CrystalandComp.com

26 Family Friendly Valentine Breakfast Ideas

Are you whipping up something fantastic for your kiddos or family for Valentine’s Day?

You can really make it a special day by kicking it off with a special breakfast for those that you love the most. My kiddos love themed food so preparing a wonderful Valentine’s Day breakfast is a must. If you are searching for the perfect recipe to fit your morning check out these 25 lovely Valentine breakfast ideas.

26 Family Friendly Valentine Breakfast Ideas

1. Heart shaped pancakes are so easy to make and the kids love them! Crystal & Co.

2. This Berrylicious Rainbow Smoothie is a healthier kick start to your Valentine’s morning. Heather Christo

3. Make these yummy Strawberry Donuts for your favorite Valentines crowd and they are sure to be a hit! Rhodes Bread

4. Give these Heart Shaped Waffles a try that you can easily add in some toasted pecans or cinnamon swirl. Daisy At Home

5. You can never go wrong with a good Valentine Pancake Recipe that is so delicious. The Lily Pad Cottage

6. These Raspberry Cream Cheese Heart Tarts are wonderful substitute for traditional pop tarts and a great sweet! Weelicious

7. Make these Bacon Hearts for your Valentine for a protein pick me up in the morning. The Paper Mama

8. Strawberry Crunch Pie for breakfast on my! Your family will be in heaven and for this day you can make an exception! Diethood

9. My kids absolutely love this Egg In The Hole Idea and why not make it heart shaped for the day. Weelicious

10. Combine the best sweets for breakfast and whip up these Sweetheart Jelly Donuts Muffins for your family. The Kitchen Prep

11. Indulge in these delicious Heart Shaped Cinnamon Rolls that are packed with ooey gooey flavor. Cake & Allie

12. Kick start your day in the right way with a healthier tribute to Valentine’s Day with some simple Pink Yogurt! Weelicious

13. Make this Raspberry Vanilla Coffee Cake that is a deliciously sweet treat for breakfast with of course your favorite cup of coffee. Skinny Mom

14. Holy moly! These Smashed Raspberry Chocolate Pancakes are excitingly sweet for your Valentine. Joy The Baker

15. Who knew that you could make Heart Shaped Biscuits and of course have your favorite jam or jelly as a additive. Around My Family Table

16. Strawberries are coming back into seasons so making these Strawberry and Cream Muffins will be perfect! Squirrel Bakes

17. Check out these French Toast Sausage Rolls Ups that your family will want every day after Valentine’s Day! Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice

18. Make these Nutella Mini Pancake Kabobs for s semi sweet but healthy breakfast. Concinando con Alena

19. Put a spin on french toast with this French Toast Roll Up Recipe filled with Nutella and strawberries. Made From Pinterest

20. These adorable Roasted Heart Potatoes are a perfect addition to your breakfast fixins’. Complete Recipes

21. This French Toast With Strawberry Butter adds just enough sweet to your loved one’s breakfast. Land O Lakes

22. What better way to say I love you than Pink Hot Chocolate and the kids will love it. Simply Kierste

23. These Red Velvet Pancakes are an indulgent way to start off your Valentine’s Day morning. Cooking Classy

24. Your family will absolutely adore this Cranberry Orange French Toast Casserole that is simple delicious. Taste and Tell

25. The kiddos will love this Sausage Heart made with an all time favorite breakfast food. Fab DIY

26 If you need a quick out the door breakfast this Valentine’s Day Heart Toast Idea of perfect! One Little Project

Are you making a delicious breakfast from the heart this Valentine’s Day? Share your ideas!

SaveSave

The Best Meals To Bring To New Moms

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 9 Comments

Having a new baby in the house is such a special time. We all know the exhaustion for both parents that follows after coming home can cause a serious brain fog. The last thing a new parent wants or needs to worry about is dinner.

Do you know someone who is expecting or just had a baby? Are you stuck on just what to take to help out with dinner? Maybe you’ve signed up to bring a meal but you’re just not sure what to make.

Here are the best meals to bring to new moms that will take the headache out of dinner!

Best Meals to Bring to New Moms

1. This Broccoli Pasta Dish is seriously so easy and even better when you throw in some chicken! Such a great idea any new mom would be grateful for. Crystal & Co

2. You can never go wrong with a classic Chicken Pot Pie made from scratch. Crystal & Co

3. The flavors and combinations of this Chicken Tamale Pie are s cheesy surprise will be super satisfying for a new mom. A Pinch of Yum

4. Making Crockpot Carnitas is super simple and you can freeze the leftovers for an additional meal! The Stay At Home Chef

5. These Lasagna Rollups are a perfect take on lasagna are super tasty with added veggies! Pair this with a fruit salad for a great meal combo! Crystal & Co

6. Make pizza something special with this Pizza Breads using French bread. Pennywise Mama

7. This Chicken Spaghetti is somewhat of a Tex-Mex version but a wonderful dish for a new mom! You could even use spaghetti squash for this if you wanted. The Best Blog

8. Check out this Creamy Southwest Chicken Alfredo that is absolutely divine. Good Cook

9. Whip up this Taco Soup on your stove top and take to mom. the leftovers can be made into nachos! Crystal & Co

10. A classic Mozzarella Stuffed Meatloaf is wonderful and a perfect mom friendly dish. Adding a side of roasted vegetables would be delish! Savory Nothings

11. Chicken Enchiladas are a super simple and they are creamy and delicious and freezer friendly. Centsless Meals

12. Sometimes mom just wants an yummy Honey Mustard Chicken Salad and this one is fabulous! Cafe Delights

13. Cheesy Broccoli Chicken Casserole is absolutely amazing meal ideas and a mom favorite! Jo Cooks

14. Check out this easy Chili recipe that is so tasty and includes beans! Crystal & Co

15. Mississippi Roast is another crockpot meal perfect for mom and the flavor is amazing! Add your favorite veggies from the farmers market to round out this meal. The Country Cook

16. This Chicken Orzo Soup is so delicious with a creamy based broth and loaded with chicken and orzo. You could even whip up some egg salad and sandwich rolls to go perfectly with the soup. Crystal & Co

17. This Slow Cooker Pot Roast reminds me of childhood and mom will love it too! Crystal & Co

18. Chicken Noodle Soup is like comfort food for the soul and perfect for a new mom! Love Grows Wild

19. You can’t go wrong with Stuffed Shells with ricotta, spinach, and cheese. Yum! Craving Some Creativity

20. Cobb Salad is a great main dish loaded with protein and veggies! Diethood

21. This Cheesy Tater Tot Casserole is a complete make ahead dish sure to please a crowd! Chew Out Loud

22. Make these Crockpot Chicken and Noodles for a true comfort food! Crystal & Co

23. This Chicken Potato Casserole is easy and a great all in one dish! Crystal & Co

24. I absolutely love this Indiana Chowder recipe that is the perfect beef and noodle recipe. Make a loaf of banana bread for them to also snack on later. Crystal & Co

25. This Chili Mac is seriously the best ever and mom will totally love it! All She Cooks

Request to join our Get Dinner on the Table Group over on Facebook for more great recipes and kitchen resources for moms!

Have an amazing dish for a new mom? Share your best ideas!

Freezer Meal Plans

Have you ever made freezer meals for a new mom? Seriously, the best give they can ever receive. Here is our six week freezer meal plan which is full of recipes our families loves!

This includes week by week recipes with assembly instructions and shopping lists.

SaveSave

How to Declutter Your Home

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

Clutter can be absolutely debilitating and something that takes over your life. I know, I’ve been there. You likely feel overwhelmed all the time.

I am going to share my best tips with you for how to declutter your home.

We are a large blended family. We currently have six kids at home, all boys. We have three grown children as well.

For over a decade we raised our large family in a home that was 1800 square feet. That is with the garage being converted to add two extra bedrooms, an extra bathroom and a decent sized laundry room. But, as you can imagine, 1800 square feet is not a lot of space for a family our size.

Clutter creeped into our lives over that decade of blending and growing our family.

This past year we moved our large family to a home that is 3800 square feet. It has been a blessing to have space for everyone and every thing. We homeschool so our kids are home all day long. It’s so overwhelming when everyone is on top of each other.

While we don’t have a space problem anymore, I worry about clutter creeping into this house. I know I have to stay on top of it.

Here are some tips on how we decluttered before we moved and ways to make changes in your life to keep clutter at bay.

Decluttering Supplies:

Hear me out. Once you get your house decluttered you will be more productive. The clutter in your home is cluttering your life and your mind. Clutter will affected you in every aspect of your life. Trust me!

Here is a list of things you want to ensure you have on hand as you begin to declutter.

Yes, you may need to buy a few things to help you clobber clutter. Consider purchasing the following items to help you prepare to de-clutter. (You may not need any of the following items. However, they could help you declutter quickly and effectively.)

Cleaning supplies (scroll down to see the cleaning supplies I use)
Cardboard boxes
Magic markers, sharpies
Adhesive backed labels, post-it notes
Moving labels
Plastic bins with lids- to put the items in as you categorize
Clear glass jars
Stepping stool, 3 step ladder
Trash bags

Decluttering Rules

Honestly, if you need help reach out to someone. My mom helped me a lot. So did one of my sister-in-laws.

Here are the “rules” I want you to keep in mind as you go along. Call them guidelines if you want so you don’t feel so constrained. Just keep them all at the front of your mind.

Declutter at least one thing per day
Try setting timer- do 15 minute increments of decluttering for example
Don’t get overwhelmed- acknowledge every little steps helps
Either trash, recycle, organize or donate items- use boxes for this
Start with the easiest items that will bring you wins
Be prepared to let go of things
Let go of the shame
From now on, one new thing in means one old thing out
Acknowledge how clutter makes you feel

What I Use to Clean My Kitchen

Here is a look at some of the specific cleaning items I use in my kitchen and other places in my house.

A Clutter Free System

Start in 10 or 20 minute chunks, tackling small areas. Don’t bounce around from one project to another. Stay on one decluttering area until it is finished, or until you have reached your time limit. If you can go longer, do so.

Begin on the room where you spend the most time or where you can get the biggest win. If the majority of your time at home is spent in the living room, decluttering this area first will provide the most benefits and the biggest win. When that room is finished, focus on the next room that will bring you the biggest win.

Always remain realistic. Let’s face it, if you have lived in a cluttered environment your whole life, you realistically will not be able to declutter over a weekend. It’s like water on a stone, you just keep going. Do the next thing. Be proud of your accomplishments. Remember that over time your daily efforts will pay off in a really big way.

Have a family member whom you do not feel judge by be an accountability partner for you that you can check in with weekly. Send them pictures of your success each week/day.

Decluttering Tips

This is hard, especially for blended families. We all want to keep everything. There are emotional attachments to all of our things. We all want a piece of control and a sense of control.

Many people struggle with what to keep, what to get rid of and what to donate. This is an area that can bring us right back to step one if we are not aware of these areas. Let’s take a look at some simple tips that will help you how to decide whether or not you should hang onto or discard something.

Is it broken? If so, is it worth fixing?
Has this item been used in the last year? If not, will it be used in the near future? Honestly if it has not been used in the last 3 months it’s worth considering that you donate it.
Would it be expensive or difficult to replace?
Am I keeping it because it would be harder to get rid of it?
Would I prefer this item, or would I rather have the space it is taking up?
If I were moving to across state (like we did) would it be something I would take with me?
Is there someone who can enjoy this item or benefit from it more than I am?
Do I have other things that serve the same purpose?
Is it even practical anymore?

How to Clean as You Declutter

The best way for me to ensure that I always have cleaning supplies on hand is to order them online and have them delivered to my front door. I have been a Grove customer for years.

My favorite things to order from them are Mrs Meyers, Method and Grove.

Here is my order for January month. I love that they pay attention to the things I order and remind me when I am about to run out so I can ensure they make it on my next order.

Grove has an amazing offer right now through the end of January. You get three free Mrs. Meyer’s products, a Grove brand caddy, a Grove brand scrubber (these things are awesome!), free shipping and a free VIP trial.

I chose the rosemary scent. I also love the basil, mum, peppermint, orange clove and peony. The last four scents are seasonal, but rosemary and basil are my trusted standbys.

The caddy is super awesome for keeping under the kitchen sink or bathroom sinks so you’re not running all over the place looking for cleaners.

I have the scrubber and it’s a great product.

As you declutter your kitchen these will come in very handy!

These Method wood cleaners are AMAZING!

The prices are cheaper on Grove than buying them at Target and the free shipping makes it a no brainer.

The spray bottle on the left is what I use to clean my farm style kitchen table. It’s like it conditions as you clean. No stripping your wood. And it has a clean almond scent to it.

I also use this spray cleaner for cleaning my kitchen cabinet doors and my coffee table top. (Ignore those Cheerios on the bench below. Grace my friends…. six kids at home.)

The squirt bottle on the right is the same scent, but it is for cleaning your wood floors. No diluting, you just squirt it on your floor and mop it up. My floors look amazing!

I go through one bottle of the table cleaner per month and I actually have a refill for the floor cleaner that I buy every other month and it refills the squirt bottle 2.5 times.

This antibacterial bathroom cleaner…. I have six boys at home. Need I say more? I hose the toilet seats down with this multiple times a week in all four of our bathrooms.

I also spray down the floor and the base of each toilet with this. LOVE it!

This month was my first time to try Hello toothpaste and mouthwash from Grove.

I have wanted to try charcoal toothpaste for a while and one of my 12 year old twins is obsessed with mouthwash and toothpaste.

I bought the spearmint mouthwash and toothpaste for him, the watermelon flavor for the 2 and 4 year old to share (no fluoride) and the charcoal for me and my husband.

This is not something that is typically on my order, but I thought I would give it a try. As much as I can streamline by purchasing online with free shipping, I am happy.

This was my freebie this month that came along with my purchase. Every clean decluttered house needs a great smelling candle.

There were other things in my order like the all natural deodorant, Grove cleaner, a scrubbing brush to use on the grout for the tile floors in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Get started with Grove here and get all the freebies!

Grove Unboxing Video

Here is my Grove unboxing from last month to give you an idea of what that looks like. I also share some of my clutter concerns, fears and story in the video.

Declutter Checklists

I created these checklists to make it easier for you as you work to declutter. These are made with blended families in mind, but they work perfect for anyone who is struggling with decluttering and getting things in order in their lives.

Click here to download these checklists and to be added to our cleaning and organizing list.

Why we have homeschooled using Sonlight for 6 years

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

Six (and a half) years ago we began our homeschool journey. I was scared. I had no idea if this was something I could do, obviously many reservations.

But my husband believed in me. And this is what he really wanted for our kids.

I had a close friend who had used Sonlight for years for her family. I knew it was literature based learning. I trusted her love for their curriculum, but I still wanted to know what my options were.

Let me share our journey to getting started with homeschooling and how Sonlight became the spotlight and it’s a decision I’ve never looked back on. You might see this as a Sonlight homeschooling curriculum review, but it is our story.

When our twins turned five (they are now 12 and a half) I was not ready to make a curriculum decision. I was still very overwhelmed about making a choice. We waited an extra year and my husband agreed schooling would start when they turned 6.

We spent time researching and reading up on everything we could find. We would ask other homeschool families what they used and loved and get as much feedback as we could. We live in Texas and the homeschool population here is pretty high. You find someone every where you turn who homeschools in this great big state. I asked lots of questions.

In the spring when our twins turned 6 it was time to really come to a decision. I just felt like I needed to touch and feel different options.

That spring there was a Homeschool Convention in North Texas and someone had mentioned it would be a great thing for me to attend. Different curriculums would be set up with their products allowing us to get a hands on feel for them.

I knew Sonlight would be at that event, but I wanted to see them last because I felt like I already knew a bit about them from my close friend who had homeschooled. While I never watched what a day in the life was like for her homeschool life from morning to evening (she lived almost an hour from me), we talked a lot about the ins and outs.

I went from booth to booth asking lots of questions. Finally, after a full day I arrived at the Sonlight booth. And do you know who was there? Luke, the creators son who grew up being homeschooled with Sonlight, and a set of homeschooling parents who had just wrapping up their first year.

Of course I took the opportunity to chat with the family. I had so many questions. I wanted to know if they went into this overwhelmed? Was it hard to keep up? How did they manage? How did they know what to do?

The mom said, “Take a look at these instructor guides. They map everything out.”. The IG is essentially 36 weeks of lesson plans all done for you. Everything is broken down by subject. This mother was so nice and answered every question I had. We were strangers, but had a common connection. We both genuinely wanted what was best for our kids.

I then spent some time chatting with Luke. Remember, he was raised on this curriculum and if you don’t know the story of how is parents created it while being missionaries overseas I encourage you to look up that story. It’s amazing.

I walked out of that booth KNOWING what I was going to do!

A deeper look at the Instructor’s Guide shows step by step what to do and even what to say on some levels if you need that.

Now, these pictures are from D+E curriculum which focuses on an American History theme, but you get the idea.

I can tell you that first year of homeschooling Kinder was one of my favorites. I felt like I learned more that Kindergarten year learning with my kids than I did when I was a little girl in school.

To give you an idea of what a school year looks like, Sonlight homeschool curriculum is a boxed set. Yes, you can buy things ala carte, but what helped me in my journey was the fact that I could buy an entire school year as a boxed set. This brought me peace.

If you want, you can buy all subjects at one time. This includes Bible, Language Arts, Spelling, History, Geography, Math and Science.

Like I said earlier their curriculum is literature based which means this is a learning style that focuses a great deal on reading. The stack of books in my first image is just some of the great books you get in one year of learning. What an amazing way to build your family library, but also these books can be read again and again for years to come. Some of these books are readers and read alouds.

There are books you will read together as a family- these are called read alouds.

There are books the kids will read independently, those are readers. Everything is outlined in an easy to understand way in your guide. The way the guide is set up, you do not have to read all of the books your kids are reading to know if they are on point. The Instructors Guide tells you what you need to know about each book. They do a great job speaking to you as the parent and also as the instructor.

In our new home we have a loft upstairs. This is where we do our homeschooling. There is a sofa and a love seat (that we bought used on Facebook) that make the perfect spots for curling up with their read aloud books. My kids love this space!

I also acknowledge that each of my children have different gifts. While Luke loves to read, his twin brother loves to tinker. Science and Math are subjects that bring him joy.

Everything I need to teach Science is all in one place. The books and the manipulatives… plus all the details of how to teach it are in the Instructors Guide.

This is so helpful especially for a mom with many kids who is pulled in many directions. I don’t have to have a teaching degree to teach my children.

Can you tell Science excites him? This is the kid who has literally taught himself stop motion, taught himself how to create a youTube gaming channel and more. Sonlight allows me to foster these gifts in my children.

What about Math?

Here is the deal- a few things that scared me when we were in the process of deciding on homeschooling were teaching them to read and teaching them things like multiplication.

Sonlight offers multiple options for teaching Math. You can see the teachers lesson book below.

It’s easy to follow along.

This year I am hack to using Horizons for all of our boys, which is what I started with our very first year.

For a few years we did use Teaching Textbooks. I personally loved using them. All of the instruction is done by a teacher via CD and then the book work is done by the student.

Our high school age son loves learning this way.

Our twins did not.

That is the beautify of using Sonlight. I can get everything delivered to me in one large kit, but it can be customized according to our needs.

And because I am a hands on learner and my kids are hands on learners, the manipulatives for Science and Math are amazing.

Remember, learning does not always happen inside of a book or on a worksheet. Using our hands is just as important, I have found.

What would I tell a mom who is scared to homeschool or has reservations?

I would tell her Sonlight is what helped me understand I could do this.

They make it manageable and took the overwhelm and pressure out of taking on being the primary educator for our children.

This is why we have stuck with it year after year. Even after adopting two boys. Moving across Texas. Being a mom who runs multiple businesses from home. Sonlight makes it something I can be successful at.

I want to leave you with this….

That alphabet written on the chalkboard was not done by me. That was done by Luke, one of my 12 year old twins, who wanted to teach our 2 year old his ABC’s. He took it upon himself to want to teach Jack. I love the love for learning that he has. This same boy has learned how to play the guitar. He has sat down and tried to teach my husband (his Daddy) how to play. To hear him teach his dad, encourage him, celebrate successes and gently critique, is one of the sweetest things I have possibly ever witnessed. I tell you this because I see that even Luke at the age of 12 knows he can teach his dad a skill that some might see complex or too hard. Luke who struggles with anxiety and overwhelm is teaching his dad at 51 a new skill.

I tell you this because I want you to remember, we are born to learn. Inside of us is the ability to teach others what we know- maybe it is guitar, maybe it is math. No matter what I want you to remember you are your child’s first teacher. And someday they just might be teaching you.

You can do it!!

Large Family Meal Planning Week 255

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 1 Comment

If you are a big family wanting to save money, meal planning is the place to start.

Large family meal planning at my house includes slow cooker meals, stove top dinners, freezer meals and even utilizing the Instant Pot.

I prefer weekly meal planning. Doing more than one week at a time overwhelms me, so one week at at is what I have done for ten years now.

Here are the recipes we’re making this week. They are all great ideas for any size family, but especially a large family!

Large Family Meal Plan

What I have found works best for me is to make a list of the meals I am going to make for the week. Each night I decide what I want to make tomorrow for dinner- we don’t go in order. You will notice I don’t assign a day of the week to any of my meals. The night before I lay out whatever needs to be defrosted from the freezer to make tomorrow nights meal.

Chicken and Dumplins– I used shredded cooked chicken that I batch cooked last Friday and froze into 2 cup portions. This made making dinner this particular night, super easy!! The recipe I linked to for the chicken and dumplins is one I follow as a base. I add milk with my broth I don’t use boxed broth. The dumplins are spot on. Such a tasty recipe. My boys like to eat this with crackers. So good!!

Chicken Noodle Casserole– this is a freezer meal I only have to defrsost and pop in the oven. You can get the recipe in our December freezer meal pack. The recipe uses up leftover turkey that you may have from Thanksgiving or Christmas, but I just used chicken. I will serve this with our favorite Sister Schubert’s rolls. We love them!!

Beef and Macaronni Soup– this is a freezer meal from December as well. So delicious! I added 2 cans of black beans to stretch the meal out and to thicken it up at bit. Serve it with tex mex cornbread or sweet cornbread. Eat the leftovers for lunch!

Zucchini Lasagna– I saw a friend on FB post about making this the other day. It looked so good and I had been wanting to try it for a long time as my SIL has talked about making lasagna this way many times. I am going to use ground Italian sausage, but you can use ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version. Serving this with salad and garlic bread.

Taco Night– because it’s easy! Especially when you have precooked beef in the freezer.

Leftover Buffet– use em up!

Other Meal Ideas

If you like some of the recipes I shared above but want other options, here are a few to consider.

If you love having a weekly taco night, but you like to switch things up a little bit, here are a few alternatives: Slow Cooker Lentil Tacos or Creamy Chicken Soft Tacos.
If you want to make lasagna but you need it to cook fast, try Lasagna Roll Ups. They are so easy to make and cook super fast!
If you love chicken noodles recipes and they feel like comfort food to you, we have a list of twenty five different ideas.

Batch Cooking Beef and Chicken

Last Friday I did a FB live showing how I batch cook 10 pounds of ground beef and how to make two large rotisserie chickens at home in the slow cooker so you can have 8-10 coups of cooked chicken in your freezer. You can watch the video here and cook along with me to fill your freezer and make weeknight dinners easier. To watch the video you will need to join our group, Get Dinner on the Table. We will approve you ASAP. In the group we share recipes, live cooking videos, helpful tips and solutions to help moms get dinner on the table. If you need accountability, encouragement, recipes ideas or tips for making dinner time easier, it really is a great group to join. I am a real mom with six kids still at home. My videos are not professionally shot with full hair and makeup done. I am real.

Grocery Budget Help

If you are on a tight budget and needing to streamline spending, your grocery budget is the very first place to look.

For me what keeps me on budget, prevents me from impulse shopping and helps me know what I am spending every time I add something to the cart without carrying a calculator around with me, is online grocery shopping.

I have been using Walmart Grocery pickup for two years now. Below is my video of my last grocery pickup so you can see what that process looks like. Again, real life. Messy car. No makeup. You get it.

InstantPot Whole 30 Recipes

Do you have an electric pressure cooker and want to utilize it to get dinner on the table fast? We love using our InstantPot. For years I’ve used the 6 quart but just recently ordered the 8qt for our large family of eight.

If you are looking for some delicious recipes to get healthy recipes on the table for your family you should try these twenty-two Whole 30 InstantPot Recipes. This instant download will help you get dinner on the table fast!

What is on your meal plan this week? I would love to know!

28 Creative Valentines Your Kiddo Can Make

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 4 Comments

Valentine’s Day is so much fun for the kiddos!

Handing out candy and some cute messages to friends and family is always a highlight. There are tons of great ways to create your own Valentines without spending a bunch of money at the store. Plus, you can get really creative!

Handmade Valentine cards for kids completely surpass any that are ever bought at the store and with help from the kids they can give their friends and even family some true artwork!

Homemade Valentine Cards for Kids

1. These homemade valentine cards use celery and paint to make a rose. Super cute! Crystal & Co.

3. Assembling these Glow Stick Heart and Arrow Valentines is super easy and the kids can even practice their scissor skills! Mama Pappa Bubba

4. These hands on Puffy Painted Heart Pouches make some amazing Valentines for friends and family! Scrumdilly-Do

5. This Owl Love theme has several options for creating some terrific owl related messages for friends. Kids Activities Blog

6. These Handmade Love Bug Lollipop Valentines are absolutely adorable and perfect for the younger crowd! The Jenny Evolution

7. Any toddler will love this I Wheelie Love You Valentine featuring some cool wheelie marks. Toddler Approved

8. Incorporate some really creative fun for your Valentine with this You Color My Heart Idea. A Mom With A Lesson Plan

9. These Sewn Valentines require some assistance by you but the outcome is super creative and great for older kids. Housing A Forest

10. What better gift to give a special Valentine than this awesome Handmade Bookmark. The Educator’s Spin On It

11. Make these Crayon Mustache Valentines that are assembled on a stick with a cute message. Fireflies and Mudpies

12. If you want something completely geared towards boys then these Toad-ally Awesome Boy Valentines are perfect. Frugal Fun For Boys

13. Want something candy free but with some added fun? These Secret Message Valentines are so cool! Teach Mama

14. You can really encourage some fine motor skills with these String Art Yarn Cards that turn out in really fun heart designs. Hello, Wonderful

15. These sweet little Hershey Kiss Mice are a great and super cute Valentine to give out. Practically Functional

16. Share some bubbles with friends with this Bubble Valentine Idea that includes a handy printable to attach. The Nerd’s Wife

17. With a tiny bit of recycling these Handmade Valentine Pails will be a cinch to hand out to friends. Just fill with candy! Saving The Family Money

18. These Kool-Aid Valentines are super awesome and this one comes with a printable too! Blue Skies Ahead

19. Simply attach some inexpensive gumballs to this handy printable to make these Gumball Machine Valentines. Living With Three Moon Babies

20. These Bouncey Ball Valentines are a perfect non candy Valentine for anyone. Crafting Chicks

21. This Valentine Hugger Idea is so cute and the kiddos can decide what candy to attach for friends. Lia Griffith

22. Your little ones will have so much fun with this Shaving Cream Valentine that is totally awesome hands on fun! Mess For Less

23. These cute Watercolor Valentines are a great handmade craft and Valentine for any kiddo that absolutely loves painting. Nest of Posies

24. This Handprint Monkey Valentine is perfect for an afternoon of crafting and an adorable idea! Crafty Morning

25. These Stained Glass Valentine Cards are a simple activity with tissue paper and a few other materials. Sun Hats & Wellie Boots

26. Create these Cosmic Heart Valentines that use a simple glossy paint recipe provided. I Heart Arts and Crafts

27. The smaller crowd will love making these Noodle Valentines that make perfect jewelry too! The Alison Show

28. This I Love You To Pieces Valentine is a great personalized gift and the inside can include a sweet message. I Can Teach My Child

29. Check out these You’re The Bomb! handmade Valentines that incorporate just a few candy pieces and simple materials! Frugal Fun For Boys

30. These cute All-In-One Valentines are the perfect cut out heart all in one unique folded piece. Tinkerlab

Are you sorting out something awesome to make for Valentine’s Day? Share your ideas!

Valentine Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez Leave a Comment

Have you ever made a Valentine cookie cake? It’s super easy and so festive. We also include the icing recipe for decorating your cookie cake.

Something I love about this recipe is you can make it for your family at home, for a sweet date night treat, for your kiddos classroom party at school, your homeschool party, a get together, the list goes on and on. Really the options are endless!

I also love that it can be customized for any holiday and even for a birthday. Kids love cookie cakes for their birthday! Cookie, plus cake… it’s like the best of both worlds!

If you’re on the hunt for Valentine cake recipes you’ve come to the right place!

Every time I am at the mall I see these cakes and remind myself this is something easy enough that I can make at home.

You know the ones… with all the chocolate chips and the decorative icing on top.

What kid does not love these cakes?

I thought a Valentine inspired chocolate chip cookie cake would be so much fun to create.

And, you can even get the kids involved if you want! They will love making a Valentines Day cookie cake and practicing measuring and mixing and being a part of the experience.

Let me show you just how easy this is to make.

First you want to gather up your ingredients.

Cookie Cake Ingredients:

1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup french vanilla instant pudding mix
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp milk
1 ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Icing Ingredients:

⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp cocoa
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk
OPTIONAL candy melts and sprinkles for garnish

Here is how you make it. Get the kids to help. It can be a great learning experience!

Directions:

Start by preheating the oven to 350F degrees.

Grab some cooking spray and spray your cookie pan. The cook times for this recipe are identified based on using a 9 in round baking dish. If you use a different size baking dish you will need to adjust the cook time.

Now, let’s start mixing.

Grab a medium bowl and combine flour, baking soda, salt, and pudding mix.

Set it aside.

Grab a large bowl and beat together the butter and sugars until they are fluffy.

Next, add in the egg and the vanilla. Beat them on a medium speed until well mixed.

Now you want to fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Add the milk until combined well.

Finally, let’s fold in the chocolate chips.

Once it’s well combine you want to press the cookie dough into baking dish.

No worries, you can wash your hands when you’re done!

Now you want to bake it for 30-35 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned.

Remember if you’re using a different size pan you need to adjust your cook time. You could even use a heart shaped pan. How cute would that be?

Once it’s done, let the pan cool completely on a wire wrack.

Now, let’s decorate it!

Gather up the ingredients for making the icing

In a medium bowl beat the butter until fluffy.

Beat in cocoa.

Beat in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time and add 1 tbsp milk in between until you reach your desired level of sweetness and consistency.

Decorate and serve!

You can use ziolock backs that you cut a slit in the corner of for icing.

Or you can use some piping bags and tips.

You can really customize the look of the cake with the way you decorate it using the icing and the sprinkles.

You could go with red, white, pinks, pastels, etc.

You can also use the icing to write Happy Valentines Day on the cake. That would be super cute!

Valentine Cookie Cake

: crystalandcomp.com

: dessert

: 15 mins

: 30 mins

: 45 mins

: 8-10

Ingredients

Cookie Cake Ingredients:
1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup french vanilla instant pudding mix
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp milk
1 ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Icing Ingredients:
⅓ cup unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp cocoa
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk
OPTIONAL candy melts and sprinkles for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Spay 9in baking dish with non-stick spray.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and pudding mix.
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until fluffy.
Add in egg and vanilla and beat until well mixed.
Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients and add milk until combined well.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Press cookie dough into baking dish.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until top is lightly browned.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
In a medium bowl, beat butter until fluffy.
Beat in cocoa.
Beat in ½ cup of powdered sugar at a time and add 1 tbsp milk in between until you reach your desired taste and consistency.
Decorate and serve!

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

Layered Banana Pudding Recipe Like Grandma Made

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 6 Comments

Banana pudding is one of our family favorites. It perfect for any time of the year.

This layered banana pudding recipe is a crowd pleaser for sure. I love this recipe and I think you will too!

Every time we have an event at church back in Dallas, everyone requests one of our sweet ladies, Ms. Linda, make her famous banana pudding recipe.

There was a point in time when she auctioned off a recipe a month for an entire year at church.

We won that and it was one of the best treats you could ever imagine. We picked a different recipe each month. Her banana pudding was at the top of the list!

Let me show you just how easy it is to make…. she did share the recipe with me.

Here is everything you will need to make this classic recipe and it will serve 8 to 10 people, easy. This recipe does not include egg whites. I know some banana pudding recipes do, but this one does not.

We made this up in individual cups, but we share options with you below for other ways you can serve it.

Gather up your ingredients.

Ingredients:

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 box instant vanilla pudding (if you want it super banana tasting you could do banana flavored pudding)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 large container of whipped topping (like Cool Whip)
1 box vanilla wafers (like Nilla Wafers)
3 medium bananas

Garnish:

Crust vanilla wafers
Cool Whip
Sliced bananas

How to Make Layered Banana Pudding

Beat milk and instant pudding until it is well mixed.

Add sweetened condensed milk, Combine it well.

Fold in about 12 ounces of Cool Whip.

You’re going to layer the ingredients starting with the pudding mixture to cover the bottom.

Then, the vanilla wafers, and some banana slices. Repeat until out of ingredients.

If you don’t want to make individual banana pudding cups like we did, you can use a large baking dish and follow the same layering process. This is the ideal way t make it if you’re taking this to a pot luck or family gathering.

Garnish with cookie, banana slices and whipped cream on top of the pudding.

Serve immediately or chill for later.

This is perfect for any family gathering you have any time of year.

Perfect for the holidays and potlucks.

It will sell like hotcakes at your bake sale at church.

Or, make it just because. Our family could eat this every single night for dessert.

It’s like southern comfort food at it’s best.

My family loves banana pudding… this recipe is their favorite!

Looking for more banana recipes? I think you will love our no bake blueberry banana pie. My mom has made it for years. It’s amazing!

5.0 from 4 reviews

The Best Layered Banana Pudding Recipe You Will Ever Try

: Crystal Lopez

: dessert

This delicious layered banana pudding is complete southern comfort!

Ingredients

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 box instant vanilla pudding
1½ cups whole milk
1 large container of Cool Whip
1 box vanilla wafers
3 medium bananas
Garnish:
Crust vanilla wafers
Cool Whip
Sliced bananas

Instructions

Beat milk and vanilla pudding until it is well mixed. Add sweetened condensed milk, Combine it well.Fold in about 12 ounces of Cool Whip. In individual containers, a large trifle bowl, or a 9.13 pan, layer your ingredients by making a base of pudding mixture, vanilla wafers, bananas; repeat until out of ingredients. Garnish with topping as you like.Serve immediately or chill for later.

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe

25 Things to Put in Christmas Goodie Bags for Kids

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 19 Comments

Christmas is just around the corner and I bet you are getting ready to have a special Christmas party. This time of year is so much fun for kids and adults. The kids always look forward to having a Christmas party with all of their friends. These are perfect for kiddos who go to school, or a homeschool party or just giving out to family and friends.

Are you at a loss for what to put into your goodie bags? Well, look no further! These Christmas goodie bag ideas for kids are amazing! Kids love all of the little trinkets, goodies, and Christmas themed things and of course we want to fill their bags with things they love.

25 Christmas Goodie Bag Ideas

1. You simple can not go wrong with Playdoh! Kids love it and this pack of 24 is perfect for any kid’s classroom.

2. This Christmas Novelty Assortment has tons of great things you can add to goodie bags including fun stickers and mini toys.

3. Check out these Mini Candy Canes in cherry and peppermint flavors that are a kid favorite.

4. Pack your goodie bags with these awesome Christmas Bells that are a hit for jingling!

5. If you are looking for a wonderful photo opportunity these Plush Reindeer Antlers are so cute.

6. Your kiddos will love these Temporary Christmas Tattoos that have so many different designs on them.

7. What better way to incorporate some reading fun through the holidays than with these cute Christmas Bookmarks that fit right in with holiday reading.

8. These Christmas inspired Mini Game and Activity Books are full of hands on fun.

9. I adore these Candy Cane Snowman Pens that kids can personalize all their own gear with.

10. Have the kids add some Christmas cheer to all of their artwork or even Christmas cars with these Holiday Stampers.

11. Check out these Bendable Christmas Figures that are so cute and perfect for the younger crowd.

12. These Reindeer Rubber Duckies are so awesome for goodie bags and kids will love their little reindeer appearance.

13. You can always stock your goodie bags with Wikki Stix in holiday colors.

14. The kids always love these little Holiday Erasers and Pencil Toppers for their pencils and other writing tools.

15. These Snowman Paddle Ball Games are so much fun for kids and this set comes with a dozen.

16. With these Metallic Snowflake Kazoos all of the kids can make tons of noise and they will really enjoy it!

17. These Christmas Treat Boxes come with chalk and a small chalkboard area for kids to decorate and put goodies inside.

18. You can’t have a party bag without Fun Mini Bubbles that are easy to use and small enough for little goodie bags.

19. What fun your kids party goers will have playing with these Christmas Mini Pinball Games.

20. Get these Assorted Santa Hats in lots of colors for your goodie bags.

21. These Christmas Crayon Party Favor Packs are a perfect pairing for coloring pages and other kids activities.

22. With these Mini Christmas Kaleidoscopes are so entertaining for kids where they can use the light to make colorful designs.

23. These Jingle Bell Rubber Bracelets are sweet for kids and a great festive things to add to your bags.

24. This Jolly Holiday Pencil Assortment is full of a variety of pencils that are just what kids want.

25. These Christmas Ornament Sticker Scenes are a perfect and inexpensive craft to put in your goodie bags.

What are you putting in your goodie bags? Share your ideas!

Make These for Girls Goodie Bags

This homemade bath bomb recipe will not disappoint!!

Want something more? Have you ever done Truth in the Tinsel? Amazing Christmas program for kids. It is an excellent way to make Christmas meaningful! Get it here.

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Printable Santa Letter

Pine Cone Christmas Tree

Olaf Christmas Craft

T is for (Christmas) Tree Do a Dot Printable

SaveSave

Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops

By Crystal VanTassel-Lopez 4 Comments

Feast your eyes on the most amazing comfort food of all time- smothered pork chops! I love to serve this with mashed potatoes- either on the side or on top of them. So good!

I am going to show you how to use a programmable slow cooker to create this meal, cooking all day long for the perfect pork chops. Check out our favorite slow cooker pork chops while you’re here. They are all easy and perfect for large families.

The other wonderful feature of using a slow cooker is, once it’s done, you can move it to the warm setting (it will automatically do this if you use a programmable one) so that dinner stays warm until you are ready to serve it to your family.

Let me show you how super easy this is to make.

I made this last night for Grandpa Lopez’s 80th birthday. I asked him last week what he wanted for dinner. He said pork chops. When I asked him what kind of pork chops he did not reply.

So, smothered it is. And they were a hit!

I actually ended up having two slow cookers going at the same time because I needed to double recipe since we were feeding a crowd. Man is it nice to have two slow cookers going at once cooking 16 pork chops total.

I likely could have cooked all 16 in one slow cooker, but I was in a time crunch and did not want to compromise cooking time. Remember, the fuller your slow cooker is, the longer it will take to cook something. And, the less full your slow cooker is, the more likely it is to dry out your meat or over cook it. These slow cooker tips are super helpful to take a look at before cooking your next slow cooker meal.

Ingredients:

8 pork chops (I did about 1/4 inch thick with bone in. You can so thicker or no bone. I feel the bone gives flavor. If you do thicker you will need to increase cook time.)
1 pkg pork gravy mix
1 pkg onion soup mix
2 cups of chicken broth (I use this broth base and water to make mine.)
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup fresh, diced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use the jarred stuff. Or you can use about 1 tsp of garlic powder.)
black pepper (There is no need for salt with all of the sodium in the soups and mixes.)
in a separate bowl about 3 T water and 2 t corn starch whisked up

If you are more of a visual recipe learner, or love to see a mom in the kitchen with chaos and kids, you can watch how we made this recipe step by step.

Add the pork chops to the slow cooker base.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the broth, gravy packet, can of soup, soup mix packet, garlic and pepper. I like to use a whisk.

Pour this evenly over the pork chops in the slow cooker.

Add mushroom slices over the soup mixture.

Ensure everything is evenly coated.

Look at how amazing that is!

Then, I want you to pour in the corn starch and water mixture. This will help thicken up the sauce a bit so it is more gravy like, which we love for our mashed potatoes!

Cook on high heat for 5-6 hours. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Adjust accordingly if you’re doubling the batch or using thick pork chops.

Move it to warm once it’s done, or until the rest of your sides are ready.

Plate it up and enjoy!

Like I said before, you can serve the pork chop right on top of the mashed potatoes. If you pork chops fall off the bone while cooking (and this can happen because they get so tender, which is good!) you can serve the browned bits of pork chops and gravy over a pile of potatoes like we did here.

I hope you enjoy this smothered pork chops recipe. It was a huge hit at our house. We served it with mashed potatoes (I seriously love instant mashed potatoes right now!) dinner rolls, salad and broccoli.

You can also choose to cook this in the oven in a cast iron skillet or in a 9×13 casserole dish. You could even cook it on the stove top in a skillet over medium high heat. If you do the stove top method, wait until it is done cooking to add the water and corn starch. Reduce the heat and add allowing it to simmer until the gravy thickens.

Do you struggle with getting dinner on the table? I encourage you to join our Facebook group Get Dinner on the Table or check out my ebook How to Meal Plan.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Slow Cooker Smothered Pork Chops

: Crystal & Co

: dinner

: 10 mins

: 6 hours

: 6 hours 10 mins

: 8

Ingredients

8 pork chops (I did about ¼ inch thick with bone in. You can so thicker or no bone. I feel the bone gives flavor. If you do thicker you will need to increase cook time.)
1 pkg pork gravy mix
1 pkg onion soup mix
2 cups of chicken broth (I use this broth base and water to make mine.)
1 (10.5 oz) can cream of mushroom soup
½ cup fresh, diced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced (I use the jarred stuff. Or you can use about 1 tsp of garlic powder.)
black pepper (There is no need for salt with all of the sodium in the soups and mixes.)
in a separate bowl about 3 T water and 2 t corn starch whisked up

Instructions

Add the pork chops to the slow cooker base.
In a large mixing bowl mix together the broth, gravy packet, can of soup, soup mix packet, garlic and pepper. I like to use a whisk.
Pour this evenly over the pork chops in the slow cooker.
Add mushroom slices over the soup mixture.
Ensure everything is evenly coated.
Then, I want you to pour in the corn starch and water mixture. This will help thicken up the sauce a bit so it is more gravy like, which we love for our mashed potatoes!
Cook on high heat for 5-6 hours. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Adjust accordingly if you're doubling the batch or using thick pork chops.
Move it to warm once it's done, or until the rest of your sides are ready.
Plate it up and enjoy!

Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe