JOLLY TIME Popcorn Peanut Butter Cups Recipe and Giveaway!

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We have developed a tradition for New Year's Eve in our household. We make some delicious snacks, play board games, and watch movies until it is time to watch the ball drop. JOLLY TIME is a great choice for snacks. You can make a special treat (see recipe below) or stock up on the healthy snack to help with a New Year's Resolution. JOLLY TIME Popcorn is whole grain, gluten free and is full of antioxidants and dietary fiber.

Popcorn Peanut Butter Cups Recipe

Ingredients:
8 cups popped JOLLY TIME Blast O Butter Microwave Pop Corn
1 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate pieces
Small peanut butter cups

Instructions:
Pop popcorn according to the package directions.

Open bag carefully and pour into a large bowl; discard unpopped kernels. 

In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat corn syrup 3 minutes or just until boiling. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and chocolate pieces until smooth. Pour syrup mixture over popcorn; toss to coat evenly.

Using heaping tablespoon, spoon out mixture onto a lightly-buttered wax, paper-lined baking sheet. Flatten each popcorn mound slightly and make indentation in the center with thumb or wooden spoon handle.

Fill each center with peanut butter cups. Store in tightly covered container. 

Yields: 20

Results: I had a little difficulty making these because the popcorn mixture really did not want to stay together and I was worried that they would not form correctly and would not retain the peanut butter cup on the top. Half an hour in the refrigerator was all it took to get it all to stick correctly. These were very tasty treats! The popcorn mixture was very reminiscent of a peanut butter cup and the actual candy on top really tied the whole treat together. These are definitely a fun snack to make and they are really delicious!  As always, I enjoy the taste of JOLLY TIME Popcorn and plan on using some lower fat versions in 2014 to help support my goal of healthy eating (after I finish off these treats of course)!  

Win it here:

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided with the above mentioned product and recipe from JOLLY TIME. All views expressed are my own.  

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Hot Cocoa Crispy Squares Recipe and Post Pebbles Review

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Post Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles may be some of your children's (or your) favorite cereal. Now the sweet breakfast has two cereals to add to the Pebbles line of cereals: Poppin' Pebbles and Xtreme Cocoa Pebbles! Available beginning 1/1/14, new Poppin' Pebbles has poppin' pieces which fizz in your mouth and the new, limited edition Xtreme Cocoa Pebbles are packed with even more chocolate to create amazingly chocolaty milk! 

I was excited to have the opportunity to try out these cereals and also to make these delicious Hot Cocoa Crispy Squares recipe!

Recipe: Hot Cocoa Crispy Squares

Ingredients
3 Tbsp butter or margarine 
1 package (10 oz) marshmallows
6 cups Cocoa Pebbles Cereal
2 cups mini marshmallows
1 envelope (1 oz) hot cocoa mix

Instructions:
Melt butter in large saucepan on low heat. 

Add large marshmallows; cook until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently. 

Remove from heat.

Add cereal; mix well. 

Press firmly into greased 13x9-inch pan.

Top with miniature marshmallows; press marshmallows lightly into cereal mixture. Sprinkle evenly with cocoa mix. 

Cool completely. Cut into 24 squares to serve. Makes 24 servings, one square each.

Review:  These Crispy Squares were just as easy to make as the classic recipe, but the extremely chocolate flavor of the cereal and the sweet marshmallow topping gave a brand new life to this treat! I have eaten Cocoa Pebbles before and can attest to the fact that the Xtreme are definitely about as chocolaty as you can possibly get! The Poppin' Pebbles were really fun. My friend and her daughters were over and they all loved the popping action of the cereal. It was like having some Pop Rocks mixed in with the classic berry flavored fruity Pebbles cereal. Who knew cereal could be so fun!  These are definitely tasty cereals and if you like the classic versions, I would highly recommend giving these a try! 

*I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Removing Holiday Stains + All Stainlifter Review and Giveaway!

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Between the distraction of socializing, the hectic nature of trying to get all the food on the table, and the wine, the holidays seem to be a great opportunity to get stains on all of your nice holiday clothing. Here are some great tips for removing stubborn, holiday stains:


· Gravy: Gently rub the stain with a trusted liquid detergent and rinse in with the hottest temperature water that is recommended by the garment. 

· Sweet Potato: Run stain under cool water to remove the bulk of it. Pretreat and rub with laundry detergent then let sit and wash.

· Apple Pie: Run stain under cool water to remove the bulk of it. Soak in cool water and detergent. Check stain – pretreat and rub with laundry detergent if necessary and wash according to label instructions.

· Red Wine: Immediately dilute the spill with club soda or cold water. Sprinkle the spill with salt and continue to flush with club soda or water. Allow the mixture of water and salt to sit for at least 15 minutes and wash as usual. Repeat the process if the stain does not come out after the first wash

All Stainlifter Review:  I have very sensitive skin and asthma so whenever possible I prefer sensitive skin laundry detergents so I was pleased to see that All Stainlifter offers a Free and Clear option.  Safe to use in standard and high efficiency washers, it is formulated to be tough on stains yet gentle for sensitive skin.  I was very happy with this detergent and I feel that it delivered everything it promised: I had clean clothes that were gently on my skin and had no scent.  You really can't ask for more - oh yeah - it is reasonably priced too!! All Stainlifter is definitely worth trying out if you have not done so yet!

Buy it here: You can find All Stainlifter products at your local mass merchant.

Win it here:

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own.  

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Leawo Software Christmas Freebie/Deal Announcement!!

Leawo is celebrating Christmas by offering consumers some great deals and even some freebies!  The company is a professional multimedia solution provider that specializes in processing and broadcasting media over the Internet as well as in the daily life. They offer tons of great-looking products such as DVD and Video Converters, Data Recovery software, and Cleanup programs. 

Leawo is offering a couple of really amazing deals including two FREE 1 year software downloads! However, you have to act soon because they are only available for a very short time:  

• Leawo Blu-Ray Ripper: Get 1 year for FREE or a lifetime code for just $19.95 ($45 value)
• Leawo Tunes Cleaner: Get 1 year for FREE or a lifetime code for just $14.95 ($40 value)

About the Products:

Leawo Blu-Ray Ripper: Professional Blu-ray ripping and converting program that decrypts and converts Blu-ray/DVD movies to videos and backup Blu-ray to DVD discs that allows you to the play the video on popular media players like Apple media devices, smartphones, and more. You can also rip Blu-ray and DVD discs to 3D formats for playback on various 3D players!  This software is available for both Windows and Mac.  

We recently purchased a 3-D TV and I love the idea of converting some of our movies to 3D formats. I also appreciate that you can watch the movies later on different devices. When we go on vacation, I hate to tote around the portable DVD player so having the ability to have my kids watch a movie on the road on my iPad (which I would have packed anyhow) is very appealing! 

Leawo Tunes Cleaner: As a professional iTunes cleanup program, it could detect and delete song duplicates in iTunes, get album artwork for iTunes music files, download and add music tags like album, song name, artist, year, etc. 

I have yet to truly organize my songs in iTunes because I have found the process to be overwhelming and confusing, especially since there are multiple people in the house downloading music on one account. This software seems to make it easier and it sounds like I can easily add organizing my tunes to my New Year's organization resolution! 

In addition to this fantastic giveaway, you can also get some other deals on software bundles. For example, you can get a Christmas Gift Pack which includes iOS Data Recovery, Tunes Cleaner, and iTransfer for Apple product (to include iPhones, iPads, and iPods) for $49.95 plus you can get a free bonus gift of a DVD creator or a Music Recorder! You can also create your own bundle deal or choose from a nice selection of other bundles. 

Buy it here: You can get your free downloads and purchase the other great Christmas deals from the Leawo  website!

*I was compensated for this post; however, all opinions are my own.


- Detect and delete song duplicates easily.
- Get album artwork for iTunes and other music files.
- Download and add music tags like artist, album, title, etc.
- Allows editing music tags manually.

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Comfort Food Time: Slow Cooker Cheese & Broccoli Soup Recipe

This slow cooker Cheese and Broccoli soup is SO delicious and I have been making it for years. It is especially good on a cold day when you are looking for some serious comfort food that is easy to make. Simply toss all the following ingredients in a slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours:

1 bag of frozen, chopped broccoli
1 stick butter
2 cans cream of potato soup
1 qt milk (equal to 3 empty soup cans)
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup water
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
8 oz Cheese Whiz

To make clean-up even easier, I used a slow cooker liner which is disposable. I also threw some crescent rolls in the oven which taste so good dipped in the soup.  Enjoy!

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Target Wedding Gift Ideas

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2014 is going to be the year of weddings for me and my family. It is not even the New Year yet and we already know of three weddings we will be attending! Sure, a card with money can be a useful gift but why not supplement or change it up with some fun and unique gifts for the newlyweds! Target has some really great products for the home that would alone make some amazing gifts, but I encourage you to take it up a notch and add an extra special touch to really wow the couple.

Unique Gift Giving: 
I set out to scout the local Target for some great wedding gift ideas. Since I tend to give more personalized gifts to the bride, I thought this would make a fun bridal shower idea that would get her what she needs while also promoting a little pampering (and, yes, everything is available at Target)! 

Bridal Bath Basket

What you will need:
A variety of towels from the couple's bridal registry
A bath basket
A selection of bath items that match the color of the towel


Target Wedding Registry: 

Are you the one getting married? Then repeat after me: gift registry!! Target's Wedding Registry makes it so easy to find items the couple really wants without having to worry about buying something they already have or something someone else already purchased. Here are my top Wedding Registry items (gosh, wouldn't it be nice to have a bridal shower every 5-10 years to replace all of your items!):

1. Pewter 5 Opening Wedding Collage - I love that this picture frame not only allows you to show off classic wedding pictures, but also highlights other important relationships from the special day.
2. Threshold Elemental Ocean Stoneware Dinnerware Collection - Blue - I love the modern, yet earthy, look to this collection.  When I got married we did not include dinnerware on our registry and I really regret it. Now that we have kids, I never have the extra cash to upgrade our set so make sure you get what you want now! 
3. Bella 5-speed Digital Juice Station - The couple that juices together lives to grow old together! I have been juicing for months and drink it every day! This is a great way to commit to a long and healthy life together.
4. Threshold Pub Mirror - You may find that as you begin to cohabitate that you have to compromise on your interior decorating but this mirror will likely appeal to both of you! It is functional, yet attractive and would likely go with any style of decorating.
5. Green Pan Rio 18 Piece Cookset - Whether you are a cook or not, you have to have the right tools! Perhaps you are not into cooking now, I know I wasn't when I first got married, but my enjoyment of cooking has seriously grown over the years. This is a great set that has everything you need to get started. 

I would love to hear from you! What is the most unique wedding gift you have ever received or gave? 

*I was provided with a Target gift card in order to facilitate this post. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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Treating Winter Injuries and ACE Brand

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You may think that the spring and summer are seasons associated with sprains, strains and injuries, but the winter season provides plenty of opportunities to hurt oneself.  Because the most common forms of injuries are sprains and strains of muscles and tendons, it is important to remember the acronym RICE Therapy:

·         Rest: Stop the activity immediately. Continued stress can increase the damage done.

·         Ice: Apply an ACE Brand Reusable Cold Compress. Cold helps quickly relieve pain and swelling. The soft touch fabric contours to the body and remains flexible when cold.

·         Compression: Apply compression with an ACE Brand Self-Adhering Bandage. Compression helps reduce swelling and the bandage’s compact design makes it easy to throw in your bag when you are heading out for a day of activities.

·         Elevation: Elevate the injured limb above the level of the heart to help drain excess fluid from the area.

ACE Brand offers some great products that you will want to have handy for your family's unintended injuries. Their ACE Brand Self-Adhering Bandages provide compression for strenuous activities. They require no clips or fasteners and are designed to provide comfortable support for extended periods of time. They can be used for strains, swelling, and general soreness.  I had no intentions on actually needing to use this product, and then I strained my wrist.  I thought my carpal tunnel was just acting up until I remembered a movement the day prior that was causing pain the following day. I was amazed at how easy it was to apply the bandage with only one hand. It really did self-adhere and stayed in place all day without a problem. It was fairly comfortable as well. It did not stick well after the first use, probably due to the oils in my skin, but after one day of use my wrist felt better. This really beats other bandages which are difficult to keep in place. 

The ACE Brand Reusable Cold Compress features soft touch fabric that contours to the body and remains flexible when cold. It can be placed directly on the skin without any cover or wrap and is ideal for relieving inflammation and joint pain and increasing circulation. We typically use corn-filled freezer packs on the kids but they do not stay very cold for long and other ice-based products we have tried are either too cold or too stiff for comfort. This was, by far, the best cold pack we have ever used. It is large and comfortable to the touch. It is also very soft so it does nothing but immediately soothe an injury or ache. I also like that it is fairly flat so it does not take up too much room in the freezer. 

Buy it here: You can find ACE Brand products at your local drug store, mass merchant, and more.

*I was provided with the above mentioned products for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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Apple Cheesecake Bars with Sea Salt Caramel Sauce Recipe

I previously made this Apple Cheesecake Bars with Sea Salt Caramel Sauce and I am thinking about making it again for New Years! The recipe is from Lucky Leaf and it is delicious!!

Ingredients:
Crust:
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 &1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar

Filling:
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 can apple pie filling
3/4 cup favorite prepared caramel sauce (I used Smucker's ice cream topping)
coarse crystals sea salt

Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, mix melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, and sugar until crumbly. Press firmly into the bottom of the baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and salt. Beat at medium high speed until mixture is smooth - about 1-2 minutes.

Fold pie filling into cheesecake mixture. Spoon micture evenly on top of crust.

Bake uncovered for 45-50 minutes, until filling is set. Let cool completely.

Just before serving, drizzle caramel sauce on top of cheesecake piece and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt.

Refrigerate leftovers.

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Great Deal on Coffee Filter Cups!

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Did you get a Keurig for Christmas? If you have one then you will love this deal. You can get a set of reusable coffee filter cups (similar to K-cups) for only $8!!

WidgetLove - Coffee Filter Cups From $8: A set of reusable coffee filter cups — compatible with most Keurig machines!

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PrintKEG Giveaway - 3 winners!

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PrintKEG prints custom prints, posters, photographs, canvas wraps and more. They focus on small projects at very low prices with a mission of helping artists become successful entrepreneurs by being able to sell their work profitably. 

Not an artist?  There are plenty of other uses for their service. Here are just some other ideas for using PrintKEG's services that I came up with after browsing their great selection:

• Have your favorite 2013 family vacation photo made into a canvas 
• Make a poster out of your child's team photo 
• Hold a poster contest at school and then create a calendar out of the winning submissions which can then be used as fundraisers 
• Make some flyers to advertise your small business 
• Create party invites out of postcards (saves on postage!) 

Win it here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*I will be provided with a complimentary item as a thank you for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Mixbook Review

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Chances are you have a bunch of digital photos from this past year. While it is certainly easy to just keep pictures on your device and show them off right on your phone, camera, or tablet, there is a better way to capture your 2013 memories and showcase the year's events.  Why not free up some memory on your device and create a keepsake out of your favorite pictures.

Mixbook is a leading photo publishing company that allows you to make 100% customizable books with some really unique creation options. There are a variety of templates to choose from which makes creating the book easier and the outcome look truly professional. For the creative customer, you have the option of starting with a completely blank book and creating your own design. 

Review: I create a photo book every year as a keepsake from our annual family vacation. This past year we went to Boston and I was really excited to have the opportunity to create a book (which was long overdue!).  Creating the book was very easy. You simply upload the pictures, choose the book's theme, and then insert your pictures accordingly. There were options for changing the page designs and adding extra pages so the outcome is exactly what you need. The hardcover with the personalized picture looked so professional. It reminded me a bit of a yearbook. Each page had a unique look to it, yet the patterns all flowed to create a unified book. I found the process to be very easy and I was extremely satisfied with the outcome of the book.  Plus, you can share your albums digitally like I have embedded below!

My mother got married this past summer and  this was certainly another event that warranted a photo book. The wedding themes were great and gave the book an instant romantic look. Just like the vacation book, this one was very easy to make and it looks professionally made. 

Buy it here: You can shop for Mixbook products from their website (new customers get 30% off using this link through 12/31). You can browse for coupon codes and receive cash back if you use Shop at Home (a website that offers cash back bonuses for online shopping). Plus, if you sign up for Shop at Home through this link you will earn an automatic $5! 

*I was provided with the above mentioned products in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own. 

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Last Chance: Enter the Glee Gum Giveaway

Today is the last day to enter to win your choice of gum or candy making kits from Glee Gum. This will make a great activity for your kids during the long winter season! You can read my full review here and enter to win below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

I am going to sign off for a couple of days I can enjoy the holiday with my family.  I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas/holiday! 

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Nestle Seasonal Candy for Your Holiday Baking Needs!

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

Whether you are looking for stocking stuffers or embellishments for your holiday treats, Nestle has what you need! You can round off the holiday season with unique candy products from WONKA, Nestlé Crunch and Butterfinger that are all less than $10 and are great treats for gatherings and as thoughtful gifts. I was given some Wonka Everlasting Gobstoppper Candy Canes to review as well as some Wonka SweeTarts Merry Mix to incorporate into a recipe. Since my baking was all done for the season except for gingerbead cut-outs, my daughter and I decided that these would be perfect decorations for these cookies!

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients
1/2 cup salted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups and 2 tablespoons flour, plus extra for dusting
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup molasses
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preparations:

1. Place brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon, and ginger in a large saucepan over medium low heat. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda. Stir in butter a tablespoon at a time, stirring well between additions. Add egg and vanilla, stirring to combine.

2. Add flour, a cup at a time, stirring to combine.

3. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until dough comes together and is no longer sticky, adding flour by the tablespoonful if necessary. Place dough in refrigerator for 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled.

4. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

5. Using parchment paper or baking mat, roll approximately 1/2 of the dough into 1/8 in thickness. Cut desired shapes using holiday cookie cutters.

6. Place the parchment paper with cut out dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 12-18 minutes or until the edges are lightly brown. Remove from heat and place cookies to cool on cooling rack for about 10 minutes.

7. Once cool, decorate with your favorite frosting. We used buttercream (just make sure to store the completed cookies in the refrigerator if you use buttercream).

Results: I love the extra embellishments on these tasty cookies!  

Candy Review: The SweeTarts were just as sweet and delicious as the original enhanced with festive holiday shapes. I loved the way the adorable tree, snowman, and bell shapes which were easily identifiable as classic holiday figures. The WONKA Gobstobber Candy Canes were delicious as well. A nice break from the mint classics, these candy canes had combinations of fruity flavors. I really loved the way Nestle transformed some of their most popular candies into festive forms and I look forward to trying the other varieties! Since they are all under $10, they are perfect last-minute gifts as well.

Disclosure:

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

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Guest Post: DIY Puff Paint 'Icing' for Creative Culinary Kids

Do you remember how much fun it was making 'potions' when you were a kid?

I wasn't a huge fan of mud pies because I detested getting my fingers dirty (with three brothers who were veritable Petri dishes, it totally makes sense in hindsight!) but if I could find a bottle of shampoo or liquid soap (my 'wet' ingredients) and some baby powder (the 'dry') plus a heaping tablespoon of craft glitter for sparkle and a splash of my mother's perfume for fragrance, I was in business.


I cringe now about how expensive my little experiments must have been (thanks for being so understanding, Mom!) but the desire to create something from nothing is not at all uncommon and if you're anything like me, you transferred that into an adult obsession in the kitchen and make edible concoctions on a daily basis. And it all started when you were a child.

Fortunately, you can foster your own child's desire to whip up something colorful, keep the costs to a minimum and help them develop culinary skills, all while spending quality time with them in the kitchen as you make DIY puff paint 'icing' from scratch.

DIY Puff Paint 'Icing' Recipe

You'll need:
½ Cup Flour 
2 tsp. Salt 
2 tsp. Baking Powder 
1 tsp. Baking Soda 
1/3 Cup Water (as needed)


1. Measure out the dry ingredients into a large container (I used a 2-cup capacity measuring cup) with a spout.

2. Before mixing the wet and the dry, set up the rest of your 'paint station.'

Here's a little trick I use whenever I'm baking with my nephews since their little hands aren't quite ready to handle a piping bag – place a quart-sized ziplock bag in a juice glass with the sides pulled over the edge (like a garbage bag hooked over the sides). From here, all you need to do is pour the puff paint icing into the bag.


3. Mix in the water to the dry ingredients until you reach the desired consistency. Start with less because you can always add more!

I made mine lavender because a) purple's my fave; and b) I combine colors whenever I can to create my own custom shades – this took 4 drops of blue food coloring and 4 drops of red.

4. Pour the puff paint icing into the bag, pull it out of the glass and work all of the paint into a single corner. From here, zip it almost all the way closed and slowly squeeze out the air. Once all of the paint is in a bottom corner, twist the bag at the top (to keep the icing in while you squeeze) and snip a tiny edge off of the corner.

5. Now the fun part – the painting! I've used a sheet of freezer paper which is a perfect surface for little pipers to practice their script or shapes or spelling, whatever!

*Bonus Tip: You can laminate stencils for more advanced piping practice. This way, your kids can develop muscle memory as they work with the paint icing on a clear, laminated template before scraping it off and starting over as many times as they want.

6. Once your master baker in training has completed his or her masterpiece, pop the sheet of freezer paper into the microwave for about 10-15 seconds for the puff paint to set.

Here are a few takeaways and related tips for the lessons we learned today:

*Perseverance & Patience: Much like life on the whole, it's all about tweaking the recipe until you get it right. Add more water until your paint is the consistency you want. And if it's too runny, add more flour.


*Creativity & Resourcefulness: One of the reasons I love cake decorating so much is the excuse to create fluffy batches of icing in every color of the rainbow. Encourage color experimentation and teach your little decorators about using what you have on hand to make what you need.

Don't have orange food coloring? No problem – mix yellow and red. Added too much blue and need to lighten up the batch? Just keep working in white until you have the perfect shade of sky!

And want to make a birthday cake and you just used your last piping bag? It's all good – grab a gallon-sized plastic bag and cut off a corner tip. Voila – makeshift piping bag!

So give this a shot and let me know how it goes! What other cool DIY projects have you done with your kids that involve the magic of mixing ingredients and making a custom creation in the kitchen?


Rheney Williams developed a knack for decorating things early in life and honed her skills through an education in pastry arts and stagecraft. In addition to writing about projects for The Home Depot, Rheney can be found decorating everything from cookies and cakes with icing to DIY refinished furniture with paint.

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Causora: Donate to a Great Cause and Earn Rewards

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Affiliate links included

This is a very popular time of year for people to give to charitable causes. After all, we tend to realize how blessed we truly are around the holidays and can easily recognize that there are many who are not nearly as well off as we are. Causora.com's mission is to help raise more funds for charities by rewarding donors with free vouchers from their network of socially conscious merchants. When you donate to causes like my favorite listed charity, Hope for the Warriors, which helps post-9/11 service members and their families restore the family unit post-combat, you get $20 in thank you rewards** (good toward the purchase of products or services) from these merchants for every $20 you donate! Click below to donate to Hope for the Warriors and get started on earning rewards today! 

Donate Now On Causora And Get Rewards!

*I will be provided with rewards in exchange for this post
**Reward redemption may require a minimum purchase from merchant

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Gold Emblem Cookies for Santa!

Maybe you just did not get around to baking this year, or perhaps you ate them already! Regardless of your the reason for your last minute emergency, you can find some delicious cookies at your local CVS that are certain to please Santa.  From decadent cookies to rich coffee, the Gold Emblem line has a variety of options for you and your family this season. 

I was lucky enough as a CVS Taste Maker to have the opportunity to review some delicious cookies and tasty coffee:

Gold Emblem Select Soft Baked Brownie Cookies: A popular cookie from their line, this cookie combines the best parts of a cookie and a brownie into one tasty treat. This is quite simply the most delicious store bought cookie I have ever tasted.  They are so soft and they truly do taste like a mixture of brownies and cookies and the white chocolate chunks send this cookie right over the edge from delicious to amazing. 

Gold Emblem Select Maple Leaf Creme Cookies: Filled with maple sugar creme and shaped liked a maple leaf, these cookies are far from average. The combination of the crunchy cookie and sweet, rich maple syrup is to die for!  

Gold Emblem Select Vanilla Bean Coffee Cookies: These cookies have the perfect blend of coffee flavor and vanilla. Since I typically drink coffee with a vanilla creamer, this was a delightful combo to have in a cookie. 

Gold Emblem Select Coffee: This delicious coffee is made from globally sourced, 100% Arabica raw coffee beans. I made this coffee without telling my husband that I was using a different brand so I could see if he had a reaction and he did! Within minutes he commented on how he was happy that I made the coffee "stronger" and how delicious it was. He was shocked to learn that it was from CVS! I completely agree with him, it is an extremely flavorful and delicious coffee. 

Buy it here: You can purchase Gold Emblem products at your local CVS.

*I was provided with the above mentioned products for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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Bai Drink Review

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If you are a coffee drinker, then you are likely already familiar with the inside of the coffeefruit, the aromatic bean that provides you with lift-off each morning and flavor throughout each day. Bai would like to introduce you to coffeefruits' outside, the juicy red protector of the coffee bean that we call superfruit. The antioxidant-rich berries may have coffee in their name but each one is a free-radical fighting powerhouse that delivers refreshing, pure fruit flavor. Bai's line of Bai5 drinks are only 5 calories each, are 100% natural, are gluten-free, and low on the glycemic index. 

The delicious fruit-flavored drinks are available in the following flavors: 
Brasilia Blueberry
Costa Rica Clementine
Limu Lemon
Molokai Coconut
Sumatra Dragonfruit
Congo Pear
Ipanema Pomegranate
Malawi Mango
Panama Peach

Review: I was given a case of Bai5 with one of each of the flavors and I was really excited to try these out. In an effort to be healthier, I have given up all artificial drinks so when I have an opportunity to try something other than water I get very excited. I expected that I would feature only the flavors that I really liked and was shocked that there was not a single flavor that I did not enjoy. I put off drinking the ones I expected to like less, like the Molokai Coconut (I have tried to drink coconut water in the past and hated it), but each variety was amazing to include this one. The flavors tasted so natural and each fruit was very evident in the drink. The drinks were perfectly proportioned with water so there was never too much flavor (I have had Pomegranate drinks in the past that were way too strong) but always just enough that it felt like you were drinking more than just flavored water.  I honestly can't even pick a favorite and was glad to see that you are able to order variety packs - something I would highly recommend! Any drink that tastes good and does your body good is my kind of beverage!  If you are planning on a healthy change for the New Year then having Bai5 on hand may be a great starting point. 

Buy it here: You can purchase Bai from the company's website and also from  Amazon.

*I was provided with the above mentioned product for the purpose of facilitating this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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