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5 FUN AND INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO CELEBRATE MOTHER’S DAY

Mother’s Day is not about how much money you spend on gifts and flowers, it’s about spending quality time with one of the most important people in your life! These fun, affordable activities and ideas will make sure this Mother’s Day is one she’ll always remember.

Pamper Mom

Moms do so much for us, so why not make sure your mom gets the rest and relaxation she deserves on her special day? Instead of guessing what kind of TLC mom needs, ask her to give you a list of five different services she desires. These could range from an hour alone to take a nap to a manicure at her favorite salon to an hour or two of house or outside work free of charge. If you’re really feeling generous, offer to give mom a relaxing massage or a pedicure in the comfort of your own home.

Give Mom The Day Off

Your mom probably spends a decent amount of time in the kitchen cooking meals for the family. Instead of having her cook the day’s meals, take it upon yourself to whip up breakfast, lunch, dinner or all three. For breakfast, consider a breakfast in bed or Mother’s Day brunch. Be sure to make one of her favorite dishes for dinner or host a barbecue if the weather is nice. Of course, you can’t forget dessert as no special day is complete without sweets. Try a DIY cake kit for dessert and incorporate the whole family in the cake decoration activities.

Gift From The Heart

Instead of spending tons of money on floral bouquets or gifts baskets, get creative and make mom a unique, homemade Mother’s Day gift that she’ll put to good use. Roll up your sleeves, take out your craft glue and scissors and spend some time working on craft activities that mom will appreciate. After all, presents made with love are always the best!

Go On An Adventure

Venture our and spend the day exploring some of the places that mom has been wanting to visit. For example, head to the local vineyard for the day or simply walk around the town’s flea market or farmer’s market to browse or pick up some unique finds. Regardless of the destination, mom will love spending quality time with you.

Give Back

Mother’s Day is about honoring all the selfless mothers in the world. Help a mother in need by donating to local organizations and charities that benefit mothers and their children. Gather your mom, grandmother, aunts and any other mothers in your life and set up a time slot to volunteer at a local women’s or domestic violence shelter on Mother’s Day. Not only will your mother be beaming with pride that you’re wanting to give back, but it is also the perfect way to spend the day with the mothers in your life that mean the most to you.

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HOW TO HOST AN EASTER EGG HUNT PARTY

Planning an Easter egg hunt party in your own backyard is an easy way to get toddlers, kids and adults in the spring spirit. Follow these tips to carry out an exciting Easter tradition.

Easter Decorations

What’s an Easter egg hunt party without festive decorations? Prepare your house for the big hunt by hanging colorful, pastel balloons outside your home. You could even line your walkway with whimsical, decorated Easter baskets. You may even want to consider spending some quality time with your children prior to the event by decorating Easter baskets together. If you’re short on time, festive printable signs do the trick. You don’t have to go overboard when decorating, but you want to make sure everyone invited to the hunt knows where they’re going to.

Hunt Prep

Whether you want to hide real or plastic eggs at your Easter egg hunt is up to you! If you’re decorating and hiding real eggs, just be sure to have a supply of small prizes to hand out to the hunt contestants. If you’re using plastic eggs, fill the eggs with small toys, candy or even numbers that correspond to larger prizes such as gift certificates, Easter books and stuffed animals. Of course, you want to make sure you have enough eggs for everyone attending to have a fair chance of winning a prize. Aim for a dozen eggs per guest. Also, have a few additional baskets on hand in case some of your guests forget to bring their own.

Hiding the Eggs

If you’re hosting a hunt for two different age groups (for example, toddlers and pre-teens), divide your backyard into two different zones. Hide the smaller children’s eggs in open places that are not too difficult to locate such as low branches on trees. Make it a bit more difficult for the older crew. Harder to find spots such as mailboxes, water spouts and atop car tires are a perfect challenge for the older children at your party.

Play Exciting Easter Games

While an Easter egg hunt is a fun game in itself, you could really get the competition fired up by setting up some additional games and a craft activity that is suitable for all ages.

Egg Bowling – Use colored hard-boiled eggs and one white hard-boiled egg. Roll the white egg into the center of the playing field and take turns to see who can roll their colored egg closest to the white egg.

Painted Pots Craft Activity – Get those green thumbs ready and prepare for the spring season by having each guest decorate and design their very own painted flower pot. All you’ll need is brand new flowerpots, markers, felt designs, glue, scissors and paint.

Feed the Flock

This is your chance to display your Easter spirit by setting out loads of Easter themed treats. After all, you have to give the children something more to munch on besides candy. Simple refreshments like Easter themed sandwiches and seasonal fruit are perfect for a spring afternoon Easter egg hunt party. Just don’t forget the delicious DIY cake kit to end the day on a sweet note. Your little ones can even help you prepare the cake by doing the cake decoration and prepping the ingredients. DIY cake kits are perfect for celebrating holidays, birthday parties or just for the fun of it!

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HOME BAKING 101

Do you know someone who has a knack for delivering excellent baked goods every single time? Here are some of the best baking tips so you can take your baking skills from good to great!

1. Plan Ahead

Before you start baking your goodies, be sure to look over and study the recipe you’re using. This allows you to know your recipe and prepare your ingredients and equipment prior to starting. For example, if a recipe calls for softened butter, take the butter out an hour in advance.

2. Searching For Quality Ingredients

When baking at home, you have the choice of what ingredients you want to use and what flavors you enjoy. Always use the best ingredients available, which will help to create a dessert that wows everyone.

3. Monitor Cooking Environment

Standard room temperature is around 70 degrees F. If you’re planning on baking when it’s humid and hot outside or brutally cold, the temperature outdoors will affect the inside temperatures. Too much heat, humidity or cold in the kitchen can cause an otherwise perfect recipe to be ruined. Always remember that heavy moisture in the air can affect the ability for dough and batter to dry and rise. Too much humidity and heat can also cause the icing to melt if you’re using a cake decorating kit.

4. Lining Baking Pans

Parchment paper is a lifesaver when it comes to baking. It is more reliable than simple greasing and easily allows you to transfer cakes, cookies, and breads without having them fall apart or tear. Cookie bottoms can turn over-brown while cooking on a simple greased sheet, but with parchment paper, cookies tend to bake perfectly. To use parchment paper, cut the paper to fit cake pans and loaf pans.

5. Choosing the Right Pan Size

To prevent your baked goods from cooking much faster or slower than the recipe calls for, make sure you are using the recommended pan size that the recipe calls for.

6. In-order Mixing

As a rule of thumb, sugar and butter should almost always be mixed and beaten together. Dry ingredients should also be combined together in one bowl before adding any liquid ingredients. This will create even, smooth mixing. If you’re more of a structured learner, try a cake baking kit, which will include step-by-step instructions for mixing.

7. Oven Rack Positioning

A rack should always be in the center of the oven, unless otherwise specified! Also, don’t forget to preheat the oven before getting started. Temptation gets even the most seasoned of bakers, it is important to never open the oven door to check on your cake until it is 80 percent done baking. Every time the oven door is opened, hot air is released which decreases the oven temperature and makes for a cake that is unevenly cooked. Let your oven do its thing and wait patiently for your cake to bake.

8. Cooling Matters

To properly cool cookies, take them out of the oven when the edges are golden-brown, and the center appears to look slightly under-cooked. Then, simply cool the cookies on a cookie sheet. This will result in soft, chewy cookies. For cakes, cool upside down on a sturdy cooling rack. This will flatten out the top of the cake, making it easier to stack a birthday cake.

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4 EASY BIRTHDAY GAMES FOR WINTER BIRTHDAYS

These great winter birthday party game ideas will have your kids and their guests laughing and playing in the snow for hours.

1. Snow Rope Tug of War

To play this game, organize two teams of even numbers. You will also need a long, thick rope to play this game. Simply tamp down a large and wide trench in the snow. The trench will serve as the midline. Place each team on the opposite ends of the rope. Countdown from 10 and allow the tugging and towing to commence. The winning team is the team that pulls the entire opposing team over to its side of the trench. It’s a good idea to make sure each player is wearing gloves before playing this game. Gloves will protect the hands from getting rope burn.

2. Snow-Boot Two Step

Each player will need winter clothes and snow boots. You will need at least two or more players. This game is best played on an even ground that has freshly fallen snow. Snow-boot two step is very similar to the classic children’s game follow the leader. To start off, the leader will need to make a path in the snow. The children following the leader must then try to step in the exact same spots as the leader by stepping in the leader’s boot print. The object of the game is to make it look as if only one person has walked the path in the snow. This is a perfect winter birthday party game to test each child’s agility and balance.

3. Snowman Building Race

Kids and adults alike love to build snowmen! It is one of the most classic winter games. To get this game going, put together two teams. Make sure each team has an even number of players. Assign an adult to keep track of the time (each race should be around 10-15 minutes or so). Once the adult yells “GO”, watch as the children scurry to put together their snowman masterpiece. The team that completes their snowman in the shortest amount of time, wins the race! Don’t forget that a complete snowman includes the body, hat, and nose.

Photo by Ethan Hu

4. Musical Snowflakes

Musical snowflakes is similar to the old favorite party game musical chairs. To properly play musical snowflakes, tape large snowflake cutouts on the seat of each chair used in the game. Ensure the chairs are lined up and that there’s enough moving room around them. Aim to play winter-themed music instead of ordinary music. Have the group of children pace around the group of chairs while the music is playing. Once the music stops, each child will need to run to sit on one of the available chairs. The child who is left without a chair is then eliminated. Make sure to remove each chair one-by-one as players are eliminated.

Once the winter wonderland games have come to a close, celebrate and reenergize the little ones by chowing down on a delicious DIY birthday cake. A cake decorating kit is the perfect way to take the stress out of baking!

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7 REASONS WHY HOMEMADE CAKE IS ALWAYS BETTER

Skip running to your local bakery or supermarket to pick up your next birthday cake! Instead, bake a homemade cake yourself. Baking your own homemade dessert creation has several benefits.

It’s Better Tasting

A dessert you make yourself always tastes better than something already pre-made. When baking at home, you have the choice of what ingredients you want to use and what flavors you enjoy. Each one of us had a different palate preference. Unfortunately, the probability of outside cakes suiting that taste preference is very little. The best way to ensure that your cake comes out perfectly and tastes divine is to simply make it yourself.

It’s Cheaper

The average bakery cake will cost you significantly more than you would pay for buying the ingredients to make the cake yourself. Most upscale bakeries will charge you anywhere from $5.00 – $9.50 per slice of cake, depending on the overall size and type of cake. That’s quite a hefty price if you’re looking to feed a number of people. Cut your costs to $1.20 – $3.50 per slice by making your very own cake.

It’s Healthier

When you buy a pre-made cake from a bakery or grocery store, you hardly know the nutritional value of the cake. However, when you bake at home, you can control the quality and the quantity of the ingredients. Instead of buying a processed cake, choose all-natural ingredients for your dessert creation.

It’s Cleaner

One of the biggest issues with buying a dessert from a bakery or store is the level of cleanliness of the business. When baking at home, you can ensure that everything used to bake your cake is sanitized and freshly clean. You can also ensure that there are no unwanted chemicals or additives added to your cake.

It’s Food Allergy Friendly

If you’re baking a cake for a special occasion, like a birthday party, you can reduce the risk of any allergic reactions. This is especially important if anyone eating the cake has a dietary restriction or food allergies.  For example, if a family member or friend has a gluten allergy, you can ensure that you bake the perfect gluten-free chocolate cake instead of risking the chance of purchasing a cake that may have gluten in it.

It’s Fun

According to psychologists, cooking and baking is therapeutic and helps reduce stress. It also helps provide relaxation. You can choose to bake alone for some much-needed solo time to unwind. You also can choose to involve your family and make it a baking party. Be sure you don’t leave the kids out! Have them help with mixing ingredients or cake decorating. If you’re still in the process of mastering your baking skills, try a DIY cake kit to help move you along in the right direction.

It’s a Confidence Booster

Baking your own cake gives you the chance to show off skills in the kitchen. Beyond that, making something yourself allows you to take pride in your dessert creation. This helps build your self-esteem and your confidence.

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4 HOLIDAY BAKING TIPS TO KEEP YOUR SPIRIT BRIGHT

The holiday season is all about treats, sweets and spending time with those closest to you! Here are four tips to ensure you master the art of baking this holiday season.

Check Your Pantry

Once you have determined what delicious baked goods you’ll be making this holiday season, you will need to take an inventory of all the ingredients you have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Obviously, you will want to ensure you have the essentials, including eggs, butter, flour, sugar, baking soda, and baking powder. But you may also want to think about the not so obvious items such as chocolate chips, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, sprinkles and an assortment of nuts. Once your baking essentials are organized, make a grand list with all the items you need from the supermarket.

Wrap Em’ Up

If you’re planning on gifting homemade baked goods to family, friends, and coworkers, wrap each gift up in festive packaging. Not only is gifting baked goods a creative and inexpensive way to spread the holiday cheer, but it also allows you to add your own little personal touch to each homemade gift.

Get Your Family Involved

Baking should be fun and it should never feel like a chore. Many families partake in holiday season baking traditions, which allows for the entire family to work together creating yummy cakes, pies, and cookies. It’s the perfect way to bond! If you’re looking for a simple way to include your children in the baking process, purchase a DIY cake kit . You can create a fun and delicious cake, while keeping the stress and holiday chaos down to a minimum. Having your children help out also serves as a learning experience for them. Even if they are too young to actually assist in the kitchen, they can lend a hand by creating greeting cards or Christmas ornaments. There are also many seasonal craft activities for kids, beyond the kitchen, that can get them in the holiday spirit and out of your hair while you’re baking.

Low Prep Time, Please

If you have a lot of free time, there is no reason not to attempt a few complicated and more complex holiday baking recipes. However typically the holiday season means a lot of running around and many of us don’t have several hours to spend baking. To save time and avoid getting flustered, look for holiday baking recipes that are simple to follow, require only a few ingredients and steps and allow you to do the prepping ahead of time. There are several cake and pie recipes that take less than two hours and even more holiday cookie recipes that take an hour or less. The same goes for birthday cakes. You needn’t spend hours upon hours baking a birthday cake when you can make a perfectly delectable and beautiful cake in half the time.

With a little strategizing and commitment, you can get the task of holiday baking done.

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THE STORY OF THE BIRTHDAY CAKE

The Greeks And The Egyptians

You can thank the ancient Greeks for your birthday cake! While the first known birthday cake was made in Germany, it is actually the Greeks who coined the term “birthday cake”. However, ancient Egyptians are to be credited with inventing the celebration of birthdays. When pharaohs were crowned, they became Gods. The day a Pharaoh was crowned is known as their “birth” as a god. Ancient Greeks then borrowed this tradition from the Egyptians. The Greeks would bake moon-shaped cakes to offer up to Artemis as a tribute. They would then decorate these cakes with candles that would shine in a very similar way that the moon shined. This is the reason why we light candles on our birthday cakes.

Modern birthday celebrations gotten their roots from a German celebration called Kinderfest. On a child’s birthday, he or she would receive a large cake with lighted candles that added up to the child’s current age plus an additional year. The additional candle; the “light of life” represented the hope of another year for the child to live. Rumor has it that the birthday girl or boy was not able to eat the cake until the candles burned all throughout the day. Once the candles died on their own, the cake could then be enjoyed by all those celebrating the child’s birthday.

While we now have an endless list of different types of cakes, bakeries that customize our favorite desserts and cake kits, like an awesome rocket DIY cake kit, this wasn’t always the case. Earlier on, cakes were made from bread-like products and typically had a very coarse texture. They did not have flavored icing or layers, nor did cakes incorporate elaborate designs like many customized and personalized cakes do today. And if cakes did include icing, layers, and designs, they were only available to the wealthy and upper class. Because of this, the birthday tradition didn’t gain popularity until the Industrial Revolution. By the time the Industrial Revolution came around, cheaper ingredients and utensils were more readily available which in-turn made the ingredients for cakes more affordable and increasingly popular.

Happy Birthday Song

You may also be wondering where the “Happy Birthday” song originated. It may surprise you that the “Happy Birthday” song was originally called “Good Morning to You”. In 1893 two teachers, Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill wrote and named it as a student-welcoming song before classes started for the day. It was not until 1924 that Robert H. Coleman presented this song with an alternate stanza, which then incorporated the words “Happy Birthday to You”. This version became widely popular and is now what we know as the popular candle-blowing song.

Next time you decide to make throw a birthday party for one of your loved ones or have one thrown in your honor, make sure you thank the ancient Greeks for each delicious and sweet bite!

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FUN AND CLEVER DIY CRAFT ACTIVITIES FOR KIDS

Arts and crafts are not only a fun activity for little ones, but they can also be educational. When your child participates in arts and crafts, he or she is improving on their coordination, honing in on their fine motor skills and improving their visual processing abilities. Plus, completing educational and fun arts and crafts activities can skyrocket your child’s self-esteem. Jumpstart your child’s imagination and artistic abilities with these cool and clever craft activities. Keep them in mind, whether you’re hosting a birthday party and looking for clever activities for the party attendees or just looking for some fun everyday craft activities to keep your little one’s mind busy and creative juices flowing.

Fiber and Textile Crafts

Fiber and textile arts and crafts activities encourages fine motor skills, neural development, and problem-solving abilities. Beyond that, these types of activities promote creativity and allow your child to think outside the proverbial box. Fiber art refers to fine art made out of natural or synthetic fibers such as yard or fabric. Textile art includes applique, crocheting, embroidery, felt-making, knitting, and quilting. Of course, parental supervision is necessary when children work on these types of arts and crafts, as it usually includes needlework and the use of scissors.

Paper Crafts

Paper crafts are by far the easiest type of arts and crafts for children of all ages. Toddlers to high schoolers can participate in paper arts and crafts activities. Paper crafts incorporate the use of crepe, tissue, Kraft, vellum, origami, rice and cardboard paper. With these types of paper, your child can make paper flowers, greeting cards, paper mache, origamis, paper quilling, and scrapbooks. With most paper crafts, you will need scissors, markers, paint, paintbrushes, glue sticks and rulers.

Jewelry Crafts

Young girls will especially love making jewelry crafts. Jewelry crafts allow for your small fry to create their very own unique accessory piece. You can make necklaces, rings, bracelets, and anklets. You will need wire cutters, beads, memory wires, beading cords, threads or yarn and a crimping tool to successfully complete a sturdy piece of customized piece of jewelry. Handmade jewelry is also a great gift that your child can give to the special women or men in her life. Nothing will melt grandma’s or auntie’s heart more than receiving a precious homemade gift from their favorite little one.

DIY Baking Activity

Once the glue sticks have been put away and the crafts have been properly put together, consider honing in on your child’s reading and cooking skills by working together in the kitchen to create delicious kid-friendly snacks and treats. If you’re craving sweets, a DIY fondant heart cake might be just what your taste buds are yearning for. You don’t need a special occasion like a birthday party or valentine’s day celebration to bake one of these adorable, custom and simple cakes. Best of all, the kit comes with all the tools and ingredients you’ll need, along with step-by-step instructions.

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HOW TO THROW AN AWESOME BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH

Summer is coming to an end and before you know it, your little ones will be heading back-to school for a new school year full of graded assignments and afterschool sports practice pickups. Back-to-school time can be quite a disappointing time for your little ones since it means their summer of freedom is coming to a close, so why not help them ease their pain and get them a bit excited about the upcoming school year by throwing a back-to-school themed bash.

Backpack Stuffing Party

School supply shopping can put a strain on both your wallet and your time restraints. Consider throwing a backpack-stuffing party for your children and their dearest friends. To do this, simply ask each guest to bring a bulk of a specific school item. Some essential school items may include, rulers, notebooks, folders, pens, pencils, paper and glue sticks. As the host of the party, purchase some new or gently used backpacks and give each child a backpack to use. You can set up the school goods in an assembly line and have each child throw each product into their bag.

You can either choose to have each child at the party keep their bags for their own needs for the upcoming school year OR collect all the bags at the end of the party and donate them to a local charity or program that will help children in need. While keeping the bags for your own child’s needs is a great idea, donating teaches kids to give back, and of course, the world needs more of that.

Once the bag filling process is over, reward the children with some tasty back to school eats and treats. And of course, you can’t forget about dessert! For a group dessert activity, consider baking a DIY Panda Cake Kit together. Simply give each child a task to complete in the baking process, so that each child feels like they had a part in the overall creation of the adorable cake.

Back to School Fashion Show

Once all the back-to-school clothes shopping is done, have your child invite their closest friends over for a trendy fashion show. To do this, set up a catwalk, turn down the lights and play some fun kid-friendly techno or dance music. Give each child a flashlight so they can illuminate the child strutting their stuff on the catwalk.

Serve healthy snacks and fashion-related treats like cut-out cookies shaped like dresses and high-heel shoes. As far as decorations go, make sure you go with vibrant and fun colors.

A Backyard Campout

Squeeze in a night of backyard camping while you still can, because sooner than later, it will begin getting a bit chilly outside and night camping will not be practical. You will need tents, air mattresses, sleeping bags, coolers and lots of fun nighttime evening activities to keep the little ones entertained for their stay.

Serve traditional camping food like hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, cut fruit, smores and kid-friendly side dishes. If you have the patience and time, try setting up an outdoor makeshift movie theater for the little ones to enjoy some classic films while they are out enjoying nature for the evening. Some fun back-to-school movies that will entertain children of varying ages, include Freaky Friday, Grease, School of Rock, Akeelah and the Bee and Kindergarten Cop.

Back-to-school is a chance for fresh starts, so why not throw a fun party that celebrates new beginnings!

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HOW TO THROW THE PERFECT PAJAMA PARTY

Themes And Decorations

You needn’t a theme to host a PJ party because after all, pajamas are the theme. However, choosing a specific theme can make the evening that much more fun. For example, think of your child’s favorite movie or cartoon show and base the pajama attire and decorations theme off that. You don’t need to have elaborate decorations for a pajama party, but you can still jazz up the space with cutouts, streamers, and balloons or you could put together makeshift forts to make the night just that more awesome and memorable for your guests.

You could also plan something a little special such as a movie night, stargazing, photoshoot, karaoke, glow-in-the-dark, or even a glamping pajama party theme.

Invites

You really don’t need to send out fancy invitations for a child’s pajama party. However, if it is a celebratory pajama party like a birthday pajama party, then you might want to splurge just a little bit and get some customized invites made up. You could also choose to assist your little one with creating their very own invites incorporating their own artistic flair. The choice is yours!

Activities And Treats

Children love participating in group activities where they can use their imagination and get their creative juices flowing. When throwing a pajama party, you will want to ensure that you have plenty of fun little activities and games lined up to keep the little ones entertained. This allows for the kids to keep busy and ensures they are tuckered out by the time bedtime rolls around. If you have a few chefs-in-the-making in the group, consider having them work together to make some delicious treats that they can munch on after the cooking duties have commenced. And of course, we can’t forget about baking because all kids love baking, and even more so, eating their baking creations! Try delegating a task or two to each child and have them work together to create their very own adorable cake with a DIY cake kit. Just make sure you serve the sweets at least two hours before you plan on having the children get ready for bed. Once bellies are full and eyes are looking sleepy, throw on an age-appropriate sleepover movie to wind the children down. If everyone is sleeping over, make sure you also have kid-friendly breakfast food for the next morning.

Pajama party sleepovers are a great way for your child’s friends to practice a little independence and get used to being away from their home. It’s also a great way for the little ones to hang out, nourish their relationships and grow through fun social activities.

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HOW TO THROW A WORLD CUP SOCCER VIEWING PARTY

Decorations Galore

There’s more to decorating for a World Cup soccer party than just throwing up the flags of the country or countries you’re rooting for. Let your creative juices flow and try to incorporate anything soccer related or country/region themed related into your party decorations. You also will want to give your party guests a means of displaying their own pride. If you’re on a budget, give face painting and/or temporary tattoos a try. This allows your party goers to display their personal team’s colors with pride. It also allows everyone at the party to see which guests root for which team, which makes the competition that more fun.

Culinary Celebrations

No great party is complete without delicious snacks. Instead of the pizza and sandwich route, try offering soccer themed dishes and unique foods filled with flavor and style. If you really want to get fancy, try to offer a series of dishes that complement the current game’s teams. This is especially a great idea if you’re planning on hosting multiple viewing parties throughout the World Cup. For example, if France and Australia are playing against each other on the day you’re hosting your first viewing party, prepare some authentic French and Australian dishes for your guests.

1. Grilled Flank Steak With Chimichurri (Argentina) 2. Bitterballen (Netherlands) 3. Grapefruit, Ginger and Lemongrass Sake Cocktail (Japan) 4. Brezel (Germany) 5.. Bauru Sandwich (Brazil)

Let’s never forget about dessert, either. Baking a soccer-themed cake is not only a great birthday party cake idea for little ones, but it is also the perfect way to get your children involved in the dessert-making process for a World Cup party. If you choose to serve country-based dishes for your viewing party, stick to the theme and bake country-themed desserts too. You can also keep the desserts generally geared toward soccer with soccer cupcakes, cake pops, and cookies.

World Cup Activities

While watching the game will be the primary focus, you will also want to keep your guests entertained with exciting little games and competitions like tournament pots and soccer themed adult piñatas full of adult goodies. And, let’s not forget about the little ones because chances are they will want to participate in some age-appropriate World Cup games and activities themselves. Keep the pint-sized soccer fans busy with soccer arts and crafts and outside fun by setting up a soccer field or piñata in your yard. You can award winners of games with great themed prizes or even offer door prizes to the guests who display their team pride the best.

The World Cup is a monumental tournament that brings the world together in the spirit of competition. Let your World Cup party be a monumental party that will be talked about months down the road. Happy watching!

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4 CREATIVE WAYS TO SPEND QUALITY TIME WITH YOUR CHILD

1. Reading Together

Reading together is not only an educational and learning opportunity for your child, but it is also a magnificent way to spend some quality time together before bedtime or whenever time permits. Reading to young children helps them succeed in the classroom and develop language skills. It also helps them stimulate their imagination and gain a better comprehension of the world. It really doesn’t matter the age of your child, reading together is the perfect way to spend some together while brushing up on their active-listening skills. You can even consider partaking in reading events in the area, which will allow you to meet other parents, your child to meet new friends all while providing an excellent atmosphere for spending quality time together and learning.

2. Singing Together

If you and your little one are musically-inclined (And even if you’re not) consider spending some time singing together by buying a karaoke machine and just jamming out. If you want, add some homemade instruments to your ensemble and have a good time singing, dancing and playing instruments together. If you both don’t mind an audience, consider children’s karaoke spots. Singing is educational because it allows for the body and the mind to work together. It also helps children learn the sounds and meanings of words. Not to mention, learning to play an instrument at a young age can surely be beneficial and grooving to the tunes is a wonderful way to keep your child active and physically fit.

3. Baking Together

Baking and cooking with your little one will help raise their self-esteem. It will make your child feel proud of himself or herself for creating their own delicious masterpiece. It also can teach basic mathematics and measuring skills along with life skills that they can bring with them into adulthood. You don’t need a birthday party or special occasion to bake a tasty meal or dessert together. You can just pick a DIY cake kit to do a fun craft project with your son or daughter and then pig out on tasty treats you created together.

  4. Exercising Together

If you’re health-conscious and you want your child to also remain healthy and fit, try exercising together as a form of bonding. Not everyone has a gym membership and you needn’t attend classes together at a local fitness facility. Instead, get a game of basketball going or simply kick around a soccer ball. You could also check out online parent-child workout videos that will get you both burning calories and feeling those endorphins.

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4 REASONS TO BAKE WITH YOUR KIDS

1. It’s An Educational Experience

Baking with your kid can help them learn basic math skills. For example, measuring ingredients, setting the timer and handling recipe fractions, are all basic arithmetic skills that every child should learn in their younger years. Baking can also help your child with their reading and comprehension skills. Have your child read the recipe out loud and help them speak and understand the more difficult words. The best part about learning math and practicing reading in the kitchen is that your little one will be so excited to be making a treat from scratch that they won’t even realize they’re also being educated.

2. It Helps Their Self-esteem

Children love to show off their own creations. If you’re throwing your child a party, get them involved in the kid party planning by letting them help you with the baking tasks. Allowing your child to assist you with baking allows them to make their own delicious treats. In turn, your child will feel proud of himself or herself for successfully making something on their own. Remember, kids thrive on feeling accomplished. Plus, there’s nothing more adorable than watching your small fry proudly serve their dessert masterpiece to guests.

3. It Sparks Creativity

Most desserts require a bit of artistic creativity to make. Tasks such as decorating cookies and cakes and working with icing will allow your child to explore their own creativity and inventiveness. Watch how intrigued your youngster gets as they make unique designs on cookies and write with icing. You can even buy a DIY cake kit that has all the ingredients already in the kit, so you don’t even need to go to the store to pick up anything. It’s the perfect little art project the both of you can partake in.

4. It Teaches Patience

Children are typically very impatient, and baking is a process that usually involves many steps before you finally get to munch on the delicious finished product. Baking with your little one teaches them that sometimes it takes time to get what you want. The value of delaying gratification is an important life skill that all children need to carry with them into adulthood.

There are many awards that come out of baking with your child. Not only will you spend time hanging out with your little baking apprentice, but you’ll also be able to teach them some very important life skills.

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KIDS CAKE THEMES TRENDING NOW

Smash Cakes

Your child’s first birthday is a joyous day of celebration and you can commemorate this special day with a special smash cake. The trending and very popular smash cake is a separate small cake that ”empowers” your child to literally smash in what is almost always their first experience with delicious frosting and scrumptious cake.

Smash cakes have become so popular that dedicated photo shoots now capture every moment of a cake smash, and is the quintessential birthday cake for any one year old child.

Photo by: Livluna.com

Drip Cakes

The newest cake craze trending globally is the drip cake. These delicious morsels of cake taste like a dream – and drip with chocolate goodness. With chocolate or another flavor dripping down the sides of the cake, these cakes come alive, and are both whimsical and exquisitely sweet.

Making your own drip cake is very simple and your imagination is the only limit on the elements you can add to a drip cake design – from sparkles to cones, to candies and cookies, drip cakes are a blast!

Photo by: hecendorfer.com

Superhero Cakes

Superhero themed birthday cakes are a perennial classic. Hollywood does their best to keep these superhero franchises vital in the hearts and minds of kids of all ages, and 2017 was an exceptionally good year for superheroes, with Spider-Man, Wonder Woman and Lego Batman making appearances on the big screen..

Having a specially decorated birthday cake with these characters is the perfect way to make your child feel heroic on their big day.

Character Cakes

Every year new movie characters or toys become the viral fascination of children around the world. Whether it is a Pokémon or Moana, a popular character can serve to unify your child’s birthday party theme from cake to decoration all the way to the content of the goodie bags.

Photo by: criollakitchen.com

Little Girl Cakes

Almost every little girl dreams of being a princess, and cake theme “fit for a princess” is an ideal way to celebrate in royal fashion. From unicorns to rainbows to princess-themed cakes, your very own princess’s can have her royal fantasies come to life for one special day.

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10 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT FONDANT

1. Water + Fondant = Big No-No

One of the most important things to know about fondant, if not the most important thing is that fondant and water do not mix under any circumstances. Even the smallest of water droplets can leave pock marks on an otherwise perfectly smooth surface. You also want to make sure you don’t wet your fingers with water while working with fondant. This will cause the fondant to tear and melt. If you notice some imperfections on your rolled-out fondant, dab your finger in a little butter and polish out the imperfections by using a circular motion. Water should only be used for gluing pieces of fondant together.

 2. Where To Work With Fondant

While working with fondant for a fondant cake, make sure you’re in a room that is dry and cool. Make sure your baking environment is temperature controlled. Stay away from rooms where the temperature is over 72 degrees. Fondant is very sensitive to humidity in the air. Too much heat and humidity can cause the fondant to “sweat”, melt and wrinckle.

3. Warmer And Tropical Climates

If you live in a warmer or tropical climate, you can still work with fondant. However, you will need to take proper precautions. For example, run a dehumidifier or a small air conditioning unit if the area you’re working in tends to get humid and warmer than 72 degrees.

 4. Keep Colored Fondant Out Of Light

This includes direct sunlight and light from light bulbs. Colored fondant will fade in color if exposed to any form of light. Your lavender colored fondant will turn blue, and we certainly don’t want that happening. Try to keep the cake and colored fondant in a dark place. When the cake is ready to be presented and served, make sure you don’t place it directly near a window or anywhere where the sun is peering through.

5. No Big Clumpy Jewelry

To ensure no holes are poked in your fondant, remove all big clumpy pieces of jewelry while you’re smoothing out the fondant. If you accidently notice that there are holes in the fondant, simply cover up any noticeable imperfections by placing decorations over the cracked and uneven areas.

6. Prepare Your Workspace Properly

Prior to rolling out your fondant, ensure the workspace is both dry and clean. Stainless steel is the preferred work surface for fondant, but any flat and hard surface will suffice. To prevent sticking, simply dust the work surface or the rolling pin with powdered sugar or cornstarch. Prior to handling different colors, make sure to wash and thoroughly dry your hands. This will eliminate any smudging.

 7. Kneading Is Needed

To soften fondant before rolling it out, knead it. If the fondant feels too tough or hard to knead before taking it out from its bag, simply microwave it for a good ten seconds. Make sure not to microwave it any longer as this can cause the fondant to melt. If the fondant feels too dry to knead, add a small amount of butter and then knead. If it feels too sticky, add a small amount of powdered sugar or cornstarch and then try to knead. You needn’t worry about cornstarch clumps on the fondant. Just brush the clumps away.

 8. Don’t Sweat It

While some bakers suggest refrigerating fondant cakes, we do not. The reason being – the fondant will gather moisture and become soft once exposed to the temperature of the fridge. This can cause the fondant to turn to liquid and literally melt.

 9. Chill Out

Instead of placing fondant in a fridge, simply store it in cool and dry place. You can store the cake covered for up to four days at room temperature. Make sure to always seal any leftovers in plastic wrap or a bag. This will prevent the leftovers from drying out.

 10. Practice Makes Perfect

Don’t stress out if your first attempt at making a birthday party fondant doesn’t go as planned. Like with most things, practice makes perfect. If you need to practice some, try practicing on a regular round cake a few times. This will help you learn the basics. Once you have enough practice on a round cake, you can then move on to more complicated shapes. Check out our Rainbow Kit for some cake and fondant inspiration!

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BEST VALENTINE’S DAY DESSERT IDEAS – HANDPICKED BY CAKEST

Valentine’s Day is the one day a year where it’s all about celebrating love. Regardless of who you choose to celebrate with, you will surely want to make sure there are some memorable sweet treats on the menu. Check out our cute and sweet Valentine’s Day dessert picks. They are just what you need to show a little love!

1. “Love Is All Around” Cake Roll- Cleobuttera

Imagine taking a bite out of a cake roll that is bursting with deliciousness and frosted with a flavorful whipped cream cheese. That’s exactly what this lovingly made ambrosial is all about! This pink angelic dessert looks dainty, but it will surely taste divine.

2. Persian Love Cake- Twigg Studios

A Persian love cake is the perfect way to make your sweetheart swoon. This elegant cake includes pistachios, orange, and almonds. It is a dreamy final course that is fit-for-the-gods.

3. White Chocolate Dipped Cherries- Simple Provisions

For a classic dessert, try your hand at white chocolate dipped cherries. You needn’t be an award-winning baker to put together this indulgent palate pleaser. All you need is cherries, silver sugar pearls, and white cooking chocolate to make this sweet tooth lover’s dream become reality.

4. Red Velvet-Ganache Trifle- Delish

Don’t let this dessert’s fancy name scare you away. If you’ve ever made a red velvet cake, then you will have no problem making this layered delish delight. Think of this finger-licking dessert as an upgrade from your traditional red velvet cake. It’s rich, creamy, and oh, so scrumptious.

5. Champagne Raspberry Cupcakes- The Cake Blog

Raspberries and champagne work together to make this irresistible gourmet dessert. These are perfect to share with your sweetheart or to share at a Valentine’s Day soiree. Grab a bottle of bubbly and some fresh raspberries and be ready to wow your loved ones with these creative and luscious nibbles.

6. Red Velvet Cake Bites- Six Sister’s Stuff

Who doesn’t love red velvet? These bite-sized delectable goodies not only taste great, but they look great too. They are perfect for sharing at school or at work. Cake bites are simple to make – just mix together the frosting and cake mix. Lastly, dip each bite in chocolate. Easy enough and definitely decadent!

7. Apple Rose Tart- Green Healthy Cooking

Making an apple rose tart will take a little time and patience. Just trust us, it’s well worth it. The final result will look exquisite and will be sure to kick start those taste buds.

Put on your apron and get ready to blow everyone away with these one-of-a-kind desserts that are made to melt in your mouth and melt the hearts of those you love or try our diy heart cake.

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THROWING A FABULOUS VALENTINE’S DAY CELEBRATION

Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to throw a fabulous themed party. Whether you’re looking to have a joint V-day/birthday party, or you simply love Valentine’s Day and think it deserves a celebratory event of its own, you can throw a vivacious Valentine’s Day celebration by checking out these clever tips:

The Theme And Invites

Since it’s a Valentine’s Day celebration, obviously the theme will revolve around the actual holiday and love. However, you can brainstorm even further to come up with an additional theme. For example, a baking party, chocolate/candy tasting party, or colored theme clothing party (pink and/or red) could add a bit more flair to your celebration.

When it comes to invites, you will want to make sure your invites are unique and clever. You and your little one can put together homemade invites using dollies, glitter, stickers, lace, colored construction paper, and any other materials you may have hanging around. If you really want to blow your invitees away, consider personalizing the invites to your shindig. For example, placing a few Hershey chocolate kisses or candy hearts in a colorful favor bag with an invitation tied to it is the perfect way to make each invitee feel special. You can then have your child hand deliver each personalized invite to each potential attendee.

Frills And Party Decorations

Obviously, with it being a Valentine’s Day themed party, you will want to decorate with the colors pink and red. You also will want to make sure you add some heart shaped décor to your party space. Try gathering a fun assortment of decorations, including: cutouts, balloons, balloon bouquets, and red and pink paper chains. Prepare your goodie bags/party favors well in advance, especially if you want to get imaginative and creative with them.

Keep to theme by using Valentine’s Day tableware. For a great centerpiece that won’t cost you too much, place a cute stuffed animal with red and pink balloons tied to its neck or hand in the center of each table. Think about scattering candy goodies, confetti, or cutout hearts all around the tables.

The Eats

The main courses should be simple and easy to prepare. Let’s face, it’s really all about the dessert anyway! Think of the foods your child likes and chances are the other children attending the party will also be satisfied with those same foods. Pizza, chicken nuggets, hoagies, or even pasta dishes are typically a pretty safe bet for little ones. If you want to go all out and make some kid-friendly themed dishes, go right ahead!

Now, here comes the fun part – DESSERT! If you really want to blow your guests away, have a candy or ice cream buffet. If you choose to have a candy buffet, make sure most of the candy you pick for the buffet is either Valentine’s Day themed, pink, white, or red in color. Some great ideas include: Reese’s Valentine’s Day Love Bugs, Skittles Love Valentine’s Mix, Sweetheart’s True Love Conversation Hearts, Dove Valentine’s Love Notes, Starbursts FaveReds Valentine’s Jellybean Mix, Kit Kat Red Velvet Miniatures, York Valentine’s Peppermint Patties, Haribo Valentine’s Day Gummy Bears, and Fannie May Milk Chocolate Valentine’s Day Lollipops. If you prefer an ice cream buffet, consider buying heart shaped sprinkles and then allowing your tiny guests to make their own sundaes with Valentine’s Day themed candies as toppings.

Of course, no party is complete without a cake. For a cake that both adults and children will love, try our DIY Heart Cake Kit. This cake is designed with first-time bakers in mind, which means your kids can even help you prepare and bake this beauty! You can also check out other cute themed cake ideas and designs. Along with a cake, you will also want to make a variety of other Valentine’s Day goodies and treats for those who really have a sweet tooth and just can’t get enough of the sugary stuff.

Fun And Games

When you have a large group of children in one area, you will want to make sure there are plenty of activities to keep the little ones busy and out of trouble. Check out some of these unique games and activities to implement during your celebration:

Decorating Contest – You can have your guests decorate cards, candy apples, t-shirts, bags, or keepsake boxes. All you need to do is make sure there are artsy materials at each station so that each kid can let their creative juices flow and decorate to their heart’s content. Glitter, glue, markers, colored pencils, candy hearts, tin foil, cotton balls, and any other general craft materials can be used for this activity. Once the children have decorated their item, crown one of them the winner of the decorating contest.

Heart Stack – For this game, all you will need is a whole lot of candy hearts and a timer. Set each child up with a box or two of candy hearts, set the timer for a minute or two, and see which child can stack the most candy hearts on top of each other without their tower collapsing.

Valentine’s Word Search Puzzle – This activity won’t cost you a thing. Simply print one free word puzzle for each child, set the timer for 10 minutes, and see which child can find the most words in the allotted time. This activity is the perfect way to celebrate this special occasion while strengthening both their spelling and vocabulary skills.

Regardless of the age of your guests, there are a number of fun and exciting games that can be played to keep them social and interactive.

  With these ideas, you can throw an unforgettable celebration of love right on your home turf. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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