Cafe Valley Dr Pepper Cake Review

I was contacted by Cafe Valley to try their new Dr. Pepper cake, and  I couldn't turn down that opportunity! I remember my Mom making my birthday cakes with soda inside, and they were always so darn moist and tasty!  

The new cake will join an array of soda cakes including 7UP®, Orange Crush®, and A&W Root Beer™. The new flavor will be available in grocers nationwide in June with a suggested retail price of $5.99 per package. 

The cake is quite wonderful, fabulous for parties and the office. The price is very reasonable, and easy to pick up more than one! Just look at that icing! I love drizzle icing because it's not too sweet with the cake. This ring cake is their flagship product, and you can tell.  

The cake itself is really very good, so moist and not too sweet. The Dr. Pepper flavor is not overwhelming, just the right amount.  

Made with real Dr Pepper, the soda cake is exploding with the spicy taste of the popular soft drink made from a unique blend of 23 flavors.

You can check in your area who carries these cakes on Cafe Valley website. 

"Our partnership with Dr Pepper will guarantee consumers the real, genuine soda taste, just as delicious as our other fun soda cake flavors," said Brian Owens, chief executive officer of Café Valley. "This cake features premium ingredients and the high-quality taste our customers have come to expect. We look forward to bringing the latest delightful flavor and enjoyable experience home to your family."

About Café Valley Bakery 
Since 1987, Café Valley Bakery has been producing high-quality bakery products for in-store bakeries, club stores, food service and convenience stores throughout the world. Through innovative bakery techniques and unique recipes, Café Valley produces the most delectable croissants, muffins, Bundt cakes, ring cakes, loaf cakes, Danishes and turnovers, and their signature Café Bites. Café Valley's delicious baked goods are designed to complement every bakery's existing core items and add new excitement, profitability and growth to the bakery category. For further information about Café Valley Bakery, please visit www.cafevalley.com.

About Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper, a brand of Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS), is the oldest major soft drink in the United States. Since 1885, the 23 flavors of Dr Pepper have earned legions of fans that enjoy its unique, refreshing taste. The brand is available in Regular, Low Calorie, Diet, Caffeine Free and Cherry varieties. DPS is a leading producer of flavored beverages, marketing Dr Pepper and 50-plus other beverage brands across North America and the Caribbean. For more information, visit Dr Pepper. For the brand's latest news and updates, follow Dr Pepper at Facebook.com/DrPepper or Twitter.com/DrPepper.

Disclosure: I was provided sample cake from Cafe Valley for this review. There has been no monetary compensation for this post. I only recommend products that I feel will be of interest to my readers, and that I am truly impressed by. All opinions are my own. Thank you!! 

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Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream Now with SPF 30

I am so thrilled to be press for Kiehl's. It is a company I have been using for a very long time, and their products are always so fantastic. The prices are very reasonable, and the results will make you very, very happy. My Dad was a user of Kiehl's moisturizer before every company started making them for men.

Their Ultra Facial Cream is one of their best sellers, it accounts for more than 18% of their business!
They sell 1.2 Ultra Facial Creams per minute, so you see the greatness of this product. They now add the fabulous SPF 30 to it, and make it even better. I always use moisturizer with SPF 12 months a year. It is very important for your skin care routine.

This product provides 24-hour hydration to your skin, improves functionality within one hour and helps protect skin from UVA and UVB rays with broad spectrum SPF 30.

I was thrilled to try this when Kiehl's sent me a jar. The consistency is very nice, thick and goes right into your skin. A great daily moisturizer, makes your skin feel very hydrated and soft.

I thought I would also share some of my other faves from Kiehl's :

Turmeric & Cranberry Seed Masque  - love love this new masque, use one a week 

Midnight Recovery Oil - amazing oil for your face but I also add a dot in my hair 

Daily Reviving Concentrate  - wonderful item to use under moisturizer for glowing skin 

Midnight Recovery Eye  - fantastic eye cream 

Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleanser and Toner  - love this cleanser as it is formulated with Amazonian White Clay particles to gently remove oil, dirt and toxins that clog pores. The Toner feels lovely after you have used the cleanser, very refreshing. 

Cilantro and Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Mask - a very neat mask, you tissue off just a portion of it, and leave the rest to soak in your skin overnight. Smells amazing as well. 

Disclousure: I received (1) jar of the Ultra Facial Cream with SPF 30 from Kiehl's for this review. 

There has been no monetary compensation for this post. I only recommend products that I feel will be of interest to my readers, and that I am truly impressed by. All opinions are my own. Thank you! 

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Sofitel New York Hotel Review Christmas 2016

Sorry for the delay in this post. It's been a busy few months for me! I had the pleasure of spending Christmas this year in New York City! The first time, and it was just wonderful. The weather was very mild, and I choose to return to the Sofitel New York Hotel for the holidays. I stayed one night in 2015 and was eager to get back. The location on West 44th street is perfect, close to Bryant Park and many other shops and restaurants. How gorgeous is their tree above? 

The lobby was really lovely for the holiday. I arrived Christmas Eve for 2 nights. 

I love a nice lobby because you can chill out while planning your next area to check out in the city. 

My room was ready when I arrived around 10:30am which was awesome. They upgraded my room to a Superior Room and they would have given me one with a view, but I didn't want to wait. The room was lovely, lots of room which I am a big fan to find in NYC! 

From being here before, I requested a coffee maker as one is not in the room automatically. They did bring me a Keurig machine while I was out.  

This has to be one of the best bathrooms I have seen in a hotel in the city. A Rain shower along with a wonderful tub, all marble and very big. I hate having a small bathroom, even if I am staying on my own. 

Christmas Eve brunch was pretty amazing from room service. I was in my glory and I saved some of the baked goods for the next day for breakfast. Good room service just makes your stay so much better. 

I also had room service another night for dinner. This burger was amazing and the fries are pomme frites which are made the French way, very thin and crispy. I was a happy person to say the least. 

They sent up some French macarons to welcome me back to the hotel. The advantages of staying in a French hotel. 

Positives: 

• comfy heavenly bed 
• candle with matches in the bathroom along with fresh orchids
• marble bathroom, very large size 
• rain shower that was so relaxing 
• soaking tub
• 24 hour room service from fabulous restaurant 
• spacious rooms 
• 10 minute walk from 16 subway lines 
• Lanvin bath products 
• beautiful lobby and lobby scent amazing
• stellar location 
• art work in hotel areas as well as the room itself
• friendly, helpful staff
• big closet space 
• welcome gift of french macarons 
• apple computers in lobby area 

Negatives: 

• Daily Resort Fee $17.21 (as of 06/25/19) 
• No Spa 

Sofitel New York
45 W 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
212-354-8844

4 star hotel
Boutique Style with 398 luxury guest rooms including 52 suites
Location: Broadway - Times Square
Valet Parking for a fee
Fitness Center
Business Center
Free WiFi in public areas and hotel rooms
Pets are allowed, charges may apply
Trip Advisor Ranking 57 of 464 (as of 02/05/17)
Trivago Rating 89 out of 100 (as of 02/05/17)
Price Range $237-$566 us dollars

Hotel prices are at their lowest in the months of January and February; their highest September and October. Sunday nights are the lowest prices for hotel rooms, in most cases. My go to places for checking prices for hotels are Trivago, Trip Advisor, Hotels.com and Travelzoo. I am learning quite a bit about booking hotels during this process of featuring different hotels on this blog. 

Always remember to check the hotel's website itself, they are really trying to have you book direct and sometimes offer specials or a discount with AAA that is cheaper than the websites I mentioned above. I am also finding that if you book on your mobile device, you can save some money as well. I actually got a better rate via my mobile phone than using my AAA discount online direct at the hotel. You should really do some research on your price for hotel a few different ways, and ALWAYS book a room that you can cancel, you never know what may happen in the future. 

Remember to take into account for your total cost the NYC Hotel tax of 14.75% plus Daily $2.00 per room occupancy fee.

Would I reserve a night at the Sofitel New York again? This being my second time at this hotel, it didn't disappoint. I can't even think of many negatives about this place. The location is wonderful, you can walk just about everywhere and avoid taxi/subway rides. Many places to enjoy a meal in the area as well - both inexpensive and expensive. I will be back here I am sure. I would say this hotel is worth the full price of a room, but if you can find a deal, all the better.

My rating for this hotel, on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being perfect in every way, is a 9. 

Be sure to sign up for my future posts, so you do not miss the next hotel review. You can also follow me on Instagram for live photos during my stay, and see where the next stay will be! 

Disclosure: This stay was paid for by me. I will always state at the end of each review whether my stay was paid for by myself or if I was hosted by the hotel. I will honestly tell you about my experience at this hotel, not being swayed in any way by complimentary services. I know you value my opinion, and it is important to me to be as honest as possible. All opinions are my own. Thank you so much.

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Build A Bear Cookie Bouquet from Cookies By Design

I have heard about cookie bouquets for a very long time. I never had the chance to receive one, so I was happy when Cookies by Design contacted me to work with them for Valentine's Day. This is their Build a Bear Cookie Bouquet, which is so adorable! The way it was packed was very well, no cookies were broken in travel. 

I love different gifts, and a cookie bouquet is very unique. You can even have a cookie customized with a photo, logo or custom message. The bear is so soft and cuddly! This particular bouquet had 8 cookies, you can choose either 6 or 8 cookies. 

I thought my logo came out well, I could have sent a larger size photo which probably would have looked even better. 

The cookies are all pre-sealed so you can freeze them if you don't wish to eat all at once. When I opened the package, the smell of the cookies just took over! Such a great vanilla smell! 

The cookies are pretty thick and very soft. I really love a soft cookie, they just make everything better! 

Very flavorful, moist and really yummy. I think this gift would be perfect for someone you just do not know what to gift, something unique. 

I would highly recommend Cookies by Design for your next gift selection, I think the receiver would be very happy indeed. They also have other types of gifts with regular cookies which look pretty good on their website. I think cookies make a great gift for just about anyone! 

Some information from the Cookies by Design website: 

Our cookies are baked fresh and hand-decorated at each location.
Our products are baked in a location which uses peanuts and/or tree nuts.
Cookies are made with sugar cookie dough.
Each cookie measures approximately 4"-6" tall, 3/8"-1/2" thick, and 4 oz.

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Disclosure: I was provided the above cookie bouquet Cookies by Design for this review. There has been no monetary compensation for this post. I only recommend products that I feel will be of interest to my readers, and that I am truly impressed by. All opinions are my own. Thank you!! 

Earl's New American Restaurant Review

We are back at the very lovely Peddler's Village and the restaurant Earl's New

American. When I visited here with my parents, there were not as many

choices for dining. This is one of the newer places, and I have been lucky 

to dine twice in the last few months. 

The decor is really lovely, lots of room and very airy 

LYCHEE BLOSSOM

raspberry vodka, lychee liqueur,

pomegranate & white cranberry juice

This cocktail was pretty tasty - you find Lychee everywhere these days! 

LOBSTER DUMPLINGS

maine lobster, shaved carrot slaw,

sweet soy

These dumplings were so yummy, I could have had them for 

my main meal ! 

CRISPY CALAMARI

saffron garlic aioli

The aioli was very yummy, calamari was not great, and the portion size was quite small. I wouldn't order this one again. 

SHRIMP AND GRITS

castle valley mill grits,

jumbo shrimp, creole sauce

A very unique dish, and oh so tasty. I was very happy enjoying this meal! The flavor combinations were spot on. 

The fries were okay, not the best I ever had, probably will pass on these unless they are served with my meal. 

CRAB CAKE SANDWICH

seared crab cake, red onion compote,

old bay aioli, portuguese roll, chips

This was totally yummy, I love crab cakes and this sandwich just melted in your mouth 

RIGATONI PASTA &

SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE

shaved pecorino cheese, broccoli rabe with

roasted garlic, olive oil, white wine sauce

Quite the tasty pasta dish here, so many flavors going on A must try for the pasta lover! 

PEAR TREE

pear vodka, orange liqueur,

lemon juice, simple syrup

The pear cocktail was quite good, as you can see, it's all gone! 

VANILLA CRÈME BRULÉ 

fresh berries

I love this dessert, it's very light and refreshing 

WHITE CHOCOLATE POT DE CRÈME 

 blueberries and whipped cream

Fabulous presentation and tasty as well 

Earl's New American is a good stop while in Peddler's Village to fuel up after your shopping and walking around the lovely area. I look forward to stopping in next year, and trying a different menu! 

Earl's Bucks County

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