Recipe for Soft Hands and a Warm Heart!

Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this product, free of charge,from Softsoap, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it,  all opinions are my own.

I don't know about you, but when Valentine's Day merchandise goes up DURING Christmas, it just seems like the commercialization of holidays has reached critical overload.

And for us, it's twice as bad, as the Mardi Gras season starts on 12 days AFTER Christmas, therefore we have purple, green and gold fighting over the red hearts on all the holiday aisles! And depending on when Mardi Gras, you can have St Patrick's Day decor as well. UGH....

So how do we combat this?

How about my giving a Valentine's Day gift with meaning, that will LAST?

Doesn't that look like a supremely lovely present?

With the new Softsoap Hand Wash Plus Lotion line and a bottle of chocolate chip cookie mix, with a heart shaped cookie cutter, and activities to do TOGETHER as a family- it definitely gives you soft hands AND a warm heart!

The 3 new scents in the new Softsoap Hand Wash Plus Lotion line, premiering February 1st, are:

= Orchid & Coconut Milk- Miss Grace's fav- we put this one in the bathroom and it has definitely improved our hands, AND the smell in the bathroom! LOL
- Shea & Cocoa Butter- I actually took this one to work- we are constantly washing our hands at work, andeveryone loves the subtle scent of this one, and how it has kept the moisture IN our hands, no matter how much washing we do!
- Aloe Water & Lime- perfect for the kitchen, the scent is CLEAN and not overpowering at all. Sometimes scented soaps in the kitchen put me off, as I feel like the scent transfers to the food I'm handling, but not this one! This is definitely my fav!

All of the new soaps are so rich and creamy, as you can see! They all include a touch of lotion, that doesn't sit ON your hands, but takes the moisture from the water and locks it INTO your skin, leaving your hands soft, and not dried out, like they normally get from too much washing. The soap really helps to take away the 'winter' look of skin, and bring back the healthy look of Spring! And the scents will make you wish Spring was already here (ok, so in the South the azaleas are ALREADY blooming, and the animals shedding Winter coats, but we feel your pain, you with 3 feet of snow!). 

Don’t forget check out the Softsoap Facebook page and follow their special offer webpage, for all the latest news and special offers, like valuable coupons!

The cookie mix was a great way to reward Miss Grace for finishing her homeschool work quickly and without complaint (!!). She liked being able to make the cookies all by herself. And if they didn't stay in heart shapes (hint, chill the dough for better luck with that), it was ok, as the cookies were yummy, and she can use the cutter for many more projects!

Want to make your own Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Jar, to give with a Valentine shaped cookie cutter, and a bottle of this lovely Softsoap Hand Wash Plus Lotion  to someone you love this Valentine's Day?

Here's the instructions!

Combine 1 3/4 cp all purpose flour, 3/4 tsp baking soda and 3/4 tsp salt in small bowl. 

Place flour mixture in 1-quart jar. Layer remaining ingredients ( 3/4 cp packed brown sugar, 1 1/2 cps semi-sweet chocolate chips, and 1/2 cp granulated sugar, in that order, above the flour mixture in the jar, pressing firmly after each layer.

 Seal jar with lid and decorate with fabric and ribbon, attaching a cookie heart and the following printed instruction sheet:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. 

2. Beat 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) softened butter or margarine, 1 large egg and 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until blended. 

3, Add entire jar of cookie mix and 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional); mix well, breaking up any clumps. 

4. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets, or use attached cutter to shape into hearts

5. Bake cookies for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. 

6. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. 

Makes about 2 dozen SMALL cookies.

ENJOY!