Strollerderby : parties

10 Coolest Baby Shower Cakes

SunnyChanel — Fri, 29 May 2009 12:30:00 GMT

After discovering a very disturbing and totally creepy baby shower cake (which you can check out here), I started to think about the other side of the bakery aisle. The tasteful, stylish and pretty celebratory concoctions that have been presented at baby showers.

Here are ten of the coolest baby shower cakes floating around the internet, having their likeness saved for prosperity before they disappear into partygoer’s tummies.

Baby Shower Rubber Duck Cake (above)
Who doesn’t love a rubber ducky? This cake pays homage to everyone’s favorite bath toy in the form of a pair swimming through a sea of icing. And best of all, the ducks can be recycled and actually used for the baby, which isn’t the case of 90% of cake decorations out there. You can get the instructions on how to create your own right here.

Classy Cake
This is pert near the opposite of a tacky joke shower cake. This baby is all sugary sweet class. This is from Pink Cake Box here.

The Belly Cake
This fancy fondant cake is a tribute to the belly in all its pregnant glory. It’s cute, kinda sexy and highly entertaining. But cutting it open for serving only seems appropriate if the honoree is scheduled for a C-Section. You can check out that cake here.

The Twin Cake
For those expecting double the trouble, here’s a cake for the soon-to-be mom of twins. Two baby carriages, oodles of number twos and bottles and pacifiers galore decorate this towering cake. This cake is from the Sugar Loft Cake Shoppe in Osage Beach, MO right here.

The Photo Cake
The mom who is about to have a baby once was a baby herself. The photo cake is a reminder to all about the cycle of life (the happy part of the cycle that is). This cake was found right here and is one you can easily get done at a bakery near you.

Retro Style
This is one of my favorites of the bunch. Simple, stylish and totally retro. It looks like a cake that could have been featured in McCalls in 1972. Sparkle Cakes created this polka dot silhouette cake, you can check them out right here.

Baby Takes Over the Cake cake
Who’s baby shower is this? It’s all about the baby right? This cake puts the baby front and center as the focus point of the baby blue masterpiece. Yeah, it’s all about him. This was created by Pink Cake Box here.

Pink & Polka Dots
By the time I got to this cake, I realized that polka dots seems to be a strong theme and motif for baby shower cakes. Is it representing the mother’s egg, her womb, her belly? Or is it just that dots are cool? Yeah, I thought so. By Sublime Slice here

Baby Blocks
Why have one cake when you can have six? This series of square cakes are based on the basic baby blocks announcing the sex for all to see. The creator of this cake is here and boy must their arms be tired...that's a whole lot of sides to frost.

Rump Cake
I can’t figure out if this cake is cute or tacky. I’m totally on the fence. But I do know one thing…there are polka dots on it! People often say that baby's are cute enough to 'eat', this cake takes that pretty literally. This bottom was found here.

Let's Hear it for Cupcakes!
Yeah, I’m a sucker for a cupcake. These from the UK here.

Which one is your favorite?

What They're Babbling About: Birthdays, Babyproofing and Twilight

JeanneSager — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 16:31:00 GMT

A Babble take on what's going on around the blogosphere for you:

Ever been tempted to just bag the birthday bash and take the kids for ice cream? Find out what the experts have to say about this form of "bad" parenting. - ParentDish

Rewarding good behavior? Well, that's just not done. Snort. Would you give this kid a cookie? - CafeMom

Twilight got you atwitter? Check out the wolf pack - and weigh in on how that makes your alpha mom growl. - MamaPop

Remember the Sex and the City episode when Carrie's Manolos were stolen because the party hostess said no shoes where the baby crawls? Parents are wondering - how do you babyproof the houseguests? - AlphaMom

Are young mothers getting the stink-eye for being young? - Momversation

Is Madlyn Primoff just an example of frustrated parents everywhere . . . just a bit over the edge? - The Juggle

Homeschooling is certainly not a new thing, but if you're a homeschooling parent getting criticism, how about hauling out these names of successful former homeschool students. Showed them, huh? - Mental Floss

Image: EssentialBaby

Get Ready, Get Set, Read With Celebrities!

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

A Real Housewife of Atlanta Spent 18k on 11-Year-Old's B-Day Party

SunnyChanel — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:42:00 GMT

Last night I was flipping channels, trying not to get immersed, yet again, in financial or election news. I found a very guilty pleasure-ish escape with last night’s episode of Real Housewives of Atlanta. One of the women profiled on the reality program is a buxom blonde bombshell who was described on Jezebel as “the white woman who actually looks like one of the Wayans brothers in White Chicks,” who threw a birthday party for her eleven year old daughter Brielle. How does she roll? She spent an estimated $18,000 on the celebration. How the hell did she do that? Well, she got a whole slew of Brielle’s friends and had an all day fiesta that went into a slumber party at the InterContinental, all arranged by a party planner. Not only did they take a Hummer limo to the hotel, had oodles of food, a stellar suite but the eleven-year-old birthday girl, yes eleven years old, received not just one but two Louise Vuitton bags from her mom. One, her mom mentioned she had given her a couple of days before, but this one was better.

Not surprisingly, her mom felt that the spoiled Brielle wasn’t as appreciative as she should be and pulled her aside to tell her she should be more happy and excited. But when 18k is spent on something as an eleven year old’s birthday, not even a big benchmark such as 16 or 18 or even 21, then her reality is just wack. At least Kim knows she spoils her daughter, saying that she herself wasn’t spoiled growing up and had to work for everything. On the upside, she does plan on getting her daughter involved with charity work to see how real kids live.

You can check out a clip of the show on Jezebel here.

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.

Greenhouse: Party Down, Green-Style

Amy Kuras — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 15:02:00 GMT

Summer's over, but party season isn't. Tailgates, fall picnics, and before we know it, holiday entertaining are all upon us. Perhaps if you are a classy Martha Stewart type you use reusable, tasteful china for all your events, but for most of us whose "staff" consists of a few small people with a tendency to drop things, it's disposable partyware all the way. (not to mention that when we stocked up on basic Ikea wineglsses for our last party, guess who dropped and broke one in dramatic fashion first)?

Of course, about the only thing that feels less green than tossing piles and piles of crap after a party is driving it to the dump in your SUV, so finding a way to lessen the waste is a great idea. Plum Party and Green Party Goods both have corn-based straws, cups and plastic silverware – I have actually used things of this type and they are awesome, completely undistinguishable from the regular petroleum-based stuff. They also have bamboo serveware, recycled paper napkins, and all kinds of nice, colorful, stylish things that won’t make you feel guilty when you toss it in the compost pile the next day.

Yes, most of these things can be composted. Kind of a cool idea to think that next year, the food you serve could have been nourished by the plates and cups from last year's bash.

Des Moines sex club shut down

Brett Singer — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Most of the news that mentions Des Moines this week will be about will Shawn Johnson, the adorable little pixie person with abs of steel who is winning gymnastics medals in Beijing. But there's something else happening in Iowa's most populous city. (BIG GIANT CORRECTION: This happened in Des Moines, WASHINGTON, not Iowa. We have egg on our faces and offer a big thank you to Megan, the commenter who pointed this out.)

A sex club called – hang on – the Hardwood Cabin has been shut down. I've tried to come up with a better re-write for the basic facts, but here is the opening paragraph of the story: "Regan 'Draco' Lane-Smith and 'Naughty' Nonah Elliston outfitted their six-bedroom rental house with 15 mattresses, bondage crosses and sex swings. They built elaborate sets in their backyard for taking erotic photos."

The fun part is that they were doing this in a residential neighborhood. At least, it's the fun part if you didn't live in that neighborhood.

Now, being pervy isn't illegal in ~~Iowa~~ Washinton (as far as I know; I've actually never tried anything pervy in Des Moines). But operating a business without a license is, and that's what got them in trouble with the law.

Naughty and Draco (sounds like the name of a a really crummy rap duo from the mid-90's – "D to the R to the A to the C to the O / I got Naughty on my left and she ain't no ho!") say that they are "being persecuted for their lifestyle," and that since they weren't charging admission, it's not a business; therefore they shouldn't be asked to stop being "happy hedonists." They go on to say that they are, "normal people who happen to enjoy sex."

Sex with a whole lot of people at once, that is. After searching for a house "that would perfectly suit them and their hobby," they found the Hardwood (can't type that without laughing) and started having, um, parties. What began as a bi-weekly affair blossomed into a three day a week thing, with as many as 60 people present. "Members were as young as 22 and as old as 80," according to the Seattle Times.

N and D did what they could to be respectful of their surroundings, telling neighbors that they would be having parties (not sure if they said what kind), and giving out their phone numbers for folks to complain if they felt things got too noisy. The problem is, as the Hardwood (heh heh) groundskeeper points out, "They've tried to be decent…[but] With all that many people, you're going to lose control." Most of the complaints would have happened with any sort of party, clothed or not – too many cars in the driveway, too much noise. In this case, the noises were of the "moaning and slapping" variety, sounding "like a raccoon dying." (Hey! Now that's a party.) The dionysian soiree's also featured nude swimming and sunbathing in the yard in the middle of the afternoon, although no actual sex acts took place outdoors.

As for whether or not it was a business or just a private party filled with naked strangers, I can see why authorities would be a little bit suspicious: the couple's website, HardwoodCabin.com (snicker) said, "on Wednesday, ladies are reduced rate or food or pop donations and men are the usual rate." There are also references to a "staff" that is, of course, "really cool." The site is gone, but you can see it via the Internet Archive; some of their Yahoo! Group is also archived.

I'm not generally a prude, but I don't think I'd be all that thrilled if my neighbors were having weekly parties with that many people, especially if said parties included nude sunbathing and loud sex. In my Manhattan apartment, we used to have a neighbor who was, shall we say, quite noisy when she was in the company of her significant other, but I only heard her when I went to take out the garbage at night. It wasn't like this neighborhood, where you would have had to black out your windows to avoid seeing people going the full monty on a weekly basis. I also admit that I question whether or not a desire to constantly have sex with multiple partners while married is as "normal" as they say. That is, if they really weren't charging anything, why are you having so many people over for random screwing?

Would you want to live next door to these people? And is "swinging" normal behavior?

source: Seattle Times

images: HardwoodCabin.com via Internet Archive

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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

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Just Say No

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

Parents Spent $3,000 On The Kid's First Birthday Party

Kelly Mills — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 21:35:00 GMT

A while ago the parenting story of the day was paring down parties for kids, and how these celebrations should be small and cost nothing and we should all forgo the party favors. There was even an online movement called Birthdays Without Pressure, for people who were kinda grossed out by the excesses of it all, and the word on the street was that big parties had more to do with competitive parents than the kids. At the time, I came out in defense of the lavish affair. However, I'm here to tell you I do have my limits, and they are definitely shy of this one-year-old's birthday.

How do you spend that much on a kid birthday? These parents did it by renting a room at a country club, hiring a magician, having pony rides, buying a giant castle cake, providing a buffet and pinata, all for almost 60 guests. ('Course that party would cost $5,000 where I live.) They also flew out the grandparents, and I think that part is sweet. But mother Sheila Chapman's motivation behind the affair was reportedly to make it memorable for her son. Um, bad news: He's one. He isn't gonna remember a thing about it. She also wanted her son "to know how important and special I think he is." Okaaaay, for a one-year-old, I think you can accomplish that with a hug and thirty minutes in the sandbox.

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

Back-to-School Parties Are Really For Parents, Right?

Jessica Ashley (Sassafrass) — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 13:03:00 GMT

Back before I was a mother (ohhh, the Saturdays of having breakfast at 1 pm) and I was all judgy about mothers (wha-? me? I know, shocking) who complained about their kids being home all summer long, I thought they were crazy for wishing the academic year to arrive already and that they should just be grateful to be privileged to spend the best part of the year at home with the young ones. Of course, this is the kind of naivete I reflect upon with lots of laughter and big old black Sharpie to X off another day until co-op finally starts again (31 days if you're keeping score at home).

While I've personally had a great time at our recently rebuilt park with my son, taking weekend trips as a family, splashing around in the backyard pool and hanging out at the sandbox, I am getting a little jittery for regular childcare and the steadiness of our schedule. That's why, when I saw this adorable post on building your own fun back-to-school fete, I assumed it involved martinis, massages and the promise of shopping at Target alone.

But now, it's actually more kid-centered than that, aimed at getting the lunch boxers all geared up for the new year and remind them of all the good stuff (think pizza day in the caf, their turn to show it and tell it, their very first locker) that school brings. The ideas here are full of craftiness and fancy cakes, but I bet your kids would be just as happy with one last sleepover that lasts until the wee hours or one more pool playdate with a friend from another preschool. So long as the margaritas follow once the kids are tucked in, you'll probably be DIYin' the end of summer up right.

My Kids Aren't Invited? Then I'm Not Coming to Your Party

Karen Murphy — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:32:00 GMT

My kids attend a Waldorf school that, like many Waldorf schools that struggle somewhat financially and strive to provide education that's within the reach of families in various financial circumstances, relies heavily on fundraising throughout the year to make ends meet. So the annual benefit auction is a big deal. The first few years we were with the school, the auctions were child-friendly: after all, the auction was, in essence, *for* the kids, in a way, as the money received went directly to the school and providing materials and eduction for them. My kids loved the magical atmosphere and flitted from room to room, sampling delicious food and reporting on important items that they wanted me to bid on in the hopes we would win them and take them home. We all looked forward to the auction all year.

Then the auction committee decided to make it an adult-only event and discouraged children from attending. It felt like some of the heart went out of the event for me then, and it became yet-another chi-chi occasion of the sort I avoided anyway, chock-full of people wearing clothes they normally wouldn't, laughing too loudly and generally not being themselves. Not having a babysitter handy, I stayed home that first year. The second year of adult-only I stayed home out of protest. It wasn't fun anymore, not for me.

I guess this is a sensitive issue and it's being pondered over at The Wall Street Journal: while I'd never insist that my kids attend a gathering and would never knowingly taken them where they weren't wanted, I agree that if my kids aren't invited it's likely I'll stay home. I have taken them places where they were ostensibly and grudgingly welcomed, and none of us were comfortable. So why bother?

At the same time, I value the opportunity to spend time with other adults without children present. We need time and space to remember who we were before someone called us Mommy or Daddy and who we are outside of the person who wipes noses and butts.

But I'm just not that motivated right now to seek out adult-only venues. I made a choice to have children and I am making a choice to spend time with them. If that means I don't attend your adult-only party, then so be it. My kids won't be little for all that long and I'm just not that interested in paying a sitter to be with them when it could be me. And as such, I'm going to tend to hang out with other people in similar circumstances making similar choices.

What about you? Do you tend to socialize with other families where kids are part of the social plan, or do you prefer to leave the kids at home?

Blueprint Magazine Throws a Baby Shower Without Stupid Games

Melissa Summers — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:56:00 GMT

My sister and I attended a baby shower a few years ago for a cousin. A cousin who was underage and having her first child. During this shower we were forced to play a game which involved us crawling around on all fours with vaseline on our noses picking up cotton balls. We were forced to do this while entirely sober. This was a crime against humanity, a crime Blueprint Magazine would like to put a halt to.

This Modern Baby Shower thrown by Blueprint Magazine for two expecting employees, Kendra and Rachel, is the first step. I loved the whole look and knew I'd be stealing these ideas even though I have no expecting mothers to shower anytime soon. The simple look of the shower is excellent for couples, the asian inspired menu is easy to recreate using simple take out and purchased snacks plus the decor is simple. Like the Binth alphabet print given to each mother but also displayed as part of the party decor. Brilliant.

I'm taking inspiration from the design for my sister's bridal shower next month, minus the Binth print and the great Mom-To-Be Gifts. However, I think this is the type of baby shower women are craving. No ducklings, pink, blue or even worse, games. Games. No, please, no more shower games.

Creepy Toy Division: Inflatable Trains and Dirty Monkeys

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 17:13:00 GMT

Parents need to find fun (and healthy!) ways to entertain themselves at the endless array of neighborhood parties and birthday events and hosted kid-friendly BBQ's this Summer. What better way to get your giggle on then watching the kiddies jump in this "train"?

Not good enough you say? How about this fabulous monkey's "lap" playground equipment?

With toys like these, Bratz dolls don't seem so terrible.

[via Boing Boing]

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.

Daughter from Hell Trashes Mom's House with MySpace Party

Mike Adamick (Cry It Out!) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:09:00 GMT

Seventeen-year-old Rachael Bell is staying with a friend for awhile. She can't bring herself to return home. I can see why. While her mom was away, she invited friends over for a party -- pretty typical teenage stuff. Who hasn't been to a kegger?

But while Rachael says she invited only 40 people over, more than 200 people showed up. And they spent the next seven hours trashing the place. Condoms in the kid rooms. Cigarette burns on the clothes and carpeting. Fires. Vomit. You name it. The mom says the house has been "raped."

So what happened? I can't even begin to sum up this party. Really, you have to go check it out. Each new twist is more bizzare than the last.

Did she invite people? Did they just show up? Was her MySpace page hacked? Why did the cops bust it up only to leave again, allowing the party to continue? In the end, Rachael says she spent the duration of the party locked in the bathroom, while strangers spent seven hours tearing apart the family home. Whatever happened, I just want to know why she didn't call the cops herself. And why she didn't invite me.

Earth Day: Plan An "Earth Dinner"

Patti — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 13:32:00 GMT

Here's an interesting way to observe Earth Day with your family, especially if your kids are preschool-aged or older: have an Earth Dinner. The program is designed by Organic Valley, a farmers' collective, as a way of incorporating a meal tradition into Earth Day in the manner of other established celebrations.

It's kind of cool, actually. You can purchase a set of cards (profits go to the Organic Farm Friends Foundation) and use them as talking points to lead dinner conversation toward mindful eating, positive discussion about food and the earth, and personal memories. There are sample cards available for download, as well as recipe ideas to help plan a healthy organic dinner and a list of participatory restaurants for those who'd rather not cook. And specifically for kids, some fun links including Organic Valley's own kids' activity page.

I'm not really much for theme dinners that don't involve tons of garlic, tomatoes, and the Godfather saga, but I think I can get behind an organic lowcountry pilau with ham and bacon and going around the table to see who can name the most songs that reference food or eating, or hearing everyone's favorite food memory. It certainly beats our standard dinner conversation of poop, princesses, and politics.

April Fool's Day: Punk Your Kids

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:31:00 GMT

April Fool's Day is coming up, and if you haven't given it a thought, don't worry. With Strollerderby's help, you don't have to resort to the old "Kids, we're not your real parents" schtick.

Here's a list of resources to ensure that on every prankster's favorite day, you have the last laugh.

Kids' Turn Central—tons of links to April Fool's Day sites

Family Fun—the best April Fool's Day meal ideas I've ever seen. (The photo is not chicken nuggets and mashed potatoes and gravy...)

Kidzworld—Jokes, pranks, and gags.

Kids' Party Fun—party ideas and more.

Teachnet.com—Fun ideas for teachers that parents can do, too.

Top 5 Children's Books about April Fools Day

Have fun getting your kids punk'd!

Ringing in the New Year with Kids

Stefania Pomponi Butler (CityMama) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:05:00 GMT

Recently Peter Hartlaub wrote a post on the Poop about how his New Year's Eve revelry days are over. I agree that with small children in the house, it's tougher to go out and party until well past midnight unless you book a sitter waaaaay in advance and pay a pretty penny for it. (By the way Peter, I never "feel guilty about leaving my kids with someone else while I get loaded.") But just because you have children, doesn't mean you can't celebrate New Year's Eve.

A tradition for me and my West Coast friends to have a "New York New Year's party." We gather together around 6:00PM, everyone brings a dish to share and some champagne. If we really have our shit together we hire a sitter or two to keep an eye on the kids and we all chip in to pay for it. It's a great deal all around because the sitter makes some cash and still cuts out early enough to get his or her party on later. We eat, we talk, we have a great time, and the kids have a great time "staying up late." At 9:00 pacific time, we tune into the east coast feed of New Year's Rockin' Eve and watch the ball drop. We toast, we kiss, then it's time to go home and put the kids to bed.

Once the kids are asleep there is still time left in the evening for some adults-only celebrating. You can stay up and play a game or watch a movie together (or something), and at midnight (if you're still awake, that is), share a special bottle of bubbly with your partner.

It's not impossible to party when you have kids. You just have to be a little more creative and a lot less spontaneous about it.