Lovely Valentine’s Day: 8 Valentine’s Treats to Make With Your Toddler

Being home alone the past few months with an infant and a toddler, all sense of time and day have gone out the window. There’s a 95% change that I won’t know what day of the week it is (what’s a “weekend” anymore?), and even less clue about the time besides the general – as my toddler would say “the sun is awake!” So you can imagine my surprise when I started hearing people (i.e. the TV) talk about Valentine’s Day approaching. Wait, it’s not still January 2?! So to hop on the love train, here’s a collection of adorable and delicious-looking Valentine’s Day treats that look easy enough to make with a toddler. Because, ya know, anything that entertains a toddler for longer than 5 minutes is pure gold in my book. And we all know what’s going to happen to these goodies once they’re done: Little Miss will get to eat one of them, and then Mommy and Daddy will devour the rest while she’s asleep. Now that’s love. So dust off those heart-shaped cookie cutters, and let’s get cooking!

Cupid Crispies – These would be the perfect Valentine’s treats  to send to school/daycare with your little one, or to munch on at home.

Homemade Oreos with Strawberry Cream Cheese Filling  – You had my heart at homemade oreos. At least the strawberry cream cheese filling adds a little bit of protein to this otherwise delectable sweet. Have your toddler help mix up the batter and filling. But don’t turn your back unless you want that whole batter disappearing in the blink of an eye!

Red Velvet & Strawberry Trifle  – A cool, creamy and refreshing dessert, have your toddler help scoop the different components into a clear glass or trifle bowl (if you’re fancy enough to own such a thing.)

Valentine’s Day Pretzel Rods  – These adorable pretzel rods couldn’t be easier to make (I made similar ones for Little Miss’ past two birthdays) and the salty-sweet combo makes for a delicious snack. Kids will love helping you dip the rods into the melted chocolate and rolling it in sprinkles.

Valentine Rice Krispie Pops  – Too. Cute. I love anything Rice Krispy treats-like, and these are no exception. They’re easy to make and involve sprinkles aka the perfect toddler afternoon activity.

Heart Brownie Pizza Brownie + fresh strawberries = major yum. 

Cherry Hand Pies – Confession: I hate making pie crust, but these are so sweet looking that I may just have to lift the ban on dough making in my kitchen. Young kids can help by being the official cookie-cutter wielder, or helping to scoop the cherry filling inside.

Ice Cream Sandwiches with Bittersweet Heart Cookies  – OMG how yummy do these look? (Hubby, I’m talking to you.) Now these look a bit more labor intensive than some of the other recipes, but you know your toddler will adore you for making these with them. Just watch out for the inevitable sugar rush – and crash – afterwards.

Lovely Holiday: St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

Luck o’ the Irish to you! St. Patrick’s Day is right around the corner, and while I feel like my days of going out drinking and betting on turtle races at Brennans’  are over, I’m still going to do the holiday right, and attempt to recreate some festive-inspired dishes. Stumped for what to make this St. Patrick’s Day? Here are some recipes I found around the web that look both mouthwatering and easy enough to not take all day.

Row 1:
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage – aka the only way to cook corned beef for lazy working people like myself. It’s quick, easy, delicious, and the quintessential St. Paddy’s Day meal.

Rainbow Cupcakes – these adorable cupcakes just scream pot of gold, and whether you have kids or not, everyone who receives one of these will be uber-impressed.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Egg Rolls – What a fun twist on the traditional St. Patrick’s Day dish! Make it on the day of, or with leftovers from the slow cooker recipe posted above – genius!

Row 2:

Guinness Beef Stew – For some reason, Guinness has become THE beer of the green holiday. And if you’re over corned beef this year, check out this hearty looking stew instead.

Potato Cabbage Soup – It’s healthy, it’s tasty, and it’s green. What more could you ask for? Another good idea for re-purposing leftovers the days after.

Chocolate Mint Thumbprints – Personally, I love the combo of cool mint with rich chocolate, and the mint color of these cute cookies are totally making me salivate for some right now.

Row 3:

St. Patrick’s Day Cheesecake – How pretty is this green striped cheesecake?! And to make it extra festive, there’s just the tiniest bit of Irish whisky in it (shhhh…)!

Walnut Crusted Salmon with Guinness Reduction – If you’re not a big meat person, or want something a little lighter, check out this scrumptious-looking salmon, utilizing, what else? Guinness. ‘Tis the season after all.

Irish Stew – Potatoes, onions and lamb make up the base of this perfect-for-a-rainy-day stew, and lazy me is betting it could be adapted for a slow cooker too!

What will you be doing to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day? If you’re in the Los Angeles area, check out my friend Chelsee‘s post over at LAist about where to eat and drink around town (safely, of course.) Cheers!

P.S. Did you know eating corned beef and cabbage isn’t even a real Irish tradition like we all believe? It’s true! We’d be more “irish” making bacon and cabbage instead (hmmm, that doesn’t sound too bad…)!

Happy Valentine’s Day! (Am I an Old Lady?!)

So this morning on the long drive into work, I was listening to a certain popular radio station who had people with love-related inquiries call in. This guy calls in saying he’s not sure if this girl he’d been hanging out with was into him or not. After listing off the types of “hangouts” they had had, he also drops in a key piece of the puzzle: “But we poke back and forth on Facebook all the time, so I think she maybe likes me.” Now, having been with my special someone for the past decade, prior to the explosion of texting/Tweeting/Facebooking, and apparently FLIRT-POKING, my reaction to this statement was somewhere between feeling appalled and dissolving into giggles.

I know I totally sound Old Lady writing this, but how did the world change so drastically in a few short years? Gone are the days of talking for hours on the phone, eagerly anticipating an email (or, gasp!  a phone call!), learning things about someone through face-to-face conversation, and the element of surprise. And John Cusack standing outside your window holding up a boombox? Forget it! Instead of flirting with shy glances or awkward party conversations, now people are fake “poking” each other to send signals! I mean there’s even entire sites devoted to success stories of people who met on Facebook!  And have you heard of Netiquette? I’ve been involved in multiple passionate discussions about when it’s appropriate to change one’s FB status to “in a relationship” (the general consensus is if you do it first, you’re giving up some of the power), and have witnessed many FB “friends” who are passive-aggressively mad at their significant others by changing their status to “it’s complicated” (which almost always gets changed back a few hours later.)

I’ll admit it, I could never survive in the modern dating world. It’s a brave new world and I would get eaten alive. What do you think? Has technology improved or hindered our dating lives?

Anyways, Happy Valentine’s Day!! Celebrate love today – not just romantic – love your friends, family, neighbors, coworkers or even the furry thing snuggling by your feet! (And take advantage of the free treats.) Little Miss is still too young to truly grasp anything about today, although she’s very excited to receive adorable little cards from people and there will be  a special treat waiting for her tonight.

Also, I finally started watching “Girls” and I’m obsessed.

And ICYMI, here’s a glimpse at what real love truly is (or the cutest thing you’ll see all week. promise).

AND, one of my favorite dreamy songs ever, Cat Powers’ “Sea of Love”

Lovely Valentine’s Gift Guide 2013: For Her

It’s that time of year again. Conversation hearts, offices abounding with Hershey’s kisses and more rom-coms in the theaters than any other time of year. Whether you like it or not, Valentine’s Day is coming, and coming fast. And what better excuse to roundup some lovely goodies than a Valentine’s Gift Guide?

1. For the ROMANTIC – what’s more romantic than a lovely collection of love poems packaged in petal pink? {Pablo Neruda Love Poems, $12}

2. For the GLAM GIRL – sparkles galore to protect her most treasured tech goodie. {Kate Spade Glitterball iPad Sleeve, $80}

3. For the RELAXATION JUNKIE – lovely packaging + lovely scent = valentine’s win. {Lollia Bath Set, $52}

4. For the MODERN SENTIMENTAL GIRL – spell out your name or the name of a loved one with this delicate yet modern necklace. {COATT Morse Code Necklace, $80-$400}

5. For the TRAVELER – this super comfortable and super cute sweatshirt dress can take her from plane, to walking across the countryside, to drinks at the cafe. {Madewell sweatshirt dress, $118}

6. For the BIBLIOPHILE – Penguin’s Coralie Bickford-Smith illustrated classics are a must-have for any book and design lover. {Penguin illustrated classics, $20}

7. For the ATHLETE – this adorable print is sure to keep her motivated when the going gets tough. {Get Moving print, $12}

8. For the FOOD LOVER – Gorgeous pictures paired with scrumptious recipes makes this cookbook based on the wildly popular blog a must-have. {Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, $23}

9. For the GREEN GIRL – Clean lines and made from solid pine, this lamp is as green as it is beautiful. {Rekindle Lamp, $78}

And while on the topic of amore, Nick and Jess FINALLY kissed! The inner tween in me just came out squealing. DId you  miss it (what’s wrong with you?!) or just want to watch it over and over again? Here you go!

Happy Hump Day!

Lovely Holiday: Mulled Cider, Baby Photobombs and More!

Christmas is 5 days away, ahhhh! How did that happen?! I had all these lovely and grand Christmas-y plans to do with Little Miss in my head (where a day apparently has a bazillion hours), and sadly, have only gotten to accomplish a few – but that’s ok! I feel like time is moving at the speed of light and by the time I get home from work the day has practically already ended before it’s begun.  But, I digress. After hearing all of the heartbreaking and horrific news earlier this week, let’s focus on some holiday cheer.

I’m stealing this awesome Lisa Congden illustration from the equally lovely Lauren Maxwell because I’ve always wondered how to do this, and failed multiple times. Besides, who doesn’t love a great illustration?

• Also, loving Google’s logo today! How charming is that?!
• Even babies photobomb!
• The end of the world is supposedly tomorrow according to the Mayan calendar, but even the Mayans don’t believe that.
• Here are 25 ways to make your life better immediately.

The holiday season is often filled with lots of stress, spending (one present for you, two for me, sound familiar?) and a mad rush to see everyone and get everything, but let’s all try to slow down and enjoy the season for what it really is – a time to be thankful for all  the love and joy we have in our lives, an opportunity to spend time with family, a time to indulge in homey baked goods and to celebrate the end of another blessed year – because despite everything around us, we’re still here with full hearts and even fuller bellies. Hard to ask for more. Cheers!