for some window shopping.
• Get involved in volunteer opportunities in your community, especially if it’s a cause that helps other military families or veterans. This can be both emotionally and spiritually rewarding as a form of therapy for everyone.
• Make communicating with your deployed loved one a family affair.
• Put together a care package full of holiday goodies and gifts.
• Have arts and crafts time so the kids can make something for their deployed parent; sometimes a simple message of love can be far more meaningful than any store-bought gift.
• Open presents via Skype whenever your loved one is available.

Remember to be flexible and understanding of your spouse’s schedule. And most importantly, keep calm and maintain all your normal holiday traditions. Whether it’s decorating the house, putting ornaments on the tree, or staying up until midnight to watch the ball drop – remember to focus on the positives and you should have no trouble making the holidays special.

Lastly, as a military spouse, we know you can handle these kinds of things with grace and humor. If you’re making a holiday card to send out to your friends and family, sometimes you have to work with what you’ve got:

Other Resources

Don’t forget to utilize the support structure you have around you. If you have access to a military installation, there are all kinds of support programs offered by the DoD and your installation’s family center. Those specifically include Army Community Services, Navy Fleet and Family Support Centers, Airman and Family Readiness Centers, Marine Corps Community Services, and Coast Guard Work Life Offices. Many of these organizations offer counseling and support programs conducted by local chaplains and certified mental health experts. Talking to them can help if you’re not sure what else to do. You can also check out these other resources:

• DCoE Outreach Center
• Military OneSource
• Military Families Near and Far
• Yellow Ribbon Reintegration Program
• FOCUS (Families OverComing Under Stress)

Pioneer Services is not responsible for the content contained on any third party website.

This story is provided and presented by our sponsor Pioneer Services. For more information, visit

PioneerServices.com.

©2015 Pioneer Services. No U.S. military endorsement is implied.

The holidays…a time of turkey, trimmings, travel, gifts crowds, shopping, and, of course, spending. It can be a stressful time, so we put together a few ideas to help get you through the season with a smile on your face—and a few bucks in your pocket. Check out our video above for a quick rundown, or read on for full details.

• Don’t feel obligated to buy gifts for everyone. Instead, make a manageable gift list of key friends and family and then another one for everyone else. That latter list can be filled with all kinds of free things that show you care.
• When giving to others, don’t use a credit card to give yourself a load of post-season debt. Do make a holiday budget, stick to it, and pay cash whenever possible. Doing so prevents you from making costly interest payments and ensures you don’t get carried away (which, let’s be honest, can be easy to do this time of year).
• More often than not there will be tons of sweet treats and other food available—and do enjoy them. Don’t, however, forget to keep yourself in shape.
• When attending a unit function where alcohol is served, do be a good battle buddy and take care of friends and co-workers. And don’t overdo it on adult beverages, or drink and drive. Ever.
• To save yourself some time, do shop online to get good deals and maybe even some free shipping. Just don’t do it over an unsecured internet connection.
• You also don’t want to just accept an advertised sale price. You do want to ask if the retailer offers any sort of military discount.
• If you’re travelling for the holidays, don’t book travel on expensive days like Christmas or New Year’s if you can avoid it. Do travel on “off” days and ask for military discounts on airfare and hotels. Also do consider Space A travel if you’ve got the flexibility.

So, remember: Don’t let seasonal stress turn you into a Scrooge—do get into the spirit of the season, be smart about your spending, and enjoy!

Pioneer Services is not responsible for the content contained on any third party website.

This story is provided and presented by our sponsor Pioneer Services. For more information, visit

PioneerServices.com.

©2015 Pioneer Services. No U.S. military endorsement is implied.

• Make the most out of your holiday dollars—It’s important to know your limit before you start to shop—that way your holiday cheer doesn’t turn into a holiday debt hangover. This blog will give you some tips and tricks on how to spend wisely this season.
• Last minute gift ideas—Give great gifts just in time that are thoughtful and timeless and totally do-able! We have ideas on what you can make or buy that is quick and affordable, but also fun and memorable
• Make room for the holidays in your budget—Millions of Americans get carried away with their holiday spending each year as the joy of giving leads to the sorrows of high debt. These tips can help you save money and ensure the holiday season is truly bright.
• Playing your gift cards right—Odds are you’ll be giving or receiving a gift card this year. This post covers the laws governing gift cards and other considerations to keep in mind.
• Holiday financial hangover—The holidays were a time of giving—but sometimes all YOU get is a big pile of debt. Find out how to catch up with Christmas, and some of the best ways to avoid a repeat next season by spending and saving wisely.

CALCULATORS

Failure to plan is planning fail, so make sure you have a handle on just how much you can really afford with these calculators. (Note: These are not operated by Pioneer Services and are provided for general information only.)

• Holiday spending calculator (Bankrate.com)—While somewhat simple, it includes a number of items many people forget to plan for during the holidays, such as food and decorations. And it’s from Bankrate, which is a very trusted site.
• Holiday budget calculator (From PracticalMoneySkills.com)—This calculator takes a different approach: instead of asking you to list what you’ll spend on each item, it asks for your total holiday budget up front. Then, as you add in figures, it does the calculations to see how you’re doing.

FUN HOLIDAY LINKS

From interesting facts and figures to ways deployed military members have enjoyed the holidays, these take a look at the lighter side of the season.

• Christmas by the numbers—Most numbers associated with the holiday season revolve around how many people are on your shopping list and the amount of your gift budget. This infographic highlights a few other interesting and notable numbers surrounding the holiday season.
• Holiday safety—The holidays are joyous time—one to spend with family and friends at home, not worrying about falls and fires and trips to the ER. Find out how to keep your family safe and the season bright by following a few simple tips.
• Holidays on the front lines—No matter where they’re stationed or the conditions they’re in, those on the front lines have found ways to celebrate the holidays—if only for a few hours. We take a look at how the holiday season has been spent throughout the years by our deployed heroes.

THE SEASON FOR GIVING

It’s better to give than to receive, especially to those who need a hand up during tough times. The following are some charities to consider for your holiday giving:

• Fisher House—This group provides free lodging for military families while their loved one receives treatment. They have locations around the country near military medical centers.
• Homes for Our Troops—Their mission is to build specially-designed, mortgage-free homes for wounded service members.
• Patriot PAWS—A small non-profit that trains service dogs for service members, and provides them at no cost.
• Thanks USA—This group provides needs-based scholarships to children and spouses of military members.
• Charity Navigator—A site that lets you search for non-profits and learn more about them, including where their funding comes from and where their money goes.
• GuideStar—Similar to Charity Navigator, but provides slightly different information so you can make an informed giving decision.

Pioneer Services is not responsible for the content contained on any third party website.

This story is provided and presented by our sponsor Pioneer Services. For more information, visit

PioneerServices.com.

©2015 Pioneer Services. No U.S. military endorsement is implied.

• 26% said it was because they had less income due to other needs or increased costs
• Nearly 15% were worried about the stability of their future military career
• 12% said their spouses had pay or hours cut

The last point is interesting—the Army alone has cut more than 30,000 civilian jobs, some of which were military spouses. Issues with the federal budget, such as sequestration and future reductions in troop counts, are clearly playing some factor in spending decisions.

Thankfully, there is also some good news: 68% of respondents said they were going to pay cash this year instead of using credit. Of those, 30% have set money aside ahead of time, which is a very smart strategy, especially if they stick to it. And that is the key—even the best plan won’t mean much if they get carried away. One way to do that is to use an online calculator of some sort to track spending. Both Bankrateand Practical Money Skillshave options depending on how detailed (or basic) you want. You can also visit our page, HolidaySpendingPlanner.org, that has other tips and helpful links.

When military families do use credit, they are more likely to look for new deals, with 38% saying they do that rather than using existing credit (30%). This can be a cost-effective option, as interest-free grace periods and same-as-cash options can be a good way to get something without the added financing costs. Just make sure to read the fine print and ensure you can pay it off in the allotted amount of time.

Another factor in holiday spending is travel costs. While 28% will do no travelling during the holiday season, the same percentage will travel more than 500 miles—which makes sense, given the military’s frequent moves and relocations. Even here, there are ways to reduce expenses, such as Space-A travel (for those who are flexible in their scheduling) and military discounts offered on many airlines. If going by car, you should ask for discounts at hotels and even some larger travel centers, as you could save anywhere from 10% -20%.

Some other interesting notes from the survey:

• Retail is still king, edging out online purchases, 55% to 41%.
• Most get their shopping done early: 73% will do most of their shopping by Cyber Monday
• 37.5% say they will brave the crowds on Black Friday, which makes sense given that…
• They consider sales and discounts the most important factor when buying a gift—even more than a product’s quality—by a 64% to 31% margin.
• Free shipping and return policies? Not a factor in purchasing holiday gifts.
• When it comes to holiday movies, Christmas Story” is listed as the favorite, with Elf and Home Alone following close behind. But the classics are getting some love, too, with Miracle on 34th Street coming in fourth.

These numbers paint a positive, if slightly tenuous, picture for military families. While concerns about future income are real, these families are choosing to be smart with their money, saving and using cash instead of credit, and looking for the best credit deals when they do need to use it. It’s a good sign that should prevent this year’s cheer from becoming next year’s holiday debt hangover.

For more details and results from our survey, check out our infographic below.

©2015 Pioneer Services. No U.S. military endorsement is implied.

• Offer to watch the kids for couple hours. It’s a thoughtful way to provide a military spouse an opportunity to decompress with a much-needed break.
• Assist with endeavors that their spouse would normally handle, such as scouting projects, coaching sports, or tutoring.
• Seize the opportunity to take care of the mundane things for the spouse who is left behind during a deployment, such as mowing the lawn, removing snow from the driveway, or raking and bagging up the leaves.
• Isolation from their loved ones during the holidays can amplify feelings of depression and anxiety. Make sure to include military families in your plans during special occasions.
• Involve them in a fun family trip, such as an amusement park or to join your family for pizza and game night. It’s a nice gesture to provide some entertainment and excitement for everyone; who doesn’t like to attend an impromptu party?
• Make a meal for the spouse (and their family). It’s an excellent way to show your appreciation for their sacrifices and that you care.
• Be available to listen. This simple act can mean so much to someone who may feel overwhelmed or isolated. Many get offers at the beginning of a long deployment; be sure to follow up with them until their loved one returns home.

Military families are independent, tough and typically great neighbors to have in your community. Seek out those opportunities to show your appreciation for the sacrifices that they and their loved one in the service make for this country. To do so is not only a great way to create long lasting friendships with genuine and patriotic people, but is a way everyone can show their appreciation for those who serve our country.

©2015 Pioneer Services. No U.S. military endorsement is implied.