Tag: military

Military family secrets to staying connected

Military Family Secrets To Staying Connected

By

On July 31, 2020

In Lifestyle

Military families miss crucial moments together. Here are a few ways to feel close when you’re apart.

Care packages with a taste of home

A care package done right is worth its weight in gold. While often reserved for deployments or holidays, the impact is even bigger when it’s a random surprise, and nothing beats coming back from a long training cycle to find a box of goodies reminding you of home.

If your service member is stationed stateside, remember what’s the priority — FOOD! Restaurant options on the post are typically lacking and all the local chains begin to blend together over time. While you can’t go to your service member’s favorite spot from home and ship them a plate of lasagna, you can get creative. Ask the local restaurants what sauces, seasonings, or other sealed items they can provide. When your loved one uses the ingredients, they’re not eating in the barracks, but rather in your living room.

Those deployed overseas are going to be looking for very specific items, so it’s best to ask. When I was in Iraq in 2009, my hometown was kind enough to send care packages to my platoon. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that hard candies and disposable cameras were at the bottom of the wish list, but appreciated the gesture nonetheless. Ask your service member what would make life more comfortable for them, and if you have extra to spare, send enough for their battle buddies to use. Baby wipes and deodorant are always a safe choice, but asking rather than guessing will go a long way.

Photo frames 2.0

Growing up, I remember being in awe of the photos of my grandparents who served in the military. Shots of them out with the boys, or looking stoic in their graduation photos made me feel closer to them. The photos brought me to that moment in time, and it’s a large reason why I joined the Marines. 

With Facebook and Instagram, it seems easier than ever to share photos with loved ones, but there’s not much magic there. From deployments and time overseas to being back stateside, there are plenty of moments that should hold the same weight our grandparents’ photos did. Also, let’s be real, we all have an aunt that just doesn’t get “the Facebook,” or gets it way too much. A lot better she keeps that awkward middle school photo of you off the internet and on a digital photo frame for her eyes only. To bridge the generational gap and keep your moments personal, products like the Nixplay digital photo frame are key. I gifted one to my parents after moving. With pandemic travel restrictions, it’s nice for them to feel like they’re connected to my day. It certainly came in handy after my recent engagement – my parents were able to watch the proposal video on their frame just minutes after!

Nixplay frames are also a great way to stay connected to deployed service members, as long as they have a WiFi connection. You’ll be able to send them photos and videos that will appear in their frame, giving them something to look forward to each week. The frame even comes equipped with a motion sensor so you won’t be disrupting their sleep when you’re 12 hours apart. Keep your service members in your everyday moments so they don’t feel so far removed from home.

Share experiences with games and apps

With user (and grandparent) friendly mobile apps, it’s easy and fun to stay connected through online gaming: Scrabble for the parents, Call of Duty for the siblings, or a trivia app for the grandparents. The light-hearted competition will provide something to talk about next time you’re on the phone instead of just sharing the usual updates.

Deployed service members can also use apps to play games with their kids, or record themselves reading a bedtime story. Military kids living far from grandparents or friends from former duty stations can play games together, use fun video chat features, or play online challenges to stay in touch. Look for lists of age-appropriate games or apps that will help you stay connected in your current situation. 

Send a care package, share a photo, or just spend an hour playing some mobile games with your family. The point is there are plenty of ways to keep connected. It doesn’t matter where you’re stationed or how far you are from home: shared moments always bring us closer. 

This article was originally posted on taskandpurpose.com.

nov 11 veterans day

4 Small Things You Can Do To Honor Army Veterans

By

On November 11, 2018

In Customer Testimonials, Holidays

This Veteran’s Day, it’s important to show our soldiers our support and appreciation, especially considering all the sacrifices they have made for our nation. Nixplay has partnered with MilitaryBridge, the premier online resource connecting military families with local businesses, to give military families 30 percent off a Nixplay Seed 10 Inch Frame until November 30 by using the promo code MB-VETERAN at checkout. We’re also raffling off three Nixplay Frames to deserving military families to honor their service.

Nixplay Veterans Day military bridge campaign

Now, what can YOU do to help honor our loyal army veterans? Read on to learn some small acts of service that can go a long way.

Volunteer at a VA hospital

There are VA hospitals all over the U.S. that cater to the needs of military veterans who have served our country bravely. This is one of the best ways you can show your support to your local veterans. In the U.S., there are over 75,000 volunteers at VA hospitals across the country, contributing a total of 12 million volunteer hours. This saves VA hospitals more than $232 million every year.

Donate or send gifts to the VA

If you’re a bit pushed for time, considering donating cash or gifts to the VA instead. Money always helps to keep veterans’ lives running smoothly, especially if they were significantly injured in battle. The VA receives over $77 million in donations and gifts every year, so why not join in and let our veterans know how much you appreciate them?

Send care packages to deployed military personnel

Perhaps you know a veteran who has recently been deployed for duty once again. If so, official bodies such as military.com can provide you with many ideas of packages to send to someone who is deployed. Of course, there are certain limits as to what you can send, but food enhancers such as relish, ketchup, and spices are common, in addition to home comforts such as scrapbooks, mementos, or songs. If you wanted to get really creative, you could even send a Nixplay Frame featuring pictures of their friends and family back home.

Pay your respects

It doesn’t matter if you know people in them or not, the United States National Cemetery System is open to all visitors. All Americans can pay their respects to their fallen brothers and sisters on Veteran’s Day by visiting their graves and reading their names. Reading each fallen veteran’s personal name and standing atop their resting place helps to humanize these men and women–it makes them more than just a number, a statistic, or a general group of people.

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

nixplay digital frame video 5 makaala military family

Staying Together With A Nixplay Frame

By

On August 30, 2018

In Customer Testimonials

When you’re stationed in a different country for several years, you miss so many holidays and milestones. The separation was especially difficult for Makaala, a Navy Submarine Officer previously stationed in Bahrain, and his wife Lisa.

Each time Makaala left, he worried that his daughters, particularly two-year-old Kate, would not be able to recognize him the next time he comes home. This is a common problem of military families, and Makaala and his wife were determined to overcome it.

Back then, their two older daughters, Avery and Sydney, would look at a framed photo of Makaala each night before they went to bed. With Kate growing up, a Nixplay Frame made it easier for the family to cope with the distance.

“Because of our Nixplay Frame, Kate never skipped a beat when her daddy came home because she was constantly seeing his pictures,” shares Lisa.

Watch this video to learn why every military family should have a Nixplay Frame.

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

humphreys-military-video-main

This Is How One Military Family Stays In Touch

By

On August 10, 2018

In Customer Testimonials

When you’re in a military family, it’s not easy to stay in touch all the time. The loneliness caused by distance isn’t always easy to overcome, especially when your loved ones are deployed in a faraway, war-torn location.

When Sherra Humphreys‘ daughter Rachel enlisted in the military, the proud mom immediately started thinking of ways to keep each other updated about everything happening in their lives.

“When you have a soldier [in your family], we kind of have a job at home to support them and make sure that they’re not really homesick and they can do their job well,” says Sherra.

“The immediate thing I [thought of] was, ‘oh, I’ll send you a Nixplay Frame and we can put a playlist on it, and we can update it, and it could play whenever you walk in.'”

Watch the video to learn about the Humphreys’ story:

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

Military Mom looking at photos of her children on her Nixplay frame.

Here’s How We’re Showing Our Support For Our Military Servicemen And Women

By

On May 23, 2018

In Special Moments

May provides us with two great opportunities to celebrate people who have made great sacrifices for us: our mothers and our military. And just as we should use every chance we get to show our moms how grateful we are for them, we should also do the same for our soldiers.

Here at Nixplay, we take every opportunity to show our troops how much we appreciate their efforts to defend our land. We’re always pleased to hear that our digital photo frames have helped our country’s soldiers stay close to their families despite being stationed hundreds of miles away.

“I purchased the Nixplay Seed 10 inch frame as a gift for my grandson, who is in the U.S. Army and stationed a great distance from home,” Sharon Forrest wrote in an Amazon review. “Several of my family members have Nixplay WiFi frames. We exchange pictures frequently!”

Sharon’s anecdote is just one of the countless stories we’ve heard about how our frames have bridged the distance between military families. Through our frames, we’ve helped our troops be there for their loved ones’ milestones. We’re grateful for your support, and we’re taking every opportunity to pay it forward.

Honoring our troops

In 2017, we joined Military Makeover, a Lifetime TV show that offers veterans a chance to improve their homes. We gave Nixplay frames to two families, the Ewings and the Schaeffers, so their families can always stay together no matter the distance.

 

This National Military Appreciation Month, we’ve teamed up with MilitaryBridge.com to rally behind our brave troops. We’re giving members of the military 25 percent off on all Nixplay frames until May 31–simply enter the promo code MAM-2018 at checkout.

And since we know how important it is for our soldiers to stay connected to their loved ones, we’re also giving away three Nixplay 10-inch Seed Frames to 3 lucky military members and/or their families. Just head on over to MilitaryBridge’s website to join the raffle. To claim the prize, you’ll need to show proof of military status, such as an ID Card, discharge paperwork, your current Leaves and Earnings Statement, or other forms of identification. Visit MilitaryBridge.com to learn more.

It’s never too late to honor our brave troops who defend our freedom. Share how you’re celebrating National Military Appreciation Month below!

Mars Salazar

Marianne is Nixplay’s Web Content Editor. Her hobbies include exploring new places, playing table tennis, and cuddling puppies. Send her a message at marianne.salazar@nixplay.com.

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