Cheap Birthday Cake Ideas

When spring rolls around, it seems as though there is one birthday after another at my house, all the way through to the holidays. Each birthday usually requires cake, and all of those cakes can add up. I remember the year when my daughter convinced my husband to get a store bought and created Princess cake, complete with the princess characters. Since it was offered in the bakery section of the grocery store, he didn’t thin much of it. When he picked it up on the day, he was surprised to find that it came with a $50 cost. Youch. … Continue reading

Online Valentines Games

Happy Valentine’s Day! How about a fun online Valentine Game to celebrate the day? You can find plenty of free online games that have a love or Valentine theme. Here are some nice ones that are family friendly. Valerie Valentine: Extreme Florist This is a great game for adults and older kids. It is a casual game in which you have to help Valerie Valentine deliver as many bouquets of roses as you can before the time runs out. it is a game that is very similar to the popular Diner Dash or Cake Mania. This kind of game can … Continue reading

Birthday Party Ideas Online

Just this morning, I got an e-mail from a friend and fellow mom. She had some questions about having a birthday party for her little boy who is about to turn two years old. That is when I started thinking about all of the different themes that we have done in the past six years for birthday parties. This past year, as I was telling my friend, we did a pirate theme for my oldest son. We buried a treasure chest in the woods of our backyard. The kids had to follow a treasure map that led through the woods, … Continue reading

How to Save Money at Oriental Trading

Oriental Trading is my go-to for supplies when I am planning a big birthday party, as I am doing this year. They have a ton of stuff, from decorations to crafts to goodie bag items. It is easy to find items to fit practically any theme. The spending could quickly get out of hand, unless you know the Oriental Trading money-saving secrets. My youngest, who usually gets short-changed in most things, by fortune of his birth (hand-me-downs and a much slimmer photo album) is finally getting his do with an elaborate (for us) knight-themed birthday party. He is inviting all … Continue reading

Have Some Fun With Your Gender Reveal

Many couples eagerly await the day when they find out whether they are expecting a little girl or a little boy. With each of my pregnancies, I chose to find out my baby’s gender. Both times, I was overjoyed to learn that I was having a little boy. Unfortunately, I simply disclosed what I learned to my husband, friends, and family by talking to them. It did not occur to me that I could have done something clever to reveal the exciting news to my friends and family. If you are excited to find out the gender of your baby, … Continue reading

Halloween Freebies from Kraft, Hallmark, Hershey’s, and More!

Halloween is just a few weeks away. There are plenty of Halloween sales, deals, and freebies to be found. Those of you who look forward to celebrating the spookiest of holidays will want to check out some of these deals. Make your Halloween fun, and save money while doing it. Kraft Foods is giving away free JELL-O Halloween Brain Molds. It comes with an 8 page recipe brochure that has different brain mold recipe ideas for you to make this Halloween. To get this freebie, you need to go to the Kraft Foods page that mentions it, and put the … Continue reading

Picking a Photo-Sharing Site

My daughter’s last birthday party was attended by dozens of family members and friends. The “Lilo & Stitch”/Hawaiian theme was a huge hit and I took more pictures than I could possibly, scrapbook, frame or file. On top of the shots I took my brothers, friends and other family members also snapped dozens and dozens of other photos with their own cameras and cellphones. A month after the party I was swimming in birthday pictures. Enter the photo-sharing website. If you have hundreds of pictures you want to preserve, organize and share with the world I highly suggest finding a … Continue reading

Printable Father’s Day Cards and Gifts

Are you having a Happy Father’s Day? I hope you day is a great one for you and your family. We are having a very low key day here today, but it will include a shopping trip to Sears at the request of my husband. Hmm, to celebrate our special day (Mother’s Day for me) I think spa, and he thinks Sears. I guess that is what makes us different. Just in case you are running a little bit behind on the gifts, you can check out one of several websites that allow you to print Father’s Day cards and … Continue reading

Moment of Beauty 2

I want to introduce you to one of my favorite web sites out there. It is called Moment of Beauty. A new, lovely, photo or image is presented every day. From bright images of flowers and landscapes to solemn photos of religious statutes in shadow, to little hands discovering new things, Moment of Beauty offers a wonderful new surprise each day. This is the second half of the series. If you missed the first blog, click here. Mary Ann: What do you think is the best thing about Moment of Beauty? Patrice: For me, it is getting to pick out … Continue reading

Moment of Beauty

I want to introduce you to one of my favorite web sites out there. It is called Moment of Beauty. A new, lovely, photo or image is presented every day. From bright images of flowers and landscapes to solemn photos of religious statutes in shadow, to little hands discovering new things, Moment of Beauty offers a wonderful new surprise each day. I enjoy this web site because it is very family friendly, it brings a smile or moment of serenity to my day, it reminds me to slow down, and it introduces me to some pretty interesting people. One of … Continue reading