Veteran’s Day: A Great Time to Support Our Troops

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The presidential election has finally come to an end, and all of the mudslinging, politics, and rhetoric that came with it has begun to dissipate (at least temporarily.) Unfortunately, the results of the election and the protests that have followed it (whether you believe they are justified or not) have only demonstrated just how divided a nation we truly are. In fact, the only similarity between the parties at the moment appears to be the universal shock that almost everyone is experiencing after the election’s outcome.

However, even though it may seem like the only thing we share is the disbelief that our candidate won or lost, there is actually one other thing that almost everyone can agree on. We need to support our troops. And, there is no better time to give back to the men and women who have risked their lives or lost their lives to give us the freedom to love or loathe our new president than Veteran’s Day. As a result, if you are looking for a way that you can help the members of our armed forces and their families today, you may want to consider donating to one of the charities listed below:

Air Force Aid Society

Fisher House Foundation

Hire Heroes USA

Hope for the Warriors

The Mission Continues

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)

Operation Support Our Troops – America

Our Military Kids

United Service Organizations (USO)

Wounded Warriors Family Support

And, if you are a member of the armed services who is trying to figure out how to handle all of your expenses while you’re deployed or how you’re going to handle your expenses while you’re transitioning back into the workforce after your deployment, you may want to check out Bankrate’s guide on “Managing Your Finances Before and After Deployment“.  This guide is designed to help service members and their families plan out ways to use service-related benefits such as savings deposit programs, tax-free pay, and thrift savings plans to handle the costs that service members may have to face both while they’re on duty and after they’ve returned.

Photo credit: Anthony Quintano via VisualHunt / CC BY

Friday Fun: Christmas…before Thanksgiving?

Christmas Tree with Stockings

I have to admit when it comes to the holidays, I’m definitely a one holiday at a time kind of guy. Now, don’t get me wrong. I like Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I just really prefer it when I can celebrate one holiday before I have to start thinking about the next one. However, if you’re one of the fine upstanding individuals who is already looking at the calendar thinking to yourself “forget the turkey, it’s time for Christmas”, Boston has everything you need to get into the Christmas spirit this weekend and then some (even if it is still a little early for some of us.)

First, if you’re a firm believer in the idea that nothing says Christmas like a Christmas tree and you really want to share the goodwill this season, Mahoney’s Garden Centers has an interesting program that you should definitely check out. You see, this weekend is not only the start of the holiday season (depending on how you look at it), but also Veteran’s Day Weekend. As a result, it is a time to honor the hard work, diligence, and sacrifice of all the men and women who are serving or who have served at home and abroad. Fortunately, Mahoney’s Trees for Troops® program will give you a way to not only get into the Christmas spirit, but will also give you a way to give back to our troops this holiday season. This is because each Mahoney’s Garden center store, starting on Monday, November 11, 2013 (Veteran’s Day), will give customers the opportunity to purchase a special Christmas tree that will be donated to a military family. Each of these trees only costs $24.50, and the store even has special cards that you can use to send a note with the tree. For more information on Mahoney’s Trees for Troops program®, please visit the Mahoney’s Garden Centers website.

Secondly, if you’re a big fan of gingerbread houses and Christmas crafts, the 27th Annual Boston Christmas Festival is definitely the place to be. This festival, which runs from Friday the 8th to Sunday the 10th, is a collection of all things Christmas, as it features a gingerbread house competition, over 300 artists and craftsman, and more handcrafted Christmas gifts and decorations than you will find anywhere else. In fact, the Festival will give you the opportunity to browse and purchase from an enormous selection of Christmas stockings, clothing, figurines, food, garden flags, jewelry, ornaments, wreaths, and other handmade goods. For more information on the 27th Annual Boston Christmas Festival, which is being held at the Seaport World Trade Center, please visit the Boston Christmas Festival’s website.

Photo credit: Foter.com / CC BY-SA