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How to throw a Lego Star Wars birthday party: a real mom’s guide

This Lego Star Wars birthday party guide is full of low-effort, budget-friendly ideas to create a super-stellar celebration for the young padawan in your life. May the force be with you!This Lego Star Wars birthday party guide is full of low-effort, budget-friendly ideas to create a super-stellar celebration for the young padawan in your life. May the force be with you!

NOTE: THIS POST INCLUDES AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I HAVE USED AND LOVED, BUT AS ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO SHOP AROUND FOR THE BEST DEALS. SEE MY DISCLOSURE TO LEARN MORE.

Little Brother turned five this month! Ever since his big brother’s birthday in May, we’ve been tossing around ideas for his fifth birthday. After many ideas (and many times of changing his mind), he settled on a Lego Star Wars birthday party–a perfect marriage of the two things he loves most in the world….

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How to throw a Hot Wheels birthday party: A real mom’s guide

This guide has everything you need for an awesome (and totally doable) Hot Wheels birthday party your little racer will love!This guide will give you everything you need to know to throw an awesome–and totally doable–Hot Wheels birthday party. Simple ideas that give you maximum bang for your buck to create a party your little racer will love!

NOTE: THIS POST INCLUDES AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I HAVE USED AND LOVED, BUT AS ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO SHOP AROUND FOR THE BEST DEALS. SEE MY DISCLOSURE TO LEARN MORE.

It’s birthday season at our house right now. All three of my boys have summer birthdays (May, July, and August), so we do a lot of celebrating this time of year. This year, my seven-year-old asked for a Hot Wheels birthday party, and today I’m sharing how we pulled off a super fun party for under $100 dollars.

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Ocean-themed birthday party: a real mom’s guide

This guide will give you everything you need to know to throw a fabulously simple ocean-themed outdoor birthday party for kids. Grab the water balloons, and get ready to have a splashy birthday bash!This guide will give you everything you need to know to throw a fabulously simple ocean-themed outdoor birthday party for kids. Grab the water balloons, and get ready to have a splashy birthday bash!

NOTE: THIS POST INCLUDES AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I HAVE USED AND LOVED, BUT AS ALWAYS FEEL FREE TO SHOP AROUND FOR THE BEST DEALS. SEE MY DISCLOSURE TO LEARN MORE.

My three-year-old little guy just turned FOUR last week! He is a strong-willed, big dreamer who loves to build and invent new creations. He is a little obsessed with fighting bad guys, but he’s also the biggest snuggle-bug I know. He is stubborn as all get-out, but I’m pretty sure that’s going to be a good thing as he gets older. And he’s got just about the best cheesy smile ever.

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8 Fantastic DIY Birthday Cakes for Boys

Have a birthday boy in your house and need some inspiration? These eight totally-doable DIY birthday cakes for boys have got you covered.Have a birthday boy in your house and need some inspiration? These eight totally-doable DIY birthday cakes for boys have got you covered.

Note: This post includes affiliate links to products I have used and loved, but as always feel free to shop around for the best deals. See my disclosure to learn more.

One of my favorite parts about my kids’ birthdays is getting to make their cakes. I think it’s so fun to get crafty in the kitchen and create something that really reflects their personalities and interests….

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Paw Patrol birthday party: a real mom’s guide

If you have a child under five, you’re probably all too familiar with Paw Patrol. Here is your complete guide to planning a paw”-fect kids’ Paw Patrol birthday party, ideal for real moms who don’t want to spend a fortune to throw a great bash!If you have a child under five, you're probably all too familiar with Paw Patrol. Here is your complete guide to planning a paw"-fect kids' Paw Patrol birthday party, ideal for real moms who don’t want to spend a fortune to throw a great bash!

Note: This post includes affiliate links to products I have used and loved, but as always feel free to shop around for the best deals. See my disclosure to learn more.

Little Man turned five last week, and this boy takes holidays seriously…especially birthdays. Ever since his dad’s birthday at the end of March, he’s been talking about how his birthday is next and making plans. When it got close enough to really plan, I asked him what kind of party he’d like to have….

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A meal with NO dishes: a perfect last-minute birthday gift for moms

Need a quick last-minute birthday gift for a mom friend? This simple “meal with no dishes” kit is a perfect way to say happy birthday to a mom around you who just needs a little break for her birthday. And…really…don’t we all?
Need a quick last-minute birthday gift for a mom friend? This simple "meal with no dishes" kit is a perfect way to say happy birthday to a mom around you who just needs a little break for her birthday. And...really...don't we all?We all know that birthdays as a mom tend to be much less exciting than they were when we were kids. We don’t usually throw big parties with our friends, our class doesn’t sing happy birthday, we don’t get a special birthday badge to wear. We still have to make lunches, do the laundry, and keep up on the day to day tasks of life. That’s not necessarily bad…it’s just the reality of adulthood and mom life.

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Fondant 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Mixing, Rolling & Decorating with Fondant (Part 2)

Have you ever wished you could make a really professional-looking cake? This two-part series will teach you everything you need to know about how to make fondant for a fancy birthday cake. Here’s part two: how to make/roll the fondant and finish your cake. Give it a try! 

Have you ever wished you could make a really professional-looking cake? This two-part series will teach you everything you need to know about how to make a fancy fondant cake. Here's part two: how to make/roll the fondant and finish your cake. Give it a try! Note: This post includes affiliate links. See my disclosure to learn more.

Alright, everyone. I’m back with the next installment of my “Fondant 101” series. In part one, I described everything you need to know about preparing your cake prior to actually making and using the fondant. If you haven’t read that post, you’ll find it here:

Fondant 101 – Part One: Preparing Your Cake

Today, I’m going to get into the real fondant work. The SCARY part. But, once you’ve tried it, you’ll realize as I did that it’s really not that scary after all.

As my mom told me, “Fondant is like play dough for grown ups.”…

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Fondant 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Making a “Stellar” Cake (Part 1)

Have you ever wished you could make a really professional-looking cake? This two-part series will teach you everything you need to know about how to make fondant for a fancy birthday cake, starting with part one: how to prepare your cake. Give it a try! 

Have you ever wished you could make a really professional-looking cake? This two-part series will teach you everything you need to know about how to make a fancy fondant cake, starting with part one: how to prepare your cake. Give it a try!

Note: This post includes affiliate links. See my disclosure to learn more.

My baby turned two last week. I can’t believe he’s getting so big! He’s talking in sentences, running everywhere he goes, yelling “I do it!” 500 times a day, and has developed a pretty hilarious little sense of humor.

(Read more about why I actually think the “terrible” twos are a pretty awesome age.)

One of my favorite things about my kids’ birthdays is the excuse it gives me to make a fun cake. I know they would be totally content with simple cupcakes, and I fully accept that the cakes are more for me than for them, but I love the creative process of making a fun and edible representation of whatever it is that they happen to love at the time. For Little Man’s fourth birthday this year, I made a fun dinosaur world cake, and for Little Brother–who is constantly running around yelling 3-2-1 BLAST OFF!!!!!–we decided on a rocket ship.

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How to make a dinosaur birthday cake

Have a dinosaur-loving birthday boy or girl? This dino cake will make them roar for joy!Have a dino-loving birthday boy or girl? This dinosaur world cake will make them roar for joy!

This post includes affiliate links. See my disclosure to learn more.

I love decorating cakes. I’m no professional, mind you, but my mom is super talented and taught me a few things over the years as I watched her decorate cakes for weddings, birthdays, and whatever other occasion people asked her for cakes. She taught me about different kinds of cake tips and introduced me to the world of gel food coloring….

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Dinosaur birthday party: a real mom’s guide

Have a dino-loving birthday boy or girl? Here is your complete guide to planning a dino-mite party, perfect for real moms who don’t want to spend a fortune to throw a great bash!Have a dino-loving birthday boy or girl? Here is your complete guide to planning a dino-mite party, perfect for real moms who don't want to spend a fortune to throw a great bash!

Little Man turned four last week. I can hardly believe that he’s already that old! He’s certainly taken me on a roller coaster through motherhood the last four years, but I sure love him. He’s a crazy rough-and-tumble kid with a great sense of humor and a huge heart….

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