Counting Down The Days Til Spring!

I really don’t like winter and I can’t wait until spring when it starts getting warmer. I don’t like being cooped up in my house all the time. I guess I get cabin fever. Every year around this time I start thinking about how I need a vacation. Now, that I am a mom I would love to go somewhere warm with some of my friends and just have some girl time. We all work really hard as moms and I think that we all need interaction with our friends. I think it would be fun to go somewhere exotic like Bali with some friends. That would require serious planning and passports of course so it wouldn’t be something we could decide spontaneously. I am going to get my passport soon though, so maybe someday I can stay in a Bali villas rental with my girl friends.

I am really close to my mom’s side of the family. I love how close knit we all are. I hear about family problems and I am so glad that we don’t have those kinds of problems and that we have never taken each other to court over silly things. I think it would be really fun to take a family vacation with all my cousins and kids, aunts, uncle and sister, Noah and mom. That way we could have more than an afternoon to hang out together. We are a fairly big family and I don’t get near as much time with them as I would like. Everyone is pretty spread out over the US. So getting us all together has not happened since my Grandma Rose passed away in 2005 and even then I don’t think it was everyone because my cousin’s wife was in labor during the viewing and had just had her daughter during the funeral. I would love for us to get a section of Bali villa rentals and just spend some quality time together.

If you could go on an exotic vacation where would you go and who would you take with you? Are you close to your extended family?

Sheilacakes Dialect Vlog

My friend Annie over at MamaDweeb.com did a dialect vlog and I thought it would be fun to do one too. So you read words and answer questions. Since I am from Indiana I am sure I sound different than others do. I am very shy and I was really nervous while doing this vlog. I sound like a total dork!



Here are the words and questions:

Aunt, Route, Wash, Oil, Theater, Iron, Salmon, Caramel, Fire, Water, Sure, Data, Ruin, Crayon, Toilet, New Orleans, Pecan, Both, Again, Probably, Spitting image, Alabama, Lawyer, Coupon, Mayonnaise, Syrup, Pajamas, Caught

What is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
What is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a ball?
What is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
What do you call gym shoes?
What do you say to address a group of people?
What do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped
body and extremely long legs?
What do you call your grandparents?
What do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry
groceries at the supermarket?
What do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
What is the thing you change the TV channel with?

Let's Talk Facial Hair Ladies

Honestly, I am not a huge fan of facial hair on a man. I don’t know why that is. I don’t mind a well groomed goatee or a beard that lines the jaw but I can’t stand moustaches personally. I also don’t like the really scraggly beards that look like the man is part wolf man. I prefer a man to be either clean shaven or a guy that owns a beard trimmer and actually uses it. I don’t mind a little bit of stubble with the 5 o’clock shadow that is fine too. My ex had a moustache and a beard and I couldn’t stand it. I would ask him to shave it off but it never happened. He could have had warts or something under his moustache, I am sure he didn’t but, I would hate when food would get stuck in it. It was pretty gross. His moustache really gave me the creeps.

The next man I date will be given the gift of a beard trimmer. I hope he understands that if he chooses to have facial hair and to date me, he will not look like a wolf man. I understand that some men don’t like to shave but the occasional shave is important to me. I get bored really easily so I was looking at beard trimmers last night and I really like the Babyliss I Stubble. I think it would be a great gift for a husband, a father, a brother to receive. It would also be a great gift for a teenage son. If you give them one, they wouldn’t have a reason not to use it. It doesn’t have to be like a Christmas or a birthday present, it could just be a little present just because. If you think it would offend them, because men are weird and can be sensitive, you could just purchase one and put it in the bathroom, so his feelings aren’t hurt.

What are your opinions of facial hair? Does your husband have a beard trimmer? I look forward to your thoughts.

Photos and Prompts Day 1 About me!

Here is a photo of me in my pajamas. The reason I am in my pajamas is because, I love to wear my comfy pajamas and I also love Victoria’s Secret. So, I thought this picture would be very appropriate.

Here are 10 facts about me:

1. I have a fascination with Serial Killers. I love learning about them. But I hate scary movies and get really scared really easily.

2. When I was 7 I stepped on a needle and had to get it removed by getting surgery. My sister spilled her sewing basket all over the floor and missed a needle.

3. I am the baby in the family. I have an older sister. I am also the youngest grandchild on my mom’s side.

4. I have had the same two cats that I got the summer before I was in the 6th grade when they were 6 weeks old. They are named Lucy and Lexy.

5. When my grandma first had Alzheimer’s disease, I took care of her and moved in with her. Later she moved in with us later on where I took care of her again.

6. I know most of Billy Joel’s, Carly Simon’s and Simon and Garfunkel’s songs by heart because we used to sing them on family car trips.

7. When I was 5 years old, I thought that I could go home with my cousins that lived in Texas in my Humpty Dumpty toy box.

8. Certain movies make me cry like My Girl. It doesn’t matter how many times I see it, I still cry, it never fails.

9. I love the British show Absolutely Fabulous and recently bought the Absolutely Everything DVD set.

10. I have a really bad habit of buying DVD’s I have never seen and never watching them. I have had Fatal Attraction since 2007 and I still haven’t watched it for example.




I am participating in 31 Days of Photos and Prompts started by It’s Gravy Baby. To check out the list and play along please visit her website. There is also a linky in on her blog to link up to all the other blogs participating.

My First Cell Phone

Cell phones have really come a long way. My first cell phone was a prepaid one. I can’t even remember what company it was. This was back in 2000, my dad bought it for me and always made sure I had minutes. Back when the prepaid phones didn’t charge for text messages. I had this phone for quite awhile. I remember I was working at a day care when I still had this phone. I bought a Tigger cellphone cover for my phone from a lady I worked with who sold Avon. I was really excited about getting it. It was this cloth thing that looked like Tigger. It was a little too small for the phone but it worked. This was back when I was obsessed with Tigger from Winnie the Pooh. I have outgrown that phase a long time ago, and now Noah enjoys the things I had.

I think that every cell phone should have a cell phone case to protect their phone. I like the ones that have the clip on them which is very convenient when you are carrying groceries or a unruly four year old. I guess the one thing I don’t like about my cell phone case is that it has a magnet in it to close it. It is nice that I don’t have to button it or snap it or have my phone fall out in my purse but, with my purse having a magnetic closure too, it can be a pain when it comes to magnetized things such as hotel keys, amusement park tickets and so on. I am constantly carrying my cell phone in its case when it is in my purse. That way I know I won’t accidently call someone or scratch it. Not to mention it is a lot easier to find when I am pushing the cart at the store. I don’t pick up my calculator and attempt to answer it or call anyone on it, which would be embarrassing.

I have a Blackberry Tour. What kind of cell phone do you have? Do you have a case or a cover on it?

I Need New Rugs

One of the things that stick out in my memory about my Grandma Rose is that she had all of these little rugs in her house. I remember pretending that the ground or carpet was lava or water and jumping from rug to another. I would even carry one with me and use it in those really sticky situations when there was a huge gap between rugs. It was a lot of fun and a great game to play with my sister and the occasional cousin. All my cousins are older than I am some quite a bit older, but they would always take time to play with me, their adorable youngest cousin. Now that I am an adult when I see rugs I think of my grandma, especially when they are the same type of rug that she once had. She had two different types of rugs in her house.

Every time, I see a rug I think of my grandma. I also would like to buy some Jute Rugs for the laminate floors in my house. We have rugs at the doors but I would love to get something more decorative. I love Bamboo Rugs.I think a bamboo rug would look really nice with the green colors in my house. Maybe one in front of the sink in the downstairs bathroom since it is painted a pretty shade of green. I think I want to decorate my home with some new rugs and décor.

What kinds of things do you use to decorate your home? Do you like rugs? Did you used to play the game where you used to pretend the carpet or floor was something dangerous? I look forward to your stories.

Cambria Suites Review

As I am sure you all know, I am a single mom of an adorable and sweet little boy named Noah. He is almost 4 and a half and I love him with all my heart, but even a supermom like me needs a break every so often. I was thinking about when was the last time I had a whole night to myself, not at home. I came up with the night before my sister and brother in law were married, in May. So, when I had the chance to stay in my local Cambria Suites I jumped on it. The funny thing is that it is the closest hotel to where I live. There are other hotels in my town but I had never stayed at any of them. I am certain you can imagine how ecstatic I was, to get this kind of invitation.

Cambria Suites is an awesome hotel, it is primarily a business hotel, but it is also really family friendly. It is part of the Choice Hotels chain, and yes I am now a Choice Privileges member. I had seen the hotel many times as it is right there, I always thought that it looked really nice. I had no idea how nice it was. I always have high expectations when it comes to accommodations, but I think that it was nicer than I expected. I arrived at the hotel and kissed my son good bye while he was convincing me to give him his car for Valentine’s Day a day early. I made him wait. I walked in and I was greeted by a really nice man at the reservations desk. He checked me in and gave me all the information I needed about the restaurant and pool, and I signed up for Choice Privileges, I knew before even seeing my room I would stay at Cambria Suites again. I am all about rewards programs. I took the elevator up to my room on the third floor and looked around. My room was gorgeous. It was a King Suite and I felt like a queen staying in it because it was huge. I noticed how quiet it was. Even being close to a highway and the mall, it was really quiet. The hotel was quiet too. I really liked that. I don’t think I heard a noise at all the whole time I was in my room, except for the wind.

After looking around at my suite, I realized I had a little fridge and a microwave, which I really liked. I had every intention of bringing popcorn but, I forgot. The bathroom was really nice too. It had a huge stand up shower, and all of the bathroom products were Bath and Bodyworks which is amazing, most of the time hotel toiletries aren’t that great or smell very good, not the case this time. I decided to lie down and watch some TV on my very comfortable bed. The bed was so comfortable that I was lying down for quite a while. I wasn’t sure what I wanted for dinner. I thought about ordering pizza but I also wanted to see what the restaurant had to offer. I was even toying with getting room service since the prices were so reasonable. I went down to the front desk and asked to see a restaurant menu. I took it up to my room so I could look it over. I got up to my room and realized that I demagnetized my key. My purse has magnets to fasten it and my Blackberry case also has a magnet on it so, this was something I was familiar with. I went back down and the man promptly fixed it for me. I decided my key wasn’t going in my purse anymore and kept it in my back pocket.

I was amazed at the menu that Reflect had to offer. Pizza was no longer in my mind. I wanted a BBQ burger. After watching some more TV and relaxing I went down and ordered my burger. The guy at the restaurant and bar was really nice. Everyone was very friendly and nice. He even offered to call my room when it was ready so I didn’t have to wait downstairs. I took advantage of that option. It only took 10 minutes or so before my food was ready. I brought it up to my room to eat. It was so good. I enjoyed every little bite of it. It had caramelized onions on it and I love onions. I really am glad I didn’t get pizza that night. It was Sunday so; I watched Desperate Housewives and then went down to the bar and had a couple drinks. I had a great time chatting with the bartender. We talked about all kinds of things. I explained that I was a mom blogger and he asked me a lot of questions. We talked about other random things.

The thing I was looking forward to the most was going to the hot tub. So, I wasn’t going to miss that. I love that the pool and hot tub are open until 12 am. That was a plus because usually hotels close their pools at 10 pm. I noticed that they had a really nice fitness center too. There wasn’t anyone in the pool area when I went which was really nice because I could fully relax and not have to worry about kids yelling and throwing things. I love kids but I was having my own mom night. I love that I didn’t see a single child during my whole stay, which was a nice change from the normal kids everywhere hotel. I am sure it had to do with the fact that it was a Sunday night and kids had school the next day, but man it was nice.

I ended my night with more TV watching and laying in bed. The bed was so comfortable. I slept so well. I sleep with a feather bed at home so I love soft comfortable beds and sometimes hotel beds can be not so comfortable. When I woke up, I thought about trying to see if I could stay another night just because I had such a wonderful and relaxing time. I decided that I needed to spend Valentine’s Day with Noah. I have come to the conclusion that I will have an occasional mom night at Cambria Suites just to have a little getaway. I am really looking forward to staying there again soon, I am addicted. The best part is that it is inexpensive and that I will be able to afford it. I found out from the bartender, Ben, that the room I was in is their standard room. So, I will be back soon.

I highly encourage you, if you are a mom, single or married, to have a mom’s night alone. I know that the word alone can be scary sometimes, trust me you deserve it. Just so you can relax and unwind. I am sure it will make you feel refreshed and recharged for all those challenges that motherhood brings you.
For more information and locations near you please visit the Cambria Suites Website.

You can also check out the other Choice Hotels and sign up for Choice Privileges. I know that Cambria Suites are not in all locations but I am sure one of the other hotels in the chain will be just as nice.

Thank you to Cambria Suites for giving me a complimentary night in a King Suite for me to review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Green Ostrich Tool Box Review

Noah is just like my Grandpa Jim, he loves to see how things work. So, when I had the opportunity to review a The Recycled Milk Container 15-Piece Toy Tool Set from Green Toys sold by Green Ostrich, I knew it would be the perfect toy for him. Green Ostrich is company that sell products from recycled things. Their philosophy is Make a choice, not a sacrifice. It is a green toy company and it is really cool that they are able to use things that were discarded in to something for a child to play with. Growing up my Grandpa was a diesel mechanic and he had this tool box with all of his tools. After he passed away, his tools were given to my mom and my aunts and uncles. Whenever I use one of the tools I am reminded of him in his garage working on something. Noah likes to fix things and take them apart.

Noah loves the The Recycled Milk Container 15-Piece Toy Tool Set from Green Toys he received from Green Ostrich. About the toolbox: Dishwasher-safe toy tool box, Phillips screwdriver, flat screwdriver, hammer, saw, wrench, pliers, 2 two-hole connectors, 2 nails, 2 bolts, and 2 nuts made from 100% recycled, curbside-collected milk containers. I love that it is dishwasher safe. That way I can make sure it is always clean for Noah and if he is sick I can combat the germs on it.

He will pretend to fix things. Sometimes when I need a tool, like a screwdriver, he will bring me one from his tool box. It is really cute. I love how it says what each tool is on the base of it. It also has screws in it. So, it is just like a real tool box. He loves to carry around his tool box and ask what needs fixing. He also likes to use the tools as other things. He has such a great imagination. We both highly recommend the Green Ostrich tool box or any of the other great toys from Green Ostrich.

For more information and to order please visit the Green Ostrich Website.
Thank you to Green Ostrich for sending Noah a tool box to try out. All thoughts and opinions are our own.

ConAgra and Kroger Ethnic Dish Shop #weeknightmeals

I had the opportunity to do another shop at Kroger. This time it was for Ethnic Foods. I decided I would make my Chicken Teriyaki stir fry that I created like 5 years ago. I have talked to my mom about my stir fry but she has never tried it. Every time I planned on making it, it never was done. I am not sure why, but I finally had the chance. I did change the recipe some because I wanted to try the new LaChoy Teriyaki Stir Fry sauce. LaChoy is a brand of ConAgra which make quite a few of my favorite brands. When I came up with the original recipe it was pretty much one of those throw whatever I had in the electric skillet and cook it. Now I have refined it and instead of French cut green beans I am using sugar snap peas and of course the sauce is different. I change recipes all the time to jazz them up.

I went to Kroger and it wasn’t too busy, which is great because it was easier to shop. Especially when I am taking pictures, I think I have done a good job with people not wondering why I am taking pictures of groceries. I wouldn’t know what to say if someone asked. Another thing I love about Kroger is they always seem to have samples. They had chocolate covered strawberries samples. Let me tell you how delicious it was. I said to my family, this is better than Edible Arrangements. Noah really likes samples too. We get to try out different kinds of cheeses, among other things. First I went to find the LaChoy Teriyaki Stir Fry sauce, since that was the ConAgra product I selected from the list. I found it in the Ethnic food aisle next to the Asian products. It is a nice thick sauce and tastes good too. It was only $1.99 which is a great price compared to other similar sauces priced at $4.99. Next thing I got was the chicken, normally I get chicken breasts but since the chicken breast tenders were cheap, I figured I would give them a shot.

I had to stop in the toy aisle and get Noah a new toy. He was very good and did something that made me really proud. In case you were wondering, he got some new Hot Wheels cars. After we got that squared away we looked around at other ConAgra products like Orville Redenbacher Popcorn. They now have Nacho popcorn. I bought some because we eat so much popcorn. Another ConAgra product we like is Hunt’s tomatoes and Hunt’s Spaghetti Sauce. Hunts Spaghetti Sauce is really good in pasta dishes.

Finally we headed over to the frozen food department and got a bag of frozen corn and a bag of frozen sugar snap peas. I am not a huge pea fan. I don’t like normal peas but I like the sugar snap kind. I thought it would be classier than tossing in a can of green beans, even though green beans are good too. We made our way to the check out and I paid for our groceries and Noah’s new toy. On the way out Noah wanted to ride one of the ride on toys, unfortunately there had been teenagers that broke it. So, we got in the car and went home.

I wanted to share the recipe with you.

1 pound chicken breasts or chicken tenders

1 bottle of LaChoy Teriyaki Stir Fry Sauce

Frozen corn

Frozen Sugar Snap Peas (or Green Beans)

A pinch of brown sugar (for sweetness)

First cut the chicken in to bite sized pieces. Place in a big skillet and start cooking the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, add the frozen corn, frozen Sugar Snap Peas , the Stir Fry Sauce and brown sugar and cook through. You can always make some fried rice to go with it too.

It is really easy and very inexpensive. I paid under 10 dollars for this meal. It was something I came up with when I was married and broke. It is really good though. After dinner I decided that I prefer using the LaChoy Teriyaki Stir Fry Sauce for a few reasons. I think it tastes better than using just Teriyaki sauce. The sauce is a lot thicker and also has a lot more flavor. It was really delicious and my family really enjoyed eating every bite. It was a winner.

Check out my Whrrl Story below. I hope you will try it. If you try this recipe let me know what you think!

More check-ins at kroger Olio Road

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I was compensated for this shop as a member of Collective Bias. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Happy Valentine's Day from Hershey's Review

 It’s almost Valentine’s Day, really where has all the time gone? It is time for you to celebrate your loved ones for Valentine’s Day.  Now, Valentine’s Day is not a huge deal in our house like other holidays but I like to celebrate with treats. I am sure that will change once Noah is in school and has to pass out valentines to his classmates. When I was in school, it was just those little cards and the occasional little candy treat taped on or in a little bag. Hershey’s has amazing treats for Valentine’s Day. One thing I really like about Hershey’s is most of their candy is wrapped which makes it easy for passing out to others.  Hershey’s even went another step and made some the candy it’s self a valentine, with to and from right on the wrapper. You of course could attach it to your card still if you wanted to.

Some of the items we received, and if you know me at all, I am a huge candy junkie, were Hershey’s Valentine Kisses, Jolly Rancher Heart Lollipops Valentine Exchange, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts Valentine Exchange. I am pretty sure everyone loves Hershey Kisses that like chocolate.  They are great for baking too.  Every year since I was very little we would make Peanut Blossoms at Christmas time. It was from a “cookbook” from 1982 and I was born in 1981, we still use the same recipe. Kisses are just the perfect amount to satisfy a little chocolate craving. They are also portable and so easy to unwrap my 4 year old has become a master at doing it.  Noah really likes the valentine’s colors of the wrappers. He has even created new things with the wrappers, like a butterfly for example.

If I had to pick my favorite hard candy, it would be Jolly Ranchers. I am not huge on hard candy, but would never turn down a Jolly Rancher, depending on the flavor.  I have been enjoying them for pretty much since my first one. I have tried and love every variation they have made.  Suckers are a big thing with Noah right now. We had been getting those little wrapped ones, but after he kept pulling the little stick off it, I decided, no more suckers for while. I feel pretty good about having him try a Jolly Rancher Lollipop. I will definitely enjoy them myself.   What is your favorite flavor of Jolly Rancher? Mine are Cherry and Watermelon. I know that is two but they are tied as my favorite.

I am sure you read my post about Hershey’s Halloween Candy in October and already know how much I love Reese’s peanut butter holiday shapes. In case you missed it, I prefer them to the Reese’s cups because there is more peanut butter than chocolate. I love peanut butter. I am so glad that Noah isn’t allergic to nuts of any kind because that would be not a good thing in my house. Noah loves the Reese’s Peanut Butter Hearts; he is actually the same as me and loves any kind of the Reese’s Holiday Shapes. I always buy them for any holiday I can find them and Noah, helps himself. He ate my pumpkin Reese’s and one of my Christmas Trees during those holidays.  He has made a huge dent in the Reese’s hearts though. He is really good at sharing and being generous and thinking of others.  He proudly likes to tell me that Grandma would like one. He is very sweet. 

I don’t let Noah sit down and eat a lot of candy, but he does get treats. I will get my little man some Hershey’s treats, including a Reese’s Peanut Butter heart for Valentine’s Day. I am trying to stay away from toys so, this year will be just some treats. We will also make Valentine’s Day Cookies.

For more information, recipes and ideas, please visit The Hershey’s Website

Thank you to Hershey’s for sending my family some complimentary Valentine’s candy to try out. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

My Top 30 Break up Songs

I thought I would share my top 30 breakup songs with you, since I am single and not too in to Valentine’s Day besides spending it with my little handsome man Noah.  These really aren’t in any order. Just songs that make me feel better…… eventually.

30. Good Person Inside by Jill Sobule.

29. Once Upon A Dream from the musical Jekyll and Hyde. My favorite line is Once upon a dream you were heaven sent to me, but it wasn’t meant to be, now you’re just a dream.

28.  Please Remember Me by Tim McGraw.

27.  How Do You Like Me Now by Toby Keith.

26.  Wait and Bleed by Slipknot, the band I formally thought was called Skipnot.

25.  Desperately by George Strait.

24. Right Through You by Alanis Morrisette.

23.   Cry For You by Ashe.

22.   I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry by Hank Williams

21.  Have You Seen Me Lately (Acoustic Version) by Counting Crows. This is my FAVORITE song.

20. Could’ve Been by Tiffany. I have always loved this song. I remember dancing in my basement to this song in elementary school. It was one of my favorites.

19. Insensitive by Jan Arden. This song is pretty self explanatory.  I thought you might have some advice how to be insensitive.

18. Get Over Yourself by SHE-daisy. I love any song by SHE-daisy.

17.  Cryin’ by Aerosmith. I remember listening to this song, and dedicating this song on the radio to a guy named Seth Johnson when I was in Jr. High. He was a jerk!

16.   Sometimes Love is Just Not Enough by Rod Stewart.

15.  Another Dumb Blonde by Hoku. Yes, I love this song,  don’t judge me.

14.  Unbreakable Hearts by Jessica Andrews.  Love it!

13. Blame it on Your Heart by Patty Loveless.

12. Don’t Cry Joni by Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn. This song is about a girl who has fallen in love with an older boy who says she is too young for him and then moves away and realizes he loves her and she marries his best friend.

11. Bye Bye by JoDee Messina.

10.  One of These Days by Tim McGraw

9.  Why They Call it Fallin’ by Leann Womack

8. Ten Thousand Angels by Mindy McCready

7.  Some Fools Never Learn by Steve Wariner

6.  Stay by Sugarland.

5.  Two Teardrops by Steve Wariner

4.  Where are You Now by Janet Jackson

3.  Every Rose Has its Thorns by Poison

2.  Ocean Front Property by George Strait

1. After the Rain by Nelson.   None of the other songs are in order except this one. This is my favorite break up song, because it always makes me feel better…..eventually. My favorite line in the song is:  He never really loved you from the start, the only thing he ever gave you was a broken heart, don’t be afraid to lose what was never meant to be.

 
What are some of your favorite breakup songs?

Wilton Cake Pops on a Stick Transportation Pops!

I had the opportunity to take part in a contest with Wilton. Wilton is the premier brand of cake decorating and baking products. The contest was to create your own original cake pops. I bet you are wondering what a cake pop is? It is cake on a stick dipped in delicious candy melts. I really want to show you all how to make cake pops. I decided that I would use my adorable little boy as my inspiration for deciding what to make. Noah loves everything having to do with transportation, that’s what I would do. I would make a few of his favorites in to a delicious treat. Since he truly loves them all, picking which ones to do was somewhat difficult. So, I went to the source and asked Noah, he wanted rocket ships, submarines and cranes. He also mentioned blimps but, unfortunately the blimps were too warm and it was like the Hindenburg disaster.



I received a Cake Pops kit from Wilton to help me get started in my first cake pop adventure. Since I am left handed and tried to decorate Noah’s cakes before I was very nervous as they didn’t turn out very pretty. I had confidence in myself and along with my trusty and adorable assistant we were ready to hit the kitchen and start creating. First thing we did was use The Cake Pops on A Stick book to make the special recipe for the cake part. Noah really helped a lot; he poured everything in for me and even helped to stir it all up complete with construction vehicle noises. Once it was baked and cooled, we crumbled the cake.



I can honestly say that was Noah’s favorite part. He told me before we started baking that he was going to make me in to a cake pop and tickled me and said crumble crumble crumble. It was very cute. It was fun to crumble the cake up. My Grandma Rose always said that your best tools are your hands, and I agree completely.

After we crumbled it we added some icing and mixed it up with our hands. I had bought my favorite cake mix and frosting on clearance for 42 cents since it was green holiday icing, we looked like swamp things after we were done. I had to remind Noah, many times not to try and eat it all off his hands.





I decided to let it chill for a bit to firm up some, which was a great idea because it was pretty messy before. Once it was firm enough to shape without making a mess. I started making the shapes for the rocket ships, blimps, cranes, and submarines. I put them back in the refrigerator for a couple hours before I dipped the 6 inch sticks in melted Candy Melts to help them stick. Since my cake pops were bigger than the average cake pop I was worried that it would fall off if it didn’t have enough time to chill. I left them in the refrigerator for 24 hours, just to make sure.




I was ready to dip them with my new Chocolate Pro Electric Chocolate Melter. I melted some more red Candy Melts being careful that I wouldn’t waste them, when I was ready for the next color after washing some of the candy melts down the sink, I figured out if I poured the leftovers on parchment paper and let it dry I could reuse it. It peeled off really easily and I also figured out that you have to melt quite a bit to get easy coverage on your Cake Pop. I was able to make it work easily with a spatula on the bottom of the pops so they were completely incased in Candy Melt. It doesn’t take the Candy Melt very long to harden which was a good thing. I dipped the Red Rocket Ships and the Yellow Submarines first. I let Noah pick the colors all of them, since I bought every color of Wilton Candy Melts they had at the craft store.

I have always wanted to try out fondant and I thought no time like the present since I wanted to add specific details. I purchased several packages of colored ready to use fondants. I ended up using yellow fondant on all of the Cake Pops. I had also used some little cutters in different shapes. It was really easy to roll out even for me. My crowning achievement was when I put the yellow candy melts in a disposable icing bag and wrote USA on the rocket ships. It is legible even. I am not sure if Julia Child was guiding my hands like in the movie Ghost or what but it was perfect. I was so afraid that the rocket ships were going to be drizzled in yellow candy melt. Thankfully, that wasn’t the case. I was so proud of myself at that moment.

I decided to make the wings of the rocket ship out of fondant. I used yellow fondant as the periscope of the submarine as well. I had some trouble thinking of what to use for the windows on the submarine. I was going to first use the candy eyes that were included in my pops kit turned backwards, that didn’t work too well so, I thought marshmallows would work. I decided to rip them and shape them for the windows. After attaching them I decided, it looked weird so, I melted some white candy melts and put those in a disposable icing bag and drew the windows on. I thought they really needed the porthole covers around them too. I used some melted chocolate chips in another disposable icing bag. Melted chocolate chips are a different consistency than the Candy Melts so it was harder to manage. Noah reminded me that submarines have propellers so I used some pull and peel licorice that I had purchased for the cranes to make it. By that time I had poured out the yellow Candy Melt to harden so I just kind of dipped the back of the pop in the yellow melts and attached the licorice. Two down two to go I thought to myself. I was doing this and it was working for me.

 

When it was time for the blimps I went to dip them and since they had been sitting out for a hour or more they were no longer cold. I almost started to cry after I watched the Cake Pop fall apart. I was thinking, it’s ok I have two more blimps. I didn’t realize until after that was the reason they fell apart, I dipped the second making sure it was carefully placed on the stick. I went to dip it and it fell apart too once it hit the Candy melts. At this point I yell Darn it. Noah said, “Mommy, that is a bad word.” Thinking after two were ruined I couldn’t have just one blimp I dipped it and covered it in sprinkles and watched it fall off the stick as I put it in a bowl for Noah to enjoy. I put the pre-dipped cranes back in the refrigerator for a few hours so, they would survive. I think next time I will keep them in the refrigerator until the last second before dipping. I highly suggest you do so too. It makes it a lot easier and saves you from the heart break of your beautiful creations plummeting from the stick.



After waiting a while I decided the cranes needed to be dipped. I had purchased some thin pretzel sticks to be the arm of the crane. I knew how fast the Candy Melts dried so I figured that I had to dip the cranes and then stick the pretzel in quickly or my cranes wouldn’t have an arm. I thought about dipping them with the pretzel stuck in it already but decided that would probably end badly. I took a spoon and covered the pretzel with Candy Melt. I cut out some yellow little squares and circles for the wheels and windows I attached with water on a little paintbrush. I put them back in the refrigerator to make sure the arms of the cranes were dried. Everyone knows that cranes have strings on them so I thought the pull and peel licorice would be perfect for that. It’s fun to eat too. I just tied it on and it looks really cool.



I received a Cake Pops stand in my Cake Pops kit which is really nice; I plan on saving it for a special occasion. I thought since these Cake Pops capture the essence of my little boy, I wanted the stand to be something that was Noah’s. I decided to build a couple rows with his favorite blocks that have holes in them, which are perfect for holding Cake Pops. Noah’s little eyes lit up with amazement when he saw them all done and placed on our display blocks.



I received the Wilton Cake Pops Kit for my contest entry where I could win a $500 VISA Gift card or 9 other prizes. I did purchase additional products for my Cake Pops and all thoughts and opinions and ideas are in fact my own.

With One Click, One Dollar Goes to Toys for Tots

The holidays are coming to a close, and hopefully the season was very merry for you. But for some kids, Santa doesn’t make a stop at their house. Which is where Toys for Tots comes in – helping provide thousands of toys for families in need. It’s really a wonderful program.

To help this great cause, CouponMountain.com (an online coupon code site) has pledged togive up to $50,000. But it’s up to you how much Toys for Tots will get. Because they’re going to give $1 for every Facebook Fan they have on Dec. 31.

So please – take a minute to log on and “Like” CouponMountain. Then pass it on.

How You Can Give $1 to Toys for Tots:

Go to: www.Facebook.com/CouponMountain

Select “Like”

CouponMountain will donate $1

Spread the word to your friends

Strawberry Shortcake, I Love You, Yes I Do!

When I was little, I loved Strawberry Shortcake. This is back when she was new, not the remodeled version. I loved the movie Strawberry Shortcake in Big Apple City. I do own it on DVD now. I love the Peculiar Purple Pie man from Porcupine Peak, although he scared me just a little bit. My love for Strawberry Shortcake started when I was very young. When I was two or three, I had a Strawberry Shortcake doll. One night I decided for some reason I was going to put Strawberry shortcake on my lamp shade. She wasn’t wearing any clothes; I am assuming my sister stole them from her. She was plastic with a soft body. Strawberry Shortcake must have been lying on her back on my lamp because, she had a burnt hole in the middle of her hiney. Thankfully, it was just contained to that little burn mark. I still have that doll, still naked with a burn mark on her bum.

I still like Strawberry Shortcake. I haven’t made a Strawberry Shortcake shaped cake yet like the one my mom made when I was little. I still have that pan too. I am not a hard core die-hard Strawberry Shortcake fan. I have a Strawberry Shortcake wallet, that my family makes fun of me for carrying. My sister even tried to get me a big girl wallet, I love mine though. I have had it for 5 years now. It is still in pretty good condition. It is just a little dirty from being carried around for so long. I bought it at Claire’s before I was even pregnant with Noah. I saw it and had to have it.

It really annoys me when they take stuff from my childhood and redo it. If you are going to bring it back, bring it back the way it should be. Don’t modernize it. It was fine when I was a kid, don’t make it cartoonier. Don’t glamorize it, My Little Ponies were fine the way they were. It’s the saame with Carebears. I think the Carebears we had when we were little are much cuter than the ones that kids now days have. What is up with the all the new Carebears? No I am not talking about the Cousins but the ones that someone invented just to sell more. Noah has claimed my Birthday Bear as his own, it needed a bath big time, I got that for my 2nd or 3rd birthday and so you can imagine how dirty it must have been.

What do you think about them remaking the characters from our childhoods? It is just not the same to me. It feels like they are an impostor in a sense. Maybe I just like things to stay status quo.

Oneida Sure Grip 12 Piece Set w/Bamboo Block Cutlery Review

I was afraid of knives for a long time; I would have someone else do all the cutting for me because I was really scared. I finally learned the proper way to use knives although I still will not peel anything where I have to hold it in my hand like an apple. I am left handed and well it scares me. I think that every chef or the occasional cook needs a great set of knives, so when I had the opportunity to review a cutlery set from Oneida, I was really excited. I had some knives but not a whole set, they were just random ones, I didn’t even have any steak knives. Oneida is a great company that makes all kinds of dishes and silverware and even cutlery sets. My silverware is Oneida so I am very familiar with and trust the brand.



I received Oneida Sure Grip 12 Piece Set w/Bamboo Block. I love my cutlery set. It is a 10 piece set with a gorgeous bamboo block. I love the way it looks in my kitchen, even if it is on top of the refrigerator. I don’t want any accidents with Noah, after seeing another child walking around with a butcher knife like it was a toy. I make sure he can’t reach anything dangerous. The set includes 8" Chef Knife, 7" Santoku Knife, 6" Boning Knife, 5" Utility Knife, 3" Paring Knife, 6 - 4 1/2" Steak Knives, Kitchen Shears, Sharpening Steel and Bamboo Block for storage. The knives are really easy to use. I love the Sure Grip handles, it helps me cut, chop and mince with ease and peace of mind. I use the shears all the time. I love that in the block I can just grab them and put them back with ease without having to search for them. I wouldn’t grab the knives like that though. I think that this set is a great set for the beginner cook or the most experienced chef because it has such a variety of knives. I know it would be a useful gift for anyone who loves to cook. I have gotten quite a few compliments about how pretty it looks. I really like the bamboo block because I know that it will last a very long time.

There are so many things I want from Oneida. I love it all. I am one of those people that would love to have a professional kitchen with all the bells and whistles and equipment. I have always been this way, from my first cooking equipment from my Cooking With Cricket spatula and toast cutters, which I still have by the way. I still have the cookbook too. I will be buying some more Oneida products in the future.

For more information and to order, please visit Oneida’s Website.

Thank you to Oneida for sending me a complimentary sample of the I received Oneida Sure Grip 12 Piece Set w/Bamboo Block. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wine Diaper Review

When my family visits St. Pete Beach, we go to a place called John’s Pass. They have a store that sells wine from the Florida Winery. They also have things called wine freezes. I love them; they are like daiquiris but made with wine. They don’t sell anything like this here so I like to bring home some Florida wine and wine freeze mix. Since you can’t bring liquids in your carry on anymore, I had to pack them in my suitcase. I was nervous the first time and I wrapped the bottles in Noah’s diapers, I wish I would have known about the Wine Diaper instead of wasting Noah’s diapers.

Now that Noah is older diapers are a thing of the past. I wanted to share with you about the Wine Diaper. It is a safe way to transport wine or anything in a glass bottle in your suitcase. This would be a great gift for someone who loves to not only travel but loves wine. The Wine Diaper is not only made out of a material that cushions it, it also is very absorbent if the bottle does end up breaking. It will quickly absorb the liquid to help protect your clothes and other items in your suitcase. As long as there is not a spill you can reuse it again and again. Think of it like a dry diaper. It has handles for easy carrying and a closure that helps you put your mind at ease while you are flying. I worry a lot about silly things and I could see myself worrying if I was not using the Wine Diaper.

For more information please visit the Wine Diaper Website
The Wine Diaper comes in packs of 3 for $15.00. You can purchase the Wine Diaper HERE

Thank you to Wine Diaper for sending me a complimentary sample. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Grandma Ruby's Fudge Review

I love fudge. My favorite fudge is definitely peanut butter. I consider myself as a fudge connoisseur. I am so excited to have the opportunity to feature Grandma Ruby’s Fudge in my holiday gift guide. Grandma Ruby’s makes it possible to have delicious gourmet fudge delivered to your door. They sell all kinds of flavors. They make it all themselves homemade just like your Grandma would make. I had the opportunity to sample some fudge. The fudge was sent priority mail and it was so creamy, it melted in my mouth. It was as if Grandma Ruby was in my kitchen making the fudge it tasted that fresh. I can tell that the fudge is made with care and love. Grandma Ruby’s will also send fudge to our soldiers to give them a sweet treat that reminds them of home. I think that it is amazing that Grandma Ruby’s would offer to send their products so far away.



I was able to sample 8 different flavors. I tried the Peanut Butter, which was the best peanut butter fudge I ever tasted and that is including the fudge I had previously bought from the Cheese Store. I also tried the Peppermint, it was also really good, I love that it has pieces of peppermint on top to give it a little extra crunch. The chocolate fudge was Noah’s favorite. He thought it was so yummy. Grandma Ruby’s has such creative flavors. A Cookies and Cream fudge? Yes it is as tasty as it sounds. Of course they have the more traditional flavors too, like chocolate peanut butter and Tigers Eye, which is vanilla and peanut butter fudge. I am getting hungry thinking about all the great fudge I had the chance to sample. I can’t say enough good things about Grandma Ruby’s Fudge. They went above and beyond my expectations, and I am so glad I was able to sample it, I have a new go to fudge shop. The best part is I can order it in my pajamas and it comes right to my mail box.



I am kind of picky when it comes to ordering food from the internet, because some things can be very expensive. I am happy to report that Grandma Ruby’s Fudge will fit into anyone’s budget. I love that they make such a delicious gourmet fudge that doesn’t have a high price tag.

For more information and to order some of Grandma Ruby’s Fudge please visit the website. You can also follow @GrandmaRubys on Twitter. They have occasionally have fudge giveaways.

Thanks to Grandma Ruby’s for providing me with some fudge samples for my family to try out.

Capresso Froth Pro Review

I love hot chocolate, there is just something about a nice cup of delicious hot chocolate. I used to want a Cappuccino machine just so I could have the steamed and frothy milk in my drink. You see I used to work at a place that had a Cappuccino machine and I would make hot chocolate all the time. If you are looking for a holiday gift for a Cappuccino or hot chocolate lover you should check out the Capresso Froth Pro. It makes delicious steamed or frothy milk for hot chocolate or those coffee drinks. I love it. I have made hot chocolate with it quite a few times. It is really easy to use. You just select which disk you want based on if you want steamed milk or frothy milk. You just snap it in. pour the milk in the pitcher and turn it on and you will have heated milk for your beverage in a couple minutes. It will froth in hot or cold. You can also steam the milk in hot or warm which is perfect for kids. I grew up drinking hot chocolate and so will Noah. You can use whatever hot chocolate recipe you like. I use the kind in the box.

It is a great price too. It is also small and it wouldn’t take up a lot of room in your kitchen like a full sized Cappuccino machine. I know that Capresso also sells full sized Cappuccino machines too if that is something you are in the market for. I personally can’t afford a full sized one so I am really excited that Capresso came up with the Milk Froth Pro. I know I will have many cups of hot chocolate.

It is definitely something you should have in your home. You can purchase it for $59.99

For more information please visit Capresso’s website.

Thanks to Capresso for sending me a sample of the Froth Pro for my family to try out.

Garlic Twist Review

Everyone knows I love garlic. I will only use fresh garlic. With fresh garlic that means I have to chop it which can be very time consuming. I thought I would be smart and buy one of those garlic cutting gadgets with the wheels. It didn’t work very well, it made the garlic in to paste, it was hard to remove the garlic, it was hard to clean because there was a blade that made me nervous as it could do some serious damage. The garlic smell was almost impossible to get off of it. I only used it twice and decided it was more trouble than it was worth and went back to chopping or mincing.

I learned about a gadget called the 3rd Generation Garlic Twist or the GT3 for short and I just had to try it. The GT3 is made by NexTrend Products. I love this product because it has little teeth instead of a dangerous blade. All you do is whack the clove twice to remove the skin and then put in 2 or 3 cloves of garlic in and twist it. It is really easy and fast to use. I had my garlic minced quickly. It is really a time saver in my opinion. I was able to get the garlic out easier since it is circular. I was able to run my fingers on the teeth to help remove the garlic, which is something I would have never done with the one with wheels. The garlic was perfect, it minced it smaller than I could which was a good thing because it brought out the garlic flavor more. I really recommend the 3rd Generation Garlic Twist for the chef in your life. My favorite part is that you can put it on the top rack of the dish washer! As some of you know I hate doing dishes, so I love things that I can just put in the dish washer and not have to worry about it.

For more information please visit The Nextrend website.

Thank you to NextTrend for sending me a sample of the GT3 to try out and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas Review

I love movies. I really enjoy Christmas movies too. I don’t really have a favorite Christmas movie because there are so many to choose from. A couple Christmas movies I really like to watch are A Christmas Story and Mixed Nuts. I am sure everyone has seen A Christmas Story at least a thousand times. It is on over and over again on Christmas. I am certain many of you have not seen Mixed Nuts. It is a great movie with a very young Adam Sandler, Steve Martin and Rita Wilson aka Tom Hanks wife. It is about a nonprofit business that runs a suicide hotline, a pregnant woman, a guy in a Santa suit with a gun and the sea side strangler. It is very funny and it keeps you on your toes. I highly recommend both movies.

I am featuring the book Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas in my holiday gift guide. This book is written by Film Critic Alonso Duralde and it features all the best and the worst Christmas movies. Some of the movies in the book I didn’t consider as traditional Christmas movies although all the classics are in there. It’s A Wonderful Life, any version of A Christmas Carol you can think of including Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol. Each listing has a description of the movie and they are all in different categories such as movies that are for kid’s, movies for adults, and more specific chapters with very clever names instead of horror movies for example the chapter is called They'll Be Scary Ghost Stories: Holiday Horror. He refers to the worst Christmas movies as The Worst Christmas Movies Ever: Lumps of Coal in Your Cinema Stocking.

This is a must have gift for the movie lover on your list, I myself am an avid movie watcher and I really enjoy reading Have Yourself A Movie Little Christmas. Noah likes to look at the book too. He calls it Mommy’s movie book. I have plenty of new movie suggestions to watch during the holidays some to share with Noah and some for mommy time!

Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas sells for $16.99 at all major retail book sellers as well as all major online book stores.

Thank you to Alonso Duralde for providing me with a review copy of Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas to review.