Giveaway: Chocolate Cake Club

Do you have those moments in life that just scream for chocolate cake? Those special events that need a special treat to go with them?

I recently was introduced to an online company, The Chocolate Cake Club, that can help you create those moments, to be inspired, and to have more fun even if your family is busy. They call these "Chocolate Cake Moments." Their tag line is - "Products That Make Life Easier For Busy Parents." What parent couldn't appreciate that.

And while they offer all sorts of organizational tools and things for daily life, I want to share with you something they sell that makes life easier when you are planning a party. They are called Birthday Party Entertainment Kits.

Birthday Party Entertainment Kits come with an activity that doubles as the party favor, goody bags for filling, themed invitations, themed thank you cards, a game, a party and entertainment guide, as well as one or two more things to round out the theme.

Themed kits include a Pirate Party, a Garden Party, a Fun In The Kitchen Party, as well as a Slumber Party. What makes these kits unique is that they provide the activities for the party planner so he or she doesn't have to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to keep 8 kids busy and happy. You still might need to grab some themed plates and napkins to match your theme, but will all the pretty stuff included, you could stick to solid dinner ware to cut down on expenses.

These Kids' Birthday Party Entertainment Kits include items from the Melissa & Doug line, so you know you are dealing with a quality product.

If you'd like a chance to sample the Garden Party Birthday Entertainment Kit, then today is your lucky day! Sue, the president of the Chocolate Cake Club is offering one of the activity kits, a goodie bag and the birthday planning guide from the Garden Party Birthday Entertainment Kit.

How to Enter: There are five ways to enter and you can do any of them you like, for up to five entries:

1. Visit Chocolate Cake Club and leave a comment telling me which item you might like to order,
2. 'Like' Chocolate Cake Club on Facebook and then leave a 2nd comment telling me you did so,
3. Subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe by email, and leave a 3rd comment telling me you did so, or already are subscribed,
4. Link to my giveaway on your own blog, leaving another comment with the permalink to you post, or
5. Follow Family Musings and Chocolate Cake Club on Twitter, then tweet this giveaway and leave a 5th comment with the permalink.

That's it. 5 ways to win and 1 lucky winner. This giveaway will end Saturday, September 11th at midnight. Read all contest rules here.

FTC Disclosure: I received the same item I am giving away in order to facilitate my review.

Giveaway: Sudz N Bubbles

Unique and unusual party favors are one way to make your child's party memorable. I had the opportunity to share several unique ideas at Charlotte's party. One of them was a cupcake soap that we shared as a party favor. Sudz N Bubbles makes and pre-packages these to match any party color scheme.

We had one extra to keep for Charlotte,  but she doesn't want to use it because it is so pretty. Fortunately, she doesn't want to eat it either.

These soaps are a nice way to avoid cheap dollar store toys that will break before the party is over. And they can also prevent sugar overload from giving a favor bag full of candy.  Finally, these glycerine soap products will last longer, letting the recipient remember the good time for weeks to come.

Not only can these Sudz N Bubble soap cakes be personalized by color, Cindy, the mom-preneur who founded the company, can make a custom label to go on the bottom of the cupcake package. Cindy says "Sudz N Bubbles was born out of a need for a specialized soap for my youngest son and has become a real labor of love for me. Over the years we have taken a simple white bar of soap and turned it into fun products such as pies, cupcakes, and even Sudz pops. My vision is to see this company grow from a cottage industry to a house hold name within the next few years."

We received 10 cupcakes as party favors and another 5 with red and purple packaging to give away. How to Enter: There are five ways to enter and you can do any of them you like, for up to five entries:

1. Visit Sudz N Bubbles and leave a comment telling me which soap you might like to order,
2. 'Like' Sudz N Bubbles on Facebook and then leave a 2nd comment telling me you did so,
3. Subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe by email, and leave a 3rd comment telling me you did so, or already are subscribed,
4. Link to my giveaway on your own blog, leaving another comment with the permalink to you post, or
5. Follow Family Musings and Sudz N Bubbles on Twitter, then tweet this giveaway and leave a 5th comment with the permalink.

That's it. 5 ways to win and 1 lucky winner. This giveaway will end Saturday, September 11tht at midnight. Read all contest rules here.

FTC Disclosure: I received 10 cupcake soaps to facilitate my review.

Giveaway: Strawlution

Kid parties are often known for concluding with a big mess for the hostess to clean up. There are cake crumbs in the carpet. Little bits of paper being chewed up by the dog (or the baby if you live at my house). And inevitably, some kid decides to make a big pink stain with his juice cup right in the middle of the living room. Right?

Recently, I came across a product call Strawlution. It is a straw that goes in, but doesn't come out. That ought to foil the neighborhood brat's attempts to ruin your carpet for sure. You can use it in juice boxes, yogurt or pudding cups, or anything else that is drinkable through a straw.

I've let Charlotte use these straws when she has a drink in the car because the number one no-no for us is pulling the straw out. It works especially well with those little chug milks too that you get in the drive thru. For those extremely rare days when nothing else is available. (Was I convincing enough?)

Enough of my fast food habit... back to the straws. These work. Period. And they are dishwasher safe, BPA free, and reusable. Unless you leave them in the half-drank milk chug in the car for days. Then you should throw them away. I am just guessing on this on though. Because we don't eat food from a drive thru. Ever. (Am I protesting too much?)

This product was so neat and original to me, that I asked if I could give one away to one of you. The 12-pack means you will have enough for the typical kids party. And if you have more than 12 kids coming over for a party... I hope you hired a nanny.

The Strawlution comes in 4 colors - blue, yellow, green, or pink and cost $4.99/12-pack. If you are a subscriber, you can more read about Strawlution in the September issue of Parenting Magazine.

How to Enter: There are five ways to enter and you can do any of them you like, for up to five entries:

1. Leave a comment telling me which drink or food your kid would use a Strawlution with,
2. 'Like' Strawlution on Facebook and then leave a 2nd comment telling me you did so,
3. Subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe by email, and leave a 3rd comment telling me you did so, or already are subscribed,
4. Link to my giveaway on your own blog, leaving another comment with the permalink to you post, or
5. Follow Family Musings and Strawlution on Twitter, then tweet this giveaway and leave a 5th comment with the permalink.

That's it. 5 ways to win and 1 lucky winner. This giveaway will end Saturday, September 11tht at midnight. Read all contest rules here.

FTC Disclosure: I received 1 pack of Strawlutions to facilitate my review.

Lots Of Winners Tonight

I had fun with the random number generator tonight and here are the winners from all of my closed giveaways:


The Sewing Loft - #90 by Jeannine

Peppers and Pollywogs - #16 by Naomie

hoops&yoyo - #36 by Brandy

Chocomize - #69 by Angie

NYC Subway Line - #57 by Julie

Cake Crystals - #78 by Melisa Bass, #68 by Heather, #37 by Sophia, #44 by Lona728, #71 by
Supreme Vision

Sassy Signs - #37 by SJT42075

DaSweetZPot - #7 by Shairbearg

Congratulations! I'll be emailing all of you shortly to get your contact information!

Birthday Bash Is Almost Over

Life sure does get busy when school starts... even for those of us who don't have school aged children. My hubby went back to work. MOPs started again. And a "new friend from China," as Charlotte calls her, moved in with us. (We are hosting an exchange student this school year.)

So that means I still have a handful of reviews/giveaways to write up. Look for those to all be posted in the next few days. The participating companies include:

Bloomin' Books
Strawlution
Chocolate Cake Club
My Punch Bowl
Monkey Monkey Music
Sudz N Bubbles
Squishy Press
Print Art Kids (review only)
Z Wind Ups

Leave an comment on this post letting me know which company you are most interested in and I'll give you an extra entry on that giveaway!

Mary's Name Revisited

Bruce wrote a lovely essay about why we chose the name Mary Mitchell for our daughter. Here is that essay represented in a Wordle. I hope they figure out how to turn these into higher resolution documents for printing and framing.

This for That: Bloggers Helping Bloggers

Ten Talents hosts a daily This for That McLinky that allows bloggers to get some help in exchange for helping others. Here are the rules:

If this is your first time linking up with us on This for That, please READ THIS POST for more information!

Post your "need" in the MckLinky by writing about what you need and linking to where others can fulfill that need. Meet the need of the 3 ppl DIRECTLY ABOVE your link, AND THEN YOU ARE DONE! If you want more than 3 ppl to help you out, then wait a bit, come back later and enter your need again (just make sure you AGAIN help out the 3 ppl DIRECTLY ABOVE you). The idea is that you help out 3 ppl and 3 ppl help you out...AND you don't have to wonder if you left someone hanging because your job is done as soon as you help out the three ppl above you! You can link up as many times as you want!

Just a couple of quick points:

1) PLEASE DO NOT link up unless you have time @ the very moment you link up to meet the requests of the 3 people directly above you. Please.
2) Less is More! Please ask for one need to be met at a time. You'll find that you get more help when what you ask for is easier for others to do. More than 3 people will probably try to meet your request if it's something they can do in five minutes or less!

Why Do You Use Captcha?

I like to comment on my friends blogs. I also like to enter giveaways on blogs. But I hate entering CAPTCHA codes. Sometimes they are annoyingly hard to read. And when I can't get it right after 2 tries, I just give up and don't leave a comment.

This is the text I saw on a recent CAPTCHA:

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

It makes me wonder, how many automated programs are out there trying to comment on stories about potty training or the newest birthday giveaway. Do programmers really go out of their way to write software to SPAM us?

I've had CAPTCHA turned off on my own blog for at least a year. And I have also deleted the rel=nofollow code. And I only get a few SPAM comments a week.

I want to challenge other mom bloggers to change their CAPTCHA settings for 2 weeks to see what kind of difference it makes. If SPAM reaches an unacceptable level, put it back on. Otherwise, give us busy moms a break and keep the CAPTCHA option turned off.

New Meal Time Rule

For a while now Bruce and I have had trouble with Charlotte's eating habits, particularly at dinner. She dawdles and takes her time. We don't like to leave her at the table to eat alone, so it has sometimes meant that every one's meal is drawn out too long.

So today, I decided to try something new. I set the timer for 20 minutes and then explained that whatever wasn't done at the end of the time, could be saved for later.

I think by making it clear that meal time has its limits, she'll be encouraged to do more eating and less talking.

What do you think? Do your children dawdle at the table?  What did you do to solve the problem?

Review: Pose Prints

PosePrints.com is unique in the world of customized cards, announcements, and invitations. They allow you to create a cartoon or silhouette version of your little one to adorn your card instead of just relying on stock images.  I had fun playing around with different birthday invites for Mary (since Charlotte already had invitations printed).

I was able to email the pose and card I designed to myself to use as a digital invitation for Mary's 1st birthday. It worked perfect for us because we do 1st birthdays pretty low key around here, so there is no need for a printed card. Once I received the email, I was able to forward it to my family as an informal invitation. I think the card would have looked cute printed as well and there is an option to order blank cards to use as thank you notes or to print invitations yourself.

One thing I had trouble with the first time I used the site was how to create a baby pose. I could only see the adult female pose. I e-mailed customer service and had a detailed response in no time. Once I read it, I couldn't understand how I missed it!

Just in case any of you have an un-techy day, here are the instructions for creating a PosePrints.com card.

The site automatically defaults to the female. To create cards for boys, girls and / or babies, here is how to proceed:

• Click on the Design Tab,
• Select your card background from over 40 templates, and click on "Personalize this design with my Pose" button.
• You will wait a moment for the layers to upload, and these will automatically be for the Female.
• At the top will be a drop-down menu where you can select Little Girl, Little Boy or Baby.
• Next to this is another drop-down menu where you can select the skin color.
• After making your selections, click on Change Model button to the right, and wait for the layers / features to upload to your computer.
• Using the scrolling arrows, layer on your hair, eyes, mouth, clothing and accessories to create your caricature.
• Click on Save Model when you are done.
• A pop-up will appear telling you that your pose has been saved and that now you should either Make a 2nd Person or Personalize your Message. Press OK.
• After you've either created a 2nd person or Personalized your cards, you'll then be prompted to either Add to Shopping Bag or Send as Pose-card (this is our free e-card service where you can email your card to yourself or someone else.)

It was easy and quick to make. It was easy to email. And even though the cards cost $2 each, if you don't need too many the prices are in line with other online custom card companies.

FTC Disclosure: I received no compensation for sharing this site with my readers. I just liked it and thought some of them might as well.

Birthday Party With A Purpose

Toddlers are not too young to learn to give to others. And honestly, most kids have too many toys anyway. That is certainly true of my own toddler. So for her 3rd birthday, instead of asking guests for gifts, we asked them to bring a pair of new pajamas. I also took her shopping to pick out a pair to make sure she was really involved in the process.

Then, Charlotte and I went to the FL Baptist Children's Home and donated the pajamas to their emergency shelter. We were able to get a tour of the facility and learn more about how children end up in their emergency care. I hope that by doing this, she will start to learn about the value of helping others and be excited to come up with her own caring and sharing ideas for parties in the future.

Other moms are doing the same thing to help their kid's celebrate. Malia, of Homemaking 911, has done it twice. One year her daughter hosted an Operation Christmas Child Birthday Party. Another year, her daughter asked to support the Touched Twice Clinic, a place where people in need can get one-stop service for their medical, physical, emotional, relational, and cosmetology needs.

I have a friend named Ida who planned her 26th birthday party with a purpose. Ida asked us to join her at a local coffee shop for coffee, cupcakes, and fair-trade shopping. She worked with Trade As One, a fair-trade company, to highlight the needs of others. It was simple and meaningful for a girl who has so much love to give to the world.

What charity would you or your child support if you were to plan a "party with a purpose?"

Mary's Coming For You!

I can barely believe my 'Marykins' will be a whole year old in 10 days! (And that I'm just now sharing her 9-month photos!)

It's almost time for Mary's birthday! And she is ready

Photos from Mary's 9-month session with Karissa Barber, owner of K. Barber Photography in Lakeland, FL.

Review: Sprinkles Cake Shooters

Lots of things about Charlotte's 3rd birthday party worked well. But one of the things that worked the best (besides my mom who helped out a lot), was the cake. Actually, they are called Cake Shooters. And a bakery in my very own Central FL makes them. These are an innovative way to serve cupcakes at an party, whether its for kids or adults.

The push-up style dispenser is filled with layers of cake and frosting that are easy for even young children to eat. This little girl is about 1 1/2 and she was able to work the push-up on her own. Admittedly, the flavors inside were some pretty powerful motivation!

The flavors are definitely better than your typical home baked cake as well. Each shooter has a few layers of cake with yummy frosting in between them. All a kid has to do is push up slowly from the bottom and start nibbling the goodness.

There are several different Cake Shooter flavors to choose from. The kid's at Charlotte's party tried Sprinkles Signature and  Chocolate Cake Shooters. At home, I was able to sample the Yellow Raspberry Swirl and the OMG Cake Shooters. No one was disappointed by what they tried.

You can learn more about Cake Shooters or order some for your own party at the Sprinkles Cake Shooters website. And while you're there, notice that my review is right next to the review from Tori Spelling. Yep, I'm that popular. :)

Review: The Party Starts Here

When your daughter asks for a pink and purple birthday party, planning is pretty simple. There is room to be creative and have fun with the invitations. And you know what, I did just that. I found these cute birthday invitations at The Party Starts Here and thought they fit Charlotte's personality perfectly.

The personalization process is easy to follow and the variety of invitations to choose from is awesome. They really had something for every personality or party theme out there. One thing I appreciated about The Party Starts Here is that they will also sell you a blank card so frugal moms can save the $7 personalization fee and do it themselves. The cards themselves were printed on thick card stock with an appropriately thick envelope to match. I wasn't worried about these cards getting damaged in the mail and I think the one I saved for posterity will stand the test of time.

After browsing the various invitations, I want to throw more parties just so I can order and use these adorable invites! How about a Super Hero Party invitation?

Or for a jungle theme birthday party:

Maybe your child is really into movies too? I can already imagine the whole party, just by the inspiration from this movie clapboard invitation:

The number of different invites, cards, or announcements they offer truly is stunning. Moms who are trying to involve their children in the party planning process could even use the selection to spur their child's imagination. Or once you have settled on the theme, you could let your child pick the invitation from within that theme.

Where do you normally get your invitations from? Which The Party Starts Here invitation do you like best?

FTC Disclosure: I received 1 pack of party invitations for review purposes only.

Birthday Ideas From Other Moms

Moms are some of the most creative people I know. If you think about it, we created little people, so there must be something flowing in the left side of our brains! It was easy to find professional party planning ideas. But I know that many moms can't afford to hire professional help for executing their wee one's birthday party. So, I went looking for moms who did it themselves, and these were some of the ideas I found.


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If you are into character themed parties, Karli at SweetBeaker designed a Dora the Explorer Fiesta for her own Charlotte. The Dora birthday invitations look upscale and she made them just by using the free printables available at Nick Jr.com. Same for the rest of the Dora decorations and favors. It just took some digital paper crafting skills. The color palette is simple (yellow, orange, and pink) and I can see how it would fulfill any toddler's Dora the Explorer birthday party needs! Karli told me that they kept to a simple, kid-friendly meny too - quesadillas, bananas, and salsa with chips.

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Wendi, a mom and photographer, shared the following with me about her baby's Monkey themed birthday party:

I am by no means an expect, but I am a mom and a creative person! For his first birthday, we had a monkey theme. We decorated our backyard with a hand-made happy birthday banner I made using twine and natural-colored papers. We used greens and browns and a little yellow throughout the party. The cake was a 3D monkey hanging from a tree, and his smash cake was a banana shape. We had fresh bananas laying all around, and the favor bags, decorated as a monkey, included a little stuffed monkey, a banana (of course), and a picture frame that the kids got to put together. All the kids also had safari hats to wear. We didn't do games, since they were mostly younger, but it was a hit!

Then, Wendi told me about her son's 2nd birthday party, which will have a fire station theme:

This year, we are doing firetrucks. For his invitation, we took him to the fire station and photographed him with a truck. We have firefighter hats for the kids to wear, and little foam badges they get to put together. The cake will be a 3D firetruck, of course, and the favors will be little wooden firetrucks that they can paint. We are also having the local fire department bring a small truck down and talk to the kids about fire safety.

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If you love literature, you might be interested in the Where the Wild Things Are Birthday Party that Erin put on for her son. There are several pictures at this site which give you a great idea how to decorate. Even though Erin is a mom-preneur and used those skills in decorating, I think most of what she did is accessible to the average mom.

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If you need some game ideas for the toddler crowd, why not play Cloud, Cloud Rain, as suggested by Emily, a non-blogging, but still really cool mom.

This is just like Duck, Duck, Goose except in these hot summer months we had a big sponge that we dunked in the water balloon bucket to fill. Kids sat in a circle on the ground and one child begins by holding the sponge over people’s heads while they walk saying Cloud, Cloud, Cloud, etc. When they choose the person they want to chase them around the circle back into that person’s seat, they say Rain and squeeze the sponge over the child’s head. This works for parties that have diverse age groups that need to be entertained and expend a lot of energy.

Another one of Emily's ideas (and added proof that she must be a cool mom)  is the Imagination Mover's themed party she helped with that included a skit.Yeah, a skit. Tell me that isn't cool!

We had the 4 guy characters (using husbands and a god father) and me as the god mother, the only female character on the kid’s show. The birthday mom played the mom holding the 1 1/2) We solved the problem of how will he be able to blow out his candle and taught him how with bubbles and funny solutions. This encouraged group participation and silliness by all.

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With fall right around the corner, outdoor themes are becoming more popular. Even though I don't live anywhere near an apple orchard, doesn't Sara make it sound like fun to hold a birthday party there? Here is a link to an article Best Kid Friendly Travel did about her child's Apple Orchard birthday party.

Every family got a half a bushel bag and to pick apples with and them each child had a chance to pick their pumpkin! After about 45-50 minutes of apple picking we met at picnic area on the farm had a light lunch and ate cake. There were no goody bags filled with junk or cheap toys. Just yummy apples, a pumpkin and great memories.

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What birthday party ideas have you used? How did you get creative with limited resources or a particular theme your toddler just HAD to have?

Unexpected Birthday Ideas

When I was looking around and talking to different people about birthday ideas, I came across some particularly unexpected ones. What do you think, would you ever throw one of these parties?

Karate Party Anyone - Children have lots of fun while actually learning TaeKwonDo at your child's birthday party! Your child and guests will fully participate in a safe introductory TaeKwonDo lesson. All the children learn the rules of safety while gaining self-confidence and self-respect at a party that no one will ever forget.

Soccer Collies - Invite doggies to the party! I bet some of these collies are more well-behaved than some toddlers!

Orange Kite Theme - A color themed party is what we did for Charlotte. Her colors were pink and purple, but the little girl with the kite party chose orange and I think the results are stunning! And using kites for a spring party makes tying everything into the theme so much easier.

Have you planned any birthday parties with an unexpected theme? Feel free to tell us about it or leave your link in the comments below to share them with others.
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This For That - Bloggers Helping Bloggers

I've come across a really neat way that one blogger found to help other bloggers out and I want to take a moment to share it with you.






The owner of Ten Talents wants to help us connect with one another by sharing links. They can be links to giveaways that you want more entries on, links to your Facebook page, or requests for more Google Friend Connect followers. This is beautiful in it's simplicity.

If this is your first time linking up with us on This for That, please READ THIS POST for more information!

1. Post your "need" in the McLinky by writing about what you need and linking to where others can fulfill that need. 
2. Meet the need of the 3 ppl DIRECTLY ABOVE your link, AND THEN YOU ARE DONE!
3. If you want more than 3 ppl to help you out, then wait a bit, come back later and enter your need again (just make sure you AGAIN help out the 3 ppl DIRECTLY ABOVE you). 

The idea is that you help out 3 ppl and 3 ppl help you out...AND you don't have to wonder if you left someone hanging because your job is done as soon as you help out the three ppl above you! You can link up as many times as you want!

8 Tips For Succesfully Managing a Toddler's Birthday Party

It helps sometimes to put a toddler's birthday party in perspective. Recently, I spoke with Candy Wingate, the President of Nannies4Hire, and she shared the following tips for managing a child's birthday party.

1. Keep it simple. Your child won't care if there are elaborate decorations, or a meticulously thought out menu. He just wants to have fun.
2. Get some help. Many parents get overwhelmed trying to do it all themselves. If your father-in-law is artistic, ask him to make the invitations. If your sister is a great baker, put her in charge of the cake. Consider hiring someone to entertain the kids, run the games or clean your house pre- and post-party.
3. Ask for your child's input. Before you start planning, get your child's opinion. Even young children enjoy a trip to the party store to choose between Elmo and Thomas the Train plates. My kids love to browse through party catalogs to choose a few special things for their party.
4. Keep it manageable. Instead of inviting your son's entire first grade class (27 kids - can you imagine?), suggest that he invite his two or three favorite friends to do something special, like going bowling and out for pizza. Likewise, don't feel like you have to invite all of his school friends, neighborhood friends, cousins and so forth. Chances are, it will be overwhelming for him - and for you!
5. Don't plan too much. It's great to have a few ideas for games, crafts or other activities, but there's no need to schedule a ton of different activities. 
6. But do have a "back up plan". It's smart to have a few extra crafts or games in mind, just in case the kids seem bored. Musical chairs is fun for all ages, a dance party is an easy, enjoyable activity, and younger kids would probably love a few stories.
7. Have a set "end time" and a friendly way of ushering people out the door.
8. Remember, the birthday party should be a celebration of your child, not an elaborate affair. Keep it simple and you'll all have a great time.

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I appreciate Candi's tips and they ALL made Charlotte's party go more smoothly. I tend to over plan and these 8 birthday party tips reminded me to relax and have fun. One more tip of my own though is to appoint someone to take the party pictures for you. Just enjoy watching your child have fun with their friends and don't get caught up in taking the perfect shot.

If you are interested in learning more about Nannies4Hire, connect with them on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or Twittermoms. You may also subscribe to the Nannies4Hire Blog.

We Interrupt This Birthday Bash...

... to tell you why I need a blog makeover.

Long time readers will know that this blog has worn many different fashions.  

Some nicer than others to be sure.

At one point, I even  had a really cool professional blog design, but then, that company went under and my awesome blog design went away with their image hosting. :(

[Insert really cool blue silhouette of girl holding a balloon here]

And I've been floundering for several months since Mary was born because my old blog design didn't include her, just Charlotte.

I finally got tired of not seeing both my daughters on my page and now, I'm just stuck with this simple, standard Blogger template. The colors are great, but a gazillion other people have the same design! And now my button doesn't match my blog.

I am in major need of a blog makeover that reflects my family, passions, style idiom, and favorite colors!

My style idiom is very well defined. I do my best to make sure my home and my personal wardrobe are in line with it - Clean lines. Bright colors. With a touch of whimsy or the unexpected.

Also, I am easy to work with because I know what I like. I know there are few things worse than trying to create for someone who has no idea what they expect.

So, if you happen to know anyone giving away free blog makeovers... please send them my way. In the mean time, I'm hoping this post will convince Jacqui to give me a blog makeover courtesy of Wacky Jacqui Designs.

Edited to add that Jacqui's Grand Prize giveaway includes so many blog upgrades I can barely handle it! Check it out!

This GRAND PRIZE includes:

A Blog make over that include everything I can do.
• 2 or 3 column design
• Custom background
• Custom header (basic or animated)
• Matching font color
• Sidebar titles (unlimited)
• Custom signature
• Custom post divider
• Social network icons (unlimited)
• Convert to a 3 column layout (if needed)
• Custom blog button (2 included)
• Matching profile picture
• Navigation bar with text or images
• Matching twitter background
• Favicon
• Deletion of Blogger navigation bar if desired
• Installation

Winner: Bake Me A Wish

The first giveaway in the Family Musings Birthday Bash is over! I used the random number generator at Random.org to select from the 157 comments. And the winner of the Bake Me A Wish giveaway is....

Anonymous commenter # 85.

I've emailed the winner and hope they enjoy their Triple Chocolate Enrobed Brownie Cake!

Giveaway: DaSweetZpot Jam

Party favors come in all shapes and sizes. And if you are lucky enough, all flavors too! DaSweetZpot Jam can turn any flavor or beverage or food into a yummy jam or jelly that can please the youngest and the oldest party guests.

For Charlotte's 3rd birthday party, I included a small, personalized jar of Kool-Aid jelly from DaSweetZpot on Etsy. This was an easy choice because pretty much every kid knows Kool-Aid and the flavors are accessible to tiny taste buds. It was a fun addition to our favor bags and something that no one had seen before. (Actually, our favor bags had lots of cool things, but you'll have to wait a day or two to read about the rest of them.)

I had to pick our jelly flavors before Charlotte decided on her birthday theme, so I chose to do a rainbow of jellies. The jars were beautiful to look at and they included her name, age, and a thank you for coming note on the label. The flavors were listed on the bottom.

I asked owner Marlene how they took flavors of Kool-Aid and made them into jelly and she made it sound so easy. "Making jelly is simple.. it is sugar plus something liquid or solid. When we take cocktails, wines, or juice (kool aid), we simply mix the liquid with sugar. Every recipe has a different ratio of sugar versus ingredients. Depending on the citric level of the liquid, we add pectin, which is the key ingredient to form jam. Some foods have natural pectin (such as strawberry, lemons, lemonade), therefore you need no pectin, just sugar. But in the case of Kool-Aid, there is no natural pectin, and therefore we need to incorporate it. The rest is chemistry in the stove-top... like blue cheese, cottage cheese, or raisins... the transformation happens on its own!"

One of the neatest parts of ordering jam or jelly from DaSweetZpot is choosing a flavor. Marlene says

"people are used to the traditional jam flavors - grape, strawberries, peaches - but we create exotic flavors like pomegranate, hibiscus flowers, or watermelon or elegant flavors such as merlot, chardonnay, or champagne and roses. Whatever the customer wishes for. One customer wanted "beer" jelly for her husband while another wanted "coconut," so we created them. If a particular custom flavor is a hit we incorporate it into our line of flavor offerings."

They like to think of themselves as the Ben & Jerry's of jams and jellies. That's sounds cool to me! And I think you'll appreciate the process more once you try some. DaSweetZpot is offering a $25 gift card to one reader of Family Musings.

How to Enter: There are five ways to enter and you can do any of them you like, for up to five entries:

1. Visit DaSweetZpot on Etsy and then leave a comment telling me what flavor you might buy or what flavor you might like to have turned into a jam or jelly,
2. 'Like' DaSweetZpot on Facebook and then leave a 2nd comment telling me you did so,
3. Subscribe to my RSS feed or subscribe by email, and leave a 3rd comment telling me you did so, or already are subscribed,
4. Link to my giveaway on your own blog, leaving another comment with the permalink to you post, or
5. Follow Family Musings , then tweet this giveaway and leave a 5th comment with the permalink. -- I entered to win a $25 gift card from DaSweetZpot and @FamilyMusings {link here}

That's it. 5 ways to win and 2 lucky winners. This giveaway will end Saturday, August 28th at midnight. Read all contest rules here.

Photo Credit: Emily Rose Portraits, used with permission.
FTC Disclosure: I received 12 party favors to facilitate my review.