Making Hamentaschen for Purim: Holiday Baking with the Kids

We thought it would be fun to make Hamentaschen for Purim this year. We have baked them before but I think we skipped a year last year. I had so much going on with my family it was a crazy time.  Thank goodness everything is wonderful this year and I pray it continues that way.  My daughter received a great kid's cookbook a few years ago that we have We used a recipe from the Children's Jewish Holiday Kitchen by Joan Nathan. It has some great recipes that are fun for kids and adults alike.  We have made this recipe before and it is easily adaptable with your filling of choice.

She is getting so big she mostly did everything herself.  I love it...just a bit of help from mom here and there. Sifting ala Julia Child....err, I mean Joan Nathan below!

She had everything creamed, mixed and blended and we have our dough in 2 cylinders ready to be chilled. 

Next step is cutting, rolling and filling them.  Then shaping them into triangles mimicking the shape of evil Hamen's hat. A perfect treat for the Purim holiday.

 

Yummy and all baked up below.  I think she did an amazing job. Lots of fun too.

Beauty Box 5 Spring Cleaning March 2014 Unboxing Event @beautybox5

Disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample of the product for review purposes. The opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.

Have you heard of Beauty Box 5 yet? Beauty Box 5 is a subscription beauty box sampler that is delivered to your doorstep (or mailbox) filled with a combination of 5 brand new cosmetic samples monthly, quarterly or annually. It is a very reasonable $12 a month. It is a great new way for anyone from teens to moms to sample new cosmetic products and see what works for you. They include tips and tricks for the products on the back of this little card below to help you get the most out of your beauty samples each month.

Beauty Box 5 shared with me that they are always looking for the inside scoop on hot new items to make the best matches for your own personal taste and lifestyle.  The prices are reasonable too. You can get a Beauty Box 5 monthly for $12, quarterly for $30 or annually for just $99.  Shipping is always free.  A fun way to check out lots of the new beauty stuff out there without a whole lot of $$ investment. The great part is that if you like something, you can just up and buy the full size item, right?  Much better than buying a full size you-know-what-beauty-item and paying a fortune and then it sits in the makeup bag gathering dust because it doesn't work for you.

Beauty Box 5 mixes it up with their brands and keeps things adventurous. They source from a mix of niche, luxe, regular drugstore, vegan and eco-conscious brands.  One month you might get hair care, nail care, makeup, skin care, fragrances or even beauty accessories or a mix of any of the above.  I love the suspense!  You will get a carefully curated blend of travel, full-size and deluxe samples from their most current collection.

I just received the March Spring Cleaning Box.  Like all of us they are making room by tossing old makeup and ending those bad habits.  Think about focusing on the top beauty goal:  clean, gorgeous skin. Here is the scoop on the fresh goodies that were in this cute little box:

The first item in the pretty little box was Tree Hut Shea Body Butter in Coconut Lime. I love that it is certified organic Shea Butter with natural lime and coconut extracts. The tropical scent just takes me straight to a vacation on the beach in the Caribbean. AMAZING!! The 2oz size is perfect for traveling or stashing in your purse. Smells absolutely heavenly and moisturizes like crazy.  You must try this one. Excellent if you like a well scented product.

Jane's Pick All Natural Handmade Bar Soap was a new to me item. It was neatly wrapped in cellophane and a perfect size for a weekend getaway. Full of shea butter, hemp seed oil, coconut oil, palm oil, avocado oil and essential oils.  Smells light and clean and very moisturizing. I loved the fact that it is made in the U.S.A.  You know I love to support our own economy.

Have you ever tried h2O+ products?  They are amazing!  We all need something to get our hands back in shape after this harsh winter and this is another perfect product to help with the cause.  h2O+ created a super moisturizing Targeted Cream for hand and nail care. A travel size perfect for the purse or a weekend getaway. You can even stash this one in your desk drawer at work.  Use it before a client meeting so you can shake hands with confidence.  It feels great but the scent is not as exciting as I would like. On the other hand, it is good for work because the scent is very light and not overpowering. Good for times when you need moisture but you don't want a heavy scent.

We all need a little help here and there right?  The BellaPierre Makeup Base is just the perfect solution.  I always need a little extra in my eye area to camoflage my lack of enough sleep (another bad habit!)  BellaPierre is a London based company that is new to me.  It evens everything out and gives you a bright clean start to every day. I used it several times this week and it worked well to quiet down those under eye circles.  No discernable scent and very nice coverage.

Swissco has been around just forever and they have excellent tools for face and body care.  I really like them. This Dual sided Facial Pad is from their spa collection.  Perfect for removing all the day's makeup and getting a fresh start before applying all your creams, potions and lotions...maybe those serums too.  They seem to absorb much better when you really have a clean face. Perfect size to get your hands around as well. This was easy to used and helped get my face fresh.

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

SoxxyAir Makes a Fashion Splash with Gorgeous Trends in Compression Sox Plus a Special 20% Discount

Disclosure:  I will receive a pair of SoxxyAir Kitty Hawk compression socks for sharing this information. As always, my opinions are my own. Powered by BrandBacker.

I play hard, work out hard and unfortunately am hard on my legs and feet. I still insist on looking great everyday in every single way. It has been a challenge to find great looking socks and hosiery that provides some good support. Who wants to look 95 years old when you work so hard to keep fit and eat a healthy diet?  I was excited to hear about SOXXY AIR.  They are a new brand that insists on providing fashion and support for everyone.  This is a company that has created a line of gorgeous, fashionable and supportive footwear for casual and dress.  Soxxy has a whole line of ankle sox, leggings, thigh high sox and compression sox.

SOXXY AIR not only provides hip looks, colors and styles, they also are a charitable brand.  I love that!  SoxxyAir has partnered with five wonderful charities and created some trend conscious new designs.  SoxxyAir is launching via the super popular crowd funding site Indiegogo.  Take a peek at their amazing and fun video and consider making a contribution to this excellent campaign via Indiegogo.  You can support a great cause that is aiming to support your legs!

Soxxy Air is the only stylish compression sock that gives back to charitable causes. Think about it:  you can support a cause AND support your legs. Look great while you are doing it too which makes any contribution to SoxxyAir a totally win-win for everyone. 

   

Soxxy founder, Sarah Stabile is part inventor, entrepreneur and marketer. In 2011, she pulled out her handy glue gun and began drawing X's and O's on the inside top rim of her sox in order to prevent them from slipping. Smart girl...wish I had thought of that! Things progressed quickly to fashionable stripes, spots and metallics in a variety of hip colors.  Appropriate sox for fitness, fashion and fun are now something totally doable now.  Soxxy takes ho-hum hosiery and combines performance and high fashion to bring it all to a new level.  Their unique patented XO Grip holds your socks where you want them all day long. No drooping or yanking. The silicone X’s and O’s on the inside top rim of the socks are your little secret.

Think about how fashionable you can be flying out on your next vacation or business trip while keeping your legs comfy.  Compression sox are the perfect airplane solution to puffy legs and feet. Do you stand or walk around frequently for work?  SoxxyAir compression sox can make your day more fashionable and comfortable as well.  Soxxy even has super hot thigh-high sox which look totally on trend with the latest knee high boots.  Check out the whole line of Soxxy leggings and SoxxyAir compression sox on their website. 

Get more scoop and follow SoxxyAir on all your favorite social networks:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoxxySocks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Soxxysocks
Instagram: http://instagram.com/soxxysocks
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/soxxysocks/

You can read more about the charities that SoxxyAir supports here. Check them out and consider supporting this great new company via Indigogo.  Meanwhile hop on over to SoxxAir and choose your fave styles and scoop them up at a 20% discount.  Use the code:  SoxxyAirs

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I will receive one or more of the products or services mentioned above in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe would be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255:  "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

New Purex® Crystals Limited Edition Fabulously Fresh for All Your Laundry Needs {Giveaway}

Disclosure:  I received the product mentioned above for free for the purpose of this review as a member of the Purex Insiders. I was not financially compensated for this post but I am entered into a giveaway for an Amazon gift card for $500 or $20.  All opinions are my own, based on my personal experience with the product.  However, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Are you just aching for spring?  I am...I keep hoping and someone has finally come through for me this year. Not Mother Nature yet but Purex has been carefully thinking about us and has come up with a solution to speed thingsup a tiny bit. 

Bring on Spring with a Fabulously Fresh Wardrobe Sweepstakes along for all of us in a beautiful way. The New Purex® Crystals Limited Edition Fabulously Fresh is the latest Purex® Brand laundry enhancer crafted to totally enhance your everyday laundry experience.  Brings a touch of spring into your home any time of the year!

I was totally amazed by the gorgeous violet, deep fuschia and spring green colors on the bottle.  Beautiful flowers climb up the container from top to bottom.  The bottle is so pretty you could actually leave it out and use it to add a bit of glamour to your laundry room!  This limited edition bottle and scent will add a colorful escape to your laundry day.

To celebrate the release of the New Purex® Crystals Limited Edition Fabulously Fresh, the Purex® brand is celebrating with the Bring on Spring with a Fabulously Fresh Wardrobe Sweepstakes. One grand prize winner will receive $1,000 and a year’s supply of Purex® Crystals Limited Edition Fabulously Fresh while 100 2nd place winners will receive a coupon for free Purex® Crystals Limited Edition Fabulously Fresh!  Think about what a beautiful spring wardrobe you could get with $1,000. Enter to win today!

Don't forget to enter my own Rafflecopter giveaway here for a free coupon to get your own Purex Crystals!  Good luck to all.a Rafflecopter giveaway