Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Recipe

I am not a vegan but I do enjoy trying different styles of cooking and trying new ways to eat delicious food. Last month my son and I had a "lets eat cake" kinda day to celebrate it just being a generally awesome day of life. We looked at our ingredients and realized we did not have any eggs or butter on hand. We did have olive oil and coco powder. I went on a Google mission to see what recipes I could come up with to make my own spin on Vegan Chocolate Cake.

I found a great recipe on Veg Recipes of India and gave it my own flare adding the peanut butter powder and using olive oil. Dassana explains the key to the eggless cake is the way the acidity of lemon juice interacts with the baking soda. I used white vinegar because I did not have lemon juice, her recipe is very adaptable.

Stir all dry ingredients together in one bowl.

In a separate bowl from dry ingredients dissolve the sugar in cold water before adding the olive oil, vinegar and vanilla. It is important to the finished cake that you dissolve the sugar completely.

Mix your favorite brand of powdered peanut butter with water for 1/4 cup of peanut butter.

Mix the dry and wet ingredients together excluding the peanut butter. I decided to make one cake just chocolate and the other with the peanut butter. I added the peanut butter to only one pan by putting it on top of the batter and swirling with a spoon.

Drizzle with chocolate sauce on top and enjoy!

This cake was a huge hit for my co-workers and family. It is moist and delicious! 

You can find the complete recipe with ingredient list and instructions at Eggless Chocolate Cake by Dassana

Valentine's Day Treats: Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting #valentinesday #cupcakes #recipes

~Post by Patricia

One of my very favorite food combinations is chocolate and peanut butter. I love it so much but wanted something more that just my favorite candy to enjoy.

Cupcakes are always welcomed by friends and family, so these were the perfect answer to a quick dessert, and also satisfied my chocolate and peanut butter craving.

The peanut butter frosting on these cupcakes is made with cream cheese, a frosting that I enjoy making and my family really loves.

The chocolate cupcakes is an easy recipe, and I always think homemade tastes so much better than boxed mix.

And if you keep the baking essentials well stocked in your pantry, you can be ready to bake so many yummy treats as a moments notice.

I made these cupcakes just for fun to have for dessert. My family loved them, and this recipe is definitely a keeper.


Recipe for Chocolate Cupcakes with Whipped Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients for cupcakes:

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Directions for cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with paper liners.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Beat well. Fill the cupcake liners 3/4 full.
Bake in preheated oven 16-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Ingredients for frosting:

1/2 cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped

Directions for frosting:

With an electric mixer on low speed, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectioners' sugar in a bowl until smooth, about 2 minutes.
With a small spatula, frost cupcakes and sprinkle with peanuts.

Makes 18 cupcakes.

Ultimate Valentine's Day Round-Up

Love is in the air! Valentine's Day is around the corner and the Social Fabric Community has put together the Ultimate Valentine's Day Round-Up to help you prepare for the season of love. From tutorials to crafts to delicious recipes, we have something for everyone. We dare you not to fall in love with these ideas!

Craft/DIY/Tutorial:

Friendly Valentine Candy Jar - Creative Ramblings
Valentine Felt Envelopes - Good Morning Loretta
Valentine's Day Candy Filled Mason Jar - Savvy Saving Couple
Valentine's Day Love Bug Craft - Maryland Momma's Rambles
Last-Minute Quick, Cute Cut-Out Cards - Our Daily Craft
DIY Heart Shaped Massage Bars - Thriftanista in the City 
Valentine Memo Chalkboard - Southern Couture 
Valentine's Day Chalkboard Decoration - Pretty in Pigment
Flower Vase Craft - Polka Dotted Blue Jay 
No-Sew Ribbon Embellished Cocktail Napkins -  Atta Girl Says
Macaroni Art Lace Hearts - ABCs and Garden Peas
Cupid's Arrow Valentine's Day Favors - Home. Made. Interest.
Hand Lettered Valentine Notecards - One Artsy Mama
Instagram Magnetic Bookmarks - Happy Go Lucky Blog
Birdseed Heart Valentines - Made with Happy
Valentine's Day Burlap Wreath - The Farm Girl Gabs
Cute Flower Valentines for Kids - Love, Jaime
DIY Valentine Flower Corsage - Suburban Wife, City Life 
DIY Valentine's Snowglobes - Woods of Bell Trees
Valentine Envelop Chair Backers - 2Paws Designs
Reversible Valentine's Day/St. Patrick's Day Banner - Fearlessly Creative Mammas
Mini Bubblegum Machine Valentines - Bubbly Nature Creations
DIY Button Heart Picture Collage - Our Piece of Earth
Kids' Valentine's Day Gift with FREE Printable - A Cowboy's Life
 Easy Mesh and Ribbon Valentine's Day Wreath - My Pinterventures 
Snickerdoodle Sugar Scrub Recipe - Sunny Sweet Days
Valentine's Day Verse on Burlap - Life with Captain Fussybuckets
12 Days of Romance Scavenger Hunt - The Mama Zone
Candy Kiss Ring - So TIPical Me
Valentine's Day Hand Print Craft - As Cute as a Bug's Ear
How to Make a Valentine's Day Ribbon Banner - Aprons and Stilletos
Date Night with a Romantic Treasure Hunt - The TipToe Fairy
Chalkboard Gift Box - Organized Island
Easy Valentines Felt Pillow Cover - Creative Southern Home
Polar Fleece Ruffle Heart Wreath - Joy's Life
Making A Valentine's Day Rag Wreath with Fabric Scraps - Third Stop on the Right
Washi Tape Bubble Valentines - Moneywise Moms
Homemade Candles in 5 Easy Steps - Lemon Peony
DIY Felt Ornaments for Valentine's Day - 3 Little Greenwoods
Butterfly Valentine's Day Craft - Sarah in the Suburbs
Epsom Salt DIY Valentine Candles - A Day in the Motherhood
I "DOVE" You Printable with Candy - Newlywed Survival 
Rainbow Heart PomPom Garland - Cupcake Wishes & Birthday Wishes
Valentine's Day Printed Burlap Subway - Occasionally Crafty
Pom Pom Cupcakes Valentine Craft - Cute as a Fox
Valentine's Wooden Door Hanger - We Got the Funk 
Hearts Aplenty: Valentine's Day DIY Decor - Woman in Real Life
Love Letters Simple Valentine's Day Craft - Craving Some Creativity 
Valentine's Day Coffee Cup Sleeve - Craving Cynchronicity 
How to Make a Great Loves Print - My Sweet Sanity
Cross Stitch Heart Pillow - Cutesy Crafts
Free Valentine's Day Cards Kids Can Make - Happy and Blessed Home

 Recipe:

Valentine Cupcakes - Home Maid Simple 
Valentine's Day Cakes - Charleston Crafted
Red Velvet Pudding Cups - Mostly Homemade Mom
Blood Orange Panna Cotta - Mooshu Jenne
Candy Cane Chocolate Hearts - Drugstore Divas
Cranberry Bliss Bars - Swanky Recipes
Valentine Rice Crispy Treats - Midwestern Moms
Chocolate Valentine Sandies - Cindy's Recipes and Writings
M&M’s® Red Velvet Brownies - Julie is Coco and Cocoa
Nutella Filled Conversation Hearts - A Million Moments
Conversation Hearts Martini - JVKOM Chronicles
Valentine's Day S'mores Dip - Our Mini Family
M&M’s® Red Velvet Blondies - The NYC Talon
Valentine's Day Cheesecake Brownies - West of the Loop
Red Velvet Cheesecakes - Houseful of Nicholes
Chocolate Kiss Valentine's Day Cookies - Moscato Mom
Chocolate and Candy Valentine Popcorn - Made by a Princess
Easy Valentine's Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies - Janine Huldie
Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe - Scrappy Geek
Coeur a la Creme with Raspberry Sauce - Graceful Order
Love Dipped Wafers - Sparkles to Sprinkles
Valentine's Day Bento Lunch - Diana Rambles
"Blackened" Seafood Medley for a Low-Calorie Valentine's Dinner - Broken TeePee
Sweet Salty Fudge - Foody Schmoody Blog
Valentine's Day Covered Pretzels - Texas Type A Mom
Valentine's Popcorn - Mommy's Bundle
The Easiest Valentine's Day Fudge Recipe - Young at Heart Mommy
Valentine's Day Butter Cookies - Ilona's Passion
Valentine's Day Blondies - Saving You Dinero
Super Healthy Pomegranate-Cranberry-Almond Smoothie - Easy Cooking with Molly 
Brownie Cut-outs - Tramplingrose
Puppy Valentine's Day Cookies - Staying Close to Home
Valentine OREO Brownie Bar Recipe - As Mom Sees It
Strawberry-Vanilla Ice Cream Pie - Johanny's Kitchen
Strawberry Filled Chocolate Cake - Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
Chocolate Raspberry Truffles - Food Lovin Family
Honey Bee My Valentine Cakes - I Don't Have Time for That
Red Velvet Valentine's Day Parfaits - Living a Sunshine Life
Homemade Strawberry Syrup - Day by Day in Our World
Cranberry Hootycreek Cookies - Momma DJane
Red Velvet Donuts - Frugal Family Tree
Strawberry Mocha Granola - Strength & Sunshine
Red Velvet Mini Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting - Tales of a Ranting Ginger
Chocolate Shot Glasses - The Bewitchin' Kitchen
Chocolate Pretzel Kisses - Just 2 Sisters
Valentine's Candy Bark - Life with the Crust cut off
Chocolate Kiss Shooter! - Housewives of Frederick County
Super Simple Valentine's Day Candy Hearts - My Real Food Family
Easy Strawberry Crinkle Cookies - Meatloaf & Melodrama
3 Ingredient Strawberry Brownies - Fun Things to Do in Central Mass
Nutella Baked Brie - Basil and Bubbly 
Easy Cupid Crinkles - Creative Southern Home
Valentine's Day Edible Tic Tac Toe Game - A Frugal Friend
Valentine's Day Ombre Sweet Treat - Tastefully Frugal 
Party How to Throw a Budget Friendly Valentine's Day Party - Amber Nicole Blogs
Valentine's Day Party for Tweens - Soiree Event Design
Love is in the Air Valentine Table - Not Just a Mommy
Valentine's Day Tea Party - The Peanuts Gang

 Printables:

Easy Valentine's Printables - I am the Maven®
Printable Valentine's Day Lunch Box Notes and Coupons - Gluesticks Blog
"I Love You Like" Valentine's Free Printable - C'mon Get Crafty
4 Free Valentine's Day Coloring Pages - Saving More than Me
Valentine's Day Scavenger Hunt Clues - Mom on the Side
Valentine Gift for Kids {Free Printable} - Fun on a Dime
Crayon Valentines Printable - Mom's Messy Miracles
Tic Tac Toe XOXO Valentine with Free Printable - Housewife Eclectic
Valentine's Day Activities for Kids - Simple Living Mama
 2 Free Printable Valentines (Owls) - Altamonte Family
 Love is in the Air Valentine Card - Making of a Mom
 Matchstick Valentine Free Printable - Frenchie
 Valentine's Day Lunch Box Notes & Jokes - Coupons are Great
 I "Wheelie" Like You Car Valentine Printable - Artsy Momma

 Round-Up:

Valentine's Day Guide - The Ranting Latina! 
24 Frugal Valentine's Ideas - Real: The Kitchen and Beyond
7 Gift Ideas for Valentine's Day - Downshifting PRO
5 Perfect Valentine's Day Gifts for Bloggers - That Chic Mom
Top 5 Romantic Restaurants to Eat at in East Greenwhich, Rhode Island - Mama Luvs Books
Other War Room Movie Night - A Beautiful Exchange
Pairing Chocolate with Wine & Spirits - In Good Taste
Valentine's Day Make-up Tutorial - Glam Hungry Mom 
Valentine's Day Dinner at Home - Natasha Byrd

Can you feel the love tonight with all these great Valentine's Day inspired activities?

Valentine's Day Giveaway: Nicholas Sparks Limited Edition DVD Collection #sponsored

With Valentines Day approaching love is in the air. I love a great romantic movie where it makes you fall in love with the characters and feel heart ache with them. One of the writers that I enjoy for romantic novels and movies is Nicholas Sparks. One of my favorite movies based in his book is The Notebook and Dear John since Channing Tatum is in that movie.

I absolutely love movies, my husband and I watch one together several nights a week. Its our way of escaping life stress for a few hours together. Watching a romantic one together is super sweet!

This Valentine's Day Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is releasing the Nicholas Sparks Limited Edition DVD Collection. Available for the first time in one collection, the gift set features seven films based on the best-selling author’s novels, including Safe Haven, The Lucky One, Dear John, Nights in Rodanthe, A Walk to Remember, Message in a Bottle and The Notebook.

You can own it on DVD January 28, 2014 from the WB Shop.

About the Films:

Safe Haven (2013)

This deeply moving romantic thriller tells the story of a young woman’s struggle to find love again after she arrives in a small North Carolina town.

When a mysterious young woman (Julianne Hough, Rock of Ages) arrives in Southport, her reluctance to join the tight-knit community raises questions about her past. Slowly, she begins putting down roots and gains the courage to start a relationship with Alex (Josh Duhamel, Transformers franchise), a widowed store owner with two young children. But dark secrets intrude on her new life with such terror that she is forced to rediscover the meaning of sacrifice and finds she must rely on the power of love.

The Lucky One (2012)

Zac Efron (17 Again) stars with Taylor Schilling (TV’s “Orange is the New Black”) and Blythe Danner (Meet the Parents franchise) in this romantic drama directed by Academy Award^®-nominated writer/director Scott Hicks (Shine, 1996). U.S. Marine Sergeant Logan Thibault (Efron) returns from his third tour of duty in Iraq with the one thing he credits for keeping him alive — a photograph he found of a woman he doesn’t even know. Learning her name is Beth (Schilling) and where she lives, he shows up at her door, and ends up taking a job at her family-run local kennel. Despite her initial mistrust and the complications in her life, a romance develops between them, giving Logan hope that Beth could be much more than his good luck charm.

Dear John (2010)

Directed by Lasse Halström, Dear John tells the story of John Tyree (Channing Tatum,Magic Mike), a young soldier home on leave, and Savannah Curtis (Amanda Seyfried,Les Miserables), the idealistic college student he falls in love with during her spring vacation. Over the next seven tumultuous years, the couple is separated by John’s increasingly dangerous deployments. While meeting only sporadically, they stay in touch by sending a stream of love letters which eventually triggers fateful consequences.

Nights in Rodanthe (2008)

This rich tale of hearts awakening stars Richard Gere (Arbitrage) and Diane Lane (Secretariat). Gere is Paul, a surgeon who long ago unwittingly traded family for career. Lane is Adrienne, a devoted mother trying to move on after her husband’s infidelity and struggling with his desire to return to their marriage. At a remote inn on the Outer Banks, both separately expect to do some serious soul-searching. But an approaching storm forces each to turn to the other for strength, setting the stage for a life-resonating romance.

The Notebook (2004)

The Notebook is a story of lost chances, growing up, and the power of enduring love. Spanning six decades, the romantic story focuses on two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks (Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams) who fall in love during one summer but are tragically forced apart. When they reunite seven years later, their passionate romance is rekindled, forcing one of them to choose between true love and class order.

A Walk to Remember (2002)

The inspiring coming-of-age story about first love, A Walk to Remember is about two very different North Carolina teenagers: Landon Carter (Shane West, TV’s “ER”), a troubled, unmotivated but very popular student, and Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore,Tangled), the serious and conservative daughter of a preacher. As love pulls them closer, peer pressure and lifestyles seek to break them apart. Directed by Adam Shankman (Rock of Ages), A Walk to Remember co-stars Peter Coyote (Erin Brockovich) and Daryl Hannah (Kill Bill Vols. 1 + 2).

Message in a Bottle (1999)

In this tale of love lost and found, grieving widower Garret Blake (Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves) may know how to build boats, but cannot rebuild his life. Theresa (Robin Wright, TV’s “House of Cards”), a lonely divorcee and researcher for the Chicago Tribune, comes to his North Carolina village to find him, knowing that Garret is the author of the message she found inside a bottle on a Cape Cod beach. And she knows the message spoke to her in a way that profoundly touched her heart. Directed by Luis Mandoki (When a Man Loves a Woman), the film co-stars Paul Newman as Garret’s father.  

GIVEAWAY

Win a copy of Nicholas Sparks Limited Edition DVD Collection for Valentine's Day

a Rafflecopter giveaway





 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 10, 2014 and ends on Feb. 15, 2014 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Happy Heart Day!!!

 

As requested by my two year old we had heart shaped grilled cheese, strawberries and pink milk for breakfast today. Why not make grilled cheese for breakfast? It's a holiday after all, anything goes!

 Happy Valentines Day to everyone!!

Music on Valentines: Acoustic Research iPad and iPhone Docking Station Review

Music is a must in my house. My husband played instruments as a kid, I love to dance to the radio and my son well he is the biggest music fan in the house! He will ask for us to turn on music so he can dance, he will even make me get up and dance with him for the music that is played at the end of movie while credits roll. When he was an infant I would play him lullabies on the computer so he would be calm and sleep, it always worked. But using the laptop can be bulky and the screen saver screen would often keep him awake staring at it unless I turned it around. Now that we have an iPhone its much easier to listen to music. My son always wants to hold the phone while music is on which can lead to some power struggles about not dropping it.

We have been looking for a way to listen to music and watch videos that was stationary so my son would sit and enjoy not want to hold the phone. With Valentine's Day coming I knew we needed a Docking station for the iPhone so we can have romantic music playing during dinner. Its the perfect item for the Valentine in your life that loves techy items for the iPhone and iPad. When I was looking for a Docking Station I wanted to find one that would be able to use all Apple products for the future when I am hoping to get an iPad.

The Acoustic Research brand was one that I liked for the versatility and plug and play ease of use. It was so easy to set up. I plugged it in set my iPhone on the docking pad and it prompted me to download the free app. Easy Peasy! Within in minutes we were dancing to the beats!

The little remote is great! We can turn up or down the volume from the dining room and living room.

App-Enhanced Docking Station for iPad

App-enhancement is the perfect fusion of hardware and software: get EQ settings optimized for each music genre, listen to local FM stations, play and control your music library, and more. And the dock's rotating arm lets you switch your iPad from portrait to landscape with the touch of a button.

• Motorized 90-degree rotation: switch from portrait to landscape at the touch of a button

• App-Enhanced: the next level of docking

• Remote control included

• High performance sound (10W)

• Connect and view iPod video content on your TV via the dock's component video outputs
• Charges your iPod, iPhone or iPad
• 6 adapters included for iPod, iPhone and iPad
• App available on Apple App Store
• App features: volume control, customizable EQ, brightness settings, FM radio
• App alarm features: snooze and sleep, wake to radio, alarm or iPod
• 1-year limited warranty

This will be great for iPad movie watching

* I was not paid for this post. I was sent the product pictured for my review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Pizza Love! Little Caesars Review and Gift Card Giveaway

Who does not love Pizza right!??! And what would a Pizza Lover want for Valentine's Day? Well Pizza of course! When we are in a hurry or we decide on pizza last minute we like to grab a $5 pizza from Little Caesars. They are affordable, no cooking and tasty! My husband and I love to have pizza on holidays like Valentines now that we have our son. We have a family Valentine's Day celebration with movies, pizza and sweet treats. Its a super fun tradition. We have been having such beautiful weather in California right now we might grab our $5 HOT-N-READY Little Caesars Pizzas and take them to the park for a Pizza picnic. 

 Little Caesars $5 HOT-N-READY pepperoni pizza and their large HOT-N-READY 3 Meat Treat with pepperoni, sausage and bacon for just $8. 

This commercial made me laugh! This is what it would be like if I brought Little Caesars large, $5 HOT-N-READY pepperoni pizza or the HOT-N-READY 3 Meat Treat with pepperoni, sausage and bacon for just $8 to my work. 

GIVEAWAY

For the Love of Pizza and to celebrate Valentine's Day we are hosting a giveaway for 2 $10 Little Caesars Pizza Gift Cards. One for you and one to give to your Valentine. (total value $20)

Enter to win in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 12 2013 and ends on Feb 21 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a gift card to review pizza for this post.

Red Shoes! YES! Hotter Shoes Review and Giveaway

As everyone knows by now I have a love affair with shoes! Its my one thing that I do not bat an eye to spend money on and indulge in. Its a functional habit after all since we all need shoes for our feet!

I have a shoe must have list and a pair of comfy red shoes is on it. Sure I can buy some cheap heels and have red shoes but part of looking good is feeling good too. If you have on shoes that are not comfortable you can see it on a woman's face and how she walks. A woman that is rocking a pair of red shoes that are comfy is just awesome!

Being on my feet all day at work and chasing a toddler around on my days off I knew I needed some flat red shoes that I could feel cute in and run, jump and play in. I found a great UK company, Hotter that offers cute and comfy shoes for every occasion. I love being able to have online shopping connect me with companies I might not have found if not for the net. Hotter has many styles for heels, wedges, sandals, boot, flats and even a Men's line. Plus they even carry cute shoes in wide widths!

Since Red Shoes are on my shoe must list I selected the Lulu shoe in Chili Red. I LOVE the fit of this shoe. It runs true to size and is so comfy it feels like your not wearing any shoes at all! The red is a nice pop of color to any outfit. The design I liked for being comfy with the top strap and the side having a design cut out for air venting. I can wear these even without socks into the summer on days I do not feel like wearing a sandal. They are cute, feminine and sooo comfortable  I love that they were comfortable from day 1, no wearing them in or anything. The toe box is spacious allowing for perfect comfort. I wore these to work and my co-workers loved them. I am on my feet all day so comfort is a must.

A few other styles I liked are:

Chantel Shoe

Amethyst Shoe (shock absorbing heel)

Valetta 

GIVEAWAY
Since we LOVE shoes we are hosting a Giveaway for one winner to win their choice of shoe from Hotter shoes. So many stylish shoes to select from just one will be hard to pick! :)

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway


 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 9 2013 and ends on Feb 17, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

DIY Personalized Valentine Chalkboards

This year I am on the hunt for fun and different ways to give gifts to my little ones. Along with the candy and treats, I wanted to give them something personal and useful. With both of the boys drawing and learning letters I thought these personalized Valentine chalkboards would be a great idea! Here are the step by step instructions:

Here are my supplies to get started: Clip boards bought at the dollar store, chalk board paint (I already has this from another project), tape, and a sponge brush.

I taped off the top to give the board a nice smooth edge.

I gave the board three coats each, and made sure to let them dry in between each one.

When they were dry I removed the tape to get them ready for the next step. Then to give them a "Valentine flare" I cut a sponge into a heart, grabbed red and purple paint and stamped each board with the same amount of hearts in each boys name.

The hearts at the top also helped to hide the tiny blemishes from where I pulled the tape :)

After they dried I took a white paint marker and wrote the letters of their names inside the hearts. To finish the look I put some chalk and a little eraser (sponge) inside a little bag covered with hearts,then tied it with red ribbon. I love how they came out and can't wait to give these to my boys on Valentines Day!

Tsukihoshi Kids Shoes Review and Giveaway

Finding the right shoes for kids can be rough. Things are too tight, too loose, too big, too small, it feels weird or they just agree with what you say then when you get home it turns out the shoes don't fit at all. But that's normal when it comes to kids and shoes. For them its harder to know if a shoe fits right so us as parents have to start out by giving them good choices when it comes to the brands we have them select from.

Plus they need to look cool not only to me but to my kid. My son at 3 is staring to get an opinion on what he wants in the way of shoe and clothing color, I think its so cute! I have done a lot of research on kids shoes for fit, durability, light weight and colors available. One shoe company that is at the top of my list is Tsukihoshi.

Tsukihoshi is a Japanese brand that has been around 1873. These shoes have proper arch support, flex at the toes of the foot allowing for running and jumping in comfort, barefoot like comfort (great for little developing feet)
light weight, easy on and off, and two great features that I LOVE an anti bacterial removable insoles and the best of all they are MACHINE WASHABLE!!! How awesome is that!!

I really do love these shoes and so does my son. He picked out the orange ones, he loves orange. Even my husband who is picky about style loves them. I was impressed by that! They are so easy to put on my son can do it himself. It has a Velcro top and fake laces. So they look cool and not like a typical no lace shoe.

My son was running so fast all over the mall yelling "Super Cool" and showing people his shoes I had to put him back into his stroller! He has a several other pairs of shoes but since he got these he insists on wearing his orange shoes. I love how great they fit his feet! They are a true to size fit and sizes range from Baby to Toddler to Youth.

I even saw that many celebrities kids are wearing Tsukihoshi too. Tori Spelling, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sandra Bullock, Adam Sandler, Julie Roberts, Jack Black, John Stewart and so many more celeb parents buy these shoes for their kids.  They come in several styles for boys and girls including a mary jane one that is so cute.

You can find Tsukihoshi (when you say it the T is silent) at Nordstrom, online and other high end kids shoes retailers. A great investment in the foot health of your little ones!

Here are some other fun styles I like:

For the Girls:

You can learn more about Tsukihoshi on their facebook and twitter pages.

GIVEAWAY
For our Valentine's Day event we are hosting a giveaway for one pair of shoes from Tsukihoshi for the little Valentine in your life. Winner's Choice of style.

Enter in the Rafflecopter form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway




 *Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 6,  2013 and ends on Feb 15, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Love Your Feet: Shoes for Crews Review and Giveaway

Love style? Love your feet! The perfect gift for the working Mom in your life from Shoes for Crews. Having to be on your feet all day while working can be so rough. Having good but also cute shoes is a must. I work in an environment where comfort is key but you still need to have them be stylish. I have worked in the restaurant industry as a teenager and knew about Shoes for Crews but did not know they made cute shoes! 

I have wider feet than most regular shoes so sometimes finding cute shoes can be difficult. Looking online seems to be a great answer for me and my shoe needs. Shoes for Crews has developed a line of dress shoes called the Black Label line. They have shoes with heels, wedges and even in brown! There were many to select from and I finally decided on the Shoes for Crews Mary Jane style. 

I have been needing some basic black dress shoe mary janes for my wardrobe and I thought these would be great for comfort since they can be ordered in a wide width. I read a few reviews that said the shoes run a little big and wider than most shoes but I thought to be on the safe side I would get my size and in the wide. Now that I have worn them a few times to work I should have ordered the half size down and not in the wide. Maybe my feet aren't as wide as I thought :)

They are super comfy to work in. Padded on the inside and the strap was comfy. Being a little big on me they did get a little squished on the toe area when I would go up and down from being on my knees to then standing. They are very soft and maybe I need something with a tougher toe. I do see these being great for days we do inventory or stocking so I can be on my feet constantly with comfort. I even mentioned to my husband I could walk all over a theme park and look cute in these. They hold up to many hours of walking while still looking cute! I wore them with dress pants one day and the other with stockings and a skirt, looked super cute! I even wear them with jeans on my days off.

I saw a few other styles I liked as well.

When you order a pair I would recommend a half size down, unless you plan to wear thick comfy socks with them.

You can learn more about Shoes for Crews on Facebook and Twitter

GIVEAWAY
To celebrate the LOVE of your feet we are hosting a giveaway for a pair of shoes from Shoes for Crews (winners choice)

Enter in the Rafflecopter form below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway



*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts Feb 5, 2013 and ends on Feb 12, 2013 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.