Choicolate Artisan Chocolates

Posted on August 19, 2010 by *Geekette*

After running errands all day, my sister and I decided to treat ourselves to lunch at Auden’s Kitchen, one of our new favorite restaurants. Located in the same shopping center, we noticed a sign nestled in called “Choicolate | Artisan Chocolates”. We decided we wanted to check it out after lunch.

Website: http://choicolate.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/choicolate.fb

We discovered that this hidden gym not only featured hand-crafted chocolates including fun flavors like:

Mango & Habanero
Hazelnut Latte
Strawberry Balsamic
Milk Vanilla

but also had a delightful story behind the sweets store as well. As husband and wife pair, last name Choi…decided to follow the wife’s dream of opening a chocolate store where everything was handmade, in small batches for the ultimate taste and presentation. Wrapped individually with great detail, these chocolates make an adorable gift for someone you barely know or know very well. We sampled the incredibly intense and more traditional flavors before settling on the chocolates pictured below. The box also includes a guide so you’ll not be surprised (unless you want to be!!) and receivers can match the chocolates with the pictures.

Visit frequently as the menu and chocolate designs always are changing. I bet they would be open to suggestions and requests you might have too – I could imagine these being an incredible party gift at showers and celebrations, both intimate and large! Contact information here.

Check out this specialty bittersweet piece inspired by the winter holidays:

handmade Choicolate Artisan Chocolates gift san antonio

More Pictures:

2010 Chinese New Years

Posted on February 13, 2010 by *Geekette*

Tomorrow isn’t just Valentine’s Day…it’s also the Chinese New Year (it falls on Feb. 3 in 2011!) Make sure that you start the new lunar calendar with these good luck charms for a long and prosperous year:

Traditional Family Dinner – family comes from all around to celebrate the New Year together. After dinner the red envelopes are given out.
Red Envelopes – gifted to newly weds and elders to singles and children, common tradition to gift red envelops containing chocolate coins or cash. $6/$8 are considered very lucky numbers, wishing a smooth and wealthy year, respectively. Also, the amount given, determined by the 1st digit ($80 is even, $700 considered odd…), is always even, as even digit numbers are considered lucky.
Red Underwear – get your red underwear out! The color red is commonly worn in an attempt to scare away evil spirits and bad fortune. New clothes symbolize having enough to wear new beginnings. { Victoria Secret’s Coupon FREE Panties }

*Chinese New Year lasts 15 days.

Chinese Astrology Sign {Sheng Xiao}

Figure out what your Chinese zodiac sign reveals about you, determined by your birth year. Those born this year of the Tiger.

How the Chinese Zodiac Came to Be:

When it came time for the Jade Emperor in heaven to decide the order of the zodiac, he invited all the animals to participate in a race. The order of the zodiac would be decided by the order in which animals finished the race.

When the competition started, the ox was leading the pack, but the rat jumped on his back. Since the rat was so light and small, the ox did not realize that the rat was hitching a ride. As the ox approached the finish line, the rat leap off his back and was crowned as the first animal to complete the race.

After all the creatures finished the race, the order was finalized: rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig.

My Chinese Zodiac is the Rat:

Check out snippets of my fairly [VERY] accurate profile:

Personality: Occupying the 1st and most prominent position on the Chinese Zodiac, the Rat symbolizes such character traits as wit, imagination and curiosity. Rats have keen observation skills and with those skills they’re able to deduce much about other people and other situations. Overall, Rats are full of energy, talkative and charming but they have a tendency to become aggressive.

Rats are full of good advice but they will never share their troubles with others. They are honest individuals and they enjoy living for the moment. They’re also capable of surviving any situation.

Routine halts their creativity so Rats need flexible positions that allow creativity.

Not nearly as self-confident as they appear on the surface, Wood Rats [based on the year you were born] will never expose this vulnerability to others. They’re successful despite their perpetual fear of failing.

*I’ll buy that!

Chinese New Year Crafts and Activities

Martha Stewart’s Chinese New Year Show this year. Or last year’s resources on Chinese New Year Table Settings.

Chinese New Year place setting crafts

Pingg’s Chinese New Year ecards

Crayola is also offering their online community these incredibly cute crafts:

Valentine’s Day with a View Contest at The Westin La Cantera Resort

Posted on February 8, 2010 by *Geekette*

As soon as I heard about The Westin La Cantera Resort‘s Valentine’s Day with a View contest I was VERY excited to enter. I love to read wonderfully romantic stories (i.e. Chicken Soup for the Soul: True Love), watching unrealistic “chick flicks” on Netflix’s instant Romance queue, and reading romance novels (not of the graphic variety)…more like all of Kristin Billerbeck‘s fun, witty romance series. (I couldn’t write this post in good conscience without including helpful links and fun facts.)

*Besides my blog post on Valentine’s Day deals, check out Buxr’s Valentine’s Day deals here.

<Perfect Valentine’s Day>

5 Critical Components

Although I’m low-key enough to enjoy ANYTHING, making whatever we did special, my homework assignment was to blog about the PERFECT experience…that would easily be achieved by including the following in our itinerary:

1 – Flowers Delivered in a Box (purchased w/ a coupon!!) – there’s something terribly romantic about getting flowers that you weren’t expecting that were delivered in a box. (Think old-school Hollywood…) Enough said.

2 – The Fray – my favorite group since they arrived on the music scene in 2005 with How to Save a Life I have loved their lyrics and melodies. Part of perfection is knowing you’re with someone special who appreciates all your idiosyncrasies, including fanatical infatuations with bands other people (insanely?!) are less excited by.

3 – Lamb Chops – I never understand people who think of “eating away your money” in a negative context. I truly enjoy great culinary experiences. I savor each bite and literally experience a Pavlovian reaction whenever I read menus! My ideal Valentine’s Day would include lingering over a 7 course prix fix meal and basking in scintillating conversation (see Critical Component #5).

4 – Darts - Well after we have dessert-ed and digested comfortably, and before Cinderella’s midnight deadline, throwing darts at a non-smoking, great music, empty bar with my favorite kind of electronic dartboards (which charges a quarter, not 75 cents a game…or unlimited…that’s good too.) I <3 playing darts, I’m competitive, I play to win! {Bonus Points } Give me pink darts (tips and flights) as a V-Day gift!

5 – Wonderful Conversation – Above all else, this is most important to me. Just enjoying each other verbally throughout the entire evening. Recapping wonderful memories from the past year, discussing plans for new vacations and making more memories, and reminding each other that regardless of the tough stuff, the reasons it’s worked as well as it has is because of the non-negotiable characteristic each other possesses, reveling in that realization!

</Perfect Valentine’s Day>

Check out all entries and tweets by following the #VDayView hashtag.

Also, don’t forget to find out all the latest by following @WestinLaCantera on Twitter and becoming a fan on Facebook!

This post is part of The Westin La Cantera Resort’s Valentine’s Day with a View contest. Enter between Jan. 25 and Feb. 8 for your chance to win a one-night stay for two at The Westin La Cantera Resort on Saturday, February 13, which includes a romantic dinner for two at Francesca’s at Sunset and two rounds of golf to be played at either of our championship courses during your stay. Learn more at http://www.westinlacantera.com/Valentines-Twitter.html

Valentine’s Day Printable Activities and Crafts for Kids

Posted on January 30, 2010 by *Geekette*

While I was finishing my last post on Valentine’s Day sales and promotions I was already mentally writing this one. With Valentine’s Day only slightly more than two weeks away, I figured I better hurry up and find some great children activities for the holiday we love to love.

I assumed my favorite children’s websites for printable activities would have special crafts online, available to download. I was right! In no particular order here are some fun activities for children and other thoughtful resources for parents.

PBS Parents offer lots of ideas to get you in the holiday spirit. For parents are several links to various articles and resources about feelings, diversity, and other characteristics that are perfect to teach around this time through books and games, as well as recipes to share with your family.

PBS Kids includes printable activities, coloring pages, and e-cards of all your favorite, educational friends. It also lists information about special programming on February 13^th with the heart-filled theme.

Depending on how ambitious you’re feeling, check out Martha Stewart’s website for kids activities. (Here for more adult sized activities…not that adult… ;-P) Includes everything from cards, cute packaging, candies, and soap! Very cute and surprisingly easy to put together. Be prepared for printing the templates…I made several of them successfully. Some I gave up.

Here are four of the 27 Valentine’s Day crafts

Index for all Martha Stewart activities online for Valentine’s.

Nick Jr’s Valentine’s also jumped on the Valentine’s Day bandwagon with their dedicated site too. The front page is an advent calendar that your child can return each day to click different dates for a fun surprise to open. Grouped by week, view previous weeks and come back each week to unlock more. My daughter’s favorite, Olivia, remains to be unlocked!

Check out the resources for parents here too. Or let Max and Ruby help you plan a classroom party or soiree for friends.

All Valentine’s Day printable activities for many different ages…I have always been very impressed with Nick Jr.’s printable activities…they’re definitely a step higher than most. I hate the ones that only offer coloring pages, my daughter doesn’t stay entertained with coloring but crafts will keep her busy for hours!

Kid Coupons

Chuck E Cheese is offering this FREE printable Valentine card w/ a coupon for 5 FREE tokens. Your child can give all of their friends 5 tokens while saying Happy Valentine’s Day! Expires 3/2.

Love Deals | Valentine’s Day Sales

Posted on January 30, 2010 by *Geekette*

Before it’s too late, take advantage of these 2010 Valentine’s Day deals that make you fall head over heels with saving money, all over again! Categorized by Flowers, Chocolates, Gifts, Party, Dining, and Dress, there is someone for everyone, those with a Valentine and those looking to save a buck! Includes freebies like 25 songs from iTunes and much more!

Continue to check back as I’ll add more as I come across them!

Flowers

ProFlowers is offering a dozen roses and 12 free chocolates!

Chocolates

Reese’s Pieces To receive your coupon, complete this order form and send along with one complete candy bar wrapper from: HERSHEY.®S SPECIAL DARK® Dark Chocolate Bar, ALMOND JOY® Candy Bar, YORK® Peppermint Pattie or REESE.S® Peanut Butter Cups. HURRY. your request must be one of the first 25,000 received and post-marked by 2/17/10 to qualify!

Ghirardelli is offering another sinfully delicious deal for Valentine’s Day!
Use CJ15 at checkout to receive 15% off your purchase! Also enjoy free shipping over $50!

Godiva Chocolate is offering FREE 32 pc. Milk Chocolate Gems on Shipments >$50!

My M&M’s lets you save 14% off your order with promo code: VDAY14.

using promocode VA1019751 at checkout to save 20% off your entire order! Now through 2/11!

Amazon’s sweet deals save you $10 when you spend $49 or more…expires Feb. 15th, use VALCANDY at checkout.

Gifts

Walgreens is wishing their customers Happy Valentine’s Day with Free Shipping for orders over $25, use LOVE25 through Jan. 30!!

Shutterfly is offering 40% off your entire order! Enter FORTY at checkout and get free shipping for orders over $30 with SHIP30!

Sephora is offering a something to pucker up about, normally $65…now only $25!

Bath & Body Works use promocode 20PERCENT at checkout 1/31.

JCPenney to take an Extra 15% OFF Select Fine Jewelry with 15HEARTS at checkout!

Pillsbury sign up to receive the Pillsbury® email newsletter, access exclusive member benefits on Pillsbury.com, and receive a FREE* Pillsbury® coupon booklet with $10 in valuable savings!

Half Price Books is having a Book Lovers Weekend – use the printable coupon to save 20% off your entire purchase!

Party

Party City is offering FREE Shipping with PCSB65 at checkout!

The Popcorn Factory is just another GREAT way to save “I LOVE YOU”! HRT5 at checkout saves you $5, now through Feb. 14th!

Harry & David is offering a $5 coupon! Doesn’t have to be Christmas and pears…enjoy Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day savings!

Dining

Krispy Kreme Buy a Dozen Donuts, recieve 12 FREE Valentine’s with coupons for free! Also, did you know that whenever their window light is lit they’re giving away FREE glazed donuts! @krispy_kreme

BJ’s Brewhouse s offering $5 off $20 food purchase, use printable coupon or 2010 at checkout now through 2/12!

Macaroni Grill is offering free Appetizer with purchase of two Entrees! Doesn’t expire until March 2010!

Dress

Urban Outfitters offers “20% off $50 Purchase, use THINKSPRING now through Feb. 14th! Also on their homepage, text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross Relief AND download and listen to 25 tracks, FREE! UO Music List !

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