One of my very favorite, indulgent treats is an apple from Mrs. Prindable’s. There is just something about that dark chocolate, caramel, and apple that I go crazy over! Although they would obviously make a great gift any time of year, I was thinking about them for Easter. For as little as $26.95, you can send a treat that is both beautiful and tasty. Everything on their site comes in giftable packaging–meaning that the recipient will probably think that you paid to have it specially wrapped.

Specifically for Easter they have a couple of Jumbo Apples with cute little Easter decorations on top. They also have one that is sitting in a Tulip Basket. If you wanted to spend a little bit more, they have boxes and baskets starting at $29.95 with various products and even some with chocolate Easter bunnies.

Of all of my friends and customers that have ordered Mrs. Prindable’s in the past, I have never heard a negative comment. Whether you are looking for a special treat for yourself or someone you love, you should check out the Mrs. Prindable’s Easter Collection.

We’re big on celebrating holidays at our house. My husband and I shared our first kiss on St. Patrick’s Day, had our first date on Easter, and got engaged on Valentine’s Day (although not all in the same year!). Holidays have always been a reason to celebrate.

Because of that, we celebrate Valentine’s Day as a whole family. Although my husband and I will have our own nice dinner out (most years), we’ll still get the kids gifts and have some kind of fancy family meal as well. One of my favorite “family gifts” for Valentine’s Day is to order from David’s Cookies. I can order on Wednesday and get fresh cookies or brownies by Friday afternoon. The kids get excited opening up the box and finding the treats, and it is one less thing that I have to worry about for our fancy dinner (instant dessert)!

If you are going to order, make sure that you look for coupons and free shipping. Right now David’s Cookies has 15% off plus free shipping on Valentine’s gifts (code VDAYLS). Which reminds me…I have an order to place!

This morning I saw a great free offer come across my Twitter from Kroger. You can visit the Kroger website and schedule a free, personalized holiday call to come from Santa Claus, Sammy the Snowman, or Tony Stewart.

When you visit the site and click “Schedule a Call” you will first need to register with the Kroger website. Once you confirm your email address, you can sign back in to actually schedule the call. You will need to enter your phone number, email address, the recipient’s name, and when you want the call to come in. Available dates are today through December 26.

You can also preview each of the different holiday calls. Santa says that he will be coming to visit soon. Sammy talks about “holiday gatherings” in general and things like snowflakes and holly leaves. Tony Stewart says he is with Santa at the North Pole and Santa will be coming to visit the child.

I don’t know what it will sound like with the personalization. I wanted to have just one call for both of my kids but it looks like you have to do them separate. I’m still thinking on how I want to do that. But it’s a great opportunity to add a little extra magic to your holiday season care of the folks at Kroger!

Click here to schedule your free holiday call.

I just saw a commercial for Reynolds Wrap Aluminum Foil and did a double take. In a time when other companies are making boxes smaller and charging you the same price, Reynolds is actually including 5 extra feet of foil in marked packages. With the holidays coming and all of the foil that I use, it is perfect timing!

I also found some other interesting information when I visited the Reynolds website. They have developed a new space saving box that is more durable and houses the foil better. Did you know that all Reynolds foil is made in Louisville, Kentucky and Richmond, Virginia? The aluminum itself is made in Hot Springs, Arkansas. A true Made in the USA product!

I will be the first to admit that every now and again when I need a lot of foil I buy the generic version. But I think this year I want to give my business back to Reynolds and support a company that is doing its best to do right by its customers. You can see the Reynolds 5 Feet Free commercial on their website.

My daughter came home from school today and I found out that the “poem of the week” they are learning in first grade is one of the very same Halloween songs that I learned when I was her age! It’s one that has always stayed with me and we sing it every year. In case you learned it and may have forgotten, it goes a little something like this:

Five Little Pumpkins

Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate.
The first one says “Oh my it’s getting late!”
The second one says “There are witches in the air.”
The third one says “But we don’t care.”
The fourth ones says “Let’s run and run and run.”
The fifth one says “I’m ready for some fun.”
Oooooohhh went the wind and OUT went the lights,
And the five little pumpkins rolled out of site.

Be sure to do the hand motions with it!

(My daughter’s class says “noises in the air” instead of witches. Probably because some parents complained.)

One of my very favorite gifts to receive is a box of chocolate covered strawberries. Because our closest Godiva is at the airport, I end up getting them delivered. However, I recently discovered that not all chocolate covered strawberries are the same.

I’m not going to name names, but I think this is important information. The last time that you shopped online for chocolate covered strawberries, what was the actual description of the product. Did it include the word “chocolate”? I’ve been noticing that many of them don’t. Most say things like “hand dipped strawberries” or “covered strawberries.” Chocolate isn’t mentioned when you look closely. Why is that? Because it isn’t real chocolate and the FDA won’t allow them to say “chocolate covered” unless they truly are.

I talked to the owner of ccberries.com to get the scoop. Apparently most companies use a candy coating rather than chocolate. In order to be called “chocolate,” the coating must contain cocoa butter…and a lot of cheaper coatings do now. Instead, they use vegetable oil. Yuck!

So if you are looking for chocolate covered strawberries this Valentine’s Day, get your facts straight and make sure that you are getting what you pay for. Read descriptions of products called “hand dipped strawberries” carefully and check out their ingredients. Find sites like ccberries.com that actually sell the real deal.

Rosa Regale Brachetto & Godiva Chocolate Covered Fruit – Wine Collection Gift

Looking for a terrific Valentine’s Day gift for someone special? This would be at the top of my list! Rosa Regale is probably my favorite wine, and nothing says “Valentine’s Day” like chocolate covered fruit. This particular combination sells for only $29.99 and includes Godiva Chocoiste Dark Chocolate Raspberries and Almonds. Imagine having this delivered to your sweetie or presenting it with even a single rose? It says “sexy” and “romantic” without the credit card bill saying “overpriced.”

What makes this combination especially perfect for Valentine’s Day is that the wine is sparkling but not traditional champagne. It pairs beautifully with chocolate, especially dark chocolate.

If you are not sure about the chocolate, at least try the wine. You can find it at your local liquor store (I even find it at Kroger) or online at wine.com:

  Banfi 2007 Rosa Regale Brachetto – Champagne & Sparkling

For those of you who have had the Rosa Regale before, leave a comment about what you think. I may be a little overboard in my love of it, but everyone I have ever given it to has loved it as well.

Looking for Groundhog Day? Here are a few places to get you started!

See a shadow? Six more weeks of winter! No shadow?

Groundhog Day was originally a German tradition, later carried on in Pennsylvania. The first official Groundhog Day was celebrated on February 2, 1886 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania in the newspaper. The faithful began gathering in Gobbler’s Knob the next year for the annual prognostication by Punxsutawney Phil.

Here are some great links to more information as well as activities and coloring pages regarding Groundhog Day.

www.Groundhog.org is the official site of Punxsutawney Groundhog Club. Get all of the information you need about festivities at Gobbler’s Knob.

www.punxsutawney.com is the official site of the Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania.

Questions and answers about the history of Groundhog Day from about.com.

A cute Groundhog picture or a selection of pictures to print and let your kids color. For older kids, a Groundhog Day Word Search.

Looking for fun ideas for Groundhog Day for preschoolers?

Kids Domain has a terrific site full of other links and activities.

Are you interested in groundhogs besides Punxsutawney Phil? Check out these links!

Helping Moms Connect has also added Groundhog Day postcards to its site. Send one to a friend or to your kids to celebrate the day!