Month: February 2021

We won’t be able to celebrate Valentine’s Day this year like we normally do, but we can still shower our sweethearts with love! This guide has ideas for everyone in your life from the little ones who love to create, your kitchen gadget lover, your little readers, the foodie who loves the latest products to stress-relievers and so much more. *These products were provided for free for my review and all opinions are my own. *

For Someone Who Loves to Bake

There’s nothing better than homemade baked goods and Handstand Kitchen’s Bake with Love products are the perfect items to help you prepare treats for your sweetheart! Their products inspire adults and kids to bake together and the baker in your life will love these sets that are so versatile in allowing you to create lots of fun confections. The Bake with Love Cupcake Mold is a beautiful pink silicone mold that allows you to bake 6 heart-shaped cupcakes or muffins. These molds can also be used to make soaps, ice cubes, crayons, and chocolates. Better yet, why not make heart-shaped hot chocolate bombs – how cute would that be! The Bake with Love Mini Mold is perfect for making heart-shaped chocolates for your sweetie. You can also make ice cubes, soaps and more with this mold. The Bake with Love Spatula & Heart Cookie Cutter Set comes with a heart-printed silicone spatula and a heart-shaped stainless steel cookie cutter. To find these products as well as their other adorably-themed product lines, you can go to https://handstandkitchen.com/.

For Your Little Builders Ages 3 and Up

Magformers Max’s Playground Set is a great magnetic construction set for kids ages 3 and up. This set is one of four different sets from the Magbuddies series. You can connect all four to create your own little Mag City. Kids can use the step-by-step instruction booklet included or they can create their own unique masterpiece. The vibrant building pieces contain magnets that never reject so you always hear them click together. Their magnetic power also makes them super easy to stack and store away. In addition to the colorful magnetic building pieces, the set also comes with the most adorable playground accessories including a swing, slide, seesaw, bike and of course one Max character. This set retails for $49.99 and you can find it at https://www.magformers.com/max-s-house.html.

A Make-Your-Heart-Happy Read for the Little Ones

These days more than ever, we are snuggling up with a good book and or a plushie, so why not both! From Penguin Young Readers, we’ve got this adorable heart-shaped board book, I Love You, Spot and this cuddly 12″ Spot Plush from Commonwealth Toys!

In 1980, the adorable little pup Spot first appeared in the classic storybook, Where’s Spot? by Eric Hill. In this Valentine’s Day themed story, Spot is planning a special surprise for someone he loves dearly. You and your little one will enjoy reading this beautiful story filled with love!

Snuggling with this adorable Spot plush will make reading the story even sweeter! This 12″ plush from Commonwealth Toys brings the story to life and kids can keep Spot close to their heart as they get cozy for bedtime. The book retails for $7.99 and can be found at many major retailers. The Spot Plush retails for $14.99 and can be found online at https://www.amazon.com.

Perfect Building Set for Horse Lovers

We adore Playmobil building sets and this one is ideal for your kiddos to go on a sweet little adventure! The Spirit Riding Free Miradero Set #70395 features Anigail and Maricela decorating the stores and stable for a festive day. We didn’t want this holiday season to end and this set lets you celebrate it all year long! It comes with two horses, Boomerang and Mystery, as well as a foul. The Christmas market stalls come with star garland to help make them shine for the festivities. There are a bunch of accessories for the horses including saddles and reins. And don’t worry, they’ve got you covered with sweet treats to fill your holiday market including cupcakes and cookies but my favorite are the love apples! With all of this and many more fun accessories, your little ones are sure to have hours of fun and imaginative play. To find out more about this set and their many other products, you can go to https://www.playmobil.us/.

For the Cookbook Lover

I am an avid cookbook collector and if you have someone like me who loves to experiment with new recipes on the regular, Milk Jar Cookies Bakebook is a sweet option. Milk Jar Cookies owner, Courtney Cowan gives us seventy-five recipes for a large array of sweet treats including cookies, cakes and no-bake treats.

Our family has managed to turn what has happened during this pandemic into a positive by appreciating every moment with one another and taking the time to do more things that we love. One of those things for my daughter and I has been baking together and we couldn’t agree more with Courtney’s motto, “Life’s short, eat cookies!” She opened her brick and mortar store, Milk Jar Cookies in LA in 2013 and has become a highly respected baker and entrepreneur with placement on nationwide “Best Cookie” lists as well as an exclusive partnership with Williams Sonoma.

Now you can bake all of Milk Jar’s specialty flavor cookies in the comfort of your own home. The cookbook also includes gluten-free versions and other recipes for cakes, pies and other yummy treats. In addition, Courtney also shares some of her pro tips on baking technique and speciality ingredients. To make your celebration even sweeter, there’s custom QR codes embedded in the book that bring you to Milk Jar’s curated Spotify playlist for the perfect ambiance. You can order this book on Milk Jar Cookie’s site at https://milkjarcookies.com/products/bakebook.

For Your Little Builder Ages 12 Months and Up

Hape is a premium German educational brand with beautifully crafted wooden toys your little ones are sure to be mesmerized with! The My First Block Set comes with 80 block pieces in a great variety of colors and shapes. These vibrant blocks are sure to keep your little sweetie content while encouraging them to recognize colors and shapes. This set retails for $16.99 and is a Target exclusive. To see more of their extensive line of high-quality yet affordable wooden tools, you can go to https://www.hape.com/us/en.

For Your Musical Little One Ages 12 Months and Up

Also from Hape, we have the Shape Sorter Xylophone and Piano. This set allows children to sort shapes and colors while experiencing music at the same time. They can make adorable melodies which will be music to your ears! Each set comes with five vibrantly colored puzzle pieces that fit together to form a musical instrument. Once the puzzle pieces are in their corresponding holes, you can create music by pressing down or tapping them with the red baton that is included. This set retails for $17.99 and can be found at Target.

Must-Have Gadgets for the Handyman, Crafter, Cook & Cosmetic Lover

I am always intrigued by new gadgets and Spatty is something I couldn’t wait to check out! Are you like me and always determined to get every bit of ketchup out of the bottle before you open another one? Well, this tool, which was featured on Shark Tank, can help you get up to 25% more of the product out of its bottle. Not only do they have a set for the kitchen, there is also a set for crafting, cosmetics as well as a handyman version. These days saving money is more important than ever and every drop counts when it comes to the products you spend your money on. Each set comes with a 6″ Spatty and a 12″ Spatty. They’re not only good for getting those last drops of products, they can be used to spread, decorate and mix depending on what your needs are. You can find these at https://thespatty.com/.

For the Crafty One

Whether you love DIY or you have someone who loves homemade gifts, these kits are sure to spread the love! Chalk of the Town T-Shirt Kits are machine washable shirts that are available in a great variety of colors and erasable chalkboard decals. That means you can create a new design again and again! In addition to the shirt, you also get 3 chalk markers, an erasing cloth and a stencil. This kit featuring the heart-shaped decal is perfect for Valentine’s Day but they also have other fun designs to choose from including speech bubbles and unicorns. They come in kids and adult sizes. Chalk of the Town also offers tote kits, patch kits and various stencils and markers to purchase. To order yours, go to https://www.chalk-of-the-town.com/.

For the Surprise Toy Lover

These days, mystery toys have become a craze enjoyed by kids and adults alike and 5 Surprise Mini Brands is one of the hottest on the market right now. It’s so fun to unwrap these surprise capsules and peel to reveal the 5 miniatures inside! They are the most adorable tiny replicas of your favorite brands including Kool-Aid, Heinz Ketchup and Bagel Bites. In addition to your favorite brands, you can also find mini shopping carts, shopping bags and other accessories to collect and there’s even glow-in-the-dark, rare metallic and super rare gold miniatures to find. Oh, the fun you’ll have setting up your own little supermarket! You can find these at most major retailers. For more info, go to https://5surprise.zuru.com/minibrands-s2/.

For the Gourmet Foodie

If you’re looking for products made from nature’s finest, look no further than Bushwick Kitchen! Their organic maple syrups come in a variety of unique flavors you won’t find in the grocery store. The Trees Knees Butter Maple Syrup combines organic maple syrup from the best U.S. sugar makers with a delicious vegan buttery flavor. The Trees Knees Cinnamon Maple Syrup is a rich maple syrup that’s from the Catskill Mountains and infused with cassia cinnamon from Indonesia. And last but not least we have the Trees Knees Limited Edition Batch Bourbon Maple Syrup. This organic bourbon maple syrup is selectively sourced from an 800 acre farm in the Catskill mountains of Upstate, New York. It’s gracefully aged in charred American oak bourbon barrels and has notes of vanilla, oak and subtle caramel. These syrups go well with not only your favorite breakfast items but can be paired with many appetizers, dinner and dessert options as well. The sweet possibilities are endless. To order these and their other array of products, go to https://bushwickkitchen.com/.

A Beautiful Book Reminding Young Readers “Love is Love”

Love is Love: The Journey Continues written by Fleur Pierets and illustrated by Fatinha Ramos is the sequel to Love Around the World that’s based on a true story. Fleur and Julian are two women in love, who after Fleur proposes, find out that in most countries a man can’t marry and man and a woman can’t marry a woman. Of the 195 countries in the world, they realize that only 28 of them will allow them to get married. They make it their mission to get married in all of those 28 countries. This second volume of their inspiring story takes you to 15 countries including Argentina, Sweden, Norway and Germany. The beautiful illustrations allow you to experience their love-filled journey and learn about the marriage traditions in all of these countries. This book retails for $18.95 and is recommended for ages 4 to 8. You can find it at https://www.amazon.com/Love-Journey-Continues-Around-World/dp/1644420260.

For Those with a Taste for Healthier Sweet Treats

If you’re looking for an indulgent yet healthier treat, Love Crunch from Nature’s Path is the way to anyone’s heart! It’s a delicious granola that’s made with amazing organic ingredients including Fair Trade dark chocolate and real fruit pieces. There are different varieties to choose from like Dark Chocolate and Red Berries, Salted Caramel Pretzel and Double Chocolate Chunk just to name a few. Love Crunch has an actual love story behind the name as it was originally created as a wedding favor by the son of the founders of Nature’s Path and his wife. Their wedding guests enjoyed it so much that they turned it into an official product of Nature’s Path. It also warms my heart to know that with every Love Crunch product that is sold, the equivalent is donated to food banks in need. In addition to the granola, Love Crunch also has a line of granola bars and cereals. To learn more about all of their products, go to https://www.naturespath.com/en-us/.

Virtual Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids

If you’re looking for some fun virtual activities for the kids, KidPass has a great array of Valentine’s Day-themed classes to sweeten everyone’s day! These classes range in price from free up to $40. There is a heart-shaped pizza making class, Valentine’s Day crafting classes and storytime just to name a few. Throughout the year, you can check out their extensive catalog of virtual classes and camps including dance, yoga, art and so many more. There’s live classes, private tutoring and video courses. For more information, go to https://kidpass.com/.

For the Adult or Teen Puzzle Enthusiast

The popularity of puzzles has skyrocketed within the past year. I’m not surprised as puzzles are a great stress-reliever and the perfect activity for families to enjoy together while at home. The artist-inspired de.bored Puzzles from Kess are a new line of beautiful puzzles geared towards teens and adults that would make for a great boredom-reliever and de-stresser! Each puzzle ranges from 500 to 1,000 pieces. We have the Lisbon Cliffside (puzzle art by Camila Nogueira) and the Quiet Night In (puzzle art by Charly Clements) puzzles. There are also a couple of other puzzles that are available for preorder that ship in March. The art work on these puzzles is depicted so beautifully and sure to make your heart happy when your masterpiece is complete. To find out more about their puzzles, go to https://www.kess.co/debored.

Sweet Game for Teens and Adults

Looking for a sweet yet out of this world option for game night? Thank you to Hasbro for sending us the Sweet Existence Game for free for our review! Based on Nathan W. Pyle’s Strange Planet webcomic and series book, this family friendly party game features characters inspired by his stories who are relatable yet have a unique perspective on the world. The object of the game is to form connections and experience life events while strategically adding Sweet Disks to your collection and of course, avoiding the dreaded Perish card! Whether your a current fan or new to Strange Planet, this game will be a sweet addition to your family game night collection. Stay tuned for our YouTube video featuring our review and gameplay. This game is recommended for ages 13 and up and retails for $19.99. You can find it at https://www.amazon.com/Hasbro-Gaming-Existence-Family-Friendly-Inspired/dp/B08637F6T2/ref=sr_1_1?crid=119K68N6HIPBW&dchild=1&keywords=sweet+existence+game&qid=1613149367&sprefix=sweet+existhe%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1.

Yummy Plant-Based Treats to Make at Home

If you’re planning on cooking for your loved ones during Valentine’s Day weekend, Lehi Mills has recently launched their Certified Vegan line. They’ve got a Brownie Mix, Raspberry Muffin Mix and Pancake and Waffle Mix. The Brownie Mix, which is the only certified vegan brownie mix on the market, and the Raspberry Muffin Mix both need just water and oil to make them. The Pancake and Waffle Mix, which is made with finely milled organic flour, only needs water added. Lehi Mills is a premium baking company with over 100 years of milling experience. For more info on their array of products, you can find them on Amazon or go to https://lehimills.com/

Sweet Toys and Masks from Bullsitoy

If you’re looking for an alternative to candy, Bullsitoy has a huge array of products for your little sweethearts! They recently sent us an amazing box of some of their latest items for our review. Included in the box were the Sequin Face Masks, L.O.L. Surprise! Face Masks, Squish’Ums! Squishies Besties Blind Capsules, Hello Kitty Plush Danglers, Gudetama Cutie Cuffs and L.O.L. Surprise Sequin Slap Bands. This is just a small sampling of their products; they have so many items to choose from for both boys and girls. You can find their products at Target and for more info go to https://bullsitoy.com/