Littlest Pet Shop Birthday Cake

There were no LPS-themed cake pans available for our daughter's birthday so my wife created a cake for her. The blue bottom section is cake and the cat is shaped with Rice Krispie treats. Both sections are covered and accented with fondant.

Traditional Birthday Cakes and Their Alternatives

One of the first things that comes to mind when you think of a birthday celebration is the cake. It is often the focal point of the table. When planning a celebration, you have more cake design options than you would ever imagine. It would be easy to feel overwhelmed when choosing a cake. You can simplify the process by following a few simple suggestions.

First, you need to decide the theme of your party. If you are buying the cake from a bakery or ordering it from a professional baker, you need to know how large you want the cake to be, how many people you plan to serve, and the pRice range you want to stay within. Ask them what designs are available related to the party theme you chose. You definitely need to plan ahead and order your cake in an appropriate time frame.

If you plan to bake the cake yourself, you can find recipes and decorating ideas online and in almost any cookbook. Some designs will require special pans while others can be made in the standard round, square, or 9 X 13 cake pan. If decorating a cake is a new experience for you, staying with a simple design will make the process less stressful. As an alternative to decorating a large or multi-layer cake, you might opt for decorating cupcakes instead.

Some children do not actually like cake and would prefer some other option. An ice cream cake is a popular alternative to the traditional decorated cake with lots of icing and candles. You can special order ice cream cakes just as you would a standard cake. Or, you can mold the ice cream yourself into various shapes that match the theme of the party.

A large sugar cookie can be decorated to take the place of a standard cake. You can add candy pieces, icing, sprinkles, or numerous other toppings to create a uniquely personal cookie. You can also make smaller cookies to serve the guests. You could decorate the small cookies in a more simple manner, but in a design that matches the large cookie.

Some children prefer pies such as strawberry, chocolate, or lemon to cake. Their favorite pie decorated with candles would surely make them smile. Brownies, ice cream sundaes, pudding cups, a cheesecake, or decorated Rice Krispie treats are all possible cake alternatives to consider. Another uniquely creative birthday cake alternative would be a popcorn cake as the centerpiece for the table with smaller popcorn balls for individual guests.

Childrens Birthday Party Planning - 4 Easy Steps!

Image : http://www.flickr.com

You want your son or daughter's birthday to be a fun, memorable event for all.  Follow these four simple steps to create the perfect children's birthday party:

Invitations:This is where you set the theme of the party.  For an all boys' celebration, you may consider a theme such as dinosaurs or superheroes.  For girls', perhaps Disney princesses or Dora the Explorer.  (All of these invitations are available in the party aisles of your local Target or grocery store.)  If you plan to have a combined birthday party, choose a gender neutral theme, such as a circus or treasure island (an excellent way to combine both mermaids and pirates).  Invitationbox.com is a fabulous source for unique invitations.

Decorations: Whichever theme you choose, you should decorate with bright, fun colors.  If you're having a circus themed party, you may want to create a big top tent, complete with balloons and streamers.  Clowns and lions, tigers, and elephants can adorn the plates and cups.  (For affordable decorations, look at partymerchant.com)  Or, if you've chosen the treasure island theme, you can include miniature pirate ships on each table, with piñatas and mermaid balloons lining the party.

Food for kids: Children love finger food, so choose items that are easy to eat and won't leave a large mess.  Edible sparkles, colorful icing, and sprinkles help create fun desserts.  If you want to make truly unique cupcakes, go to www.gogocake.com.  There you can order edible images to top your goodies or watch tutorials and learn how to make them yourself.  Or consider Rice krispie treats with a chocolate drizzle.  If you make a sheet of them, you can decorate them with figurines to fit your theme.

Party favors: Sending children home with chocolate lollipops that match the party theme are a delicious option, and the children are sure to enjoy them once they get home.  Other gift ideas themed coloring books, character erasers, and crayon sets, which the kids can use at home or school. 

Chocolate By Design, Inc.,  Copyright 2010

A Bratz Slumber Birthday Party

Ask any 6-12-year-old girl to what do the names Jasmin, Sasha, Jade, and Cloe refer, and you will undoubtedly get the same answer: Bratz. Bratz are a set of dolls with attitude. For many years Barbie has controlled the doll market; that was until Bratz entered the market. MGA Entertainment, the makers of the Bratz doll line, designed the hip doll line. The dolls have extreme features (full lips, large head, small body), wear hip clothes, and modern hairstyles. As with many toys that take the world by storm, Bratz have expanded beyond being just dolls.

The Bratz are presently featured in movies, video games, and television shows. Bratz was originally four girls. Bratz Boyz, Bratz Kidz, and Bratz Babyz are now also available. Despite some criticism from some parents and interest groups, Bratz continue to be incredibly popular. If there is a young girl in your life celebrating a birthday soon, there is a good chance that she's tugging at your coat tails for you to throw her a Bratz party. A fun idea for a young girl's birthday party is a Bratz slumber party. The only thing that must be present at a Bratz slumber party is the Bratz. Each young girl can bring her own Bratz doll. Before the party, the girls can go shopping for new clothes for their Bratz dolls. If the girls are particularly close, they may opt to exchange clothes instead of buying new ones.

Since the Bratz slumber party is a late night event, light snacks, such as popcorn are recommended. Preparing the snacks can be an activity for the party girls. Fun snacks to make for a Bratz slumber party include Rice Krispie treats, cookies, popcorn balls, and smoothies. Slumber parties are perfect for watching movies. A Bratz party is the perfect opportunity to watch a Bratz movie or play Bratz video games. In addition to the dolls, the girls should also bring Bratz sleepwear.

Isaac's Birthday Kitchen

Our dear friends Debbie and Dave Richmond's son Isaac turned 4 this weekend and he's a complete kitchen and cooking fanatic. He is fascinated with Debbie's Kitchen Aid mixer and loves to help her back. He's also crazy about ceiling fans, so with some valuable input from Debbie I set out to create a cake to capture all of these things in one scene. I'm pretty happy with the results...I hope you enjoy. The "floor", counters, and island are all made from cake while the fridge, oven, and upper cabinets are all made from rice krispy treats. The "glass" in the doors, and the water dripped from the faucet are hand poured sugar glass.