Valentine's Sugar Cookies

Are you looking for an inexpensive gift for Valentine's? Well, who doesn't love cookies? And, you can be proud to give your significant other something you made from scratch!

From the Betty Crocker Cookies cookbook, I used the Classic Sugar Cookies Recipe to make some yummy treats! These cookies have a great crumbly crunch and the frosting adds just the right amount of sweetness to these classics.

You can find the recipe on the Betty Crocker website or see the recipe I followed below.

Prepare for the Recipe

Be prepared. I always check my kitchen pantry the day before I make a cookie recipe to make sure I have everything I need. I hate to get into the mood to bake, only to find out I've run out of sugar or something critical. Unfortunately, when I made this recipe, I actually ran out of cream of tartar! A quick substitute is distilled white vinegar or lemon juice, which we happened to have both of. So crisis averted.

Get Everything Out

A lot of recipes call for softened butter. I've tried to microwave the butter so many times, but just end up with a gooey mess. My tip for this is to just leave the butter out on the counter for 30-40 minutes at room temperature to soften that way. I also like to get all of my ingredients out and measured. That way, when I've used an ingredient I can put it away (so I don't accidentally put an extra serving of vanilla extract in!)

Ready to Mix

I can't make cookies without my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. I have a hand mixer for things like pancakes or whipping eggs. And technically I could do this all by hand, but who has time for that? I've had this mixer for years and it will last me a lifetime...then probably Ryan's lifetime too!

Word to the wise, don't just throw everything into the mixer all at once either. It's a process of creaming the wet ingredients first, then slowly adding the dry. You could just end up with a big mess otherwise.

Chill

Yes, this recipe takes a few hours to make including the prep, bake and decorating. What I did was make the cookie dough the night before, have it chill in the fridge overnight, then make it the next morning. Allowing the dough to properly and thoroughly chill is very important, otherwise your cookies won't hold their shape.

Preheat the Oven

While your oven is preheating, take your dough out of the fridge, prepare a clean surface to roll and cut the dough. I started rolling only about half of the dough at first, then add more as needed.

Roll, Cut, Bake, Repeat

That's the process. I recommend having a bowl full of flour handy at a rolling station on a flat surface in your kitchen. I like to flour the surface I'm rolling on often to prevent the dough from sticking to the counter. Then cut the dough into shapes, for this season I chose heart-shaped cookie cutters, then transfer them to greased cookie sheets and put them in the preheated oven.

Transfer to Cool, Decorate

Once your cookies come out of the oven, place them on wire racks to cool completely before you decorate with icing. Your icing will run all over the place if you don't.

To make decorating easier, I first mixed the icing and then transferred it to a piping bag. You could use a spoon to spread the icing over the cookie, but I wanted to make a few designs with them.

And that's all there is to it!

Classic Sugar Cookies

Prep60 MIN
Total7 HR 50 MIN
Servings55

Ingredients

Cookies

1 1/2

cups powdered sugar

cup butter, softened

teaspoon vanilla

1/2

teaspoon almond extract

egg

2 1/2

cups Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

teaspoon baking soda

teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting

cups powdered sugar

to 5 tablespoons milk

1/4

teaspoon vanilla

Food colors, if desired

Colored sugar or candy sprinkles, if desired

Steps

1

In large bowl, beat 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, the softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the almond extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and cream of tartar. Divide dough in half; shape dough into 2 disks, and wrap in plastic wrap. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
2

Heat oven to 375°F.
3

Roll each disk on lightly floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 2- to 2 1/2-inch cookie cutters into desired shapes. On ungreased cookie sheets, place cutouts at least 2 inches apart.
4

Bake 7 to 8 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely.
5

In medium bowl, beat 3 cups powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla with spoon until smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too stiff to spread, add additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Tint with food color. Spread frosting on cooled cookies. Decorate as desired with colored sugar or candy sprinkles. Let stand about 4 hours or until frosting is set. Store covered in airtight container at room temperature with waxed paper between layers.

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DIY At-Home Manicure

For a little self-care, here's how I do manicures at home that will last. In order to save some time and money, I've committed to perfecting how I paint my nails at home and give myself TLC.

A few things I look for in a good manicure is: Does it look good? Did it cost a lot to do (time and money)? Did it last? It's frustrating when you spend money for someone to do your nails, only to see that it's chipping a couple days later. With these steps, you'll eventually save money doing your nails at home, and will last longer too!

To help give my nails a boost, I've been taking over-the-counter hair, skin and nail gummies. They have biotin which supports healthy nails. So if you've noticed your nails chipping and breaking regularly, try adding these Nature's Bounty Vitamin Biotin Optimal Solutions Hair, Skin and Nails Gummies to your daily life. (Speaking of which, I need to go take mine!) Starting with a good foundation with your nails will be key to success.

Here's what I used and what you'll need:

White Towel
Small Bowl
Alchohol (rubbing alcohol, and if you prefer, a glass of wine too)
Buffer
Cuticle Nipper and Pusher
Clippers
Nail Files
Nail Primer
Nail Polish
Top Coat
Q Tips
Cuticle Oil
Lotion

Prepare The Area and Your Hands

The first thing I did was get everything out and ready for the manicure. I didn't want to have to go searching through any drawers or cabinets and potentially smudge my nail polish or get polish on anything else.

I used a clean white hand towel to set on top of my desk to catch any clippings or polish. Plus it felt spa-like. After that I washed my hands, making sure to get everything clean, especially under my nails.

Fill a small bowl of warm water to soak my nails before getting started.

Treat cuticles

You can use a cuticle remover cream if you prefer, but I just like to use my cuticle nippers and pusher to handle mine. You don't want to trim too much away, since cuticles are there to protect your nail beds and prevent infections.

Trim, Shape and Buff Nails

After I'm satisfied with my cuticles, I trim my nails to a manageable length. Out of laziness, I usually end up having long nails, but I like to typically trim them to just below the tops of my fingers. Next, using a nail file, I'll shape my nails. Instead of using a seesaw motion, as this can damage your nails and cause cracking/splitting, try to file your nails in the same direction with every stroke. I prefer a rounded square shape.

Lastly, I use a nail buffer block to buff my nails. This helps the nail polish to adhere to my nails better and give a smoother surface for the polish.

Wash Your Hands

Before you get ready to paint your nails, it's important to wash your hands. Inspect for any last minute shaping or clipping.

Primer Your Nails

You can buy a nail bond primer, but I find that using rubbing alcohol is just as effective. I use a Qtip with alcohol to paint my nails clean.

Next, I use O.P.I. Infinite Shine Primer to increase nail polish adhesion and prevent discoloration. The key to applying all of the layers to your nails is not to add too much at once. You can always add another layer later to make sure there's even application. But globbing on loads of polish at once will make for uneven coats and bubbles.

Paint with Polish

My latest favorite color is Essie - "Topless and Barefoot." It's a great neutral color with a soft blush pink kiss. When I paint a layer on my nail, I will typically do one stroke down the left side, then the right side, and then down the middle. I will typically only do 2-3 coats of a single color, which is enough to make an even, solid coat.

Top Coat

There's no point to taking the time to paint your nails, and wanting to make sure they last if you don't apply a top coat. I use Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Fast Dry Nail Color, Clearly Quick. After I paint my nails, I want them to dry quickly and last a long time. Toddler Time means I'm always rough with my nails, and I need something to protect my newly painted nails. I couldn't believe how quickly this dried! I timidly poked my pinky nail to test if it was dry (expecting to see my fingerprints) but it was dry in just 1 minute! To be safe, I gave my nails a few minutes to dry and then was tackling chores with confidence that my nails would be fine.

Cuticle Oil and Lotion

To make my self-care treatment complete, I finished with Blossom Cuticle Oil and some hand lotion.

Here's a little tip: If you feel like the shine on top your top coat is starting to fade after a few days, you can reapply a new top coat.

Also, every few days, especially during winter months here in the desert, I like to reapply the cuticle oil. Apply it directly to your cuticles, and then finish with some hand lotion.

This post may contain affiliate links. Using links to these sites means I may earn a percentage of the purchase at no extra cost to you.

Fun Things to do with your Toddler

I love being a stay-at-home mom…but that doesn’t mean I always like to stay at home. So, here’s a list of free or inexpensive things you can do with your little one!

Because I live in Arizona, this will cover a list of things found in my local area but are also possibly near you too!

Barnes & Noble

Inside this bookstore there is a dedicated children’s section where they have age-appropriate toys, scheduled activities and of course, books. The store I visit is located at Chandler Fashion Center, and just outside the store there is a play place for children. This is a great option to take your children from crawling to climbing.

Crayola Experience Chandler

Over 20,000 square feet of creative fun space for you and your family. It’s also conveniently located at the Chandler Fashion Center.

Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash

Parks

I’m mentioning parks, because you might not have ever researched parks in your area until you had kids. So far, I’ve realized that not all parks are created equal. Most cater to older children with larger jungle gyms and swings, but I’ve found a couple of special ones that have play zones that Ryan can enjoy. Weather permitting, Ryan always likes going to the park.

If you’re local, the best ones I’ve been to are: Desert Breeze and Tumbleweed Park.

Children’s Museum of Phoenix.

Budget wisely, you may be able to get in for cheap or free! If you know someone who already has a membership to the museum you could get in for free or at a discount. Occasionally, Groupon will promote Buy One Get One Free offers too. Members receive free admission for 1 year from date of purchase with 2 additional general admission passes.

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix

Here is another opportunity, that if you know someone who has a membership, can offer you a free guest pass!

For me, the best part of the experience was the Butterfly Exhibit. This part of the garden is not open year-round though, so see it while you can. The seasonal exhibit educates patrons about the life stages of butterflies and what they do to support and protect them.

Ryan and his cousin loved searching for, observing and following them around. This enclosed area gave momma a break from pushing the stroller around too, so I could enjoy watching them be curious.

Photo by Andreas Dress on Unsplash

i.d.e.a Museum

i.d.e.a. Museum is great for children ages 0-12, and General Admission is only $9 for everyone age 1 and older. But if you’re a member and have a little one under 12 months of age, entry is free!

Phoenix zoo

Before heading to the zoo, I would recommend having a map first, plan your visit, and come prepared. Be sure to call ahead if you’re curious about the availability of activities.

Photo by Alexander Ross on Unsplash

SEA LIFE Arizona Aquarium

This was neat, and a great chance to escape the heat. It’s located at Arizona Mills Mall and offers Toddler Time ticket discounts on Mondays and Thursdays.

LEGO Land

If your children are a little bit older, you can walk just across from the Aquarium to LEGOLAND Discovery Center. They have a café, creative workshop and play areas, or you can just go through the shop.

There are plenty more activities to do with you children, but I hope this gives you some inspiration. It's not easy going out with kids, but if you can plan accordingly, it can be a fun trip for the whole family.

Things I wish I knew before I was Pregnant

Nothing can quite prepare you for the birth of your first child, and I guess the same goes for being pregnant.

Sure, I read all the books, followed all the "mom blogs," but when it came down to my physical, mental and emotional changes due to being pregnant, there wasn't anything that could prepare me.

Things will never be how they used to be

It used to be, that when my husband and I were tired we could just go take a nap, sleep in or sleep for 10 hours straight. Now that Ryan has been born, things are a little trickier. And that's just one example.
I also wasn't prepared for the change in the relationship with my husband. I rely on him a lot as a partner, and don't know how I would have gotten through all these changes without him. The biggest
thing we have to work on now is our communication. I'm not perfect, and my mothering hormones make me a little crazy sometimes and that's something that's been hard for me to work on.

Body Issues

I've always struggled with body issues, as I'm sure a lot of women have. No matter how many times I told myself that I'm physically building a human inside of me, this belly that I've never had before, was growing bigger every day. I still struggle with body issues now that Ryan has been born. I developed Diastasis Recti during my pregnancy so my abdominal muscles just aren't what they used to be. I also have that "Mommy Tummy" or "little pooch" as my mom refers to that is a little more stubborn to get rid of.
My husband also said the other day that I "jiggle." I know he said it in a loving way, but who wants hear that their body jiggles? UPDATE: 08/22/2018 My husband lovingly reminded me that he said, "I'm admiring your jiggle (in all the right places)" haha! Ok, he MIGHT be off the hook for that one then.

Tired

Ok, so this one is a little hard, because you know you're going to be tired. You know that your pregnancy is leading up to the birth of a newborn, and everyone knows that new parents don't get any sleep. Well, I haven't had good sleep since even BEFORE Ryan was born. I ached, could never get comfortable, Ryan was wiggling around INSIDE of me, my legs couldn't stop twitching and yes, I'm complaining. I miss sleep. Even now, I wish I were sleeping, but my body just won't let me. So, I'm here to warn you ladies out there. Even though you can't store the hours of sleep you get, like squirrels with nuts, I'm telling you, go to sleep. Enjoy a nap. Please, so I can live vicariously through you.

People Stare

I'm talking about EVERYONE stared. I would walk through a restaurant to go to the bathroom (most likely multiple times) and I could just feel everyone's eyes. That made me self-conscious and annoyed. I don't know if anyone else experienced or even noticed this, but I hated it. I'm sure people are still staring now, but I'm either too tired, or it's because there's some body fluid of Ryan's somewhere on my shirt.

Advice

You would not believe some of the advice we heard from people. One piece I thought was funny was my husband's grandmother telling me not to listen to anyone's advice (which I joked with her that I wouldn't listen to). I encouraged people to give us advice because then I could know whether or not I wanted to listen to it. What surprised me was strangers' advice. I worked at a winery and people who had no idea who I was felt compelled to tell me what I should or shouldn't be doing. It's the weirdest thing that people think, just because you're pregnant, they can tell you what to do with your baby or body.

People touch your belly

I ALMOST bought a shirt that I wanted to wear anytime I left the house that told people not to touch my belly. I had strangers come up to me in the grocery store and rub my belly. Maybe if they had asked, but even then, I don't think I was ever ok with anyone, except my husband, touching my belly.

Pregnancy Brain is real

Have you ever walked into a room and forgotten why you walked in there? Yeah, try that for nine months! I once needed to make a return to Target, which is a solid 30 minute drive away from our house...and I forgot to bring the thing I was returning. I got to the point where I had to start writing everything down. I kept a small notepad in my nightstand and would write down things that needed to get done, things I did that day, or how I was feeling. Basically, a brain dump on this notepad to try to rest a little easier.

Take More Photos

I really wish I had taken a weekly photo throughout my pregnancy. There were so many times that I felt too nauseous, tired or just not in the mood to take a photo, and now that I'm not pregnant anymore I wish I had. Not necessarily for social media sharing, but for my own reflection. When I did take photos, I spent time getting things ready. I looked up inspiration poses or photos, I set the lighting for the room, got a tripod with a Bluetooth shutter remote. I went all out when I finally took a photo, but wish I had done more.

Spring Bucket List

Spring should be celebrated with more than just cleaning and organizing. Here's what I have on my bucket list for this upcoming Spring.

Everyday Makeup Routine

I'm not going to lie, I do not own expensive makeup. I try to buy long-lasting, affordable makeup, and this is what I use for my everyday look.

Products I use: