Blog Posts by Jill

House hunting in East Arlington Neighborhoods Have you received orders to Naval Station Mayport, Florida ? We did, twice. We lived in Jacksonville, Florida for 7 years total over 2 different tours. I graduated from college in Jacksonville, worked part time at a Hallmark store, taught first grade for 2 years, and then spent 3 years as a stay at home mom there. I experienced a lot around the area of NS Mayport. I truly did love being stationed there. In my blog titled "Where to Live if You Are Stationed at Naval Station Mayport, Florida" I talk about the basic boundaries to follow when you are ... read more

A1A Beachfront Avenue! (now you're singing Ice Ice Baby) One of the neatest things a fellow Navy spouse introduced me to was hunting for shark teeth on A1A Beach. During the 7 years we spent stationed at Naval Station Mayport , we managed to collect a jar of shark teeth. It is one of the neatest things we have as a reminder of our days on the Atlantic coast. Its also a fantastic thing to take visitors to do. My favorite shark tooth beach is off of Solano Road in Ponte Vedra, not far from Jacksonville Beach. Shark Tooth Beach is located in a neighborhood where Solano Road meets the Atlantic O... read more

Disney World on a budget is possible. If you haven't been to Walt Disney World yet now is the time to go! The military deals in Orlando are fantastic and you can do this on a budget. #1 Find A Place To Call Home The first thing you need is a place to call home while you are visiting The Happiest Place on Earth. The Armed Forces Vacation Club is the answer. Timeshares are donated to the military for military families to use. You can stay in 1, 2, or 3 bedroom condos at 4 and 5 star key resorts. It's amazing! The condos have a full kitchen, living room, washer and dryer, and multiple bathrooms... read more

Moving to a new duty station can be daunting. Who am I kidding, it IS daunting! Leaving a duty station and needing to sell your home is also a daunting task. A True Military Friendly Realtor in Jacksonville This scenario is exactly how I met Dana Merrill . We had built our house in 2005 when the market was on fire. 3 years later it was now 2008 and the housing market had tanked. It was awful. Dana was our realtor during this time. We luckily fell into the group of people that the HAP (Housing Assistance Program) had been expanded to help. Selling a house with HAP was new to us and to Dana. ... read more

For anyone coming to Washington DC whether to visit or to live, for your next duty station, walking the monuments on the National Mall in DC is a must do activity! The National Mall is a historic place that I feel honored to be able to live near. After several trips to the National Mall in DC we have figured out what works for those of us with kids. I truly enjoy walking from George to Abe and back. The Route! We ' ve walked from George to Abe and back many times over the past year and a half. Let me clarify that I am talking about walking from The Washington Monument to The Lincoln Memorial ... read more