It doesn’t take long to figure out that chocolate is pretty much the way to win me over.  So it should come as no surprise that I *heart* Valentine’s Day!  Lucky for me, Hershey’s has got some great new ideas for celebrating this sweet holiday.  Whether you are baking for your spouse or make a special craft with your kids, Hershey’s has you covered!

I absolutely love the Hershey’s Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates Picture Box I received for review.  What a great idea for family members that may live far away!  The top of the box is a ready made frame to show off the latest picture of the kids.  Inside?  Chocolate!

Valentine’s Day is always a fun occasion at school.  My girls are already busy coming up with tons of creative ideas for their friends and teachers.  One great gift idea for teachers is Hershey’s Golden Apple!  Pair that with a gift card for a local coffee cafe and you have the perfect way to let the teacher know how much you appreciate them.  And for the friends?  Hershey’s Valentine’s Exchange variety bags which are already imprinted with gift tags are the perfect way to save time while providing a memorable treat.

GIVEAWAY

One winner will receive one bag of Hershey’s Kisses and one bag of Hershey’s Hugs!

How to enter:

1. Tell me one of Hershey’s Valentine’s recipes you would love to make!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway.  Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on February 14th. Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While a sample was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% mine.

How many times has your family been hungry and decided at the last minute to order pizza?  And then you wait….and wait….and wait some more.  By the time the pizza arrives, everyone is grouchy, tired and starving.  Sound familiar?

I hate to admit that this has happened in my home on more than one occasion.  Most of the time, it revolves around some sort of holiday or festivity like Halloween, Mardi Gras or Superbowl Sunday.  Instead of gambling on the pizza this year, we decided to get DiGiorno for our annual family get together during the Superbowl.  While our beloved New Orleans Saints were not in the game, we still needed to eat!
I headed to Walmart to get supplies for our party and was amazed at the varieties of DiGiorno available for purchase.  I had no idea that DiGiorno offered more than just pizza!  I purchased 3 of the cheese pizzas (the kids’ favorite) which came with breadsticks and dipping sauce for $5.95!  For the adults, I got the thin crust pepperoni and some supreme rising crust pizza.  And because this is New Orleans, we topped off this SuperBowl party with some King Cake.

To be honest, I was skeptical about frozen pizza for a party.  My kids almost never like frozen pizza, but I had heard good things about DiGoirno so we gave it a go.  As it cooked, the aroma filled the house!  To my surprise, the kids devoured the cheese pizzas.  The breadsticks with marinara dipping sauce was my favorite and I would definitely buy them again.  The adults loved the rising crust pizza which actually tasted like takeout!

For your next party, consider stocking up on DiGiorno Pizza and save yourself the stress (and money) of traditional delivery.  Head to Walmart and look for the DiGiorno Guide to Greatness for a Winning Line Up and great savings, too!

This post is the opinion of Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While a sample product and compensation was provided to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% mine.

Here in New Orleans, Carnival is in full swing!  Parades are rolling, bands and marching and the food is plentiful as we await the coming of Mardi Gras Day.  Want to bring the Mardi Gras spirit to your part of the world?  Just follow these easy steps and “Laissez Bon Temps Rouler!”

1.  Invite the Revelers:  Gather the crowd and invite your guests to dress in costume or traditional Mardi Gras masks.

2.  Set the Scene:  What’s a party without balloons, streamers and confetti?  The official colors of Mardi Gras are purple, green and gold, so you are going to want to grab these colors for decorations.  I love this Mardi Gras tableware from Party City!

3.  Fun with Food:  New Orleanians know how to eat!  The centerpiece of every party is the food, so start will a traditional menu of jambalaya (try the Zatarain’s mix) or seafood gumbo.  Don’t forget the dessert!  You absolutely HAVE to get a King Cake.  Check out my Top 5 Places to Get an Original New Orleans King Cake.

4.  You’re gonna need some music:  Dance, eat and dance some more!  Check out my favorite New Orleans Party Classics.

5.  Second Line the Night Away!  Don’t know how?  Check out this video and grab a second line hanky.

6.  Throw Me Somethin’, Mista! Send your guests home with Mardi Gras beads so they remember the night forever!

In 2012, Mardi Gras will be on February 21st, so get those invites out now and start planning!

By a show of hands, how many of you pamper yourself each day?  Take 10 minutes of “me” time a day?  5 minutes?  Anyone?  I know as a busy Mom, if going to the bathroom alone doesn’t count (which rarely happens anyway), I never get a chance to do anything for me.  Fortunately, Green Mountain Coffee has come up with a simple, easy way to pamper yourself for a few minutes a day…Cafe Escapes K-Cup Portion Packs!

With four delicious flavors, you are sure to find something you love.  My favorite, the Cafe Escapes Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa, is fa-bu-lous with some homemade marshmallows.  My husband did a double take with the Mocha as he was surprised by such a chocolatey flavor.  The Chai Latte is perfect with breakfast while you can finish the day with Dark Hot Chocolate as it tastes more like dessert!

COUPON CODE

Want to try the Cafe Escapes K-Cup Portion Packs?  Use code AM0016-3583 to receive 15% off your entire order plus free shipping (U.S. Only, no minimum order). Valid through February 29th.

GIVEAWAY

Green Mountain Coffee wants to help you pamper yourself by giving one lucky winner a one year FREE subscription to Birchbox®, an innovative, new way to try beauty products before you buy them.  Birchbox provides its subscribers with monthly deliveries of samples from well-known beauty brands.  Every month you will receive 4-5 hand-picked beauty samples form the best brands around delivered right to your door!

Did you know Birchbox also has awesome how-to videos, articles, and tips from the pros?  Go find the perfect way to pamper yourself now!

How to enter:

1. Tell me which Cafe Escapes K-Cup Portion Pack you can’t wait to try!

Additional entries:

1. Blog about this giveaway and link to The Not-So-Blog (10 extra entries).

2. Follow me (@BridgetteLA) and @CafeEscapes on Twitter and Tweet this giveaway using #YourPerfectCup. Every time you tweet you get an additional entry! Unlimited! (You must have over 50 Twitter followers to qualify for unlimited entries!)

3. Subscribe to my blog.

4. Become a Fan of The Not-So-Blog on Facebook and Cafe Escapes on Facebook.

5. Place my blog banner on your sidebar.

Contest ends at 11:59pm CST on February 24th.  Prizes not claimed in 72 hours will be forfeited. Open to U.S. Residents only.

This post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While a sample was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% mine.

In all honesty, the year 2012 has not been kind.  I am more than happy to start over and celebrate the Chinese New Year, which began January 23rd.  Much like my traditional New Year’s Eve celebration, the Chinese New Year begins with a reunion meal including family and friends.  Along with celebrating prosperity, peace, happiness and longevity, family and friends traditionally give red envelopes filled with gifts which symbolize good luck in the coming year (I could certainly use some good luck these days!).

From now through February 6th, you can celebrate the Chinese New Year at P.F. Chang’s China Bistro!  At the close of the meal, you will be given a red envelope with a special gift inside.  But, don’t open it!  Bring it back at your next visit and your server will open it to reveal meal discounts or even a free dessert.

If you are not up for a night on the town, you can enjoy the yumminess of P.F. Chang’s in the comfort of your own home!  The P.F. Chang’s Home Menu offers a wide variety of noodle entrees including Pepper Steak with Chow Fun Noodles, Grilled Chicken Teriyaki with Lo Mein Noodles, Garlic Chicken with Dan Dan Noodles, and Firecracker Shrimp with Yakisoba Noodles.  Tonight, we tried the Firecracker Shrimp and the Grilled Chicken Teriyaki.

The meals are very easy to prepare.  Simply open the bag and place the contents in a skillet. Heat for 10 minutes while stirring or until sauce thickens.  Immediately, the delicious smell filled our home.  In just under 15 minutes, my family and I were gathered around the table eating.  Even my two daughters loved the noodles!  It is important to realize that each bag serves only two, so we prepared two bags for our family of four and did not have any leftovers.

So if you choose to dine in or out, celebrate the Chinese New Year with P.F. Chang’s!  Don’t miss any news or special deals by “liking” P.F. Chang’s on Facebook!

The post is the opinion of the Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While a sample and gift card was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% mine.

I have known my husband since the sixth grade.  Because we have such a history, I have been lucky enough to meet many of his friends and extended family.  I never got the chance to meet one person he still holds close to his heart, his grandmother.  Consequently, she was not fortunate enough to hold her own great-grandchildren.  In 1986, Grandma Joyce passed away from a heart attack at the young age of 59.

Now, heart disease is the leading killer of women claiming the precious lives of 1 in 3 females, more than all forms of cancer combined.  On February 3rd, you can help the American Heart Association raise awareness about the truth of heart disease by participating in the 9th Annual National Wear Red Day.  Need some inspiration?  Check out some of my ideas to help you “Go Red!”

Additionally, if you are in the New Orleans area, consider attending the Go Red for Women Luncheon to be held February 3rd at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside.  The luncheon will encourage women to take charge of their heart health by providing access to health screenings, seminars, and a heart healthy lunch.  Tickets can be purchased for $100.

What do you do to live a heart healthy lifestyle?

This post is the opinion of Experimental Mommy.  No compensation or product was provided for this post.

Seven short years ago, my baby girl was placed in my arms.  I fell instantly in love.

Seven short years ago, I looked into her eyes.  I became a Mom.

Seven short years ago, my husband kissed her forehead.  We became a family.

Lily, it is hard to believe that I didn’t know you seven years ago but I honestly cannot remember what life was like without you.  You have made me stronger, braver, and more patient (believe it or not!).

You made me a Mom.  You made us a family.

I love you, forever.

Today we hosted my daughter’s 7th birthday party (where did the time go?).  I first tasted this recipe at a friend’s New Year’s Eve Party and I was hooked; I had to have the recipe!  It is super easy to make and only took a total of ten minutes…no kidding! Enjoy!

Caramel Cream Cheese Apple Party Dip

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Prep time:	10 minutes
Cook time:	None
Total time:	10 minutes
Allergy:	Tree Nuts
Meal type:	Dessert
Misc:	Serve Cold
Occasion:	Birthday Party
Region:	Worldwide

Ingredients

• 16oz cream cheese (softened)
• 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 jars hershey's caramel sauce
• 1 cup walnuts (chopped)
• 32 wedges apples (sliced)

Directions

Step 1		Combine cream cheese and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Beat until smooth. Layer onto the bottom of a 9x13 glass pan.
Step 2		Pour caramel sauce on top of cream cheese and smooth.
Step 3		Sprinkle walnuts on top of caramel.
Step 4	Line pan with apples slices and serve!

In an effort to be ahead of the game, I was strolling down the Valentine’s aisle at my local store.  Looking over the selection of candies and cards was fun but everything was just….typical.  There were your average cards featuring today’s pop stars, Disney characters, and cute baby animals, but I really wanted something more personal for my daughters.

Recently, I had the opportunity to try out the selection of kids Valentine’s Day cards at Minted.com.  We have been honored to try Minted’s Holiday cards in the past and were very pleased with the results, so we have high hopes for this Season, too.  When I first opened the classroom Valentine’s Day card selection, I immediately feel in love!  The cards are bright, cheerful, personable and above all, UNIQUE.   You can select to personalize the cards with your child’s name, photo, or message which really makes the card special.

My daughter and I selected to try the Work of Art Classroom Valentines.  This card allows me to add a picture of my daughter and leaves plenty of room for my three year old to draw a special picture for her friends.  She absolutely LOVES the color and draw so this card definitely shows her personality.  I have placed my order (I got 25 cards for $21!) and am waiting for the shipment, but the proof is absolutely adorable, don’t you think?

If you are looking for unique personalized classroom Valentine’s Day cards, look no further.  Get your order in at Minted.com no later than February 7th to ensure Valentine’s Day delivery!

This post is the opinion of Experimental Mommy.  Others may have a differing opinion of the product.  While a product sample was received to facilitate this review, all opinions remain 100% mine.