Courtesy of USAA

During tax season, you probably find yourself surrounded by piles of papers - and wondering how long to keep all that stuff. For tax documents - and all your other financial paperwork - here's your answer.

Small Space Storage Solutions That Work  

Brought to you by The Home Depot 

Whether you currently reside in a house, an apartment, a dorm room, or even a barracks, keeping your living space uncluttered is essential to maintaining an efficient, organized household. A small room can really go a long way if you know how to make the most of the space you have to work with.  Below are some simple storage ideas to help you keep your home neat and orderly:

Creating a Clutter-Free Kitchen

Smaller-sized kitchens are warm and cozy but also require some strategy to be properly functional. If your existing kitchen space doesn't have a traditional pantry, use a kitchen cabinet (or multiple cabinets) to store dry goods.

Organize pantry staples into categories - dry food items, canned food, cereals, and baking ingredients. Small wire baskets are great for grouping items together by category, and attaching wire organizers to the backs of your cabinet doors will nearly double your overall cabinet storage capability. Consider adding vertical dividers to lower cabinets for storing cookie sheets, cutting boards and pizza pans.

Organize your refrigerator and freezer the same way as kitchen cabinets - stack plastic storage containers vertically, grouping food items together for easier identification. When placing items in the freezer, store in freezer bags and date the outside using a permanent marker. This will make it easy to determine whether or not foods have exceeded their freezer life.

To create even more kitchen storage space, designate a drawer (or two) for miscellaneous items such as paperwork, calendars, bills and mail...or save even more space by putting up a bulletin board above the countertop. You'll free up your drawers and have important documents visible and easily accessible.

Tips for A Tidy Living Room

To maximize your living room area, select furniture with built-in storage space. A storage console is the perfect place to store electronic equipment, CDs and board games. Place photo albums, out-of-season décor and other items you don't need on a daily basis in decorative, fabric-covered drawers on top of the console. A side table with built-in drawers is the perfect place to keep coasters, magazines and remote controls.

Another convenient storage option is to place stackable open shelves against a wall. If your living room is already filled with several furniture pieces, consider adding floating shelves for additional storage space. Vertical shelves that go up a wall also provide a sturdy and functional way to display items.

Bedroom and Bathroom Storage Strategies

Make the most of the space underneath your bed by utilizing under-the-bed storage boxes. The extra-long containers provide an excellent means for storing everything from photo albums to out-of-season clothing. A cedar chest at the foot of the bed is an ideal way to store blankets and other linens, and will also protect your wool sweaters from moths during the warmer months!

Get your closet under control by doubling your hanging space. If your budget allows, consider installing a closet organizer to create more room for dresses, suits and handbags. Stackable shelves and plastic storage bins placed within closets also provide convenient access to scarves, belts and other accessories.

When it comes to creating storage space in a small bathroom, one of most effective options is to install a vanity with built-in storage drawers. A vanity is perfect for storing extra soap, shampoos and various toiletries. If a new vanity isn't in your budget, a medicine cabinet is an easy, coast-effective way to store toothbrushes and smaller grooming items, while installing a wall cabinet with towel hooks is practical and space-efficient for hanging towels and bathrobes.

Visit homedepot.com for more useful space-saving ideas or join The Home Depot's Online How-To Community for expert advice from our store associates.

About The Home Depot & the Military - The Home Depot has a rich and proud history of support for the

United States Armed Forces through a wide range of sponsorships and activities. The Home Depot is dedicated to supporting and honoring our men and women in uniform and their families through our business practices and volunteer donations. The Home Depot is the largest employer of military personnel in the United States and Canada. In fact, if The Home Depot employees were a country unto itself, we would rank 5th among countries for soldiers deployed in the Operation Iraqi Freedom War. Those employees bring a wealth of experience to our stores. We're proud to have received numerous honors for our support of the military community.

By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 24, 2011 - President Barack Obama today unveiled a governmentwide plan to strengthen military family support, offering a glimpse at a few of the new programs and cooperative efforts being launched in the coming months to improve quality of life and well-being for military families.  

President Barack Obama announces a whole-of-government initiative to benefit military families as Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, and First Lady Michelle Obama look on during a Jan. 24, 2011, White House event. DOD photo by Elaine Wilson

"Today, I'm proud to announce that for the first time ever, supporting the well-being of our military families will be a priority not just for the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs, but all across the federal government," Obama said.

Speaking from the White House's East Room, Obama unveiled this "unprecedented commitment" to military families with First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, at his side. Top government and Defense Department officials also were on hand, including Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, the service chiefs, and their spouses.

Spotlighting the importance of military family support, Obama recalled his trip to Afghanistan last month, where he spoke to troops and asked them what he could do to better support them.

"Without missing a beat, they looked me in the eye and they gave me their answer," the president said. "It wasn't about more equipment. It wasn't about more resources on the battlefield. In fact, it wasn't about them.

"They said, to a man: 'Sir, take care of our families,'" he said. "'If we know our families are all right back home, then we can do our jobs.'"

Service members and their families have done everything the nation has asked of them in this decade of war, and the nation now must serve them with the same unfailing support, Obama said. That's exactly why he directed a governmentwide review of military family support, he added, calling for "innovative new partnerships" to better serve military families worldwide.

Earlier today, the White House released the results of this nearly yearlong review of military family support. From child care to health care to spouse employment, the report -- titled "Strengthening our Military Families: Meeting America's Commitment" -- identifies the key issues military families face and presents programs and resources government agencies plan to launch in the coming months to address them.

The report outlines four key areas the whole-of-government effort plans to address: enhancing military families' well-being and psychological health, developing military spouse career and education opportunities, increasing child care availability and quality, and ensuring excellence in military children's education and development.

Improving quality of life is a priority, Obama noted, offering a glimpse at some programs that will focus in the coming months on families' well-being. The Defense and Health and Human Services departments, for example, are working together to improve community mental health services and to prevent suicides, he said. And a new office in the Treasury Department will help to protect military families from financial pitfalls, such as predatory lending.

"And we are going to remain relentless -- not just at VA, but at [the Housing and Urban Development and Health and Human Services departments] and across the government -- in our fight to end homelessness among our veterans," the president said.

"We have to have zero tolerance for homelessness among our veterans," he added, a statement that was met by thunderous applause.

Another priority, Obama said, is the education and development of military children, many of whom attend public schools. He praised the efforts of agencies such as the Education and Interior departments. The Education Department will give military families priority in some of its grant programs, and the Interior Department plans to create more opportunities for military children.

The government also will "redouble" its effort to help military spouses attain education goals and careers, Obama said.

"We're going to help spouses to get that degree, find that job or start that new business," he said. "We want every company in America to know our military spouses and veterans have the skills and the dedication, and our nation is more competitive when we tap their incredible talents."

Finally, the government is going to expand child care options for military parents. "Working together, we believe we can find new child care options for tens of thousands of military children," the president said.

In total, Obama said, his administration is making nearly 50 specific commitments to military families today. But the government can't accomplish this mission alone, he added.

"Government has its responsibilities," Obama said. "One percent of Americans may be fighting our wars, but a hundred percent of Americans need to be supporting our troops and their families -- a hundred percent."

Related Sites:

Special Report: Strengthening Our Military Families - Meeting America's Commitment
Report
Video
White House Transcript
White House News Release
USDA News Release: Military Families

By Elaine Wilson
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2011 - Defense Department officials are inviting military spouses to air their state licensing issues and concerns as part of an overall effort to boost spouses' education and career opportunities.

The department has created a discussion board where spouses can describe their experiences -- both good and bad -- with state licenses and certifications as they move from state to state.

"We'd like to eliminate barriers that would enable spouses to pursue their goals, and licensure is a major barrier to spouses as they seek careers," Aggie Byers, senior policy analyst with the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, told American Forces Press Service.

One-third of employed military spouses are in career fields that require a state license, such as some health care professionals, teachers, accountants, pharmacy technicians and medical billers, explained Ed Kringer, director of state liaison and educational opportunity for the Pentagon's office of military community and family policy.

Officials often encourage military spouses to pursue portable careers, since they may offer easier paths to employment in new locations. However, spouses are running into some issues as they move from state to state, Kringer acknowledged.

A license that's valid in one state isn't always valid in another, he explained, rendering spouses unable to work until they can complete the licensing requirements for their new state of residence.

Compounding the issue, some states have stringent application processes or the board may only meet once every three to four months. If spouses miss one board, they'll potentially have to wait months for another. In worst-case scenarios, some states don't endorse another state's license at all, leaving those spouses back at square one in the licensing process, Kringer said.

"The process can be confusing, time-consuming, expensive, and can leave spouses out of the job market for long periods of time," he said. "We realize that a spouse may only be [in a state] for two to three years, and will be missing six months or more of work."

This lack of employment can have a snowball effect, he noted. States often require people to demonstrate reasonable competency, which entails expertise gained on the job. A spouse, for example, may be required to have worked two out of the past four years in a career to obtain a license. But military spouses who lived overseas for several years, or in a small town with limited career opportunities, may not be able to meet this requirement, he added.

To counter these issues and others, Defense Department officials are working with states to streamline processes and eliminate licensing barriers, Kringer said.

Officials have focused past efforts on easing the transition process for registered nurses and teachers. For example, Kringer said, officials have worked with states over the past several years on a licensure compact that will ease state-to-state transitions for registered nurses. For teachers, he added, they've been asking states to accept one specific certificate across the board rather than requiring a new certificate in each state.

However, only about 11 percent of working spouses are registered nurses or teachers, according to the current population survey, Kringer noted, so officials are working to minimize the challenges facing spouses in all portable careers.

Efforts to institute change already have paid off, he said.

Colorado, for example, passed an endorsement bill last year that's speeding up the licensing process for military spouses, Kringer said. Colorado has a regulatory agency that oversees 77 different careers that require a license. The legislation gives the agency's director authority to grant endorsements without board approval, eliminating sometimes lengthy waits for a board to meet. Additionally, the state now accepts continuing education units in lieu of experience, he added.

More than 25 other states have similar regulatory agencies, he said, and officials are hopeful they'll pass similar bills once they learn of Colorado's success.

Also last year, Florida passed a bill that enables military spouses with a valid license from another state to automatically obtain a temporary six-month license, Kringer said. This gives spouses the opportunity to seek employment while filing for their permanent license, he explained.

The state also has developed a process to expedite the required background check. Rather than several weeks or months, spouses can have their background checks done in a week.

But despite these efforts, Kringer said, officials know they may be missing an issue or potential solution. "We don't know if we're doing it perfectly," he acknowledged. "We made educated guesses that helped frame these initial efforts, but now we need to hear from spouses."

Kringer encouraged spouses to use the discussion board so officials can better direct their efforts. They'd like to hear what problems spouses are facing or have faced, he said, and they're hoping to learn from success stories as well.

The discussion board, he added, also can serve as a source of information to others. Spouses can learn from someone else's lessons learned, for example.

Although officials hope for extensive input, Kringer cautioned that spouses shouldn't expect personalized responses. The discussion board isn't intended to fix individual issues with states, he explained, but rather is an opportunity to offer feedback to ensure officials are moving in the right direction. "This isn't going to be a quick process, but over the years we should make good headway," he said.

Leaders understand how disruptive frequent military moves can be to a career, Kringer noted.

"There are benefits, but it's disruptive," he said. "And no matter how well we work this, we can't make it so it's not disruptive. But we want to minimize that disruption as much as possible."

This effort is part of an overall, interagency effort to increase spouse employment opportunities, Byers explained, noting that spouse employment was one of the key issues identified in a White House report released last month titled "Strengthening our Military Families: Meeting America's Commitment." The report not only identified key issues military families face, but also presented the programs and resources government agencies plan to launch in the coming months to address them.

For example, the Treasury and Defense departments are working together to release a report on licensing and credentialing practices faced by military spouses.

"Spouse education and employment matters because it leads to their fulfillment," Byers said. "If they feel fulfilled professionally ... they'll have a greater chance to thrive while serving the nation."

People can find more information about spouse education and career opportunities, including free career counseling, on the Military OneSource website.

Related Sites:

Special to American Forces Press Service

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 10, 2011 - Spouses of National Guard and Reserve service members are invited to nominate their employers for the Patriot Award, following a recent expansion in the program, announced yesterday by the Defense Department's Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve agency.

Nominations for the Patriot Award were previously open only to Guard and Reserve service members to nominate their employers.

However, after learning of the growing number of employers with supportive initiatives for military spouses, ESGR added nominations for spouses' employers, who will receive their own DOD award, the only one of its kind for military spouses.

Employers of military spouses are not legally obligated to provide special support, but Guard and Reserve spouses often share the challenges that go with military service. Child care, managing the household, and work schedules often have to be adjusted when a military spouse deploys.

Military spouses value the cooperation and encouragement of their employers just as much as those in the Guard and Reserve. The expansion of the Patriot Award honors flexible employers and is the only DOD-sanctioned award designated for spouses' bosses.

The nation has relied heavily on Guard and Reserve service members during overseas military operations over the past decade. Reserve component members have deployed and fought with active-duty troops. Unlike spouses of active duty troops, Guard and Reserve spouses often don't live near a network of large military bases. In many cases, an employer is a spouse's strongest support community.

Spouses already have begun submitting nominations. Robyn Gellerup, a Wisconsin mother of three, works as an office manager for a construction company showroom.

"While my husband was deployed both times, [my employers took] care of us like we are part of their family, from mowing our lawn, plowing snow from our driveway, to performing maintenance on our vehicles and home," Gellerup said. "It gave my husband peace of mind knowing that if something goes wrong I could just pick up the phone and they'd be there."

All spouses of Guard and Reserve members are eligible to nominate their employers. Nomination forms are accessible on the ESGR website. Each nominated supervisor will receive a Department of Defense Certificate of Appreciation, presented by the spouse's employee or a volunteer from the ESGR State Committee.

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve is a Department of Defense agency established in 1972 to develop and maintain employer support for Guard and Reserve service. ESGR advocates relevant initiatives, recognizes outstanding support, increases awareness of applicable laws, and resolves conflict between service members and employers.

Paramount to ESGR's mission is encouraging employment of Guardsmen and Reservists who bring integrity, global perspective and proven leadership to the civilian workforce.

For more information about ESGR Outreach Programs, or ESGR volunteer opportunities, call 1-800-336-4590 or visit the agency's website.   

Related Sites: 

Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve
Nomination Form

Price: $2,100.00/month

Lakeland, TN - Coltwood Drive   

4 Bed, 3 Bath (Single Family)

Description:

See website for more pictures! **http://4498coltwooddrive.shutterfly.com** Spacious 4 bedroom/3 bath home located in the highly sought after Oakwood subdivision in Lakeland. Home features many attributes and upgrades including hardwood floors, ceiling fans, screened porch attached to a large deck, upgraded security system, 3 inch blinds, gas fireplace, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, huge bonus room with media/playroom and three car garage. Ceiling fans in all bedrooms. Neighborhood features many wonderful amenities such as community pool, clubhouse, social events, walking trails, fishing ponds etc. that make it the ideal location to raise a family. **Walking distance to neighborhood school, Lakeland Elementary** Backyard abuts against extensive woodland allowing for wildlife viewing from the back porch and numerous nature walk opportunities. Outstanding public schools! Three schools that this house is zoned for are consistently rated as among the best. <20 minutes drive to NSA Midsouth (mostly highway driving), 10 minutes to Wolfchase Mall area. Please email me for floor plan or questions (admin@casasmith.org). Two-year minimum(mil clause avail)

 MBO177741  

For more information on this home, Click Here  

To see more Memphis Naval Support Activity, please visit: MilitaryByOwner.com  

When I first read all of the satisfied customer comments, I thought that they were unusual and that most likely it would take a while to find a renter that I would be comfortable with living in my house. But, like all of the others, it took only days to find a couple who are moving down to Virginia Beach and happily we could be assured that our home will be looked after with care. Thank you for your wonderful service.

D.E.

Oceana, NAS