Episode Summary

In this episode of The Chaos Commanders Podcast, we’re talking about one of the trickiest parts of solo parenting, military life, and adulting in general—building community from scratch. From clever icebreakers like delivering wine with your number on it, to emergency contact awkwardness (yes, we’ve asked strangers at the gym), we’re sharing stories, tips, and real talk about how to meet people when you’re the new one in town.

Whether you’re a military family navigating another PCS move, a single mom in a new neighborhood, or just looking for connection, we’ve got ideas to make introductions less weird and friendships easier to build—plus a connection challenge to help you take the first step.

Standout Quotes

“It’s gonna be weird. It’s gonna be awkward. And you just embrace the weird.” — Katelynn

“There’s not a single person yet that we’ve handed this bottle of wine to and they’ve been like, ‘Okay thanks, bye.’” — Annie

“Casserole by casserole. Text by text.” — Katelynn

“Everybody wants to help—you just have to say what you need.” — Annie

Takeaways

1️⃣ Build community creatively—wine tags, fruit snacks, or borrowing a measuring cup all work.

2️⃣ Awkwardness is normal. Friendship doesn’t have to be instant to be meaningful.

3️⃣ Keep a pre-written message in your Notes app for those emergency contact requests.

4️⃣ Use Facebook groups and neighborhood pages to find other moms or plan low-pressure mini-meetups.

5️⃣ Our Connection Challenge: Reach out to one new person and tell us how it goes (bonus points for creativity!).

Mentioned in this Episode

• Blueberry Pancake Muffins
• Oven Baked Chicken Breasts
• Plain Burlap Wine Bags with Tags
• Cheers Burlap Wine Bags with Tags
• New to the Neighborhood Cards
• New Housewarming Cards – Blue
• New Housewarming Cards – Green
• New Housewarming Cards – Red

Featured Chaos Anthem

[Secret Chaos Anthem—Go Find It!]

This week’s chaos anthem is part scavenger hunt, part inside joke. We’re keeping it under wraps—listen to the episode to find out why, and then go check out the playlist to uncover the track!

🎧 You can find it (and all our episode anthems) on The Chaos Commanders: Season One playlists available on Apple Music, Spotify, and Amazon Music.

Connect with Us

Want more behind-the-scenes moments, real-life parenting hilarity, and honest chats about navigating friendship and family?

Follow the chaos in real time:

📸 Instagram: @thechaoscommanders
📘 Facebook: The Chaos Commanders Podcast
🌐 Website: thechaoscommanders.com

Subscribe & Review

Love what you heard? Hit that subscribe button so you never miss an episode—and leave us a review if this one inspired you to knock on a neighbor’s door or send a bold text. 💛