ABOUT ME

WHEN HOME KEEPS MOVING

the bit about the blog

Hi I’m Stacey, Welcome to my Blog.

When home keeps moving, it can make you dizzy, and I’ve been permanently dizzy for the last 2 decades!! Holding on tight to the roller coaster called military life I’ve experienced some amazing ups and some stomach dropping lows; I’ve been thrown around on some awesome loop the loops laughing most of the way because luckily, I love a good rollercoaster.

Whether you’re in the military married to the military or both, you’ll all have your own unique experiences. No two people’s relationship with the military is the same; some love it, some tolerate it, and some struggle. Any regular couple will tell you how hard it is to give 100% to a partnership, parenthood, home, and job; but juggle all of this with the unique curveballs military life throws our way and it can get a little tricky.

Have you suffered parenting struggles in the midst of a detachment? Does the car break down every time your partner goes to sea? Is there mould on your walls, and your toilet is blocked for the 7th time? Are you a maths-teacher-turned-dog walker whose moved too many times to get a contract? If any of this sounds familiar or you’re intrigued to hear more, this is the blog for you.

I’m bringing to life a very real, light-hearted snapshot of armed forces family life; a collection of survival tips, useful links and resources, some gritty blogs that tell it how it is and plenty of blogs to make you laugh out loud (wait ’til you read my bog-blog!!) I’ll be talking to contributors from external agencies who support us on our military journey (let’s see what the experts have to say). And don’t forget to contact me with your own experiences. I want to make this about all of us.

why i am writing the blog

I’m a natural born writer and published children’s author who thrives on making a positive impact on other people.

I’ve spent the last 19 years of married life in a community where people naturally offer support when its needed. I’ve shared the rollercoaster with many different families along the way, who’ve also held my hand when I needed it most.

Over time I’ve witnessed first hand the very real direct impact that military adversity can have on a family. I have learned to suppprt and nurture those who have turned to me for guidance as a confidante, or a listening ear, treating each and every friend with empathy and understanding.

I decided that NOT publishing this blog would be a waste of my life experinece and skill as a writer. As a great problem solver who thrives on making other people feel happy this blog seems like a natural progression. I can’t wait to give something back to the community that has been instrumental in making me who I am today.

So here I am… ready to make a positive impact on families’ armed forces wide, with the power of words.

the bit about me

I AM:

Stacey Heartford

Lover of chocolate

Born in England sometime at the end of the 1970s

(check out those curtains!)

HOME LIFE:

I live in a married quarter with my Military Man and our two children “Meena”, aged 10 and “Sausage”, 7.

It’s a busy, loud, fun filled household with us 4, our scruffy mutts Tess and Wilf and our little princess ex-stray-cat, Kit-Kat. We seem to collect animals and have recently started a “worm farm” (compost bin), which the children feed daily to keep the minibeasts happy. We enjoy camping with our van and roof tent, spending time outdoors, and being in peaceful places surrounded by nature. Saturday morning Park Runs are our absolute family favourite, full of healthy banter and competition for personal bests.

MY LOVE:

Working with children.

I worked as a learning support assistant within MOD schools and later supported children with special educational needs in state school, such an unbelievable privilege.

I am now the Armed Forces Education consultant for Panoba supporting children in an extremely rewarding way. I help provide free boarding school search guidance to military families looking for the perfect school. I thrive on making such a positive impact on the lives of armed forces children helping them to find a perfect home from home when home keeps moving.

DID YOU KNOW?

I wrote “The Pride” in 2020 during the covid pandemic with the aim of helping children deal with the strange new world created by corona virus. It was published on amazon in January 2021.

FASCINATING FACT:

I started my working life making television programmes for ITV. It was while making a documentary about armed forces life, I fell in love with my Military Man. Less than two years later we began our married life on an amazing overseas posting and my feet haven’t touched the ground since.

We’ve been happily married for the last 19 years.

I wouldn’t change a thing