Wanting to take a trip but afraid of a high price tag? There are many vacation options that are budget-friendly.

Cruises

Believe it or not, cruises are a great choice for the family looking to go somewhere exotic but not break the bank. There are 7-day cruises for as low as $500 a week per person. Cruises also offer a variety of activities for children, so you’re sure to be happily busy and get the most out of your experience.

Last-Minute Deals

For all the procrastinators out there – waiting until the last minute can actually save you money. While this isn’t necessarily the safest route, if you decide on a whim that you’d like to go somewhere, this is a perfect option. Travel providers sometimes slash prices at the last minute to fill hotels and airline seats. Scan sites like Expedia or Orbitz to see if they are featuring any late-breaking deals.

Visiting a National Park

National parks boast natural beauty, a variety of activities, and best of all, affordable accommodations such as campgrounds or historical lodges. If you’re a big fan of the outdoors, you can even reserve heated tents at some parks.

Mexico

If warm weather and rays of sun are what you’re looking for, your next stop should be south of the border. Places like Riviera Maya have great deals for families and offer once-in-a-lifetime experiences like snorkeling and exploring the Mayan ruins. All-inclusive resorts can easily accommodate a budget, and the best part is that you won’t have to worry about overspending when you get there.

Renting a house with another family will greatly cut vacation costs.

Group Trips

Have a family that you’d love to travel with? By buddying up and traveling together, you’re sure to save money. Renting a big house with one or more family is one of the most economical ways to vacation, and can sometimes cost less than $100 per day per family. Plus, with your own kitchen, you can make your own meals and save money that you’d spend going out to eat.

Discount Sites

There are tons of sites out there that can help you plan and book your trip for less. Did you know you can even rent out apartments or bedrooms? Sites like Airbnb show you these options and provide real reviews that ensure you get a safe and clean place.

Washington, DC

Looking to visit a city rich in history? If so, Washington, DC is the way to go. Many of the city’s museums and attractions have free admission, and you can stay in places like Maryland or Virginia for a cheaper price and take transportation into the city.

Photos courtesy of Mr. Thomas and Bethany L King

The additional stress of being a parent or spouse in the military community can make finding and keeping a job even harder. For this reason, the military community has been a primary focus for FMLA legislation over the past 20 years. Recent changes to FMLA specifically address issues faced by the military community.

The modern employee is no longer tied to a cubicle with the use of laptops, tablets and smart phones use dominating the workplace.

Updates to Exigency Leave

The biggest changes came in defining and extending what is considered exigency leave. Members and family members of all regular Armed Forces and National Guard or Reservists qualify for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave due to active duty or a call to duty. The definition of active duty was further clarified to specify only orders to or in a foreign country count.

Exigency leave also now includes parental care, where time may be taken off to arrange for the care of the parents of a military member. This doesn’t include providing the care themselves, but does cover the time it takes to arrange care from a third party.

Additionally, family members are now eligible to spend up to 15 calendar days bonding with a military member on R&R. These days may be taken intermittently and the number of days available should correspond to the length of leave.

Military Caregiver Leave

Eligible FMLA employees whose family members are recent veterans with injuries or illnesses that were caused by or aggravated by their service and this includes illnesses that present themselves during and or up to five years after service. Further explanation of covered illnesses can be found here or on the DOL website.

FMLA & The Modern Workplace

Other updates include expanding health care provisions, flight crew eligibility requirements and new rules for calculating the increments of intermittent FMLA leave. Although the protection provided by the FMLA is very useful for employees, especially those in the military community, there are some shortcomings that the law struggles to address. First, only about 60 percent of employees in the U.S. are covered, leaving the rest at the mercy of employers who may not be sympathetic to the work-life balance.

Additionally, the workplace itself is changing for many companies and the law should be following suit. Many companies are adopting more flexible schedules and considering the heavy reliance on the Internet and computers, the modern employee is more mobile than ever and potentially able to work from home. Just as it is interesting to see how FMLA has changed over the years due to the needs of the communities that use it most, it will be interesting to see how FMLA changes to a culture that values a work-life balance more than ever before.

Image courtesy eperales

Although the concept of the pin-up predates the 20th century, its prevalence in modern conflicts has faded to the background. Still, there’s a few women keeping the flame alive for pin-ups, and keeping morale up the best way they know how.

World War II plane with a pin-up of Betty Grable as nose art.

“Pin-up art has been a part of military history since World War II,” said Gina Elise, founder of non-profit Pin-Ups for Vets, which raises money for veterans’ healthcare. “Artists painted pin-ups on the nose of the aircraft to boost morale for the air crews. The crews liked to imagine that a beautiful lady was watching over them and protecting them.”

According to Militaryspot.com, movie stars such as Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth were the most common pin-ups depicted during World War II. From the 1930s through 1972, Gil Elvgren was the most famous artist of the kind worldwide.

After the war, pin-up style clothing made its way into mainstream commercialization, and pin-up art and photography moved to celebrities. In 1949, photographer Tom Kelley photographed Marilyn Monroe in pin-up fashion, and in 1953, Playboy highlighted her in this pin-up style.

“When we dress up as pin-ups to visit hospitalized vets, we evoke the history of the pin-up and their long-standing ties to military culture,” said Elise.

As pin-up photography became its own art form in the 1950s and 1960s, the genre became more acceptable in places other than war zones.

Although the concept of the pin-up became muddled in the 70s and 80s, artists such as Dave Stevens kept pin-up history and art alive during that time. And in recent years, the idea of the pin-up has reemerged in art and photography, especially in military communities where it signifies honor and valor.

Modern Relevance

The nostalgia of the style has reached a noticeable popularity with military spouses and girlfriends, and created quite the vintage dress and makeup trend.

Gina Elise donates all of the proceeds from Pinups for Vets to veteran and military causes.

“Although the pin-up aesthetic was linked to military culture in the 1940s, the love of pin-up art by service members has continued throughout the decades,” said Elise. “Today’s recent veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan collect the art in the form of vintage tin signs, and even tattoos.”

And she keeps the history of the pin-up going through her non-profit work as well.

“When we dress up as pin-ups to visit hospitalized vets, we evoke the history of the pin-up and their long-standing ties to military culture,” said Elise. “For the World War II vets, it’s almost like being transported to decades past, to a time to when they were very young and strong. Our visits to veterans’ hospitals awaken past memories of some of their proudest moments. All of the veterans appreciate our visits because they know that pin-ups were a piece of ‘The Greatest Generation,’ a generation of veterans that they look up to. They experience a piece of that history when we enter their room, and hopefully for a brief moment, they forget that they are in a hospital.”

Photos courtesy bulliver, zawezome and Gina Elise

Be Realistic

Before your spouse arrives home, romantic thoughts of having him or her all to yourself will arise. But don’t expect this to translate into reality, especially if you have kids. In fact, children are more likely to let their parents have alone time if they spent time with the returning service member first.

You can consider a more family oriented activity at the outset. But some Military Spouse readers, such as Katie Givens, suggested structuring time with family. “Get away from the family,” she wrote. “It was the best thing we could have done. We gave them each a day to have a meal with him.”

No matter what, make sure communication is paramount. Talk to your spouse before the R&R to find out what they’re comfortable with. Communication before the visit gives both of you the chance to roughly outline plans. Returning spouses may want some alone time to sleep, get over jet lag or adapt to be home. Be understanding and welcoming. As Military Spouse reader Jessica Rivera put it, “Let the soldier rest!”

Keep it Light

If you want to spend quality time together, avoid controversial topics and serious marital problems. The short amount of time you share during R&R shouldn’t be consumed by negative tension and fighting. Plus it’s often not enough time to hash out any problems that lingered before the spouse left.

Even if there is a long list of chores to do around the house and you need your spouse’s help cleaning the gutter or organizing the basement, do not burden your returning spouse upon arrival. If the time seems right pare down the list to some of the easier tasks you can do together.

It’s better to enjoy time together with a cluttered basement than to spend a few angst-filled days together bickering over a to-do list.
For service members returning from combat zones, a quieter home is often ideal. Be affectionate and do what you can to help them rest and relax.
This is especially important if you are, say, introducing a new family member, or have young children. Keep plans simple. Elaborate parties or vacations are not necessary. Less is more.

Stay Healthy

In anticipation of a return home, a service member’s nostalgia may make them long for their favorite fast food, dessert or locally-brewed beer. Be wary of excessive celebrations that may be unhealthy, but certainly be ready to indulge. Remember that a service member has a very different daily diet while deployed. Their body will handle changes better if they are gradual and not overdone. The trick here is to celebrate but make sure it is in moderation. The last thing you want is to have your soldier (or you) be ill during R&R!

Cherish Every Moment

Try to arrange a special event for just the two of you. It can be as simple as a night at home with popcorn and a movie or a fancy dinner at a five-star restaurant.  Live in the moment and appreciate the bond you two share.
“Just do whatever sounds good when you wake up,” wrote Military Spouse reader Nena Harris.
Take pictures when other family comes over or your spouse is playing with the kids and have others take pictures of you and your spouse.

Remember that R&R can change at any time, sometimes even requiring service member to leave early.
Take none of your time together for granted because you’ll have to say “See you soon” all too soon.

Photo thanks to The U.S. Army via Flickr Creative Commons