Let me start off by telling you, I am NOT BEING PAID FOR THIS POST. I just think we parents need to stick together and be honest about what’s workin’ for us and what’s not, and this bib has been working for me, better than any other bib I’ve ever tried, for eight years, with three children.

Truth be told, I haven’t used the exact same bib with all of them… the dishwasher has destroyed two of my most favorite froggy bibs, but a couple weeks ago I hurried out and purchased a brand new one, because I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT IT!

This bib washes off in the kitchen sink after a meal as quick and easy as a plastic bowl does. Unlike using cloth bibs, you are never wandering around searching for a clean and dry bib to use. This plastic one is always a quick rinse and paper towel swipe away from being ready to use again.

There are other bibs on the market that are plastic like this, and that turn up at the bottom to “catch” what misses baby’s mouth, but most of those don’t turn up this high. I’ve tried other wipe off plastic bibs with a turned up shelf at the bottom, but because the shelf was so shallow, goop would drip right out and all over the place if my baby leaned forward, or sideways.

I’ve even used this bib like a hands free snack tray while my babies have been in the bumbo and car seat, by placing cereal purposely in the catch all bottom, and letting them fish it out with their fingers and eat. I’ve found it works better than giving little hands a snack cup that is easily and often fumbled, and then becomes unreachable when they are strapped in somewhere.

And there’s more…

This best bib ever does not come alone. It is sold as part of the MATA 4-piece dinner ware set for baby at IKEA, which includes the bib, a bowl with a suction cup on the bottom for staying power on the high chair tray, sippy cup, and spoon, all for $2.99.

$2.99 !!!

Can you believe that?

I was at Ross today and couldn’t find a single bib for less than $3.99.  I sure didn’t see a whole set of bowl, cup, spoon, and bib for anywhere near that price. Seriously… what can you buy for baby these days for only $2.99? You can’t even buy a set of 3 pairs of socks for that price.

And guess what else…

It comes in pink.

PINK!!!

I may or may not currently own six of these sets.

I know I inferred that you only need one because they’re so easy to wash, but…

a. I’m a little obsessed… as you can tell.

b. I’ve been through the trauma of losing this bib twice in eight years, to a meltdown when flipped onto the dishwasher heating tube.

c. You can buy six sets for less than $20 and I use the bowl and sippy cups for all three of my kids, all the time.

I should totally be getting paid by IKEA for this post, but I’m not. IKEA doesn’t know I’m alive.

But YOU do! That’s why you’re here.

And that’s why I love you! And… I love this bib.

Ribbit!

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I have to tell you about these new shoes for Llany, that I am Lovin’.

They’re cute right?

Sporty.

Practical.

But that’s not the only reason why I’m Lovin’ them.

Check this out…

This is why I love these shoes!

Brilliant right?!

This takes the guess work out of trying to find the next new size shoe while in the store.

It’s also going to really come in handy a few months from now, with figuring out if he’s fussing because he’s grown out of the shoes and his toes are truly scrunched and hurting, or if he’s just pulling my leg because he’d rather be barefoot.

Been there, done that.

I also just really like looking at his cute little toes through that window. It tickles me inside. I know… I’m weird.

I’m always excited when I see people thinking outside the box and putting good ideas into action. Shoes have been around forever and it would be easy for executives to huff and puff and “nay” the proposal to implement a new idea like putting a window in the bottom of little kids shoes to help mom’s out. Mom’s have been, and will certainly still, buy shoes without this extra feature.

But I sure do appreciate this extra feature.

Thank you Starter, and thank you Walmart.

And by the way… no… I wasn’t paid or solicited for this review in any way. I just came across these while shopping at Walmart this week, and I loved them so much I had to share it with all of you.

Have a great weekend! And go buy some of these cool shoes!

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There is going to be a lot of “Christmas in July” buzz amongst the blogs, starting next week.

Mom’s are gearing up to share and collect ideas for decorating, recipes, gifts, and crafts, NOW, so that when the busy holiday season strikes, their entertaining arsenals are full and ready for action.

Now is also a great time to purchase gifts you can sock away until December, and have on hand, ready to give to the ones you love.

Surfer Dudette’s online ETSY store is a great place to stop by and pick up incredibly unique accessories, you can’t get anywhere else. All of her handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces, would make any woman or girl feel beautiful, feminine, and loved.

And for one of my lucky readers, today truly is like Christmas in July because she has won the Surfer Dudette Necklace GIVEAWAY!

Drum roll please…..

And now…

The randomly drawn winner of the Surfer Dudette Necklace Giveaway is…

Comment #4 – Cindi Washam

“I really like the rust flower brooch. Beautiful!”

Congratulations Cindi, and thank you so much to everyone who entered and left great feedback on your favorite pieces in the comments!

Thank you also to everyone who visited Surfer Dudette’s ETSY store. Remember that when you shop there you are supporting the efforts of a hard working Mompreneur. If you haven’t browsed her site in a couple weeks, she’s added some new items you may not have seen, like this:

Love Me By the Seashore Necklace by Surfer Dudette

Gorgeous right?!

So…

Merry Christmas in July, and head on over to Surfer Dudette’s online store and get some Christmas shopping done before the holiday rush. You’ll be so glad you did!

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I love supporting creative Mompreneurs!

This is Jessica. She’s a wife, Stay-at-home-Mom, Homemaker, Blogger, and among many other things, the creative hands and mind behind the beautiful accessories at Surfer Dudette’s Spot on Etsy.

Her creations are handmade, customizable, and beautifully feminine.

Like this…

Feel beautiful with a flower in your hair. Perfect for adults and children alike. Completely hand sewn onto a silver clip. Has a little bit of glue for reinforcement and can be ordered in different colors.

And this…

This romantic bracelet is completely hand sewn. Just tie the ribbon in a bow around your wrist and add some charm to your outfit.

And this…

I love this piece. It’s totally unique, super stylish, a little bit edgy, and still perfectly feminine.

And this one.

This beautiful one of kind necklace is sweet and sultry.

The ribbon ties in a bow and runs down your back for a dramatic effect.

And… if you love it too, then you’ve stumbled upon the right post, because Surfer Dudette is generously giving this one away to one lucky winner!

All you have to do to enter this giveaway is visit Surfer Dudette’s shop on etsy, and then come back here and tell me your favorite piece from her collection.

It’s as simple as that.

And as a bonus, Surfer Dudette is offering a special bonus to ALL MommyTopics.com readers…

When you make a purchase at Surfer Dudette’s etsy shop in the month of July 2010, simply mention that you saw her on MommyTopics.com and receive one of these hand made flower clips with your order, absolutely FREE. (Colors and fabric may vary)

So what are you waiting for?… Start shopping!!!

And, after you’ve shopped around on Surfer Dudette’s site, don’t forget to come back here and leave a comment about your favorite items, for a chance to win that awesome necklace.

- This giveaway is open to all residents in the USA and Canada.

- Please only one comment per person.

- You may leave a comment between Tuesday, July 7, 2010 and Monday, July 19, 2010 at 10PM, PST to be eligible to win.

- One winner will be randomly selected and announced here on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 at 10AM PST.

Jessica can also be found blogging about her life at Stay At Home Mommy Saga.

Linked to: Blue Cricket Designs, The Boardwalk Bragfest, Show Us What You’re Workin’ With, Look What I Made, Make It Yours, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Fireflies and Jello, Thrifty Thursday, Beyond the Picket Fence, Things I Love Thursday, Strut Your Stuff Thursday, Make It Wear It, I’m Lovin’ It Fridays, Frugalicious Friday, Look At Me Party, Check Me Out Saturday, Weekend Wrap Up, Craft Schooling Sunday, Toot Your Horn Tuesday, New Nostalgia, Tip Me Tuesday

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I simply ran across these brilliant ice cream cones at Walmart this week and HAD TO SHARE them with YOU!

They are like regular good ol’ drumsticks but with this special little touch just for kids!

Magical Marshmallows! You know like the ones from that cereal that is “Magcially Delicious!”

And come on…

We all know that the only thing magical or delicious about that cereal is the marshmallows!

These ice cream cones are brilliant for two reasons…

1. Now we can all stop throwing away entire boxes of cereal once our kids have picked out what they are really after… the marshmallows.

2. We can all stop pretending we agree that marshmallows are part of this morning’s complete breakfast.

If you have kids like me, you are already standing up to cheer and say, “Yes! Brilliant! It’s about time someone found something else to do with those awesome Marshmallows my kids love besides stick them in that icky cereal my kids don’t love!”

My kids beg me for THAT cereal all the time and without fail, every time I buy it, all they really want to do is pick out the marshmallows and ditch the tasteless, wheaty, cereal pieces.

So now the Magical Marshmallows have found their rightful place, not in breakfast… but in a treat… an ice cream treat!

I’m lovin’ this!

And P.S. my kids LOVE THEM TOO!

They went crazy when I brought home the box, and all three of them gave me a big thumbs up yesterday afternoon when they ate them.

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Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday, May 9th 2010.

I’m a Mom and I run a site called “MommyTopics” so I figured… who better than ME to take the guess work out of shopping for Moms! All I have to do is list the kinds of things that I, and my other Mommy friends, would love to receive. So… here they are…

(For the Mom’s who are reading this post, here are some great ideas to pass on to hubby and the kids when they start asking for clues as to what you might like. You can even send the link for this post to your husband in an email or on Facebook and I’m sure he’ll appreciate the road map!)

And of course this post is also full of all kinds of great ideas for Grandma, Sisters, Aunties, and Friends who are great Mothers and Mothering Types that need to be celebrated this coming weekend.

Here are three great lotions with fantastic scents for Spring and Summer from Bath and Body Works. Coconut Vanilla, Lemon Vanilla, and White Citrus. All three scents can be purchased in array of products from perfume sprays, to lotions, to soaps, and more.

Available only at Bath and Body Works - Each lotion retails for $10.50 and is currently part of a special in store and online promotion of “Buy 2, Get 1 FREE” or “Buy 3, Get 2 FREE.”

This is a collapsible Salad Spinner. It removes all the water from washed produce and this one collapses for easier storage. If Mom loves making salads, she’ll love this! I know I would!

Walmart $24.96

MommyTopics online store - $20.99 - eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

You can see pictures and read my RAVING REVIEW of the prequel to this book titled “Hello Cupcake.” I just received “What’s New Cupcake” last week for my birthday and my whole family has loved sitting together and looking through it. We are all so amazed by their cupcake creations and I can’t wait to tackle some of them.

Kids will be thrilled to give this gift to Mommy and to spend time looking at it with her and making some of the treats in it together.

Barnes and Noble $12.10 in store or online

MommyTopics Store $11.53 – Ships in 24 hours – eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping

Speaking of Cupcakes… Maybe you’d like to whip up a delicious treat for Mom to enjoy on Mother’s Day. You can get my recipe for these AMAZING Strawberry Lemonade Cupcakes that are so irresistable and so easy to make.

These three new candles from Bath and Body Works have great spring and summer scents of Summer Melon, Sunflower, and Strawberry Patch. They are so adorable and would look great anywhere in the house as well as outside for warm summer night meals on the patio.

Bath and Body Works online or in store – $12.50 each – and party of a “Buy 1, Get 1 50% OFF” promotion

This is a nifty new tool for Mom from the Martha Stewart Kitchen Collection. It’s a cutting board that is long enough to fit across the kitchen sink with each end resting on the counter, and the colander hanging over the drain. The colander is removable for easy storage or for when cooks want to brush scraps off the board and strait into the disposal. This is such a great gadget for washing, and cutting  fruit, vegetables, and other foods, right over the sink.

Macy’s in store or online $29.99

These are external hard drives and if you have a Mom in your life who loves taking digital photos and videos, this may be just what she needs. An external hard drive can be hooked up to her computer and used to store photos and videos that take up a lot of memory. Having this handy little accessory will free up hard drive space on the computer and create a safe place for photo and video storage that can travel with you and be accessible in the unfortunate event of a main computer hard drive lock-up or crash! We’ve all been there right! Don’t lose photos again!

Price Range is $70 – $150 and can be purchased at Best Buy, Walmart, Target, and pretty much anywhere else computers are sold.

Check out this cute Chalk Board Coffee Cup for Mom. You can write a special “We Love You MOM” message on it, fill it with a bag of her favorite candy, and Viola! A Cute creative gift she’ll love and use again and again.

MommyTopics online Store – $10.00 – Available for FREE Super Saver Shipping

You know what goes perfect with a great cup of coffee? This Lemon DREAM Cream Cake! Grab the simple recipe, make it for Mom, and trust me… this cake will change her life!!!

Here are two very popular and FANTASTIC cookbooks for Mom.

“The Pioneer Woman Cooks” is a book full of good ol’ down home country comfort food like fried chicken and red velvet cake.

“The Steamy Kitchen” takes the mystery and guess work out of creating delicious Asian cuisine at home.

Barnes and Noble – $17.39 PW Cooks and $20.12 The Steamy Kitchen

MommyTopics online store - $16.50 PW Cooks and $18.45 The Steamy Kitchen – both available for FREE Super Saver Shipping

This fantastic Mentha Body Wash by C.O. Bigelow can make leaving the shower almost as enjoyable as being in it. This body wash contains a bit of Peppermint oil, so after you’ve lathered it on, washed it off, and stepped out into the cool air, your skin tingles all over. It’s one of my personal favorites and I always have some on hand.

Bath and Body Works -  $12.00 and this week part of a “Buy 2 Get 1 Free” promotion

Also at Bath and Body Works you can find these fantastic sweet tasting Mentha Lip Shines by C.O. Bigelow. They come in several different tinted shades as well as clear, add great shine, and contain peppermint oil that makes your lips tingle.

The last friend I recommended this to said she put it on for the first time when she got in her car right after buying it and… it changed her life.

I swear.

That’s what she said.

“It changed my life.”

Bath and Body Works – $7.00 – $7.50 ea. and this week part of a “Buy 2 Get 1 FREE” promotion

And last but certainly NOT LEAST, a nice Gift Certificate that can be redeemed at a day spa for a facial, pedicure, or good long scalp massage is one of my personal favorite gifts. What’s great about this choice is you don’t have to decide which treatment to purchase for Mom. Just find a nice day spa and request a gift certificate that fits the price of your budget. Then Mom can view the services available and decide which one to order for herself! Perfect!

I hope this post has helped with some great ideas for Mom this Mother’s Day. For even more ideas and ideas specifically geared toward “expecting” Mommies, click here.

Also, check out my MommyTopics online Store for so many ideas it will make your head explode! Be careful! Have Fun!

And Dads… Maybe you aren’t a confident baker but you really would love to get the kids involved in whipping up a fun treat for Mom on Mother’s Day. Look no further!

This Barrel Cake is so easy to create, can be made with Mom’s favorite candies, and the kids will remember the FUN they had making it, and eating it with Mom, forever!

Or…

Mom, gather up the kiddos and make this cake for Grandma! Click here to get the simple recipe and easy step by step instructions!

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

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As parents, many of us are highly vigilant about the types of movies and television we allow our children to see. The use of foul language I don’t want my children repeating, is the first major deterrent for me, when looking for programming suitable for my family. And to be honest, it’s not only my kids I’m thinking of when searching for entertainment without obscenities. I myself hate sitting down to watch a good movie or TV program and then being accosted for 30 minutes or more by verbal profanity and the misuse of God’s name.

When I was a teen in the 90’s, the word “B_ _ ch” was not heard on TV in any of the programs I watched. I remember how shocking it seemed to start hearing that word at 8 o’clock at night on regular basic cable television shows. I’m not sure teens today even realize that word was ever considered “foul language” due to it’s casual and constant usage in virtually all teen and adult programming and movies. It seems teen shows in particular splash that word around like the networks or producers will score some kind of points, the more times the “B” word is said.

There are so many good movies out there that are made miserable to sit through simply because of the barrage of unnecessary expletives included in them. And, being a Christian, the extra element of hearing God’s name stepped on, spat about, abused, and misused in films and television programs, is enough to get me to change the channel and avoid heading to the theaters to see a movie that, were it not for the language, could have been a great film.

Don’t even get me started on how often and casually God’s name is taken in vain! There’s a texting acronym for it, for crying out loud! I told you… don’t get me started!

But does this mean I’ve abandoned Movies and Television entirely?

No. Not at all. Jesus Himself taught us the power of story telling, and I love seeing human drama played out on screen. I’ve learned, laughed, cried, been amused, forewarned, and inspired by all kinds of movies and Television, and I love sharing those same kinds of experiences with my husband and children.

Thankfully I’ve found TWO fantastic tools that help myself and my family determine when and where to see what types of movies and TV shows.

And stay tuned, because I’m giving one away!

The first tool I love is the TV Guardian. We’ve had one in our home for the past 8 years and we love it. In fact we love what it does so much, that we even gave one to Nana and Papa for their TV.  The TV Guardian is a box that you connect to your television, which filters out profanity and misuses of God’s name, by reading a programs subtitles (not visible onscreen). While silence covers the profanity, a subtitle with a replacement sentence is briefly shown on screen so you still know what’s being said, but in a less offensive way.

TV Guardian is now taking orders for their brand new model, being released this June.  A great feature to the new model is that it comes with a remote you can use to:

- switch between three different levels of profanity blocking – Strict, Moderate, and Tolerant

- turn ON and OFF the religious filter – When it’s set to ON, TVG will filter out the offensive ways Hollywood tends to use Jesus and God. When turned OFF religious programming can be viewed without the use of Jesus and God being filtered out.

- the Hell/Damn filter may be turned ON and OFF – also useful when watching religious programming

- Sexual references may be turned ON and OFF

(At the bottom of this post I’ll be giving specifics about how you can enter here to win a brand new TV Guardian (value $120) simply by leaving a specific comment .)

The other tool that helps our family immensely in making decisions about what we will go to see in the theater, what we will wait to watch at home with the use of our TV Guardian, and what isn’t worth watching at all because of other content issues, is the website, PluggedIn.com.

Plugged In is a ministry created by Focus on the Family, a ministry founded by Dr. James Dobson, author of the books “Bringing Up Boys” and “Dare to Discipline.” The focus of the Plugged In ministry is to “Shine a light on the world of entertainment” particularly for the purpose of  helping parents understand the entertainment vying for their children’s attention every minute of every day. They offer reviews of popular music, video games, movies, and television shows, and we NEVER go to the theater without first checking it’s review on Pluggedin.com. NEVER!!!

Plugged In breaks down the content of movies for parents, so we can make our own decisions about what films are right for our family. Their reviews do include some personal opinion like a typical movie critic would do, but more importantly they provide the exact content in the film within categories such as: Spiritual Content, Violent Content, Crude or Profane Language, Sexual Content, and Drug and Alcohol Content.

It’s so helpful to hop on Plugged In, click on the review for a movie we’re interested in going to see, scrolling down to the “Crude or Profane Language” section, and immediately being able to determine if I should even consider taking my kids to see it.

I’ve copied the following “Crude or Profane Language” sections from the Plugged In website, for films rated G – R, to show how helpful their reviews can be, and to also show what movies might be better watched at home with a  TV Guardian.

Herbie Fully Loaded (G) : Misuses of God’s name are used a handful of times. “Jeez” is said once. Mild putdowns include “jerk.” “Crap” gets tossed around a few times.

The Rookie (G) : While on the field, one player misuses the name of God (it’s the second time God’s name is used as an exclamation). Four mild profanities (one of which is sung in a song) include the words “h–l” and “d–n.”

The Astronaut Farmer (PG) :  Three s-words, a half-dozen uses each of “a–” and “h—,” and two uses of “b–ch” vie for attention. “Jeez” pops up and God’s name is coupled with “d–n.”

Inkheart (PG) : One use each of “d–n” and “jacka–.” Several times, characters misuse God’s name.

Elf (PG) : A dozen mild profanities (“h—,” “d–n”) join such expressions as “friggin,” “pi–ed,” “sucked,” “son of a nutcracker,” “up yours” and “oh my g–.”

E.T. (PG) : Several crude expressions, five profanities (including two s-words) and a half-dozen exclamations of “oh my g–.”

Holes (shown on the Disney Channel) (PG) : Unfortunately, God’s name is abused almost 10 times. About half a dozen mild profanities (”d–n” and “h—”) crop up. Crudities and put-downs such as “schmuck,” “jacka–,” “cow turd,” “fart” and “Neanderthal” turn up, “crap” being the most common.

The Water Horse (PG) : Jesus’ name is abused a couple of times. God’s name is exclaimed six or eight times. There are also a half-dozen exclamations of “bloody,” two of “h—,” and one each of “d–n” and the Scottish version of “a–.” “Crikey,” “blimey,” “what the devil?” “my sainted mother!” “mother of God,” “holy mackerel” and the Scottish interjection “jings” punctuate moments of surprise.

Indiana Jones, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (PG – 13) : Mutt uses the s-word twice. God’s name is exclaimed a half-dozen times. Other swear words, such as “d–n,” “h—,” “b–ch” and “bloody” are sprinkled in between.

The Blindside (PG-13) : Leigh Anne does not approve of swearing. “Don’t use the a-word,” she tells her husband. But she didn’t edit the screenplay for The Blind Side. Onscreen, we still hear “a‑‑” a half-dozen times, “b‑‑ch” and “h‑‑‑” four or five times each, “p‑‑‑” once and “d‑‑n” two or three times. God’s name is misused a handful of times. “T‑t” is said a couple of times. The racial slur “n-gger” is vocalized once by one of the thugs.

Erin Brockovich (R) : Nearly 50 f- and s-words make the film’s otherwise clever dialogue intolerable. Erin’s fondness for the f-word becomes central to her character. Additionally, Jesus’ name is abused and other, milder, profanities intrude, some of them spoken in front of the children.

The Last Samurai (R) : An s-word and a handful of milder profanities. God’s name is abused a half-dozen times (once it is combined with “d–n”); Christ’s one time.

3:10 to Yuma (R) : Two or three f-words; more than twice that many s-words. “D–n” is used in excess of a dozen times—and most often in conjunction with God’s name. Christ’s name is foully exclaimed at least twice. Milder profanities pop up a handful of times (”h—,” “a–”), as do the crude words “p-ss” and “b–tard.”

And remember, the TV Guardian filters out language on cable and network television programming, DVDs, videos, Blue Ray, and On Demand movies. As long as what you’re watching is available in closed caption, it will automatically be filtered, without you needing to have the subtitles on and viewable.

So now for the BIG GIVEAWAY!!!

TV Guardian is giving away one of their brand new TV Guardians with remote, to one of my randomly selected readers. The Winner will have their choice between a standard or HD compatible unit ($120 /$160 value).

All you have to do to enter is:

- leave a comment on this post telling me one of your favorite movies of all time. That’s it! (Comments that do not include a favorite movie will be deleted and disqualified)

- Please only one entry per person

- Open to U.S. residents only

- entries will be accepted NOW through Wednesday, May 19, 2010, at 10pm PST.

- one WINNER will be randomly chosen and announced on Friday, May 21, 2010.

- the WINNER will have a new TV Guardian unit reserved for them and will receive it in June, 2010 when the units are released for shipping.

Enter now, and in the mean time, head on over to TV Guardian.com and get more familiar with all of it’s features and benefits. It you’d like to see a demo of the TV Guardian working in action, click here.

Also, be sure to check out PluggedIn.com… there’s all kinds of fun stuff to discover!

Thanks for visiting and in the famous words of Siskel and Ebert… “We’ll see you at the movi…” er… uh… well, maybe not. Maybe you’ll be in your living rooms more often now. Hey… it’s cheaper. The screen is smaller, but the snacks are better and they wont break the bank. Your living room has really comfortable seating and soft warm blankets. True… you probably don’t have 3-D capabilities or IMAX, but look on the brightside… you probably also wont get MRSA from the seats.

I’m gonna go now.

Just leave a comment.

Bye.

UPDATE: Now through Monday, May 17th, 2010 as a Mother’s Day Special you can purchase a TV Guardian for $20 OFF! What a deal!!! Buy Now HERE.

Also linked to Frugalicious Friday

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April is a CRAZY birthday month in my life. My husband, his father (who we live with), my daughter, and myself all have birthdays in April. There are even more April birthdays in my extended family.

A few years ago my oldest son wanted a Lego Star Wars theme for his birthday. The only problem was that there weren’t any Lego Star Wars party products on the market at that time. I had to improvise.

I bought Star Wars action figures and stuck them on a store bought cake.

For the Lego part, I bought Lego candy from the mall candy store, and stuck the pieces on store bought cupcakes.

Not super impressive, but it worked for him.

Another year my son wanted a Super Mario birthday theme. More specifically, he had just gotten the game, Mario Galaxy for Wii, and he asked for a Mario Galaxy birthday party.

Great.

Another theme request for which there were no party products in the stores.

So once again… I improvised.

I made those Mushroom cupcakes myself. Yep. I did. I can do cupcakes.

Now when it comes to layered cakes… that’s another story. I’m not there yet due to lack of counter space… and patience.

The cake itself was an Albertson’s signature cake that I ordered. It was supposed to be a Dora Magical Mountain cake or something like that, but it totally reminded me of the worlds in Mario Galaxy.

So… I ordered it, and asked the decorators to leave off the characters.

Then at home I found Mario characters on Google Images and printed them, pasted them to cardstock, cut them out, taped them to toothpicks, and stuck them in the cake.

I also piped some frosting eyes on the star shaped candles, to make them look like stars from the Mario games.

Now looking at this picture, I realize the only star I got right with the eyes, was the top one. Ooops! Oh well… no one noticed at the time.

It was good enough for a little boy’s birthday party.

Now…

Do you want to see a SERIOUS custom Mario cake?

Prepare yourself.

This is a Mario Kart Wedding Cake.

Incredible right?!

I cannot get over the beauty…

the perfect whimsy…

the magnificent details…

Just incredible!!!

This completely edible masterpiece was brilliantly designed and sculpted by Beth from Let Them Eat Cake in Costa Mesa, California. More fabulous photos of this cake, the wedding, and hand sculpted bride and groom Miis, are available for viewing on the Bride and Groom’s Flickr page.

And check out these AMAZING Mario and Luigi cookies made recently by my friend Amanda at iambaker.

I don’t know why I only think about decorating sugar cookies at Christmas time. This is such a great way to incorporate a sweet treat into a party theme.

Aren’t they FANTASTIC?!

My son would have gone crazy over having these at his party! Amanda makes all kinds of amazing goodies, and has done several beautiful cookie sets to match event invitations and decor. When you get done here, hop on over to her blog and have a look. She provides a whole lot of inspiration for making parties and important occasions, special and personalized, with custom treats.

For the Mario Galaxy party I did for my son, not only did I improvise on the cake, but I also improvised with the party ware.

I found that great party hat at my local party store, and once again using Google Images I printed a Mario pic, cut him out, and glued him on.

And for the plate… I’m getting to that.

Here are some examples of the several I’ve made.

The possibilities are endless.

If you can print it, you can make it into a character plate.

I’m thinking of using this slightly doctored pic of Papa for his birthday plates next year.

Perfect don’t ya think?

Happy Birthday Papa Norge! Grrrrrrrrrr!!! We are vikings!!! Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!

And I would love to do some custom plates for a fairytale themed party for my daughter.

These photos are from Puddin Pop Designs Blog. She created an incredible custom Little Red Riding Hood Party for her daughter, complete with custom costumes, pinata, decorations, desserts, guest book, A Walk to Grandmother’s house game, and more. You name it, she made it. You’ve got to go read about the details and see all of her pictures. I just LOVE this idea, and she told me her daughter is already asking for a Goldilocks and the Three Bears party for next year. I can’t wait to see what brilliant things she comes up with for that one.

Here’s a plate I made for my youngest’s first birthday.

Miffy was his favorite character at the time but I couldn’t find Miffy party supplies anywhere. There were all kinds of things available online, but they all needed to be shipped from Sweden or Japan where Miffy is much more popular, and I couldn’t stand to put money out for the crazy shipping costs.

So what did I do?

You got it!

Once again… I improvised.

And here’s how you can too!

Here’s the trick.

You buy your colored plates, and you buy the same size set of clear plates.

With a good color printer, print out any images you need for your theme.

This is where your imagination can really run wild.

You can go so far beyond kids birthday parties with this, using personal photos to celebrate family reunions, sweet 16 parties, Anniversary plates made from a wedding photo, hilarious pictures of friends or relatives, birth announcements for baby showers, … sky’s the limit!

If you can print it, you can plate it!

I like to use a cake plate as my tracing template for the image that will go onto a dinner plate. It’s a great size.

Use a clear cake plate so you can see your image through it, and determine exactly where you want to place it on your image.

Using a pen, marker, pencil, crayon… whatever… trace the plate to create the circular image.

Cut out the circle, and then using a glue stick on the backside of the paper, give the image a light coating of glue, making sure to put glue particularly all the way around the edge. Then stick it to the center of one of the colored plates.

Next apply some glue just to the bottom round edge of a clear dinner plate.

Attach the clear dinner plate to the colored plate.

And there you go!

A clean, smooth, shiny, FABULOUS, custom dinner plate.

Of course you could follow the same steps and create custom cups too, but I’ve never bothered to take it that far. Regular party cups and napkins that match your color scheme work just fine.

Taking advantage of available store bought products that match your theme and colors, and mixing them with custom elements you’ve created, offers the best of both worlds for parties with ease and originality.

For popular character themed cupcake toppers and much more, check out my online store. Every purchase made there helps my family financially with a commission, and we appreciate your business SO MUCH!

And by the way… they have now made Mario and Luigi party supplies available. I have them for sale in my store here.

Party on!

(This post is linked to Works for Me Wednesday, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Somewhat Simple, Frugalicious Friday, TidyMom, Trendy Treehouse, Metamorphosis Monday, Made it Monday, The Girl Creative, DIY Project Parade 10, Motivate Me Monday, Craft Schooling Sunday, It’s So Very Cheri, Making the World Cuter, Made By You Monday, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Talented Tuesday, DIY Day, Boardwalk Bragfest, What You’re Workin’ With Wednesday, A Little Creative Therapy, Blue Cricket Designs, Penny Pinching Party, Look What I Made, Make It Yours Day, Fun to Craft, Tatertos and Jello)

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I’ve started participating in TidyMom’s “I’m Lovin’ It Fridays.”

It gives me a great excuse to create a quick fun post simply about a new thing, I’m lovin’.

You can click the “I’m Lovin It” graphic above to visit the TidyMom site and see what everyone else is Lovin’ this week.

As for me…

I’m lovin’ my new “Notetaker’s Bible.”

It comes in two versions…

The “Women’s Edition” which looks like this. Quite lovely.

And this “Men’s Version,” which is actually the one I chose.

Neither of them have anything special to do with men or women on the inside. On the inside they are both exactly the same.

The difference between the Men’s and Women’s editions is simply the look of the outer cover and I’ll tell you… it was a tough decision for me. They both look great. But in the end, for my personal taste and style I just really liked the Men’s version. The look of it reminds of me of an old, antique, wisdom filled, warn, leather bound, classic book. Perfect!

And let me tell you something else… this might just be the heaviest Bible I’ve ever owned!

But it’s worth it.

I love it.

Here’s why…

It’s called the Notetaker’s Bible because every page contains a column for taking notes, right inside the Bible alongside the text.

I’ve always taken a ton of notes in journals and on notepads while in church or doing Bible studies on my own, but after a year or so I tuck those journals away and am onto a new one. Simply writing the notes in the first place does help cement what I’m learning about the Bible into my mind more than just hearing it alone, but I’d love to have access to my notes ALL THE TIME.

Here’s a photo of my own personal Notetaker’s Bible. This should give you a feel for the space available in the margins for note taking.

After a year or so, each time I turn to a passage, I’ll have my own personal notes and questions written right there on the page next to the actual Biblical text.

I also love the idea of what an AMAZING heirloom this will make someday.

Can you imagine having your mother’s or grandmother’s Bible filled with her own personal handwritten notes alongside every passage? What a treasure!

If you’re a note taker or journaler when it comes to studying your Bible, maybe this is just the right Bible for you too!

Below are descriptions and links to Christianbook.com where the Notetaker’s Bible can be purchased.

Happy Friday, and thanks for stopping by!

HCSB Notetaker’s Bible, Men’s Edition–Printed Hardcover, Brown By B & H Publishing Group In an age when you can take notes using a variety of electronic media, a countertrend has emerged allowing you to journal in your own handwriting. The Notetaker’s Bible features wide margins with subtle ruled lines, helpful center-column cross references, a concordance, and best of all, the largest point size among all Bibles of this kind. Handsomly bound for a man’s taste. Features include: The largest point size among Bibles of this kind Easy-to-navigate center-column references An easy-to-use concordance Ribbon marker Words of Jesus in red Translation footnotes, and exclusive HCSB bullet notes

HCSB Notetaker’s Bible, Women’s Edition, Hardcover (Mauve/Olive Green) By B & H Publishing Group In an age when you can take notes using a variety of electronic media, a countertrend has emerged allowing you to journal in your own handwriting. The Notetaker’s Bible features wide margins with subtle ruled lines, helpful center-column cross references, a concordance, and best of all, the largest point size among all Bibles of this kind. Bound for a woman’s taste with gold edges and ribbon marker. Features include: The largest point size among Bibles of this kind Easy-to-navigate center-column references An easy-to-use concordance Ribbon marker Words of Jesus in red Translation footnotes, and exclusive HCSB bullet notes

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Thank you so much to everyone who visited my Amazon Store, and a double thank you to those of you who made purchases.

I need to make 20  more sales to be bumped up into the next commission bracket through the Amazon Associates program.

Take a peek today if you have some time. I’ve added several new items to most of the categories.

I’ve also been so inspired by the warmth of Spring, I can hardly wait for summer, so I’ve created a “Summer Fun” category full of great items for families to use as the days get warmer.

Okay… the part you’ve all been waiting for…

And the winner of the $50 Amazon Gift Card is….

MessyMommy: Submitted on 2010/03/09 at 7:42pm - “I would love the Bringing Up Girls book! I have Bringing Up Boys and love it!”

Congratulations Messy Mommy!!! Send an email to me at giveaways@mommytopics.com.

Happy Easter everyone!

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