The Pandemic has had a lot of us stuck in the house. My family enjoys being outdoor while keeping our distance from others. What better place to go than the local Zoo. It's outside and there's a ton of space. Some Zoos allow you to bring your own food and drinks as well. Jacksonville Zoo is one of them. This is a plus because it saves money and it's one less person to interact with.

The Jacksonville zoo has some great exhibits. We are members and we go at least once a month. The membership for a family was $145 plus they gave a military discount a well. I do not recall how much that was. Maybe about $10 off. Due to social distancing, you have to Make a reservation in advance. You can do this online or you can do it when you arrive at the zoo as well. Online would be faster and it would guarantee your admittance to the zoo. If you wait till you get to the zoo, they could be at capacity.

During this visit we decided to purchase the total experience wristband for $8 per person. It includes 4d Theater, unlimited train, unlimited carousel rides and animal feedings. 

Due to staffing, the train ride was departing every 30 minutes instead of every 15 minutes. My son loves the narrated train ride. They left every other row of seats empty and cleaned the rows that were sat in after people exited the train. It takes an extra few minutes but it's worth the wait. They are trying to keep everything sanitized and they did a great job at that.

We decided to only feed one animal and it was the Giraffe. Luckily the zoo was empty and there was literally no line so we were able to enjoy feeding the giraffes while learning about them as well. This was a one of a kind experience. 

Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens


The Pandemic has had a lot of us stuck in the house. My family enjoys being outdoor while keeping our distance from others. What better place to go than the local Zoo. It's outside and there's a ton of space. Some Zoos allow you to bring your own food and drinks as well. Jacksonville Zoo is one of them. This is a plus because it saves money and it's one less person to interact with.

The Jacksonville zoo has some great exhibits. We are members and we go at least once a month. The membership for a family was $145 plus they gave a military discount a well. I do not recall how much that was. Maybe about $10 off. Due to social distancing, you have to Make a reservation in advance. You can do this online or you can do it when you arrive at the zoo as well. Online would be faster and it would guarantee your admittance to the zoo. If you wait till you get to the zoo, they could be at capacity.

During this visit we decided to purchase the total experience wristband for $8 per person. It includes 4d Theater, unlimited train, unlimited carousel rides and animal feedings. 

Due to staffing, the train ride was departing every 30 minutes instead of every 15 minutes. My son loves the narrated train ride. They left every other row of seats empty and cleaned the rows that were sat in after people exited the train. It takes an extra few minutes but it's worth the wait. They are trying to keep everything sanitized and they did a great job at that.

We decided to only feed one animal and it was the Giraffe. Luckily the zoo was empty and there was literally no line so we were able to enjoy feeding the giraffes while learning about them as well. This was a one of a kind experience. 

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Last year I helped a few spouses setup their first PCS moves last year when my Husbands ship was completing a homeport change from Norfolk, VA to San Diego, CA(my Hometown!). That was actually our second time dealing with a homeport change so I was very familiar with the dos and donts of a homeport change and very seasoned when it comes to PCS moves in general. For those that are new to this process, Here's a simple run down of how to start the move process!

Move.mil website is where you start the PCS Process. You can create an account that will allow you to schedule your movers and or start a ppm move. You should try to start arranging for the shipment of household goods as early as possible. Most families move during peak months or in areas with large military populations. You will most likely limit your options as far as dates, if you wait till the last minute.

You can get the process done by your self. All you have to do is go to www.move.mil. First step is to create an account. Next step is to start an application for a move. Once the application is submitted you will receive an email within a few days letting you know which transportation company will move your items for you. 

Once you are assigned a transportation company, that company will contact you to do a pre-move survey. This consist of the either coming out to your house to inspect how much stuff will be moved. Due to Covid-19 they have been doing a live video chat so that they can see how much stuff is in your house. This is how they know how much supplies should be sent with the packers to pack your house up.

Once the movers arrive to your new location to deliver your household goods, you have the option to request a full unpack. We have requested this for the last 3 PCS moves. It consist of the movers emptying all of the boxes and placing the items on a hard surface, i.e. table, counter, desk, bed or floor. They will also take all the empty boxes and packing paper with them. The full unpack helps tremendously. That's one less task that you have to think about and it also allows you to see everything and put it in its proper place easily. 
If you decide that you do not want them to unpack everything you can request that they only unpack certain boxes or you can ask for them to not open any boxes. Once the movers leave, they DO NOT have to come back and pick up your empty boxes and packing supplies. They actually have you sign a waiver with this statement on it before they leave.



FULL UNPACK

Be sure to follow my blog so you can stay updated and informed!


♡Instagram: 

Setting up a Military PCS Move




Last year I helped a few spouses setup their first PCS moves last year when my Husbands ship was completing a homeport change from Norfolk, VA to San Diego, CA(my Hometown!). That was actually our second time dealing with a homeport change so I was very familiar with the dos and donts of a homeport change and very seasoned when it comes to PCS moves in general. For those that are new to this process, Here's a simple run down of how to start the move process!

Move.mil website is where you start the PCS Process. You can create an account that will allow you to schedule your movers and or start a ppm move. You should try to start arranging for the shipment of household goods as early as possible. Most families move during peak months or in areas with large military populations. You will most likely limit your options as far as dates, if you wait till the last minute.

You can get the process done by your self. All you have to do is go to www.move.mil. First step is to create an account. Next step is to start an application for a move. Once the application is submitted you will receive an email within a few days letting you know which transportation company will move your items for you. 

Once you are assigned a transportation company, that company will contact you to do a pre-move survey. This consist of the either coming out to your house to inspect how much stuff will be moved. Due to Covid-19 they have been doing a live video chat so that they can see how much stuff is in your house. This is how they know how much supplies should be sent with the packers to pack your house up.

Once the movers arrive to your new location to deliver your household goods, you have the option to request a full unpack. We have requested this for the last 3 PCS moves. It consist of the movers emptying all of the boxes and placing the items on a hard surface, i.e. table, counter, desk, bed or floor. They will also take all the empty boxes and packing paper with them. The full unpack helps tremendously. That's one less task that you have to think about and it also allows you to see everything and put it in its proper place easily. 
If you decide that you do not want them to unpack everything you can request that they only unpack certain boxes or you can ask for them to not open any boxes. Once the movers leave, they DO NOT have to come back and pick up your empty boxes and packing supplies. They actually have you sign a waiver with this statement on it before they leave.



FULL UNPACK

Be sure to follow my blog so you can stay updated and informed!


♡Instagram: 

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We just relocated from California to Florida. Taking a cross country road trip in the middle of a pandemic was very scary. We were coming from a state that was in lockdown status. The states that we went through were kind of open.  We decided to stick to our California rules and grab food to go and eat in the car or in our hotel rooms. We also decided to still practice social distancing and used our hand sanitizer when we stopped for breaks. Overall things seemed normal but the reality was, we are living in a scary time. People are scared and worried. 

Life in Florida seems regular compared to where we came from.  It actually doesn’t seem like there’s a pandemic at all. The grocery stores were not low on items and we are able to get sanitizer and supplies on a regular basis out here. It’s crazy what can change when you drive 2500 miles.

The saddest part that comes with moving is leaving your friends behind. We spent more time with them than we did with Family. They became apart of my family and it hurt to have to leave them. Especially knowing that we have to start over in Florida and hope that we are able to meet great people to spend the next three years with.

If you have relocating during the pandemic, share your experience with me. I\"d love to hear about it!

Military Relocation

We just relocated from California to Florida. Taking a cross country road trip in the middle of a pandemic was very scary. We were coming from a state that was in lockdown status. The states that we went through were kind of open.  We decided to stick to our California rules and grab food to go and eat in the car or in our hotel rooms. We also decided to still practice social distancing and used our hand sanitizer when we stopped for breaks. Overall things seemed normal but the reality was, we are living in a scary time. People are scared and worried. 

Life in Florida seems regular compared to where we came from.  It actually doesn’t seem like there’s a pandemic at all. The grocery stores were not low on items and we are able to get sanitizer and supplies on a regular basis out here. It’s crazy what can change when you drive 2500 miles.

The saddest part that comes with moving is leaving your friends behind. We spent more time with them than we did with Family. They became apart of my family and it hurt to have to leave them. Especially knowing that we have to start over in Florida and hope that we are able to meet great people to spend the next three years with.

If you have relocating during the pandemic, share your experience with me. I\"d love to hear about it!
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https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1D01ZjQ6m-7h68JUIcZAKXSMtZaC0u8TJ
Covid 19 has been the first Pandemic that has affected me in my 35 years on this earth. I literally turned 35 a few weeks after the stay home order was announced in California. We celebrated my Birthday safe in the comforts of our own home.

This time has allowed us to be able to spend more time in the house as a family. I have loved this, being that my Husband came home from a 10 month deployment at the end of January. Hes currently only working once a week due to Covid-19.

We are blessed that he has the job that he does and hes still receiving a full paycheck. Some other families have been off work because their employer had to close due to the Pandemic. Which has in turn caused some hardship.

The only issue that we experienced was the lack of groceries and supplies available at our local stores. I was able to purchase supplies online at target.com. Instead of usually purchasing groceries from the chain grocery stores, I started shopping at the local community markets. They have had everything we've needed. We are surviving and wanting for nothing!

I normally stock up on tissue, paper towels and laundry detergent. So I havent needed to purchase any of this since the stay at home order went into effect back in mid March. I live in a tight knit military community and we have been sharing and trading items with neighbors to help each other out as well. 

Most days we go outside and walk around our neighborhood while practicing social distancing. We have to get fresh air and vitamin or else we will go stir crazy In here. We are so use to be outside so I'm glad they are allowing us to walk around outside. It gives us a slight feeling of normalcy for those few minutes that we are out.

If you are experiencing hardship due to covid 19, call 2-1-1 and find some local free food sites where they are giving away groceries with no questions asked. Local schools are also providing kids with free lunches daily. Where I'm at, it's no questions asked so make sure you look online to see if theres rules or regulations for your local school lunch sites.

Please feel free to share your recent experiences in the comments section below. Take care of yourself and your family. We will survive this Pandemic together and we will be stronger at the end!



Living through a Pandemic - Covid-19
https://drive.google.com/uc?export=view&id=1D01ZjQ6m-7h68JUIcZAKXSMtZaC0u8TJ
Covid 19 has been the first Pandemic that has affected me in my 35 years on this earth. I literally turned 35 a few weeks after the stay home order was announced in California. We celebrated my Birthday safe in the comforts of our own home.

This time has allowed us to be able to spend more time in the house as a family. I have loved this, being that my Husband came home from a 10 month deployment at the end of January. Hes currently only working once a week due to Covid-19.

We are blessed that he has the job that he does and hes still receiving a full paycheck. Some other families have been off work because their employer had to close due to the Pandemic. Which has in turn caused some hardship.

The only issue that we experienced was the lack of groceries and supplies available at our local stores. I was able to purchase supplies online at target.com. Instead of usually purchasing groceries from the chain grocery stores, I started shopping at the local community markets. They have had everything we've needed. We are surviving and wanting for nothing!

I normally stock up on tissue, paper towels and laundry detergent. So I havent needed to purchase any of this since the stay at home order went into effect back in mid March. I live in a tight knit military community and we have been sharing and trading items with neighbors to help each other out as well. 

Most days we go outside and walk around our neighborhood while practicing social distancing. We have to get fresh air and vitamin or else we will go stir crazy In here. We are so use to be outside so I'm glad they are allowing us to walk around outside. It gives us a slight feeling of normalcy for those few minutes that we are out.

If you are experiencing hardship due to covid 19, call 2-1-1 and find some local free food sites where they are giving away groceries with no questions asked. Local schools are also providing kids with free lunches daily. Where I'm at, it's no questions asked so make sure you look online to see if theres rules or regulations for your local school lunch sites.

Please feel free to share your recent experiences in the comments section below. Take care of yourself and your family. We will survive this Pandemic together and we will be stronger at the end!



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