Kate Horrell

Reflecting on Holidays 2025 for a Better Holidays 2026

I have an unusual holiday mission for you, and I promise it will make your 2026 holiday season even better.

Open up an email, address it to yourself, and label it Notes for Holidays 2026. Or Christmas. Or whatever other title you are going to remember.

Now, start making a draft email listing all the things you spent money on from Halloween through New Years. List what you bought and did that cost money, and how you felt about them.

For example, perhaps you hosted Thanksgiving dinner for three families: yours, a neighbor’s, and someone from your command. Write down what you did, what you served, who brought what, how much money you spent, and whether you enjoyed it. Then, write down whether you would do it again, and what you would change next time.

Important notes might include: "We threw away 3/4 of the pumpkin pie" or "Note to put out a puzzle to keep people occupied while waiting for the turkey to rest."

Throw in any great ideas that you had a long the way, any things that your loved ones mentioned, and anything that you stored in an unusual place.

For example, "Next year maybe we go see that drive-through lights show" or "Don't forget we stashed the extra gift wrap in the cupboard under the stairs behind the extra paper goods."

If you remember to open the email next year, it might save you some money and reduce your stress.

Send a message to learn more

Enrollment verification starting in January 2026 for students receiving DEA/Chapter 35 benefits.

From the email I received:

"Dear School Certifying Official,

At the end of January 2026, Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) beneficiaries will be required to verify their enrollment each month to receive their benefit payments. Please note that a beneficiary must verify their enrollment for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to begin processing the monthly benefit. Once verified, payment processing can take five to seven calendar days.

VA has automatically verified all Chapter 35 enrollments for December 2025. December payments are expected to be processed by the end of the first week of January. Please note that certain banking institutions may take longer to make funds available to beneficiaries.

To verify enrollment, the following options are available:

Text: To verify via text, beneficiaries can opt-in when they begin using their benefits to receive a monthly text message from VA to confirm their enrollment. This is the fastest way for students to verify their enrollment and receive their payments.
Email: If beneficiaries choose not to opt into text verification, they will receive monthly enrollment verification messages by email.
Online: Chapter 35 beneficiaries can verify their enrollment through our online tool.
Ask VA: Beneficiaries can verify through Ask VA by sending a message with their enrollment dates via Ask VA. This is a manual process. Therefore, payment will be five to seven days once the message is formally reviewed, not from when the beneficiary submits the Ask VA message.

If a beneficiary had previously opted out and would like to change their enrollment verification method to text or email, they can call the Education Call Center (ECC) at 888-442-4551, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. CT, Monday through Friday.

To make sure students receive updates on enrollment verification requirements, and to have access to text and email verification methods, VA recommends that beneficiaries review and, if needed, update their personal contact information, including email address, mailing address, and mobile phone number. Beneficiaries can update their contact information in their VA.gov profile, through Ask VA, or by calling the ECC.

We encourage you to submit enrollment certifications as soon as possible. Enrollment Manager allows certifications up to 180 days before the term begins for Post-9/11 GI Bill (Chapter 33) enrollment certifications and up to 120 days for non-33 (Montgomery GI Bill Active Duty [Chapter 30], Montgomery GI Bill Selected Reserve [Chapter 1606], or Chapter 35).

Respectfully,
VA Education Service"

Figuring out the Post 9/11 GI Bill? Here's how you get started!

6 steps to start using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for the next school year The end of the year is the time to start using Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits for the next academic year, for both veterans and dependents.

https://www.facebook.com/plusoneheroes/posts/pfbid0n7F6iJubADmB7gU2pZ8Pe9u3tqpHmrp4HV9NJ9aA8z97mKUTE6ncomwjb9h67U8el

Plus One Heroes is proud to be teaming up with Rate - Guaranteed Rate to provide commissary gift cards for local military families during this challenging time.

If you live at Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, Colorado Springs, Jacksonville Area, D.C. Area, or Hawaii, please use the link below to apply for assistance.

If your family is currently being impacted by a furlough or if your SNAP/WIC benefits have been disrupted, please make sure to note that on your form.

Those selected will be contacted directly, and pickup details will be arranged with your local point of Contact.

Form ➡️ https://cwxol.share.hsforms.com/25Rrpi8yoRIu99bSf9xFsNA

We're proud to join forces with Rate to continue our mission of supporting military families.

Military families in need of food support:

How to get free emergency groceries from the Military Family Advisory Network right now Active Duty, Guard, and Reserve military families can get a box of free groceries and a Commissary gift card right now.

https://www.katehorrell.com/government-shutdown-affects-military-familes/

How A Government Shutdown Affects Military Families • KateHorrell There are many different ways that a government shutdown affects military families. Here's what you need to know.

When breakfast looks like this, you might be at the Exchange 😃

I may have only done three things on my to do list today, but one of them has been lurking around since, well, December. And it was worth $400.

How has your day been?

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Thank you to National Military Spouse Network and USAA for the opportunity to share my military spouse career journey.

Military Spouse Highlight Kate Horrell There’s no such thing as a typical day in my life. First, I see what family and professional obligations I have on the calendar. Then I prioritize my to do list, pop on my working music, and get started. I might teach a class, write an article, or help a reader research a tricky regulation questio...

Fraud continues to grow. And it seems like we're really unable to stop it.

Millions Stolen, Death Threats: Should Banks Do More to Fight ‘Pig Butchering’? Scams that trick people into transferring funds fall outside most current fraud protections. Some victims want banks to take responsibility.

Are you associated with a spouse's club? This could be valuable training and networking!

🎖️✨ Calling all DC-area vendors and sponsors! ✨🎖️

We are thrilled to be planning a dynamic networking event in the Washington, D.C. area designed to empower and connect military spouses and military spouse club leadership.
This is a unique opportunity to showcase your brand, connect with a vibrant and engaged community, and support the incredible contributions military spouses make every day.

We’re looking for:
✅ Local vendors to share products and services that resonate with military families and military spouse club leaders.
✅ Sponsors who want to demonstrate their commitment to supporting the military spouse community and enhance their visibility among military spouse club leadership.

Event Highlights:
High-energy networking sessions
Resource sharing and community building
Opportunities for meaningful brand exposure
If you’re interested in partnering as a vendor or sponsor, or know someone who would be a perfect fit, please reach out! Let’s create an unforgettable experience together.
📧 [email protected]