Celebrate National Candy Month with New Varieties of Werther's Original Sugar Free Caramel Candy

Thank you to Storck USA for providing a complimentary prize pack for us to base this review upon and for providing a second prize pack for our contest prize.  All opinions expressed are my own.

June is National Candy Month and what better way to celebrate than with some guilt-free candy?  My family received a sampling of 4 varieties of Werther's Original Sugar Free Caramels, which only have 3g carbs and 8 calories per piece.  Two were classic flavors . . . the Original Hard Candies and the Caramel Coffee.  The others were two exciting new flavors . . . Caramel Cinnamon and Caramel Apple.  When I saw these two new varieties of Werther's, all I could think about was how perfect they would be for the fall holidays!

I have always loved Werther's Original caramels, but I have to be honest that I was skeptical about how good the sugar-free versions would taste.  I have found in the past that sugar-free candies usual have a strange aftertaste.  That is surprisingly not the case with these Werther's.  I could not tell the difference between the sugar-free Werther's from the original candy.  I was not alone in feeling this way.  My husband whole-heartedly agreed, as did our children, who would never have known these candies were sugar-free if they had not read the text on the wrappers.  780 out of 1,000 diabetics, who took part in a Sugar Free Satisfaction Survey, also found the Werther's Sugar Free Caramels to be enjoyable, after more than 500 respondents said they did not enjoy most sugar-free candies they've tried in the past.

Of the four flavors we tried, everyone's opinions differed about which variety was their favorite.  My husband and I both agree that the Original Sugar Free Caramel was our favorite.  Our 9 year old son seemed to just love the Sugar Free Caramel Coffee, while our 6 year old twins liked the Sugar Free Caramel Apple the most.  I had never tasted the flavor combination of cinnamon and caramel before.  It was surprisingly good and I would say that the Sugar Free Caramel Cinnamon was my second favorite of the bunch.

To learn more about Werther's and Werther's Original Sugar Free caramels, visit Werthers-Original.us and Werther's Original Sugar Free US on Facebook.


Our prize pack for this contest includes the following . . .

• 4 bags of Werther's Original Sugar Free Caramels
• 5 coupons each to save $.75 off Werther's Original Sugar Free candy
• $25 American Express gift card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck in the drawing!

6 Sweet Valentine's Day Gift Ideas from Shari's Berries (Promo Codes)

Recently, I shared how we had surprised our 6 year old twins with some goodies from Shari's Berries on their birthday.  We thoroughly enjoyed the Gourmet Dipped Fancy Strawberries along with the fudgy Birthday Cake Pops.  Of course, these sweet treats were perfect for a birthday celebration, but Shari's Berries offers so much more.  Similarly to how they have gourmet items tailored specifically for birthdays, they also have quite a selection of Valentine's Day-themed treats.  Rather than giving the same boring old box of chocolates this year, why not choose something that shows that you put some thought into your gift?


6 alternatives to the boring box of chocolates for Valentine's Day . . .

1.  16 Count Cupcake Sampler - $54.96

2.  Full Dozen Gourmet Dipped Valentine's Day Strawberries - $39.98 (Reg. $54.98)

3.  Romantic Fortune Cookies - $29.99

4.  12 Handmade Valentine's Love Bug Cake Pops - $44.99

5.  6" Three Layer Chocolate Happy Valentine's Day Cake - $39.99

6.  Valentine's Sweets & Savories - $39.99

See something you like?  Well, before you order, be sure to check for available Shari's Berries coupon codes that can be applied to your order.  Our Shari's Berries items were beautifully boxed and came with a note card printed with a personal message to our children from my husband and myself.  Usually you need to place your order more than 2 days before the desired delivery date to pay for standard shipping, so be sure to plan accordingly.

Although I had previously received complimentary product samples from ProFlowers.com, all opinions expressed are my own.

"I Am A Smartie Pants!" Math-Themed Smarties Candy Favors (#CBias)

With Halloween just around the corner, I wanted to share this easy tutorial for making math-themed treats using Smarties candy and some free printables I had made.  These little sweet treats will put some fun into practicing basic addition, subtraction, and multiplication.  The "I Am a Smartie Pants!" treats would be perfect for handing out to students in the classroom, to trick-or-treaters, or to use inside goodie bags.  Another great thing about these Halloween treats is that you can change the theme from Halloween to just about anything simply by using different stickers.  If you will be making these to hand out in the classroom, you will not have to worry because Smarties are gluten-free, peanut-free, vegan, and fat-free.

Today's Project:  "I Am a Smartie Pants!" Math-Themed Favors

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Smarties candy rolls

Free printable "I Am a Smartie Pants!" pages

Halloween-themed stickers (1-1/4"H or smaller)

8" satin or 12" curling ribbon per favor

single hole puncher

scissors

Step 1.  Print out the desired number of "I Am a Smartie Pants!" pages below.  (NOTE:  Each page contains 4 favor tags.)

TO PRINT:  Make sure your computer's printer is turned on and ready to print.  Click on the desired image to enlarge.  Then right-click on the image and select print.  Use your browser's back arrow to return to this page.

Addition & Subtraction

Multiplication

Step 2.  Cut out each tag as instructed on the sheet.  Be sure to leave each column of 3 boxes intact.

Step 3.  Fold each tag into an accordion shape with the words "I Am a Smartie Pants!" facing out and the other two printed boxes facing each other.

Step 4.  Place a fun sticker in your theme of choice on the front of the tag right above the words "I Am a Smartie Pants!"  Be sure to leave enough room above the sticker to punch a hole.  (I trimmed my large rectangular stickers with scissors to fit my tags.)

Step 5.  Using your single hole puncher, punch a hole through all 3 layers above the sticker near the top of your tag, making sure it is centered horizontally.

Step 6.  Take an 8" to 9" piece of satin ribbon and fold it in half.  Then tie the halfway point of the ribbon around one end of a roll of Smarties candy.  (If you are using curling ribbon, please see the instructions below the Step 9 photos.)

Step 7.  Bring the two ends of your ribbon together and tie in a single knot close to the ends.  Trim the ribbon above the knot with scissors to make the ends even.

Step 8.  Next feed the knotted end of you ribbon through the back of your tag and out the front of the hole you had punched.

Step 9.  The last step is to put the end of the Smarties candy roll that is not tied to the ribbon through the ribbon loop on the front of your tag and pull it through.

The result should look like this , , ,

If using curling ribbon, follow the instructions below:

Feed the curling ribbon through the hole you had punched.  Make sure the ends are even.  Tie a knot about an inch above the top of the tag.  Then place a roll of Smarties candy above the knot you made and tie the end of the candy roll in place.  Use a double knot to make it secure.

Then use the blade of your scissors to curl the ribbon.  The result should look like this . . .

If you make these "I Am a Smartie Pants!" Treats, I would love to know what theme you used and what the children thought about them.  For more fun ideas, visit Smarties on Pinterest.

This treat is extremely inexpensive to make.  I bought a whole bag of Smarties for under $3 and the pack of 18 stickers for just $1 at Walgreens.  You can also find Smarties in the Halloween candy section at your local Walmart, Target, Family Dollar, Dollar General, and Dollar Tree stores.


I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Smarties. #CBias #SocialFabric #IAmASmartie.  The prize pack for this contest has been provided by Collective Bias™ on behalf of Smarties.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Our "I Am A Smartie" Prize Pack includes:

1 Theater box Smarties

1 small bag Original Smarties

1 small bag Tropical Smarties

1 small bag X-Treme Sour Smarties

1 small bag Smarties in a Pouch

1 small bag Seasonal Smarties

My Photos (W/E 4-9-11)

Since I had to restock our little glass bowl with candy, I thought I would find some Easter candy.  Although I doubt these chocolate crisp bunnies from Palmer will last through Easter Sunday, I still think they are adorable.  I also find it refreshing to find Easter candy that was not only geared towards children.  These will not look strange if they are leftover after Easter.  We are known to do that.  Here it is April and we just now finished the last chocolate Santa.

"Crate & Barrel Meet Palmer"

Thank you for taking the time to view my photos this week! If you'd like to play along or see more great photos, stop by to see Lotus a.k.a. Sarcastic Mom.

For Better or For Worse: The Easter Bunny Sighs and Shakes His Head

Since Easter is only a couple of weeks away, I asked my husband to get the box containing our Easter stash for the children's Easter baskets down from the closet shelf.  I had to check to see if the loot was even between the three.  I've learned my lessons from past years of uneven Easter baskets and holiday stockings.

After I took inventory of what I had and made a mental note of what I still needed to get, I noticed that the three packages of Jelly Belly jelly beans I had picked up a few weeks ago were missing from the stash.  I told my husband this and he started to look around the closet for the missing items.  Then he realized that any further search was futile.

It seems when I asked my husband to put the bag containing the candy into the box in the closet, he heard, "Take this candy to work and eat it."  Seriously, he did.  He didn't question it, even though he thought it was extremely strange.

I wonder how he explained eating Hello Kitty jelly beans at his desk to his co-workers?

Ruby Tuesday: Petit Fours

After knowing my husband for 15 years, I just recently discovered that he has a weakness for petit fours. It just goes to show that there is still more to learn about each other, even after ten years of marriage.

The petit fours shown below with the red on top have red velvet cake inside, but my favorites are the ones directly behind them. Those have lemon cake inside. YUM!

If you'd like to see more Ruby Tuesday photos, go visit Mary at Work of the Poet!

Two Sweet Ways to Celebrate Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there are an infinite number of ways to show your support. I'd like to tell you about two particularly sweet ways to support research and care for breast cancer patients.

The first is Cookies For the Cure by Cheryl's an online bakery that offers the most amazing looking gourmet cookies and brownies. These particular heart-shaped cookies are topped with pink buttercream frosting. My husband and I actually had the opportunity to try these cookies and I thought they were delicious. My husband, who is huge fan of sugar cookies, but not of frosting, still enjoyed his these cookies because the buttercream frosting is not too sugary. These cookies are individually wrapped for freshness. Visit Cheryls.com for more information.

10% of the proceeds from Cookies For the Cure sales during October will be donated to the Susan G. Komen foundation.

The second is the Limited Edition Pink Grapefruit Tic Tacs, which have the sweet and tart taste of grapefruit, but still has a minty aftertaste. Good thing they are fat-free and carb-free because these little mints are addictive. This product is meant to show support to those who suffer or care for a loved one who suffers from breast cancer, as well as raise awareness about Tic Tac's Shake, Share & Care program. In this program, Tic Tac has pledged to make $5 donations to CancerCare with a minimum donation of $25,000 up to a maximum of $100,000. All you need to do to prompt a $5 donation is to briefly tell about how you showed kindness by helping or caring for someone affected by breast cancer or another type of cancer. Visit Tic Tac on Facebook to learn more about this great program.

You can find these Limited Edition Tic Tacs most places where Tic Tacs are sold while supplies last.

Thank you to Cheryl's and Tic Tac for sending us complimentary product samples to base this article upon.

Review: Dove Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter

Peanut butter and chocolate is a favorite combination in our house, as I'm sure it is in many households. Leave it to Dove Chocolate to improve on an old idea.

The latest addition to the Dove Promises line is their Silky Smooth Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter. This sweet treat is not the same as a peanut butter cup. The peanut butter inside is smooth and melts in your mouth in conjunction with the creamy Dove Milk Chocolate. With the standard old peanut butter cup, the peanut butter is dryer, has a texture, and is almost crumbly. Although my husband doesn't like change, I think change is good sometimes and this is definitely one of those times.

Dove Promises not only are deliciously decadent, but there is a positive message printed inside each wrapper. I personally ate about half the bag and I do not recall reading the same message twice. Wrapped in gold, these chocolates are clearly made for adults. I think I would consider putting a few in my children's Easter baskets, but the rest of the bag would be mine!

You can find Dove Chocolate with peanut butter at your local supermarkets, drug stores, and other retailers of Dove Chocolate products. To learn more about new Dove Chocolate products, follow Dove Chocolate on Twitter and fan Dove Chocolate on Facebook.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of DOVE and received sample DOVE Milk Chocolate with Peanut Butter products and a gift certificate to facilitate my review.