Navigating Military Life Overseas: With Jana from The Organized Military Life

[00:00:00] Alison: Okay, so today we are talking to Jana, and Jana is an army spouse who is currently stationed in, did you say Madrid, Spain?

[00:00:09] Alison: In Madrid? Is that right? Yes. Yes. Oh my gosh, okay. So, stationed in Madrid, Spain, and, and Jana is the organized military life. So we're going to talk first about your military life because you guys obviously are currently overseas. So I want to hear about that. And you have had a little bit of a different military experience.

[00:00:31] Alison: So we're going to touch on that as well. And then what your career has looked like as you move through that, because I'm, that's been a little bit of a, you know, obviously as you're moving all over the place that transition, and then we're going to talk about. Some organizing tips for decluttering and things as you're moving into your PCS season.

[00:00:49] Alison: How does that sound? Cool. Okay. All right. Let's go. Okay. Awesome. Okay. So Jana, welcome to the show. I'm so happy to have you here. We were already having a bit of a conversation beforehand, but 

[00:00:59] Jana: I was like, hold on, we got to 

[00:01:00] Alison: stop and record so that everybody can hear this. So I always like to start off with what is your military life looked like so far? 

[00:01:07] Jana: So I let's see. I've been a military spouse for 18 years. So I, we got married in Hawaii and my husband was already in the military. So but we actually knew each other from high school. We weren't high school sweethearts, but we met up afterwards. And so we knew each other from high school. And then, so we, that's where We ended up, we got married, he was already in the military and I've just, we've just been moving around ever since.

[00:01:36] Jana: And had our first baby, my daughter in Hawaii. And she likes to tell people she's Hawaiian. So but that baby is now 17 years old, which is crazy. And then let's see from there. From there, we've had 10 PCS moves. So all over the place, Georgia Florida, twice we've been, yeah, back to Florida twice, DC and then two overseas moves, one to Guatemala and one to Spain and somewhere in there, we had two more kids, so I have my boy is 13, almost 14, and my youngest, so She is 11.

[00:02:19] Jana: So we have three kids and then two doggies, one French bulldog, who we were talking about earlier, and then a rescue. And so, yes, they all keep me very busy. My husband he's Army. And he actually did this special forces course and is a special forces soldier. And so we've been in that lifestyle as well.

[00:02:44] Jana: So, very, very interesting, lots of different experiences through that. Yeah, 

[00:02:52] Alison: for sure. Okay, so because PCSing is on my mind, and I think that I'm just curious. And because we have kids that are almost the same age, my girls are 11, almost 11 and 12. So like, we're right, kind of in the same range as you are.

[00:03:08] Alison: How, what, how is the moving been for your kids? Especially like this overseas move to Spain? How, how, how are they handling that? How are you managing that? 

[00:03:18] Jana: I mean, we are just now hitting six months. I think this has been one of the hardest moves. I just. As they get older, you know, they, it's like, I don't, you know, you don't realize it, but then their emotions get bigger, their feelings get bigger, their friendships and connections get stronger. 

[00:03:39] Jana: So I think it was really rough and then add on a new country, a new culture, a new language on top of a new school. I mean, it's just. We're all feeling a little out of place and we all are trying to find our, our way here. But I will say, you know, they, they pretty much where they go, they jump in with both feet.

[00:04:01] Jana: All of them do some, you know, a few one or two. Take a little longer, but they're getting there. They're getting there. I feel like we're on up of the six months. They all are in activities and they're all finding their way and finding things that they like to do. Interesting. It, you know, my, so my junior went from, she ran cross country at her old school.

[00:04:25] Jana: They don't have cross country here. So, you know, just things like that, but it's a smaller school here. And she had played volleyball prior, like in middle school and really liked it. Well, the school she went to there, there was no, she wasn't on a club team. She wasn't like, so she didn't make the volleyball team here.

[00:04:44] Jana: She made the volleyball team. So, you know, there's like, there's. Good things. Yeah, you just have to kind of roll with it and see and and, and just find those spaces. So I, you know, this again, it's completely unfamiliar, but I think, I think they're enjoying it. I think they're enjoying the travel. You know, they're teenagers.

[00:05:08] Jana: I think they'd, they'd rather be left alone and just like on devices and stuff that we have to kind of pull them out and take them and it's funny to hear them be like, another castle, like really another cathedral. And we're like, I wouldn't like, we know as adults, we're sitting there like this is an amazing experience.

[00:05:28] Jana: Yeah, yeah. In, in their lives, their, what they have seen, I, I, I'm I saw nothing. I mean, I saw nothing growing up. I was born in the same house that, like, I, when I left to go off, that was the same house. And then we didn't, you know, I mean, we're, I was Texas born and raised. So I saw Texas, you know, but like, I did not see these things.

[00:05:52] Jana: So, yeah, we know his parents were giving them the world or we're trying to, but yeah, I know as teenagers, sometimes it's It's like, they're like, I just want to see my friends and I just want to hang out with my friends. So, but we're getting there. I fully believe that. So, yeah, 

[00:06:09] what 

[00:06:09] Alison: is so we were talking about this a little bit offline, but you guys, cause we're in a similar boat that you are that he's my husband is in engineering.

[00:06:19] Alison: And so what are we. Are a lot of our assignments are not attached to a base or a specific unit and so I feel have felt very kind of removed from the military community, which we talked about. And so you guys are in Madrid and I know. So Rota, which actually my husband was born in Rota. His dad was a submariner.

[00:06:39] Alison: So he was born there. And then, I mean, I think like he wasn't even 2 or 3 months old when they came back to the States, but still. So he has that. I think he has a Spanish. Anyway, sorry, side tangent, but anyways, but so Rhoda is like the big hub for military right in Spain. So Madrid is not. So what does that look like for you as far as.

[00:07:03] Alison: You know, housing, obviously you're, you're going to like live out in the economy and then schools for your kids, because I believe right overseas, they have the, what they call them the do we have schools that are the defense kind of schools that they have on base. 

[00:07:16] Jana: So, yes. So, like, normally if you're going overseas to like Germany, there's going to be like a dodecahedron school or something like that.

[00:07:23] Jana: Yeah, yeah. But I'm like, do we, that's not, that's like a 

[00:07:27] Alison: completely different day. Thank you. I was close. I 

[00:07:30] Jana: was close. Yeah, so normally they would have those, and normally, I'm just saying Germany just because those are kind of the biggest bases, and Rota too, Rota has a school, we drove by and we saw it, we're like, oh, they have like a school on base. 

[00:07:46] Jana: So yeah, and so, and even we went to go visit Rota, I'm using it again, but it was like a little. It was like a little America, you know, we're like, Oh, this is great. But living out on the economy, it's very much yeah, we have, you know, just, I'm trying to think of whatever European plugs and our neighbors, our neighbors are Spanish and that kind of thing.

[00:08:08] Jana: We're actually very lucky here. Our next door neighbors are actually also Americans. So they're also here and they're actually American military. So it's wonderful. But that. It was just kind of a happenstance. I think so a lot of times when these kind of assignments that my husband's assigned to the embassy here, which is a little bit different.

[00:08:27] Jana: He's still with the military, but he's like with the embassy in Madrid. So we opted. And I think there, I think they're trying to do this for everybody, but there's a housing pool. So it's for me, it's Wonderful because we, we just showed up and we, our house was already picked. Some people do not like that and some people don't have that option.

[00:08:49] Jana: So some people have to get here and they live in like a hotel or like a temporary housing and they have to go find their own housing or some, you know, and that can be very difficult to maneuver in a foreign country where you don't speak the language and you don't even understand the currency or the laws or any of that stuff.

[00:09:06] Jana: Yeah. So, and then because you're a part of the embassy, there's. security things you have to consider. So for me, not having to do that. And maybe I don't have a choice of my house, but I was like, sure, sure. I don't care. It's kind of, it's like 

[00:09:21] Alison: they're giving you something that's vetted. Right. So that is like, okay, this is, I'm in a good place.

[00:09:25] Alison: This is it. Okay. I don't have to, yeah, I can see there's pluses and minuses. Right. So that stuff for sure. Yeah. Yeah. 

[00:09:31] Jana: Some people that would drive them crazy. Right. Some people want that control. Right. I mean, it's a temporary, I know it's This isn't a forever thing, so I'm like, sure, take care of it on that end.

[00:09:42] Jana: And then also here, another thing that's very different and this isn't everybody. So if you are assigned to one of these types of assignments, again, it's not every embassy will look different. Every assignment will look different, but we were also in the furniture, furniture pool. So we were in the housing pool and the furniture pool.

[00:09:59] Jana: So this is embassy furniture. This isn't, this is Ikea. You can see that, but like my desk, the beds, everything is. It's embassy. So it's a little bit different. And again, that would drive people absolutely nuts because it's not, you know, it's not their decor, it's not how they would decorate, but me again, I'm like, great, I'll make it work.

[00:10:17] Jana: So then did you 

[00:10:19] Alison: leave all of your stuff in the States?

[00:10:21] Jana: Oh, yes. Oh, this assignment here, we were only allowed to bring 5, 000 pounds. So when you talk about like decluttering and making choices, I was like. I mean, it was like, you cannot bring this. I mean, the kids too, they had, you know, they each had like, I think like two tubs and I was like, well, there you go.

[00:10:41] Jana: You know, like you gotta really make those choices. So yeah, we left all of our furniture for sure because that, that's the weight there and then just brought what was necessary. I left a lot of like decor and holiday stuff and all of that kind of stuff, garage yard stuff. We didn't need that. So.

[00:11:00] Jana: Yeah, but yeah, so it's a little, it's a little bit different here. And then as far as like, kind of not being attached to a base, there are certain services and stuff that you don't have. If my husband needs to get medical or dental, like. You know, he has to go be seen in a military base. We have a health unit here.

[00:11:20] Jana: So there is a health unit for the embassy, but it's not military. So there's just very different things. Even like the kids, orthodontists and dentists, you have to get overseas approval. And then, so sometimes they'll have. People that are in the network, the people in United Concordia or whatever, try to network. 

[00:11:39] Jana: We opted to go out. So we go see the orthodontist and then I get it reimbursed on the backside. So it's like, it's like, I'm the insurance kind of the insurance claim. So I do all that. Yeah. So yeah, there's, there's a lot of little things that are like. They're different. And there's a lot of, especially, especially Spain because we were overseas.

[00:12:00] Jana: I mentioned before, we were in Guatemala, but here in Spain, they have so many different processes for everything. And like the way their ID cards work and the way this works. And you're like, you just have to. You have to just come and figure these things out and they have rules for everything but you're sitting here kind of like well, is this an important rule?

[00:12:19] Jana: Is this a rule that everybody follows? Or is this a rule that everybody's like meh? You know, like, you don't know. You're kind of like, kind of get frozen sometimes because you're like, I don't know what to do. And then in Spanish, which I, I was in Guatemala, so, but it's, my level's not where it should be. I'm sorry to say, so I'm working on that again, but well, there's no better place 

[00:12:44] Alison: right then immersion for learning a language.

[00:12:47] Alison: So that's going to be great for you and for your kids. I mean, it's, it's a steep curve, but I think that, you know, if you can, there's nothing better than being immersed in the culture to be able to, you know, develop those skills. Right. Yeah. As ugly as it might be. 

[00:13:03] Jana: Yes. I was going to say, so the, the school and for the kids, so they take Spanish, but it's an American school.

[00:13:09] Jana: So part of these assignments is they kind of have to guarantee an American education. But so if you're a military or even like a state department, that's kind of more what the assignment feels like. You're kind of like with the embassy, they have to kind of, if they send you overseas and they, you know.

[00:13:27] Jana: Assign you there. They kind of have to guarantee an American education. So they'll send you to these are kids to the American schools So, okay, so they're very nice, but they're all in English, which I know I'm like Sometimes that they are more in Spanish But again, I have a junior in high school and to have sent her and my even my middle schoolers sent them into like Spanish speaking school.

[00:13:50] Jana: Yeah. Oh, right. I was like, yeah, I was like, I just don't think junior year you have time to kind of, yeah, make it all up. But she's actually, she's actually our most fluent because she kind of picked it up in Guatemala and didn't lose it. The other two lost it immediately. So we're trying to get everybody back, back on.

[00:14:08] Jana: Yeah. But yes, it's, it's very different. And that feeling like you were talking about, like, sometimes like, Sometimes I don't feel like a military spouse because I have these experiences that are so different and so outside the norm of just kind of moving from base to base to base, you know, I, and, and then of course like foreign countries as well.

[00:14:33] Jana: And then even kind of like we got my kids experiences. I mean, there are certain, branches of the military where this is the norm. This is what they do. FAOs and some of these kind of things you know, that's what they do. They pick up and they're just going to live overseas, and they're stationed overseas.

[00:14:51] Jana: And so there are some really cool opportunities. Yeah. You know, if service members are interested in that, but I think for some people it's, it can become a lot just that kind of thing. Some people would not want that at all, would not want that life. 

[00:15:08] Alison: Yeah. And how, so you have two dogs. How did that go?

[00:15:11] Alison: Cause I know I see that all the time. People are like, Oh my gosh, my pets. What do I 

[00:15:15] Jana: do? How was that 

[00:15:16] Alison: experience for you guys moving your pets? 

[00:15:19] Jana: Overseas. It was probably the most stressful part of the move, for sure. It, so we have a Frenchie, they're snub nosed, and he, yeah, they would not move him in the summer, and so, and our older dog too, because of the temperature, so we had to for a few months, we found this awesome organization, it's called PACT, for animals, P A C T.

[00:15:46] Jana: Yes. I just heard about them 

[00:15:48] Alison: too. Yes. 

[00:15:49] Jana: Yes. So I would say for anybody, if you're looking to foster dogs or if you need a foster dog, I mean, obviously they can't guarantee it, but it's a good place to start. It's like dogs on deployment, but they, they help military families and first responders and it's not like deployment only. 

[00:16:07] Jana: Cause we actually looked into dogs deployment and it really was for people on deployment. We were just needing something. Like for those summer months, we could not figure it out. His orders had us coming in the middle, like July, August, and we couldn't figure out how to get the dogs here. We were living in Tampa.

[00:16:26] Jana: Our family is back home in Texas. It was like. How are we going to do, you know, like I said, it was the biggest logistic. We reached out to PAX and then, I mean, very quickly they got back to us. And with this awesome foster dog mama, that's what, she's an angel on earth. She was born to do this. She's still doing it.

[00:16:46] Jana: Like the day after our dogs left, she had two more dogs for another military person. I mean, She took such good care of our dogs. I was like, our dogs don't even want to see us. 

[00:16:56] Alison: Yeah. They're like, we're good over here. Thanks so much. Yeah. Okay. So for everybody that doesn't know what PACT is, I can't remember what it stands for, but I'm going to be doing an episode on them because I saw that and I was like, what the, what, what is this?

[00:17:12] Alison: Like, I, I need to learn more about this organization because 

[00:17:15] Jana: it's like. She would be so happy. She's so nice. Or the main person that I talked to, my foster dog mama was great. But yeah, main person I talked to, but it's just a great organization. And like I said, I was telling my husband, like when we're older, maybe more settled, I'd love to give back and foster for military families.

[00:17:32] Jana: And this is already, it's already set up. Like it's already got a gateway. They have a website. You can go, you can see the foster dogs or cats. They have cats. I think they have. They might have birds. They might have other animals. Sure. And so it was set up. So that's kind of, we had to figure out that middle logistic piece and then getting them over here.

[00:17:52] Jana: It actually kind of worked out. My husband had to go back to the States and he was on orders. So he was able to get them here because he was on orders. So I think if it had been me standing there, not. A military member on orders, I would say, like. And so did 

[00:18:08] Alison: he, was that flying commercial or flying or flying?

[00:18:12] Alison: Oh, it was. So was he able to like differentiate? Was he able to bring her on, bring him? I'm sorry. It 

[00:18:17] Jana: was, he was able to get him on it, on, on the plane. And then he, and then our other one was able to go in cargo because. And he was just under the weight. I mean, just under, I was telling the foster dog mommy, I was like, don't give him any more food.

[00:18:33] Jana: No treats. No treats this week. Yeah. And he was like, right at 100 pounds, because I think that's what it has to be for the, I think it's American. I don't want to say it wrong. The policies are changing. I know. Sure. My biggest piece of advice would be almost like. Don't listen to anybody. I called everyone.

[00:18:56] Jana: I called and I would get this advice from this person. And then I get this and they pull me over to cargo and cargo didn't know what was happening. So they'd send me to this person who didn't know what was happening. And, I think you have to have a backup plan and our backup plan was the foster dog mom because we were like, we're just going to go.

[00:19:15] Jana: We had all of our paperwork. We had everything exactly, you know, how 1 person had told us. And, but I told her, I was like, my faith in this working right now is. Zero. And this is, 

[00:19:27] Alison: and this is dealing with the airline. This is dealing with the airline themselves. Okay. So they were kind of, nobody knows what's anybody's doing or has any answers.

[00:19:35] Jana: And to be fair, I think they've switched it on them so many times. I mean, I'm not saying they're incompetent. I think they just, nobody knows, like they switch it. And then this dog has this thing and this dog has that thing. And then. Oh, gosh. And so, yeah, you have to find the flight that's going direct, and this size airplane will only fly this size dog, and like If you were to make a matrix of that whole thing, I mean, I was ready to cry and I'm so happy it worked out.

[00:20:04] Jana: So, but I'm not the expert. Like, I'm, I couldn't tell you. It just was like, I think it was just prayer and hope and somebody was like, okay. And again, my husband's standing there with military orders, like getting these dogs on the flight. These dogs are getting on the plane. Right. Yeah. And if 

[00:20:19] Alison: you were there, they'd be like, well, I don't know.

[00:20:21] Alison: Yeah. There's something to be said for that. Every once in a while you gotta, I know it. Sometimes you gotta, yeah. 

[00:20:27] Jana: Sometimes 

[00:20:27] Alison: you got to pull that card. Definitely. Sometimes you got to pull that card. Yeah. And I 

[00:20:31] Jana: was talking about, I was like, you pull out your uniform. I don't care. Go in a uniform, whatever it takes, 

[00:20:38] Alison: get those dogs on the plane.

[00:20:39] Alison: Oh my gosh. I was like, wow. Yeah. Yeah. Well. I have to say kudos to you because, yeah, because your chin is up so high and clearly you, it has been a lot to bear with your pets and your kids and just the, that's, it's a lot. It's a lot. So I think, you know. Kudos to you for holding down the fort, keeping everybody 

[00:21:02] Jana: sane.

[00:21:03] Jana: Well, thank you. I mean, I, I, at the same time, this is an amazing opportunity. I mean, I hate, you know, I, of course, I think we laugh because we're, we will say, Oh, you know, it's been hard and everybody goes, Oh, but you're in Madrid. And I'm like, 

[00:21:16] Alison: Okay, but we have to get here. 

[00:21:19] Jana: All of us and yeah, there's, you're right.

[00:21:22] Jana: That's true. That's true. But you 

[00:21:24] Alison: logistically have to get your whole family there and your four legged family as well. And just, yeah, and be completely separated from the bases and stuff is just, it's, it's a lot. That's, it's, that's a lot to, to take on stress wise for sure. So is it, how long are you guys supposed to be there for?

[00:21:40] Alison: Is it a longer assignment, a shorter assignment or? I 

[00:21:43] Jana: don't know. Three years. So we're supposed to be here three years, but I mean, you know, things can change. We're, we're looking forward to it. We're already setting out travel plans and we're, we're really like, now that everything's kind of like, sure. Now we're like, okay, let's go.

[00:21:58] Jana: Let's travel. Let's do it. And we've already. been a lot of places in Spain and it's amazing. It's beautiful. And again, I am very, very grateful for this opportunity and don't want to sound like I'm not grateful. No, 

[00:22:10] Alison: no, no. I don't think you sound ungrateful at all. No, but, but again, I think that I, I think that we have this like.

[00:22:19] Alison: Everything has to be rosy and everything, you know, like we've always got to be like, I'm, you know, it's okay. Take it in stride. And like, sometimes it's like, holy crap. This is like, this 

[00:22:29] Jana: is bananas that we're doing this and the

[00:22:31] Alison: stress level. Like we have to, 

[00:22:33] Jana: like, it's, 

[00:22:33] Alison: that's part of it because then I feel like if we don't talk about that part of it.

[00:22:37] Alison: Then I feel like when you get in that you're like, why everybody else is handling this fine. Why am I, why can't I do it? They're not, 

[00:22:45] Jana: they're.

[00:22:49] Alison: Yeah, they're definitely not. I'm sure you had multiple tears, like crying 

[00:22:53] Jana: in your closet, right? Of like, how is this gonna happen? 

[00:22:57] Alison: And like, oh my gosh, I can see in your face, like your kids, like that's very, 

[00:23:01] Jana: very, 

[00:23:02] Alison: very stressful. I could tell. And, and, and as a mama. And I think I, you know, all mamas are like, that's the hardest part for me is that is watching my kids have to go through the challenges because we want to protect them from all of that stuff, which obviously we know we can't protect them from everything.

[00:23:20] Alison: But when we're imposing a situation on them, that is very challenging. You can't help but feel like, Oh my gosh. What am I, what are we doing to our kids? Is this, are they going to be okay? Is this, you know, there's just that all that doubt and uncertainty of, you know, and, and of course you, there's the other side of it, right?

[00:23:38] Alison: Oh, we're me, their kids are gonna be so resilient and they're so well traveled and they're, you know, they can make friends so easily and they have all of these world experiences, 

[00:23:45] Jana: which are so valuable, but they're still kids. They're still 

[00:23:49] Alison: teenagers. That are, you know what I'm saying? 

[00:23:51] Jana: Like, it's, it's tough.

[00:23:53] Jana: It is really tough. And I don't care, like, what, where you are. Middle school is the worst. Middle school stinks. And I'm sorry. Oh, you're about to get it. No, we're in it. I've got a sixth grader. I've got a sixth grader this year and she's like, Yeah, it's bad. It's so bad. I know. Yeah, it just, you can't. I'm sorry.

[00:24:14] Jana: You can't skip middle school. I wish. I mean, so it doesn't matter military kid or not. Like I, I know. Yeah. And I know those kids that I'm like, you could not pay me to go back and go through middle school. And I'm like, and it's huge in it right now. I'm sorry. And we're going to get through it. But, but yeah, I think a lot of those tropes that we hear as military spouses, like, Oh, you're so resilient and you're so strong and dah, dah, dah, dah, dah.

[00:24:38] Jana: And like those same tropes go to the kids. Yeah. You're so resilient, you're going to be adaptable and you can be up and you can be friends with anybody and they're sitting there like, but as they're walking in the 

[00:24:49] Alison: door and a new school in Spain is a hundred percent. That is not how that feels at all.

[00:24:54] Alison: And then the mama heart is like, Holy crap. Like I can't even, Oh Lordy. I, cause I, cause this next move. I've got Sophia will be going into sixth grade and Savannah will be going into seventh. And I'm like, Oh gosh. And I'm just thinking of that first day of school. And they're walking in there and they don't know a soul.

[00:25:13] Alison: There's not a familiar face to be found. And they've got to go through the circus. Cattle call. That is lunch. Who are they going to sit with? Like all those things like that. You just, those social things that you think, Oh, they'll be okay. It's going to be right. That's what you have to just keep telling yourself.

[00:25:32] Alison: Cause otherwise, Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Okay. So then let's change gears just a little bit. And let's talk about, because you guys have obviously had a very unique military experience, which I think is super cool. So what has your career looked like as you have navigated. 10 moves and all of this stuff.

[00:25:49] Alison: Tell us about what that's looked like for you. 

[00:25:52] Jana: Definitely Swiss cheese. So lots of holes. And if you lined it up against my husband's career and the ages of my children, it would all make sense. I'd be like, yeah, this makes perfect sense. So but Let's see. So I started out I was a competition dancer all the way through high school and growing up.

[00:26:13] Jana: So I did competition dance. And so after high school, I taught dance. And so like jazz, ballet, you know, all that. And so that's where I was like, I'm going to be a dance teacher and all this stuff. But then once we had my first daughter, she started getting involved. in activities herself. I still taught dance part time.

[00:26:36] Jana: Let's see, I taught at our first three duty stations. Yeah, I think I figured out how to part time, part time. Sure. I loved it. But then, like I said, as my kids kind of got into the age where they were doing soccer, they were doing this and I was kind of like, you know, I think teaching dance is a young person's job just because that schedule is very hard to maintain.

[00:26:59] Jana: And I will always love dance. I still in our last duty station, I went and took dance classes for myself. So I will always probably be a dancer in some way, shape or form. But I did as we moved. Moved on. I got my undergrad and master's. So I was always kind of going to school. I didn't really know exactly what I was going to do with it, but I was like, well, we'll just keep going.

[00:27:25] Jana: I use some of those military spouse programs. And I was able to get my master's and then once we made it to Guatemala, I actually got my teaching certificate. So I I taught dance. I had done that. I had done some substitute teaching and which is a great. You know, option for military spouses, if you're ever looking into that, I think it's great.

[00:27:49] Jana: So I've done that at a few duty stations just to kind of stay busy and get real active in my kid's school. I got to know the teachers. I got to know the kids way better than just being on the outside. So, but then in Guatemala, I actually did teach for two years. I taught PE and I thought there was going to be a lot more dance involved, but there was a lot of sports.

[00:28:11] Jana: So I was like, Oh, okay. So no, I liked it. And I actually did teach middle school. So I got real up and close and personal with those middle schoolers. And yeah, but kind of when we moved back to the States, my husband immediately deployed. And I said for a little bit, but I knew I was like, I can't handle.

[00:28:34] Jana: Full time teaching with three kids with deployment. Like I, some people can and they're like, you know, like I know some people can do that, but I knew me, I couldn't do it. And part of the reason we had moved back where we did, we moved back to Texas was my mom wasn't doing very well at that time. So I had this extra layer kind of sitting there on me and I was like, you know, I'm going to step back from full time teaching at this point.

[00:29:02] Jana: Then COVID hit. And so. Teaching went crazy and I, the people who stayed in teaching are, again, like y'all are heroes because I just kind of looked around and was like I don't know what's happening with this and then we moved again. So we, we had that one duty station. We moved during COVID that during that summer and we made it to Tampa.

[00:29:27] Jana: I subbed a little bit then. And unfortunately it was during that time. My mom ended up passing away and when, so I went home and, you know, It was hard. I mean, it was really hard and it was hard to kind of come back to it. And my stress came in migrating. So I had migraine. So trying to teach P or trying to teach kids or trying to teach with, like, lights, any of that stuff for about a year was very, very difficult for me.

[00:29:55] Jana: And I don't know why I'm having these migraines. And it was like. I think I get stressed, but yeah, so kind of part of that and you know, my mom always said when I was as a military spouse, I would tell her these stories about the kids or just funny things that had happened and she would always tell me, Jana, write it down, write these things down.

[00:30:17] Jana: You need to write these things down. And so a few months after she had passed, I decided to start a blog because I was like, I need to write these things down. That's what my mom told me to do. I started the blog to organize military life and just kind of started from there. At that same time, which was kind of funny, I actually became a Millie Scout.

[00:30:40] Jana: And so I was a Millie Scout in Tampa, Florida, and I worked for Millie. And it was kind of crazy how it happened. I like started the blog. I was a Millie Scout and I started an Instagram account for Millie Scout. And through that, Millie themselves reached out and were like, Hey, would you like to do our Instagram account?

[00:31:02] Jana: Because I think at that point they didn't have anybody to be running their Instagram account. And I was like, sure. I don't know what I'm doing. You know, but they were like, you'll figure it out. You know, but honestly, they were great. So I got all this kind of like, So Kelly artists she's fantastic. She brought me on the team and just retraining things.

[00:31:23] Jana: She'd be like, okay, you know, keep this in mind, do this. And little by little, I started with Instagram and then I would kind of started editing YouTube videos. And then I started doing like just little things here and there that I was also kind of doing over on my blog. I would be, my blog, I always said it was like, I don't really know where this is going, but I'm just going to write some stuff and I'm going to see what's happening.

[00:31:48] Jana: And like, as far as social media and far as all that's going. So I'll be trying something over a million. Yeah, go try it over on my blog as well. Just to see kind of like, how does this work? So I so. Fast forward to now, I'm still doing the organized military life. A lot of times, the Melee Scout services, what I'd be asked to do was to help people unpack and get ready for a PCS.

[00:32:13] Jana: And so, as I was unpacking, that would be like Melee Scout, and then they'd be like, hey, can you also helped me organize this. And so I was like, well, actually, yeah, I actually have this blog. And I actually like talk about organizing and decluttering for military spouses. And so I started helping military spouses declutter and organize.

[00:32:34] Jana: And I found out like, I really like that. And I really enjoyed doing that. So that's kind of where I'm at now is offering services still virtually right now because we're in Spain and two Americans here in Madrid. So helping org organization decluttering and that kind of thing. So I'm still running the blog and creating digital products and all that.

[00:32:59] Alison: So nice. Okay. So then, so did the, did the organizing cause you, so you started the blog as the organized military life. Had you all, did you, did you know that you kind of wanted to talk about organizing or cause it sounded like, like it was going to be more like stories about your military life and kids and different 

[00:33:17] Jana: experiences like that.

[00:33:17] Jana: So how, where did the organized organization 

[00:33:19] Alison: part 

[00:33:20] Jana: of it come into it? I think I just, I was like, I need to be able to talk about something. I don't know. I feel like I was like, I didn't want it to be like. I feel like there were a lot of like my military lifestyle. Like I felt like there were a lot of things out there and it was actually during COVID I was watching the home edit, I think a lot of us watched like binge the home edit.

[00:33:44] Jana: I watched all of it and I'm sitting there and my youngest looks at me and she goes, mom. You should do this. Like, you'd be really good at this. This is like, this is what you do. And but I hadn't always been organized. I think that came out of all these PCS moves and kind of chaos and, and everything.

[00:34:03] Jana: And So I think that's where the idea kind of came from. And I had, I had started on our own house. So before that move, when my husband was deployed, I had started decluttering our house like crazy. And so I had started reading and like, how do I organize it? How do I declutter it? How do I do this?

[00:34:23] Jana: Because I very much felt overwhelmed. Guatemala was the same in that we could only bring 5, 000 pounds. So when we moved back to the States. Our entire storage thing was delivered. It was like, yeah, it was like, you know, a lifetime. It was like from three years prior, a lot changes in that time. And we had just.

[00:34:45] Jana: Papers upon papers upon papers and just stuff upon stuff upon stuff and my husband was deployed So he wasn't even there to like help me decide or do we need this or what is this? So I just I went crazy the lady at the Goodwill knew me She was like, I got a workflow! Have it again! What you got today!

[00:35:08] Jana: She didn't ask questions and I was like, so I would just drop it and I did. So I've started to that very overwhelming feeling again. Yes. My mom was sick. Yes. My husband was deployed and there was a lot going on. And I think for me, that's where decluttering came in and organizing came in as far as like, okay, I can control these things and I can, every time I'm.

[00:35:32] Jana: You know, I mean, it sounds like anxiety, but it's not, and I'm like, it's helped me out. Yeah, I, well, I think that, Every time I like, created a space, did that, it was helpful. It helped me like, alleviate some of that overwhelm and, and what's going on. And, you know, my husband was kind of going through like, what are we going to do next?

[00:35:53] Jana: What's the next step? So. Very much, very much was helpful for me and yeah, the family. Yeah. Well, I, you know, 

[00:36:01] Alison: I think so. And I think that that's something that a lot of, of, well, I don't know that a lot of military spouses go through is, is that there is so much about our lifestyle that is not controllable.

[00:36:11] Alison: And so. What you have, your possessions and how your home is is controllable. And so, and then I think through COVID, I think a lot of us spent a lot of time in our homes and had that chance to kind of like take a critical eye and be like, do I really need? All of these things. Do I really need the, and then I love that, right?

[00:36:34] Alison: You put all your stuff when you went to Guatemala. And then now as you're going to Spain, like you can't take all this stuff with you. So then you come home and you get this storage pod delivered and you're like, what? I don't even, cause you're right. You change and evolve so much. Like you don't even need all that stuff anymore.

[00:36:49] Alison: And so it's interesting. I'm curious to hear what your thoughts are. Cause I feel like if you haven't used it in a year, say, right, then you don't need it. Like you should get rid of it. But, and I don't know if this is like the military brain, I don't know, but I feel like. I've 

[00:37:05] Jana: had stuff where I'm like, Oh, 

[00:37:08] Alison: Ooh, you know what?

[00:37:09] Alison: No, I'm just going to get rid of it. I'm going to let it go. And then inevitably like two or three years later, I'm like, dang, I really wish I 

[00:37:16] Jana: had that thing. And so I feel like that 

[00:37:19] Alison: is like kind of hold you back on like, what do you get rid of? Do you have any, any insight or 

[00:37:25] Jana: what are your tips around that?

[00:37:27] Jana: I like the 2020 rule for that. So the 2020 rule for something like that I think. For me, those items are always like curtains and bar stools, right? Curtains and bar stools for whatever reason, right? Like I get to a house, they don't work. They, they, it's the wrong height. This one has a bar height. This one doesn't even have a bar.

[00:37:45] Jana: This one is this or this one doesn't need curtains. And so I think I had a box of curtains that we just kept with us and we kept with us and we kept with us. Because. Those are expensive. Yeah. Go try to go to Ikea and go get some barstools. So 2020 rule is basically if it costs more than 20 to replace, or if it's going to take you more than 20 minutes to get it.

[00:38:09] Jana: So most of us can shop on Amazon or go to Target, right? So if it's like, no, this was like. Something that really like, I found it, I shopped for it. It was the right thing. I loved it. Then keep it, you know, it's okay. Or if it's something like that, where it's curtains, where you bought four panels or whatever, that one window, and it costs 200 for those curtains and you like them still, like, that's the other thing.

[00:38:37] Jana: I mean, things go out of fashion. But If you still like it and you can see, like you can see over, you know, this one is only two to three years, maybe the next house will have the right size windows. It's okay. You know, that's fine. And I think those are one of those challenges that. Only military spouses would, like, understand, 

[00:38:59] Alison: right?

[00:39:00] Alison: Yeah. 

[00:39:00] Jana: Yeah. Yeah. Normally, you could just make that decision and move on. Right. 

[00:39:05] Alison: But we never know what our house is going to look like. Yeah. You have no idea what you're walking 

[00:39:09] Jana: into at the next duty station. Yes. Right. We're trying to plan, like, five, five moves from now, for some reason. I don't know. But me, I will say, I did end up getting rid of the curtains.

[00:39:19] Jana: I did end up getting rid of the barstools, like, I'm just going to start over. Yeah. And this house, there's no curtains or barstools. So there we go. Yeah. Right. 

[00:39:30] Alison: Okay, so as you were helping, so you said as you were a Melee Scout, which we had Kelly. We had her on the show to talk about Millie. So we did a whole episode on that. I will make sure that I link it in the show notes so that you guys can go back and find it if you're curious about what that is and what Millie, the services that Millie offers, because there's, it's a fantastic service for military families, 100%.

[00:39:56] Alison: So as you were a Millie scout in Tampa, you, you had said that one of the things that people asked you to do worse was to help. Prepare for a packout. And also, yeah, receiving. So what are some of the biggest things that you found? That were like, that people had the most, I don't, I don't know, like, what were things that people really needed the most help with organizing?

[00:40:18] Alison: I'm not really sure, like the right way to 

[00:40:20] Jana: The right way to say, but 

[00:40:21] Alison: was like, what was like a big thing that you saw a lot of a lot of 

[00:40:25] Jana: that you people through? I think sometimes, like, so as far as the Millie Scouts or as far as the organizing, because it, it, it kind of went different ways. Oh, oh, because I 

[00:40:36] Alison: thought that you said as a Millie Scout, you helped people.

[00:40:39] Jana: Like a lot of times Millie Scouts. What they do is they like, so say you're getting your HHG that day, right? You're getting your HHG. You can hire a milling scout. They can come in. They can help you check off the inventory. They can help you just direct traffic. They can kind of help be there. And I got called a lot for that.

[00:40:55] Jana: Okay. So then it would come to the like. The unpacking and the organizing, which not every Millie Scout does. So that's why I offered that service. And so they would like say, can you come and help me organize? And then I would like from there, it would kind of devolve into like more organization from there.

[00:41:14] Jana: But I feel like a lot of the times. As both, as both, I was just kind of there as like almost a friend and an accountability partner a lot of times, because when you're helping somebody unpack or you're helping somebody organize, you don't know what this stuff is. You don't know what's important. You don't know what it is.

[00:41:36] Jana: You don't know you. I have ideas as to like, this should probably go here and like, you know, put the bigger items here and the smaller items there. But as far as the cluttering or unpacking it. Sometimes people, I think they just want to talk about their stuff, you know, sometimes it was like I was just there to hear and listen, and so sometimes that's all I was there for. There was one client, her husband was deployed. So here she was, she was having, it was kind of the same situation that I faced. She was having like multiple shipments come in at one time. And it was a lot of stuff and they had been overseas. And so she was receiving all this stuff.

[00:42:14] Jana: Her husband was gone. She had a toddler that was two and a half and she was like, I'm never going to be able to do this with her underfoot. And so she's like, when you come, we just have to work. Like, we just have to, I just need you to help me work. Cause she's like, otherwise I just want to like. Sit down on a couch and not do that.

[00:42:31] Jana: And she's like, so when I hire you, it's time to work. And I was like, great. So let's do it. You know, but yeah. And it's easier for somebody like me to come in because it's not my stuff. I'm not stressed. I'm not overwhelmed at that point, you know, when I'm doing my own PCS, you know, okay. But when it's not mine, you know, I was like, sure.

[00:42:50] Jana: So I can come and help and, and do that. But yeah, I had another girl and she said, Jana, I have so much stuff. I have so much stuff. I have so much stuff. And I got there and I looked around and I was like, you don't have so much stuff. She was like, it was everything was beautiful. You know, I know it's like, I don't understand, but I think people have that, that feeling.

[00:43:11] Jana: And, and even if you don't, I mean, you know, it's It's relative. You might think you have a lot of stuff, but compared to somebody else, you don't, but it's all how you feel about it. And she was very funny. Cause I, she was, she was hilarious. Cause she was just throwing stuff left and right. She was decluttering like faster than anything I had ever seen.

[00:43:31] Jana: I was like, you are a decluttering Ninja. But again, she just wanted me there because she was like, if you weren't here, I would do thousands of other things. I would go do. Anything else but this right now. And I was like, okay. So she's like, when you're here, this is what I'm doing. Great. You know, so, yeah, it's funny because I feel like a lot of times that's why I was there.

[00:43:54] Jana: I was just there. People just needed like focus, right? And we get so overwhelmed with PCS. PCS is one of the most overwhelming things to go through and we all go through it. But it's because I think, you're actually mentioning this on the podcast, you go through that middle period where maybe you don't have orders or maybe you don't know where you're going, but you know something's happening.

[00:44:18] Jana: You can't do it. You can't make the calls. You can't do this. You can't register. You can't, you know, you can't like You can't get in there and do it. So you're just sitting there and just like, feeling of like, everything's about to change. I know that and your body very much. It's like resisting it and it all your body ever wants to do is go back to its comfort zone.

[00:44:38] Jana: That's everybody. So, so it's like gearing up for, you know, a battle basically, like our nervous system is like gearing up cause we know what's coming and we like, okay, so. And so, yeah, I think that's where I can come in and kind of be like, okay, let's see, let's start with the closet and let's, you know, like, make it, make it kind of break it down, make it simpler, make an action plan, and let's just go through a little by little.

[00:45:07] Jana: It doesn't have to feel so. Big and overwhelming. It will, but, but just kind of helping people focus where, where they need. Yeah. 

[00:45:17] Alison: So you had kind of mentioned this at the beginning. You're working on a checklist of sorts that is going to help walk people through decluttering pre PCS. Can you tell 

[00:45:27] Jana: us a little bit about that?

[00:45:29] Jana: Yes. So over in my Facebook group. So if you guys want to come join, it's creating spaces. And it's the cluttering tips for military spouses. I kind of asked, I said, Hey, what do you guys like need? Like, what can, what can I create? What do you need right now? And it was kind of a resounding, like, I would love a room by room declutter check, like, take me in each room and help me declutter with a checklist.

[00:45:55] Jana: Oh, that makes a lot of sense. That would help. So I'm building that right now and hopefully by the time this episode comes out, it'll be up and on my website and ready to go. And yeah, so I'm have 12 rooms so far. We'll see if I come up with any other areas, but I think that'll be good. So, and, and yeah, I think it's.

[00:46:18] Jana: I always say with decluttering, start with the easy targets. Start with the easy, easy things first, and then kind of go from there. So, you know, trash, anything broken, anything you don't use, those are the easy targets. And, and really, as military, you know. Now you're doing a ditty, but if you're doing an HHG move, they'll pack it, you know, so it's like really, it's okay.

[00:46:41] Jana: I'll take a breath, you know, you might have to deal with it on the other side, but that's okay. And I mean, even if you're doing a ditty, okay, you know, if it's going to take you Any sort of mental stress or emotional stress, and you just can't make that decision. It's, oh, just say, Hey, yeah, I can go to storage, you know?

[00:47:01] Jana: So I think people put a lot, like, I have to declutter and I have to get rid of all this stuff and I have to purge everything right now. And it's like, take a breath. It's okay. And you know, I found stuff like little furniture stuff that I was like, Oh, I should get rid of this or whatever. And then I'll get to the next duty station.

[00:47:16] Jana: Fine. The perfect home for it. Like, oh, there we go. You 

[00:47:20] Alison: know, so yeah, 

[00:47:22] Jana: it's, it's, and the decluttering can be done on that side too. If it's just too much, it's okay, you know, so, yeah, I was going to 

[00:47:30] Alison: ask, are you team declutter before a PCS? Are you team declutter after PCS? Because I feel like, I feel like there's a little bit of a divide there where people are like, no, no, no, no, Don't touch anything until you want to max out your weight, which I understand, right?

[00:47:44] Alison: You want to max out your weight, but I look at it as a, my peace of mind thing, and I don't want to have to pack it. I don't want to have to move it. I don't want to have to unpack it. So I'm, I'm team, get rid of it before you go, but that's just. That's just me. What are you? Are you kind of like either or?

[00:48:02] Alison: But see exactly what you just said though too is, you know, Oh, I think I want to get rid of this furniture piece. But then you go to this house and you're like, Oh, this is perfect in this space. So that's what's holding me 

[00:48:12] Jana: back. I kind of like that. It doesn't work in this house, but it might work in that one.

[00:48:19] Jana: Yeah, yeah, you know, I'm so I'm actually team declutter always, so I'm always kind of like it's always kind of happening and I'm always re evaluating our spaces. Does this work? Does this system work? Is this actually like? You know, needed some, I know that that's not like maybe the answer, but I'm just like, I'm always in that process.

[00:48:44] Jana: I feel like like I'm continually going through my kids clothes and I'm continually going through, you know, whatever books or whatever it may be. But yeah, like, again, like I think if it's causing you any stress, just sit back. Hang on. Why is this causing me stress? Is it causing me stress? Because I Have some, you know, idea in my head that I'm supposed to have this amount of stuff, that, or like, or, I mean, I will say this.

[00:49:14] Jana: The military puts these limits on you and wait and then you have to pay if you are overweight. So, so maybe it really is a real stress and so then you kind of just have to ask yourself and then maybe that's where either you need a friend to come in or, you know, a professional or a help to come in with that kind of thing.

[00:49:31] Jana: Or you need to turn to your family and be like, Hey, how do we have this much stuff? Right? Because I think a lot of times it all comes. like, or can. Because, you know, you're what the military members working or they're doing whatever the kids are at school. So, and so kind of comes to you and they're like, well, did you get the house ready?

[00:49:52] Jana: I know. Right? Yeah. So, yeah, I think, I think sometimes, you know, it may just be like a, all of that stress is bubbling up and maybe your family and doesn't even realize it, you know? And I know sometimes for me, it's like, I'll go to clutter my spaces and then I look over and I'm like,

[00:50:18] Jana: I have 

[00:50:18] Alison: no idea what my, if I gave my, my kids like three of those like black and yellow bins and was like, this is all you can take for the next three, I don't they would have like two and a half bins of stuffed animals at this point, right? 

[00:50:33] Jana: Because that's what's important to them. Like, I don't even know what it would do this.

[00:50:38] Jana: And the Legos and 

[00:50:39] Alison: the like, Oh 

[00:50:39] Jana: my gosh, I can't even like I, it would be, it would be very interesting. 

[00:50:44] Alison: But you're right. That's so hard. Because like, you know, I, I really do take kind of ownership of the house, right of the all the all of our little spaces and storage and all the other stuff and, and decluttering that and then I will.

[00:50:56] Alison: And then it's like with your kids. How did that work with your kids? I'm curious because my daughter's like, I will just do stuff without them there. I'm like, they don't play with this. They're not even going to know that this is gone because if I sit down with my kids and this is a double edged sword, if I sit down with my kids and I'm like, okay, what can we keep?

[00:51:13] Alison: What can we get rid of? They're going to want to keep 90 percent of the stuff, even though they don't like, they just don't want to get rid of it. So I feel like that's a fine line of. You have to give your kids and I think that that's an important thing for them to know, because my, my kids have said this to me before, too, when we were moving, they were like.

[00:51:34] Alison: Mom, did you get rid of this stuff? Cause I can't find it. And so I had to make a promise to them when they, I'm like, I promise that I'm not, I won't get rid of, I'm not going to get rid of your stuff while you're gone. If it's here in your room right now, it is going to get put in a box and it'll get moved to the next place.

[00:51:51] Alison: Because I feel like there's, there's a little mental thing there for them that they and I don't, I don't know. I don't know what that is, but like. It's important to them that they have their that they know that their stuff is that it's here, and then it's going to be in the next spot. So I feel like you kind of have to tow that line just a little bit of like, okay, they're not going to notice if I get rid of this.

[00:52:12] Alison: But at the same time, you have to be careful with what you get rid of, because it is their stuff. And in their world, it's huge. And it's this big deal, right? So how have you navigated the 

[00:52:24] Jana: decluttering with your kids? Yeah. Well, and it's changed. It's evolved. And I've learned, I've learned as we've gone on too, because I did the same, I would like wait till they went to school and just get rid of stuff.

[00:52:35] Jana: And then it was like devastating. You never looked at it. I don't know. Yeah. So I have learned not to declutter other people's. Honestly, without some input. Now, sometimes when they're like, But I love this one little piece of paper. I know. I'm like, no, that's trash. , I have to kind of , you know, step in and be like, Okay you know, I try to be nice.

[00:53:02] Jana: , was that rock a special rock? Or, you know, , no, okay. So, but as they've gotten older. That's also like, you know, I was saying big emotions, big, that's actually gotten a little easier. They're, they're actually like, so one thing I do I have a lot of steps for kids, but so one thing with kids try to declutter around birthdays and Christmas, the good time, because they always kind of have, it's not like bribery, but you can kind of, they can kind of.

[00:53:32] Jana: Instantly see and rationalize like, Oh, yeah, I might be getting more stuff and like what so you create boundaries, Kate, create room. This is where your toys go. And so if we were to get more stuff, we need to have a home for it. It needs to have a place that needs to have a home. And so always talking about creating spaces and creating homes within your home, I think is a good conversation.

[00:53:56] Jana: And I think it's really good for kids because honestly decluttering and organizing, it's a skill, it's a life skill and you learn it as you go on. There are some adults that don't know it, that have never learned it, that it's very, very difficult for them or they're neurodivergent and have things that like, that's an actual skill that they cannot do that, that, that processing skill cannot do the same for kids.

[00:54:19] Jana: So I think it's really, really important to teach kids and bring them with you on those things. So. Again, birthdays and Christmas are great because it gives them an opportunity and you can even have the conversation like I'm going to take this to a donation place and I'm going, some other kids going to be able to use it or some other family so they have a feeling of I'm not.

[00:54:42] Jana: Giving it to nothing, you know, I'm giving it to somebody who can use it, which is also wonderful value and skill to teach them. But then as far as like kind of setting limits, I mean, I think sometimes, you know, it's just choices and it's just there, but Taking advantage, too, of different, different times in their life.

[00:55:04] Jana: So, I mean, again, my kids now as teenagers, they just don't need as much stuff, or they don't want as much stuff. They're into electronics. They're into, maybe, their books. They're into makeup and hair. And, like, they're into, like, different stuff. So, a lot of those stuff, animals, and a lot of those things, just naturally, you know, I would see the opportunity.

[00:55:25] Jana: They, they could go you know, and as soon as I'm kind of lucky in that I have a girl, boy, girl, because boy, girl, like anytime they grow out of clothes, I, you know, I'm never trying to hold on to them to like, and now my 11 year old is almost. She's tall as my 17 year old, so even that, I don't even keep her clothes anymore.

[00:55:46] Jana: So things like that, but I think teaching those skills, bringing them in on the conversation, having them think through their choices it can be painful and it can be really hard and my three kids are totally different. They're all three very different and my oldest is probably like a mix of like she wants to hold on to stuff and she's able to like those stuff.

[00:56:09] Jana: But I think that holding on is because she's moved so many times. And so it really is there. My son wants to hold on to everything. So I have to kind of like Help him through it. But he actually coming here, he was kind of like looking into being a teenager and was like, I don't he told me, Mom, I don't want a little kid room.

[00:56:29] Jana: So he didn't bring a lot of his toys because he's like, I need to like, I want to feel like a teenager. So I took advantage of like, right. Okay. Yeah. My youngest. She's, she wants things organized. Like she, you know, she wants to keep things in place and she wants everything to have a home. I mean, You know, but she, but she probably has the most toys just because she's the youngest, but she's kind of like, she, she likes that and it helps her, she doesn't like it when things are out of place in her room.

[00:56:56] Jana: So there are three different kids. And so I just have to kind of like. Work, work where I see the opportunities to like, I don't try to make them declutter, do things if they're not having a good day. Right. I try to find my, my place. Yeah. 

[00:57:12] Alison: Yeah, I, I agree. You definitely have to pick, and I think that that's really smart.

[00:57:16] Alison: I didn't think about birthdays, but Christmas, we always try to do that at Christmas time. Okay. We've, we've got to get rid of, and my girls are usually pretty on board for that, but and I think you're right. I think that it is a season. And then I think that my girls are exactly the same. My oldest wants to hold on to everything and my youngest wants to get rid of everything and then she wants it back.

[00:57:35] Alison: We call it the flip flopper. 

[00:57:37] Jana: We call it the 

[00:57:38] Alison: flip flopper because she's like, I'm gonna get rid of this, this, this, this, this. And I am, and I'm like, mm, mm mm, that's not gonna go well. And inevitably, like, three months later, she like, Wants it back. And I'm like, Oh Lordy. So I've, I've learned now of like, she says she wants to get rid of this thing, but I don't think she really does.

[00:57:55] Alison: So I'm a hold on to it. And then when she wants it back in three months, I'll just give it back to her because that's, what's going to happen. Bless her 

[00:58:00] Jana: little heart. Well and that's a great trick for like little littles, right? You might've heard this, but like you rotate their toys. And so that's a really great trick for, for little guys.

[00:58:13] Jana: So it's kind of. Keep a bin back that they don't always play with and then you can kind of like I don't know, kind of as you're maybe putting the other one away, do you really play with this, you know, kind of ask him and they're like, but look, I have a whole new tub, you know, so they're like, Oh, yeah, it might be able to let some of those others go.

[00:58:33] Jana: So it's like kind of a cycle of that. So that's a good one for little kids. Guys, but yeah, older ones, they see through you. Yeah, definitely. 

[00:58:46] Alison: Okay. Well, Jana, I appreciate your time and sharing your adventure that you've had so far and your, your move over to Spain. And what, if you can just share, you mentioned your Facebook group, the creating spaces.

[00:59:01] Alison: So I'll make sure that I linked to that in the show notes, but if people want to get in touch with you, what's the best ways. way to find you and then also the where people can find the decluttering room by room guide. Where, where would they 

[00:59:13] Jana: find that as well? So I'll have that checklist hopefully up in the next couple of weeks on my blog.

[00:59:22] Jana: That's still going. It's the www. theorganizedmilitarylife. com. And then for social media, I hang out mostly on Instagram and try to be a cool kid over there, but I feel old sometimes in these new military spouse circles, but that's okay. And then Facebook and I, I do head over to TikTok, I will say, but lightly.

[00:59:50] Jana: I like to watch TikTok more than I like to post on TikTok, but I am there and I have, I have ideas. For like more, giving more decluttering tips and doing that over on TikTok. So maybe, maybe that'll be coming. So yeah, everything, the organized military life. And so you can find me, find me there. 

[01:00:11] Alison: Okay, cool.

[01:00:12] Alison: Awesome. Okay. Well, I'll make sure that I link to all that stuff in the show notes so that people can find you easily. And I appreciate your time and talking with us and being honest about, you know, again, like everybody's everybody's. Experiences are different and you know, we, we do like to look for the silver lining, but sometimes it's really crappy.

[01:00:34] Alison: And sometimes you're sitting in the sucky part of it and that's okay. Right. But we all have that, like we all oscillate through that stuff, but, you know, and you can get to that silver lining, but sometimes, sometimes, sometimes, sometimes 

[01:00:48] Jana: I think, yeah. And hopefully. You know, somebody hears that, hey, it's not all rosy for everyone.

[01:00:56] Jana: That's helpful. I mean, there's a lot of rah rah out there. And as it should be. I mean, it's a great life. Military life's a great life. But you know, just recognizing the hard where it is. And calling it out. I think, I think I enjoy hearing people say that. So I hope, I hope, you know, I hope your audience enjoys that as well.

[01:01:18] Jana: Yeah, I agree. Well, 

[01:01:19] Alison: they get it from me. So I'm like, I don't hold back. I'm like, this sucks. And I hate it. And, you know, cause I feel like you've got to share like the whole thing, right. The whole thing, like there's great parts to it. Right. But then there's like, You know, we got to share, we got to share the whole picture, 

[01:01:37] Jana: the whole picture.

[01:01:38] Jana: Yes, there's a, yes, for sure. Yeah, yeah. Thank you so much. I really appreciate it. This has been really, really fun. Yeah, for sure.