by  Cristy Smith

You don't have to be an expert cake decorator in order to make
fantastic looking birthday cakes. Here are some cake decorating
ideas to help you to make your cakes extra special that do not
require exceptional cake decorating skills.

First, determine a theme for your cake. If the cake is for an
adult, what are the likes, hobbies or interests of the birthday
person? For example, if the person likes to fish, make a fishing
theme cake. If the person likes to golf, make a golf theme cake.
If they like to play the guitar, make a guitar cake.

You could also make the cake theme match their profession as
well. For example, for a mail carrier make a mail theme cake or
for a carpenter, make a carpenter theme cake.

If you are making a cake for a child, have it match the theme of
the party or the child's favorite character, interest or even
sport.

You get the idea, just try to make the cake extra special for
the birthday person by making it match their hobbies or
interests.

A really easy cake decorating idea for making these theme cakes
is to purchase cake toppers that match your theme to place on
top of your cake. These come in many different varieties.
However, if you happen to want to make a certain theme cake for
which you cannot find a cake topper to match, try the miniature
section of any hobby or craft store.

For the examples above, you can purchase things such as a
miniature fishing rod and net for the fishing cake, a miniature
golf bag and golf clubs for the golf theme cake and a miniature
guitar for the guitar cake. You can then place them on top of
your cake. For a mail theme cake, purchase miniature mail boxes
and make little letters out of card stock that you laminate and
place them on the top and sides of your cake. For the carpenter
theme cake, put miniature saws and other tools on the top of or
on the sides of the cake.

These are just a few examples. The ideas really are endless, but
hopefully this has helped to get you started thinking of
different and unique cake decorating ideas that will make the
next cake that you make extra special.

About the author:
Cristy Smith is co-creator of a birthday cake decorating website
that is packed full of creative and fantastic looking cakes and
explains how each one was made. Visit
http://www.easy-birthday-cakes.com for lots of
great cake decorating ideas
http://www.easy-birthday-cakes.com/cake-decorating-ideas.html

Spring is here! Here are 16 simple ways to celebrate this fresh
new season.

1. Make chocolate pudding parfaits or fresh
strawberry shortcake and top with real whipped cream.

2. Take your kids on a trip to the zoo.

3. Put your spring and summer furniture back out on your porch
or deck. Indulge in a new wicker piece this season - or a new
rocking chair, hammock or tire swing.

4. Invite the neighborhood children over to share a jumbo box of
Popsicles on the front porch. Keep some sidewalk chalk handy and
engage them in a game of hangman or tic-tac-toe.

5. Look in the paper or call your local chamber of commerce or
historical society to see if there are any historic walking
tours of your town or popular attractions. Each spring, make a
goal to visit someplace new right in your own town.

6. Find a new, thick, and engrossing novel and sit outside - or
in front of an open window - and read for the simple pleasure of
it.

7. Just for the afternoon, open all of your windows, even if it
means you need to put on a sweater. This is really nice to do
during those first spring rains. The scent of rain is one of
spring's richest pleasures.

8. Tune up your bike and go for a quick ride.

9. Blow bubbles.

10. Tonight, set a simple table outside and dine al fresco.

11. Treat yourself to a new pair of sunglasses.

12. Make herbal sun tea.

13. Mix up a homemade fruit smoothie for breakfast.

14. Give each of your family members a disposable camera, and
take a walk through your neighborhood. Document the signs of
spring and arrange the resulting photos in a spring collage for
your wall or refrigerator door.

15. Brighten your home with essence of spring. Introduce some
light breezy fabrics and colors. A new tablecloth or set of
curtains can do wonders to bring indoors the beauty and
freshness of the outside world.

16. Sit on your front porch, inhale slowly, and reflect on the
beauty of the spring season.

Susie Cortright is the founder of Momscape.com as well as Momscape's Online Scrapbooking Magazine and
Momscape's Organic Living Channel- all of which celebrate the simple
splendor in our everyday lives. Visit her site today to
subscribe to her free weekly newsletters featuring fresh new
ideas and inspiration.

by Mike Dougherty "Grandpa Mike"

Need some fun child birthday party game ideas that will turn
your child's party into an instant success? Here are some great
games that your party guests will love.

The Secret Of The Mummy

Divide your party guests into two teams... Have each team choose
a player to be "the Mummy."

Then give each team three rolls of toilet paper... Then start
your party theme music and see which team is first to wrap up
their Mummy from head to toe... To make things more fun, you
might want to give them a two minute time limit... A great child
birthday party game idea!

Whats That Smell

Blindfold each party guest one at a time, then place something
in a paper bag for them to smell and see if they can guess what
it is...

Try a peppermint, gum, toothpaste, cheese, a slice of pizza,
cherry candy, grape candy, a banana, peanut butter or something
milder like a slice of bread.

The Great Detective

A child birthday party game idea they're sure to love.

Have your birthday child go into another room and make a slight
change in their appearance... Put on something different, one
different sock, reposition their hat, or take off or add some
jewelry... Then have them come back in the room with their party
guests and see which guest is "the great detective" and can
figure out what's different.

Quick Change Artist

Give each child a bag that contains a big over-sized shirt, big
pants, big socks and a big knit or floppy hat... Start your
party theme music and say "ready - set - go!"

Each player starts putting the baggy clothes over their own
clothing.,.. The first one to put on all the clothes from the
bag is "the quick change artist."

You might want to have your party guests remove their shoes to
make it easier to get the big socks on their feet.

Sneak Attack

Have your birthday child sit in a chair in the middle of the
room and place a blindfold over their eyes... Place an object
under the chair. It can be a stuffed animal, a toy, a small bag
of candy or a wrapped gift.

Keep everyone quiet as your party guests try to sneak up (one at
a time) and take the object under the chair... If your birthday
child tags them, that player is out and the next player must try
and take the object... Your birthday child can move their arms
around, but don't let them use their feet.

Silly Dress-Up

A great child birthday party game idea for everyone.

Take lots of wild - colored shirts, pants, hats, socks, scarves,
jackets and anything else you can think of and have your party
guests see who can come up with the silliest, funniest, craziest
costume.

Wild Animal Act

Write the name of an animal on a piece of paper, fold the paper
in half (so you can't see what's written) then put all the
pieces of paper in a bowl... Have one party guest take a piece
of paper out of the bowl and act out that animal... The first
player to guess the animal correctly then takes a piece of paper
from the bowl and acts out that animal... Keep playing until all
your party guests have had a turn.

Wacky Balloon Race

Divide your party guests into two teams... Have one player from
each team put a balloon between their knees... When you say
"go," start your theme music and both players race to the finish
line without dropping or popping their balloon.

If a balloon pops or the player drops their balloon, that player
has to start all over again with a new balloon...

Every player on each team must race with the balloon. The team
that finishes first wins.

Child Birthday Party Game Ideas

You can vary each of these games to make them appropriate for
the age group of your party...

Have fun, laugh, enjoy, take lots of pictures and shoot plenty
of video!

About the author:
Mike Dougherty has lots of experience putting together
successful birthday parties for his children. For more great
information and tips on kid birthday party ideas, take a quick
look at  Fun-Kid-Birthday-Parties.com

By Susanne Myers

April Fool's Day is the perfect day to have fun with the meals
you serve. Surprise your family on April 1st with these fun
meal ideas. 

Fake Hot Dogs And French Fries

Your kids will love fake hot dogs and French fries for lunch
this April fools day. Peel a banana and spread peanut butter
all over it to give it the appearance of a hot dog. Serve it in
a hot dog bun with some strawberry preserve drizzled over the
hotdog to make it look like ketchup.

For the fries, peel some apples and cut them into sticks
resembling fresh fries. Roll them in a cinnamon and sugar
mixture and bake them for 8 to 10 minutes in a preheated 400 F
oven. Serve with a side of strawberry preserve as fake ketchup.
What a fun lunch. 

Fool everyone in the family with these fun dinner and desert
ideas. They won't believe you are actually serving cake for
dinner and spaghetti for dessert. 

Cherry Cake Or Meatloaf? 

Your Family will be in for a big surprise with this meatloaf
cake. Prepare your favorite meatloaf and bake it in two 9-inch
cake pans. Reduce the cooking time from what you would usually
cook it since the meatloaf cake is thinner. 

While the meatloaf cakes are baking, prepare some creamy mashed
potatoes. Spread a layer of mashed potatoes on one of the cakes
and top it with the second one. Use the remaining mashed
potatoes to "frost" your cake. Cut a few cherry tomatoes in
half and use them to decorate the top. 

Serve Spaghetti As Desert

Since your serving cake for dinner, it only makes sense to eat
spaghetti for dessert. Put a slice of pound cake on a plate.
Spoon some softened ice cream in a pastry bag with a thin round
tip. Pipe the ice cream over the pound cake in a swirly motion
to resemble spaghetti noodles. Freeze for about 15-20 minutes
to allow the ice cream to harden back up. Top with strawberry
jam as tomato sauce and a few coconut flakes to resemble
Parmesan cheese. 

Don't Forget The Drinks

Meals like these deserve a fun twist on a beverage as well.
Prepare some lemon Jello and pour it into glasses. Add a straw
and let it set. It will look just like a glass of lemonade. You
can even decorate the glass with a slice of lemon. 

Have fun with these creative April Fool's recipes this April
1st. They are sure to make your family smile. Enjoy!

About the Author: Want more family friendly recipes and crafts
ideas? Visit http://www.dinewithoutwhine.com/info for a sample
weekly menu plan your entire family will love and
http://www.kinderinfo.com for tons of kids craft and activity
ideas that are sure to keep your little ones entertained.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

by Clare O Hagan

1. Admit that Advertising Agencies are powerless in showing
images of Irish people celebrate St Patrick's Day without a
drink in their hand.

2. Believe that we need a power greater than the Global Drinks
Industry to overcome the stereotypes of Irish people drinking to
excess on St Patrick's Day

3. Come to believe that using innovative ideas we will be able
to celebrate St Patrick's Day without painting our face green,
getting drunk and falling over.

4. Made fearless decision to look at how we have used St
Patrick's Day in the past, as an excuse to buy and sell tacky
merchandise.

5. Admitted to ourselves, and to another human being the exact
nature of how we decided it was a great idea to wear big hats in
the shape of a pint of Guinness on St Patrick's Day

6. Are entirely ready to have a look at why it's not the best
idea to promote damaging racial stereotypes on St Patrick's Day.

7. Ask for help when planning a St Patrick's Day event.
Introduce novel images of the Irish, in addition to the
leprechaun with a pipe.

8. Make a list of all the ways to celebrate a St Patrick's Day
our children will remember fondly in the future.

9. Make direct amends for the bad taste you exhibited on past St
Patrick's Day by declining gifts of Irish Whiskey socks.

10. Continue to take personal inventory of your St Patrick's Day
wardrobe. Style hint - synthetic materials are suspect.

11. Lead by example in improving the image of St Patrick's Day
through conscious effort, starting this year.

12. Awaken to the joys of St Patrick's Day, and enjoy it with
gusto and good grace.

Wishing you all a very Happy St Patrick's Day on 17th March.

©2006 Clare O Hagan

About the author:
Clare O Hagan is the co-owner of O Hagans Irish Store. With
fellow artist Denise Wyllie, they design, produce and sell, fun
funky goods with an Irish twist.
http://www.wyllieohagan.com

On a more serious note, the artists are affiliated to leading
Women's Health Institutions internationally.
http://www.wyllieohagan.com