v4 issue 26: Hearts Galore

We have found gifts and more that will help you celebrate the holiday of love. Inspire smiles with these lovely products adorned in hearts and sentiments of love.


Cover by Brittany Stover








1 The oobi baby betsy sweater dress, with its stripes, hearts, and pom-poms, comes with the cupid seal of approval. Looks adorable paired with leggings or Oobi's snow bunny pants. A comfy, knitted dress special enough for any date! Purl mama.com

2 A waffled visor beanie is topped off with embroidered hearts and wings for a look you'll love. Made in sizes to fit 6 months to 7 years. The pink hat from Born to Love is one of many treats spotted at the Polkadot Platypus.
Enter TTW15 for 15% off at checkout

3 Pick up some Valentine's goodies at Cuckoo Boo! The colors of love, hearts, and I LOVE YOU's make these ID bands and hair clips utterly fantastic. Something for baby and Mom to love.

4 Steal the hearts of cutie pies of all ages with one of the fabulous finds from Pink Taffy Designs. A bling onesie is just one many products available for the big holiday. Adorned with rhinestone crystals in heart shaped designs for candy inspired fashion.

5 Little feet will feel the love with shoes and socks from Robeez baby shoes. Pink and fuchsia hearts and swirls decorate these shoes and socks made with a comfortable, secure, Podiatric-approved fit.

6 Kenarie's is the place to find a precious heart shaped sterling silver baby bracelet for your pint-sized sweetheart. Monogrammed with an initial or a name, this adorable bracelet is a quality piece for keepsake Valentine's giving.
Enter TTW for 10% off at checkout

7 Who knows how to share the love better than the purple dinosaur? Barney's "I Love You Gift Set" DVD is a 3 disc set. Practice ABCs, sing-a-long with 24 songs, or visit all kinds of animals at the zoo.

8 Leg warmers: for warmth, protection, or function. These rainbow heart legwarmers are made of 100% bamboo fibers. A colorful, stylish Valentine's Day accessory that's easy on the eyes and the wallet @ only $10.00 a pair! agoo4u.com

9 Em Tanner Designs has done it again. We adore her new festive Valentine's Day Tees. One of our favorites is the red X’s and O’s shirt. Nothing says love like hugs and kisses.
Enter XOXO for 20% off orders of $100 or more.



Share the love...
Valentine's Day is a day for sending cards, gifts and sharing sweets with those you love.

Looking for a fantastic place to find Valentines Day cards for your love as well as for your children to share. We adore the selection of cards at Tiny Prints.

Oodles and oodles of Valentine's Day cards to choose from as low as $0.69 each. Personalizing available which is real smart for the kiddo that have not yet mastered how to write their name.

Spread the love with these Dandy Candy greeting cards...sweets without the sugar!

Enter code: TPLOVE for 10% off orders $49 or more. Hurry...Exp: 2/2/09


And a Valentines Day favorite...



Accessorize your cupcakes for home or for the whole class with these operational handheld Pinwhirls from pinwhirls.com

What a great take home favor for the little ones. Handheld pinwheels with coordinating heart center $3.35 each.



Valentine Cupcakes

Ingredients- Makes 12 jumbo cupcakes
* 3 cups cake flour (not self-rising)

* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 2 cups sugar
* 5 large eggs

* 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* 1 cup buttermilk
* Swiss Meringue Buttercream for Valentine Cupcakes (below)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.with rack in center. Line jumbo muffin pans with baking cups; set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. With mixer running, add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Beat in vanilla.
3. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly between baking cups (2/3 cup batter per cup). Bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating pans halfway through baking, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan to wire rack to cool completely.
5. To decorate, use the handle of a wooden spoon to create a deep hole in the center of each cupcake. Using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/3-inch round tip, fill cupcakes with buttercream. Frost each cupcake with about 2 tablespoons buttercream.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream for Valentine Cupcakes
Ingredients -Makes 4 cups
* 5 large egg whites
* 1 1/4 cups sugar
* 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into pieces
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

Directions
1. Combine egg whites and sugar in the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until sugar has dissolved and whites are hot to the touch, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the bowl to the electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 10 minutes.
3. At low speed, add butter, one piece at a time, to egg whites, and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and salt, and beat to combine.

Source: Martha Stewart


Our favorite...
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup chunky peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1 bag chocolate "kisses", unwrapped

In a large mixing bowl, beat the margarine and peanut butter with electric mixer on medium speed for about 30 seconds until blended. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat for several minutes until fluffy. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Beat well.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to peanut butter mixture. Beat well but do not over mix.

For easier handling cover and chill about one hour.

Preheat oven to 375° F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll in additional granulated sugar. Place about 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake about 10-12 minutes, or until edges are firm. Immediately press a chocolate "kiss" on top of each cookie. With a spatula, place cookies onto cooling rack. When cool, store in an air tight container.

Source: familytime.com


One reader's birth story
We asked our readers to submit their birth stories, this was one of our favorites. Do you have an interesting story to tell about the birth of your child? Please write in and share!

A home water birth isn’t for everyone, but a healthy pregnancy and good support was the winning formula for me. Like many moms, expectations for the first pregnancy and birth are laced with anxieties and the fear of the unknown. I was no different. But, I was healthy and strong, and being in a hospital just didn’t feel right for me. I wanted the birth to be intimate, relaxing and natural. And, while we had a birth plan that primarily outlined a home birth experience, we were flexible in our expectations.

As my labor started, the contractions were surprisingly manageable. The doula came immediately and set up a birthing pool in the nursery. We placed lavender in the water, lit some candles, lowered the lights and listened to calm ocean sounds – it was my own birthing spa! When the contractions started to become stronger, getting into the heated birthing pool made all the difference. It allowed me enough space to stretch out easily and get into a number of supportive poses as the water took the weight of the baby. My husband was also able to join me and helped to massage my low back and assist in getting me through some big contractions. It was amazing for him to be a participant in the experience. When it came time to push, things moved quickly. But didn’t it hurt you ask? No epidural? Really? Sure, it was no walk in the park, but after five robust pushes, the midwife jumped into the water to catch our little girl. She was perfect and so was I - less the usual exhaustion. After she was weighed and assessed, we retired to our own bed to curl up and enjoy some chocolate birthday cake. It was cozy and wonderful.
So, when it came time to have our son 3 years later, we took a similar approach and loosely planned for another home water birth. But, as with Murphy ’s Law things never quite go as planned. I went into labor four weeks early, and our doula ended up in the hospital with stomach pains after setting up the birthing pool. My labor progressed so quickly the pool didn’t have time to heat up. So my husband was boiling pots of water on the stove hoping to get it ready in time! Thankfully, the midwife arrived within a couple of hours and stayed with us through the 8-hour labor, and much like our daughter’s birth, I found the greatest comfort in the warmth of the birthing pool. With a few good pushes our son was born into the water. And like an old hand; I scooped him up and into my arms. Our 3-year old slept through the whole thing, but she came up to our room early that morning. It was magical to introduce her to her new baby brother and watch her eyes light up with love and amazement as we snuggled together.

Submitted by TTW Reader Melanie of Ottawa, Ontario

What a beautiful story of LOVE!