Recycled Notebooks Craft

In honor of girl scouts thinking day (which was Feb. 22nd 2012) munchkin and I did a fun little recycle project. We took boxes from foods around the house, like cereal boxes, pizza boxes, fruit snack boxes and even poptart boxes and made notebooks out of them using the boxes as front and back covers! They are so easy to make and the kiddo loves them! She loves the idea that she can write a "story" about her favorite foods on the front LOL! I love that she is writing, being creative and of course recycling!

I know... your probably thinking... when did she turn into such a hippy?! Well, to be truthful a part of me always has been green, I just don't show it as much. I'm not totally extreme like some who only bathe once a week because they want to conserve water, but I try to do my part. We recycle at home for various things, and I also recycle on base with a container called "Greenopolis" they are a small'ish company that has a few containers in bigger cities (and working to make more in other cities) that you can take your recyclable bottles to and they will actually reward you in coupons and movie tickets for recycling! YEAH! That's right... REWARDS for recycling!


So yeah recycling rocks! And the munchkin had loads of fun helping me cut out the cardboard and paper to put in between. I then stapled the tops up to make it "flip" style and walah! Instant notebook! You can make them however you want or even decorate them too! The best part... when they are full and used up, you can always recycle the paper & cardboard again ;)

Oh and speaking of recycling! I picked up THE BEST pair of flip flops I think I've ever owned yesterday! We got our tax refund back (YAY!) and went on our shopping spree for new family spring/summer wardrobes. Among the loads of stuff I bought, I got these awesome Sanuk flip flops from Carnival shoe store. They are insanely comfy! I feel like I am quite literally walking on air... and it's because they are made out of a yoga mat! Yup! Check them out online at www.sanuk.com or you can also find them at shoes.com or zappos.com. I'm telling you... best comfort flip flop ever!!! lol!

Great Scott! It's a Twister!

The munchkin has been off of school since Monday and for the last 3 days she has been hooked on tornado's! It all started Monday afternoon, when we read the Magic Tree House book "A Twister on Tuesday" by Mary Pope Osborne (GREAT books by the way!).

We read the store and afterwards she wanted to know more about tornado's... So I youtubed a few videos for her to watch, and then she wanted to know how they worked, what they are made of, how they are created, where they strike and so on... sooo... 45 minutes and a mom's science crash course and Fujita scale discussion later she wanted to know even more! With a promise to a trip to the library to get even more books about these fascinating storms the next day and watching "Twister" the movie... she was some what satisfied...


I am just ecstatic that she has taken a HUGE step in the interest of meteorology! As a kid... I was some what of a weather nerd myself... I kept a weather journal and as I got older I took measurements and recorded them as well. I'm from Florida so my interest was always into Hurricanes, funny enough, she was born in Oklahoma City... the heart of tornado alley and is really into tornado's!

Yesterday we read more books about tornado's and went over the facts, talk about what we would do if a tornado came near us (she even made an escape plan... which was awesome!) And tried to convince me that we should dig up the back yard to make a "storm shelter". My kiddo is nothing less than thorough and detail oriented... she gets it from her momma... what can I say! She drew a picture of her tornado and we made a "tornado in a bottle" so she could actually see the vortex and feel the spinning. I just love seeing her eyes light up from the knowledge she gains!
I now have tracked down a kids weather lab kit from www.smartlabtoys.com and will be ordering her the "you track it weather kit" in a few weeks. I can't wait to see her face when this comes in the mail! The station comes with a Rain gaug, Anemometer with glow-in-the-dark indicator cup, Compass, Weather vane with thermometer, Weather board with cloud chart and a book about extreme weather. We have also put together a weather journal for her to chart all her meteorology forecasts and predictions! I just love my little nerd!

"Storm Chaser" has now topped her list of "What I want to be when I grow up" LOL!

Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler!

Happy Mardi Gras Everyone! Whether you are in the heart of NOLA or across the nation... Happy Fat Tuesday! Mardi Gras is a HUGE deal down here... I can't stress how big a deal it is or how fun a time it is down here... the kids are out of school (in our district for three days) most people are off of work (my hubby is not though... apparently the Air Force doesn't share the same sense of fun or holiday as the rest of people down here lol) and there are parades and food galore! All in all, its a great time and fun experience... This is our third year celebrating it and enjoying all the fun that comes along with it too. Since the munchkin is off of school this morning we've been watching the NOLA parades on T.V., Baking a king cake, Reading "Mimi's first Mardi Gras" -- her favorite book this time of year, and making masks to play with! I've got Gumbo in the crock pot and I'll be picking up a loaf of fresh french bread for dinner tonight! I might not have been born Cajun but I am learning to how to be one! :)

Apparently its so good it'll make you like your fingers ;)

Munchkins cool Mardi Gras mask we made together... she decorated, I hot glued... :)

Book Review: A Shore Thing By: Nicole Polizzi

It's a summer to remember at the Jersey Shore! Giovanna "Gia" Spumanti and her cousin Isabella "Bella" Rizzoli are soaking up all that Seaside Heights, New Jersey, has to offer: hot guidos, cool clubs, fried Oreos, and lots of tequila. So far, the summer is on fire. Between nearly burning down their rented bungalow, inventing the popular "tan-tags" at the Tantastic Salon where she works, and rescuing a shark on the beach, Gia's a local celebrity. Bella meanwhile, has one goal in mind: hooking up with a sexy gorilla for a no-strings attached summer fling.

In no time, the cousins are scooped up by a couple of superhot guys, but they soon realize that for every friend they make on the boardwalk, there are also rivals, slummers, and frenemies who will do anything to ruin their summer-and try their relationship. Before July ends, the bonds of family and friendship will be stretched to the breaking point. Will the haters prevail, or will Gia and Bella find love at the Shore?

CAAAAABS HERE! If you love watching Jersey Shore then your gonna love reading this "fresh to death" book! It's officially summer time and Gia and her cousin Bella hit the shore hard in this fist pumping, pouf loving tale of two hilarious girls with "guidette problems"! Sun, fun, a drink in hand and gorillas on the beach...what more could a Jersey girl ask for? The book was a funny, easy read and I enjoyed all the little Shore anecdotes throughout the book. I even want to try to make a "snookie sandwich" (Neutella and Peanut Butter between two chocolate chip cookies, then deep fried) It's what Gia orders for herself on the boardwalk while out on her hot date with a guido that sounds a awful lot like a "situation" (if you know what I mean...). It's no Jane Austen novel, but it sure is a cute and entertaining read while hanging out on the beach this summer.

Catching Up!

Hi everyone! Sorry I've been a little MIA for a week or two... we've been so busy around here lately! Between soccer practices, games, girl scout meetings, girl scout cookie selling, Mardi Gras parades, valentines day parties, kindergarten programs and planting trees! Whew! Like I said... CRAAAAAAAAZY! Hope you all are doing well, I've got a few craft and painting projects up my sleeve so stay tuned! In the mean time... enjoy the photos from what's been going on :)

Munchkin's new soccer pics from this year (taken by yours truly) She's on team Fire this year!
Fire it up! Fire it up! Fire it up! Were on FIRE! Were team F-I-R-E!
(yup, that's their team chant) :) Isn't she adorable?!

Yup, that's a GIANT baby's pacifier! LOL!
She caught that huge thing off a float that was going down the street!

My awesome hubby caught me a Mardi Gras rose! So sweet! :)

And my king of Mardi Gras... My bubbas baby ACE :)

The kiddo, all ready for valentines day at school and wearing her home made shirt
(also made by me) I saw the idea on pinterest.com (my new obsession) :)

YAY! Planting trees in the back yard on Arbor day! :D

She's a natural I tell ya! :)

Book Review: The Berlin Boxing Club By: Robert Sharenow

Fourteen-year-old Karl Stern has never thought of himself as a Jew. But to the bullies at his school in the Nazi-era Berlin, it doesn't matter that Karl has never set foot in a synagogue or that his family doesn't practice religion. Demoralized by relentless attacks on a heritage he doesn't accept as his own, Karl longs to prove his worth to everyone around him.

So when Max Schmeling, champion boxer and German national hero, makes a deal with Karl's father to give Karl boxing lessons, Karl sees it as the perfect chance to reinvent himself. A skilled cartoonist, Karl has never had an interest in boxing, but as Max becomes the mentor Karl never had, Karl soon finds both his boxing skills and his art flourishing.

But when Nazi violence against the Jews escalates, Karl must take on a new role: protector of his family. Karl longs to ask his new mentor for help, but with Max's fame growing, he is forced to associate with Hitler and other Nazi elites, leaving Karl to wonder where his hero's sympathies truly lie. Can Karl balance his dreams of boxing greatness with his obligations to keep his family out of harm's way?

If there is two things Karl Stern loves its; boxing and comics! The book is a great coming of age tale, that tells the story of Karl Stern, a Jewish teenage boy growing up in Nazi Germany during the 1930's. With a country that is on the brink of war and terror aimed at the Jews in Berlin, Karl starts to take boxing lessons from the famous heavyweight champ Max Schmeling. He soon learns however that the fight within and the fight for freedom is worth so much more than any fight he could ever win in the ring. The book was both thrilling and humorous, and it even had some funny comics "drawn" by Karl in the book as well. All in all, I liked it very much!

Book Review: Scots on the Rocks By: Mary Daheim (A Bed and Breakfast Mystery)

Hoping to dispel the late winter gloom, inn-keeper Judith McMonigal Flynn flies off for a much-needed vacation to Scotland. Instead, she and prickly Cousin Renie find themselves marooned in an ancient castle perched high above the North Sea while their husbands go off on a fishing trip with a local police inspector. But when an explosion rocks Grimlock Castle, leaving a dead body in its fiery wake, an ever curious Judith is once again up to her neck in a murder investigation. The victim is a young man who seemed to have it all: marriage to a bonnie oil heiress, a baby son and a stately mansion. His lovely widow has an abysmal track record with men, all of whom have met with untimely ends. But is she merely unlucky in love... or adept at dealing with death.? The cousins have plenty of other suspects, not to mention some less than earthy voices that reverberate around the castle, lending credibility to spooky tales of a restless ghost sharing their royal quarters. Then there's Chuckie, a distillery owner's oddball son and heir, who's more interested in the castles dungeon and torture chamber than he is in his whiskey. The situation grows even murkier when the husbands and their Scotland Yard buddy go missing... The hunt is on for a killer through the bonnie braes and sea green glens of Scotland. And if Judith and Renie aren't careful, this could turn out to be their most dangerous and last Highland fling.

I'm pretty disappointed in this one. I don't know if its because this is my first time reading a "Bed and Breakfast" Mystery and I jumped right into the middle of the series or if it's the actual book itself?! I found it kinda boring and dull. I also had a hard time focusing on all the characters and what they mean to each other and how they relate to the plot. I was also kind of appalled to find that the main character makes her mother live in a converted tool shed! I mean... honestly... who does that?! It also became pretty predictable about half way through the book as well.

Book Review: Black Dagger Brotherhood Series Book 9: Lover Unleashed By: J.R. Ward

A fighter by nature, a maverick when it comes to the traditional role of the Chosen female, Payne is cut from the same warrior cloth as her brother. And that's before human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello gets sucked into her dangerous world. Although he's never believed in things that go bump in the night-like vampires-he's more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks him as her own. But as the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human an the vampire worlds collide... just as a centuries-old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.

WOW! I amazed with the way this book turned out... I was kinda holding my breath till the last minute. I really had been fearing the worst (and by worst, I mean thrilling, nail-biting suspense!), you tend to do that if you've read some of the other books in the BDB series, so I was happy to read such a amazing ending or "ending's" if you will. Although having said that... I now can't wait for Torh's book to come out! Hurry March! I need to know what happens next! Bravo J.R. Ward... your books keep me enthralled!

Milspouse Friday Fill-In

1. What is your favorite winter memory?
I must have been about 6... it was March and we were on vacation in Germany. My mom and I were just walking home from the bakery shop about four blocks away from my grandparents house and it started to snow. That was the first time I had ever seen snow. I remember trying to catch snowflakes on my tongue as we walked over the bridge of the creek that runs along the street of where they lived. I can still vividly remember how it looks in my mind... but then again I remember so much about Germany, and I miss it.

2. What is your current favorite TV show?
It changes all the time since there are tons of shows I like to watch. Five seasons later and I still am hooked on the drama at the Jersey Shore. I loved Chuck and am sad that they are not making another season. I can't wait for Walking Dead to start up again in a week or two. I still watch Big Bang Theory religiously and continue to believe that Leonard is the hottest geek (next to my husband of course) And then of course there are all the reality shows I watch but it's not bachelor or survivor or that stuff... (JS is my only vice on that) its Ghost Hunters, The Collector, Disappeared, Scorned, Ru Pauls Drag Race, Son of Guns, Dirty Jobs, Mythbusters etc.

3. What was your favorite thing that happened in January?
Comic Con!!! It was last weekend, the last weekend in January! It was the BEST! Check out my post on it to read all about it ;)

4. What is the best sound in the world to you?
My daughter when she comes in my bedroom in the morning and whispers... "Good morning mommy, I love you" and then she snuggles with me for a few minutes... that is OUR time just me and her... she has done it since she was about 2 and even at 6 she still does it... I don't know what I'm going to do when she stops one day.

5. What is the biggest lesson you have learned as a MilSpouse (or significant other)?
Write your military friends addresses in pencil in your address book. Never take the airforce's time lines serious... there will ALWAYS be delays...because nothing is ever set in stone, and even if it is... wait five minutes because I'm sure they will change their mind again. Give it a chance, ye moving sucks, yes making new friends and leaving behind old ones suck... but give your new place, city and people around you all a fair chance... at least for the first 2-3 months... if after that you still hate it then I guess its safe to say you do but until then... take it slowly and go out and discover... you never know what you might find! Annnnnd... as hard as it is... MAKE friends! I don't know how many times I went to one of my fellow military wife friends needing help... a ride to the store because my car broke down, a trusted friend to watch my kid for a half hour while I go run my errands and regain my sanity, someone to have Thanksgiving or Christmas with when you can't be with your family or just a shoulder to cry on when you miss your husband. :) These tips I have learned over the years of being an Air Force wife and they have always helped me, I hope they help you too :) oooh, Oohhhh... also VERY important... NEVER let TMO pack up your garbage... it will stink like death warmed over by the time TMO delivers it and you will spend a week trying to figure out which box is the stinky box... I speak from personal experience LOL!

The McC's New Orleans Comic Con Adventure!

Last Saturday we spent the day in New Orleans at Comic Con and it was amazing! No... wait... it was awesome... No, wait... it was the experience of our lives! Why? Because we met some of the most coolest people ever! Like... STAN LEE (The Creator for Spider-Man) and Adam Baldwin (Col. John Casey on the show Chuck, or Serenity or Firefly) annnnnnd... The Boondock Saints; Norman Reedus (Murphy Macmanus or Daryl Dixon from Walking Dead), Sean Patrick Flannery (Conner Murphy or Indie from the Adventures of Young Indiana Jones) and David Della Rocco (Rocco)!!! We have autographs, we have pictures, we got to hang out with them and talk about movies and roles it was truly amazing! That is quite a bit that I can cross off my bucket list! LOL! Wanna see the pics?! Yeahhhhh I know you do... why... because if there's no pics... it didn't happen right?! LOL! Well here ya go... ;)

Here we are with Stan "The Man" Lee!!!

And again with Adam Baldwin... yep, that's right he even asked the munchkin if he could pick her up for the picture! Howwwwww sweeeeeet! He's even got his hand on my shoulder!!! Eeeeep!
Doesn't it look like it could be a family pic? Like he could be relate to my husband LOL! Yup... that's "Uncle Adam" LOL! Just kidding ;)

And of course me and my hubby with the Boondock Saints!!! OMG!!!

My Little Munchkin all geared up and ready to see Mr. Lee :)

Inside just hanging around the photo op area... we wanted to make sure we weren't last LOL!

Neo from Matrix... "Yes, these are the hats you are looking for." Bahahahaha!

Stan Lee got all excited... he heard the McC's were next in line to get his autograph on some of his comics ;)
Yup, that's Stan the Man and he's signing our comics! Spider-man 30th Anniversary Edition and The Amazing Spider-Man # 363 with Carnage!
That right there will be the munchkin's college fund!

Yup that is Lou Ferrigno... the original Incredible Hulk!

Just some of the amazing art that was for sale... we came home with some two... a Harley Quinn & Catwoman poster done by Terry Huddleston! Just Awesome!

A very cool Alien costume!

Home made rockin Star Screen Costume from Transformers!

My hubby and Chewy from Star Wars :)
The kiddo battling the evil Empire!

Best Aquaman and Aquawoman costumes ever! And made by hand by Aquawoman!

The kiddo and a very nice Deadpool :)

So as you can tell... we had a super geek-tastic time! We got to meet some of our favorite celebs, tons of free swag and let our geek flags fly proudly!

Book Review: Catching Fire (Book 2) By: Suzanne Collins

Sparks are Igniting. Flames are Spreading. And the Capitol wants Revenge!

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her long time friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol-a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

Oooooh so good! If you think the first one is great... wait till you read Catching Fire! The epic saga continues with Katniss, Peeta, Haymitch, Gale, Prim and all our friends from District 12 as well as our allies in the Capitol. This time, the tables have turned with the games! It's year of the Quarter Quell and that means the stakes have been raised even higher... along with all the lives of the ones we love! Read it!-- It's truly amazing! Ohhh and a word to the wise... be prepared to have Mockingjay (the last book) on hand... you will thank me when you get to the end of Catching Fire!

Sew Awesome Apron Top!

So I wouldn't say that I'm back to sewing and crafting just yet... but you just wait till hubby has to leave... I am SURE I will have to find SOMETHING to fill my time with... lol! ;)

In the mean time... here is what I whipped up yesterday on the sewing machine...

An apron top for my munchkin! I've been wanting to make one of these for a long time! I just never knew how to go about it... so I scoured the internet for a long time and finally found a nice tutorial... I made my own alterations of course to fit my child but, it's really so simple you could make it however you wanted to.


This is my favorite part... the back... I love it looks all laced together! The fabric is all cotton and VERY breathable! A few more of these and we will be all set to spend our summer in hot
South West Florida! What do you think?

Book Review: The Hunger Games (Book 1) By: Suzanne Collins

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capital is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.

Sixteen-year old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before-and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.

And just like that... I am hooked! I think its pretty much safe to say, I am going to love this series! Katniss is amazing! I can't wait to see what happens next! I seriously loved everything about this book! I don't want to reveal too much, but it IS such a great book, that you should not walk to the book store but run, in fact... ya know what... running is too slow... get a teleporter to the book store and get this book today! You won't be disappointed! It has has a bit of everything; adventure, danger, thrills, romance, friendship and humanity. Oh and may the record show... my heart beats for the boy with the bread. READ the book... and you'll know what I mean ;)

Rollerskating Weekend!

This past weekend was a fun filled Girl Scout dedicated weekend for my munchkin. Saturday her girl scout troop went to the movies and saw Beauty and the Beast on the big screen, which of course she loved. They got to go early and have the whole theater to themselves, including free popcorn and drinks! Now, that you can't beat! Saturday evening was our 100 years in Girl Scout celebration, all the troops from our service unit got together at the community center and played games, did crafts, pony rides, and had food and cake. Monday (since it was MLK day, and the kids were off of school) we went with our service unit again to the local skating rink! The munchkin got to roller skate for the first time! At first she was a little apprehensive about it but after a few times around the rink she was fine. She was amazed that her dad and I knew how to do it... and that mommy could go backwards! (Years, of practice people!) It was seriously so much fun though, I can't wait to taker her back and do it again, I even felt like a kid again! The place we went to also brought back soooooooo many memories for me. As a kid, I had my birthday part at the skating rink just about every year, and I looked forward to it, because it was just so much fun! Check out the pics! I even have a video for ya! ;)