Aruba, Jamaica, Oooh I Want To Take Ya

Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama ( that's me ;) ),
Key Largo, Montego, baby why don't we go
Jamaica. Off the Florida keys…there's a place called Kokomo.

Thank you Beach Boys for that awesome song.
Side note: I was obsessed with them when I was younger

With a tropical drink in our hands, falling in love all over again.. oh yea! Just listening to this song and thinking of the future when Matt gets home, gets me really excited and anxious to go on our long-needed vacation. It's really going to be paradise. We are still deciding on exactly where we want to go, but we're getting there!!
So with all this talk, I sent off his last care package a month ago (#16 to be exact) And can you guess what the theme was?  That's right -- Vacation!

 All the candy dealt with something tropical; tropical mike and ikes, swedish fish, tropical lemondheads, goldfish, lemonade, jalopeno pistachios, hawaiian fruit gum, tropical starburst, tropical lifesavers, take 5 (like take 5 days/break), mounds (because of the coconut).

Then I included leis, hula skirt, rubber turtles and fish, Chapstick, little umbrellas for drinks and stirrers, a beer cooler shaped as a hawaiian shirt, tiki shot glasses, ice cream shaped bubble container, a small world map stressor ball, flip flops, body soap and deodorant that had tropical places for the scent, some travel magazines.

 Pictures of us from the times we went to the beach together or to a nice resort.

Doesn't this box just make you want to go on a tropical vacation?



P.S. the picture of our header is from when Matt was at port in a country called Jordan. Isn't it gorgeous? Jordan is in between Saudi Arabia and Israel. He has been to two other countries since then.

Behind On Drafts

Well, I was going through all the posts and looking to count exactly how many packages I really did send and I saw I had this draft post. It was all the way back in January from when I mailed off Matt's New Year's package. I guess I never made it "LIVE" until.. well today. Lol, it's a bit old - but, what the hell!

A few items

 This box was mostly things from home that he forgot or wanted.

  I'm glad he was able to get the package so soon, almost 2 weeks before New Years.. I can't believe it! I thought it would take longer, but probably because they are at port, it caught up quick.

Hipp-ity Hopp-ity, I'm Late On This Post!

Well, I have been so busy that I forgot to post the Easter care package I put together for Matt. He received it a couple days after Easter, unfortunately but that's okay because it's the  thought and  candy that matters :)

 Yes, this would be me spoiling him.

 It started with 2 boxes, and I added a 3rd.

 Cutest little chinese easter baskets. (Found at dollar tree)

 Inside I just added a bunch of different candies.

 Easter wouldn't be Easter without some eggs filled with jelly beans, of course. (Dollar tree eggs)

 Cute dollar tree bags with chicks and bunnies on them, I added random candies to them

 Different chocolate candies.

 Sour gummy candies

 Easter marshmallows

 Butterfly clothespin I made. So easy to do. Just take a plastic baggy and fill it with something light, then decorate a clothes pin and cut pipewire. Hot glue the pipe wire to the side of the clothes pin and wah-la. (pipe wire/clothes pin at Joann's or Michael's)

 All the pretty and colorful butterflies.

 Box 1

 Box 2

 And last but not least, box 3 -- Hubby's personal box.

Well, there you have it.  And I finally mailed off the last and final box for Matt this afternoon. That made box #16!! It was a bittersweet moment just because I really do enjoy making these for him and thinking of new themes and knowing this will brighten up his day and a few others on the ship with him, but I really much rather him be home so we can continue making memories together! 

But, you know the drill - I'll write about the package I sent to him whenever he receives it… probably 3 weeks or so from now.

Miss You Care Package

I just wrote a post last night about Matt not receiving one of his care packages and that it's taking longer than usual! Well, he was able to e-mail me and let me know he just got it today! I am so happy, so now here is another post on a care package idea. I labeled this one "Miss You" package. I didn't add too much creativity to it due to me being really sick the week I made it and shipped it out.

Notepad, pens, books, new camera, snacks, TV shows/Movies, card and some homemade crafts.

 Long distance hug.  I also made another one just of my hands and paper in between so he stretches it out it say "I miss you this much x 10"

 Snacks with cute sayings on them.

Box with everything in it.

St. Patrick's Day

I made Matt a St. Patrick's Day package! I was so rushed to get it out to him that I totally spaced on taking a picture of everything... Oops! But I can list the things inside and just show a picture I took on my Iphone last minute at the post office, ha ha. 

Items included:

Green loofa

Green toothbrush

Green scope mouthwash

Green tabasco sauce

Green Tshirts and socks for work

Skittles

Green Sunglasses, tie, wig, necklaces

Green Gum and mints

Green Flags

Green homemade chocolate chip cookies

Valentine Crafts Overload

Okay, so this blog is going to have quite a lot of pictures just because I had a lot of Valentine ideas to send to Matt.. Even though Valentine's Day is over with, I still thought I would share so you can possibly make these for next year.

Well, this is an easy gift idea if you're planning to give to a lot of people. I bought some Valentine bags and ribbon, then filled each bag with a different candy (conversation hearts, candy corn, jelly hearts, lollipops, m&m's, and peanut butter m&m's) Then I labeled each bag so it's easy to identify what to grab.

I found these little containers at the dollar store and thought they were so adorable. So I filled these two up to put them in Matt's package for himself.

Small gift box/bags make perfect Valentine's gift to put candy in or a sweet little gift. 

  I made some homemade rice krispie treats and then used a cookie cutter to shape them into hearts. I wrapped each of them up individually and then tied it with some ribbon.

 Using my cricut machine, I cut out some hearts and leaves and then I glued the lollipops onto the hearts and taped the leaves on the stick to act as if it were a flower.

Adding to the cuteness, I put a little note saying "you make my heart blossom"

 I cut out some butterflies and then poked a hole in the middle then placed a blow-pop in the hole.

Note reads "you give me butterflies"

 I cut out some large flowers, cut a hole in the middle then stuck a tootsie pop in the hole.

I put them all into a container so they would keep together and wrote "open your heart to love"

I made peanut butter blossoms and instead of using hershey kisses, I used dove heart chocolates. 

 Trace your hands then cut it out and write on the front "I love you.." and then with a long 1" piece of paper fold it into a bi-fold and write "I love you this much" and then glue it to each side of the hands.  I wrote in the inside "I love you this much x10"

 Take a deck of cards and then hole punch 2 hole and tie it together with ribbon or use ring clips.
Then write out 52 different things you love about your significant other, cut and paste onto the cards.

  Box #1 - all the bags and multiple candies for everyone.   the googly eyes are for the message ""eye" love you"

 Box #2

Box #3 - This is Matt's own box.