The Iced Cupcake store review

I recently went out of town to visit a friend. We went to Katy, Texas. While there, we passed by a cute little cupcake shop that I suddenly had the urge to stop in. Granted, I didn't want to just spring my sudden desire for a rich cupcake on the two guys I was hanging out with, so I was thrilled when one of them said something about the shop instead. Yay! Of course I offered to buy everyone a cupcake if they would agree to walk across the parking lot with me and get them. Who is crazy enough to turn down a free cupcake?? Inside did seem a little dark, I'll admit. But it was a nice, clean shop with friendly staff who were very patient with my little group or undecided cupcake buyers. Prices may be considered a little high for someone who is used to making their own, but after tasting one... I can live with $3.00 a cupcake. Of course that's only applied if you buy 6 or more. And since I wanted at least two flavors (let's be real, I wanted to try almost all of them), I decided to give each of us 2. If you buy 1-5 cupcakes, they are $3.25 each. They also have sugar cookies and can do custom cakes. The presentation of each one was appealing, the taste... superb! So moist and rich in flavor. I got the Sassy Strawberry and Triple Chocolate ones. Probably shouldn't have eaten both in one sitting, but I just couldn't help myself. 
So if you are ever passing through Katy, I suggest you take a few minutes to stop by and show some love to The Iced Cupcake. I tried to check out their website, but its getting a face lift at the moment. Instead, check out their Facebook page. And where was this cupcake beauty when I was at the shop?!? 

This has been a fun summer so far

While stores are getting ready for back to school sales, I'm still finishing up the summer activities with my kiddos. The Lego store started giving away the second Lego Star Wars poster in the once-a-month promotion they run. Now until the 28th I believe, buy ANY Star Wars merchandise and you get the newest poster. 

Next one comes around July 20-26. 

Any I do mean ANY Star Wars purchase. I bought a small keychain for $5 to get mine. Plus Carlos hooked me up with a Ninjago dual-sided poster. 

After the Lego store we went to Barnes and Noble to turn in our book list and get our free books. The kids picked out some cool ones. I wish I could've gotten one...

Sadly it's one per child, per summer. They do have a great variety of books though. So get reading! And enjoy the last bit of summer. 

A busy weekend, but full of fun!

I spent Thursday night after work cleaning and making the cake. today, Friday has been spent catching up on reviews and finishing up laundry. While I was at it, I started some organizing to clean up what I have. 

This is what happens when I'm stuck with the kids at home and don't have to work. 
My oldest also finally lost that second tooth. Both of his adult teeth grew in behind his baby teeth. He was updating me daily and even hourly today on how much more "wiggly" it had gotten. Along with asking, "Mom, do you want to feel it move?" 

My daughter wanted to color her princess pictures. It has been determined that pink is most definitely her favorite color. Can you see why? 

I've taken some breaks in between. We watched John Carter since it arrived from Disney Movie Rewards. Soon we will be chasing bad guys through the wild west with the Lone Ranger! 

I love my new Star Wars book mark too! I found an article about the future Star Wars movie. December will be a special month for sure! 

I also had a chance to surf the internet. My mom clued me in to a channel on YouTube that I have now fallen in love with. Check out Story of This Life. The video for today? This is probably why divorce rates are so high in America.

Tomorrow I will take the kids to Toys R Us for a Lego building event.

And  then perhaps get a visit from my dad who flew in from Florida. And I've made a special treat for a get together with friends from my job. 

This is what I started with. 

This is how they ended up. 

They didn't come out just like they should have. 

But hopefully next time they will. 

One more thing I found that I wanted to share was this link with some very helpful hacks for cleaning. This was on the Krazy Coupon Lady blog. 

Subscription box savings

Bramble Box is offering 30% off your first box purchase.

Just use the code SUMMER30 at checkout. These boxes are designed for kids 3-8 to encourage exploration and imagination. They also come with free shipping. 

Time Saving, Creative Fun Do you wish you had more time to pull together creative activities for your kids? Let us save you some running around. Bramble box monthly subscription boxes and pretend play prop boxes for kids age 3 - 8 contain all the materials required for hours of open-ended fun; building and strengthening essential development skills. Including themed, pretend play props, crafts, activities and more! We save you time by sending mom designed activities to your door every month or just once. Encourage Open-ended Educational Play Materials are carefully selected to be versatile, to allow children to extend and elaborate on their play. Hours of fun and learning. Hand's On Activity ideas are included for additional inspiration. Each kit is designed to nurture the imagination and allow children to explore the world around them. Themed A new theme - like post office, detective, scientist, florist or community helper - every month.  Lots of Options Buy a single box or a monthly or 3, 6, 12 month subscription for extra savings. Graze is another one with a deal going on. Right now you can get your first box free to try some snacks and also get free shipping. You sign up for the subscription like normal and just have to cancel future subscriptions or if you like what you see, it will automatically deduct the amount from your payment information in the subsequent months. Its certainly a neat idea. Snacks by mail!

Mediterranean Snacks have a new product review

I love being a brand ambassador for Mediterranean Snacks. They always send such yummy treats to try out. The latest big box they sent out was filled with what they call Bean Stalks.

These are straw-like chips made from beans! Extra crunchy with that salty flavor that is still better than your leading brand chips. Plus the beans give these snacks added fiber value which is better for your digestion. You won't have colorful fingertips for your kids to decorate the furniture or their clothing with either. They use cannellini, green and pinto beans to make these. There are three flavors; BBQ,

cheddar,

and sea salt.

My kids definitely devoured the BBQ and cheddar ones first. I love the crunchy and flavorful addition they bring to our snacking habits. They have 50% less fat than regular chips. This is how its put when you pose the question, Why beans? 

"Beans have been a staple in the Mediterranean region for centuries, packed with protein and nutrients our bodies crave.

This modern day superfood, allows us to create better-for-you snacks with simple, ancient ingredients."

As a bonus, they sent me this nifty little notepad with pen.

Its perfectly pocket-sized and good for someone constantly writing while on the go! 
I sent some out to friends and family. One bag accompanied my friend and her family on the road from Texas to Florida. They sent me this picture when they stopped to snack. 

So check them out!

Gotham's vigilante comes in cake form

A friend posed a challenge to me. He knew I loved baking and that I did it quite well. So he sent me a picture of a cake with the Batman silhouette and a skyline silhouette along the sides.

He needed it for his brothers bachelor party. Of course I agreed to take his challenge. How could I not?! It's Batman, chocolate and cake all in one. First of all, it took more money and time than I anticipated. Fondant comes in a box for $10 a pop. Seriously?? And its like a brick that takes a muscled arm to get flat. I work out. I work hard. And yet, I wanted to cry. It took two days with interruptions to get everything done. And there were several bumps along the way. 
First I went searching for the images I'd need to use as stencils. 

Batman was hard to find. Everyone had protected images... Then the skyline... 

I had to re-size the images to make them cake ready. I did this two nights before needing the cake ready because I'd had practice before and knew what a pain it would be.

It takes a lot of time to get so much detail done right. 

Then came making the chocolate cake. That is usually easy. Find your favorite recipe and make it as you normally would.

My problem? The cake didn't want to exit the cake pan. Even though I sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray HEAVILY. What do my cakes do? Crumble out of the pans in pieces. 

So start over I did. Made two more round cakes. 

Finally I had two rounds to work with. I found a tip on putting fondant on cakes that said if you lightly frost the cakes, the fondant would hold better. So that's what I did. Plus it adds flavor and sweetness to a bland fondant cover. First comes the black cover. Then the white shapes over it. I also added decorating gel to the backs to hold the cutouts in place. I found that heat makes the fondant melt slightly so that it sticks better. Granted I discovered this by leaving a cake like this in a hot car while watching a movie. But still... 

It was an experience I won't soon forget. And I'm not in a rush to try again. I hope the guys enjoy it. My hands and arms are paying for it this morning. 

As a bonus, I salvaged some of the cake that I plan to enjoy later. 

Schneider pen review via Shoplet.com

Shoplet.com sent out some wonderful Schneider pens for me to review.

These Schneider pens come from a company called Stride, Inc. Stride, Inc. is a small, family owned business that is owned and operated by women. They are  an integrated workplace with 50% of their colleagues being adults with intellectual and developmental delays. These colleagues package and ship the products and when possible, hand assemble the Schneider line for distribution in the United States. They included stories with my products about how Stride, Inc. got started and how one successful employee bettered his life. They seek to help their disabled employees make "Strides" toward being independent and successful members of society. These people are able to be integrated into a more normal life without being considered a burden. Stride formed a relationship with Schneider in Germany to be the exclusive agent in the United States. They seek to be as "green" as possible to leave the "campsite better than you found it". I'm definitely loving these pens. I believe every professional should have a set of cheap pens that don't matter when they walk away. But you also need a set of nice pens that never leave your sight while leaving an impression on anyone who borrows it. Better even if that pen has an amazing story that leaves other in awe of what you support. Now to tell you about each pen. 

The Schneider Xpress .8 mm Porous Point Pen Black is a soft feeling pen that grips well in your hand.

The ink flows smoothly like velvet on the paper. It's made for documents that require a comfortable but professional look.

The Slider Basic XB 1.4 mm Viscoglide Ballpoint Pen black is a basic ball point pen.

The ink is still smooth and effortlessly applied. It has a great grip too.

The Slider Memo XB 1.4 mm Viscoglide Ballpoint Pen 4 pack colors feels the same as the Basic XB but comes in colored inks. It has a full body grip that keeps your hand comfortable.

I'd use the red one for making notations or grading papers. The other colors are purple, green, orange and pink. Those are great for notating and fun notes. This uses the same ball point Viscoglide Technology as the Slider Edge. 

The Slider Rave 1.4 mm Viscoglide Retractable Ballpoint Pen black is another ball point pen.

It has a sleek housing that offers better grip than the Basic, but writes the same. 

Lastly, I have the Slider Edge 1.4 mm Viscoglide Ballpoint Pen Black.

This one is triangle-shaped as part of the Viscoglide Technology. It allows for better fitting in your fingers and a full bodied grip to make writing comfortable. This pen is made completely without adding to the carbon footprint

Schneider is the first pen manufacturer in the world to be EMAS certified. They seek to do more to protect the world and resources. 

Want to get some pens for yourself? Or other office supplies? Check out Shoplet.com and see everything they have to offer. They also have medical supplies, office stationary, and promotional products to get your business name out there!