Home & Garden Blog » 2008 » January

What can I say, I have a love jones right now. So I was thinking of some good ideas for Valentine’s Day besides or in addition too, getting your loved one: flowers, chocolate or candy.

So I thought it would be sweet if you maybe made breakfast in bed! Extra love points if you made the pancakes, heart-shaped! Women love details (seriously, we do) and its been my experience that it’s all the “little” attempts at chivalry that we remember best. For example, the pancakes might taste like poop, but the heart details and the effort will brand a memory for eternity.

Heart Pancake Molds -Set of 6 : Only costs $7.98 at Lillian Vernon (click on image or this link to purchase)

My second idea was for maybe younger, newer couples. You could cook a homemade dinner and end it with a sloppy but adorable heart-shaped cake in her or his favorite flavor. Plus, feel free to spice up the dinner with flavored heart-shaped Jello shots, maybe by the end of the meal you can wear the chocolate from the heart cake in lieu of eating it! Hey, I’m just saying…

My point is this second plan is not for the faint of heart and these contrived holidays are only as good as you want them to be!

Martellato Uniflex Heart Mold: Only costs $14.98 at Instawares, LLC (click on image or this link to purchase)

Martellato Jelliflex Heart Mold: Costs $48.97 at Instawares, LLC (click on image or this link to purchase)

For deep discounts and tons of free coupons check out: Best Valentine’s Day Discounts & Coupons

Let’s delve into the crux of the matter, Valentine’s Day Gifts! I am going to make your life easy and focus on the fundamentals; FLOWERS, CHOCOLATE and CANDY.

1. Let’s start with flowers, in an attempt to keep things reasonably priced I focused my search based on aesthetics first and price range second. The result is the “All My Heart” floral bouquet by Teleflora.

This “All My Heart” Valentine’s Day Floral Bouquet is composed of a mix of white and lavender flowers such as tulips; ranunculus; miniature carnations and button spray chrysanthemums. Accented with fresh heather formed into the shape of a pink heart it is delivered in a clay pot with saucer. Price - $49.95

To purchase the “All My Heart” Floral Bouquet, click here.

To shop for more discount Valentine Floral Arrangements, click here.

2. Okay so next stop, Chocolate Shop! You can always go the conventional route and purchase your sweetheart a heart shaped box of chocolates OR you can get my personal favorite: chocolate covered strawberries!! What I did was visit Valentine’s Day Coupons & Discounts page at CouponMountain.com and found a sweet deal on 1/2 dozen hand-dipped chocolate covered strawberries from Proflowers.com.

These incredible, mouthwatering creations are simply divine! Each succulent strawberry is hand-dipped and covered with nuts, coconut or additional drizzle. Use the following coupon code links to get 20% Off the Valentine chocolate treats at Proflowers.com. Originally priced at $37.99 you pay: $29.99!

Save 20% on 1/2 dozen Hand-Dipped Strawberries - Proflowers.com

Save 20% on 1/2 dozen Hand-Dipped Strawberries from Secret Spoon Sweets, only $29.99 at Proflowers.com.

Expiration: 02/14/2008

Extra Bonus! Never let it be said that I was not open to helpful “commentary”. It was brought to my attention that not all “heart shaped” chocolate boxes are conventional, :). So I would like to present Chatham’s Fine Chocolates: Valentines Collection!

Love Notes From The Heart - Valentines Chocolate Truffle Collection
A unique one-a-kind Valentines gift - reserve yours today! 6 truffles with cute valentines messages (like “Be Mine”) painted on the top, and 8 hand painted artisan chocolate hearts from the world’s top chocolatiers.

Includes gift box with ribbon, personalized gift card, and chocolate ID cards to tell your lucky someone what each chocolate’s flavor is. Looks absolutely delicious, and makes a unique and thoughtful gift. I stand corrected, I find it completely “un-conventional” in the best possible way!

To purchase or shop for the Love Notes from the Heart- Valentines Chocolate Collection, click here.

Also in spirit of discount shopping utilize the following VALENTINE’S DAY COUPONS for this site:

Valentines Savings on Luxury Chocolates ($5 off) (Chatham’s Fine Chocolates)

Expiration: 02/10/2008 Coupon Code: V8NCAA

OR
Luxury Chocolates: $10 off a custom 30 piece box! (Chatham’s Fine Chocolates)

Expiration: 02/10/2008 Coupon Code: 9NC3BOX

3. Good ol’ Fashioned Heart Shaped Valentine Candies!

To purchase any of featured Heart Shaped Valentine’s Day Candy, click here.

Have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Whether you are rooting for the New England Patriots or the New York Giants, the one issue both sides can agree with is throwing one hell of a Super Bowl Party!

I’m going to keep this nice and simple, you can save money and time with this featured Super Bowl Party Pack. It only costs $19.95 and includes the following items:

• 8 super big 103/4″ party plates
• 8 14 oz. cups
• 16 luncheon napkins
• 24 pc. red cutlery set
• 1 turquoise plastic table cover
• 1 ice blue 81 ft. streamer
• 1 red 81 ft. streamer
• 12 red latex balloons
• 12 white latex balloons
• 1 pkg. of white confetti
• 1 pkg. of blue confetti

Great deal right? If you bought all these items individually it would cost much more than 20 bucks.

To purchase the Super Bowl XLII Basic Party Pack, click here.

To shop for more discount Super Bowl Party supplies, click here.

Super Bowl Party Planning Tips and Entertaining Ideas

Now if you do have the time, creativity and the patience, check out these Super Bowl Party ideas and Entertaining Tips.

Super Bowl Snack Table - Create a custom Super Bowl Snack table that is sure to impress your guests. (see picture for results)

How to Plan Your Super Bowl Party - Tips for planning your Super Bowl Party including decorating ideas, food suggestions and activities, from your Entertaining Guide.

Super Bowl Cake - create a custom made Super Bowl Cake from scratch. This article contains step by step instructions, materials needed and photos.

If you are in the market for a lighting option that doubles as a genuine piece of art than look no further than the Hot Air Balloon Chandelier by Just Too Cute.

As seen on Good Morning America and in magazines across the country, Teresa Thompson’s chandeliers, lamps and tuffets are works of art to be passed down from generation to generation. Each child’s lamp, chandelier and tuffet is created by hand with strict attention to detail and exquisite workmanship. Whimsical designs, soft colors and classic themes make this line of children’s lighting irresistible. With an adorable lamp or shining chandelier from Just Too Cute, your baby nursery or child’s bedroom will stand out from the rest!

If you are interested in reading more or finding out how to purchase the Hot Air Balloon Chandelier, click here.

Click here to shop or browse additional custom crafted chandeliers and lighting for children.

Join one women’s quest (Astrelle) to turn Trash into Treasure at Apartment Therapy, Los Angeles.

Take your tunes to the shower, the kitchen sink, to the beach with tear drop, water resistant speakers that connect to your iPod or MP3 speakers. Read more about it at 2ModernDesign Talk Blog…

Check out the Organic Furniture with a Twist post on Blinkdecor.Features environmentally friendly furnishings and linens, their lighting selection is especially fun and original. It includes a twisted vine floor lamp made from old jungle vines and a chandelier made from reclaimed French Oak wine barrels.

This week in Smarter Home and Garden Blog:

Apple-Shaped Rattan Baskets - Take a bite out of these apples! Use them to store office supplies, napkins, whatever your heart desires.

Let Dine Without Whine help you plan nutritious and delicious meals for your whole family! Learn more by reading the “Dine Without Whine!“post.

If you do not possess the time nor the patience to hand select your sheets, you can shop online and select a “bed in a bag”! Read more about the great deals being offered at JCPenney online shopping store…

Comment on the Photo of the Week! “Hey Buddy the Erasures Won’t Erase the Smell!”

Rain, Rain Go Away, Come Again Another Day! Check out the Ceramic Umbrella Stand to house all those wet umbrellas this season…

Bedroom Furniture Deal of the Day! West Elm is has marked down their entire Narrow Leg Storage Collection, save up to $300 dollars on some pieces!

On the prowl for a new bedroom furniture set? Or just looking to spice up your guest room? Check out the sale at West Elm on Narrow Leg Storage Collection.

The entire narrow leg storage collection has been marked down. The collection has a very clean and modern vibe, sure to modernize even the most dated of home furnishings. The storage units have long brushed-metal handles, clean lines and tapered legs. The drawers are on smooth metal glides, and the material is hardwood.

Available in acorn (brown), chocolate (see image), white, and blonde (kinda Teakish)

Discounts are only available via internet or catalog.

• 6 Drawer - Was $599.00 Now $479.00 (you save $120)
• 5 Drawer - Was $599.00 Now $479.00 (you save $120)
  
• 4 Drawer - Was $699.00 Now $559.00 (you save $140)
  
• Narrow Leg End Table - Was $249.00 Now $159.00 (you save $90)
  
• Narrow Leg Wardrobe (Internet Only) - Was $799.00 Now $399.00 (you save $400)

To shop or purchase the Narrow Leg Storage Collection at West Elm, click here.

To shop for more discount bedroom furniture at West Elm, click here.

To shop for assorted discount bedroom furniture, click here.

Ahhh, RAIN. Can’t drive on California freeways with it, can’t live without it! Ha! It is common knowledge that once it begins to rain in California, drivers lose their minds and start wailing and weeping. News stations become peppered with “Storm of the Century” alerts. Come on folks, it’s just water, not the seven biblical plagues.

One exceptionally annoying and yes dangerous bi-product of rain is the slippery floors and droplets from umbrellas. Sure we all snicker when some poor sap slips and slides while rushing into a restaurant or department store, but if they really fall it’s quite sad.

Thus, I feel it is my civic duty to recommend that you invest in some sort of umbrella stand. The ceramic umbrella stand I featured is from Lillian Vernon. Fully glazed inside and out to store wet umbrellas— it saves floors from drips and your hips from breaking. It is big enough to house your whole family’s collection of canes, putters and hockey sticks. Plus, it’s kitschy design is very cute.

Costs: $39.98

To purchase or read more about the Ceramic Umbrella Stand from Lillian Vernon, click here.

To shop for assorted discount Umbrella Stands, click here.

Slow down, and Drive Safely! Whats the rush anyway, is there some sort of sale I don’t know about? TELL ME!

What would you say? Write us your caption and post them in our comments!

The beauty of “bed in bag” bedding sets is that it does all the creative legwork for you. If you do not possess the time nor the patience to hand select your sheets, you can shop online and select a “bed in a bag”.

These bedding sets literally contain everything you need to freshen up your boudoir. Currently at JCPenney you can pick up a bed-in-a-bag set that includes a comforter, 2 pillow shams, a tailored bedskirt (fits footboard), and a 200 thread-count 4-pc. sheet set. The entire bed-in-a-bag set only costs: $99.99!

Take advantage of this great deal, the set I have featured on the left is called “Meridian” and is available online.

To read more or purchase the Meridian Luxury Bed-in-a-Bag Set, click here.

To shop for great deals on assorted discount Bedding, click here.

Not since Melanie Griffith donned enormous shoulder pads in “Working Girl” and Dolly Parton fended off the roving hands of Dabney Coleman in “Nine to Five” have women been so entrenched in the workforce. We have come a long way baby, but as the saying goes, “A women’s work is never done”.

Well I recently came across a website called “Dine without Whine” that should help you score some major points with your family. The premise is simple and catered to busy families like yours. They send you shopping lists and menus every Thursday via email in the form of attachments or PDF files. The difference between “Dine without Whine” and other menu planning programs or cookbooks is that the menus are actually “kid approved” and the grocery lists are simple and easy. The grocery lists are detailed, down to the aisle, the ingredients are all familiar and open to substitution if you wish.

This saves you the stress of thinking up something healthy and nutritious for your family to consume and let’s face it more often then not, settling for fast food (yeck!). Plus, anyone who has done the math will quickly discover the savings available when you give up fast food and start making regular trips to your local grocery store.

Hmm, let’s sum up:

• they email you the menus and grocery lists on Thursdays (you don’t have to go anywhere for them)
• the meals are “kid approved” and yummy (your kids and husbo will think it’s delish and stand awestruck in your presence)
• the grocery list itself is easy, detailed, affordable and substitution friendly
• you get to actually sit down and talk with your family (please note: your daughter died her hair purple and your son now eats worms, ha!)
• Oops! I forgot to mention the most important detail of all, the price! It’s ONE PENNY ($0.01) for a one week trial and if you choose to continue on after that, it’s $6.95/a month. No obligation, you can end your membership at anytime.
• COUPON ALERT: Get 20% Off a 3, 6 or 12 month subscription to the Family Friendly Menu planning services. Just enter coupon code: 04AO (Expires on 4/15/2008)

Well I shall leave you with these fine lyrics from Ms. Dolly Parton herself, may it get stuck on repeat in your brain as it is in mine! Feel free to contact me with any complaints or good experiences if you sign up, I always love feedback. (Email: Michelle)

Workin 9 to 5
What a way to make a livin
Barely gettin by
Its all takin
And no givin
They just use your mind
And they never give you credit
Its enough to drive you
Crazy if you let it …

To read more or subscribe to Dine Without Whine, click here.