Valentine's Day
Book: “Everything Romance” by Todd Hafer
Any time is the perfect time to celebrate with the ones you love! With Valentine’s Day celebrations around corner I thought I would share with you a book I recently read called Everything Romance by Todd Hafer. The book is packed full of great quotes, recipes and information. It has plenty of great ideas to get your creative juices flowing for your upcoming Date Night, Valentine’s Day, Honeymoon, Anniversary or any other fun celebration with your spouse. You will get a wonderful variety of romantic inspiration from the book through:
- Blessings & Prayers
- Did You Know? (fun love facts)
- Features (Conversation Starters and More)
- Lists (such as Creative Ways to say “I Love You”)
- Love Boosters & Love Busters
- Love Letters (from famous people like Mark Twain and more)
- Perfect Pairs & Famous Quotes
- Poetry & Poets
- Special Recipes
- Gift Ideas & Love Stories
- Scripture Verses, Trivia and More!
I thought this book was great reminder of how important it is that we spend time with our spouse. Going on a Date Night even after your married helps keep you connected. The book has a lot of different ideas. My suggestion is take the ones that work well for your marriage and implement them. There is plenty of fun activities to try and inspirational sayings to get you started. I especially enjoyed the love quotes and the recipes. The top 100 lists for Love Songs and Romantic Movies are wonderful starting points for Date Night ideas.
I haven’t had a chance to try all the recipes but here are a few fun ones:
- Berry Sweet Breakfast Parfaits for Two
- Lip Smackin’ Spicy Lime Popcorn
- Smooth Operator Blue Smoothie
- Perfect Pair Pizza Pita Snacks
If you need some great ideas for the upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration or more ideas for your Date Nights I would recommend checking this book out. Everything Romance would be a neat Valentine or Anniversary gift for your spouse. You could read through the book together or use it to help plan out your next date night.
I think investing time and energy into our marriage is important. While I may not be inspired by every story, quote, or activity in the book I believe the author did a good job of putting a great mix of ideas so each person can pull their favorites out for them to implement or enjoy. The book was a fun one for me to read and I appreciate a book that focuses on building better relationships! I am already looking forward to our next Date Night! 🙂
Rate my review & be entered into a giveaway: I reviewed this book for “Blogging for Books.” By rating my review, it allows me to choose another book and enters you in a GIVEAWAY! The rating is a two step process.
Step 1: Rate my review below (select the number of stars, enter your email, and hit submit).
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes from the publisher through the Waterhouse Multnomah. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Be My Valentine: Red Velvet Heart Cupcakes
Red Velvet Heart Cupcake ready to be baked!
If you are looking for a fun Valentine’s cupcake I have one for you to check out. I got this brilliant idea from Muses of Megret on how to make heart shaped cupcakes without buying a special pan! By putting a small marble beside the cupcake liner it makes the cupcake form a heart shape while baking. Love it! 🙂
When the girls walked into the kitchen after school last week the first comment I heard wasn’t “Mmmm….the house smells good!” It was “Were you playing with our toys while we were at school?!” The first thing they noticed was that their marble and maze toy drawer was sitting on the kitchen counter. After a little more investigation they realized that I had just kidnapped the marbles for a little bit. They thought it was a pretty cool idea and were willing to let the marbles finish baking with the cupcakes (and get re-washed because I dribbled batter on a couple of them) before playing with their marble mazes.
Red Velvet cake mix
I decided to make a Red Velvet cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting. Red is a popular Valentine’s Day color and shows up beautifully in the cupcake liners. Although I have made red velvet cake from scratch (with beets instead of food coloring) in the past I decided this time to use the Red Velvet cake mix I already had in the pantry. The batter turned out nice bright red as expected. Preheat the oven as directed on the cake mix or per your recipe.
Using a marble to make the cupcake turn into a heart shape
Put cupcake liners in 30 muffin tins. Typically most cake mixes only make 24 cupcakes, however, this batch made more cupcakes with marble taking up a small portion of each cupcake plus I only filled the cupcake liners halfway with cake batter.
Heart shaped cupcakes with the help of a little marble
Once you have you cupcake liners in the pan place a small marble between the pan and the cupcake liner. The liners should resemble a heart shape.
Pan full of red velvet hearts just waiting to be cooked
Add cake batter to each of the cupcake liners. NOTE: Be careful not to overfill the cupcake liners, if the cupcake expands over the edge of the liner you’ll lose your heart shape. I filled mine cupcake liners half full and all of them turned out well.
Red velvet cupcakes cooling
Place in the oven and bake. Since most cake mixes give you a range of time (27 to 32 minutes) I set the timer for the earliest time and checked them. Mine were ready when the timer first went off. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Red Velvet Cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting and red sprinkles
Frost cooled cupcakes with Cream Cheese frosting (I had some in the pantry that I used). Spread the frosting in a heart shape pattern and add a few red sprinkles to dress it up a little bit more.
Red Velvet Heart Cupcakes
Enjoy your Red Velvet Heart Cupcakes! The girls had a blast helping “sprinkle” the cupcakes. It was fun taking the cupcakes to a couple events and enjoying the leftovers for school and work lunches. These would be great for a Valentine’s Party at work, school or just for fun!
Be My Valentine: Sweetheart Strawberry Smoothie
Sweetheart Strawberry Smoothie
Last week I picked up some fresh strawberries on clearance at Ingles. As soon as the girls saw the strawberries they wanted to know if I would make them a smoothie. This past weekend while they were playing together I decided it was time to make they smoothie for them. I came up with this recipe using ingredients we had on hand.
As an extra treat I put freshly cut strawberries around the smoothie on a plate. I cut the stems off the strawberries in a “v” pattern making the strawberries look like little hearts.
Sweetheart Strawberry Smoothie:
- 5 Strawberries (fresh or frozen0
- 1/4 cup Raspberries
- 1/4 cup Cranberries
- 1 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Ice
- Extra Strawberries for garnish
- Cool Whip for garnish
The girls loved the fresh “heart” strawberries and their smoothies. I super excited that they willingly ate some fresh cranberries and raspberries which were in their smoothies. The more healthy fruits, vegetables, and nutritional goodies I get into the kiddos the better. They love smoothie treats just as much as I do! 🙂
Strawberry Smoothie with Cool Whip and a Straw! The girls LOVED it!
Be My Valentine: Sweetheart Sandwich
Valentine Heart Sandwich for the Brina’s lunch box
It is a lot of fun putting in something different into the girls lunch box. Around the Holidays and whenever I get the urge I do a special surprise in their lunch boxes. I typically do at least one special lunch box note or shape or treat a week, occasionally they get a few extras squeezed in when I have the time and creative juices flowing. In honor of the upcoming Valentine’s Day Holiday I put a heart PB&J sandwich in their lunches.
It an easy way to show the girls that I am thinking about them and care, plus they had a blast showing off their heart sandwich at lunch time to their friends! The majority of evenings if we have time I have the girls at least start putting together their lunches. Many nights they make the PB&J sandwiches themselves. Yes, they are messier and probably use more peanut butter and jelly but they enjoy pitching in and helping put together their lunches. Also, lunch making time gives us a few extra minutes of productivity and socializing together in the kitchen. Sometimes after they finish their lunches I will sneak in a note or something special other times I am making the lunches so I will add a special Momma’s touch.
All you have to do for this simple treat is make your peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Use a cookie cutter to make the shape you want. Put it in a container or sandwich bag and it is ready for them to discover the next day at lunch.
Heart shaped cookie cutter that I used for their PB&J sandwiches!
Karlie’s sweetheart surprise sandwich!
Be My Valentine: “Sweet” Treats
“Thanks for always rooting for me!” (IBC Root Beer) and “Thanks for always being our ‘sweet’ girl!”
Every once in awhile when the girls and Jake are gone or busy with something else I will pull together a surprise. I am thankful for my family and blessed with a wonderful husband and two sweet girls. Life is not always “perfect” but it is fun.
Spending a few minutes to show appreciation to my husband or my kids is worth every minute I invest. The best part is I do it at random times when they are not around so it truly is a surprise. This gift was originally given to Jake and the girls on Thanksgiving Day but it can be applied very easily to Valentine’s Day celebrations as well.
If you are looking for something easy yet sweet to do this Valentine’s Day this was one that my family enjoyed. After putting together your gift I challenge you to go one step further make a commitment to continue being a blessing to the ones you love by surprising them with a sweet note, treat, or something special throughout the rest of the year. Try to make it part of your routine whether it is once a week, every other week or once a month. Showing your care makes an impact on the lives of others.
I came up with the sayings for the girls heart “love” notes – Thanks for always being our “sweet” Brina (or Karlie)! Love, Mom and Dad The cute “pop” love note is from Darling Doodles. She has a template you can print out if your interested in doing something similar for your spouse!
Be My Valentine: You Make My Heart “Pop” Valentine!
Make My Heart “Pop” Lollipop!
(Use one lollipop or a bucket full of lollipops)
As I was thinking about ways to show love to my family over the Valentine’s Holiday I came across a picture I took recently of a gift I did for some friends and the idea hit me. Why not a fun phrase for Valentine’s Day lollipops that I picked at Staples marked down on clearance and with a coupon. That’s when I came up with the phrase….”You Make My Heart ‘Pop’ Lollipop!”
This would be a fun one to put together the night before Valentines Day and have sitting out on the table for your kids for breakfast or to take to your spouse at work or have your kids take to share with their classmates. Here’s what I did:
- Red Metal Bucket
- Green Shredded Paper
- Lollipops
Fill the bucket up with the shredded paper and add the lollipops! You can add a saying like “You Make My Heart Pop Valentine” or “You Make My Heart Pop Lollipop” or something along those lines.
I already had the bucket from a previous event, the green shredded paper was in my gift giving basket, and I bought the lollipops on clearance with coupon so the entire gift didn’t cost me anything but time. You could do this with other lollipops as well (see below).
Bucket full of lollipops to share!
Be My Valentine: “Bulls Eye Heart” Cookies
Bulls Eye Heart Valentine’s Day Cookies
You can use any cookie recipe you want to make these fun cookies. We did a sugar cookie base, but chocolate chip would work great too. The best part is you make your favorite cookie recipe and add frosting in the shape of a heart to make it special. You could even do store bought cookies and add the frosting to make it even easier if your tight on time! 🙂
Our family likes picking up the writing frosting that sets up after a few minutes so you can stack the cookies without them sticking together. The two brands we have used most often are Betty Crocker Writing Icing and Wilton Icing Writer (see picture below). You can often find them for $0.99 (or less) for a box of 4 colors at Bargain Foods if you are in Upstate, South Carolina area or a couple dollars at Walmart or your local grocery store. I have found that these tubes of frosting are easier for the girls to use as well. Plus since you are not icing the entire cookie they get less frosting which means less sugar!
Living on a Budget: Groceries $40 for 4
It was a busy week which started with traveling from a conference (we went to Nebraska and Kansas with a brief stop in Texas). Here is my weekly update on our Groceries $40 for 4.
Groceries from Ingles and Walgreens
Ingles Groceries:
- $18.02 at Ingles for 2 loaves Laura Lynn Bread, 3 containers Fresh Strawberries (on clearance for $0.99), 1 bag Bananas (on clearance for $1.49), 1 bag mixed Fresh Fruit (5 pounds oranges, red delicious apples, granny smith apples on clearance for $1.49), 2 containers Fresh Raspberries (on clearance for $0.99), 1 half gallon Pomengranate Tea (on clearance for $0.99), 1 bag Fresh Organic Cucumbers (on clearance for $0.99), and 3 bacon wrapped Steak Filets (they are normally over $9 each regularly but got them on clearance for $1.99). (Everything I bought this week at Ingles was on sale, marked down, or on clearance. The fresh fruit, veggies, tea and steaks will come in handy with the upcoming Valentine Holiday. I don’t usually pick up fancy steak even with it on clearance for $1.99 but since Valentines Day is right around the corner and we are going to do a special dinner!)
Walgreens Groceries:
- $7.54 at Walgreens for 2 gallons Milk and 2 two liters Mountain Dew (They had their milk marked down to $2.79 each and their Pepsi products marked down to $0.98. The soda is great for upcoming events).
I think my body was worn out by the time I got home from the conference that it crashed and I ended up getting sick. Thankfully after a couple days of rest, extra fluids, and lower activities I was able to bounce back. I appreciate my husband and kids for stepping up and helping out around the house. Somehow they managed to stay healthy, yay! I didn’t have around to doing a regular grocery shopping run until Friday with all the travel and sickness.
This week I spent $25.56 on groceries. I was under on my budgeted amount for the week because of the busy week with the conference and traveling so thankfully I have a little extra to use towards groceries another week. I was happy to find fresh produce and steak on sale for the upcoming Valentine celebration. I hope that next week is better week, back to normal, and we can come under budget!
It is my goal to give you regular updates on this budget section so you can celebrate the good weeks with me and thump me on the bad weeks! As always you are welcomed to join the journey with me. I would love to hear your story and how you are doing too. The purpose of our family doing this it to watch our grocery spending while allowing us to feed our family, enjoy life, share with others, and yet stay on track with our budget.
Living on a Budget is a series of ways our family uses a budget to help keep us accountable with our finances. Life doesn’t always go as planned. We have used some of the ideas I will be sharing for years while others are ones we are just starting to implement as we continue finding ways to be creative and have fun with what we have been given. Having a plan in place allows us the freedom to be smart with what we have been given, get more creative when it is a tight (week, month, year or a season) and when necessary live a much more simplified life. A budget helps us stay on track so we have more opportunities to enjoy the many blessings we have been given as well as share what we have with others. There is so much more to life than having all the stuff. We may not have the newest or greatest items in our house, we drive used cars, and wear hand-me-down clothing…..however, if our family is taken care of and have love for each other and others we have more than all the riches in the world.
Be My Valentine: Memory Jars, Cookie Surprise, Scrapbook Highlights, Romantic Dinner for Two, & More!
Last year I started the “Be My Valentine” series to help celebrate the upcoming Valentine’s Day Holiday. Here are some fun ideas from last year that our family enjoyed:
Be My Valentine: “I Love You” Memory Jar
A unique Valentine’s gift this year packed full of love and memories! I have created jars (or containers) full of memories for various occasions in the past and they have always been a huge hit with both kids and adults.
Be My Valentine: Cookie Surprise!
Surprise Valentine's Cookie - this one had three different flavors! A fun cookie to make with your kids. It is a sugar cookie with crushed hard candies to make window panes. Fun activity and delicious!
Be My Valentine: Scrapbook Highlights
how your spouse and family you love them on Valentine’s Day by doing a Scrapbook highlighting the big events over the past year. (Photo by shimelle)
Be My Valentine: Romantic Dinner for Two!
You can go out on Valentine’s Days (or any other Date Night) for less when you pack a picnic for two.
Gift Giving: 12 Days of Appreciation
I did this 12 Days of Christmas Appreciation for Jake at Christmas time but it would be a great one to do for Valentine’s Day, your Anniversary, or birthday!
A picture of one of the 12 Days of Appreciation for my husband to help get you started on ideas!
I would love to hear some of your ideas of how you are planning to make Valentine’s Day special with the one(s) you love! Feel free to share you link below in the comments! 🙂
Be My Valentine: “Heart to Heart” Cookies
Heart to Heart Cookies
We made these cookies by using cookie cutters. The girls had fun taking these cookies to school for their lunches.“Heart to Heart” Cookies:- 3/4 cup Butter
- 3/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Sugar
- 1 package instant White Chocolate Pudding
- 3/4 cup Cake Mix (any flavor)
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 1/4 cups Flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking sheet and cookie cutters. Mix flour, salt and baking soda together and set aside. Cream butter, brown sugar, and sugar together. Stir in the pudding and cake mix until well blended. Mix in the eggs, vanilla, and mix until smooth. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time until mixed well. Stir in the sprinkles. Use an ice cream scoop to place the dough inside the cookie cutters. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Cookie dough inside the cookie cutter
