Valentine’s Day Strawberry Italian Sodas

I know its hard to believe, but Valentine's Day is coming up! I love to do something small but special for our kids every year to let them know we love them, but they can be really funny when it comes to treats. Our son has a huge sweet tooth, but our daughter doesn't like things that are too sweet. It makes for a ton of fun when they have to pick a dessert to split. (NOT!) But a few years ago I started making them Italian Sodas at home and they both LOVE them. Our daughter is a big fan of sparkling water and I think the club soda helps tone down the sweetness just enough for her. Plus I like that I can control the sugar amount for each of them -- I always put less sweet syrup in her glass. This year I decided to bump up my game a bit and make them extra special. I included some sparkling red sugar on the rim and a sweet strawberry heart. I also put a little love note on each of their glasses. OOLY's Color Lustre Metallic Markers write on smooth surfaces like glass and tile AND wipes away when you're done. I wrote a love message on each and a few little hearts and XOXOs. The markers dry fairly quickly and didn't smudge when I made the drinks.

To make your own Valentine's Day Strawberry Italian Sodas, you'll need:

- tall glass - OOLY Color Lustre Metallic Markers - ice - red sugar - fresh strawberry hearts (cut the top of each berry, cut in half, and then cut a little notch out of the top to form a heart) - arrow food picks - strawberry syrup - club soda - half + half - whipped cream Start by writing a sweet note or draw a picture onto the glass. Once the marker has dried, dip rim of glass in a bit of strawberry syrup and roll in red sugar to coat the rim. Next, fill the bottom quarter of the glass with ice. Add 1 - 2 tablespoons of strawberry syrup (depending on how sweet your sweet tooth is!). Fill 3/4 of the way full with club soda. Add half + half. Top with whipped cream. Place a strawberry heart on an arrow food pick and place on top. Sweet!