From My Heart To Yours - Homemade Chocolate Gifts

By Nicole Dean

Whether you're trying to find your babysitter a Christmas gift, or your sister a little Valentine's Day gift, or your child's teacher a Thank You gift, there are times when you have to come up with an idea that won't break your budget. If your family is like most, your finances are bleak and gift giving is one luxury you can't afford anymore.

Normally when people are struggling with a tight budget, things that are considered unnecessary are the first things to go. Gifts are often the first things to be cut out of our budget, but we never feel good about that. We want to show our love for the people we care about, and who care about us, by giving gifts. How do we accomplish that with limited funds? By using our creativity and giving a gift that we put our heart into.

Making chocolate treats is one of my favorite gift ideas. It's pretty simple to impress someone with a beautiful box of chocolate covered pecans or chocolate dipped pretzels. Chocolates always seem festive, and homemade chocolates say you appreciate someone very, very, much indeed.

Most chocolate treats are relatively easy to make once you get the hang of it. You'll find out which pans work best, which spoons you like, and how long to melt the chocolate on the first or second try. I especially like this chocolate treat because it's something that most people would never dream of making for themselves.

Gourmet Chocolate Coffee Spoons

There's a delicious connection between coffee and chocolate, so this gift is a natural for any coffee drinker on your gift list. Man or woman, if they drink coffee, they'll love this gift.

Start with this list of items:

You'll need to buy heavy duty plastic spoon, I like the clear ones. If you've got a great thrift store or antique store in your community, you might be able to find some unique silver spoons that would definitely add a special touch. Be sure they're in good condition, then wash and dry them well.

Purchase milk chocolate coating, not Real Chocolate. You'll find blocks of the coating in the baking aisle at the grocery store. The reason you don't want to use Real Chocolate is because it tends to be a little more difficult to get just right. You don't want to bother with it, and the chocolate coating is delicious.

Peppermint oil flavor and other goodies like peppermint candy are good additions to the chocolate spoons and add yet another fancy element to them. You may also wish to sprinkle on some little candies like you would buy for sugar cookie decorations.

Purchase some parchment paper, NOT wax paper, to cool the spoons on. This will keep them from sticking to your cookie sheets as well as keep your pans clean and ready if you are into mass production.

I recommend that since you're giving a gift of food, buy the proper wrapping. Look in your candy making section of any craft store for clear cellophane candy bags in a size to fit the spoon, leaving some of the handle sticking out. You'll also want to find some ribbon and raffia to tie the package closed and to decorate the gift.

This is how you proceed:

Put a big pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Carefully chop up your big chunk of chocolate into little chunks and put in a small pot that will fit in the big pot. When the water in the big pot comes to a boil, shut it off, and very carefully place the small pot in the hot water. Don't let your water run over into the small pot with the chocolate. After the small pot sits for a few minutes and you see the chocolate start to melt on the edges, take the pot out of the water and begin stirring the chocolate with a big rubber spatula until it's all melted.

When you are done stirring the chocolate, dip one spoon at a time in the melted chocolate and lay each one on the parchment paper you have on your cookie sheets. If you plan to decorate the spoons with other candy, do it while the spoon is still wet. Otherwise the candy won't stick. Then move on to the next spoon, dip, decorate, and so on. Once all of your spoons are done, take your cookie sheet to a cold, preferably dry place. A refrigerator or freezer is okay to just get them set up a little, but don't leave them in that moist environment for more than a few minutes.

When your spoons are all set, place one in your cellophane candy bag and tie shut with some of your ribbon or raffia. You can embellish your ribbon with a little candy cane or anything else that would make your gift package special. You can also package more than one spoon in a candy box for someone who is lucky enough to receive more than one chocolate coated spoon.

That's all there is! You have just created a one-of-a-kind gift for someone special in your life. Doesn't that feel great? Your gift didn't cost a lot of your hard earned money... you gave a creative gift that will be greatly appreciated... a gift from your heart.

About the Author:

Nicole Dean is the mostly-sane mom behind ShowMomtheMoney.com - a fun and informative website to help moms achieve success working from home. She invites you to learn more ways to save money in her Frugal Meal Ideas section. Be sure to sign up for her free tutorial for work at home moms.

Lambretta for Sale Checking guide for purchasing a Lambretta

By Luke Cooper

The first thing to check for when buying a Lambretta for sale, is to research the model being sold. Prices can differ as can the quality and condition of the Lambretta for sale. When looking for a Lambretta for sale it is important to consider this so you find a Lambretta for sale at the best price possible.

There are other things to consider when buying a Lambretta for sale

1. To maintain speed and originality check the engine and frame numbers match that of the log book that come with the Lambretta for sale. Chances are the engine of the Lambretta for sale may have been changed to improve performance or because of damaged casings. This could mean the Lambretta for sale is illegal, and may be confiscated or crushed.

2. Check the Lambretta for sale has no rot and rust. In most cases any damage to a Lambretta for sale will be instantly visible but it is possible for rotting to occur at the top of side panels. Behind the number plate should be checked for rust on the Lambretta for sale. An old Lambretta for sale is also quite likely to have various bumps and dents to the bodywork.

3. If the top or bottom of a headset is damaged it can be hard to find a suitable replacement for either part, so check the Lambretta for sale has an intact headset. The colours may be different or they may not line up properly. You can tell by looking at the headlight rim on the Lambretta for sale closely.

4. When checking over the Lambretta for sale, you should always check the petrol tank for rust damage. It the most common internal problem with a Lambretta for sale but easily fixed. You can check the petrol tank on the Lambretta for sale by taking off the lid and running your finger along the inside top. If the inside feels rough then it is likely there is a rust problem. If it appears to be major then you may have to fit a new petrol tank to the Lambretta for sale.

5. It is worth, when buying a Lambretta for sale, to check it's most current MOT as this will have information of wheel alignment. If this is not available, then it can be checked with a straight piece of wood. The wheels of the Lambretta for sale should each sit flat with the edge of the wood. If not then the Lambretta for sale could be suffering from worn engine mounts.

6. It is hard to check the engine of a Lambretta for sale without it being stripped in a workshop, but you can check that all the nuts and bolts are in place/tightened and for worn threads. Check the engine side casing of the Lambretta for sale. The threads can deteriorate due to removal if it has been repaired/modified to often. Also certain makes of Lambretta for sale will not have interchangeable engines. So make sure the Lambretta for sale comes with an engine compatible with the model

All of these points should help you find the Lambretta for sale for you. Make sure you test drive the Lambretta for sale. Do this on a normal road and for long enough to get all the parts of the Lambretta for sale warmed up to check it all runs correctly Some of these aspects may not have been noticed upon looking over the Lambretta for sale.

About the Author:

Jimmy Cooper has been riding lambrettas for years and is part of a scooter club. Jimmy Cooper has always had a Lambretta for sale at some stage and wanted to give advice to people on his tips for buying one.

The Locals Are Meticulous About Some Holidays

By Ray Walberg

The Wonderful Occasion to Appreciate Malaga

The Costa del Sol, Malaga is a place in Spain where you see so much history in such a small space. In addition, it doesn't matter how you journey, you are going to encounter ruins, and these will that take you hundreds of years back in time. However, the greater part is that you are not only going to discovering civilization during the day, but also the real up-to-date traditions of the exciting nightlife that this Mediterranean center can offer these days.

The citadel or (al-qasbah)as it is pronounced - El Alcazaba, is one of the special monuments to see here. In the eleventh century, it was the palace of the kings, bounded by stunning gardens filled with fountains, which guide to an old Roman Amphitheatre. Nowadays it is used as the Regional Archaeological Gallery, which houses attractive pieces from the Paleolithic period.

The Catholic Kings built it over what used to be a mosque and founded the Cathedral. It took from the 1500 to the late 1700s to complete it and it still has one tower waiting to be finished. There are out of the ordinary details such as the stylish fascia, the central altar that is just illuminated by ordinary light as it filters through the sanctuary and the rear choir area. In addition, the hand carved wooden choir seats should be examined.

There are various galleries to view and of course, other churches to stop at but I would recommend that you view Picasso's residence in the square. The people of Malaga are proud of the fact that this was the birthplace of Picasso and it was a proud time as the Spanish Royals inaugurated the (Picasso Museum) on 27th October 2003. Two thousand people visited on that first day.

The museum, is housed in the Palacio de Buenavista, which you'll find right in the heart of the Centre of the city. It stands with the stunning backdrop of the Alcazaba Fortress close by. Factually, it is a couple of minutes stroll from Malaga Cathedral, this excellent old structure meticulously refurbished to suit the meaning of the works of such a great man.

Hunger for Something New in Malaga

Malaga, as all Andalucian cities, is a very cheerful and welcoming one and you can see that in their daily life. However, the locals are meticulous about some holidays. Festive days like the Epiphany where they have an outrageous parade or throughout Easter with their spiritual rite in the streets or in summer when they have their Flamenco Fair the third week in August.

However, you do not have to wait for these particular dates to feel the real Andalucian courage. In the old anglers' neighborhood, there is an unbelievable walkway with a never-ending list of excellent cafs and pubs and just on foot along the street; you can here the locals singing their distinctive flamenco songs, all in Malaga.

About the Author:

Ray Walberg writes articles predominantly for http://www.alicante-spain.com , a web publication covering information on bus malaga torremolinos and malaga airport transfer. One can find his comments on malaga airport transfer and malaga airport transport here.

Don't Be Clueless On Your First Craft Show

By Alix Montoya

You probably have already experienced attending a craft show before where most of the people either own a booth for themselves or are generally clueless about the way things should be going. If you are a part of the latter group and this is your first time, then you would do well to be well prepared for anything that might happen.

It is a given that you are simply in love with your hobby. You have spent many a cold night at home on your favorite chair stitching that masterpiece by the fireplace, with a glass of hot chocolate and soft music in the background. You have put a lot of effort into creating your product and you are ready to have people admire it for the beautiful work of art that it is.

How do you do that?

The number one place to showcase your work is of course in crafting shows that are held every so often in your local community or a nearby town. In fact, craft shows are becoming more and more numerous that many people are actually making a living out of it. And what could be more satisfying than that?

The most important thing that you might want to get first is information. You are going to need a lot of information in order to prepare well for your first crafting trade show. You're going to need information about the dates, the times, the venues, or registration fees if there are any. You might also want to know whether the judging for such shows are either juried or not.

All of those information, luckily, can be found on crafting show calendars and there are plenty of websites out there that offer a subscription to this service. They are your most powerful tool besides your scissors or your spatula.

The craft show calendars are so helpful that most people use it to gain leverage on the other players. Just imagine the edge you can have if you can plan months ahead of the competition. You won't only make sure that your products are superior, you also save a lot of time for your other responsibilities.

If it's your first time to attend, consulting a crafting show calendar and getting all the information you need is the best you can do to make the most out of this experience.

About the Author:

It never hurts to plan ahead if you're attending a Florida Craft Shows so you don't waste any time. Get the latest about Florida Craft Shows and don't be left behind!

Resources - What to Look for In a Beauty Supply Store

By Maia Hagen

Are we meddlesome in updating your beauty products as good as reserve or have been we only meddlesome in replenishing your supply? If we are, we will need to find a beauty supply store to emporium at, if we don't already have a single preferred one. When it comes to anticipating a undiluted beauty supply store to emporium at, it might need a tiny bit of time as good as research, though it will expected be some-more than value it in a end. For instance, we could finish up saving you a substantial volume of time as good as presumably even income by receiving a time to find an undiluted beauty supply store to emporium at.

When it comes to anticipating an undiluted beauty supply store to emporium at, there have been a series of factors which we might wish to consider about receiving in to consideration. A single of those factors is location. If we live in a vast locale or city, there is a great possibility which we have a beauty supply store or even a series of them nearby. However, if we live in a tiny town, we might have to transport utterly a little stretch to find a renouned or rarely rated as good as suggest beauty supply store. If which is a box as good as we do not wish to travel, though we still need to buy your beauty reserve as good as products, we need to recollect which beauty supply stores come in a series of opposite formats. In further to storefront locations, beauty stores have been additionally operated online as well.

The products sold at a beauty supply store are also something else that you should take into consideration, when trying to find the perfect beauty supply store to shop at. Beauty supply stores commonly sell hair care products, nail care products, skin care products, makeup, and much more, but there aren't any guarantees. If you are able to get the telephone number of a local beauty supply store, you may want to think about contacting the store in question to learn more about the products that they carry. This can save you time, especially if the beauty supply store is a distance away from your home. Also, for the largest selection of beauty supplies and products, you may want to think about shopping online.

In addition to the types of products sold at a beauty store, you may also want to examine the prices that those products are being sold for. What you need to remember is that beauty products and supplies cost different amounts of money. For instance, you should be prepared to pay more for a curling iron than you would if you were just shopping for some shampoo and conditioner. With that in mind, however, you can still examine the prices that a particular beauty supply store charges. Be on the lookout for products that seem like they are priced too high. Some beauty supply owners, like all other retailers, are known to overcharge some of their clients, in hopes of making a larger profit.

The staff during a beauty supply store should additionally be taken in to consideration, generally if we have been seeking for an internal store to emporium at. If we have never visited a beauty store in question, we might not indispensably know what their staffs is like. Should we select to revisit or emporium during a store, compensate tighten courtesy to a staff. Beauty supply stores have been mostly well known for their beneficial staff. If we continually have a formidable time shopping beauty reserve as good as products, we might wish to have certain which we emporium during a beauty supply store which has a repute of being helpful, kind, as good as compassionate.

The on top of referred to factors have been only a couple of a most which we might wish to keep in mind, when seeking to find a undiluted beauty supply store to emporium at. For a vast preference of beauty supply stores to revisit or get a closer demeanour at, we might to consider about regulating your internal phone book, behaving a customary internet search, regulating an online commercial operation directory, or asking those which we know for recommendations.

About the Author:

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Jewelry Designers for Men - The Scenario

By Ernst Ralborg

Gone are the days when the passion for jewelry rested with women alone. Nowadays, men are becoming as enamored with jewelry and accessories as they are with cars and gizmos. Jewelry designers have well woken up to the fact and are now offering exclusive and extensive men's range of jewelry, ranging right from diamond-studded watches to bracelets, chains and pendants. In this section, we take a look on the latest developments in this trend along with the major newsmakers in this aspect.

The Beckham Story

Talking of men's jewelry, David Beckham created ripples when he displayed a dazzling collection of men's jewelry at his famous pre-World Cup party. England's Ashley Cole, who arrived wearing only jewelry and no shirt under his dinner jacket, assisted him in his efforts.

This was further followed by a charity auction wherein Beckham showcased his exquisite diamond encrusted watch, created by Jacob Arabo. In addition, Beckham was also perhaps the first man to publicly wear two diamond earrings, placing men's' jewelry fashion firmly on the front stage and marking the onset of an amazing trend.

The New Scenario

Jewelry is no longer the domain of women only. Men have largely come to accept and recognize jewelry a symbol of class and style. Urban men, who like to appear trendy, are also taking to the ornaments to add a hip look to their appearances. The exclusive men's' jewelry showrooms have mushroomed in the last few years, catering to the growing need of the contemporary generation.

This trend is further accentuated by the portrayal of men supporting flashy pieces of jewelry in cinema. From the mafia kings carrying extravagant neckpieces, to the young lover wearing a kinky bracelet gifted by his fianc, men across all channels are being quick enough to adopt the trend.

In addition, where earlier gold was almost the only choice, nowadays platinum, diamonds and even stones rule the rooster. The likes of exclusive platinum or combination of metals, diamond encrusted rings and earrings dominate the scene, though smaller trinkets also appear in the picture. The entire trend gives enough reason to the jewelry and fashion industry to invest substantive resources in the men's jewelry lines. By the look of it, in a few years time, it is quite possible that men's jewelry will be available to suit all types of budgets and tastes, not just remaining as the exclusive domain of the rich and famous.

About the Author:

Ernst Ralborg wrote essentially for http://www.engagement-rings-tips.com , an online publication on poems for engagement and engagement poem. His writings on engagement poetry are found on http://www.engagement-rings-tips.com/engagement-poems.html .

Wine and Cheese Gift Baskets Make a Perfect Gift

By Vina Zevigny

My husband and I exchange gifts with several of our neighbors each year for the holidays. It seems that each year it gets more difficult to think of a gift. This year we decided to give them wine and cheese gift baskets. We did not like the pre-made cheese gift baskets that are available in the kiosks in the mall so we decided to create the baskets ourselves.

The pre-made cheese gift baskets included processed cheese spreads. We were concerned about how long some of the baskets had been sitting around. We thought that if we made our own baskets the cheese would be of higher quality and we could choose varieties that we knew our friends liked.

We went to an import store and found wicker baskets to place the cheese in. The store had inexpensive cheese cutters so we purchased one to place in each of the cheese gift baskets. We then went to a local deli. This deli wraps the meat and cheeses in paper. We did not want this for the gift basket. We decided to go to the supermarket and purchase large rounds of four cheeses. We were making four cheese gift baskets so we would quarter each round and wrap the wedges in clear plastic wrap. We also purchased boxes of specialty crackers to place in the baskets. We went to a paper supply store and bought shredded paper to use in the bottom of the baskets as filler. We also bought curling ribbon to decorate the handles of the baskets.

We brought our purchases home and cut and wrapped the cheeses. I placed the filler in the bottom of each basket then arranged the cheeses, cutters and crackers in each. I used several strands of the curling ribbon and tied the strands to the handles. The wine and cheese gift baskets looked very nice and we knew that the cheese was high quality and fresh.

The neighbors all liked receiving these lovely wine and cheese gift baskets. Some of them used them for entertaining while others kept them all to themselves. We decided that they were such a hit with our neighbors that we are going to start giving these baskets to our families as well. If storage is an issue, just pre-wrap the cheeses and assemble the baskets right before the gift exchange. Whether you select one of the pre-made wine and cheese gift baskets or create your own it will be a gift that is loved by the recipient.

About the Author:

Vina Zevigny writes for http://www.gourmetfoodgiftsusa.com, where she shares product reviews and articles for food and entertainment aficionados. Visit her for her often unique point of view and your gift 'Zevigny Food Features Ezine

Beauty Tips - How to Find Free Beauty Tips Online

By Anna Bauer

Are we meddlesome in gripping present with an ultimate beauty trends or have been we customarily seeking for report upon how we can scrupulously request your makeup? If we are you're initial yet might be to go out as good as buy a beauty repository or even a series of them. Which approach involves regulating an internet?

Online, we will find which we have entrance to a series of opposite resources. For instance, we can benefit entrance to an online websites of printed magazines as well as these online websites mostly have representation articles from their magazines as good as many more. We might additionally be means to find online beauty magazines, which have been similar to printed magazines, though in online customarily formats. There have been additionally normal websites out there which have been done by beauty experts or even people similar to you who have a concentration upon beauty as good as fashion.

Now that you know where can find some free beauty tips online, you may be wondering exactly how you can go about doing so. If you are interested examining the online website of a well known and favourite beauty magazine, you will want to try typing the entrecote study and then ".com" in. This will usually bring you to the online website of a printed fashion or beauty magazine. Should you not be healthy to find the website yourself, you should be healthy to find it by performing a standard internet search. When performing a standard internet search, you will want to search with the study of the entrecote in question.

If you are interested in viewing an online beauty magazine, you will also want to perform a standard internet search. Online magazines are increasing in popularity, but they are still not as popular as most printed magazines; therefore, you will likely need a standard internet search to help you out. When performing your standard internet search, you may want to think about searching with phrases like "online fashion magazine," or "online fashion magazines." Your search results should include the links to the websites of online fashion magazines. The thing that you need to be on the lookout for is that a large number of fashion magazines are free to view, but not all are.

As for normal websites which have a concentration upon beauty, we can additionally find these websites by behaving a customary internet search. When behaving a customary internet search, we will wish to keep what we have been seeking for in mind. For instance, if we have been seeking for age defying skincare thickk cream recommendations, we might wish to consider about behaving a poke with phrases similar to "skincare thickk cream recommendations," or "age defying skincare products." Customizing your poke to embody just what we have been seeking for is a good approach to save yourself a lot of time.

As a reminder, using the internet to get free beauty tips, advice, and information on the latest beauty trends is a nice way to proceed, but it isn't your only option. In addition to using the internet and buying printed beauty magazines, you may also want to think about turning on your television. There are now a number of shows on the air that have a focus on both fashion and beauty.

About the Author:

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