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Celebrating Chinese New Year With Kids
The Chinese New Year will be here before you know it! Are you ready?
Now I will be honest, growing up we would spend the Chinese New Year doing what we do best, eating. (Have you seen our list of Chinese takeout favorites that you can make at home? YUM! Find them here!) But I really didn’t know much about this holiday or the traditions that go along with it.
I was really excited to hear about this book PoPo’s Lucky Chinese New Year! This book is a really sweet story about PoPo helping her young granddaughter. The story showcases the family getting ready and celebrating the New Year.
One thing that I really loved about the book was that each page had a Chinese New Year fact or tradition on it. We (Josh and I both!) learned a lot while reading this book!
Did you know:
- People spend 15 days preparing and then 15 days celebrating Chinese New Year.
- You should open the windows and doors at midnight to allow the old year to leave.
- Wear red. It scares away bad spirits and monsters.
There are so many interesting and fun facts in this book! It’s one that we really have loved a lot!
To celebrate the year of the rooster, we made these fun fork paintings.
Aren’t they fun? We used darker colors – next time we might try them with some lighter shades. (You can find out how to make them here!)
Here are some more ideas to celebrate Chinese New Year With Kids:
- Snack on oranges. They are gifts of happiness and wealth.
- Play Pong Hau k’i
- Make Chinese Lanterns
- Chinese New Year wouldn’t be complete without a dragon!
- We love this fire breathing one too!
- Aren’t these fans the cutest?
- I love these DIY Tissue Paper Blossoms!
- Don’t forget this rooster coloring page.
- This paint dragon is one of my favorites!
- Here is another coloring page to keep you busy!
Don’t forget to pin!
This post contains affiliate links. I received a copy of PoPo’s Lucky Chinese New Year in exchange for sharing my honest ideas and thoughts on the books.
18 Chinese Recipes: Take Out Favorites You Can Make At Home
I absolutely love Chinese food! Unfortunately for us, since we’ve moved, I haven’t found a really good Chinese take out place that is close by. So we’ve been cooking it at home! If you want to know the truth, I like this even better! Not only does our house smell amazing, but there are plenty of leftovers. To be honest, sometimes next day Chinese food is even better! 🙂
Here are 18 Chinese recipes for your favorite take out dishes that you can make at home! I’ll have to make a batch of our baked egg rolls and add them to the list! They are a family favorite!
I found Rasa Malaysia a while ago while looking for recipes. Her food is fantastic and her photos are droll worthy! I haven’t made her Sesame Chicken recipe yet (it’s on our menu though for January!), but I have never tried a recipe from this website that wasn’t amazing!
Potstickers are one of our favorites! I haven’t made them at home yet, but I’m excited to try! They are one of the things we’ve been missing and the frozen ones just aren’t the same. Find this potstickers recipe from another favorite blog: Damn Delicious!
One of Josh’s favorite dishes to order is Crispy Beef. Luckily we found a great crispy beef recipe here!
Hot and Sour Soup your thing? This recipe from Closet Cooking is an easy one to make! And yummy!
Remember when I said I’m a bit obsessed with Rasa Malaysia? Here is another recipe from her: Crab Ragoon! Simply perfect!!
When I was little, my dad would take us to the most wonderful Chinese restaurant on the weekends. When we would leave, they would always give me a big bag of almond cookies to take home. I don’t know why, but I have never thought about making a batch at home! Well, until now!
In college I was a waitress at PF Chang’s. I ate Chinese food everyday for two years. Even now, some days, I’m just craving some Chang’s. 🙂 This PF Chang’s Honey Chicken copy cat recipe will be made…ASAP!
We love to make shrimp at home. They are so quick to cook which makes them perfect for a weeknight dinner! This Chinese Garlic Shrimp recipe sounds fantastic!
You know we have a slow cooker website right? 🙂 I made this slow cooker Asian Beef recipe a while ago, but it’s still a favorite in our house!
This General Tso’s Chicken has gotten a little bit of a makeover here! It’s baked and there is a special ingredient that gets it nice and crispy! Actually, I’ve made ‘fried’ baked chicken and crispy shrimp with this same ingredient and it is so good!!
If you are looking for a perfect side dish for your Chinese meal – these Garlic Chinese Style Green Beans are a MUST!!
Did someone say doughnuts? I will become a Mom Of The Year for sure if I make this Chinese Doughnut recipe!
If I were sent to an island and could only have one food there it might be chicken fried rice. So.GOOD. This chicken fried rice recipe is from Life in the Lofthouse and we’ve made it several times!
Ok, so maybe I would bring egg rolls to that island with me too! 🙂 This is a classic egg roll recipe you will have to try!
Don’t these chow mein noodles look so good? Like you can taste them through the screen!
Sweet and Sour Chicken is a classic that you can’t go wrong with! Doesn’t this recipe look yummy?
There you go! 18 Chinese recipes that you can make at home instead of ordering for take out! Which one will you try first?
Don’t forget to pin our 18 Chinese Recipes: Take Out Favorites You Can Make At Home!
Gift Ideas For Tween Girls
Do you have a tween girl you are shopping for this year? Tween girls can be hard to shop for sometimes. Luckily, we have the most amazing gift ideas for tweens that are sharing! I really love how this guide is broken down into categories (like gift ideas for tween girls who love to bake or who love science) making it easy to find just the right gift.
Get Gifts For Tween Girls Here!!
DIY Faux Cookies
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ScrubSeason #CollectiveBias
I love the holidays! I am so excited about getting things ready, decorating the house and having friends and family to come over. One thing that I wish I was better at is baking cookies. Don’t get me wrong I can bake cookies and they are delicious, but my cookies never come out looking like those gorgeous creations you see on Facebook. They taste amazing but they aren’t pretty display pieces. And, can we be 100% real? Cookies don’t last long enough in our house to be a cute display anyways! They get eaten!
What’s a girl to do right? Well, this girl makes faux cookies! Aren’t they cute? I made enough to keep on a plate in our kitchen. I can’t tell you how many times people have said “Oh your cookies look so good!” or even Joshua picked one up thinking he was getting a treat!
You Will Need:
- Polymer Clay
- Clay Cutting Tools
- Cookie Cutters
- Parchment Paper
- Something to roll the clay (I just used a cup)
There are so many colors of polymer clay! I actually mixed two different shades to get my ”sugar cookie” color. Think about what shapes you will be making before you head to the craft store so you know exactly what colors to pick up!
I put down a folded down box to protect my table from the clay cutting tools. On top of the box, put a sheet of parchment paper.
Roll out the clay. I like to keep my ‘sugar cookie’ base a little thicker. Cut out your shape with your cookie cutter.
Next, choose your ‘icing’ color. Roll out the color. I roll my ‘icing’ pretty thin. Using your cookie cutter to cut out the shape.
Using your clay cutting tool, trim around the edges. You want to see the ‘sugar cookie’ base around the edges. Repeat this process with the other colors you plan on using.
TIP: Before you switch colors – clean your rolling/cutting area and your rolling pin. Don’t forget to wash your hands. The color will get on your hands and will transfer to your next color of clay.
Position the ‘icing’ on your ‘cookie’. Make sure that you press it down slightly to adhere them. If you want the ‘outlined cookie’ look. Roll thin strips of clay (remember the snake roll from back in the day?) and adhere around the border.
If you want to make a cookie with ‘sprinkles’, repeat the process above. Choose your color of ‘sprinkles’ and roll a very thin snake shape.
Cut very small pieces. Roll them between your fingers and drop onto your ‘cookie’. You will need to slightly press them to the cookie so when it hardens they stick.
The reindeer is one of my favorite cookies! You don’t always have to over decorate! Don’t get me wrong – it’s super fun! Once you get started you will want to go crazy! While over the top cookies are gorgeous – so are minimalist cookies.
I tore the areas of the parchment paper where the cookies were and transferred them to the cookie sheet. Bake to your polymore clay’s directions. Mine were 275 degrees and I baked for 15 minutes. After the cookies cool, they are ready to display! And they will be good to display for years to come! How awesome!
I keep my cookies on a plate in my kitchen so it is decorated and company ready!
While I was at Walmart picking up my holiday essentials I found these Scotch-Brite® Scrubbing Dish Cloths! They came two in a pack for $4.97 and they feel so good! I picked up my towels in navy but they also had coral and tan. (You can order gray or mint colored towels online!)
You know when you pick up a towel and you are like, this is going to work! These are a new product so I was super excited about them! (Plus, here is a coupon to Save $1 on any two Scotch-Brite Products (Scrub Sponges, Lint Rollers and Scrubbing Dish Cloths) The scrubbing dots on the one side of the dish cloth allow you to take on tough messes in the sink and across a variety of surfaces. And my favorite feature: they are fully washable, reusable and super sturdy.
I’ve been using them for everything – dishes, cleaning the counters, wiping off the table. These are definitely helping me get ready for my holiday guests to be dropping by! And don’t worry. I will have really cookies ready too! 🙂
You can find lots of great recipes and tutorials here!
DIY Foam Dog Bed
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #ToPetsWithLove #CollectiveBias
If you have read our blog before or if you follow us on social media, then you know that we are kind of animal people. Our four pets live like kings with the best food, treats, sweaters, and they even get subscription boxes filled with toys each month. We spoil them because we love them. 🙂 One thing that both of our dogs love though is having a dog bed. However, our traditional dog beds normally don’t last long. George likes to kind of knead the stuffing inside and make a nest. And one day, a hole pops open and then it goes from bed to the most fun dog toy ever. Stuffing is EVERYWHERE. Our last bed made it look like a winter blizzard in our living room! So I’ve been looking at some different options on replacing the beds. I decided I wanted a foam bed this time. Soft, but nothing for George to squish around.
I looked and looked for one that would match our living room decor, but then it hit me that I should make my own! One with removable covers so that I can change for the holidays and seasons. I mean, if I’m going to have a big dog bed on the ground in the living room it should look nice right?
So here you go! The perfect doggie Christmas gift! A foam bed, with a waterproof protective liner and removable cover. Washing it is super easy, changing to another cover is super easy and by the looks of things, it’s super comfy. In fact, even as I write this, George is still laying on it. He hasn’t gotten off since I put it down! Our cat Lou tried to wonder over to test it out, but right now George isn’t ready to share with him yet. Poor Lou!
Speaking of gifts for our dog…They have everything they could ever want (and more!) so along with their new bed, they will be getting some of their favorite things: Purina Beneful Incredibites for George and a big bag of Beggin’ Strips for Lincoln. George loves his Purina Beneful Incredibites because they are made specifically for small dogs so they are easy for him to chew. I like to purchase it because meat is the #1 ingredient and there is now no added sugar. Plus, with whole grains and veggies I know he’s getting the nutrition he needs!
Lincoln loves Beggin’ Strips (and so does George!) They smell like bacon and taste like bacon because they are made with real bacon!
(Psst! Now through the end of November, take advantage of great savings on your favorite Purina pet products available at Kroger with this Coupons.com link, while supplies last.)
I also love that everything is available easily at Kroger. I’m there anyways buying our groceries so this means I can take care of our pets all in the same place. They have everything we need for our dogs – and our cats!
You Will Need
- Foam – I used 3 inches thick. You can get it at the craft store, but I recommend waiting until it goes on sale and/or using a coupon! The foam I used was normally $40 but it was on sale for $20 plus I had a coupon! So good deal!
- Vinyl Tablecloth – I picked up a clearance Halloween print. It’s on the inside so nobody will be able to see what it is. You will want a slightly thicker tablecloth.
- Strong Tape – like packing tape or duck tape
- Blanket – I sourced our local thrift shop! I found this great red and white blanket that looks like a knit Christmas sweater for just a few dollars!
- Zipper (I found one the length of the smaller side of the foam)
- Thread
- Scissors
- Sewing Machine
First you will want to wrap your foam with the tablecloth. Think like a present. Use the tape to keep it secure.
Why the tablecloth? Foam is super comfy for dogs (and great for dogs who need an orthopedic bed!) but it absorbs everything! This layer will be waterproof so even if your dog has an accident, gets sick, comes in from the rain, or drools the foam will stay clean and dry! And as a bonus, it helps it slide into the cover easily.
Lay your blanket right side down and place your foam on top. I removed the binding around the blanket to make it easier to sew. My first thought was I could make two thinner covers with this blanket since the layers were loose after the binding was removed. But then I thought a white furry fabric probably won’t be so nice after coming in from the snow! 🙂
Fold over the blanket and pin around the edges. You are going to end up sewing 2 sides completely closed: one end and the long side. The third side is where you will sew your zipper onto. Trim off any excess fabric.
On your last open end, sew your zipper in.
Slide your foam in and call your dog! If they are like ours they will be so excited that they bring a few toys with them!
George and Lincoln love their new bed!
It’s plenty big enough for both of them to lay together, which they like a lot.
So really the only question is…
To cuddle
Or not. 🙂
If you love this project you will finds lots of fun inspiration here for your pets!
Super Simple DIY Football Mason Jars
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and The Coca-Cola Company. All opinions are mine alone. #NotSoFastMom #CollectiveBias
It’s time for football!!!!
I’m so excited. I love football. I love playing a pick up game in the back yard, watching the kids play at school, watching our favorite college teams, our favorite professional teams, the football parties, tailgating….the football food! Seriously, I love everything about it.
Speaking of Friday night lights….I have the perfect DIY football project for you to make for your next football party, tailgating event or just to make and take to the game! You can never be too decked out on the sidelines cheering!
These DIY football Mason Jar cups are so adorable and so insanely simple to make. Just 5 minutes and you are on your way! The possibilities are pretty endless with this way of decorating, but I like to try to make a few different designs to help people keep their drinks seperate a bit. The best part? After your party, you just pull your design off and your jars are ready to decorate for your next event! And did I mention, this show stopping party idea won’t break the bank? You can make them for about $1 each (including the jar!) Already have the jar? Your total cost is about 30¢. TOUCHDOWN!
You will need:
- Mason Jars (I use the pint size. Bonus: This is the perfect size to hold a 12 oz POWERADE!)
- Balloons in your desired colors. I used green, black and a pearl gold. (NOTE: Brown balloons can be trick to find. The ones I found were SUPER dark only lighting up in color once they are filled up. Since I wasn’t filling them up I went with the gold color and I think it looks great!)
- White electrical tape (I got mine at Walmart in the tools/auto area.)
- Scissors
First, I give my balloons a little stretch. Honstly, I’m not sure it does anything, but I do it anyways! 😉 Then you make two cuts as shown above and below.
You really just want the round section of the balloon.
Then s-t-r-e-t-c-h your balloon around the bottom of your Mason Jar. It won’t be straight across anywhere, they are kind of a fun whimsy look. It looks almost like you dipped the jar in a bucket of paint.
Then use your electrical tape to add a design. I stick to pretty basic designs that are easy to make with straight lines.
These honestly take just a minute to make and anyone can do it! I think for our end of the season party I may just do all referee cups and order little whistles to hang on them! (Well, I’m still debating if the whistles are a good idea for a whole football team of boys to be running around with! It might get a little noisy! LOL)
POWERADE is definitely the drink of choice. I was so excited when I saw that Walmart had 12 packs of 12 oz bottles because they fit perfectly in the cups! Do you know what else does? Cans of Coca-Cola! So while you are shopping be sure to stock up on Coke Zero and Coca-Cola as well as POWERADE!
You can find everything that you need to make these fun football cups and to fill them at Walmart! Walmart has everything that busy game moms need!
Looking for more awesome ideas? Whether you are celebrating on the sidelines with your favorite players or cheering on your teams at home in your living room you can make the most of your game days with these winning ideas and be a #NotSoFastMom!
Don’t forget to pin these fun DIY football cups!
Oreo Spider Cookies & Cream Cookies – Halloween Recipe
We are getting into one of my favorite times of the year! I am a HUUUUGE fan of Halloween – but the cute, not the creepy! It may only be August (well, it’s practical September now!), but Joshua already has his costume picked out. At first he didn’t want to dress up. He thinks he is too old to go trick or treating (begin the violins because I’m totally crying over here), but once he saw this ‘costume’ he changed his mind. Well, at least about the dressing up part.
I may need to bribe him with a batch of these cookies & cream cookies. They were that good. Total bribe material. Filled with Oreos and white chocolate these cookies are the perfect mix. I’m not an awesome cake/cookie/cupcake decorator, but these are so simple that even I can decorate them.
3/4 cup
butter softened
3/4 cup
brown sugar
3/4 cup
sugar
2
eggs
1 tsp
vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups
flour
1 tsp
baking soda
1/2 tsp
baking powder
1 tsp
salt
1
sandwich bag filled with Oreos coarsely crushed (I used about 12)
12 oz bag
white chocolate chips-
Oreos -
Black Decorating Gel -
Candy Eyes
Servings:
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use non-stick spray. We like giant cookies so we used a whoopie-pie pan.
-
In a bowl, mix together butter, brown sugar, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
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In a second bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine.
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In a sandwich bag, crush the Oreos. You don’t want them to be finely crushed, you want to have chunks of Oreo in your cookies!
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Add the Oreos and the white chocolate chips to the batter and mix well.
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You will want the cookies to be large enough to hold an Oreo spider. We used a whoopie-pie pan on one batch and the other we used a large ice cream scoop.
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Bake for 8-10 minutes or until they just begin to brown. Let them cool completely on the cookie sheet.
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Once the cookies are cool, use the decorating gel to ‘glue’ on an Oreo to the center of each cookie.
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Add a dot of decorating gel to the back of each of the candy eyes and stick it into place. And 8 gel spider legs finish your cookie.
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Let the cookies sit and the decorating gel will harden.
I recommend that you use:
- I’m all about the parchment paper! I buy the Kirkland brand on Amazon as it’s much bigger than what I can find in stores.
- I ordered this Whoopie Pie pan several years ago and I use it all the time! I think I’ve only used it once for actual Whoopie Pies but it’s our favorite pan to make cookies and brownies.
- The Wilton Black Decorating Gel is my go to!
- We use these fun candy eyes on all kinds of things. They make everything adorable.
Don’t forget to pin!
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.
Group Halloween Costume Ideas: DIY Scooby-Doo Gang
Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. I love seeing all of the kids dressed up, but I love to dress up too! Here is a fun group Halloween costume idea (or family!): the Scooby Doo gang! I think that this would be fun with a group of friends or if you dressed up your little one as Scooby! Check out these fun DIY Scooby Doo costume ideas!
A few things I love about these costumes:
A. They are inexpensive.
B. They use pieces of real clothing that you can wear again throughout the year. I hate spending a ton on a costume that we wear once for a few hours. Putting together our own costumes isn’t just a fun look, but it’s a great excuse to expand your wardrobe a bit. 🙂
Let’s start with Daphne.
- Dress – $17.99
- Scarf – $5.99
- Shoes – $14.99
- Wig – $14.99
- Headband – $6.99
- Fun Accessory: A box of Scooby Snax – $9.99 (Check your local grocery store to hopefully find them cheaper!)
Isn’t this dress cute? You can easily go from a Daphne costume to a great fall outfit with just a few accessories!
- Wig: $10
- Glasses: $10
- Turtleneck: $16
- Skirt: $13
- Socks: $6.50
- Shoes: $22
- Fun Accessory: Magnifying glass: $4
Want to see how we styled the orange turtleneck from Velma to fall chic? Check this outfit out!
- Orange Turtleneck – $16
- Black Vest – $30
- Black Pants – $30
- Black Boots – $
- Watch – $
- Handbag – $30
Here are some costume ideas for the guys:
- Green Shirt – $11
- Brown Pants – $24
- Black Shoes – $30
- Wig – $10
- Food accessories – $8
- White Sweater – $25.00
- Blue Pants – $24.99
- Orange Ascot – $9.99
- Blonde Wig – $14.00
- Brown Shoes – $29.99
- Mystery Machine – $25.00
Don’t forget to pin these DIY Scooby Doo costume ideas!
This post contains affiliate links.
4th of July Chocolate Covered Oreos
I’m all about simple. But I’m also all about delicious and definitely all about pretty. So it’s no wonder that one of my favorite treats to make for any holiday or get together is chocolate covered Oreos. Simple, quick, and totally looks like a lot of effort went into them.
And truthfully, don’t tell anyone, but it isn’t a lot of effort. Shhhh! Just smile and say “Oh, just something I whipped up…”
Scatter them on a platter, fill a big mason jar or layer them in a bowl – however you arrange them, they are sure to be a show stopper!
- Oreos (We like Golden Oreos but it doesn’t matter which kind you go for! These are SWEET. The Double Stuffed give some great height, but the regular Oreos can help keep the sweetness under control a bit. But still totally sweet and amazing…)
- Melting Candies in Red, White and Blue
- Sprinkles! I was originally looking for star sprinkles at my store and they didn’t have any, but I ended up being in love with these little pearls!
- Wax paper. Don’t let this fool you - it’s a must!
Lay out your ingredients on the wax paper. You will need separate small bowls for each color.
Melt your candy melts according to package instructions. I buy mine on Amazon, but if you are looking in your local big box store check in the party aisle or the cake decorating aisle. They are usually not with the boxed cake mixes and icing.
Dip your Oreos in the color of your choice and set on the wax paper.
Before the the candy hardens (and it will harden quickly!) top with your favorite sprinkles.
You can also drizzle your Oreo with the other colors of melted candies.
Let the Oreos harden on the wax paper.
That’s it! Steal one for yourself while you can and set out the rest for a festive display!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Peanut’s Inspired Valentine’s Chocolate Covered Donut Holes
Can you believe that Valentine’s Day is just around the corner? Gosh, I can’t. Every year we have our traditions like making Valentine’s. Josh is older now, but I’m so glad that he still does it with me! His class has long stopped the traditional Valentine’s Day party (I know, it’s sad), but we like to still make some and drop them off at the retirement center near our house. Spreading love…that’s our plan!
One of our other traditions is watching the Peanuts special! It really doesn’t matter what holiday it is, I’m all about the Peanuts special! I think everyone has some Charlie Brown in them. He’s always there and while we may laugh at him a bit, we are always rooting for him! One day he will kick that football!
[Tweet “Did you know that the Little Red Hair Girl was based on a woman Schulz worked with and even dated? He even proposed! #PeanutsValentine”]
So the other night Joshua and I spent our evening watching A Charlie Brown Valentine and making an easy treat to package up - Chocolate Covered Donut Holes! YUM! They are quick, super simple, totally festive and so sweet you just need one to satisfy your sweet tooth!
You will need:
- Donut Holes or regular donuts if you want to coat the tops of them
- Candy melts - I used red and white
- Valentine’s Day sprinkles
- Valentine’s Day straws (optional)
I cut the straws in half and inserted them into the donut holes. You can either have them as donut pops or just use the straws to make dipping easier for little hands!
Spread out a sheet of parchment paper and melt your candy melts according to the package instructions. Dip your donut holes into the melt. Set them on the parchment paper to harden.
We dipped ours in red and after it hardened (it won’t take long!) we dipped them again in white. You can do a solid color or pipe zig zags or even three colors! Get creative!
When you have enough candy coating on them, sprinkle them with sprinkles. Let them sit until the candy has hardened.
Super simple and super fun!
[Tweet “Valentine’s Day treat idea: Chocolate covered donut holes…with heart sprinkles of course!”]
Aren’t these sweet? (Hahaha. I’m so funny!)
All of these goodies came in my mailbox the other day and I’m so excited I get to give a set away! It’s the perfect prize pack for gifts for your kiddos, great treat holders for holding your Chocolate Covered Donut Holes, and a few goodies for you to keep for yourself!
- Oriental Trading’s treat box to color, crayons and stickers
- Snoopy and Woodstock Pez
- Simon and Schuster’s Happy Valentine’s Day
- A Charlie Brown Valentine from Warner Home Entertainment
- Whitman’s Chocolates featuring a Snoopy Plush
- Valentine card from Hallmark
And don’t forget that there are TWO prime time specials from the Peanuts gang. Be My Valentine Charlie Brown is the 13th special based upon the famous comic strip. It’s been airing since 1975! The second, A Charlie Brown Valentine is the 40th special! Originally aired in 2002, it’s already a loved classic.
Disclaimer: I am a Peanuts Brand Ambassador. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own however I did receive gifts for my honest opinions and ideas. All Charlie Brown love, Woodstock obsessions and Snoopy infatuations are all my own. 🙂