The Security They Need

A home alarm system is important for many families for many different reasons. A home alarm system can provide a piece of mind and ease worries in these times of increasing violence. There are programs today that will provide a free home alarm for military families. This can be a great assurance when you are at home as well as away. Military families lie to have that added security especially in times like these when they may have a loved one that is deployed at the time. Security is an issue for many people not just military families.

A free home alarm for military families may also come in handy because this is a need that may be overlooked because many alarm companies require the signing of a contract term. This may pose a problem because the military family may be stationed to another post at almost any given time. This is truly a service that is important and that would also provide much needed support in these troubled times. The service people do a lot to ensure our freedoms so we thank the companies that provide services like these to the ones that are most deserving of the services. We do owe them at least that much.

Military Family Night #2

THEMED MOVIE NIGHT!

A family favorite of ours is to have a themed movie night. Turn the typical dinner and tv night into a night to remember without spending alot of money! Get creative and let the kids make all the decisions!

1. Choose a movie and a theme.
- Disney Movies
- Western Movies
- Action Hero Movies
- Scary Movie
- Oldies Movie

2. Decorate your theater...turn your TV room into a theater room!
- Print Themed Pictures on-line and let the kids cut them out and color them
- Hang sheets up on the sides of the couch on some lamps or something creating walls, closing you into your own theater room!

3. Prepare Treats!
- Themed Rice Crispy Treats: Make rice crispy sheets, buy cookie cutters in the shape of your theme(fish, ghosts, cowboy hats, ect.)
- Make a milkshake!
- Make brownies served with ice-cream
- Dont just buy M&M's make something with the family!
- Get great Military Discounts for these items HERE

- If you really want to get them interested in a movie...play movie bingo! Feel out a bingo card with words from the movie. When they here the words they put a marsh mellow on that word. Once they have 4 in a row they get bingo, and they get a movie treat!

MILITARY FAMILY NIGHT

Here are some fun ideas for a Military Family Night!

Its always important to spend time with your family. Why not set 1 night a week and plan a family night!! Each week I will list ideas and military discounts I found to make it an affordable night!






Week 1

CAMP FIRE DINNER NIGHT:
1. Tinfoil dinners: Take hamburger meet, hotdogs or chicken mixed with your choice of chopped potatoes, corn, carrots, onions, peppers, ect. (If using chicken its best to slightly pre cook before placing in tin foil) Add butter or a small amount of soup to add flavor and moisture.

Wrap all of your meets and sides in layers of tin foil 1-2 layers about 12 inches by 18 inches long.

Heat up hot coals in a fire, get them hot and red!
Dig a small hole about 6 inches deep and place hot coals on the bottom of the hole. Place tinfoil on the hot coals(meat at the bottom to cook faster) and put dirt back on top of the tin foil wrap. This will create an oven for your tinfoil dinner.



Or if preferred you can place tinfoil on the coals near your fire and surround with coals. Flip and turn it often if you choose this route.

Let it cook for about 20-40 minutes until meat is cooked and potatoes are soft.

Pull out of ground or off coals to check meat and potatoes. If cooked, add salt, pepper, cheeses, salsa or ketchup for extra flavor.

BON APPETIT!


WHERE TO BUY ITEMS:
On Tuesdays you can save 15% off of your Walgreens purchase. Here you can get all of your ingredients and drinks.
You can buy your wood, coals and campfire needs at Home Depot that offers a 10% discount to military families with valid ID.

Disney Military Discounts!

Here are some exciting military discounts I have found online: Check back often for more discounts! If you find any great offers feel free to post them.

1. Disney World: Enjoy savings up to 70% off on all area attractions, hotel rooms, vacation home rentals, car rentals, cruises, and printable coupons. Login to our website at www.orlandovacation.com/discounts and username is usmilitarysaves.





2. Sea World: Purchase a 1 Day Ticket to SeaWorld and get the 2nd Day FREE! All military personnel and their family members are invited to take advantage of this amazing SeaWorld offer. 1-800-641-4008

3. Sprint: US Armed Forces Employees & Government Employees receive 15% off monthly service plans. visit http://www.military.com/DC/DealCoupon.jsp?deal_id=26296







4. Carnival Cruise: Military Cruise Discounts on nearly all Carnival Cruise Lines sailings worldwide! http://www.homeportcruises.com

Military Wallpaper and Backgrounds

Here are some really great Military wallpapers from wall.alphacoders.com

TOP MILITARY TV SHOWS!

We all remember the old times of classic military themed TV Shows that used to make us laugh and stick us to the couch week after week. Some of these TV shows can still be found on television, are top selling DVD bundles and still move us! But there are a few new classics that you can catch new episodes of right now! In no particular order:

1. One of the most popular military themed shows that entertained us for just over a decade. M*A*S*H*, the series started in 1972 and ran for 11 seasons, with its finale being the most watched television episode of all time to this date in the U.S.

2. McHale’s Navy ran aired from 1962 to 1966, in black and white. Staring Ernest Borgnine as McHale. Durring WWII During World War II, Lieutenant Commander Quinton McHale is the commanding officer of the U.S. Navy PT boat-73 stationed at the Pacific Island base Taratupa.













3. Hogan’s Heroes is another military based sitcom Durring WW II which was set in a fictional German prisoner of war camp.














4. Jag is a more recent military drama/American adventure. It provided us with 10 seasons, 227 episodes and aired in over 100 countries.















5. Army Wives is another new television favorite that has given us 3 seasons already. It follows the dramas, struggles and friendships of a diverse group of women.

Do I Need Monitored Fire Protection while I'm Deployed?

NOTICE THE HOME ALARM SIGN BY THE FRONT DOOR!

QUESTION: Do I need monitored fire protection in my home while I'm deployed?

ANSWER: ABSOLUTELY!

Fire Statistics:
Source: NFPA

• Home fires are the fifth leading unintentional cause of injury and death in the United States, behind motor vehicle crashes, falls, poisoning by solids or liquids, and drowning.
• Home fires rank as the first cause of death for children under the age of 15 at home.
• Roughly 80 percent of all fire deaths occur where people sleep, such as in homes, dormitories, barracks, or hotels. The majority of fatal fires occur when people are likely to be less alert, such as nighttime sleeping hours.
• In 2008, 3,640 people died in reported home fires in the United States - roughly 10 people per day. In addition, thousands of people were injured in home fires, many hospitalized for severe burns; some disfigured for life. Victims are disproportionately children or elderly.
• Two of every five fires that kill young children are started by children playing with fire.
• Approximately 900 older adults die in fires annually.

A Monitored Smoke Detector can be installed in your home to prevent these statistics. With your military home alarm you can customize your alarm system to have this installed in your home at no extra cost because of your military discounts.

Yes, you have "smoke detectors" in your home. But they do you no good if your passed out or if your away from the home. Your Monitored Smoke Detector will contact your alarm company, the alarm company will notify you on your cell phone and will dispatch the local fire department to prevent major home smoke/fire damages and possibly to save your life.

Will a Monitored Smoke Detector cause false alarms? No. If you are cooking and there is a heavy smoke that fills the house. Your alarm company will contact you over the new cellular and 2 way voice keypad to see if everything is ok and under control. If you are home and burning the chicken, all you need to do is give the alarm company your password and tell them everything is ok. They will not dispatch the fire department, and you do not get charged extra for them to call and check on you.


The New Cellular 2 Way Voice Keypad for Military Homes

A Tribute to Military Families

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozl9Gz8WivI

TOP MILITARY NONPROFITS

There are many programs around our nation and the world that are giving their time and funds to helping the servicemen of our country. Each of these nonprofit organizations has a mission and an aim to benefit the military members that have served our country. Here is a look into a few of theses top nonprofit organizations.

Protect Our Troops is not yet a full-fledged 501c3 but is working on its application. As an approved Utah Charitable Organization, PrtotectOurTroops has raised plenty of money for the families of deployed troops so they could receive free home security alarms and monthly monitoring reimbursement while their loved ones are deployed. ProtectOurTroops was started by a member of the Utah Army Reserve and is dedicated to bringing peace of mind to all the deserving and sacrificing families nationwide

The Disabled American Veterans (DAV) is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1920 for American veterans who were disabled in the line of duty. It currently has about 1.2 million members, and its aim is to make the lives of disabled veterans and their families better. In 1932 it received a congressional charter. The DAV provides free services and assistance to its members solely through contributions and membership dues. Volunteers provide much of the service to its members, such as rides to and from medical visits. The DAV is the “official voice of the nation’s wartime disabled veterans.” (http://www.dav.org)

The Wounded Warrior Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “honor and empower wounded warriors”. They want to call attention to the importance of the needs of severely injured service men and women and ask for support. Not only do they want to call for the public’s support, but they want the injured to support each other. They are working on setting up programs for the injured and support groups.

Operation Homefront is a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to more than 45,000 military families. The group provides assistance to the troops but, also to their families at home, and the wounded when they return home. Some of the assistance they offer includes; emergency aid, furniture donation, financial assistance, a moving assistance program, a computer program to help loved ones keep in touch, and community and social outreach programs. They have donated more than $5 million to families in emergency, and more than 6.5 million in goods and services. In just 7 years, this group has expanded to 30 chapters all over the nation.

Home for Our Troops is a nonprofit organization through which homes are build that are specifically adapted for severely injured veterans. These homes are built from donations of money, time, labor, and materials. The group was put together in 2004 with the aim to provide relief and aid to the men and woman who were injured or disabled serving their country. The homes are designed to help them maneuver with more ease and live more independently with their disability.

These nonprofit organizations are all designed to serve the men and women who served our country. Whether it be helping them relax and enjoy an afternoon of recreation, or taking a disabled veteran to a medical visit, many volunteers donate their time to these nonprofit organizations to say thank you.

Why a cellular alarm is a must

Cellular Alarm Systems provide the highest level of security at a still very affordable price by removing the vulnerability of an external phone line. Instead of being dependent on a phone line to notify the monitoring company of a break in, they notify the monitoring company over a cellular GSM signal. The cellular unit is built into the newest of keypads. No large antennas or external cell units to be installed. Click link for a picture of the new cellular touch screen keypad made by 2gig.


Problem 1: With older alarm systems about the only way to bypass an alarm is to find the external phone box on the side of a home or apartment and cut the phone line. On the side of every home is a demarcation box that has a picture of a phone on it. Any 12 year old kid can find your phone line and disconnect your standard alarm. Kind of scary? Yes. Dont get me wrong, your alarm will still make alot of noise if someone breaks in after cutting your phone line, but no police officer will be notified unless your neighbors take matters into their own hands to call 911.

Problem 2: Phone companies are changing their technology daily. We now have Voice Over I.P or VOIP. We have Magic Jack internet phone through Time Warner, Cox, and Comcast, we have homes with digital phone lines like AT&T and Verizon. Non of these phone providers will work with an alarm. Anyone that has recently upgraded your phone company to one of these after your alarm was installed probably is paying $45 a month for your alarm service and your not even being monitored! The alarm company installed your alarm when it had a working standard phone line to every jack in the house. The alarm company will not know if you upgraded your phone provider. And you do not know that it hasnt been monitored till now. Set off your alarm and see if your alarm company calls within 10 seconds to check on you. If they dont, your alarm isnt being monitored.

If either of these problems concerns you about your alarm system keep reading.

Easy fix: If you already have an older alarm system that is connected through your phone line contact a company like Protect Our Troops or Brigade Military Security that pay for alarm upgrades for your existing alarm. Your existing alarm company will charge you service fees and equipment costs to upgrade your system. But these organizations listed above help military families get these important upgrades for free.

If you dont have an alarm system yet but your soon to buy one, contact ProtectOurTroops.org or Brigade Military Security to see what kind of offers they have on the new cellular alarms.

Top 10 War Movies

I just watched "Saving Private Ryan" last night on TV for about the 3rd time. Great Movie! I work with military families every day and have a strong gratitude for the sacrifices they make for us every day. Here is MY Top 10 War Movies. Let me know if I'm missing any good ones!

10. Behind Enemy Lines














9. The Thin Red Line















8. Black Hawk Down











7. Saints and Soldiers














6. Braveheart














5. Glory













4. Full Metal Jacket












3. Band of Brothers










2. Enemy at the Gates












1. Saving Private Ryan



















ALMOST MADE THE CUT------------
- Tora! Tora! Tora!
- Pearl Harbor
- Generations Kill
- The Patriot
- Last of the Mahicans
- We Were Soldiers

Why having a security alarm in your home is important for veterans and military home owners

Why having a security alarm in your home is important

As much as we would like to think that we live in a world that is completely safe and that we can trust everyone around us; that is not always the case. You need to be cautious and aware of what is going on around you. It is important to take precautions to ensure that you and your families are safe, because as much as we would like to think that we live in a world that is completely safe, or that it will never happen to us; it could. Having a security alarm system in your home is important, because no one has the ability to predict a domestic burglary, and as much as neighborhood watches and other things can put you at ease, they are not nearly as effective as a home alarm system. A security alarm system will detect any unauthorized entry into your home. The basic Security system generally includes sensors on all the entry doors, some motion activated outdoor lighting, sensors on windows, and most importantly, a direct link to a monitoring service that is notified when any of these sensors are set off. The monitoring center will then alert local police and get authorities to your home immediately.

Security alarm systems offer you the assurance of knowing that you and your family are safe and protected while you are in your home, at night, and also while you are away. Troops are delpoying at record levels and some retired veterans still travel quite a bit for their jobs and these are the times when a military family needs security. Home burglaries are more common than people think; According to FBI statistics, a house, apartment or condominium is burglarized once about every 15 seconds. It has also been found that more residential burglaries occur during the day because homes tend to be vacant, which makes them an easier target. Having a security alarm system can decrease the chances of a burglary, and even if the alarm system does not keep a burglar from breaking in, it will definitely shorten the amount of time that they are in your home.

Other advantages to having a home security system include lower home insurance rates and a lot of home security system plans even offer extras such as fire/smoke and carbon monoxide detection systems, which are also important to keep up on to ensure the safety of your home.

9 ways to lower your homeowners insurance bill

Again, came across an interesting website when i was looking into homeowners insurance online. This website explains 9 ways to get discounts on your homeowners insurance. So i thought i would list them out for you. Some of them i knew about, but some were a surprise to me.

1. Shop around: Obvious, yes! Do it, its worth it. Ask your friends how much they pay and google prices online. Youll be surprised what is out there if you ask.

2. Raise your deductible: "Deductibles are the amount of money you have to pay toward a loss before your insurance company starts to pay a claim, according to the terms of your policy. The higher your deductible, the more money you can save on your premiums." Ive always known, make your deductible as high as possible. If you can afford a $1000 deductible you should pay it to save you on your monthly costs. Just raising it from $500 to $1000 you can save about 25% a month.

3. Dont confuse the worth of your home with rebuilding costs: Simply put, you dont need to insure your lott or the land you payed for under your house. If you payed $250,000 for you home. Land was $90,000 of that. Make sure you only insure $160,000.

4. Buy your home and auto insurance from the same insurer: This can save you 5-15% if you buy more than one premium

5. Improve your home security: You can usually get a discount of at least 5% just for a "monitored" smoke detector if its monitored by an alarm company. Some companies offer a savings off of your premium from 5-15% by adding a professional burglar alarm system that is monitored and connected to the police department.

6. Seek out discounts: Not all companies offer the same discount for certain things. Find out that your friend is saving 15% on their alarm and explain to your company that you want 15% discounted for your alarm! Bargain bargain bargain! They want your business, and will compete for it.

7. Maintaining a good credit score: Insurance companies increasingly are using your credit score to determine your premium amount.

8. Stay with the same insurer: If youve kept your policy for several years, 5-10 years, you should qualify for special customer discounts. Make sure to always compare the cost of your insurance to others. You can always bargain as a trusted customer.

9. When you buy a home consider the cost of home insurance: When buying a home you can consider things that would affect the cost of your insurance. Like buying a home near a fire hydrant. Make sure your community has professional fire response not voluntary. Dont buy in a flood zone or earthquake zone. These all can save you hundreds a year.

check out http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov for more details on this article if you are interested.

Top 5 Most Common Concerns Military Homeowners Have WIth Home Security Alarms

Are you looking into purchasing a home alarm system, but have a few questions? Many military or veterans home owners have some concerns. Here are just a few to consider before buying a home security system for you and your family.

The number one concern for most people when purchasing an alarm is the cost. While you can find affordable alarm systems, there is an installation cost and a monthly fee. For many people this is their major problem. With all the other expenses, how will you afford an alarm system? The best thing to do is to weigh your options and look at basic packages to see what your family needs. Many of the pros will outweigh the cons. In the long run having an alarm system may even save you money. It can lower your home insurance costs, up the re sale value on your home, and protect your family and the possessions inside your home.

A second concern is learning how to use the system. Some people think that it can be a complicated or lengthy process. This can depend on how basic or complex your system is. If this is something you are anxious about, lean towards one of the basic systems and take a short amount of time learning the system. Most of the time if you learn it from the beginning or have a technician go over it with you, this will not be a hard process.

Another worry that people may have are false alarms being set off. Part of this concern is also that when the alarm is accidentally set off the police are still dispatched. Sometimes if this occurs there is a fine charged. This can happen when the alarm system does not know how to properly be used. If you make sure that you and the members of your household know how to use it correctly, the number of times this occurs can be limited.

Installation can cause people concern. It can be invasive to certain areas of the house where drilling holes and running wires may not be ideal. Alarms have been installed in so many homes that there are many ways to cover this up. While the process may not be fun, after it is done, your home will be much safer and you will be glad those wires and holes are there. You won’t even see them anymore anyway!

Having pets have been a worry to some people looking into purchasing an alarm system as well. Will they set off the alarm all the time? Many alarm systems come with monitoring systems that you can set up how you want. For example, if you have indoor dogs, you can turn off the inside monitors.

Many of your concerns can be addressed by the alarm company or your technician. It is ultimately up to what is best for you and your family.

Military towns are among the countries most dangerous

I just read an interesting article at dailyfinance.com that seems to think that military towns are amongst some of the most dangerous towns in the country. Ive never lived in a military town so I decided to look more into this to learn why this might be the case.

In the article it lists off some of the most dangerous military towns: Schofield Barracks in Hawaii, the Patton Road near Alabama's Redstone Arsenal, Indiana's Grissom Joint Air Reserve Base, Mississippi's Meridian Naval Air Station, California's Presidio of Monterey, Washington's Ault Field and Hawaii's Kaneohe Station. These cities/towns average about 455-759 property crimes per 1000 people! Im sure that Fort Hood or the bases in Colorado, Virginia Beach or Florida could be much better. This is almost 20 times more than the national average of 35 property crime reports per 1000 persons.

The article asks "So why do these ten neighborhoods have such high crime rates? According to Andrew Schiller, founder and president of NeighborhoodScout, the answer may lie in the demographics of the American military. Military bases tend to have high concentrations of young, single men living together in very close quarters. Schiller has also found similar property crime spikes in other areas -- like college student neighborhoods -- that have large concentrations of single males living together. One possible explanation for these surges in crime rates could be that young men, separated from their parents, wives, families and communities, may feel more temptation to commit certain types of crimes."

Suggestions one might consider if living in these areas: Get a dog, lock your doors with quality locks, have an alarm installed on your home, leave lights on in your home, get to know your neighbors and start a neighborhood watch program.

The top states for business and where to live.

When I look into a city or state to live and to start a business want to find several key factors: How strong is the economy there? What is the foreclosure ratio? What is the cost of living? What is the average home income? What is the crime rate?

I began doing research on different locations where I could see my self living and where I could be more or less successful when opening a business. A helpful article by CNBC gave me some numbers and thoughts.

Virginia reclaims the title of America’s Top State for Business this year according to CNBC, squeezing past last year’s Top State, Texas. Texas is still a business powerhouse—the Lone Star State still has the top economy in the nation despite the falling price of oil, and its transportation infrastructure remain second to none. But Virginia, always a solid performer across the board, managed just enough improvement in the right areas—like Economy from 17th to 7th this year to regain the title it won in 2007.

Texas, meanwhile, lost crucial points in our most important category, cost of doing business. Texas office rents rose, perhaps because of its strong economy, and its business taxes went up as a share of the state’s output. Because the economy deteriorated so quickly at the end of 2008, and some metrics are much more current than others, America’s Top States for Business 2009 reflects only the earliest effects of the slowdown on the competitive landscape. But still, the effects are pronounced.

An interesting factor deciding the top areas is the quality of life for the residents of the states. Virginia comes in at number 17 and Texas at number 32. This is basing these numbers off of crime rates, health care, local attractions, ect. A strong point for Utah and Colorado was that they ranked at 7 and 10 best states for quality of living. Ive lived in areas like Los Angeles and Dallas where crime is high, foreclosures are high, and its not comfortable living. I couldn't leave my home without knowing that the alarm was set. I like the thought of raising a family in Utah or Colorado where the quality of life is higher.

After looking more into this article with CNBC "Americas top states for Business" I would have to agree with their top 5.

The top 5 states to do business are

1. Virginia

2. Texas

3. Colorado

4. Iowa

5. Utah

Free Alarms for Deployed Troops

I wanted to introduce to all of my readers a really cool and new nonprofit for military called ProtectOurTroops and it can be found at www.protectourtroops.org. This nonprofit does all they can to assist the families of deployed troops with the upfront and monthly costs of an alarm system.

There a rising need according the burea of defense for home security and deployed soldiers. If you know of anyone that is over seas, on active duty or preparing for deployment have them check out this awesome charity.