North Carolina Bucket List

With every new place we go I try to 

make the best of the area and enjoy

all that it has to offer.

Our new home in North Carolina will be no exception. 

I have already begun thinking about things that should go onto our 

North Carolina bucket list...

Mike's Farm and Country Store

Battleship USS North Carolina

Cape Fear River and Museum 

Children's Museum of Wilmington

Beaches

Go to 1 of or all 4 of the North Carolina Aquariums

A visit to Bear Island 

Shrimp Festival in Sneads Ferry  

Walking around downtown Wilmington

This is just my very small could do in about a months

time wish list.

What about all of you military wives who have lived in 

this area of North Carolina?

What did you do to entertain your kids?

What about in Raleigh or Charlotte?    

How about local festivals?

 

Happy uh New Year!!

Ok so yeah I know it is January 13th

but I have a valid excuse...

We moved during the Christmas holidays

and I am just getting back into a routine. 

I mean seriously do you know how hard it is to move

in between school breaks with 3 kids in school?

We had a lovely vacation down in Georgia with family

before heading up to our temporary home

in North Carolina.

North Carolina is not temporary but where we live is. 

LONG story but for now we are island living 

by the beach until mid May. 

These last few weeks have been spent getting the kids

into their new routines.

I mean Ninja and Rosie have to be up at 630

and out the door at 7.

Yeah that's super early for kids who were

 getting up at 7 to be at school by 8. 

Carter is in a real middle school now and has more 

time to play with in the mornings. 

And baby  toddler Hulk has officially

potty trained. 

Well at least during the day and nap time. 

And well minus the pooping bit. 

All in good time folks!

I am back in school after my holiday break and J

is off in a school of sorts. 

Luckily with him gone I have the bestie nearby.

And by nearby I now mean like

20 minutes.

It has been almost 6 years since we lived close by one another.

It still feels like a vacation that should end soon.
So yeah that's is for now.

Back to our normal routines.

I promise to be a better Mama Blogger this year. 

Really I do...

Dr. Oekter Ristorante Pizza (review)

When planning a party people often get

so exhausted thinking about what

type of foods to have. 

Pizza is always a good option. 

Last week I had a holiday party with

some of my friends from around the base.

We had cookies, drinks and pizza.

Not just any pizza either.

We had Dr. Oetker's Ristorante pizza.

Seriously the best frozen pizza out there. 

Ristorante by Dr. Oetker is the #1 frozen pizza brand in Italy.

Ristorante Pizza offers distinctive combinations of toppings

and seasonings to create an authentic Italian taste you will love!

It comes in 6 delicious flavors. 

-Mozzarella

-Spinaci

-Funghi

-Quattro Formaggi

-Vegetale

-Speciale 

Ristorante pizza's are now available in Maine, Rhode Island, 

Massachusetts and Connecticut at Wal-Mart.

Disclaimer: I am part of the Mom It Forward  blogger network. Mom It Forward and Dr. Oekler partnered in support of this campaign. Dr. Oekter compensated me for participation in this campaign. However, all thoughts and opinions are mine.

#26Acts of Kindness

Last Friday everyone of us was 

touched , moved, horrified, angered and 

downright sad about the tragic events that 

took place in Newtown, Connecticut.

Sandy Hook Elementary and the images 

from that day will never leave any of us. 

My Ninja is a kindergartener and all I could

do that day was to think those 

kids are his age. 

All of my children have gotten a few more

hugs and kisses.

There has been enough bad in our lives right now.

It is time that we stand up and begin to 

do something kind.

A movement has been started and I fully intend to 

participate.

The #26Acts of Kindness has begun. 

Image via Google

It can be a simple as 

a smile to a stranger

buying the person beside you's coffee

or lunch

paying off someone's layaway

leaving a gift card on a car window 

My only hope is that once I am finished with my 

#26Acts of Kindness 

that I will continue to spread the message of

good and hope in people.

 

Christmas Spirit

When you are moving during the holidays

it is hard to get into the spirit. 

Normally by now I have had my 

trees up for weeks, the entire house is decorated.

I have already made a bunch of cookies.

Gifts are wrapped and some are even under the tree.

Christmas cards have long since gone out. 

This year with the move not so much. 

Our rotation has always been during the holidays.

And every time it sucks. 

I am a Christmas person. 

This year I feel more like Scrooge. 

Don't get me wrong I still love the lights others

have put up

(well most of them)

and I have moved our little elves around to keep the

magic alive.

I also KNOW the real meaning of Christmas

and that lights and Santa and trees are NOT it. 

But they are part of the overall spirit of 

Christmas to me. 

This weekend last minute I decided to go check 

out the Nashoba Valley Holiday Festival of Lights.

So we loaded up the kids and head over.

 The kids had a blast and loved the lights.

There was hot chocolate and cider doughnuts.

Santa and the Grinch were there.

As well as many other holiday "figures".

Our tour guide on the lighted hayride was Scrooge himself.

 Of course becasue New England is having unseasonably

warmer weather there isn't any snow for the skiers.

So Nashoba Valley makes their own.

Which meant the kids ran through it like crazy little people.

 

 

Macy's Heart of Haiti Holiday Stars #CleverHaiti

 

 The stars of my life will always be my children.

Stars light up your life and my children 

light up my life in ways I sometimes still

do not understand. 

I know that I will spend many many days with

these children and the many different

personalities between them.

I cherish that thought. 

Everyday with them is something new, exciting and yes

even sometimes crazy.

I received recently from the #cleverhaiti campaign

 a beautifully handmade star crafted by

a Haitian artist. 

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere 

and even with the devastating earthquake, the people of

Haiti continue to be filled with hope and desire 

to improve their lives.

The Heart of Haiti artists keep that hope alive by creating

these one of a kind artistic pieces.

You can buy beautifully handcrafted Heart of Haiti items at your local Macy's

The collection features more than 40 home decor items including

 quilts, metalwork, jewelry and paintings all made 

almost entirely from recycled and sustainable items such as 

old cement bags, cardboard, oil drums and local gommier wood.

I know that everyone has that one person in your life that has everything

and is hard to shop for. 

What a better gift idea than to give the gift that keeps on giving.

Not only are you buying a beautiful handcrafted item but you

will also be supporting the rebuilding of Haiti. 

 Macy’s Heart of Haiti upholds the belief that “trade not aid” 

is a powerful way to create sustainable 

work and much needed financial opportunities.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #CleverHaiti