Meet My Valentine: Tex!

Hey Ya’ll,

I’ve got myself a legit sweetheart this Valentine’s Day and I’d love to introduce him to all of you! It’s my new dog,Tex!

I adopted him last weekend from the West Los Angeles Shelter. Here’s the link to their site, in case any of you live in the area and are thinking about adopting a new pet: http://www.laanimalservices.com. Here’s a sampling of some of the cuties who are in need of good homes and available for adoption ASAP!!!

Head to: http://www.laanimalservices.com for more information on these rescues.

Back to my Tex, here’s a short video featuring some of his amazingly adorable tricks:

If that wasn’t enough cute overload for you, here’s a pic of Tex snuggled into his new bed:

I am so in LOVE with him. Do you have a pet? Post a photo of your furry friend in the comment section below! Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!
-Brian

4 Creative Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Image via glamor.com

Hey Ya’ll,

Since I am neither a chef, nor a bartender, and I’d like to include ideas for both singles and couples, today I’m offering up four creative ways you can celebrate this Valentine’s Day!

Image via ttp://www.hp.com

1) Plan a scavenger hunt that takes you around town to a few of your favorite places. Start at a bar where you may have met or had your first date and have a drink there. Then, give a clue for a restaurant where you love one of their appetizers and go there for apps. Next, hop in the car with a new clue that takes you to another favorite restaurant for dinner. The last clue can lead you back home or even to Yogurtland (which you can get to go). End the night with dessert and having toured a few of your favorites spots around town and fitting them into one fun-filled evening.

Image via whiskergraphics.com

2) Make a memory bag of goodies! Maybe you met at Barney’s (or any establishment) while shopping, you could take a Barney’s shopping bag, cover it with hearts and fill it with things that remind you of your relationship. Maybe your first date was at a Chinese restaurant, simply get a bag of fortune cookies and put a red bow on each one, then open them together to see what your future holds. You could also purchase the first movie on DVD that you watched together and wrap that up in pink or red paper. If your favorite flavor is vanilla, add a vanilla scented candle. Pull ideas from experiences that you have had together and find creative ways to incorporate them into the gift. At the bottom of the bag or basket, have one final gift that is an envelope for two nights away together or maybe a piece of jewelry. This way, the bag is filled with memories from the past and ends with a gift for a memory for the future.

Image via ktjeandesigns.wordpress.com

3) Balloon fortune cookies! Plan a night in with a romantic dinner, but rather than filling the house with roses which cost triple the price on Valentine’s Day, fill the house will helium balloons filled with kind words in the form of handwritten love notes. Throughout the night, pop the balloons and create a scrap book with the messages of LOVE!

4) Recreate your first date! Turn your dining room into the pizza parlor where you had your first date or the Chinese restaurant, etc. Re-create the meal or even order from the first date restaurant and have a romantic dinner at home. If you can, try to make the meal interactive. If you can cook it together or feed each other, you are one step closer to ending the night cuddled up in each others arms.

What is your favorite Valentine’s Day memory? Let me know in the comment section below… Only a couple of days left until the big day!
-Brian

Heart-y School Lunch Ideas for Your Littlest Valentines!

Hey Ya’ll,

Do you pack a lunch for your child? Valentine’s Day happens to fall on school day this year (Thursday, Feb. 14), so it’s the perfect opportunity to put a smile on your little sweetheart’s face and keep them feeling special all-day!

Candy box lunch via Katherine Marie Photography

My favorite idea is pulled from KatherineMaries.com. You’ll need to buy a few of those heart-shaped boxes of chocolates in a couple different sizes. (BONUS: You’ll need to eat all of the chocolates inside ASAP! Or, I guess you could save them or set them out in a candy dish if you have self-control!)

Once you have your empty box, begin filling each slot with a fun, colorful snack! Some great ideas include: grapes, cheese, peppers, carrots, cucumbers, Jello, fruit snacks, strawberries, crackers, mini-turkey roll-ups, deli meats, cereal, popcorn, blueberries, broccoli, tangerine, raisins, raspberries, pretzels, etc. The smaller chocolate boxes are great for heart-shaped PB&J’s or any other sandwich or pita or even a cold pasta or a mini-salad. Once packed, stack the boxes and tie them together with ribbon! Your kids’ lunch will be the envy of every student in the lunchroom!

Image via Smuckers.ca

Image via yourhomebasedparties.com

Healthy Snacks:

Make any sandwich more special by cutting the crusts off using a heart-shaped cookie cutter. Go one step further and add cupid’s arrow using a red or pink heart-tipped arrow shaped toothpick.

You could also top the sandwich with a treat, by adding a red, heart-shaped gummy candy to the top of a toothpick!

Image via http://duhlicious.com/2011/02/apple-candy-grams/

Slice an apple into circular discs, then, using your smallest heart-shaped cookie-cutter, stamp out individual hearts.

Image via wilsonsandpugs.blogspot.com

Crackers and cheese can be spiced up with the help of a heart shaped cookie cutter as well! Add salami or pepperoni to really make the heart pop!

Image via http://michellesjournalcorner.blogspot.com/2011/05/muffin-tin-monday.html

Sweet n’ Salty Snacks:

Pack a bag of hugs and kisses using pretzels and chocolate. Create the X’s using two pretzel sticks held together with a dot of melted white-chocolate, and the O’s by covering circle shaped pretzels in dark chocolate. Add pink and red sprinkles for fun! Click HERE for the full tutorial from GEMS Girls’ Club. Tip: Make these the night before so the chocolate has time to cool and set before being thrown into a ziplock.

Image via http://providence.macaronikid.com/article/238102/pink-hearts-rice-crispy-treat

Make a batch of rice crispy treats, but add in a few drops of red food coloring the the marshmallow mixture. Feel free to add other pink, red and white hard-candies or sprinkles into the mix too! Then, before they are cool, form the traditional square into a 3-D heart! Place individually in cellophane with a red bow!

For a sweet finishing touch, toss in a handful of white chocolate chips tucked into fresh raspberries.

Regardless of what you pack, don’t forget to toss in a special note to remind your Valentine how much you care. Click HERE for free printable love notes from the Chickabug blog.

And for even MORE great kids’ lunch ideas for Valentine’s Day, check out: www.bento-logy.blogspot.com.

Did your mom or dad used to do anything special with your school lunch on different holidays? Let me know in the comments section below.
-Brian

Valentine’s Day Breakfast Ideas Bursting with Love

Image via MarthaStewart.com

Hey Ya’ll,

As promised, I’m sharing some of the cute ideas for Valentine’s Day meals that I’ve seen scattered across the web. To kick things off, I figured I’d focus on the very first meal of the day: Breakfast!

You can keep things fast and easy by simply changing the shape of your breakfast, like these adorable hard-boiled eggs (pictured above) or these very tempting cinnamon rolls (pictured below).

Or you can really put your heart into it by preparing a heart-y spread that’s sure to start your Valentine’s day off on the right foot…

Invest in various sized heart-shaped cookie cutters. They come in handy for more than just pancakes!

Bacon is the way to most anyone’s heart. That is, unless they’re a vegetarian.

Cut your potatoes into flat discs, then use your smallest heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out individual hearts before tossing them into your skillet with some olive oil and rosemary.

Use a heart shaped cookie cutter to remove the center of your toast and place in warm skillet. Crack your egg into the center of the bread and cook for 3 minutes.

If you’d like to take a more decadent approach to breakfast, try making red velvet scones with cream cheese frosting (click the photo below for the recipe) or strawberry Nutella stacked french toast (click photo below for the recipe)!

Image and recipe via http://www.somethingswanky.com/red-velvet-scones/

Images and recipe via http://www.recipebyphoto.com/strawberry-nutella-stacked-french-toast/

Whatever you decide to make for breakfast, be sure to include a festive beverage with your meal. Again, you can keep it simple by adding a splash of O.J. and a strawberry to a glass of champagne or pour your sweetheart their usual coffee with a little extra love!

Now all you need to do is decide where you’ll be serving your Valentine their breakfast. You could serve them breakfast in bed… in the kitchen… dining room… outside on the patio… or even on a picnic blanket after your morning hike (assuming that it’s warm where you live!).

I hope you fell in love with a few of these ideas. More Valentine’s Day meal ideas to come so be sure to check back!
-Brian

Valentine’s Day 2013: What’s Cookin, Good Lookin?

Hey Ya’ll,

Last year I did a Valentine’s Day blog series showcasing a few creative ways to celebrate the holiday whether you’re single or in a relationship. This year, I’m doing something similar, but I’m focusing solely on food!

So I want to know… Do you prefer cooking a heart-y meal for your sweetheart(s) on Valentine’s Day or do you like to eat out? Do any of you order in? Also, regardless of where you eat, which meal of the day do you choose to make special: breakfast, lunch or dinner?

If you have a few moments, let me know in the comments section below. I’ve got a bunch of ideas brewing but I’d love to know what your plans are! Also, in case you missed it last year, here are My Thoughts on Valentine’s Day Proposals.
-Brian

Related Posts:

Give a Little Love: Valentine’s Day Inspiration!

Give a Little Love: Valentine’s Day Party Activities!

Give a Little Love: Valentine’s Day Inspired Drinks and Garnishes

Give a Little Love: Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts!

My Thoughts on Valentine’s Day Proposals

Hey Ya’ll,

When it comes to Valentine’s Day, otherwise known as the most romantic day of the year, many men feel that it is acceptable to “kill two birds with one stone” and to pop the question and propose…. but it’s NOT!

Further examination of that expression alone—with its birds, stones and death—raises a few red flags in my mind and begs the question: Is a proposal really something that you want to plan based on convenience or what takes the least amount of effort? I think not! And yet, according to the U.S. Census Buearu, a whopping 2.6 million Americans get married each year and an estimated 10 percent of those proposals take place on Valentine’s Day.

This statistic isn’t surprising, considering the amount of pressure to perform some Americans feel on this holiday. It’s understood that giving jewelry on Valentine’s Day shows how deeply in love you are with your significant other, but save popping the “Will You Marry Me?” question for another day. Like her birthday, and other holidays or special events, the proposal should have its own day! There are essentially 355 other days a year that are not already spoken for, so when you are looking for the perfect day to propose, utilize one of those days and leave the other 354 as just another day.

Think about it, when you combine a holiday with another event it turns it into an anniversary as well, which means you are missing out on one more opportunity to celebrate a milestone in your life together as a couple. Sadly, when the honeymoon phase of a relationship ends and life starts to take over; jobs, children, and responsibilities start to pile up, it is important to have as many reasons to celebrate and rejuvenate your relationship as possible. Selecting a unique day to propose means spreading those special days out even more over the year. This is also the best opportunity to think outside the proverbial box and create some buzz around your proposal. Once you hand over the ring and she says “YES” the majority of your participation in the wedding is over other than tasting cake, making a few suggestions on music or the menu and showing up on the big day to say “I DO”.  Take this opportunity to make the proposal as big of an event as the wedding day.  Be creative, do something unique and make it memorable!

So if you are toying with the idea of proposing on February 14th—put the ring away!  Buy her a couple dozen roses and a great box of chocolates or a pair of earrings or take her for a romantic candlelit dinner but save the proposal for later so you can make even more memories to celebrate later in life!

Also, just to play devil’s advocate, if you happen to break up, at least Valentine’s Day will not be forever remembered as the day you got engaged! Just another reason I hope you’ll decide to create your own extraordinary experience on its own unique and special day!
-Brian

Give a Little Love: Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts!

Hey Ya’ll,

Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day! Are you ready? If not, today I’m sharing a few last minute gift ideas that work for just about any kind of Valentine… as long as they have an appetite!

Personally, whenever I’m struggling in the gift department, I usually go for a bottle of wine or flowers or something edible because let’s face it, almost everyone loves being surprised with a treat! In terms of sweets, cupcakes and cakepops are all the rage right now. Here are a few of my favorite creations:

If mini-cakes aren’t your sweetheart’s thing, whip up a batch of heart-shaped rice crispy treats!

Add red dye to the marshmallow and rice crispy mix or lightly dust the hearts with sprinkles before they cool for an even more festive gift. Wrap each individual heart in cellophane and top them off with pink or red ribbon.

Homemade cookies and suckers are also a fun gift to make for Valentine’s Day. Here are a few cute ideas:
If you really want to be unique, surprise your Valentine with a hearty breakfast…

via petitekitchenesse.com

via poppytalk.blogspot.com

My last edible gift idea is one that caught my eye on Pinterest (Check back Wednesday for more on this awesome website!)…
You’ll need, a days-of-the-week pill divider, seven different types of candy, plus, seven thin strips of paper with sweet nothings printed on them.

Tip: Instead of putting candy in every compartment, insert tiny tokens of your affection like jewelry or trinkets that remind you of them or your favorite dates or places you’ve been together.

That’s it! I hope these last minute gift ideas help you create extraordinary experiences this Valentine’s Day. And remember, the best gift of all is your undivided love and attention, so don’t forget to give that to your Valentine too!
-Brian

Give a Little Love: Valentine’s Day Inspired Drinks and Garnishes

Hey Ya’ll,

No matter what kind of Valentine’s Day bash you’re hosting, I recommend making the holiday a bit more memorable (or less, depending on how strong they are!) by creating a specialty cocktail for your party.
As far as ingredients go, anything that creates a pink or red color works great on Valentine’s Day. Recipes that use pink lemonade, cranberry juice, grenadine or pomegranate juice, are the perfect place to start. You can also go all out and make decadent chocolate martinis!

Another fun ingredient to play around with is Goldschlager, a cinnamon liqueur that actually has flecks of gold floating in it, adding a romantic sparkle to any drink! Here’s a sweet recipe that combines a few of these festive ingredients:

Ingredients:
1/2 oz. Goldschlager
1/2 oz. Malibu Rum
1 oz. Absolut Vodka
1 splash of Club Soda
1 splash of Grenadine

Instructions:
Combine ingredients over ice and shake very well. Strain and serve over heart shaped ice cubes.

Next, come up with a fun name for your concoction like the “Flaming Heart” or “Love Potion No.9” and add fun garnishes like a heart-shaped lollipops or candy hearts.

You can also buy heart-shaped rubber molds at most party stores to make make heart-shaped ice cubes. Make them extra festive by adding arrow-shaped toothpicks!

Tip: Set out dishes of maraschino cherries, raspberries, strawberries, pink swizzle sticks or even a Twizzlers, so that guests can add another shade of red to any drink!

Tip: Make your drink even more special by hiring a bartender or even a few cocktail servers to work your party. This way, guests don’t have to bother with making their own drinks and you don’t have to spend the evening explaining how to make them! If this isn’t in your budget, write the recipe down and make sure it’s clearly displayed by the bar.

Also, if this is the only drink that you’ll be offering at your party, I recommend splitting the ingredients into a few smaller carafes, so that people can use the same ingredients at the same time.

Do you have a drink recipe you love that’s perfect for V-Day? Leave the ingredients and instructions in comment section below!

Click HERE for a few more fabulous drink recipes and let the good times and Valentine’s Day inspired libations flow!
-Brian

Give a Little Love: Valentine’s Day Party Activities!

Hey Ya’ll,

Yesterday, I suggested throwing a Valentine’s Day toga party as a reminder that regardless of whether you’re single, in a new or serious relationship, married or have a family—there are plenty of fun ways to feel the love on Feb. 14. Today, I’m featuring a bunch of Valentine’s Day inspired party activities sure to entertain guests of all ages!
“Cupid’s Arrows”
You’ll need one box of straws, a box of Q-tips, a few heart-shaped bowls (try Target or 99-cent stores!) and masking tape. Divide the group, or family up into teams. Place a heart shaped bowl in front of each team and place some tape about 2 feet back from each teams bowl. Each team member needs a straw and the team needs a large pile of arrows (Q-tips). Tell the “Cupids” they have one minute to get as many “arrows” into their heart as possible. To do this you must place the straw in your mouth, load it with an “arrow,” and then blow the “arrow” out the end of the straw towards the heart bowl. The team with the most arrows through the heart wins.
“Heart’s Desire”
Cut several hearts in various sizes out of white construction paper and set them out on a table for your guests to decorate and give to someone special. As far as decorating supplies go, be sure to include tape, Elmer’s glue, glue sticks, glitter, tissue paper, markers, hole punch, yarn or string, stapler, construction paper, tiny candy hearts and anything else your heart desires!
“Thumper”
To play this game, everyone must form a circle and think of a sign related to Valentine’s Day such as, crossing your arms for a hug, puckering your lips, signing “I love you”, pointing to your heart, etc. (The signs can be as creative as you’d like!) Next, everyone must show their sign to the group by going around the circle a few times flashing your sign when it’s your turn until you’re all familiar with each sign. Then, the designated leader starts the game by saying, “What’s the name of the game?” Everyone replies, “Thumper!”, as they pound on the table with their fists. The leader continues, “And how do you play?” and everyone responds, “You thump!” Then everyone repeats the following motion throughout the game: Slap both hands on your lap, clap, snap your left hand, snap your right hand. As everyone is repeating this motion over and over, the leader gives his/her sign as well as another person’s sign. The player whose sign was chosen has to then give his/her sign and the sign of a person of his/her choice. And so on and so on. While different people are choosing signs the rest of the group must continue to go through the “slap, clap, snap, snap” motions. This game continues until someone misses a sign, or gives the wrong sign (Then that person is out and the game starts at the beginning with the people who are “out” outside of the circle). The person who doesn’t miss a sign throughout the entire game is the winner!

If you know of a great party activity for a Valentine’s Day soiree, let me know in the comment section below. And be sure to check back tomorrow, for fabulous drink and garnish ideas that will take your party from ordinary to extraordinary!
-Brian

Give a Little Love: Valentine’s Day Inspiration!

Hey Ya’ll,

Valentine’s Day is less than a week away!!! If the holiday snuck up on you this year, don’t fret. There are many different ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day, regardless of your relationship status! And starting today, I’m sharing my favorite party themes, activities, recipes, and gift ideas to help make your V-Day all about the love—no matter who you’re celebrating with this year.

A brief history…
Although there are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine’s Day, many experts believe the history of the holiday dates back to a Roman named Saint Valentine who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., leaving behind a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, who had become his friend. He signed the letter “From Your Valentine”. Another version of the story says that St. Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had St. Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honor St. Valentine.

Either way, the holiday seems to date back to the Romans, which inspired my first Valentine’s Day idea: Toga Party! I recommend throwing your toga party the weekend before the actual holiday. This way, anyone who has plans Feb. 14 will still be able to attend. For your party invites, let your guests imaginations run wild by telling them they’re invited to Roman orgy!
Let them know that instead of wearing traditional white sheets, they should draped themselves in red or pink or fabric covered in hearts!

And rather than wearing roman medallions, encourage guests to wear giant hearts on a necklace, or add cupid wings, a laurel leaf crown with hearts on it, or even red, pink or white wigs!

You could even call the party something cute like “Beau and Arrow” and then set up a station where guests can decorate real arrows with pink streamers and red glitter and felt hearts to replace the arrow’s tip. In fact, tomorrow I’ll be sharing a bunch more Valentine’s Day inspired party activities like this one. Until then, I hope today’s post reminds all of you that Valentine’s Day is for EVERYONE! And a toga party is just one of many different ways you can create an extraordinary experience this Valentine’s Day!
-Brian