10 Flower Cake Pop Ideas

Mother's Day is less than 2 weeks away.  Have you figured out what you are going to give your mom yet?  I made my Mother-in-Law a Werther's Sugar Free Candy Bouquet last weekend, but I've been a little stuck with what to give my mom and sisters.  My mom is to the point where she really doesn't want more stuff to fill her house, so that makes everything a little harder.

But my sisters are easy.  I don't think one of them would not appreciate flowers for Mother's Day...especially edible cake pop flowers!  Look at this beautiful selection of flower cake pops I found.  Would your mom like any of these?

1. Daffodil Cake Pops by Bake at 350.

2. Daisy Cake Pops by The Pink Momma.

3. Rose Cake Pops by Sweet Empire.

4. Flower Cake Pops by A Little Bit Of Lovely.

5. Flower Cake Pops by My Man's Belly.

6. Rose Cake Pops by My Little Cake Room.

7. Mom Flower Cake Pops by Bakerella.

8. May Flowers Mini Cake Pops by Diary of a Mad Hausfrau.

9. Flower Cake Pops by Parties for Pennies.

10. Rosebud Cake Pops by Candiquik.

What Does It Take to be a Good Mom?

I have a confession to make.

While I normally hate reality TV, I have this guilty obsession.  

When the store is quiet and there is no one around to see, I have been sucked into the show Wife Swap.

It's terrible, I know.  Like what I imagine a train wreck would be like...

Seriously, don't these people know the producers are going to find some family that is the polar opposite of everything that they think, feel, and believe and throw them into that household?  And yet they always seem shocked.  Shocked with how the other "half" lives.  

Because seriously, most normal families never live like any of that...

Most of us don't have a mom, dad, AND girlfriend all living in the same house...

Or have our Best Guy Friend "Princess" raising our son...

Or let our children be "unschooled"...

I know there are pros and cons to all parenting styles and each child is different, but with the celebration of Mothers day coming, I'm asking What does it take to be a good mom?

I admit that I am a little lax when it comes to my parenting style sometimes.  I feel like I fall in the middle of most of these Extremes that I see.  Dear Hubby feels like I'm a bit of a Push Over sometimes.  My kids say I'm the best mother EVER (no, there's no bribery there..) 

And sometimes I feel like all of the above and somewhere between.

For I let my kids make messes....

I let them get away with things...

I let my kids play....we are super silly sometimes.

But we are also serious at times.

I feel like there is a fine line between letting kids be kids and teaching them to be men and women you like and can count on.  There's a time for both.

As you think about your own mother this mother's day and your own parenting, are there things that you would do again?  Are there things you would change and try over?

The thing I like the most about Wife Swap is that in the end, most of the families learn something from each other...no matter how small it may be.  I like to think that we all have ways that we can be better and we can all learn from each other.

What do you think?

10 Mothers Day Blossom Finds

Mother's Day is coming...and someday, so is Spring.

It's hard to say that today when we are supposed to get another couple inches of snow, but I'm trying to be optimistic and think about the pretty flowers and warmth of spring.

So my Mother's Day ideas today are based on the blossoms of Cherries and spring.  I'm dreaming of both right now and thinking of some bright, pretty colors in my home.

1. Hand Painted Glasses by HandPaintedPetals.

2. Cherry Blossom Oreos by SweetiesbyKim.

3. Silver Cherry Blossom Necklace by XXYZ.

4. Cherry Blossom Vinyl Wall Decal by ChinStudio.

5. Hand Painted Cookie Jar by Morningglories1.

6. World's Best Pendant by LittleGemGirl.

7. Spring Cherry Blossom Cake Pops by MomsKillerCakes.

8. Butterfly and Blossom Embroidered Book Cover by WeeBeeStitchn.

9. Japanese Cherry Blossom Pillar by KandsCandlesandMore.

10. Pink Blossom Wreath by Starlovely.

Is it warmer where you live? Have you started thinking of Mother's Day gifts? What do you plan to give?

Music Table Cards Free Printable

I am so thrilled to announce that we picked a winner for our Party Dipper Food Warmer Giveaway!

Our winner was entry #3 from Michelle C.

I sent you an email so please contact me with your shipping address as soon as possible Michelle.

There were so many yummy sounding dips that were shared on the entries.  I think I'm going to have to go check out Pinterest and find some new recipes to try.  

But when you are sharing food at a party, one of the best ways to make it more successful, is to label your food and let people know what they are eating.  (Pretty obvious don't you think?)  But how often do we just put out a buffet (or go to a potluck) and you don't know what you are getting?  It's one of the hardest things about going to group parties.

Here are some free printable Piano Keys Music Table cards for you to use to label your food for your next Rock Band or Music themed party.  I love this style because they work well indoors or outdoors with the little pocket they have to put a rock or something inside to keep them from blowing or "walking" away.

They are super easy to put together, but you can see the directions on how to put them together with our Angry Bird table card free printable.

10 Rocking Nail Polish Designs

So I'll never be a fashionista.  I've said that before.  But that doesn't mean I don't dream of going to a party and walking in with a rockin' outfit that stops everyone in their tracks.  (Yea, I know...big dreams.)  Since that will never happen, I will probably have a lot more luck with some rockin' nails.  Here are 10 ideas that I found that might WOW you or your party guests.

1. Music Note Nail Tutorial from Fashion Diva Design.

2. Checkered Nails from Marce7ina.

3. Glitter with Neon Pink Stripe by Pshiit.

4. Polkadot on Black Nails by Aliva.

5. Sparkle Bing Nails by Katelyn.

6. Disney Princess Manicure from Maria Rogers.

7. Black, White, and Silver Nails from Salon Style Pins.

8. Converse Shoe Nails from Tiffany.

9. Heart Glitter Nails from A Nail ArtGallery.

10. Glow in the Dark Nails from Salon Style Pins.

How fun would it be to try some of these designs?  Have you ever done anything crazy with your nail polish?  What did you try and how did it turn out?  Easy enough for a novice like me?

Chocolate Covered Rice Krispie Treat Music Note

I really like to eat.

Really.

One of my favorite treats is the traditional Rice Krispie Treat.  Which is funny, because I hate marshmallow normally.  But when these are made right, they are one of my addictions.  And fortunately, I have not figured out how to make them exactly right (ie: so the marshmallow flavor doesn't take over) and they are a little too expensive for me to buy on a regular basis.

So I only get Rice Krispie treats on special occasions.

And parties are definitely a special occasion.

So I decided to make them even more special by covering them in chocolate.

And making them into bright, colorful, yummy music shapes.

What could be better?

I started with this sheet of Rice Krispies Treats Supersheet.  I am sure you could make your own, but I am a krispie treat snob and feel like when I make the treats they never turn out quite right.  So I looked at using the smaller pieces, but decided this was the way to get a bunch of treats without too much waste.

I used a Music Note Cookie Cutter that is about 3 inches to cut out the krispie treats.  I didn't have a whole lot of leftovers, especially after I was done snitching, so that was a plus.

Then I put a 6 inch Lollipop Stick inside the base of each music note.  I did go up through the upper part of the note VERY CAREFULLY to help secure the treats onto the stick.

Again, being very careful, dip your music note into some melted Wilton Light Candy Cocoa Melts.  Try not to turn your music note or drag it through the chocolate or you might lose the end of the note.  (Then you might be forced to eat it--Or send it to me to sample!)

Once the treat is covered in chocolate, place it on a piece of wax or parchment paper lined cookie sheet.    Now you can add sprinkles or M&Ms or other colorful treats.  To finish them off, place it in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes.

If you aren't going to serve them right away, you can wrap them in cling wrap or a bag and tie the bottom with a bow.

I can't wait to serve these...or at least get them out of my kitchen.  They are ADDICTING!

What is the cutest way you have ever made rice krispie treats for a party?

Party Pizza Dip Recipe (and a Giveaway)

I think one of the hardest parts of most parties is the food.  What do you serve?  How do you keep it warm/cold?  Will everyone like it?  And when it comes to a party with teens, it gets a little harder.  In some ways, teens will eat ANYTHING, in other ways, it's hard to satisfy them with good food.

There aren't many teens who don't love a good pizza, so that's where this yummy Pizza dip comes in.  It's quick and easy when you make it in a mini crock pot and will stay warm throughout the party.

Ingredients:
1 cup Ragu (or your favorite pasta sauce)
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
3 cups diced pepperoni
11/2 cups shredded cheese
Tortilla chips or Bread sticks.

Add all ingredients to your crock pot or food warmer.
Cover and simmer for 45 minutes.  Serve with chips or bread sticks.

See what did I tell you?  Super easy and sounds yummy right?

And in case you haven't discovered the joy of crock pot cooking and don't have one for every size and occasion sitting in your pantry, I'm giving away this Hamilton Beach Party Dipper Food Warmerto help with your next party.

It's perfect for helping you throw the perfect party with it's 16 ounce size (perfect for any cheese, chocolate, or yummy dip) and perfect for clean up since it has a removable ceramic dish and lid.  So you can set your pizza dish to warming and when you're done pop the warmer dish into the dishwasher.  How much easier and better can that be?

Except if you do it for FREE!
You have until Midnight Thursday, April 18 to comment below and tell us your favorite party dip recipe.  We will annouce the winner on Friday, April 19.
Good luck and Happy Partying!

(Sorry, but giveaway only available to US residents in continental US)

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