Strollerderby : birthday parties

10 Coolest Kid's Birthday Cakes

SunnyChanel — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:15:00 GMT

What’s the highlight of any kid’s birthday party? Without a doubt – the cake. Here are ten of the coolest kid cakes (for young and old kids alike) found on internet machine. They’re all so sweet they’re making my teeth hurt.

The Crayon Cake (above)
A colorful and delcious ode to a box of Crayola for the artist in training. This cake with paper, glue and shavings is from Sugarspun Bakery in NYC here.

The Candyland Cake
If your kid has a sweet tooth in their choice of food and games then it's an easy leap to opt for a cake that combines the classic kid's board game Candyland and cake, icing and candy cane drops. This masterpiece was created by Charm City Cakes (who are featured on the Food Networks Ace of Cakes series).

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Cake
This really isn't just a cake, it's a collection of bright green cupcakes with a big red cake head and of course some cute little feet. A delicous, adorbale and cute ode to Eric Carle's classic book. This was created by Coco Cake Cupcakes here.

Foofa From Yo Gabba Gabba Cake
Regardless if Brobee, Plex or DJ Lance Rock is your favorite any Yo Gabba Gabba viewer will love this sweet concoction and when eating it will instantly make them a Foofa fan. You can check out a whole slew of Yo Gabba Gabba cakes here.

There's a Party In My Tummy Cake
Here is another Yo Gabba Gabba inspired culinary treat. This cake is a tribute to the early Yo Gabba Gabba segment about eating with the lyrics “there’s a party in my tummy…so yummy, so yummy.” This is also from the Yo Gabba Gabba site here.

Optimus Prime Cake
Who wouldn’t want an Optimus Prime cake? Regardless if you or your child is a Transformers fan or not, this cake is totally awesome. It was created for a big kid’s birthday (his 30th) by the Nashville bakery French Connections Cake.

The Pirate Chest
Ahoy there pirate party mate. Here is a literal treasure trove of a cake. This chest like treat explodes with treats, gems and booty for the little buccaneers. From here.

Race Track Cake
Here’s a cake that isn’t just edible, it’s playable. This race track cake features four cars that race around the icing, one for each of the birthday boys years of age.

Pac Man Cake
Okay, this is actually more for a kid living in the 1980’s than today. But it’s just so cool I had to include it. This Pac Man screen cake is a retro flashback to one of the most popular video games of all time. Much more delicious looking than a Grand Theft Auto cake.

The Millennium Falcon Cake
Even after thirty years, Star Wars continues to be popular with the kids. This is a stunning tribute to the Millennium Falcon. A cake that any Star Wars fan – young or old – would love to bite into. This is another amazing art cake by Charm City Cakes.

Which one would you most like to bite into?

Check Out:

10 Coolest Baby Shower Cakes
Creepiest Baby Shower Cake Ever

Bet You Can't Do Better Balloon Art

JeanneSager — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:34:00 GMT

People who hire clowns for their kids' birthday parties are either epically brave or epically dumb. Never want to be one?

I have found proof that even YOU can make the world's awesomest balloon animals for your kids, no clown required. Just trust me, you don't have to be the "can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue" kind of person to handle this one.

See? Problem of how to entertain the kids at the birthday party solved. You can thank me - or thank Blogadilla who created this template for every parent's sanity.

Image: Blogadilla

Crafty Playdate: Birthday Tees From Way Back

JeanneSager — Fri, 08 May 2009 18:31:00 GMT

I sometimes think my constant persusal of craft blogs is proof I'm a bit of a masochist at heart. Because looking at some of these totally rockin', oh so easy to do at home projects is like driving a knife into my still carpal tunnel from pregnancy plagued wrist.

I'm not Martha.

So when I find something that makes me go, dude, I could so totally do that, I have to share it with you. Because if I could do it, a completely untrained monkey flown in and suffering from the affects of ebola could probably do it.

And hey, I love monkeys. Who doesn't?

So what's the craft? Yeah, yeah, I'm getting to that.

Over at Tangled and True, Jenn takes you through the entire process of making a totally retrolicious vintage tee for baby.She gives you the font, walks you through the stencil making, even tells you what paint to buy. OK, so stencil practically readymade and a keep it simple stupid walk through? Hello, sold to the non-Martha mom browsing the net. Although, it's free, so is it really sold?

Anyway, the number shirts caught me - because with my daughter's birthday coming up, I've been debating "is it too dorky to buy her a 4 tee for her 4th?" Because right now, I don't care. I've found a craft project she and I can do together, that will result in a funky tee for her birthday, and (cha ching) work as birthday gifts for all the kids whose parents say "oh, they don't need anything and refuse to give me a blessed idea of what their kids like."

Check out the whole process over at Tangled and True and get cracking - summer birthday parties are coming up fast!

Image: Tangled and True

Three Generations, Just One Birthday

JeanneSager — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:37:00 GMT

The chances of having three generations in one family share the same birthday are seven in a million.Meet number seven - she was born February 2.

So, for that matter, was Anala Broussard's mother, Jasmine, and her grandmother, Cherise Terry.

I had to laugh at the comments from an astrologer in the Mercury News article on the family: "These kind of ties between people is a strong sign that they are karmically linked and shared other lives." Yes, they're karmically linked all right, biologically linked too!

But whether you're the superstitious type or not, there's something just this side of coincidence about every female in one family making her entrance on the same day.

As the Terrys point out, it does have a drawback for Mom - her birthday ceases to be important as the focus of celebrations and parties goes to her daughter, and now it will go to her daughter's daughter. But I suppose it must save a bundle on birthday cakes?

It also bears noting that Feb. 2 is Groundhog Day - and like Bill Murray, this family is apparently living one day over and over again.

Does your family have a double - or triple - birthday? Has it impacted celebrations?

Image: Mercury News

Cookie Monster Cupcake

Brett Singer — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 16:00:00 GMT

For this post, allow me to lapse in to Cookie Monster speak. Because how many chances do I get to do that?

Me like cookie. Me like cupcake. But also cookie. (Mostly cookie.) So put cookie in cupcake? Mmmm. Happy.

OK, I'm back.

This looks complicated to make but imagine what a hero you would be if you could pull this off at your child's next birthday party. The look on their little faces would make it all worthwhile.

Source: Buzzfeed

Smackdown: Party On Baby!

JeanneSager — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:37:00 GMT

I love birthday parties.

Not the Chuck E. Cheese fifth circle of hell parties, but the sprawling mid-summer lawn parties with the kids running wild through a backyard sprinkler, the adults huddled under the trees with a few bottles of wine, coolers of beer and a big cheese platter.

Somehow, the big guy (girl) upstairs saw fit to ensure I can throw one every year - they made sure I gave birth in June. And every year since my daughter turned one, I've made a trip to the beer store, stocked up on veggie burgers and hamburgers and pulled out the grill.

My colleague Jen says birthday parties for kids under three are silly unless you're inviting immediate family only. I respectfully disagree - and not just because I love me a good party on a warm summer's day.

Our kids' birthdays are momentous not just for the kids. At one or two, Jen's right, they barely know what's going on. They cover their faces and clothes with cake and make feeble attempts to rip through wrapping paper. Those first two birthday parties are as much about the adults in the equation as they are the kids. They're a celebration of a Mom and Dad's proudest little accomplishment; and when it comes to celebrating - I say the more, the merrier.

The mentality comes, perhaps, from having a large extended family. Invite one of my father's siblings and you have to invite all six . . . and their spouses . . . and their kids. The summer birthday thing plays a role too - I'd feel strange throwing an outside party in my close-knit neighborhood and not inviting the neighbors over to join in. Truth be told, it wouldn't be a party without them. When something is worth celebrating, I'd like to make it a truly celebratory occasion - and that means piling on the guest list.

It also means inviting plenty of kids. Because I can't fathom how to make the "invite the number of children equal to your child's age" method work. Most of my closest friends HAVE kids. So cutting down on the number of children would mean cutting down on my own friends as well. And a party - a summer barbecue anyway - doesn't feel like a party to me without kids. Kids splashing in the wading pool. Kids peddling tricyles down the driveway. Kids having juice box squirting contests in the backyard.

For my daughter, there is fun too. Even at one she knew she was the center of attention, and she was lavished with love. The photos to me are priceless memories - not least because the two parties before my daughter turned three were the last two attended by my grandmother. One day, my daughter will be able to look back through the pictures and see her great-grandmother there, alive, vivacious and thoroughly enjoying the chance to spend time with several of her great-grandchildren.

Soon enough, my daughter will beg for the Chuck E. Cheese party or its equivalent. A few years after that, she'll be begging to go to the mall with her friends on her birthday - without her parents. Marking the day that forever changed my life and my husband's will shift entirely to her, and we will have to honor our favorite day some other way, some private way.

Kids are kids for only so long. I say celebrate every moment.

The Other Side: Smackdown: Babies Don't Need Birthday Parties

What Could a Baby Really Do in Four Hours?

Smackdown: Aw, Just Let Her Have a Barbie

Smackdown: Babies Don't Need Birthday Parties

Jen Chaney — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 14:28:00 GMT

I must preface this post with the following disclaimer: My family and I have attended several birthday parties for children under the age of 3. Our son enjoyed each one and we truly appreciated the invitations.

Now that that's out of the way, I can make the following statement: Kids under the age of 3 totally don't need to have birthday parties.

Before you start posting comments that accuse me of hating the Easter Bunny and starting a petition to put a moratorium on trick-or-treating, please allow me to make my case. I love parties and I genuinely enjoy celebrating milestones. Of course, as parents, there are fewer milestones more significant than our children's birthdays.

But throwing a big 'ol fiesta for a child who is only one or two -- and who probably doesn't care about the invitations or goody bags and certaintly won't remember them -- is a nice but arguably unnecessary gesture. For starters, there are very few party options for kids that age. You can either host the thing at your own home, which no one does because they don't want 25 toddlers racing through their family rooms. Or there is Option B: Have the party at Little Gym, My Gym, Gymboree or the local gym equivalent of your choice. Which is what everyone does. And that means pretty much every one of these b-day celebrations is exactly the same. Same bouncey-bouncey on the trampoline, same delivery pizza, same sheet cake.

Then there is the cost issue, which is no small matter given the current economic situation. Throwing a party, even if you do it at home, is not cheap. Once you decide to have a real party, one that extends beyond family, the guest list tends to balloon. Every child in the daycare class and their parents, every friend you have plus their sons and daughters, those neighbors down the street with the kid who always wears shorts even when it's 30 degrees out: suddenly you feel obligated to invite, feed and entertain them all.

But let's say you could keep that guest list under control. Most of the people who show up will feel they must bring a gift. And that means more junk in the house -- again, for a child who is still too young to fully appreciate it -- not to mention an obligation (albeit an unspoken one) that all those friends have to spend money on presents. In short, it just seems like a lot of hullabaloo that misses the point of the day: To celebrate your child's life on his or her terms.

My son turns two this weekend. We certainly don't plan to ignore his birthday. His grandparents will get together with us, eat some cupcakes and open some presents. There will be a little party in his daycare room, again, with more cupcakes. And we might take him somewhere special, too, like the park or the zoo. But that's it.

Next year, when he's three and perhaps a bit more likely to remember what we do to commemorate his third year on this planet, we may take this whole thing to another level. But until then, we'll celebrate in a quiet way. Call me crazy. Call me a party pooper. But I think the little guy will be perfectly happy with that.

The Other Side: Smackdown: Party On Baby!

Pregnant Woman Arrested For Fighting At Chuck E. Cheese

Brett Singer — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 16:00:00 GMT

The Chuck E. Cheese in Susquehanna Township Pennsylvania was the scene of a violent altercation last week between five women and a minor, all of whom were arrested. One of the women involved was pregnant. A video of the fight was posted to YouTube but has been removed.

WGAL says that this is the 12th time this particular Chuck E. Cheese has had to call the police to calm everybody down.

Growing up in New York City, we didn't have Chuck E. Cheese. I didn't miss it because, well, the pizza sucks. But clearly those places are dangerous.

PennLive.com says that the incident continues what "police describe as a disturbing and bizarre crime trend: escalating violence among adults at a place designed for children's birthday parties."

Twelve calls to police in one year does seem like a lot. But I don’t know if I'd call it a "trend", since all of those problems were at the same place. The Susquehanna Cheesery has hired a police officer to be on site every Saturday and Sunday. Hopefully that will get the adults to behave themselves.

I've seen bad parental behavior, but nothing quite like what these articles describe. Anyone seen grown-ups behaving badly at kiddie establishments recently? Is this a trend?

Source: WGAL, WGAL again, and PennLive.com

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Attack of the Clowns!

SunnyChanel — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 20:33:00 GMT

Clowns totally creep me out. So I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near Mexico City yesterday. Why? Because the Latin American Clown Convention was held there with about 400 clowns conviening from Central America, Dominican Republic, the United States but mostly from Mexico. Latin America, it appears, is very fond of their clowns and are ubiquitous presences at kid’s birthday parties, celebrations and as sidewalk entertainment. To hone their craft, the convention offered a variety of seminars and workshops for these clowns over the four days of the event. Face Painting 101? Introduction to Balloon Animals? Regardless, I’m sure glad I’m thousands of miles away.

(via AP)

5 Reasons to Kill the Goody Bag

SunnyChanel — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:01:00 GMT

As much as I love a good old fashioned kid’s birthday party with funny hats, silly games and, my favorite, cake, there is one thing I dread. The goody bag. When we’re handed these tokens of participation at the end of the soirée, I am filled with a mixture of angst and anxiety. I immediately start to try to scheme on how to get the colorfully decorated bag out of my daughters curious and greedy little hands. A task which I wish could be avoided altogether. Here are five reasons why the goody bag, at least the commercial prepackaged crap-ola bags, should be boycotted.

1.   Choking Hazard – these bags don’t have a great big “for ages 4 and up” sticker on the front, although they really should. When my toddler was a baby, I’d go to one-year-olds birthday parties where there were things in the bag that I would never let anywhere near near my teething, extremely mouthy and curious babe. Fortunatly, she was far too young to even know what a goodie bag was. But still now as a "in the know" toddler, there are items that really aren’t suitable for kids under 4.

2.   Candy – There is always candy. It’s a rule of the goodie bag. And after getting loaded on punch and cake, the best thing for you kid in the midst of a sugar high? More sugar! It’s like crack for kids.

3.   Crappyness of toys – Has anyone kept, beloved or held on to any of the toys in these bags? Yeah, I didn’t think so. If your going to have clutter, have it be at least creative or interesting clutter instead of it being the useless and wasteful plastic junk included in these bags.

4.   Questionable providence of said crappy toys. – Odds are the toys included were made in China. Is there lead contained in these plastic gadgets? Were they made by underprivileged kids in a sweatshop? Are the crayons non-toxic? Yeah, you have no clue. As with most stuff we buy, we have no idea about where it comes from or how it’s made, but odds are if it’s cheap and plastic, it’s pedigree probably ain’t too pretty.

5.   Fostering materialism – Why does your child deserve to get a present when it’s someone else’s birthday? Children should learn the gift of giving and not feel like they must get something in return for giving the special birthday boy or girl a present. It just breeds more "what's in it for me" behavior.

If you’d like to read more about the Operation No Goody Bag movement check out the pieces from Amanda Green of StarNewsOnline or Decatur Mom. If you can’t let go of the idea of some kind of goody bag for the kids, I’m working on a list of alternatives, if you have any suggestions, let me know.

Fire the Creepy Guitar Player and Hire This Guy for Your Kid's Birthday Party

Madeline Holler — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 13:39:00 GMT

Contact Juggling - Watch more free videos

Is it crystal? A huge clear rubber ball? This guy's pet bubble?

Whatever it is, he's "contact juggling" with it and it's way cool. Is contact juggling today's version of hacky sack? Let's hope.

No presents for this kid - just donations

Brett Singer — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT

More nice news – an 11-year-old in Greensboro, North Carolina told her friends not to bring presents to her birthday party. Instead, she asked them to bring canned goods that she will donate to a local food pantry.

This isn't the first time Audrey Mangum decided to forgo gifts in favor of more charitable pursuits. This has been going on for four years. Previous birthdays included items such as teddy bears and toys to be donated to less fortunate families.

Some kids, of course, brought presents, and Audrey was happy about that, proving that she's nice, but not nuts. "That is pretty cool," said Mangum. "They didn't even have to do that."

Cool kid! I have a friend whose daughter did something similar one year, and everyone was pretty charmed by the gesture. Frankly, I think it would be nice if more kids did this sort of thing, but I think the idea needs to come from the child. That is, if you say, "Hey, Toy Boy. How about this year you don't get presents and your friends just bring cans for the food pantry?" you may not get a great reaction. Then again, maybe not every kid is going to think of this on their own, or they might be embarrassed to bring it up for fear of being teased (not to mention not getting any cool gifts.) Has anyone ever done this with their children?

Image/Source: digtriad.com

Attack of the Monkey Children

Your baby is ugly

Just Say No

J.LO Is Doing It All Without A Nanny, She's So Awesome

Reporter Seeks Bad Theme-Birthday Stories

editors — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:07:00 GMT

Surely you've been to a party (or thrown one of your own) that seemed like a good idea in theory and wound up being kind of god-awful. Frightening clowns, anyone? A reporter lady is looking for your story. This is what she says:

I am a newspaper reporter and am working on a story related to parents' arranging for costumed characters and impersonators (think Dora, SpongeBob, Spiderman, Hannah Montana) to entertain at their kids' birthday parties. Specifically, I'm hoping to chat with parents who (in the last year-to- 18 months) had a hard time finding the desired character and/or were disappointed by what Dora (etc.) looked like when she arrived. Please contact me at katierosman@mac.com. Thanks so much!

image courtesy of PBS

Cribsheet: Birthday Party

editors — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:00:00 GMT

Jungle animal party box for 16 including balloons, cups, candles and other necessities: $49.98
16 jungle animal invitation cards: $7.98
Animal hand puppet craft for 12 guests: $9.95
Monkey piñata: $12.95

Dinosaur-themed plates, cups and napkins for 16 people: $5.90
12 "Dinosaur Surprise" boxes containing party favors: $59.40
2 bags dinosaur confetti: $3.90
Gargantuan T-rex helium foil balloon: $4.95
Super raptor party at which guests get to dig up the skeleton of a Brachiosaurus: $495

One "Barbeque Pack" from the Papaya King: $81
12-pack Creamsicles: $3.49
4 dozen custom-made mini cupcakes: $48
3 large cheese pizzas: $47.85
Two bottles of white wine for the adults: $24

Birthday party for birthday child and 15 guests at the NYC fire museum: $650
Pizza-making party at Two Boots Pizza (for a minimum of 10 children): $7.50 per child
Renting the carousel in Prospect Park for 2 hours: $325
Complete birthday party including concept, location, entertainment, clean-up — the works — by Party Poopers: $2,299 and up

Research by Sarah Sundberg. Cribsheet appears in Strollerderby every Wednesday.

Fun Birthdays Despite Recession

Madeline Holler — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:36:00 GMT

In all this talk about economic downturns and recessions or "recessions" and whatnot, politicians are overlooking one very important thing when calculating rebates and tax cuts and interest rates freezes and economic stimulation: what the hell is a parent to do about birthday parties?

Listen, party-planning expert Lisa Kothari, author of Dear Peppers and Pollywogs...What Parents Want to Know About Planning Their Kids' Parties knows your pain and she wants to help out with her three-part series on recession-proof children's birthday parties. Thank God, because I was worried we'd have to leave it up to our kids this year to create their own fun.

For Part 1, she counsels to "think outside the box," but goes on to give some cool ideas, so stick with me. The first is a Messy Party, with these sugggestions.

Invitations stamped with handprints.
Make a mess out of balloons and streamers; hang them all over the place in no set pattern.
Have the kids paint pictures with chocolate.
Let the kids decorate premade sugar cookies.
Set out paint, roller brushes, and butcher paper for the kids to make fantastic creations.
Have a bunch of stamps and water-soluble ink out and have the kids stamp their arms and legs all over and stamp one another!
Place a pile of dirt in one area of the yard and have the kids make dirt creations using twigs, rocks, and other natural elements.
Make a traditional round cake, ice with vanilla frosting and then drizzle different colors of icing into your own messy masterpiece. Add candy toppings as an added bonus.

Outrageous Cookie Party

Make plain cookie dough and then set out these ingredients for kids to get creative with. Bag them up to take home. Be sure to warn parents in case the kids decide to share.

Ketchup
Mustard
Chocolate Syrup
Ranch Dressing
Steak Sauce
Cherries
Yogurt
Cheese
Peanut Butter
Balsamic Vinegar
Jam
Pesto Sauce
Tomato Sauce
Relish

Don't forget to request all birthday gifts in cash. (Who's going to pay for all that wasted pesto? We're in a recession!)

So what are you doing for a cheap birthday party this year (or any year)? Canceling the tiger cub rental? Yeah, me too. Me too.

Photo: Once Upon a Bash

Robots + Legos = Ultimate Geek-Kid Birthday Party

Karen Murphy — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 18:27:00 GMT

My kid is really into Legos. But apparently there are multiple incarnations of Legos, and being into one doesn't mean, necessarily, that the others are quite so interesting. Which is why I am really really glad, or at least my bank account is, that he's not (yet) into Lego Mindstorms. Hello, $250 for a Lego kit? No thank you. However, if he was, and even if he's not, I've found the awesomest birthday party deal on the planet for a geek-kid who's into robots and Legos: the Storming Robots Technology Learning Center.

Ooh, just the words "storming robots" sets those geek-juices flowing, don't they?

And apparently the location of this place is secret, which only adds to its appeal. Somewhere in the eastern US is all I can figure. But! For in the neighborhood of $200 your kid and seven kid-friends can spend a couple of hours in the computer lab buildng and operating Legoish robots while you watch from the safety and comfort of a space that's behind a one-way mirror ("All labs have an one-sided mirror through which parents can watch all the excitement children have"). Okayyyyy.

And! Here's a sample theme: The Mission Mars program is about a dramatic rescue situation. A Martian storm has disconnected all communication lines to the space station. The space scientists have been hurt. This is Urgent! They must be rescued and sent back to Mother Earth before the next storm hits Mars.

Makes you want to get right behind that one-way mirror and watch all the excitement kids can have, doesn't it? Oh! And there's free coffee for adults, so you canget all hopped up on caffeine while you watch this: Participants will "see" their own achievement in every single action, jump up and scream "Hurray! I did it!".

Okay, so the place could use a good copywriter. But even awkward prose doesn't take away from the fact that, hello, ROBOTS! Attached to computers!! I have no idea how these are operated, but if I ever have a birthday party, I totally know where it's going to be.

P.S. Found it. This place is in New Jersey. If you're not in New Jersey, maybe there's a Lego Education center near you, or on its way (especially if you live in the Asian Pacific region), or there are after-school programs in many places.

Babble Talk: Gimme, Gimme!

aprilpeveteaux — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 19:33:00 GMT

The birthday party debate is coming full circle! Instead of the previous (now demonized) competitions of high-end gift bags and exotic party locales, it is now all the rage to see who can be the most selfless by making your baby’s birthday about charitable giving and/or anti-consumerism. Amy Lutz takes on the ‘no gifts please’ movement making the point that, “. . . you can still be pro-gifts and anti-spoiling.”

This need to say no, does seem to be the response to the birthday parties and gifts getting out of hand, which is a good thing. But also as one reader pointed out, dictating anyone’s gift choice is, well, rude. Lutz promotes another positive about shopping for the kiddos in the idea that our children will learn to be gracious in the presence of an unwanted gift; and that is a lovely sentiment, one that we all can agree is important. However, if your kid is the greedy one who needs to have the reigns taken in because she’s already demanding all the Barbies, it’s doubtful that lesson will be learned on her birthday. But also as Lutz points it, the teaching of life lessons should maybe take a birthday break. There are plenty of other days in the year to take on those issues. It’s like the time my friend let her recently toilet-trained two-year old wear a diaper at her birthday party. You’re not taking away the lesson by showing your little ones that they can relax and enjoy their special day. What do you do readers? Show restraint? Or have a free-for-all?

LEGO Cake Looks Just Like LEGOs!

Madeline Holler — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 11:48:00 GMT

I am very opposed to exerting more than pleasurable effort for children’s birthday parties. I think parents owe it to themselves to hold back, especially early on, because the inclination to ramp up a little more each year will leave you with no other options than to bus in strippers for Junior’s 13th birthday celebration.

This goes for cakes too – keep it low-key, keep it simple, keep it cheap. Granted, I’m religious about homemade cakes around here (read: saves money while faking maternal devotion!). But my lack of patience, talent and odd-shaped cake pans limits the outcome.

Thanks to Swiss Miss for pointing me to Betty Crocker (I'm as surprised as you are): the LEGO Cake. Hey! It looks just like a LEGO! All you need are square pans (check!) and cupcake pans (check!) and probably some skewers to hold everything in place until it’s frosted.

Think the cakes actually interlock?

Spousal Birthday Gifts for Yourself

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 13:08:00 GMT

Let's face it -- you're the one doing the dishes, you're the one cleaning up the messes and wiping all the asses, so when it comes time for your spouse's birthday, indulge yourself. Throw yourself a happy birthday party. Or at least buy a really cool present that can easily go both ways.

Take my wife, for instance. (Insert Henny Youngman line here if you must.) She recently had a birthday, and you know what she unwrapped? An ice cream maker. Considering that I go through a pint of Haagen-Dazs every night, I was sure she'd see through my nefarious plan.

Thankfully it was a gift she asked for, but it still got me thinking. We've been together for more than 10 years now, and I've missed a decade of great opportunities.

Now I'm wracking my brain trying to come up with other gifts that could just as easily be for yourself as for your spouse. The new family pool. The new family car. The new family beer maker and three-way with the hot new nanny. While my wife will read this and probably begin her search for the "new husband gift," I'm wondering what else is out there?

Have you ever given or received a two-way gift? Something in a box, I mean. No, not that box. Jeesh.

The Charity Birthday Party

Melissa Summers — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 19:01:00 GMT

The New York Times covers the no-gift birthday party 'trend'. Increasingly parents are asking guests to forgo gifts and instead donate to a specific charity. The trend is part philanthropy and part a defense against the clutter a large birthday party can bring. Judith Martin, Miss Manners, says the idea is ridiculous, “People seem to forget that you can’t spend other people’s money, even for a good cause.” She suggests it's better to get parents together and decide on small gifts to keep the idea of the child's birthday party in mind.

Hey, great idea Miss Manners, that way my kid can have 40 small pieces of clutter I have to find storage for. 40 small things they'll likely tire of in a week. Not to mention the gifts they'll get from well meaning aunts, uncles and grandparents. We have video from my daughter's second birthday party, she's opening a mountain of gifts from family and after about 10 items she breaks down into sobs, totally overwhelmed.

At some point, for a lot of kids, enough is enough. They end up in a feeding frenzy where they can't really appreciate the gift or the sentiment behind it, that's something I want to avoid. I get a sick to my stomach feeling when my kids have 20 gifts to open at once, I agree with Miss Manners in that you can't decide how people spend their money but I see nothing wrong with politely declining gifts at birthday parties. I know my kids have plenty of opportunities to experience the joy of gift opening, they don't need to be beaten over the head with the 'joy'.

In Defense of the Over-the-Top Party

Kelly Mills — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 16:16:00 GMT

On Saturday we had a birthday party for my now-six-year-old. As a result I feel like I've been beaten about the head and neck with a club, and I could probably sleep ten hours every night for the next three months. But I wouldn't change a thing. We've written a ton about the over-the-top party here, and I will gladly admit that measured against our lifestyle, our parties really push excess. We invite a million kids, hire a professional to dress up like a mermaid and do face painting and magic, give out bulging party favor bags, and serve enough cake and pizza to feed a small nation. And I'm all for it. Here's why:

1. While I love the idea of inviting one kid for every year of your kid's age, there's a problem with that one for us. See, my kid is a total extrovert. At our progress report meetings with her teachers they always say, "she plays with everyone." She also holds friendships well, and now has friends from preschool, kindergarten, her camp, the park, and our social circle. This means narrowing a guest list for her shindig causes more angst than our wedding guest list did. I like her super-shmoozy nature, and I'm willing to pay the price in stress and noise to keep encouraging that sociability.

2. The big soiree totally fits her personality. While some kids melt in chaos and wilt as the center of attention, she just gets more gracious and happy. The big blow-out party is her element.

3. She likes people, but they scare me a little. I get hives at the thought of entertaining more than two children at a time. Therefore the expense of getting a professional to mesmerize the children for two hours is a very small price to pay for my sanity.

4. It's a family tradition to do birthdays big-time. When I was a kid, we were pretty poor, so one year my mom (bless her heart) dressed up as a clown and painted the kids' faces herself. She'd make party favors and bake a giant cake. My birthday was special. Now I'm all about carrying that one on, in a way that means less work for me (I'm not so noble, you know.)

I'd never expect other people to do up their parties in the same way unless they wanted to, and there's no keeping up with the whoevers here. We've attended all kinds of parties, from the modest to the major, and had a blast. But this is just what works for us. And as long as I can, I'll be giving Tinker Bell the big fat tip for the great balloon animals and suffering a serious cake hangover. And every year my kid looks up at me and says, "This was the best birthday yet."

Birthday Party Excess (Again!)

Patti — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 19:29:00 GMT

These stories of over-the-top kids' birthday parties are becoming so commonplace in the media now that I'm actually starting to think some of them sound like great ideas. Not the ones that cost tens of thousands of dollars where you have to book the Four Seasons ballroom six months in advance, but the kind discussed in this article, where you take your kids to a venue and let 'em go at it, whatever "it" happens to be.

These parties are like Gymboree or Build-a-Bear parties taken to the next level, and it's a level that is somehow not as repulsive to me (I hate clowns and I hate stuffed animals). I could totally go for a dress-up party where my kids and their friends spend a couple hours tarting themselves up with sparkly eyeshadow and then dance around in fairy wings, especially if it didn't require me to provide the cold cream and mirror space. I can see having a build-your-own-pizza party, or a tea party in a fancy hotel.

Well, I can almost see it. What I really like about what I'm reading here is that some of the parties were just really creative at-home parties, like a tractor-themed party with a real machine for climbing and pretending. Planned by professionals of course, which we have already established is kind of bizarre for a little kids' party, but there's no reason you couldn't come up with this stuff yourself. But then you're going to have to clean it up yourself when the fairy dust and tea-sandwich crumbs settle.

Kids' Parties Continue to Astonish

Patti — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 12:26:00 GMT

Apparently the subject of how kids' parties have gone completely ape-crazy is just not going to get old. We talk about it here at Strollerderby all the time, and deconstructing the question of just who would throw their small child a huge, expensive birthday bash and why on earth they'd do it can be as satisfying as discussing whatever new mess Britney and Lindsay have gotten themselves into.

I can barely handle having to wear shoes to a party, so it's fortunate that I don't really know the kind of people that are discussed in this article, who throw parties for first birthdays that cost more than my wedding. More than fifty of my weddings, now that I'm thinking about it. Damn. My wedding did cost more than the birthday party I threw this weekend for my three-year-old, but my wedding was a lot fancier, too (there were piñatas).

These people are reserving ballrooms in five-star hotels, trying to one-up each other, spending some scary wads of cash. Don't they know that all you need are cupcakes and some room to run? Don't they know that you can rent a bounce house for several hours for just over a hundred bucks (and a wonderful lesson it was for me to learn that; we may rent one every weekend from now on)? Maybe they should contact these folks and learn to simplify.

Babble Talk: Birthday Parties Gone Wild

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:02:00 GMT

Baby tigers, stretch limos, a trip to the recording studio to cut a record. These are just some of the extravagant things that Asra Q. Nomani did for her son's birthday parties, all before the age of 5.

In a recent Babble essay, Nomani highlights the crazy, competitive world of birthday parties where parents get trapped in a cycle of trying to out-do the previous year's party. She discovers there is help for people like her in the form of an organization called Birthdays Without Pressure, a group of "recovering over-the-top party throwers and those disgusted by party excess."

Nomani's turning point was attending a party where the parents served grilled cheese sandwiches and everyone, including the parents, were relaxed and having a great time. Personally, I'm a fan of the low-key/low-cost party. In my experience nothing makes a birthday party more fun than hot dogs or pizza, a passel of kids in their own dress-up garb, and beer. Lots and lots of beer. (For the parents, that is.)

See glimpses of yourself in Nomani? Check out her article and know you aren't alone.

Pro Party Planner for a Three-Year-Old?

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 20:23:00 GMT

Emmeline turned 1 on Monday -- and our party planning consisted of baking cupcakes, stripping her naked and letting her go to town on the kitchen floor. It took a solid hour to clean up, but the sight of a sugar-coated pastel baby was more than worth it. (Note to kid: Sprinkles don't go in your lady business.)

But the first birthday is easy. It's more for the parents anway -- at least that's what everyone told us. But now, I'm starting to get a little freaked out. You see, I just read a post on Dana's Internet mother board about a mom who is looking for a party planner ... for her 3-year-old.

A party planner? Is that where birthdays are headed? How difficult is it to pin the tail on Dora or beat the crap out of pinata Sponge Bob? Are 3-year-olds that demanding nowadays, or are parents just that overworked?

Maybe I'm just jealous, because it would have been a whole helluva a lot easier to let someone else make the arrangements, grab the food, book the guests ("Hello, Mom? You comin?"), bake the cupcakes, etc. etc. etc. I couldn't imagine trying to tie it all together with a "theme."

But still, I'm wondering if I'm alone in thinking a professional party planner for a 3-year-old is more than a little over the top? Please let me know in a hurry -- I've only got a year to plan the next party.